🌧️ EPISODE 3: FALLING WITHOUT REALIZING
1217 Words
By the middle of the semester, Favour had developed a routine she never planned for.
And somehow… Damilola existed in almost every part of it.
It started with small things.
Waiting a little longer after lectures.
Looking around automatically before sitting down.
Saving the seat beside her without admitting why.
At first, she convinced herself it meant nothing.
They were classmates.
Friends, maybe.
Nothing more.
But the problem with denial was that it became harder to maintain when feelings started showing themselves in quiet ways.
Like disappointment.
The first time Damilola missed a lecture, Favour noticed immediately.
She walked into class expecting to see him already seated beside her like usual.
But the seat was empty.
At first, she ignored it.
She sat down, opened her notebook, and tried focusing on the lecturer.
But every few minutes, her eyes drifted toward the door.
Still nothing.
By the end of the lecture, irritation had settled in her chest.
Not because he wasn’t there.
But because she cared that he wasn’t there.
And that realization annoyed her deeply.
As students began leaving the hall, Temi appeared beside her with a suspicious smile.
“You’ve looked at that door at least twenty times.”
Favour frowned while packing her books.
“I was not looking at the door.”
Temi laughed softly.
“Mmhm. Sure.”
Favour zipped her bag aggressively.
“He probably just missed class.”
“Exactly,” Temi replied casually. “So why do you look upset about it?”
Favour froze slightly.
Just for a second.
Then quickly stood up.
“I’m leaving.”
Temi followed beside her, grinning shamelessly.
“Oh, this is serious.”
“It’s not serious.”
“You like him.”
“I do not.”
“You literally sound offended.”
“Because you’re being annoying.”
Temi burst into laughter while Favour walked ahead faster, trying to ignore both her friend and the uncomfortable truth sitting quietly inside her chest.
Unfortunately, ignoring it wasn’t working anymore.
That evening, she sat at her desk pretending to study.
Pretending.
Because every few minutes, her attention drifted.
Toward her phone.
Toward the unanswered question in her head.
Why wasn’t he in class?
She groaned softly and dropped her pen.
“This is ridiculous,” she muttered.
Right on cue, her phone vibrated.
Her heartbeat reacted before her brain did.
She grabbed it too quickly.
A message.
From Damilola.
Sorry I missed class today. Had to handle something at home. Did I miss anything important?
Favour stared at the message longer than necessary.
Then immediately hated how relieved she felt.
She typed carefully:
Just lecture notes. I can send them.
A reply came almost instantly.
You’d save my life.
She rolled her eyes slightly.
But smiled anyway.
And unfortunately… that smile lingered.
—
The next day, he returned.
Favour noticed him before he even reached the lecture hall.
He walked across campus with his usual calm expression, one hand inside his pocket while greeting someone briefly in passing.
For some reason, seeing him again settled something restless inside her.
Which was exactly the problem.
She was becoming too attached.
And deep down, she knew it.
“Morning,” he said casually as he sat beside her.
Favour nodded lightly.
“You missed a lot yesterday.”
“Really?”
“No.”
He laughed softly under his breath.
And somehow, that small sound affected her more than it should have.
During the lecture, Damilola leaned slightly closer to look at her notes.
Their shoulders brushed briefly.
Tiny contact.
Barely anything.
But Favour’s entire body reacted instantly.
Her breathing paused for half a second.
And when she looked up, she realized he noticed.
Noticed and pretended not to.
Which somehow made it worse.
“You okay?” he asked quietly.
She cleared her throat quickly.
“Fine.”
He studied her face for a second longer than necessary.
Then nodded slowly.
But the corner of his lips lifted slightly.
Like he understood more than she wanted him to.
After class ended, they walked out together as usual.
The afternoon sun stretched across campus, warm but not harsh. Students filled the pathways while conversations blended into background noise.
“You’ve been quieter today,” Damilola said.
Favour adjusted the books in her arms.
“I’m always quiet.”
“Not around me.”
That answer caught her off guard.
She looked at him quickly.
But his expression remained calm, like he hadn’t just said something dangerously observant.
“You analyze everything too much,” she muttered.
“And you avoid honesty too much.”
Her chest tightened slightly.
Before she could respond, he stopped walking.
She turned toward him in confusion.
“What?”
Damilola looked at her carefully for a moment.
Not casually.
Not jokingly.
Seriously.
“You know you can talk to me, right?”
The sincerity in his voice almost scared her.
Because nobody had ever said something so simple with that much meaning behind it.
Favour looked away first.
“I know.”
But her voice came out softer than intended.
They continued walking after that.
Slower this time.
Quieter too.
Yet somehow, the silence between them felt full instead of empty.
That night, rain fell heavily again.
Favour sat near the hostel window listening to the sound against the roof while trying unsuccessfully to focus on studying.
Her phone buzzed again.
You sent incomplete notes, by the way.
She frowned immediately.
I did not.
A few seconds later:
Page 4 is missing. Very tragic situation.
She stared at the screen suspiciously.
Then another message appeared.
I might fail because of you.
A laugh escaped her before she could stop it.
Temi looked up immediately from her bed.
“There it is again.”
Favour quickly hid her smile.
“What?”
“That smile.”
“There is no smile.”
Temi pointed dramatically.
“You’re texting him!”
Favour groaned.
“You’re actually unbearable.”
Temi gasped theatrically.
“Oh my God. You like him BAD.”
“I do not.”
“You’re smiling at your phone in the rain. That’s basically chapter one of every romance story ever.”
Favour threw another pillow at her.
But this time, she was laughing too.
And somewhere in the middle of that laughter, a dangerous truth quietly settled inside her.
She liked him.
Maybe more than she should.
Maybe more than she was ready for.
Later that night, after Temi fell asleep, Favour remained awake.
The room was dark except for faint streetlights filtering through the curtains.
She stared at the ceiling again.
But this time, she stopped lying to herself.
She thought about the way Damilola looked at her when she spoke.
The way conversations with him felt easy.
The way his presence had slowly become part of her everyday peace.
And finally, softly almost like admitting a secret to herself she whispered:
“I’m falling for him.”
The words made her chest tighten instantly.
Because saying it aloud made it real.
And real feelings were terrifying.
Especially for someone who had spent so long trying not to need anyone.
Outside, rain continued falling softly against the windows.
And somewhere deep inside her heart, something fragile had finally crossed the line between friendship and something much deeper.
- Writer
