The Girl I Met on My First Day at University and Was Never Supposed to Love.

The rain in Lagos came down like it was angry at the world. Amara stood under the small bus stop shed, pressing her books tighter against her chest as water splashed onto her sandals. The street was loud cars honking, people shouting, someone arguing with a bus conductorbut she felt strangely alone in the noise. First day at university. And already everything felt overwhelming. She adjusted the strap of her bag and checked her phone again. No message from her roommate. No direction. Just a blinking battery warning and bad timing. “Perfect,” she muttered under her breath. A bus finally screeched to a stop in front of her, splashing muddy water onto the curb. She stepped back quickly, sighing in frustration. That was when she heard a voice. “You’re going to miss it if you keep hesitating like that.” Amara turned sharply. A girl stood a few steps away under the same shelter, completely unbothered by the rain. She wore a white shirt slightly open at the collar, black jeans, and a backpack slung over one shoulder like she didn’t care about anything in the world. But it wasn’t her clothes that made Amara pause. It was her eyes. Calm. Sharp. Like she was observing everything without trying. “I wasn’t hesitating,” Amara replied quickly. The girl raised an eyebrow. “You were literally standing there like the bus owed you money.” Amara blinked. Rude. But also… kind of true. The girl stepped forward slightly, brushing wet braids behind her ear. “I’m Zainab,” she said simply. Amara hesitated before answering. “Amara.” A short silence passed between them. Then Zainab nodded toward the bus. “Same direction?” “I don’t know,” Amara admitted. “It’s my first day. I’m just trying to get to campus.” That got Zainab’s attention. “Oh,” she said, suddenly more interested. “Which school?” “UNILAG.” Zainab gave a small smile. “Lucky you. That’s where I’m going too.” Amara relaxed a little without meaning to. At least she wasn’t completely lost. The bus doors hissed open again. Zainab didn’t wait this time. She stepped forward first, then looked back at Amara. “You coming or not?” Something about the way she said it made Amara move without thinking. The bus was crowded. Too crowded. Amara ended up pressed near the window while Zainab stood slightly in front of her, holding onto the metal rail above. Every time the bus moved, people shifted, and Amara found herself painfully aware of how close Zainab was. Too close for comfort. Too close for thoughts she didn’t want to have. Zainab didn’t seem bothered at all. She was scrolling through her phone, expression neutral. Amara, on the other hand, was struggling to even breathe normally. At one point, the bus hit a pothole and jerked violently. Amara stumbled forward. And bumped straight into Zainab’s back. “Sorry!” Amara blurted immediately, stepping back. Zainab turned slightly. Their eyes met for a second. Long enough for something strange to pass between them. Then Zainab smiled faintly. “You’re going to spend the whole semester apologizing like this?” Amara frowned. “I didn’t mean to—” “I know,” Zainab interrupted gently. “Relax.” That word… relax… It somehow made Amara even more nervous. When they finally arrived at campus, the sky had started clearing, leaving soft grey clouds hanging above the tall buildings. Students were everywhere laughing, dragging suitcases, hugging family members goodbye. Amara stood still for a moment, overwhelmed. “This place is huge,” she said quietly. Zainab looked at her. “You’ll get used to it.” “Easy for you to say.” “I said the same thing my first week.” That surprised Amara. “You’re not a fresher?” Zainab shook her head. “Second year.” Amara nodded slowly, then hesitated. “So… you’re just helping me because…?” Zainab shrugged. “Because you look like you’d get lost within ten minutes alone.” Amara opened her mouth to argue. Then closed it again. Because unfortunately… she might be right. Zainab adjusted her bag. “Come on. I’ll show you where to register.” Amara followed behind her, still unsure why her heart felt slightly louder than before. And she didn’t notice how Zainab kept glancing back to make sure she was still following.