Eliana's Saturday morning started like every other—stale bread, a nearly dead phone, and the humming sound of her mother boiling water on their rusted stove. The only thing that felt different was the flutter in her chest.
Mae had texted her late last night:
Come to campus tomorrow. Milkshake rematch? I'll be waiting by 1. Wear something pink this time.
Eliana had smiled so hard her cheeks hurt. She hadn't even minded the heat or the annoying generator sound from the neighbors. But by morning, reality struck like a slap.
Her phone's battery was at 2%. There was no light. No fuel for their small generator. No money for transport either. And she had already borrowed from her course group fund to buy handouts.
She sat on her plastic chair, phone clutched in her hand as it blinked to black, wondering if she could walk all the way to campus.
But the sun was high, the heat brutal, and her faded sneakers already worn thin.
By 1:00 p.m., Mae was leaning against his usual wall outside the small café near the back gate, two milkshakes melting beside him. His eyes scanned every group that passed, but no Eliana.
1:30.
2:00.
He stopped checking the time.
By 2:45, Mae picked up the two drinks, walked to the trash can, and dumped them without taking a single sip.
It wasn't until 9:17 p.m. that Eliana's phone buzzed to life again. Her heart dropped when she saw the messages:
'So I waited. For nothing.'
'A "no" would've been better than silence.'
'Not even a sorry? Damn.'
She stared at the screen, a lump forming in her throat. She'd meant to go. She wanted to. But explaining it now felt… empty.
'Mae I'm so sorry, I had no transport and my phone died. There was no light all day. Please don't be mad.'
-Read-
-No reply.-
'Mae I'm really sorry i didn't mean to '
'Mae please forgive me'
-Read no reply -
Eliana was curled on Tolu's rug, her textbooks open but unread. She and Tolu had agreed to study together for the upcoming test in Mathematics , and since Tolu had light, Wi-Fi, and snacks, her tiny room had become their sanctuary for the night.
"Elly," Tolu said, peeking over her textbook, "what's up with your face? You look like you lost an election."
Eliana sighed. "Mae. I missed our hangout. He's mad. I don't blame him."
Tolu sat up. "Didn't you tell him you didn't have transport?"
"My phone died. No fuel. You know how it is."
Tolu rolled her eyes. "Abeg, stop forming for him. He's a shareholder, right? If he really liked you, he'd come pick you or at least understand."
Before Eliana could defend him, a knock sounded at the door.
"That should be Derrick," Tolu said, getting up.
"Elly, let's go upstairs. Derrick said he'll help us review the test topics. The guy is a walking textbook."
Eliana followed, her mood still deflated. But when Derrick opened his door, all thoughts of Mae faded momentarily.
Derrick was effortlessly handsome in a nerdy, calm kind of way. Glasses perched low on his nose, a laptop in one hand, and notes stacked on the table behind him. His smile was warm—gentle, not flashy like Mae's.
"Hi, Eliana. Heard a lot about you," he said, stepping aside to let her in.
"I hope it was good things."
"All good. And I hope I get to impress you with my knowledge of viruses."
She smiled weakly. "Go ahead. I could use a distraction."
As Tolu flipped open her notes and Derrick explained something about Calculus , Eliana's mind drifted back to Mae's messages. She refreshed her phone. Still no reply.
"Someone ghosting you?" Derrick asked softly, catching her glance at her phone.
She sighed. "Kind of. It's complicated."
He studied her, eyes kind. "Then simplify it—anyone who can't see what you're worth because of one missed day doesn't deserve front-row access to your time."
Eliana blinked. "That was… a bit deep."
He chuckled. "I read too many books. But seriously, you deserve patience. Not punishment."
And for the first time that evening, she smiled.
Not because of Mae.
But in spite of him.