The sun was barely up when the compound on the girls’ side stirred to life. Seline, notebook and camera slung over her shoulder, was already jotting down first impressions for her journalism class: the nervous laughter, the shouts from dorm windows, the echo of suitcases rolling across and chatter of girls spilling at the bus park, jerseys peeking out beneath their sweaters, each carrying their own mix of nerves and excitement. For once, even Naomi’s usual sternness was softened by the prospect of competition.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7tiqqXgSU
The city was still half-asleep when Seline slipped out of her dorm, camera bag bumping against her hip. She paused at the gate, breathing in the cool Kisumu air, she needed to capture the day from the very start for her journalism class, but she also wanted to avoid the awkwardness of picking a seat when the others arrived. She snapped photos of the empty bus and the misty school streets, jotting down notes about the anticipation in the air. The school bus waited, empty and idling, headlights slicing through the mist. Seline liked being early; it meant she could choose her vantage point—front row, window seat, notebook open, ready to catch the day’s first stories. 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuKMID7I6V
She watched as the first clusters of girls trickled out—some dragging their feet, others bursting with energy. Naomi, clipboard in hand, already directing traffic like a general; Mercy, a solitary figure in the distance, shoulders set against the world; Kim, pausing at the edge of the crowd, scanning for familiar faces but not quite joining them.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3emwu6IiU
Seline felt the familiar thrill of being both inside and outside the story. She was one of them, yes, but her camera and notebook gave her a kind of armor, a reason to observe rather than participate. She caught snippets of conversation—hopes for victory, worries about rival teams, whispers about who would sit with whom. She noted the tension in Mary’s voice as she greeted June, the way Shiko hovered at the edge of every group, the tightness in Kim’s smile.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvBtuxiLYr
The bus filled slowly, the morning light growing brighter as the city woke up around them. Seline kept her camera ready, catching candid shots—the flash of nerves in a teammate’s eyes, the way Naomi’s hand trembled just once as she checked her list, the way Mercy’s cronies now growing everyday in number shielded her from the world. She wondered, as she often did, what stories would unfold today—on the field and off it, in the spaces between cheers and silences, in the glances traded across the aisle.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudPJAydSFH
As the driver called for everyone to board, Seline took one last photo of the compound—empty now, save for a few latecomers rushing with untied shoelaces and half-zipped bags. She slid into her chosen seat, notebook open, heart beating a little faster. Today, she would be both witness and participant, chronicler and competitor. And she had a feeling that whatever happened at St. Mary’s Yala, the real story would be found not just in the matches, but in the secrets and shifting alliances that traveled with them, mile by mile, across the waking countryside.
19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDD1PpiASrW
Kim found Shiko waiting under the jacaranda tree, the petals dusting her shoulders like confetti. The city air was cool, the school grounds still quiet except for distant laughter and the rumble of the bus engine. Shiko grinned when she saw Kim, relief flickering in her eyes.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHEqzuyaMs
“Thought you’d chicken out,” Shiko teased, nudging Kim with her elbow.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrqlJf2k5i
Kim rolled her eyes, but the tension in her chest eased. “You wish.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZeTif7WAm
They walked side by side to the bus park, weaving through clusters of girls—some still half-asleep, others already buzzing with nervous energy. Shiko carried both their kits, Kim her water bottle and a battered notebook. For a moment, it felt like old times: just the two of them against the world.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYJXRUS9EQ
As they reached the bus, Seline was already snapping photos, and Naomi was ticking off names on her clipboard. Kim and Shiko exchanged a glance—one that said, Let’s stick together—and climbed aboard, sliding into a double seat near the middle. Shiko took the window, Kim the aisle, their bags piled between them like a small fortress.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHbO7kpG6W
Around them, the bus slowly filled: Mary and June sat a few rows back, whispering; Mercy claimed her solitary spot at the rear; Naomi remained at the front, her posture rigid. The hum of voices grew, but Kim and Shiko found their own quiet bubble, sharing gossip and trading predictions about the day’s matches not just in the field.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfIGaCiqy9
Shiko leaned her head against the glass, watching the mist blur the city as the bus pulled away. “Whatever happens today,” she murmured, “we’re in this together, right?”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DmIu4jwb8
Kim nodded, squeezing her friend’s hand. “Always.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡopTGLTck3t
As Kisumu faded behind them and the green fields of Siaya County rolled into view, Kim felt the old comfort settle in. Whatever secrets or rivalries waited at St. Mary’s, she and Shiko would face them side by side.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTD1k1dGkP0
Mercy moved through the morning shadows with her usual steady stride, the dew on the grass soaking the edges of her shoes. She didn’t hurry—she never did—but she was keenly aware of the cluster of girls trailing a few paces behind her. They weren’t friends, not really. Most had never spoken to her before her return, but now they hovered in her orbit: some out of awe, others out of curiosity, and a few, Mercy suspected, simply to be seen near the girl whose name was still whispered in both admiration and warning.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQ5oDPrirF
She didn’t encourage them, but she hadn’t told them to stop either. Maybe she was curious what they wanted. Maybe she just didn’t have the energy to push them away.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLimCMi2Tn4
At the bus park, the others were already forming their alliances—Kim and Shiko together, Seline with her camera, Mary and June deep in conversation, Naomi at the front. Mercy felt the familiar ache of being apart from all of it, but she kept her face unreadable. The small group behind her hesitated, then clustered near the steps, watching to see where she would sit.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMLtzBZ4ue
Mercy climbed onto the bus without a word, taking her usual seat at the very back. She could feel the eyes of her shadow group on her, the way they filled the seats nearby but left a respectful gap, as if unsure whether they were welcome or simply tolerated. The seat beside her stayed empty, but the row in front filled with nervous, eager faces.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlO5Qit3Kb
She watched the others through the window, the bus filling with laughter and tension, alliances and old wounds. The city outside was waking up, but inside, Mercy felt the press of expectation—her own and everyone else’s. She catalogued every detail: Naomi’s tight grip on her clipboard, Kim’s forced smile, the way Mary and June kept glancing back, and the way her own group of followers whispered among themselves.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYk9hIf5VNa
As she sat, the girls jostled for seats nearby, their excitement bubbling over. One, a Form One with braids and a quick smile, grinned at her. “Mercy, is it true you scored the winning goal against St. Anne’s last year with your eyes closed?”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNyqCBBVR5
Mercy snorted. “Eyes closed? Please. I was practically asleep. You should have seen the keeper’s face—she thought I was aiming for the corner flag.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwfJbo4i8k
The girls burst into laughter, and another piped up, “What about the time you convinced the ref to give us a penalty just by raising your eyebrow?”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0hUMCAsZm
Mercy raised both eyebrows now, mock-serious. “That’s classified Order business. If I told you, I’d have to recruit you—and trust me, the initiation involves eating Naomi’s mystery stew for a week.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGwHvipzI9
Even the girls who’d been nervous before were giggling now. Mercy let herself relax, making up wild stories about past matches, exaggerating her own legend with every retelling. She mimed a dramatic dive, had them in stitches over her impersonation of the strictest prefect, and even teased one of her “fans” for bringing a lucky sock that looked suspiciously like a hand-me-down from her brother.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEgmB0i57U
For a few minutes, Mercy felt almost happy—her laughter real, her confidence infectious. She knew some of these girls admired her for reasons she couldn’t control, and others were just drawn to the myth. But here, in the noisy warmth of the bus, she let herself enjoy it.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2o8cjmQsX
As the bus rumbled out of Kisumu, Mercy caught her own reflection in the window: smiling, animated, surrounded by laughter. The tension of her return, the weight of suspicion, faded for a moment. She winked at the girls. “Stick with me today. If we lose, at least we’ll have the best stories to tell.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCk5x3fZzt
Mercy leaned her forehead against the cool glass, letting the vibration of the bus drown out the chatter behind her. She was used to being alone, but she couldn’t quite ignore the presence of the girls who now shadowed her every move. She didn’t trust their motives, but she was curious how long they’d last—and what they’d do if she ever let them get close.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyaMSQVakWA
As the bus rolled out through the school gates, Mercy allowed herself a small, private smile. Let them whisper, let them wonder. She was back—and whether she liked it or not, she was never truly alone anymore.
**********19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOPo12fOWL
The boys’ compound was a hive of activity before dawn, the air thick with anticipation and the sharp scent of grass. Jabari was up early, but not out of nerves about the girls’ team—everyone knew the real threat today was Maseno, Kisumu Day, and Sawagongo. Those schools played hard, and their reputations were legendary. Jabari and Juma swapped predictions as they hurried through breakfast, debating which rival would be the toughest to break down.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhsXtX5RgVE
Juma, always the schemer, was less worried about the pitch and more about the adventure. “You know Sinyolo and Ng’iya girls will be there too, right?” he said, nudging Jabari as they loaded their kits onto the bus. “Rangala, even. Forget Kisumu Girls for a minute—there’ll be letters flying everywhere.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvovYk8yXa
Their friends laughed, pockets already stuffed with folded notes and half-written phone numbers. Some boys had even ironed their shirts extra crisp, just in case. The prefects called for order, but the excitement was impossible to contain.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTiQ2BUlQBB
By 6:30, the bus was filling fast, boys jostling for the best seats—window spots for those who wanted to scan the road, back rows for the jokers and the note-passing strategists. Jabari and Juma settled in the middle, close to the action but with a clear view of the aisle.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCHKHMhh9m
As the bus rumbled out of Kisumu, the city slowly giving way to green fields and the open road to Siaya, the boys’ chatter turned to bets. “First one to spot the girls’ bus gets a soda at Yala,” someone called. “If we catch up, let’s get our driver to race them!”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDocE2ypRSa
Juma grinned, already plotting. “If we see them, I’m waving my tie out the window. See who waves back.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3MgbuA3f7
The highway was busy with school buses—some painted with the names of their institutions, others just marked by the clusters of uniforms inside. Every time they passed a bus, the boys craned their necks, looking for familiar faces, searching for a glimpse of the girls’ team or a rival squad.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIl5ulGMevJ
When, just outside Chulaimbo, the unmistakable blue-and-white bus from the girls’ school appeared ahead, a cheer went up. “There they are!” Jabari shouted, and half the bus pressed to the windows. Juma and a few others started chanting, egging the driver on. The prefects pretended to scold, but even they were smiling as the boys’ bus edged closer, horns blaring in friendly challenge.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60UrVxo6rM
For a few minutes, the whole bus was united—rivalries forgotten, worries about Maseno and Kisumu Day set aside. It was just them, the open road, and the thrill of the chase, with the promise of new stories and maybe, just maybe, a secret letter slipped across the aisle at St. Mary’s.
**********19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nw9yVQZPk
The annual St. Mary’s Inter-School Games were the crown jewel of the region’s secondary school calendar—a rare convergence where boundaries faded, if only for a weekend. St. Mary’s Yala, perched in the rolling green heart of Siaya County, played host to a parade of buses from every direction: Kisumu City, Maseno, Kisumu Day, Sawagongo, Sinyolo Girls, Ng’iya Girls, Rangala, and more. Each bus carried its own legends, ambitions, and whispered stories.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlOpYEOzki
Gone were the usual barriers—no wall, no forbidden zones—just the open, manicured fields of St. Mary’s, watched over by the sharp eyes of teachers and prefects. Here, rivals and allies mingled in the same dorm blocks, ate from the same canteen, and sized each other up in the corridors. For a few days, the rules of home didn’t apply; new alliances could be forged, old grudges reignited, and reputations made or broken in a single match.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uhJ4qOM58
For the students, these games were more than just a contest of skill. They were a stage for pride, for school spirit, for the chance to impress and be noticed—whether by scouts, by peers, or by the girls and boys from other schools who watched from the sidelines. The air was thick with anticipation: who would win the trophies, who would leave with new friends or secret crushes, and who might get caught up in the drama that always seemed to find a way into the shadows of the Games.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡblDKjrTLsD
As the sun rose over St. Mary’s, the fields sparkled with dew and possibility. The prefects ran through their checklists, the teams huddled for last-minute strategy, and the corridors buzzed with talk of rivals and rumors.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26t2ld4djo
The football fields at were alive with noise—referees’ whistles, rival chants, and the thud of balls echoing across the compound. Jabari’s mind was on the real threats: Maseno’s midfield, strikers and their relentless defense. He barely noticed the girls’ matches on the adjacent pitch, except for the occasional cheer that rose above the din. The match was already fierce, the noise from the stands a blur of rival chants and whistles19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOjfW9ZXqI
But during a lull between games, as teams swapped fields and the crowd shifted, Jabari found himself at the water station—face to face with Kim. He recognized her instantly. She was the one who’d quietly outmaneuvered Mercy last term, the strategist whose name had come up in Order meetings. He’d even tried, once, to get her recruited—her cleverness, her nerve—but the timing had been wrong, and the Order was still reeling from the fallout.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjyiNmy75o
Kim, meanwhile, only saw a tall boy with an easy smile, sweat-dark hair, and a confidence that suggested he was more than just another player. She didn’t know his name or his role in the boys’ secret world. To her, he was just another face in the crowd.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1MmP6iMUy
Their eyes met over the rim of a shared water jug. Jabari felt a jolt of recognition—admiration, curiosity, something more. He offered a quick, genuine smile. “Tough match?”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7S9Iwhk7H8
Kim nodded, catching her breath. “You have no idea.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnObfuhaGH
For a moment, the chaos of the games faded. Jabari wanted to say more—to ask about her game, to hint that he knew who she was and what she’d done. But he held back, letting the moment linger, letting Kim see only the surface.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRaM6t1giy
She smiled back, a little shy, a little intrigued. “Good luck in your next one.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4LL4ydI49r
“You too,” Jabari replied, watching her go. He wondered, as he watched her disappear into the crowd, what might have happened if she’d joined the Order—if they’d been on the same side from the start.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqf4ntEsKw
Kim didn’t look back, but Jabari knew he’d remember this meeting long after the final whistle blew.
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**********19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIearfk1F7g
That’s when he saw her.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjqR6qnFXz
Kim.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDNNQUnQIU
Juma lingered a few steps back as Jabari and Kim exchanged their first words by the water station. He’d seen Jabari focused before—on tactics, on rivals, on the hidden currents of the Order—but this was something else. There was a softness in Jabari’s voice, a lightness in his posture that Juma hadn’t seen in a long time.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9yKRyuou0
She looked the same and yet not. Braids pulled back, a bit of dust on her track pants, a flicker of fire behind the calm in her eyes. She wasn’t laughing like the other girls. She was scanning. Reading the terrain. Still playing chess while everyone else played football.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEItmakE1IL
Juma’s heart stuttered. Not just because of how she looked, but because of what he remembered—the folded letter she’d sent, the trembling answer he’d written back. The questions she asked. The honesty he couldn’t give. Her name written in ink, KN-9, etched into a file he’d never meant her to see.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5elXQM03Vs
He hadn’t responded since.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRSTMtdRtk
He told himself it was safer that way.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5oR8NhG80k
But now here she was. And then—he was there too.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBO3wOMlVRv
Jabari.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3tbRr75Dv
Tall. Steady. Smiling like he owned the field and maybe the sun, too.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYz5SvHjJG
Juma watched, a stone forming behind his ribs.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTAxjAC6F9l
Jabari had always been good with people. The kind of charisma that needed no badge to command attention. If he smiled at you, you felt seen. If he listened, you felt important. He used it sparingly—but when he did, it landed.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweQyX43Ej1
And now, he was using it on Kim.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kht3l2MT3
Juma watched their exchange by the water station. The brief smile. The eye contact. Jabari’s easy charm and Kim’s small, curious reply.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcc3aFBX4oZ
It wasn’t a long moment.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VGTHO5Kub
But it was long enough.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrOvIcgFtj
Long enough for Juma to feel the sharp twist of something ugly rise in his throat. Regret, maybe. Jealousy, definitely. The sudden realization that all his careful silence had left a vacuum—and Jabari, unknowing or not, was stepping into it.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi45ok5LC07
He clenched his jaw. Turned away.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3EFV1BwUX
He told himself it was nothing. Just a conversation. Just a passing moment in the middle of a crowded event. It didn’t mean anything.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRypE0CMknV
But he knew better.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1faARJiJEz
He’d read her letters. The way she asked questions no one else dared ask. The way her words reached out—not to accuse, but to understand. She had wanted to know him, even when it might cost her.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LYIKnfxAW
And he—he had chosen to stay hidden.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCb082x34W
Now she was standing in the sun, talking to someone who didn’t hide.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitrFgUBCNF
Juma stepped further into the shade, watching the crowd shift like tide around her, like she was the center without knowing it.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObnVFCGmTR
He told himself the game mattered more.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJKR6zJPtx
But as she walked away, not once looking in his direction, Juma couldn’t shake the truth that had been growing inside him ever since he read her first note:19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7PxS920KG5
She saw him once.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbKVOna2OE
And if he waited too long, she might stop looking altogether.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUabfovxrmp
Seline had spent the day shadowing Juma, waiting for the right moment to talk. She told herself it was for the story, for the truth behind the tangled alliances and shifting loyalties that seemed to swirl around the games. But really, it was Juma himself she was drawn to—the way he moved through the crowd, always half in shadow, always watching, always just out of reach.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73ZfDo6kAW
She finally caught up to him as the sun dipped low, casting long shadows across the field. Juma was standing alone, his eyes fixed not on the pitch, but on Kim and Jabari by the water station. There was something in his posture—a tension, a longing—that made Seline’s chest tighten. She’d seen that look before, but never directed at her.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFIVBvx3su
She stepped closer, her voice quiet but edged with hurt. “You’re still chasing her, aren’t you?”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIAzpPFy0d
Juma startled, turning to face her. “Seline—”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZRvaxtmnwv
She shook her head, frustration bubbling up. “After everything, after all the times you nearly got caught helping her out last term… You still can’t let her go?”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGSVq2TTMh
Juma looked away, silent. Seline felt the sting of it—of being invisible, of watching him pour all his secrets and risks into someone who never seemed to notice. She knew Jabari, at least by reputation—the KB president, the one who’d charmed the entire journalism club last year when they’d helped edit the boys’ annual magazine. She remembered how he’d lingered by the editing tables, always with a joke, always with a smile that made the room feel lighter. She’d thought, maybe, she understood him. She’d thought, maybe, he’d noticed her too. She hated the way Juma would linger a stare long enough, always watching Kim, always waiting for something Seline could never quite give him.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYWjlphuyh
What hurt most was the suspicion that Kim had lied to her, too. She’d trusted Kim, believed her stories, even defended her when others doubted. But now, seeing the way Kim looked at Jabari, Seline was convinced—Kim had been hiding something all along. And Juma, for all his loyalty, was still caught in her orbit.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgibydPYOxS
Seline’s voice softened, almost pleading. “You deserve better, Juma. She’s not the only one who cares about you.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJx3u2I7hwg
He didn’t answer, and Seline felt her hope flicker. She couldn’t let Kim take everything—not Juma, not the truth, not the chance for something real.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkWSR2VKxn
She turned away, notebook pressed to her chest, determined to find her own answers. If Kim thought she could have it all—Juma’s loyalty, Jabari’s attention, the secrets and the spotlight—Seline was ready to fight for what mattered to her, no matter the cost.
**********19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6Es1Fwq4G
Mercy watched from the edge of the crowd, fists clenched, jaw tight. She told herself she didn’t care what Kim did anymore—that after last term, after all the favors twisted into traps and every secret friendship used as a stepping stone, she was done with Kim’s games. But the truth was, the hurt still burned. Kim had wormed her way in, borrowed Mercy’s trust, and then used it to bring her down. Mercy still remembered the sting of humiliation, the way everyone had looked at her when the rumors broke—like she was the fool, like she’d handed Kim the knife and begged her to use it.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6L6jG2p8Oh
But this—this was worse.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5DpP9YHRC
Kim, laughing by the water station, sunlight catching on her braids. Jabari beside her, smiling that easy, open smile Mercy had once thought was meant for her alone. How dare she? How dare Kim even think about it, after everything she’d done? Mercy felt something sour rise in her throat, a mix of rage and something dangerously close to heartbreak.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3JKhz6pac
Jabari was supposed to be hers. He’d listened when no one else did, seen her for more than just her reputation. He’d been there in the aftermath, when everyone else turned away. And now Kim—Kim, who had already taken so much—was standing there, talking to him like she had every right.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwoiLszTHri
Mercy’s vision blurred with fury. She wanted to march over, to tear Kim away and demand an explanation, to shout the truth so loud the whole field would stop and listen. But she didn’t move. She just watched, nails digging crescents into her palms, promising herself that Kim wouldn’t get away with it this time. She wouldn’t let her.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJtrfs63eS
Not with Jabari. Not again.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSmokTGZJE
Mercy watched from the edge of the crowd, fists clenched, jaw tight. She told herself she didn’t care what Kim did anymore—that after last term, after all the favors twisted into traps and every secret friendship used as a stepping stone, she was done with Kim’s games. But the truth was, the hurt still burned. Kim had wormed her way in, borrowed Mercy’s trust, and then used it to bring her down. Mercy still remembered the sting of humiliation, the way everyone had looked at her when the rumors broke—like she was the fool, like she’d handed Kim the knife and begged her to use it.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOVzqn2ABS
But this—this was worse.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVeptSZc9mF
Kim, laughing by the water station, sunlight catching on her braids. Jabari beside her, smiling that easy, open smile Mercy had once thought was meant for her alone. How dare she? How dare Kim even think about it, after everything she’d done? Mercy felt something sour rise in her throat, a mix of rage and something dangerously close to heartbreak.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRO8WvEIaj
Jabari was supposed to be hers. He’d listened when no one else did, seen her for more than just her reputation. He’d been there in the aftermath, when everyone else turned away. And now Kim—Kim, who had already taken so much—was standing there, talking to him like she had every right.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmIe2pdjOa
Mercy’s vision blurred with fury. She wanted to march over, to tear Kim away and demand an explanation, to shout the truth so loud the whole field would stop and listen. But she didn’t move. She just watched, nails digging crescents into her palms, promising herself that Kim wouldn’t get away with it this time. She wouldn’t let her.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPxBMkOe7m
Not with Jabari. Not again.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLxBh23nkX
Everyone knew Jabari was Mercy’s boyfriend. It was one of those facts that didn’t need to be spoken, like the color of the school gates or the time the bell rang for lunch. Since time immemorial, no one got close to Jabari—not in that way. Not unless they wanted to feel Mercy’s wrath, or worse, the silent freeze that followed. Mercy’s claim was legendary, and the girls respected it. Even the boys did.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqyhvG3Hg2
So Naomi couldn’t believe what she was seeing now, just a week after Mercy’s dramatic return. Kim—quiet, calculating Kim—standing by the water station, talking to Jabari. Not just talking, but laughing, her eyes bright, her body language open. And Jabari, usually reserved, was smiling back, like he didn’t know the rules. Like he didn’t care.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlXOsdDoUR
Naomi’s mind raced. Was Kim really that stupid? Was she openly challenging Mercy, right in front of everyone, or was she just oblivious to the unwritten laws that governed their world? Or—worse—was she rubbing it in? Was this her way of showing Mercy that she’d not only taken her power away last term, but now she could take her boyfriend too?19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtwN2VSs1c
The idea was almost unthinkable. Yet here they were, in the open, as if daring someone to say something.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTCCW5pMHB
Naomi watched Kim closely, trying to read her. There was something magnetic about her—something that made Naomi’s skin prickle with a mix of dread and fascination. Was Kim just lucky, drifting through drama without consequence? Was she reckless, or was she playing a much higher game than any of them realized?19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUXO6PoWyl
For the first time, Naomi felt a flicker of respect—and a surge of wariness. Kim was either about to make the biggest mistake of her life, or she was rewriting the rules in real time. And Naomi, who prided herself on understanding every angle, suddenly realized she had no idea which it was.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimPB0csLbx
She made a mental note to watch Kim even more closely. Because if Kim was bold enough to go after Jabari, she might be bold enough to do anything.
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The whistle’s shriek split the heavy afternoon air above St. Mary’s pitch, but the sound was lost beneath the roar of the crowd. The final between Kisumu Boys and Kisumu Day had been tense from the first kick, every pass and tackle crackling with the weight of old rivalries and the invisible pressure of reputation. But now, with the score level and minutes ticking away, the game teetered on a knife’s edge.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sYsNti1Pv
It happened so fast it seemed almost inevitable—a Kisumu Day midfielder, shoulders hunched and eyes burning, lunged for the ball. His studs caught the ankle of Kisumu Boys’ captain with a force too deliberate to be dismissed as clumsy. The captain crumpled, clutching his leg, and the pitch seemed to hold its breath for a heartbeat.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPVC50yXel
Then chaos erupted.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXcQo0F6wi
Players swarmed, shoving and shouting, arms thrown wide in accusation. “That was no accident!” someone yelled, the words swallowed by a wave of jeers and boos. Kisumu Day’s defenders rushed to their teammate’s side, faces set in defiance, while Kisumu Boys’ forwards surged forward, fists clenched and voices rising. The referee, whistle still pressed to his lips, was lost in the crush, his authority dissolving in the sea of bodies.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbb7o9a2Ev
In the stands, the tension snapped. Students from both schools surged to the railings, some climbing onto benches for a better view, others pressing forward as if the boundary between spectator and participant had vanished. Teachers and prefects scrambled to form a barrier, arms outstretched, but the line was thin and wavering.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe49pyrfspt
For a moment, it seemed the wall that had always divided Kisumu’s schools—visible or invisible—had shifted here, to the edge of the pitch. Old wounds, whispered rumors, and the pressure to defend honor all collided in the space between the players. The air was thick with dust and adrenaline, the threat of something irreparable hanging just out of reach.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡft7c9I7dyU
And then, as suddenly as it began, the surge faltered. Security moved in, separating the players, shepherding the crowd back. The referee, pale but resolute, brandished a red card. The Kisumu Day midfielder was sent off, his head bowed, the crowd’s fury trailing him like a shadow.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh0RJMLCNoB
But the damage was done. As the game resumed, the memory of the near-brawl lingered—a crack in the foundation, a reminder that beneath every rule and boundary, old resentments and secret alliances still simmered, waiting for their moment to break free.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiayTC5z7zo
The rivalry between Kisumu Boys and Kisumu Day was never just about football or bragging rights. It was a rivalry forged in the shadow of the Berlin Wall—the stone and silence that separated Kisumu Boys from Kisumu Girls, and by extension, from the rest of the city’s schools.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FHvuctrZ1
Kisumu Boys, perched right next to Kisumu girls’ school, always seemed to have an unspoken advantage. Their proximity bred a familiarity—shared glances at the wall, secret notes slipped through cracks, the thrill of forbidden communication. For Kisumu Day, further removed and always on the outside looking in, this closeness was a constant source of resentment. It was as if Kisumu Boys stood guard at the gates of opportunity, while Kisumu Day was left to circle the perimeter, never quite part of the inner circle.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJtvzpPqbQ
But the rivalry ran deeper still. Kisumu Boys’ academic performance was consistently better, their alumni more prominent, their name more respected in staff rooms and government offices. Kisumu Day students felt the sting of being “second best”—not just in the classroom, but in the city’s social hierarchy. Every exam result, every debate victory, every whispered rumor about a Kisumu Boys student and a Kisumu Girls prefect added fuel to the fire.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQi5lKebMHq
The final match at St. Mary’s was more than a game. It was the inevitable collision of years of simmering tension. The pitch became a stage for old wounds and new ambitions, with the crowd sensing that this was more than just sport—it was a battle for respect, for recognition, for a chance to finally tip the balance. The energy was electric, the outcome a foregone conclusion: sooner or later, something had to give.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY03qNTAWLG
And so, when the match finally erupted in Siaya, it was not a surprise. The aggression on the field, the shouts from the stands, the surge of the crowd—all were the result of a rivalry that had been set in motion long before the first whistle. The wall between Kisumu Boys and Kisumu Girls had cast a long shadow, but it was the invisible wall between Kisumu Boys and Kisumu Day that now threatened to break.
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The bus rumbled away from St. Mary’s humming with the low, restless energy of girls coming down from the adrenaline of chaos. The bus rolled through the golden haze of late afternoon, carrying the Kisumu Girls back to the city, the match’s chaos still humming in their veins. But inside the bus, the real drama was quieter, woven into glances, laughter, and the silent calculations of hearts tangled in triangles.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgiZVuO2lDo
Kim sat by the window, her cheek pressed to the glass, letting the coolness steady her racing thoughts. She watched the acacia trees flick pasts but her mind was with Juma—his lopsided grin, the way he’d found her in the crowd after the match, the gentle squeeze of his hand. She tried to replay his words, searching for certainty, her mind was a tangled mess of conflicting signals. Juma's touch on her hand after the near-brawl, the way his eyes held hers a moment too long – it had been a spark, a promise of something more. 19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUoDo4RqGb
Seline sat rigid, her gaze fixed on the passing landscape, but her thoughts were a whirlpool of betrayal. She’d seen the way Juma looked at Kim—a possessive, hungry look that used to be reserved for her alone. And Kim? She hadn’t pushed him away, had even seemed to bask in the attention. Seline’s hurt hardened into a cold, sharp anger. She’d been a fool, clinging to the illusion of a shared understanding, a bond that apparently meant nothing to Kim. She glanced at Naomi, her sharp, assessing gaze and for a moment wondered about the prefect's involvement. Did Naomi know something about Juma and Kim, about the game she had been losing? She smiled to herself, the thought a new and welcome one, could it be that Naomi knew exactly how to play and win?19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGQEnrPkXg
Further back, Mercy nursed a simmering resentment. Jabari had been all charm and congratulations after the match, but his eyes had lingered on Kim too long. Mercy knew Jabari was drawn to Kim’s quiet strength, her ability to navigate the school’s treacherous currents. But Mercy refused to be sidelined, to be reduced to a footnote in Jabari’s affections. She saw Kim as a rival in a game she didn’t even know she was playing. Mercy was determined to reclaim her territory, to remind Jabari that she was more than just a memory across the wall.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBu5oUGXOQm
Kim, oblivious to the simmering tensions around her, leaned closer to Shiko and whispered about the match, careful to avoid any mention of Jabari or Juma. Kim may not have sought to cause this strife but unknowingly had just sought out pandora’s box and if only she knew, sometimes it’s better to ignore the whispers inside the box.
Naomi, as always, watched everything, her expression unreadable. She saw the tension, the barely concealed anger in Mercy's eyes. Kim, as always, was the nexus, the center of a storm she seemed blissfully unaware of. Naomi wasn't interested in the petty dramas of crushes and jealousy. She saw something bigger, something more valuable.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtHp6A7ptJ
And so the bus carried them onward, the engine’s hum masking the unspoken tensions that threatened to erupt at any moment. Each girl wrestled with her own desires, her own fears, her own secret alliances. The Berlin Wall awaited, but within the moving space of the bus was another wall, a barrier of longing, jealousy, and unspoken truths as solid and unyielding as the one that divided their world.
