THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU SMILE

EPISODE 1 – PART 1 The first Monday of senior year arrived with the kind of sunlight that made everything look beautiful, even when it wasn’t. The sky stretched endlessly above the city, painted in soft shades of blue as lazy clouds drifted across it. The streets were already awake. Students in different school uniforms hurried toward their campuses, traders called out from roadside stalls, buses blared their horns impatiently, and motorcycles squeezed through spaces that seemed far too narrow. For everyone else, it was just another school morning. For eighteen-year-old Nadia Adebayo, it felt like the beginning of a chapter she wasn’t sure she was ready to face. She stood in front of the mirror in her bedroom, adjusting the collar of her neatly ironed white shirt. The girl staring back at her looked tired. Her brown eyes carried a weight that seemed too heavy for someone her age. “You’re going to be late,” her mother called from downstairs. “I know!” Nadia replied, but she didn’t move. Instead, she reached for the framed photograph on her bedside table. It had been there for almost five years. The edges of the frame had become worn with time, but the smiles in the picture remained just as bright. It was the last family photograph they had taken before everything changed. Before her father died. Before laughter became something that only visited their home once in a while. Her thumb gently brushed over her father’s face. “I’ll make you proud,” she whispered. She wasn’t even sure she believed those words herself. A knock on the door pulled her back to reality. “Nadia!” her younger brother, Tobi, complained from outside. “Mum said if you don’t come downstairs now, she’s eating your pancakes.” A smile escaped her lips. “Tell her I’ll sue.” “You don’t even know what ‘sue’ means.” “I know enough.” She opened the door and gently pushed his forehead with one finger. Tobi laughed and sprinted downstairs before she could catch him. Their house wasn’t luxurious. The walls had been painted so many times that no one could remember their original colour. One leg of the dining table was supported by folded newspapers, and the ceiling fan squeaked every few seconds as though it had been begging for retirement for years. Still, it was home. Her mother, already dressed in her nursing uniform, packed lunch boxes while mentally preparing herself for another exhausting shift at the hospital. “If you don’t leave now, you’ll miss the assembly,” she said without looking up. “I’m going.” “You said that ten minutes ago.” Nadia quickly picked up two pancakes from the plate. “Those are for Tobi.” “I’m just making sure they don’t get cold.” Her mother shook her head with a smile. “You sound exactly like your father.” The words were gentle, but they left behind the familiar ache they both knew too well. For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. Then her mother stepped closer and straightened her tie. “Senior year,” she said softly. Nadia nodded. “I’m scared.” “You’ll be fine.” “What if I’m not?” Her mother smiled and rested a hand on her shoulder. “Then you’ll learn. That’s what life is all about.” Nadia wrapped her arms around her. She hadn’t realised how badly she needed that hug until she finally let go. The gates of Greenwood Academy buzzed with excitement. Students reunited after the long holiday, calling each other’s names across the courtyard. Laughter echoed through the air. Someone had already started selling meat pies near the school fence despite the rules, while a group of boys argued passionately over which football club had made the best signing. The entire campus felt alive. Nadia adjusted the strap of her backpack as she made her way through the crowd. “NADIA!” She turned just in time to see someone running straight toward her. “Oh no…” Too late. The girl threw her arms around her in an overly dramatic hug. “You missed me!” she squealed. “Bella…” “You definitely missed me.” “I literally saw you three weeks ago.” “Exactly. That’s forever.” Bella James could strike up a conversation with a complete stranger and somehow end it with a new best friend. She talked nonstop. She laughed louder than anyone else. She cried over cartoons. And somehow, she had remained Nadia’s closest friend since Primary Five. “You cut your hair,” Bella said, studying her. “You noticed?” “I notice everything.” “Oh, really?” Bella pointed at her feet. “You have a tiny stain on your left shoe.” Nadia looked down. “There actually is.” “I told you.” Before Nadia could say anything else, Bella suddenly went quiet. “What?” Bella narrowed her eyes. “I think someone’s watching us.” Nadia instinctively turned. Across the courtyard, beneath the shade of an old almond tree, stood a boy she had never seen before. He wasn’t wearing the Greenwood Academy uniform. Instead, he had on a plain black hoodie despite the warm weather. One hand rested casually in his pocket, while the other held what looked like a notebook. He wasn’t smiling. He was simply watching. The moment their eyes met, he slowly closed the notebook. Without saying a word, he turned around and walked away. Bella frowned. “That’s strange.” “What is?” “I’ve never seen him before.” “Maybe he’s a new student.” “Maybe.” Neither of them noticed one small detail. The notebook the boy had just closed… had Nadia Adebayo written across the front cover.