THE BOY I COULDN’T STAND

Chapter One: The Boy Who Got on My Nerves Zara was not the kind of girl who liked wasting her time. She was hardworking, outspoken, and serious about her studies. Coming from Asaba, Delta State, to study Business Administration at a university in Lagos, she had promised herself that she would focus on her education and make her family proud. She didn’t have time for unnecessary drama, and she definitely didn’t have time for people who took everything as a joke. Unfortunately, Daniel was exactly that kind of person. Daniel was from Lagos State. He was confident, playful, and always had something smart to say. No matter how serious a situation was, he always found a way to make a joke out of it. And somehow, Zara had ended up doing a group project with him. To say she was unhappy about it would be an understatement. That afternoon, Zara sat in an empty classroom, checking the time on her phone for what felt like the hundredth time. Daniel was late again. She was already tired of waiting when he finally walked in, carrying his bag with a relaxed expression, as if he hadn’t kept her waiting. Zara stood up immediately. “Please, I don’t need someone telling me what to do. If you know you can’t handle this project, you can leave. Stop acting like you’re the one in charge!” Daniel looked at her for a moment before dropping his bag on the desk. “Are you done nagging?” Zara’s mouth fell open. “Nagging? You call this nagging? You’re late, Daniel! And the little work you’ve done isn’t even enough!” Daniel reached into his pocket, brought out a piece of candy, and began unwrapping it. “Wow. Good afternoon to you too, Zara.” “Don’t start with me!” He smiled. “Okay, okay. I couldn’t catch the bus. That’s why I’m late.” “And you couldn’t send me a message?” Daniel’s smile faded a little. “You’re right. I should have called. Sorry.” But I don’t even have your number Zara paused. For once, he hadn’t turned her complaint into another argument. Still, she wasn’t ready to let him off so easily. “Whatever. Just show me what you’ve done.” Daniel opened his bag and brought out a notebook. “Here. Check it before you conclude that I’m useless.” She collected it, already preparing herself to complain about something else. But as she flipped through the pages, she slowly became quiet. The notebook was filled with detailed research, organised points, and ideas that could actually make their presentation better. She looked up at him. “You did all this?” Daniel leaned back in his chair. “No, I stole it from the smartest person in class.” Zara rolled her eyes. “Can you ever answer a question normally?” “Sometimes. But where’s the fun in that?” Despite herself, Zara almost smiled. Almost. She quickly looked back at the notebook, refusing to let him notice. “Okay, this is good,” she admitted quietly. “But you still should have called me.” “I know.” His voice was different this time. No teasing, no laughter. “I’m sorry, Zara. I know you take this seriously, and I shouldn’t have made you wait.” For a few seconds, she didn’t know what to say. Maybe Daniel wasn’t as careless as she thought. Maybe he simply had a very annoying way of behaving. But she wasn’t about to tell him that. “Fine. Let’s just finish the project.” Daniel nodded and pulled his chair closer to the table. For the next hour, they worked together. Surprisingly, he had good ideas, and he listened whenever Zara made a suggestion. They still argued, of course, but the arguments weren’t as bad as before. When they finally packed their things, Zara noticed Daniel checking his phone. His playful expression had disappeared, replaced by a look she couldn’t quite understand. “What’s wrong?” she asked before she could stop herself. He quickly locked his phone and slipped it into his pocket. “Nothing. I’m good.” “You don’t look good.” Daniel gave her a small smile. “Trust me, Zara. I’m fine.” She wanted to ask more questions, but something in his voice made her stop. For the first time since she’d met him, he didn’t seem like the confident boy who always had a joke ready. He seemed tired, like someone who had been carrying more than he wanted people to know. Then he picked up his bag and looked at her. “Thanks for asking, though.” Zara blinked. “I wasn’t worried about you. I was just asking.” “Of course.” He smiled again. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.” “There you go again!” Daniel laughed as he walked towards the door. “See you tomorrow, Zara.” “Try coming early for once!” “I’ll consider it!” She watched him leave, shaking her head. That boy was still annoying. He was still too playful, too confident, and far too good at getting on her nerves. But as Zara walked out of the classroom, she couldn’t stop thinking about the look on his face when he thought nobody was paying attention. Maybe there was more to Daniel than she had realised. And for some reason, she wanted to know what it was.