Chapter 8: Lines drawn
1511 Words
The evening air around the lodge carried a strange tension that night.
Students sat in small groups on the balcony, some chatting, others scrolling through their phones, but underneath the usual noise there was something else—whispers, glances, and the quiet hum of gossip moving faster than the Lagos wind.
Kemi stood outside near the staircase, leaning against the railing as he stared down at the street below. His mind had been restless all day.
He didn’t have to wait long before he heard the familiar voice behind him.
“Took you long enough to start avoiding me.”
Kemi turned slowly.
Tunde stood a few steps away, his hands in his pockets, his expression calm—but the calm felt forced.
“Tunde,” Kemi said quietly.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Tunde sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
“I’ll ask you directly,” he said. “What’s going on between you and Ada?”
Kemi felt his chest tighten.
He had expected this conversation eventually—but not tonight.
“What do you mean?” he asked carefully.
Tunde laughed softly, though there was no humor in it.
“Don’t insult my intelligence, Kemi.”
The sound of his name carried something sharp.
“I see the way you two look at each other,” Tunde continued. “The late-night gists, the walks, the way she laughs at everything you say like you’re the funniest man in Lagos.”
Kemi didn’t reply.
Tunde’s eyes darkened.
“So it’s true,” he said quietly.
Kemi exhaled slowly.
“Yes.”
The single word hung in the air like thunder before a storm.
Tunde blinked once.
“You like her.”
“Yes.”
“And she likes you back?”
Kemi hesitated—but only for a moment.
“Yes.”
Tunde’s jaw tightened.
For a second it looked like he might laugh, like he might brush it off the way friends sometimes do.
But he didn’t.
Instead he stepped closer.
“You knew I liked her.”
It wasn’t a question.
Kemi swallowed.
“I know.”
“And you still went ahead.”
“It wasn’t planned,” Kemi said quietly. “Feelings just—”
“Don’t.”
Tunde held up his hand.
“Don’t give me that.”
The hurt in his voice was unmistakable now.
“You’re my best friend,” Tunde said, shaking his head slowly. “Out of all the girls in Lagos… all the girls in this lodge… you chose the one person you knew I cared about.”
Kemi’s voice dropped.
“I didn’t choose it, Tunde.”
“You always had a choice.”
Silence stretched between them.
Then Tunde stepped back, his face hardening.
“You know what hurts the most?” he said.
Kemi looked at him.
“That you didn’t even try to stop it.”
The words landed like a punch.
Kemi opened his mouth—but nothing came out.
Tunde shook his head slowly, disappointment written across his face.
“I thought you were my brother.”
His voice cracked slightly.
“But you’re just a betrayer.”
Kemi felt the word like a blade.
“Tunde—”
“Don’t.”
Tunde turned away.
“Our friendship is over.”
And just like that, he walked away down the staircase, leaving Kemi standing alone in the quiet night.
At the same time, inside the lodge, Ada was walking toward the common room when she heard someone call her name.
“Ada.”
She turned.
Chioma, Sade, Amaka, and two other girls stood near the couch.
Their expressions were serious.
Something in Ada’s chest tightened.
“Yes?”
Chioma crossed her arms.
“We need to talk.”
Ada stepped closer cautiously.
“What’s going on?”
The girls exchanged looks.
Then Amaka spoke.
“So it’s true.”
Ada frowned.
“What is?”
“You and Kemi,” Sade said bluntly.
Ada’s stomach dropped.
Before she could respond, Chioma continued.
“You really did it.”
“Did what?” Ada asked, confused.
Amaka’s voice rose slightly.
“You stole your friend’s crush!”
Ada blinked.
“What?”
“You heard her,” Sade snapped.
The accusation hung heavily in the air.
Ada looked from one face to another.
“I didn’t steal anyone,” she said slowly.
Chioma scoffed.
“Please.”
Then she pointed toward the hallway.
“Do you even know that Rita has liked Kemi for months?”
Ada’s eyes widened.
Rita?
Rita had barely spoken about Kemi before.
“You knew he was her crush,” Amaka added angrily.
“I didn’t know!” Ada protested.
“Oh please,” Chioma said. “Everyone knew.”
The tension in the room thickened.
Ada felt heat rushing to her face.
“I never planned anything,” she said, trying to stay calm.
But Sade shook her head.
“You still went after him.”
“Like a snake,” one of the other girls muttered.
Ada felt the words sting.
“That’s not fair,” she said quietly.
“Oh it’s very fair,” Chioma snapped. “We trusted you.”
Suddenly another voice cut through the argument.
“Enough.”
Everyone turned.
Lizzy stood at the doorway, her arms folded, her expression furious.
“What is wrong with all of you?” she demanded.
Chioma rolled her eyes.
“This doesn’t concern you, Lizzy.”
“It concerns me when five people gang up on my best friend.”
The room fell silent.
Lizzy stepped forward, standing beside Ada.
“First of all,” she said sharply, “Ada didn’t steal anyone. Kemi isn’t property.”
The girls shifted uncomfortably.
“And secondly,” Lizzy continued, “if Rita liked him so much, maybe she should’ve told him instead of expecting everyone else to read her mind.”
Chioma scoffed.
“Typical.”
Sade shook her head.
“You’re defending her now?”
“Of course I am,” Lizzy replied coldly.
Ada looked at her gratefully.
For a moment it seemed like the argument might escalate further—but then the girls stepped back, muttering under their breath.
“This isn’t over,” Chioma said before walking out with the others.
The room finally fell silent.
Ada exhaled shakily.
Lizzy placed a hand on her shoulder.
“You okay?”
Ada nodded weakly.
“I didn’t know Rita liked him.”
“I believe you,” Lizzy said.
But there was still tension in her voice.
Later that night, Ada and Lizzy met Kemi outside the lodge.
The moment Lizzy saw him, her expression hardened.
“You.”
Kemi frowned slightly.
“What happened?”
Ada explained quickly about the confrontation with the girls.
Kemi’s face darkened.
“They said you stole Rita’s crush?” he asked.
“Yes.”
Kemi ran a hand through his hair.
“This is getting ridiculous.”
Lizzy stepped forward suddenly.
“Ridiculous?”
Her voice rose.
“You think this is ridiculous?”
Kemi blinked.
Lizzy pointed at Ada.
“She just got attacked by five girls because of you!”
Kemi looked stunned.
“I didn’t ask them to do that.”
“But it still happened!” Lizzy snapped.
The anger in her voice surprised both of them.
“You and Ada should’ve thought about this,” she continued. “Now her friendships are ruined!”
Ada tried to speak.
“Lizzy—”
“No,” Lizzy said sharply.
She looked directly at Kemi.
“I don’t want to see you around her again.”
Kemi’s eyes widened slightly.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
Her voice was firm.
“Stay away from Ada.”
The words hit harder than either of them expected.
Lizzy turned and walked away, leaving Ada and Kemi standing there in stunned silence.
A few minutes later, Ada left to clear her head.
She walked toward the nearby food spot, the night air heavy against her skin.
Her mind was spinning.
Just as she turned the corner, she collided with someone.
“Oh—sorry—”
She froze.
Tunde stood in front of her.
His expression was unreadable.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then he gave a small, humorless laugh.
“Funny running into you.”
Ada’s heart pounded.
“Tunde…”
He studied her face carefully.
“So it’s true.”
Ada swallowed.
“Tunde, I—”
“You don’t have to explain,” he interrupted quietly.
But his eyes were filled with pain.
“I just didn’t think you were that kind of person.”
The words stung.
Ada’s voice trembled.
“What kind of person?”
Tunde stepped closer.
“The kind who destroys two friendships in one night.”
Ada stared at him.
“Tunde, that’s not—”
But he cut her off.
Then he said something that made Ada’s heart stop.
Something so unexpected, so shocking—
that she couldn’t even respond.
- Writer
