BETWEEN LOVE AND LOYALTY

A SEAT BESIDE ME

The shrill sound of Zara's alarm cut through the quietness of her hostel room. She groaned softly, stretched her arms above her head and reached for her phone on the bedside table.

6:15am

For a few seconds,she simply stared at the ceiling,letting reality sink in.

"I'm really a university student"

A smile spread across her face

Yesterday had been overwhelming-new faces, a new environment, and the excitement of beginning a completely different chapter of life. She still remembered standing at the school gate with her suitcase wondering if she would fit in.

Now,she was here.

"You're smiling this early?" Amara's sleepy voice came from the other side of the room.

Zara laughed

"Can you blame me?"

Amara rolled onto her back and covered her face with a pillow.

"I will start smiling after I see my first semester's results "

That made Zara laugh even harder

"You worry too much"

"I worry because I like passing"

The two girls burst into laughter.

After taking turns in the bathroom, they dressed for their first lecture. Zara stood in front of the mirror,smoothing the wrinkles from her blue blouse before adjusting her neatly ironed black skirt.

"Do i look okay?"

Amara raised an eyebrow

"Okay? You look like you are going for a beauty pageant"

"Oh stop it"

"Im serious. Just pray nobody falls in love with you today"

Zara picked a pillow and threw at her roommate

"You're impossible"

Amara dodged it effortlessly.

"I will remind you of this conversation when some handsome guy starts following you around campus"

Zara rolled her eyes..

"Im here to study and not to fall in love"

Amara smirked

"That's what everyone says"

The campus was already alive by the time they left the hostel.

Students walked in groups, some carrying heavy textbooks while others hurried toward lecture halls with notebooks tucked under their arms.

Vendors lined the roadside selling meat pies, bottled drinks, roasted corn, and akara.

The aroma drifted through the morning air.

"I suddenly feel hungry," Zara admitted.

"You just ate."

"I know... but the food smells so good."

Amara laughed.

"You'll spend all your allowance on snacks."

As they walked, Zara couldn't help admiring the beauty of the campus.

Tall trees lined the roads, offering shade from the growing heat. Birds chirped from the branches, and the neatly painted faculty buildings stood proudly against the bright blue sky.

Everything still felt new.

Everything felt full of possibilities.

When they reached the Faculty of Science, students were already gathering outside the lecture theatre.

"I think this is us," Amara said.

Zara nodded, clutching her notebook tightly.

Her heart beat a little faster.

What if I can't keep up?

What if everyone already knows each other?

What if...

"Hey."

Amara gently nudged her shoulder.

"You'll be fine."

Zara smiled gratefully.

"Thanks."

They entered the lecture hall together.

The room buzzed with conversation.

Some students were introducing themselves while others argued over the best seats.

Amara suddenly pointed toward the back.

"I'll save us seats."

Before Zara could respond, another group of students squeezed between them.

"Amara!" Zara called.

But the crowd had already separated them.

She sighed.

"Great..."

Now she was on her own.

She slowly walked farther into the hall, searching for an empty chair.

Most of the seats were already occupied.

A few students glanced at her before returning to their conversations.

Then she spotted it.

One empty seat.

Right in the middle of the hall.

Relieved, she hurried toward it.

At the exact same moment, someone else reached for the chair.

Their hands brushed lightly against each other

"Oh!"

Both of them stepped back.

"I'm so sorry," Zara said quickly.

The young man smiled.

"It's okay."

His voice was calm.

Friendly.

He looked at the empty chair before looking back at her.

"You can have it."

"No, it's fine. You saw it first."

He chuckled softly.

"I insist."

Before Zara could answer, a voice echoed from the back of the room.

"Ethan! There's a seat here!"

He turned toward the voice, then looked back at Zara with an amused smile.

"Looks like the problem solved itself."

He pulled out the chair beside hers instead.

"I'm Ethan."

For a brief second, Zara simply stared at him.

He had kind eyes, an easy smile, and a confidence that didn't seem arrogant.

She realized she hadn't answered.

"Oh... I'm Zara."

"It's nice to meet you, Zara."

"You too"

Neither of them noticed the lecturer stepping into the room until the microphone screeched to life.

The conversations instantly faded.

"Good morning, students."the class responded in unison.

As Zara opened her notebook, she couldn't shake the strange feeling that meeting Ethan wasn't just another random moment.

Somehow...

It felt like the beginning of something neither of them could yet understand.

Zara picked up her pen and tried to focus as the lecturer adjusted his glasses and looked around the crowded lecture hall.

"My name is Professor Adeyemi," he began.

"Welcome to the Department of Microbiology. Congratulations on making it this far. Getting admitted here wasn't easy, but staying here will be even harder."

The hall fell silent.

"You'll meet different kinds of people in this university. Some will inspire you, some will distract you, and some will change your life forever. Choose your company wisely."

Those words lingered in Zara's mind.

Choose your company wisely.

She glanced sideways for a split second and noticed Ethan already scribbling something in the corner of his notebook instead of taking notes.

Curiosity got the better of her.

She tilted her head slightly to see what he was writing.

Instead of lecture notes, she saw a badly drawn cartoon of the professor with oversized glasses.

Underneath it, Ethan had written:

"Estimated lecture duration: Three business days."

Zara bit her lower lip to stop herself from laughing.

Unfortunately, it didn't work.

A small giggle escaped.

Professor Adeyemi stopped talking.

He slowly looked in their direction.

The entire lecture hall became quiet.

"Young lady," he said.

Zara froze.

"Would you like to share the joke with the rest of the class?"

Heat rushed to her cheeks.

"N-No, sir."

"No?"

She quickly shook her head.

"I'm sorry, sir."

The professor stared at her for another moment before continuing his lecture

A few students chuckled quietly.

Zara wished the ground would open and swallow her.

Beside her, Ethan whispered, barely holding back his own laughter.

"I'm so sorry."

She glared at him.

"This is your fault."

"I know."

"You almost got me into trouble on my first lecture."

"I said I was sorry."

She tried to stay angry, but the guilty expression on his face made it impossible.

A tiny smile escaped.

"There it is," he whispered.

"What?"

"The smile."

"I wasn't smiling."

"You were."

"I wasn't."

"You definitely were."

Zara shook her head, pretending to pay attention to the lecture again.

For the rest of the class, they exchanged occasional glances but said nothing.

Still...

Something about sitting beside Ethan felt strangely comfortable.

Two hours later, the lecture finally came to an end.

"You are dismissed," Professor Adeyemi announced.

The room erupted into chatter as students packed their bags.

Zara closed her notebook and stood up.

Before she could leave, Ethan spoke.

"So..."

She looked at him.

"I guess I owe you an apology."

"For embarrassing me?"

He nodded.

"And maybe... a snack."

She laughed.

"A snack?"

"It's only fair."

"You think food will solve everything?"

"It solves most things."

She folded her arms.

"I'll think about it."

"That's not a no."

"It's not a yes either."

He placed a hand dramatically over his chest.

"I'll take it."

They both laughed.

As they walked out of the lecture hall, Zara noticed how easy it was to talk to him.

There were no awkward silences.

No pressure to impress each other.

Just two strangers enjoying each other's company.

Outside, the morning sun had grown brighter.

Students crowded the pathways, discussing lectures and making plans for the day.

"So," Ethan asked, "where are you from?"

"Owerri."

His eyes lit up.

"Really? I'm from Enugu."

"That's not too far."

"I know."

"And why Microbiology?" Zara asked.

He shrugged.

"My parents wanted Medicine."

She laughed.

"So Microbiology was the compromise?"

"Exactly."

"And you?"

She smiled.

"I've always loved science."

"You're serious."

"I am."

"I can already tell you're going to be the one lending everyone notes."

"And you'll be the one copying them."

He raised both hands in surrender.

"You've figured me out already."

Without realizing it, they had reached the female hostel.

Zara stopped walking.

"Oh..."

"We're here."

Ethan looked up.

"I guess we are."

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

The silence wasn't uncomfortable.

It was... peaceful.

"Thanks for walking with me," Zara said.

"My pleasure."

He scratched the back of his neck.

"So..."

She waited.

"Will I see you tomorrow?"

A smile slowly spread across her face.

"I'll be in class."

"I'll save you a seat this time."

"I'll hold you to that."

He smiled.

"It's a promise."

As Ethan turned to leave, he looked back once.

Zara was still standing there, watching him disappear down the path.

She didn't know why...

But something about him lingered in her thoughts.

Back inside the hostel, Amara looked up from her bed the moment Zara entered.

"There you are!"

Zara dropped her bag.

"You disappeared after the lecture."

"I know."

Amara narrowed her eyes.

"Who's the guy that walked you back?"

Zara froze.

"What guy?"

"That was Ethan"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Amara burst into laughter.

"Oh, you know exactly who I'm talking about."

Zara felt her cheeks grow warm.

"We just met."

"Really?"

"Really."

Amara grinned mischievously.

"And yet you're blushing."

Before Zara could respond, her phone vibrated.

She frowned.

"I don't even have anyone's number here."

She unlocked the screen.

Her eyes widened.

Unknown Number:

"Hi, Zara. This is Ethan... I hope you made it safely to your room. See you tomorrow."

Zara stared at the message.

A small smile appeared on her face before she could stop it.

Amara leaned over.

"Don't tell me..."

Zara quickly locked her phone.

"It's nothing."

Amara laughed.

"No, roommate..."

"It's definitely something"