Friday morning arrived with a buzz of excitement echoing through the school. It wasn't just any regular Friday—it was Sports Day. A day filled with games, cheers, water bottles, and, of course, fierce competition.
Angel stood with her arms crossed beside her team, her group shirt tucked neatly into her joggers. Kelly V was stretching nearby, Karen was tying her shoelaces in her usual slow, careful way, and Mimi was already bouncing with nerves.
They were up for the 400-meter relay, and Group A was favored to win again after the showcase.
But there was more in the air than competition.
There was something tense. Different.
Juliet was on the field too.
She stood tall, eyes cool, flanked by two girls from her new class. Though she hadn't made friends, her presence was commanding. She had joined a separate group—not Angel's—but her eyes constantly sought Angel's.
And Angel noticed.
So did her friends.
"She keeps staring like she wants to fight or something," Karen muttered.
"Or prove something," Mimi added. "She walks like she owns everywhere."
Angel just sighed. "Let her. I'm not giving her my peace."
But Victor had other plans.
Since the Talent Showcase, he had been keeping an odd distance. Not the kind that fades with time—the kind that watches. That follows. That burns.
He sat in the bleachers with his friends but barely spoke, eyes locked on Angel whenever she was near. It was no longer rivalry. It was obsession.
Hannah, their classmate who often lingered around the popular students, had turned her attention toward Juliet. Maybe trying to impress her, or maybe trying to be the first to say, "I knew her before she became someone."
Juliet, however, barely responded.
Until during short break, when Hannah followed her to the back of the school building with snacks and small talk.
"So, you just transferred from Port Harcourt? That must've been tough."
Juliet took the biscuit she offered but said nothing. Then, slowly, she said, "Do you always talk this much?"
Hannah blinked. Then laughed awkwardly.
Juliet walked away.
Later during the race, Angel's team took their positions. Jordan, who was in their group, was assigned to run the last lap. Though they hadn't spoken much since the showcase, they moved like a synced machine.
The race started. Karen ran first. She wasn't the fastest, but she passed the baton without fumble. Then Mimi, who powered forward with surprising speed. Angel took the third leg, and as her feet hit the ground, everything else vanished. The world shrunk to her breath, the track, and the baton in her hand.
She passed it to Jordan, who flew down the lane like the wind was chasing him. They came second, but it felt like a win.
Group A cheered. High-fives were exchanged. Teachers clapped.
Juliet didn't clap.
She stared.
After the race, Angel sat on the grass with her friends for the first time and actually laughed. Genuinely laughed.
They passed her water bottles. Kelly V made jokes. Karen imitated one of the teachers with dramatic flair. Even Angel joined.
She wasn't fully used to it.
But she liked it.
After school, Angel was dropped off by the driver. The sun had begun to dip behind the clouds.
Inside, the house smelled of pepper soup and something familiar.
Her father was home.
Captain Dewson sat at the dinner table, arms folded, speaking quietly with Mama mma.
"She still doesn't eat much," the nanny said. "But she's strong. Carries pain well. She walks like her chest holds more than her age."
Angel stood at the stairs, listening.
"She carries too much," her father replied. "But I don't know how to reach her."
"Then start where you are."
Angel stepped in.
"Long day?" she asked.
He turned to her and smiled. "Always. But I missed dinner with my daughter."
She sat, and they ate quietly. Not in silence, but in peace.
Halfway through, he looked at her and said, "I heard you raced today. Proud of you."
She didn't respond right away. Then: "Thanks."
That night, he stood outside her room and said, "I see you, Angel. Even when you try to disappear."
Inside, Angel held her phone. A message from Juliet blinked on the screen:
"You and I aren't finished. Not yet."
Angel smirked.
Let it come.