CHARLOTTE

THE LAST EXAM

It was raining that afternoon, and all the students sat quietly in the examination hall. Everything was as it always was during exams—the usual whispers for answers, the passing of folded notes, and, of course, the nervous sweat that came with a difficult paper.

I was seated close to one of the invigilators, but that didn't bother me. I had studied hard and was confident I knew almost every answer. Unfortunately, I couldn't say the same for my best friend, Chiamaka. She wasn't the brightest student in school, but she had the kindest heart of anyone I knew.

"JSS2 students, submit your papers! Your time is up!" Mr. Suleman shouted.

A chorus of groans filled the hall. Some students complained while others begged for just a few more minutes, but Mr. Suleman ignored every protest as he continued collecting the answer sheets.

"See eh, Ofuge, I wish I had your brain. My mum is definitely not going to be happy with my Maths score," Chiamaka said as we walked back to our classroom to pick up our bags.

"Well, if you spent less time watching the next episode of My Demon and more time studying, you probably would've written something meaningful," I replied with a grin.

We picked up our bags, and I took out one thousand naira before heading to the snack shop.

"Good afternoon, Ma. I'd like two Gala sausages and two small Fantas, please."

The woman collected my ₦1,000 note, frowned, and shook her head.

"E never complete. Your money still remain two hundred."

I reached into my pocket for another ₦200 note, but Chiamaka stopped me.

"Relax, I've got you. I know you were buying them for both of us anyway."

I smiled.

"Thanks."

With our snacks in hand, we walked over to the benches beside the football field and sat down, enjoying the cool breeze that followed the afternoon rain.

"Anyways, Ofuge, I want to tell you something." Chiamaka unwrapped her Gala and took a bite before grinning. "I have a crush on Senior Ambrose, and I'm going to tell him how I feel today."

I stared at her in disbelief.

"Wait... didn't you and Manasseh break up just last week? You're already jumping into another relationship?"

She shrugged.

"Well, Ofuge, I can't control my heart. I like who I like. Can't you just be supportive for once?"

There was a sharpness in her voice that caught me off guard, but I decided not to argue.

"Chiamaka, you're my best friend, and I just think you should focus more on your studies instead of spending all your time chasing boys."

I took a sip of my Fanta and watched her carefully, waiting for her reaction.

Her eyebrows drew together in annoyance, and her gaze drifted away as though she'd rather be anywhere else. She opened her mouth to respond, hesitated, then quietly closed it again.

A few moments later, the tension melted from her face.

"Look, Ofuge," she said with a smile. "You're the smart one, and I'm the pretty one. I'll definitely focus on my studies, but I'll also follow my heart."

She nudged my shoulder playfully.

"I think it's about time you started paying attention to your own heart too. Besides..." She dragged out the last word with a mischievous grin. "Senior Julius likes you."

My eyes widened.

"What?"

My heart skipped a beat, and suddenly I was very interested in the label on my Fanta bottle. Just hearing Julius's name was enough to make butterflies dance in my stomach.

"Chiamaka," I muttered, trying to sound calm, "Julius is my brother's friend. My brother would never allow something like that."

She folded her arms and smirked.

"Out of everything you just said, I didn't hear you deny liking him."

Heat rushed to my cheeks.

"Oh, keep quiet."

She burst into laughter, and before long I was laughing too. We finished our Gala and Fanta while gossiping about our seniors, completely forgetting the little argument we'd had only moments earlier.

We were still laughing when my brother walked over to us.

"Ofuge, come on. We're going home. Dad's here to pick us up, so don't waste time." He glanced at Chiamaka and gave her a small smile. "Oh, and hi, Chiamaka."

"Hi," she replied with a shy wave.

I frowned slightly. My brother hardly ever greeted Chiamaka, so seeing him acknowledge her caught me by surprise.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I said, picking up my bag.

"Bye! And don't forget to tell Julius you like him!" Chiamaka called after me with a teasing grin.

"Chiamaka!" I hissed, my face burning as I hurried away while she laughed behind me.

I climbed into Dad's Lexus just in time. Dad hated waiting, and anyone who kept him waiting was sure to hear about it.

"Good afternoon, Daddy," I greeted as I fastened my seat belt.

"Good afternoon, Princess. How was your exam?" he asked, pulling out of the school compound.

"It went well," I replied. "I think I did my best."

"That's my girl."

I smiled, but my thoughts drifted elsewhere. I couldn't stop thinking about the way my brother had greeted Chiamaka. It was such a small thing, yet it felt... unusual.

The rest of the drive home passed with light conversation about school, but the question lingered in my mind.

Dad dropped us off at home before heading back to work.

The moment we stepped inside, my brother, Osariemen, pulled the house keys from his pocket and unlocked the front door.

I dashed to my room, took a quick shower, changed out of my school uniform, and slipped into a pair of comfortable shorts and a T-shirt. Then I headed to the kitchen to prepare yam and potato porridge for my brother and me.

By the time we sat down to eat, the question that had been bothering me all afternoon refused to stay buried any longer.

"So..." I began, trying to sound casual, "what's going on between you and Chiamaka?"

A slow smile spread across his face.

"What do you think is going on between me and Chiamaka?"

I rolled my eyes.

"I'm serious, abeg. I hope it's not what I'm thinking."

He chuckled, scooping another spoonful of porridge into his mouth.

"Ofuge, eat your food. I'm not dating the love of your life."

I groaned.

He loved saying that. Anytime he wanted to annoy me, he'd tease me about being secretly in love with Chiamaka. Sometimes it was funny. Today, it wasn't.

"I'm being serious," I said, setting my spoon down. "What's going on between you two?"

His smile faded just enough for me to know he was finally going to answer.

"But seriously, Ofuge... she's dating my guy, Manasseh. Didn't she tell you?"

I blinked.

"What?"

"She was about to..." I muttered, remembering our conversation before he'd interrupted us. "...then you came and carried me away."

He shrugged.

"Well, now you know."

I stared down at my plate, my appetite disappearing almost instantly.

Why hadn't Chiamaka told me herself?

Why did I have to hear it from my brother?