Chapter 32: The Invitation
294 Words
Maria sat in the school library, her face buried in a book she wasn’t reading. The hum of students around her faded into the background. Her mind was stuck on one thing — Daniel’s eyes from last night. The way they burned into hers before he stormed off.
He wasn’t as heartless as he pretended. And that was exactly what she needed.
“Yo,” Emeka said, dropping into the seat beside her. He waved his phone in front of her face. “You’re trending again.”
She blinked. “Trending?”
“Yup. You and Alex. Someone posted a clip from the party — you two on the balcony. Let’s just say… Daniel is not taking it well. He nearly shattered the vending machine this morning.”
Maria smiled faintly. “Not my fault people like drama.”
Emeka narrowed his eyes at her. “Be careful. Playing with fire means you might get burned too.”
She looked at him. “Emeka, I’m not scared of fire. I am the fire.”
Before he could reply, her phone buzzed. A message. From him.
> Daniel: “Party at Kingsley’s tonight. You coming?”
No emoji. No explanation. Just an invitation laced with tension.
Her fingers hovered over her screen for a second. Then she typed:
> Maria: “Maybe.”
That single word held so much weight. She wouldn’t run to him. Not anymore. Let him chase. Let him wonder.
That night, Maria stood in front of her mirror again, dressed in a simple black dress that hugged her frame. She wasn’t dressing for Daniel. She was dressing for power.
She touched up her lip gloss, smirked at her reflection, and whispered to herself:
“Let him see what he lost.”
- Writer
