Presence had just stepped into the bustling campus café, her stomach growling in anticipation of a plate of steaming jollof rice with crispy fried plantain and succulent chicken. The familiar aroma of Nigerian spices wafted through the air, momentarily distracting her from the day's supernatural drama.

But reality came crashing back as her phone buzzed insistently in her pocket. Fishing it out, she saw KK's name flashing on the screen. Her heart sank. No doubt he'd already seen the videos circulating online - her apparent meltdown in the hallway, talking to thin air. She wasn't ready to face his questions or, worse, his concern. With a guilty twinge, she declined the call.

"Pick your call, biatch," a familiar voice drawled from behind her, dripping with playful sass.

Presence whirled around to find KK himself sashaying towards her, his hips swaying in an exaggerated catwalk. He was chewing gum with deliberate nonchalance, one perfectly shaped eyebrow arched in challenge.

"KK!" Presence exclaimed, a mixture of surprise and relief coloring her voice. "I was just about to call you back, I swear."

"Mhm," KK hummed skeptically, coming to a stop in front of her. He blew a small bubble with his gum, letting it pop with a satisfying snap. "Sure you were, honey. Now spill. What's this I hear about you going full-on 'I see dead people' in the middle of the hallway?"

Presence groaned, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "It's not what it looks like, I promise. I just... tripped. And then I got dizzy. You know how people love to exaggerate."

KK's other eyebrow joined the first in its upward journey. "Uh-huh. And I suppose that's why Nurudeen is telling everyone how worried he is about you? Because you 'tripped'?"

At the mention of Nurudeen's name, Presence's blush deepened. "He said that? He's worried about me?"

A knowing smirk spread across KK's face. "Oh honey, focus. We've got bigger fish to fry than your crush on Mr. Scooter Boy. Like why half the campus thinks you're communing with the spirit world between classes."

Presence sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Can we at least get food first? I promise I'll explain everything. Or... well, as much as I can."

KK looped his arm through hers, steering her towards the food counter. "Fine, but you're buying. Consider it payment for making me chase you down like some sort of fabulous detective."

As they joined the queue, Presence couldn't help but feel a wave of gratitude for her friend's unwavering presence. Whatever was happening with ghosts and gossip and cute boys on scooters, at least she had KK in her corner. Even if he was going to tease her mercilessly about it all.

"So," KK said, examining his nails with exaggerated casualness. "On a scale of one to 'possessed by ancestral spirits', how weird is this going to get?"

Presence couldn't help but laugh, despite the knot of anxiety in her stomach. "Oh, KK," she sighed. "You have no idea."

As they shuffled forward in the queue, KK's playful demeanor softened slightly, replaced by genuine concern. "Seriously though, Pres," he said, lowering his voice, "are you okay? Those videos looked pretty intense."

Presence bit her lip, considering her words carefully. "I'm... dealing with it," she finally offered. "It's complicated, KK. More complicated than I can probably explain right now."

KK nodded slowly, his eyes searching her face. "Alright, honey. But you know I'm here if you need me, right? Whether it's boy troubles, ghost troubles, or just regular old 'my family is weird' troubles."

A lump formed in Presence's throat at her friend's sincerity. "I know," she whispered, squeezing his arm gratefully. "Thank you."

They reached the counter, and Presence placed their order - two plates of jollof rice with all the fixings. As they waited for their food, KK's mischievous grin returned.

"So," he drawled, "on a scale of one to 'I'm moving to a monastery', how badly did this little incident mess up your chances with Nurudeen?"

Presence groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Don't remind me," she mumbled through her fingers. "He probably thinks I'm completely unhinged now."

KK chuckled, patting her shoulder sympathetically. "Oh please, if anything, this just made you more interesting. Boys love a little mystery, you know."

Their food arrived, and they made their way to a quiet corner of the café. As they sat down, Presence noticed a flicker of movement in her peripheral vision. She turned her head slightly to see Kel hovering near their table, an amused smirk on his translucent face.

Presence felt her heart rate spike. She couldn't deal with ghostly eavesdroppers right now, not while trying to navigate this conversation with KK. She shot Kel a warning glare, hoping he'd take the hint and disappear.

"Earth to Presence," KK's voice cut through her thoughts. "You're doing it again, honey. Staring off into space like you're seeing something the rest of us can't."

Presence snapped her attention back to KK, forcing a smile. "Sorry, just... lost in thought. You were saying?"

KK raised an eyebrow but didn't push it. "I was saying, maybe this is your chance to finally make a move on Nurudeen. Play up the mysterious angle, you know?"

As KK launched into a detailed plan for wooing Nurudeen, Presence found her attention divided. She nodded along with her friend's enthusiastic suggestions, all while keeping one eye on the ghostly figure hovering just out of KK's sight.

This balancing act between the living and the dead, Presence realized with a sinking feeling, was going to be far more challenging than she'd anticipated.

As KK chattered on, Presence's mind drifted to the weight of her family's legacy. The 'gift' – that's what her parents called it, though to her it often felt more like a curse. Why did it have to be her? Why couldn't she have been like Charm?

Charm, her elder sister, was the anomaly in their family of seers and sensitives. Completely, blissfully mundane. No visions, no ghostly visitors, just... normal. Presence had envied that normalcy for as long as she could remember.

Her father, with his lineage of native doctors and oracles, had the sight from birth. Her mother, a natural clairvoyant, brought her own supernatural talents to the mix. And then there was Presence, showing signs of the 'gift' long before her 18th birthday, much to her dismay.

She'd fought against it, of course. Ignored the whispers at the edge of her hearing, the fleeting shadows in her peripheral vision. Presence had clung to the hope that if she just refused to acknowledge it, maybe the 'gift' would pass her by.

But now, with Kel's ghostly form hovering just beyond KK's shoulder, that hope had been thoroughly shattered. The 'gift' had claimed her, whether she wanted it or not.

Presence stabbed at her jollof rice, her appetite suddenly diminished. She thought of all the times she'd begged the universe to let her be ordinary, to grant her the simple pleasure of a life unburdened by supernatural complications. Now, those pleas seemed like childish fantasies.

"Pres? You still with me?" KK's voice cut through her reverie.

Presence blinked, forcing herself back to the present moment. "Yeah, sorry. Just... thinking."

KK's eyes softened with understanding. "About your family stuff?"

Presence nodded, grateful for her friend's perceptiveness. "Sometimes I just wish..." she trailed off, unsure how to articulate the complexity of her feelings.

"That you could be normal?" KK finished for her, reaching across the table to squeeze her hand. "Honey, normal is overrated. You're extraordinary, and that's nothing to be ashamed of."

A lump formed in Presence's throat at KK's words. If only he knew just how extraordinary – and complicated – her life was about to become.

As she glanced up, she caught Kel's eye. The ghost offered her a small, sympathetic smile, as if he understood the weight she carried. For a moment, Presence felt a strange kinship with this ghostly intruder. They were both caught between worlds, in a way.

Turning back to KK, Presence managed a weak smile. "Thanks, KK. I don't know what I'd do without you."

At the side of the café, a group of boys huddled together, their voices low but excited. Kel's attention was drawn to their conversation.

"Yo, did you hear about the fight going down at Pa Obinna's tonight?" one of them said, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

Another boy nodded eagerly. "Yeah, man. It's gonna be wild. I heard Anthony's leading the charge."

"Anthony? Isn't he the one who lost his best friend recently?" a third boy chimed in, his brow furrowed.

"That's the one," the first boy confirmed. "He's been on a rampage lately. Picking fights left and right."

"This is different though," the second boy added. "It's not just a bar fight. It's a full-on gang fight."

Kel gritted his teeth, anger and worry coursing through him. He knew Anthony was grieving, but this was going too far. Without hesitation, he stood up and walked briskly across the café, weaving between tables and chairs as if he were still solid.

He came to a stop right next to Presence, who jerked in surprise at his sudden appearance. Her body tensed visibly, causing KK to look at her with growing confusion and concern.

"Pres?" KK called out, his voice laced with worry. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Presence opened her mouth to respond, but before she could formulate an explanation, Kel's urgent voice cut through her thoughts.

"I need your help."

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