Survival of the fittest

The next morning came too fast.

The school bell rang at 5:00 a.m., and the whole hostel turned into a battlefield. Buckets clanged, girls shouted for toothpaste, and someone yelled, “Who carry my slippers again?!”

Ebun groaned and pulled her pillow over her head. “Just five more minutes…”

“Five more minutes ko, expulsion ni!” Eri shouted from the bathroom. “Better stand up before matron catch you.”

Ebun hissed but got up anyway. The floor was cold, the water was freezing, and the air smelled like early morning dew mixed with Dettol — classic boarding life.

By 7:30 a.m., they were in class. Ebun sat quietly, trying to shake off her sleepiness. Daniel was already there, as neat as ever, writing something in a small notebook.

“Good morning,” he said when she sat down.

“Morning,” she replied softly.

He looked at her and smiled. “You don’t talk much, do you?”

Ebun raised a brow. “I talk… when necessary.”

He chuckled. “Okay, Miss Necessary.”

Eri, from her seat behind, was grinning like she just won a scholarship. She whispered loudly, “Chemistry dey happen o!”

Ebun threw her a playful glare, but she couldn’t hide the small smile tugging at her lips.

Their first class was English Language. The teacher, Mr. Ade, was in his usual serious mood. He started talking about essay writing and class participation.

“Since we have a new student,” he said, glancing at Daniel, “we’ll do a class introduction activity. You’ll each pair up with your seatmate and write about them. Then read it out loud.”

The class groaned, but Ebun’s heart skipped. Pair up with your seatmate… that means Daniel.

Daniel smiled. “Guess we’re writing about each other.”

“Yeah,” Ebun said quietly.

They started jotting things down. Daniel asked her questions — favorite subject, food, hobbies — and she found herself laughing more than she expected. He was funny, smart, and had a calm way of talking that made her feel comfortable.

When it was time to read, Daniel went first.

“My seatmate’s name is Ebun,” he began confidently. “She’s smart, quiet — but not too quiet. She pretends not to care, but she listens to everything. She also loves English and hates early morning bells.”

The class laughed, and Ebun felt her face heat up.

Mr. Ade smiled. “That’s observant, Daniel. Well done.”

Then it was Ebun’s turn. She swallowed hard and stood up.

“My seatmate’s name is Daniel. He’s new here, but he acts like he’s been here before. He’s calm, writes neatly, and—” she paused, glancing at him — “he smiles a lot… maybe too much.”

The class burst into laughter, even the teacher smiled.

“Nice one, Ebun,” Mr. Ade said. “That’s a good start to the term.”

As they sat back down, Daniel leaned closer and whispered, “Too much, huh?”

Ebun smiled shyly. “Maybe just a little.”

When the bell rang for break, Eri rushed over instantly. “Ebun, you’re finished! You and Daniel will trend in this school before midterm!”

Ebun laughed. “Abeg, it’s just seatmate gist.”

But as she looked at Daniel packing his books, she couldn’t help but think — maybe this term really was going to be different.

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