Last semester

Parts of him

Tiana woke late. Her body felt heavy, like it had slept too little and dreamed too much at the same time. She looked around her room and groaned. Clothes were everywhere, books half-stacked on the desk, and the faint smell of tea she barely finished clung to the air. She’d tried to beat the clock this morning and ended up making more mess than before.

She shoved her bag together, yanked on her shoes, and ran. Braids bouncing, forehead shiny with sweat, shoulders sagging already, and it was just ten in the morning. The pavements were dusty, uneven, flanked by low walls and blue gates, and she dodged anyone who got in her way—students, boda bodas, random people walking slowly like they had all the time in the world. Her chest heaved with every step.

By the time she reached campus, her body was restless, jittery even, like it was searching for something she didn’t know existed. She barely noticed the sun cutting through the morning dust, her skin glistening in it, braids stuck to her neck.

The lecture hall door was shut. She froze a moment, remembering whose class it was. Then she pushed it open. The creak made a few heads turn. She tiptoed in, hoping no one would notice her late entry. The last chair in the back row waited, lonely, and she slumped into it, shoulders heavy, trying not to breathe too loudly.

“Tiana,” the lecturer’s voice rang out. Sharp. “Could you explain this part of the assignment?”

Her stomach twisted. Words tangled in her throat. She mumbled something that sounded wrong even to her ears. A few students snickered. Great. Just great. She wished the floor would swallow her whole.

Half the lecture passed in a blur. Then she saw him. The guy Infront of her, stretched his hands reaching for the backpack hang on the chair Infront of him. Silver rings glinted on his fingers. Her chest hitched. She froze. Should she look? Should she move? She didn’t know.

And for the first time since that nightmare last night, the calm hit her. Not loud, not overpowering, just… quiet. The crimson shadows that had clung to her seemed to back off a little. Peace—soft, fragile, but there. She’d forgotten the nightmare for a moment, and it was enough.

Class ended quickly after that, half-done before she realized. She left the hall in a daze, eyes still on those rings, the slope of his back. She hadn’t seen his face, and part of her wanted to chase him, to see it, but another part stayed glued to her spot.

The mess, the school cafeteria, was next. Her shoulders sank further as she walked in. She grabbed a plate of chapati and beans and slid into a quiet corner. She pushed the food around more than she ate it, mind still stuck on the glint of silver.

Then a voice cut through.

“Graham just walked into the mess!” Bianca called.

Tiana blinked, startled. Her eyes left the empty space where she’d been searching and landed on her friend. Steam rose from her plate, smelling faintly like home. She breathed out, cheeks warm.

Graham. One week. Perfect week. Then… nothing. She hadn’t told anyone what really happened, what he did. The memory pressed at her ribs, quiet but sharp, a secret she couldn’t say aloud.

She poked at her food, ignoring the people around her. Her eyes wandered to the crowd, scanning, waiting. But Graham wasn’t there. She shook her head.

Then she looked at Bianca. Her friend had her hand over her mouth, eyes wide, trying not to laugh.

“What…?” Tiana started.

“You look like you’ve been hunting ghosts,” Bianca whispered, giggling.

Tiana flushed. She opened her mouth but nothing came. A small smile tugged at her lips anyway.

Bianca leaned in, curious. “Come on… what happened between you two?”

Tiana stuffed a forkful of chapati and beans in her mouth, chewing fast, too fast. No words. Not now.

Bianca raised her eyebrows but only laughed softly. “Alright, alright… I’ll let it go for now.”

Tiana leaned back, eyes drifting to the windows. Her mind still lingered on those silver rings, on the pull she couldn’t explain, and the red-tinged shadows of last night’s nightmare. She didn’t trust herself to speak of Graham. Not to Bianca. Not to anyone.