By the fourth day, she had started getting used to the lesson centre.
Not completely.
But enough.
Enough to know where to sit.
Enough to know who talks too much.
Enough to know that if Agadi was quiet, something was wrong.
And today—
Agadi was quiet.
Very quiet.
She walked into the compound and spotted her immediately.
Same seat.
Same position.
But no noise.
No laughter.
No "you don come!"
Just… silence.
She sat down beside her.
"Good morning," she said.
Agadi nodded.
That was all.
She blinked.
Okay… something is wrong.
"Why are you squeezing your face like this?" she asked lightly.
Agadi didn't respond.
Favor leaned from the other side.
"Leave her," she whispered. "Mood."
"Ah," she muttered.
Mood swings… she wasn't joking.
She dropped her bag and sat properly.
For a while, nobody said anything.
Then slowly, class started filling up.
Voices came.
Chairs dragged.
Jiggy arrived, already complaining.
"Today hot pass yesterday," he said, fanning himself again.
"Nobody asked you," Agadi said flatly.
Jiggy paused.
Then looked at her.
Then at Favor.
"Wetin happen?" he whispered.
Favor just shook her head. "Onye kwu that thing."
He raised his hands. "I'm not involved."
She tried not to laugh.
But she glanced at Agadi again.
Still quiet.
Still moody.
This girl can change mood like NEPA light.
She shook her head slightly.
Before she could say anything else, Mr Charles entered.
"Good morning!"
"Good morning, sir!"
"Today, we will see who actually read," he said.
Agadi hissed under her breath.
"Sir, calm down," she muttered.
He ignored her and started writing on the board.
Class began.
For some time, things were normal.
Too normal.
And that was the problem.
Because Agadi wasn't talking.
Not arguing.
Not laughing.
Just… there.
It started to feel uncomfortable.
She leaned closer.
"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.
Agadi didn't look at her.
"I'm fine."
That tone.
Short.
Sharp.
Not fine.
She leaned back slowly.
Okay… noted.
A few minutes passed.
Then more.
Jiggy was already lost.
Favor was writing and shaking her head at the same time.
And she—
She was distracted.
Her eyes kept going back to Agadi.
Something about the way she sat.
The way she held her pen too tightly.
The way she frowned at nothing.
It was… annoying.
Not in a bad way.
Just—
Why is she acting like this now?
Without thinking too much, she spoke.
"Why are you behaving like this?" she said quietly.
Agadi turned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
Her tone was already changing.
But she didn't notice.
"I mean… since morning, you're just squeezing your face. It's not that serious."
Silence.
Small silence.
But heavy.
Agadi stared at her.
"Excuse me?"
She blinked.
Wait…
"I'm just saying—"
"You're just saying what?" Agadi cut in.
Now people were starting to notice.
Favor slowly looked up.
Jiggy paused his writing.
She felt it.
But it was too late.
"I'm just saying you don't have to be doing like this," she said, a bit defensive now. "It's not that deep."
Agadi let out a small laugh.
But it wasn't funny.
"Oh. So now you know what is deep and what is not?"
"That's not what I meant."
"Then what do you mean?"
Her heart started beating faster.
Why is this turning into something else?
"I just meant—"
"You just came here," Agadi said, her voice low but sharp. "And you're already telling me how to behave?"
Silence.
Real silence this time.
Even Mr Charles paused slightly, sensing something.
She swallowed.
"I didn't mean it like that."
"Then don't talk like that," Agadi replied.
Her voice wasn't loud.
But it hit.
Hard.
Something in her chest shifted.
Ah…
She looked down.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly.
Agadi didn't reply.
She just faced her book again.
That was worse.
Way worse.
Class continued.
But for her—
Everything had changed.
She tried to focus.
But she couldn't.
Her pen moved.
But her mind didn't.
Why did I say that?
She pressed her lips together.
It was not even that serious…
But it was.
She could feel it.
The silence between them.
The distance.
Favor leaned slightly.
"You shouldn't have said that," she whispered.
She nodded slowly.
"I know."
"You know her now," Favor added. "Mood plus that kind talk…"
She didn't respond.
She already felt bad enough.
Time passed.
But slowly.
Too slowly.
Nobody spoke to her.
Not even Agadi.
Jiggy tried to make a joke at some point.
Nobody laughed.
Even him, he kept quiet after that.
At one point, she glanced at Agadi.
And froze.
Her eyes.
They looked… different.
Not angry.
Not exactly.
But hurt.
And for a second—
She looked like she might cry.
Her chest tightened immediately.
No…
She quickly looked away.
I didn't mean to make her feel like that…
The rest of the class went on in silence for her.
Even when Mr Charles shouted at someone—
"Which part of the bush are you from?"—
she didn't laugh.
Even when Mr Jaja came and started his usual—
"I saw you somewhere!"—
she didn't react.
Her mind was somewhere else.
I messed up.
By the time class ended, she didn't even realize it.
Students started standing up.
Packing bags.
Talking again.
Life returning.
But not for her.
She stayed seated.
Quiet.
Watching.
Agadi stood up.
Picked her bag.
Didn't look at her.
Didn't say anything.
And started walking out.
Her chest tightened again.
Say something…
But she didn't.
She couldn't.
Her throat felt tight.
So she just sat there.
Watching her leave.
And for the first time since she came to the lesson centre—
She didn't feel like talking to anyone.
Not even herself.