Back to Chaos, Laughter, and Home
The hum of campus life welcomed us like a familiar song, footsteps echoing down the halls, voices rising and falling in excited chatter, the distant bounce of a basketball from the court.
After the emotional rollercoaster of the past few days, returning to school felt like surfacing after being underwater for too long.
I glanced out the window as Daniel pulled the car into the campus parking lot.
"We're here," he said softly, a hint of exhaustion in his voice, but also peace.
I smiled faintly. "It does feel like home now."
The moment we stepped out, I inhaled deeply.
Everything from the long journey to the faint scent of coffee near the cafeteria reminded me of who I was before family tension, hospital visits, and hard conversations cracked open old wounds.
And before I could fully breathe it in
"NUELLAAAAAA!"
A voice tore through the air like thunder, then came the sound of rushing footsteps.
Before I could react, Saraph nearly tackled me with a hug so tight I squeaked.
"You witch!" she shouted into my ear, shaking me like a tree.
"Three days, no text, no update, not even an emoji! I thought Daniel kidnapped you!"
I burst into laughter. "I missed you, too, Saraph."
She pulled back to examine me. "Are you okay? Did you cry? Did Daniel behave?
Did your dad act dramatic? What did your mom wear? Tell me everything!"
"Wow," Daniel muttered beside us. "She hasn't changed one bit."
Saraph whirled to face him.
"You, boyfriend of the year! You better not have made her cry, or I swear I will smuggle pepper into your shoes!"
Daniel blinked. "Wait, what?!"
"Okay, calm down," I said, still giggling, pulling her back before she started interrogating him like a police officer.
Then came Jordan, Timi, and Caleb, walking in with lazy amusement, each with their dramatic entrance.
"Wow, wow," Jordan announced, clapping slowly. "The Romeo and Juliet of our campus have returned."
Caleb snorted. "More like Beauty and the Guy Who Can't Cook Pancakes."
"Hey," Daniel objected. "I made breakfast!"
"Burnt pancakes do not count," Timi said, completely serious.
We were laughing so hard that other students passing by were staring. But I didn't care.
This was my group. This was home.
We dropped our bags in our respective homes and headed for the big shady tree near the back field, our unofficial group hangout spot.
Someone had already spread a mat there (Jordan claimed it as his "donated to the squad" contribution), and we all sank into it like we had never left.
"I missed you so much," Saraph said again, poking my side.
"It was too quiet without you. Who was I supposed to gossip with? Jordan? He barely listens!"
"Facts," Jordan replied. "She started telling me how some guy wore red socks with green shoes, and I zoned out after 'so today I saw…'"
"You're all unserious," I said, still chuckling, as Daniel leaned beside me, one arm resting behind my back casually.
"But seriously," Saraph added, lowering her voice just a little, "you're okay, right?"
I looked at her, and for the first time, I allowed myself to feel seen.
"Yes. It wasn't easy. But Daniel was there. And… I think things are going to be okay."
Saraph smiled. "I'm proud of you. For going. For facing it. For still smiling."
Daniel looked at her. "You know, you're a great friend."
"Don't get too comfortable," she warned him with a smirk. "If she so much as sheds one tear because of you, I will go full CIA mode on you."
We all laughed again. The banter, the teasing, it was like no time had passed.
"So what did we miss?" I asked.
"Ohhh," Caleb grinned, "You missed the new security guard who thinks he's a stand-up comedian."
"And a surprise quiz in Eco 403," Jordan added.
"And Professor Johnson's weird rant about frogs and relationships," Timi said. "Still not sure what that was about."
"Also," Saraph leaned in dramatically, "my roommate tried to borrow my dress. Again."
I gasped. "Not the red one?"
"Yes, the red one!"
The laughter didn't stop. It echoed into the sky as the sun began to lower, painting the clouds soft pink and gold.
We talked, joked, caught up, and shared snacks from someone's backpack.
Daniel's fingers brushed mine a few times, soft and grounding, and I leaned into him more than once, silently thankful.
Later, as the sky deepened into dusk, I caught myself just staring at them, this chaotic, beautiful group of mine.
Loud. Protective. Funny. Honest.
I had missed them more than I realized.
And as much as the past few days had been heavy, painful, and full of old scars resurfacing, I also knew this was healing.
Not erasing the pain, but moving forward despite it.
Saraph nudged me gently. "You're back, huh?"
I nodded. "Yeah. I'm back."
But for me, it felt like more than just a return.
It was a breath of fresh air after everything that had happened back home.
The weight of my father's words still lingered somewhere in my chest, but his final hug and parting words, the first in years, carried something heavier: peace.
I smiled faintly. "More than ever."
"Oh my God, look at you two!" she gasped, eyes flickering between our fingers still locked together.
Jordan folded his arms, smirking. "So... you guys didn't fight back? Impressive."
Timi nodded solemnly. "That deserves a trophy. Thr
She studied my face, then nodded. "I figured."
"Okay, but let's talk about you two walking around like the new king and queen of this university," Jordan teased, eyeing Daniel.
Daniel raised a brow. "I'll take that title."
I rolled my eyes. "He cooked breakfast twice. Let's not boost his ego more than it already is."
"Twice?" Timi blinked. "Please tell me he didn't burn it twice, too."
"Actually," Daniel said, grinning, "only once."
They all burst into laughter.
But in that moment, I felt something quietly powerful. I was surrounded by people who cared, who teased, who stood by me.
Daniel shifted closer and whispered, "This feels right."
I looked at him, then around at our little circle, our chaos, our laughter.
"Yeah," I said, leaning my head on his shoulder, "it does."
Quiet Hearts and Honest Words (Saraph & Nuella Late Night)
The room was dim, lit only by the soft yellow glow of the desk lamp.
The window was open, letting in the night breeze and distant sounds of crickets and laughter from down the hall.
I sat cross-legged on the bed, brushing out my hair, when Saraph padded in barefoot, holding two steaming mugs of cocoa.
"Room service," she said with a smile, handing me one.
I took it, the warmth seeping into my palms. "Thanks."
She sat beside me, her expression unusually serious.
"I didn't want to ask too much earlier… but I saw your eyes," she said quietly. "I know that look. You've been through it."
I swallowed and nodded. "It wasn't easy. I mean… going home. Seeing my dad that way. Hearing things I never thought I'd hear again."
Saraph didn't interrupt. She just sipped slowly, waiting.
"I tried, Saraph. I tried to stay calm. To be respectful. But when he said… when he said he wished I wasn't his daughter," My voice caught.
Without a word, she reached out and pulled me into a hug.
"It broke something in me," I whispered. "Even though I told myself I wouldn't let it get to me."
"You don't have to be strong all the time, you know," she said gently, rubbing my back.
"You don't have to fix everyone."
We sat like that for a while. No more words. Just warmth.
Then she pulled back and gave me a soft, mischievous smile. "But hey… your boyfriend though…"
I blinked. "What about him?"
"The way he looked at you when you cried? Girl… you've got him wrapped around your finger."
I laughed through my tears. "He stood up to my dad. Can you believe that?"
"Yup." She grinned. "He's a real one."
We sat side by side for a while, sipping cocoa and watching the moon from the window.
There was a peace to the moment, a shared understanding only best friends could have.
"I'm glad you're back," she said.
"Me too."
Dinner, Drama & the Almost Kiss Confession
The dining table buzzed with laughter as our group claimed our usual corner table.
Caleb had smuggled in spicy suya from outside campus, and the air was thick with roasted meat, rice, jollof banter, and jokes flying across the table.
Daniel sat beside me, his hand casually resting on my lower back, which didn't go unnoticed.
"So," Jordan said, pointing his fork at us, "you two have been very… couple-y lately."
I raised a brow. "We're just eating rice."
Caleb chimed in. "Oh, please. You just gave him the feed-me-sweetheart eyes."
Timi laughed. "And he just peeled that boiled egg for you like you're royalty."
"Okay, let's focus on the food before this turns into a Netflix rom-com breakdown," Daniel said, rolling his eyes.
Jordan leaned across the table, grinning. "We're just saying… the energy has shifted.
We all saw it."
Saraph cleared her throat, trying to stay neutral.
"Well, they did spend a few emotional days together."
"Yeah," Caleb said with a wicked grin, "emotional days… and nights."
The table howled. I nearly choked on my water.
Daniel's ears turned red. "You people are demons."
"And you," Jordan pointed at me, "you had that post-kiss glow when you got back! Don't lie!"
"What kiss?" Timi asked.
"Exactly," Jordan said dramatically, "what kiss?!"
Saraph tried to change the subject by flinging a piece of plantain at him.
"Don't spill the tea before dessert, Jordan!"
The conversation spiraled from there, teasing, laughter, jokes about Daniel writing me love poems in his journal (he didn't, but now I wanted him to), and Jordan pretending to faint because I called Daniel "sweet."
We laughed until our stomachs hurt, until the plates were empty and the memories were full.
As the group started cleaning up, Daniel leaned toward me and whispered, "Next time we kiss… let's make sure it doesn't become campus gossip."
I smirked. "Or let's give them something better to gossip about."
He laughed, brushing his thumb against my hand. "You're dangerous."