The day was cool. Not cold, just quiet, with a hush that made everything feel softer. It had threatened to rain all morning, teasing with heavy clouds and a breeze that stirred the trees. But the rain never came. The weather itself understood that nothing would ever be the same again.
It was their last picnic as students of Bene High School.
The graduating students spilled across the large school field for one last memory. The field, which had once been a battleground for inter-house sports, now held blankets on damp grass, and a sense of something ending, but also beginning.
Near the far corner sat five friends who called themselves The Aces. They had always been inseparable, the kind of friendship that made others envious. But today, they were quiet. They exchanged fleeting glances, while the weight of unspoken words lingered between them.
Nel’s jaw was tight. His arms were crossed, and his eyes lingered too long on Jay, who sat across from him, fiddling with his wristwatch. “You still haven’t apologized,” Nel muttered.
Jay raised his brows. “Apologise for what? I still can’t believe you’re angry over that matter.” He replied, his grin daring trouble.
“Oh! Do you think it’s a small thing? You kissed my girlfriend and felt you could get away with it, just like that?” Nel’s voice rose as he shot a sharp glare at Jay.
Jay shrugged. “She kissed me first, bro, and it’s obvious she likes me.”
"And you didn’t stop her?” Nel shot back, his tone sharp.
The tension thickened like mist before a storm.
“Wow, wow, wow!” Nimi stepped in. “Guys! Seriously? Can someone tell me what this is all about before punches start flying?”
“Uhm…” Tega cleared his throat dramatically. “Apparently, our honorable gentlemen are beefing over a junior girl.”
“Uhun?” Nimi blinked. “A junior?”
“Yep,” Tega nodded. “Nel bought her a teddy bear. Jay went straight for the lips. Real Romeo and Juliet situation.
Tega and Nimi burst into laughter, but it died quickly when Fay’s voice cut through the air, sharp and trembling.
“That’s enough!” she snapped, her hands clenched at her sides.
Everyone turned to her. She had barely spoken since they got to the field, and now her eyes shimmered with something deeper than anger.
“You people keep fighting over foolish things. Meanwhile, real heartbreaks are happening. I wasn’t going to say anything,” she continued, her voice quieter now.
The others exchanged uneasy looks.
“But since today seems to be confession day, yes, I dated Mr Stephen.”
“Whaattt!” Jay and Tega screamed in perfect unison.
“Wait, the English teacher?” Nimi blinked rapidly
“Yes.” Fay replied with eyes daring anyone to judge her. “I was in love. Real love. Or at least, I thought it was.”
“No way,” Nel said, his eyes wide. “He’s married!” he exclaimed.
“He wasn’t married when it started.” Fay began to narrate with tears glinting in her eyes.
“I thought he loved me. He told me I was mature and different. I believed him. Then he left for his wedding without a word. I saw the pictures online, smiling with bitterness like it never happened.”
Nimi reached over, resting a hand on Fay's shoulder. “You don’t deserve that kind of pain.” Fay wiped her eyes quickly. “I just want to forget it happened. It’s fine. I’m healing. But I just needed you all to know.”
“I’m sorry,” Nel muttered. “We didn’t know.”
Tega let out a low whistle. “No wonder you always got A’s in English.” Fay shot him a glare. “Don’t even start.”
Jay leaned closer, whispering dramatically, “She reads pretty hard, but mostly in his office.”
Everyone burst into a mix of gasps and stifled laughter.
“You’re crazy,” she muttered, cracking a small smile.
As the laughter died down, silence settled once again among the five friends.
“Actually…” Tega said softly, eyes flicking nervously toward someone. “I… have… something to say.” The group turned toward him.
“Uh…you know how people always say opposites attract, yeah?” He said cautiously.
“Uhm…this is going to sound crazy, but I’ve liked someone in this group for a long time.”
The guys straightened.
“Well… Nimi…,” Tega continued. “I’ve liked you for a long time. Since last year actually.”
“Nimi blinked, dumbfounded. “You’re not serious.”
“You think I’d lie about my feelings?” Tega said with a faint smile.
Jay cleared his throat.
Nel and Fay leaned in, eyes wide, bracing themselves for the next round of confessions.
Tega stood slowly.
Nimi laughed softly, cheeks reddening, “Tega, I love the fact that you’re always jovial. I don’t know how to say this properly, but… I like you too.”
Tega let out a tiny laugh of relief, “Seriously? I just didn’t know if it was real or just me overthinking.” Then, without saying a word, he gently took Nimi’s hand and pulled her into a warm, lingering hug.
The rest of the group erupted in applause and exaggerated fake sobs.
The confessions, once heavy like stones in their chests, had been released into the air, raw, honest, and healing. Now, there was peace. Nimi and Tega sat side by side, watching their little world shift, their bond even stronger for it.
Jay and Nel exchanged quiet glances.
“Jay,” Nel said, breaking into a grin, “I swear, one day someone’s going to kiss your girlfriend too, just to balance the universe.”
Jay burst into laughter. “It’s all good, bro. Let’s forget it. We’re graduating, aren’t we? Time to grow past all this.”
They clasped hands, pulled into a quick hug, and slapped each other’s backs like teammates after a hard-fought game. “So, can we unpack our food now?” Fay interrupted as they all burst into laughter.
It wasn’t just the end of high school. It was the end of hiding grudges, and the unsaid. They were shedding old skins, and opening their hearts to the uncertainty of life beyond Bene High School.
A breeze swept across the field, lifting the edges of their blankets and the weight of their past.
This was more than a farewell. This was a new chapter.
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