The information drew people attention, more than the screech of the mic. Everyone had stopped dancing and were facing the podium. "Tonight, we announce our precious winner." Juwon sounded excited.

The squad came to where I was standing with Samuel, Esse grabbing unto my left arm as she waved to Samuel. He returned it a smile. There and then, I looked around at all the people who stood around me. We were once strangers, but we had become a squad. At that point, they were really what mattered to me and I didn't care about all my problems. They never judged me, and tried to be of help most of the time. They were really all I could ask for. Amarachi grabbed my other arm and squeeze gently as we all watched the stage, watching with smiles on our faces like we were waiting for a gender reveal.

"After watching closely." He paused for a while, before he continued, "We finally decided that the winner of this little game of ours is..." he dragged, letting suspense fill the room. "The winner is..." he dragged again, making the students groan in impatience. He chuckled at their impatience as he held up a white envelope he had brought on stage, opening it and bringing out the white paper that was in it. He cleared his throat as he said in a rush, "The winner is Ebun."

Some people had turned to Khalid, clapping. It took a little while before it really settled in, in people's mind.

"Oh my gawd, it's you," Adijah let out with a gasp. "It is you!" she shouted again, before bursting into a spree of applause.

I was shocked. My heart stopped beating for some minutes. When it started beating once more, it was beating rapidly, I thought it was going to burst out of me. I tried to make up words, but I was totally speechless. Everyone had turned to me, waiting for me to react. But I was really frozen up and in shock. The squad had wide smiles on their faces, I feared their lips were going to tear. "Come on," Juwon said, drawing my attention back to the podiun. "Come up." I nodded and made my way up. My legs felt weak, but I managed. With every step, I felt I was going to fall anytime soon, but I made it to the podium. Juwon stretched his hands out with a smile, helping me up. He handed me a golden trophy. I took the trophy with my left, while he shook my right hand. "Congrats," he muttered to me.

"Thank you," I replied with a little nod.

He smiled and handed me the mic. I collected it, having nothing to say, while I looked around the crowd in search for my friends. I was hoping seeing them was going to spark something up, but I was met with the sight of Khalid instead. He was with the girl who we had met when we went to sign for the competition. Our eyes jammed and I couldn't help thinking back. Thinking back, I began to feel awful. He never even wanted to participate in the silly game in the first place, I used reverse psychology on him, persuading him. Only to hurt him. I felt pity for him. I felt bad and awful. My gaze softened, while he looked away from me.

I chuckled and let my face fall. "What a silly game that was," I said with a chuckle into the mic, making some people laugh, some didn't care and had not expression, while some were giving me the stank eye. I chuckled again, but more to myself. "Really silly one." I paused, then got serious. "I wasn't expecting this at all," I said with a frown as I brought the trophy up a bit to look at it, twirling it in my left arm a bit. "No, I was going through real emotional issues, and never intended to play anyone for a fool for a prize. No." I let my eyes wander to where Khalid was once more, but he wasn't there anymore. I tried to look around, and I saw him heading towards the door. My heart sunk. "Everyone is a winner, but the real winner here today, is my partner." My words made him stop, right at the door. He turned back to the stage, locking eyes with me again. "I'm sorry."

His look softened, but with that, he walked out of the hall. Before I realized what I was really doing, I had dumped the mic on Juwon and was heading out of the hall. I earned gasp and lots of murmurs from the crowd. But my mind wasn't even there anymore. Khalid was already heading out of the building, when I got out, but he halted at the sound of the hall door. He turned a bit, not looking at me at all. "Hey, are you..." I didn't let Tosin finish talking.

"I'm fine. I just need some time with him," I told her, turning to smile at her. "Tell everyone I'm fine, and that I'm coming." She nodded, colleting the trophy I was handing to her.

When I turned back, Khalid was no longer there, so I raced for the exit. He was making his way to the playground, with really slow steps. I said nothing and followed him quietly, until he got to the bench we had sat on when we had come to the playground. He slopped on it, staring in to sky. I stood by the chair for a while, saying nothing. Then I took a bold step and spoke. "Did you know about the game?"

He shook his head.

"Then why is it that after so many wins, you decided you wanted to sit this out?"

He shrugged.

"Words." I tried to not sound frustrated at his speechlessness.

He turned to me with a tired smile, like he was tired of it all. My heart sunk. I was strong, really, but I couldn't help it when the tears began to make my eyes itch and flow quietly. "You didn't even want to join the silly game, I forced you." My voice was shaky, but I managed to not break down into a mess. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess in the first place."

He kept his smile on as he sat up. He looked at me for a while, then tapped the space beside him, making me take my seat. He slouched back, looking at the sky once more. "The stars aren't much today." His voice was raspy, like he hadn't used it for quite a while. His words made me join him, looking up to the sky. He was saying the truth, the stars weren't obvious, the sky was black like there were no stars there at all. We both sat there, staring at the sky.

"I was the one who messed up," Khalid finally spoke up after a while, making my face squeeze into a frown.

"But-" I had started, as I sat up and turned to look at him.

He was still look at the sky. "Shush," he hushed me, not letting me finish my sentence. "Let me finish, then you talk." He sat up, letting me nod. "Yes, I didn't want to participate in the game in the first place, but that isn't enough to justify what I did to you. You took your time to explain things to me, but I couldn't handle my own failure, so I tried to fabricate the truth." He sighed. "I've hurt a lot of people, which was why I decided to sit this one out and simply have fun. Whenever I did hurt people though my over-determination and desperation, I always felt really bad. I'd spend a lot of time thinking, I had no peace. That was why I decided it was best to stay low-key. If I didn't compete at all, my dad wasn't going to scold me for not coming first. He gets really pissed and lose his words when I do come first." He shrugged. "That was why I developed my extreme determination method. But I was never really satisfied with the after effect." He looked at me in the eye for a while, before looking away and then saying. "Still gave me no right to act in such manner. I'm so sorry, I can be such a tool a times."

"Yes, you are a tool," I unconsciously agreed.

He chuckled. "You weren't supposed to agree to that, but thank you. I know I am."

I chuckled.

"I'm the one who should be sorry, and not you. So, I am sorry," he said in such a calm manner, holding my gaze.

I smiled warming at him, nodding. "You are forgiven."

He nodded.

"Friends?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Not at this point. I can't be 'just friends' with some I've felt so strong for. I'll keep having false hope."

I mouthed a 'o', then nodded.

"Don't worry, I'd get over it," he replied with a chuckle, making me chuckle so.

"All is well then?' Samuel's voice came from behind us, making us reflexively turn to his direction.

I nodded. "Mhmm."

He smiled. "Cool. Time for bed, we have quite the trip ahead of us tomorrow."

I stood up with a hop. "I'll take that as my cue." I turned to Khalid. "Good night." I smiled at Samuel, waving as he returned it.

"How far guy?" I had heard Khalid ask Samuel.

"I dey," Samuel replied.

"Thank you."

"For my guy."

I couldn't help smiling at their conversation as I made my way to my room, to go pack my load.

I knew I was going to miss it all.