SECRETS BETWEEN US

“Zara, are you sure you packed everything?”

I looked at the two suitcases beside my bed and sighed.

“Yes, Mum.”

“Your documents?”

“Yes.”

“Charger?”

“Yes.”

“Toiletries?”

“Yes, Mum.”

She folded her arms.

“And your school fees receipt?”

I froze.

My eyes slowly moved toward the brown envelope sitting on my table.

“Oh.”

My mum shook her head.

“Exactly.”

I quickly picked it up.

“I was going to take it.”

“You were going to forget it.”

“I wasn't.”

She gave me a look.

I smiled.

“Okay, maybe I was.”

She laughed and walked over to me.

For a moment, neither of us said anything.

I looked around my room.

Everything was exactly where I had left it. My books were stacked beside my bed. My clothes were still hanging in my wardrobe. The little pictures on my wall were still there.

But somehow, everything felt different.

Today, I was leaving.

Today, I was going to university.

Eastwood University.

I had spent months imagining what my first day would be like.

I imagined making friends.

I imagined attending interesting lectures.

I imagined walking around campus confidently, knowing exactly where I was going.

Reality was probably going to be very different.

I was nervous.

Actually, nervous wasn't even the right word.

I was terrified.

I had never been the type of person who could walk into a room and immediately start talking to everyone.

I was quiet.

I liked listening more than talking.

I preferred having two close friends to having twenty people around me.

And now I was about to enter a university filled with thousands of strangers.

What if nobody liked me?

What if I couldn't make friends?

What if I got lost?

What if I failed?

“Zara.”

I looked up.

My mum was standing in front of me.

“You're thinking too much again.”

I smiled.

“I wasn't.”

“You were.”

She pulled me into a hug.

I closed my eyes.

“You'll be fine,” she whispered.

“I hope so.”

“You'll do more than fine. Just remember who you are.”

I nodded.

“And don't let anyone pressure you into doing things you don't want to do.”

“I won't.”

“Focus on your studies.”

“I will.”

“And call me.”

I laughed.

“How often?”

“Every day.”

“Mum!”

“I'm serious.”

“I'll call you.”

She kissed my forehead.

“Go and make me proud.”

I picked up my bag.

“I will.”

As I walked out of the room, I turned around for one last look.

I didn't know it then, but I would remember that moment for a very long time.

Because sometimes you don't realize you're living through an important moment until it's already gone.

---

EASTWOOD UNIVERSITY

The first thing I noticed when I arrived at Eastwood University was how big it was.

The second thing I noticed was how many people were there.

Students were everywhere.

Some were carrying boxes.

Some were dragging suitcases.

Some were standing with their parents.

Others were already laughing with people they had probably met only a few minutes ago.

I stepped out of the car and stared at the huge university sign.

EASTWOOD UNIVERSITY

My stomach tightened.

“So this is it.”

My mum had already left after dropping me off.

I was officially on my own.

I adjusted my bag and pulled my suitcase behind me.

Then I took out the paper containing my school information.

Faculty of Management Sciences.

I looked around.

There were buildings everywhere.

Which one was mine?

I walked forward.

Then stopped.

I looked at the paper again.

Nothing.

I looked around.

Still nothing.

“Okay, Zara.”

I took a deep breath.

“Don't panic.”

I started walking.

Ten minutes later, I was completely lost.

I stopped beneath a large tree and looked at my paper again.

Maybe I should ask someone.

The thought made me nervous.

I looked around until I noticed a girl standing nearby.

She had long braids, a cute handbag, and sunglasses resting on top of her head.

She was staring at her phone with a confused expression.

She looked lost too.

I took a deep breath and approached her.

“Excuse me.”

She looked up.

“Yes?”

“Do you know where the Management Sciences building is?”

She stared at me for a second.

Then she laughed.

“I was literally about to ask someone the same thing.”

I smiled.

“Oh.”

“So you're new too?”

I nodded.

“Yeah.”

She looked relieved.

“Thank God. I thought I was the only one wandering around like a lost child.”

I laughed.

She held out her hand.

“I'm Kiara.”

“Zara.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“You too.”

She looked at my paper.

“What are you studying?”

“Accounting.”

Her eyes widened.

“Seriously?”

I nodded.

“Me too!”

I smiled.

“Really?”

“Yes!”

She laughed.

“Okay, I think we're supposed to be friends.”

I laughed.

“Maybe.”

“No. Definitely.”

And just like that, I had my first friend at Eastwood.

We started walking together.

Kiara talked almost the entire time.

She told me where she was from, why she chose accounting, how nervous she had been that morning, and how her mother had called her three times before she even reached the university.

I mostly listened.

But every few minutes, she managed to make me laugh.

There was something about her.

She was confident without being intimidating.

Friendly without trying too hard.

By the time we finally found the faculty building, I was already beginning to feel comfortable around her.

Then she suddenly stopped.

“Wait.”

I looked at her.

“What?”

She pointed across the courtyard.

“Do you know him?”

I followed her gaze.

A group of boys were standing near the entrance.

One of them immediately stood out.

He was tall.

Handsome.

Confident.

He wore a black shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers.

Several girls were looking at him.

One girl whispered something to her friend, and they both laughed.

I looked at Kiara.

“No.”

She looked shocked.

“That is Ryan.”

I shrugged.

“And?”

“Ryan.”

“Yes, I heard you.”

“You don't know him?”

“I just got here.”

She laughed.

“Fair enough.”

I looked at him again.

“What's so special about him?”

Before Kiara could answer, Ryan looked up.

Our eyes met.

For a second, everything around me seemed to disappear.

I immediately looked away.

My heart was beating faster than it should have.

Kiara noticed.

“Oh my God.”

“What?”

“He saw you.”

“Who?”

“Ryan!”

“So?”

“You're blushing.”

“I'm not.”

“You are.”

“Kiara.”

She laughed.

“Okay, okay. I'll stop.”

We continued walking.

But I could still feel his eyes on me.

I told myself it meant nothing.

It was just a glance.

Nothing more.

---

Our hostel was even bigger than I expected.

Students were moving in and out of the building.

Someone was playing loud music upstairs.

A girl was arguing with another girl about who had taken her charger.

Kiara looked around.

“This is going to be interesting.”

I laughed.

“I can already tell.”

We eventually found our room.

There were two beds, two wardrobes, two study tables, and a large window overlooking part of the campus.

Kiara immediately dropped her bag on the bed near the window.

“This one is mine.”

I stared at her.

“You didn't even ask.”

“I got here first.”

“You got here at the same time as me.”

She smiled.

“Exactly. And I was faster.”

I shook my head.

“Fine.”

We began unpacking.

For the first time that day, I felt relaxed.

Maybe university wasn't going to be so bad.

Maybe I could make friends.

Maybe I could actually enjoy myself.

After a while, Kiara suddenly looked at me.

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

I almost dropped the shirt in my hands.

“What?”

She laughed.

“It's a simple question.”

“No.”

“Never?”

I shook my head.

“Never.”

She looked surprised.

“Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I don't know. I've just never been interested.”

Kiara smiled.

“Well, that might change here.”

I rolled my eyes.

“I'm here to study.”

“Of course.”

“I am.”

“Sure.”

“Kiara.”

She laughed.

“Okay, okay.”

She went back to unpacking.

I smiled.

I had only known her for a few hours, but somehow, it already felt easy to be around her.

I didn't know it yet, but Kiara would become one of the most important people in my life.

And I had no idea how badly that would end.

---

That evening, Kiara convinced me to go outside with her to get food.

The campus looked beautiful at sunset.

Students sat beneath trees, talking and laughing.

Some walked together toward the hostel.

Others were heading toward the library.

Music played somewhere in the distance.

For the first time since arriving, I felt like I actually belonged.

Then I heard someone call Kiara's name.

“Kiara!”

She turned.

A guy standing with a group of students waved at her.

She waved back.

Then I noticed him.

Ryan.

He was standing a few feet away.

His friends were talking, but he wasn't paying attention.

He was looking at me.

Again.

I looked away.

“Zara.”

I turned to Kiara.

“What?”

“Ryan is looking at you.”

“I know.”

She stopped walking.

“You know?”

“Yes.”

She smiled.

“Interesting.”

“Don't start.”

“I didn't say anything.”

“You're thinking it.”

She laughed.

“Maybe.”

Before we could continue, Ryan walked toward us.

My heart started beating faster.

I hated that it happened every time he came near me.

He stopped in front of us.

“Hey.”

Kiara smiled.

“Hi.”

Ryan looked at me.

“You're Zara, right?”

I nodded.

“Yes.”

“I remember you from earlier.”

“Oh.”

He smiled.

“How's your first day going?”

“Good.”

“Good.”

There was a short silence.

I didn't know what else to say.

Kiara looked between us.

Then Ryan smiled.

“If you need help finding anything around campus, let me know.”

I nodded.

“Okay.”

He gave me one last smile before walking away.

I watched him leave.

Kiara immediately grabbed my arm.

“Girl.”

I sighed.

“Please don't.”

“He remembered your name.”

“He heard it earlier.”

“And he offered to help you.”

“He was being polite.”

“And he kept looking at you.”

I looked at her.

“Maybe you're imagining things.”

She shook her head.

“Nope.”

I laughed.

“You're impossible.”

“Maybe.”

We continued walking.

But I couldn't stop thinking about Ryan.

Why had he remembered my name?

Why did he keep looking at me?

And why did my heart react every time he did?

I had no answer.

And honestly, I didn't want one.

Not yet.

---

That night, I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling.

Kiara was already asleep.

My phone was beside me.

I picked it up and checked the time.

11:47 p.m.

I was about to put it down when a notification appeared.

New message.

I frowned.

I didn't recognize the number.

I opened it.

There was only one sentence.

“You should be careful about who you become friends with at Eastwood.”

My heart stopped.

I read it again.

Then another message appeared.

“Not everyone is who they seem.”

I slowly sat up.

Who was this?

How did they know I was at Eastwood?

I looked across the room at Kiara.

She was sleeping peacefully.

I looked back at my phone.

I typed:

Who is this?

I waited.

No reply.

I sent another message.

How did you get my number?

Still nothing.

Then my phone buzzed.

One final message appeared.

“You'll find out soon enough.”

I stared at the screen.

A cold feeling ran through me.

I locked my phone and placed it underneath my pillow.

Maybe it was a prank.

Maybe someone had the wrong number.

Maybe it meant nothing.

I tried to convince myself of that.

But deep down, something told me this wasn't random.

And I had no idea that this strange message was only the beginning.

Because before my first week at Eastwood University was over, I would discover that the person I trusted most was hiding something from me.

Something big.

Something that would change everything.

End of Chapter One.