WAEC pressure
875 Words
EPISODE 6: WAEC pressure
3 weeks to WAEC.
The whole of SS3 looked like zombies.
Dark circles. Cold water. Midnight reading.
The notice board said it bold: NO MERCY. NO EXPO. NO SECOND CHANCE.
Tara was in the library by 6am.
Soheeh was beside her. They weren’t even talking. Just reading.
The Stars had a rule now: We rise together or we fall together.
"Guys," Femi whispered, dropping his textbook. "Did you hear? Fikayo withdrew from school."
Everyone looked up.
"Withdraw?" Kikky frowned. "Like... he’s gone?"
"His dad took him out," Sophia said. "After Drama Night. Said he was a bad influence."
David laughed bitterly. "Good riddance."
But Tara didn’t laugh.
She remembered the look on Fikayo’s face that night.
Fine. Plan C.
She had a bad feeling.
That evening, w******p was buzzing again.
Not rumors this time. Prayers.
A voice note was circulating. Pastor Mike from the school fellowship.
"My children, WAEC is not just exam. It is warfare. Meet me at the field by 8pm. We pray."
By 7:55pm, the whole field was full.
Torchlights. Bibles. Notebooks. Fear and faith in the same air.
Tara stood in the middle with The Stars around her.
Soheeh held her hand. Tight.
Pastor Mike lifted his voice. "Say with me! Every spirit of failure, scatter!"
"Scatter!" 300 voices answered.
"Every hand that wants to swap my script, wither!"
"Wither!"
"Lord, let my result announce me!"
Tara closed her eyes. Tears were falling.
Not because she was scared of WAEC.
But because 3 weeks ago she almost lost everything. Her name. Her position. Soheeh.
And God still kept her.
"Father," she prayed quietly. "If I pass, I’ll use it to help others. If I fail, help me try again. But please... don’t let the enemy win."
Amen echoed across the field.
After prayers, The Stars walked home together.
No phones. No gossip. Just quiet.
"Do you think we’ll make it?" Ife asked.
"We have to," Temi said. "We’ve been through too much not to."
Soheeh squeezed Tara’s hand. "Whatever happens, we’re still The Stars."
---
The next morning, a new rumor.
This one was different.
Anonymous post in the school group:
I have WAEC questions and answers. 50k per subject. DM fast. Limited slots.
Screenshots followed.
Leaked paper. Watermarks. Timestamps.
It looked real.
Panic.
"Is it real?"
"My brother paid and got 2024 questions. It was fake."
"But what if this one is real?"
The Principal called an emergency assembly.
"Listen to me," she said, her voice hard. "If you buy expo, you will be caught. WAEC has new trackers. And if you’re caught, you’ll never write WAEC again in this country. Is 50k worth your future?"
Silence.
Then she added, "And to the person selling this... we know you. CCTV doesn’t sleep."
That night, another anonymous message.
But this time to Tara directly.
Unknown Number: You think prayer will save you? Wait for Plan C. - F
Tara stared at the message.
Her chest got cold.
Fikayo.
She showed Soheeh.
He cursed. "That guy. I thought he was gone."
"We have to tell the Principal," Tara said.
They ran to her office.
But the gate man said, "She left for a meeting in town. Back tomorrow."
Tomorrow was too late.
WAEC started in 2 days.
Back in their hostel, The Stars gathered.
No one was sleeping.
"We have 2 options," Femi said. "Report to WAEC officials directly. Or handle it ourselves."
"Handle how?" Kate asked.
"We find where he’s selling it from," Okiki said. "And expose him before WAEC starts."
Tara looked at everyone.
She was tired. So tired.
But she was Head Girl.
"Then we do it," she said. "Tonight. Together. No one goes alone."
At 11pm, they crept out.
Torchlight under their shirts.
They tracked the number.
It led to an abandoned computer lab at the back of school.
The door was locked.
But light was coming from inside.
Whispers.
Keyboard sounds.
Femi tried the door. Locked.
David picked up a stone.
Tara stopped him.
"Wait. Record first."
She took out her phone. Hit record.
Then knocked.
The door opened.
And there he was.
Fikayo.
Laptop open.
Printers running.
Stacks of "WAEC ANSWERS" on the table.
3 other boys with him.
Fikayo smiled when he saw Tara.
"Head Girl. Came to join business?"
Tara didn’t flinch.
She held up her phone.
Recording.
"This is over," she said. "WAEC, Police, and the Principal will see this in the morning."
Fikayo’s smile dropped.
He lunged for her phone.
Soheeh caught his wrist. "Don’t touch her."
Chaos.
Shouting.
The other boys ran.
Fikayo tried to smash the laptop.
But it was too late.
Tara already sent the video to the Principal, WAEC, and the school group.
She typed one last line before sending:
Final year is hard. But cheating is not the answer. We will write and we will pass. By God’s grace.
Then she looked at Fikayo.
"We’re done."
Sirens in the distance.
Someone had called the police.
Fikayo sank to the floor.
Plan C. Failed too.
---
2 days later.
WAEC started.
Tara sat in the hall. Question paper in front of her.
Pen in her hand.
Heart calm.
She whispered one more prayer.
"God, I did my part."
She started writing.
TO BE CONTINUED...
- Writer
