Episode 5: Everyone Was Watching
637 Words
By the next day—
Everything felt different.
Ehi knew it before she even entered the class.
The whispers.
Soft.
Quick.
But everywhere.
She kept walking.
Head down.
Steps steady.
Like nothing had changed.
But everything had.
She reached her seat.
Back row.
Same place.
Same position.
Safe.
Or it used to be.
She sat down.
Opened her notebook.
Held her pen.
And waited.
A laugh.
Not far.
Ehi didn’t look.
She didn’t need to.
“They’re talking about you,” someone whispered.
Right behind her.
Ehi froze.
“Leave her,” another voice said.
“Can’t you see she’s pretending not to hear?”
A few quiet giggles.
Ehi’s grip tightened.
Pretending.
If only they knew.
The teacher walked in.
Class started.
Normal.
But not for her.
Every movement felt watched.
Every breath felt loud.
And then—
“Ehi.”
Her name again.
Too many times.
Too close together.
She stood.
Slowly.
“Yes, ma.”
“Answer number three.”
Ehi looked down.
Read.
Her voice shook.
Just a little.
But she didn’t stop.
She finished.
Silence.
Then—
“Good.”
Again.
Ehi blinked.
Twice now.
Something was wrong.
Or maybe—
Something was changing.?
She sat down.
And then she felt it.
Not whispers.
Not laughter.
Eyes.
Many this time.
Not just his.
Everyone’s.
Ehi’s chest tightened.
This is what she feared.
This is why she stayed quiet.
Because once people notice you—
they don’t stop.
They look.
They judge.
They talk.
And they don’t forget.
She lowered her head.
Focused on her notebook.
Disappear.
That was the plan.
But plans don’t always work.
A paper landed on her desk.
Soft.
Careful.
Ehi stared at it.
Didn’t move.
Then slowly—
she opened it.
Two words.
“I’m sorry.”
Her breath caught.
She didn’t need to look up.
She knew.
Daniel.
Of course.
Ehi folded the paper.
Slowly.
Neatly.
Then placed it inside her notebook.
Like it didn’t matter.
Like none of it did.
But it did.
More than she wanted it to.
The bell rang.
Students stood.
Talked.
Moved.
Ehi stayed seated.
Waiting.
That was her way.
Wait until the room empties.
Leave quietly.
Avoid attention.
But today—
“Ehi.”
Closer.
Right beside her.
She closed her eyes briefly.
Then opened them.
Daniel stood there.
Same calm expression.
Same steady eyes.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she said.
“Do what?”
“The note.”
He shrugged.
“I did.”
Ehi looked away.
“This isn’t your problem.”
Daniel was quiet for a moment.
Then—
“I think it is.”
Ehi frowned.
“How?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he said something else.
“You don’t talk much.”
Ehi almost smiled.
“That’s not new.”
“No,” he said.
“It’s not.”
Silence.
Then—
“But you write.”
Ehi froze.
Her fingers stilled.
Her mind went blank.
How did he—
“I’ve seen your notebook,” Daniel continued.
Ehi’s heart skipped.
“That’s private.”
“I know.”
No apology.
Just honesty.
“That’s why I noticed.”
Ehi looked at him.
Really looked this time.
“You noticed… because I write?”
Daniel nodded.
“You write like you’re trying to be heard.”
The words landed.
Deep.
Too deep.
Ehi looked away immediately.
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
“It does,” he said.
Again—
that certainty.
Ehi stood.
Quick.
“It doesn’t change anything.”
She picked up her bag.
Daniel didn’t stop her.
But his voice followed.
“It already did.”
Ehi paused.
Just for a second.
Then, kept walking.
Faster this time
.
Because now—
it wasn’t just that he saw her.
He understood something too.
And that—
was worse.
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