GLASS HEART AND STREET LIES

The Girl in Sandals The morning sun hit the compound like it had something to prove. It was the first day of SHS 1, and the school grounds were already bursting with noise. Students crowded around the gate, laughing too loudly, comparing uniforms, calling out to old friends, and nervously searching for their classrooms. “Charlie, this school be big oo.” “I heard the seniors here are wicked.” “Forget that one. Have you seen the food prices?” Laughter followed. Then a black car stopped at the school gate. The noise didn't disappear. It simply changed. Heads turned. One girl nudged her friend. “Ei… who be that?” “I don't know.” “Some big man's daughter, I swear.” The back door opened. A girl stepped out. Sakina. She adjusted the strap of her schoolbag and looked up at the school building. She wasn't smiling. She wasn't nervous. She wasn't looking around for friends. She simply stood there for a second, as though she were memorizing the place. Then she walked. Her uniform was perfectly pressed. Her short afro framed her face neatly, and her expression remained calm and unreadable. But it was her sandals that caught people's attention. They were simple. Flat. Nothing flashy. Yet anyone who knew expensive things could tell immediately that they weren't ordinary. “Those sandals alone probably cost more than my whole uniform,” a girl whispered. Her friend giggled. Sakina heard them. She didn't turn. She had learned a long time ago that people became more interested in you when they realized you were listening. At the entrance, two girls stepped into her path. One of them smiled. “Hi. You're new, right?” Sakina looked at her. “Yes.” “I'm Mavis.” Sakina waited. Mavis looked slightly confused. “And… your name?” “Sakina.” “Oh. Nice to meet you.” Sakina nodded once. Mavis smiled awkwardly. “Which class are you in?” “SHS 1.” “I know that. I mean which class?” Sakina glanced at the paper in her hand. “1A.” Mavis brightened. “Same! Come, I'll show you.” “I can find it.” The smile on Mavis's face disappeared. “Oh.” Sakina walked past her. Behind her, one of the girls whispered, “Ei, see attitude.” Sakina kept walking. She had heard worse. Much worse. --- The classroom was louder than the compound. Students were already fighting over seats near the windows. “Bro, move your bag.” “I came here first!” “Your bag doesn't attend school!” “Charlie, leave me!” Sakina stepped inside. Several voices gradually became quieter. She didn't care. Her eyes moved around the classroom once. Window seat. Back row. Quiet corner. Perfect. She walked toward it. Before she could sit, a boy dropped his bag onto the neighboring chair. “You can sit there.” Sakina looked at him. “I didn't ask.” The boy blinked. A few students nearby turned. He slowly picked up his bag. “Okay.” Sakina sat down. She placed her books neatly on the desk and looked outside the window. The boy glanced at her again. “First day and you're already angry?” Sakina didn't turn. “I'm not angry.” “You look angry.” “Then stop looking at me.” A few students burst out laughing. “Ei!” The boy raised both hands. “Okay, okay. I surrender.” Sakina returned her attention to the window. But for the first time that morning, the corner of her mouth almost moved. Almost. --- By break time, everyone seemed to have found someone. Friends gathered under trees. Girls shared snacks. Boys played football. Someone had already started gossiping about a senior prefect. Sakina sat alone. Her phone rested in her hand. She wasn't scrolling. She was waiting. Five minutes passed. Nothing. Ten minutes. Still nothing. She checked the screen again. No new messages. Her expression hardened. “You're Sakina, right?” She looked up. The same girl from the morning stood in front of her. Mavis. “You remember me?” “Yes.” Mavis smiled. “Good.” She sat down beside her. Sakina immediately looked at her. “I didn't say you could sit.” “I know.” “Then why did you?” “Because you looked lonely.” Sakina stared at her. Mavis shrugged. “You don't have to talk to me.” She opened her snack. “I can sit quietly.” For several seconds, neither spoke. Then Mavis said, “People are already talking about you.” Sakina sighed. “Of course they are.” “They said your dad is very rich.” Sakina's eyes shifted toward her. “And?” “And nothing.” Mavis took a bite. “I just wanted to know if it was true.” Sakina looked away. “You came to ask me about my father's money?” “No.” “Then what?” Mavis smiled. “I wanted to make a friend.” Sakina said nothing. Mavis waited. Finally, Sakina spoke. “I'm not looking for friends.” The smile faded from Mavis's face. “Okay.” She stood. “But if you change your mind…” She placed a small packet of biscuits on Sakina's desk. “You can find me.” Then she walked away. Sakina stared at the biscuits. For some reason, she didn't throw them away. --- Across the compound, three boys were watching. “That's the new girl?” “Yeah.” “She thinks she's too important.” Another boy laughed. “Maybe she is.” The third boy said nothing. He had been watching Sakina since she arrived. Not because she was beautiful. Not because she came in an expensive car. Something about her bothered him. Everyone else on their first day was trying to fit in. She wasn't. Everyone was nervous. She wasn't. Everyone was looking for someone. She seemed determined not to find anybody. Then his eyes narrowed. Sakina suddenly stopped moving. She had received a message. Her entire expression changed. The confidence disappeared. For the first time that morning, she looked afraid. The boy noticed. “What's wrong with her?” Sakina quickly locked her phone. She looked around. Once. Twice. Then she stood. Her breathing had changed. She walked away from the crowded area and toward the quiet corridor beside the administration block. The boy watched her disappear around the corner. Something was definitely wrong. --- Sakina stood alone behind the building. She unlocked her phone again. One message. No name. No profile picture. Just a number. Her fingers tightened around the phone. The message was short. I know where you are. Her heart stopped. She read it again. Then another message appeared. You can't hide forever, Sakina. She immediately looked behind her. Nobody. Only the sound of students laughing somewhere in the distance. Her fingers trembled. She quickly deleted the messages. Then she heard footsteps. Sakina froze. Someone was coming. She slipped her phone into her pocket and straightened herself. The frightened girl disappeared. The cold expression returned. Untouchable. The footsteps stopped. A voice came from behind her. “You're Sakina, right?” She turned. It was the boy from the classroom. He looked at her for a moment. Then his eyes dropped briefly to the phone in her hand. “You okay?” Sakina stared at him. “I don't need your help.” He raised an eyebrow. “I didn't say you did.” “Then leave.” He studied her. “You know…” He gave a small smile. “You're not as fearless as everyone thinks.” Sakina's expression hardened. “You don't know anything about me.” “Maybe.” He stepped back. “But I know one thing.” “What?” He looked toward the school building. “Whatever you're running from…” His eyes returned to hers. “…it followed you here.” Sakina said nothing. For the first time since she entered the school that morning, she had no reply. And somewhere inside her pocket, her phone vibrated again. Another message. This is only the beginning. Sakina's blood ran cold. End of Chapter One ---