I trudged out of the hall, feeling a heavy knot of sadness constraining my chest. The echo of laughter and music from the party faded as I walked down the dimly lit path to my hostel. The night air was cool against my skin, and the distant thumping of the party music continued to beckon me, but my mind was made up. Suddenly, a voice cut through the night, "Sammy, where are you going?" It was Linda. I halted in my tracks. "What was I even thinking? Julius, who's angry with me, is in there dancing with Adaobi. And just take a look at me, going out in the dark. No way!" I spun around and walked over to her. "I just needed some fresh air. Inside, it was getting too intense," I lied. "I've been looking for you. Let's head back in and have some fun," she said, taking my hand and pulling me back toward the party.

As the night wore on, the party eventually came to an end by midnight. Exhausted, I stumbled back to my room. I collapsed on my bed, immediately succumbing to the pull of sleep. Tomorrow was a public holiday, and I was looking forward to catching up on some much-needed rest.

As I lay in the darkness of my room, deep in slumber, I felt someone's hand fumbling with the buttons of my shirt. Panic jolted me awake, and before I could react, the hand covered my mouth, pulling me upright. "Hey, it's me, Julius. I mean no harm," he said quickly. I pushed his hand away, confusion and unease clouding my thoughts. "What are you doing here at this hour?" I demanded. "I came to check up on you," he replied. I looked at him, bewildered. "Why? How did you even get in here?" I asked, my mind racing with questions. "Take it easy. I know what you're thinking, but I'm not here for anything like that," he assured me. "I'm here to help. You shouldn't sleep in these clothes, and those shoes look better off your feet," he said, bending down to remove my shoes.

I was taken aback. Despite everything, he was showing genuine concern for me. "Why was he acting this way?" I wondered.

"Thank you. I appreciate it," I said, readjusting myself to sleep. But he didn't leave. "I have a question for you. Didn't I do enough for you? Didn't I treat you like a best friend should?" he asked, sounding hurt.

I couldn't understand his sudden change in demeanor. What was he getting at? "Yes, you've always been a good friend to me," I replied, trying to find the right words. "Just a good friend? I thought we were more than that," he said, getting up to leave. I reached out and stopped him. "I don't understand. You are my best friend. Why are you acting like this?" I asked, feeling a pang of hurt.

"Why did you choose Linda over me?" he asked, finally revealing his true feelings. "Linda? Oh! I see now. If you thought something was going on between me and Linda, you should have asked me instead of making assumptions," I said, feeling a sense of relief wash over me.

"I promise you, there's nothing between Linda and me. Remember the dare you asked me to do? I just fulfilled that," I said, unsure if my explanation was coming across as I intended. "Then what's her significance to you?" he pressed on. I felt a twinge of unease. "What's with all this jealousy? Just like you have Adaobi as your best friend who is a girl, that's it," I shot back. "Is there something you're not telling me?" I probed further. He looked at me and forced a smile. "Nothing," he said, evading my question.

"There's something on your mind," I insisted. "I thought I would be your best friend," he said, his voice tinged with disappointment. How could he even think otherwise? Didn't he realize that I was the type to make friends with everyone? "Why would you think that?" I asked, trying to comprehend his perspective.  It felt like the air around us had thickened, as if his answer held far more weight than I could have anticipated.