CHAPTER THREE – Abel's Eyes

Abel slouched on the couch in their shared off-campus apartment, his long legs sprawled across the edge of the cushion, fingers dancing across the controller as explosions echoed from the flat-screen TV. The apartment was dimly lit, the only illumination coming from the game and a flickering bulb in the hallway that had been threatening to die for weeks. The smell of instant noodles lingered in the air his third bowl that evening. It was a typical Wednesday for him: school in the morning, gym in the afternoon, and game nights until sleep took over.

He and Kelvin had been best friends since their first year thrown together randomly as roommates in the hostel and somehow clicking like two halves of the same puzzle. While Kelvin was the golden boy the charismatic captain of the basketball team, bold and a little too confident Abel was more laid-back. He didn’t crave the spotlight, preferring to blend into the background, observing the world with a quiet intelligence that most people missed.

They had moved off-campus during their second year to avoid hostel drama and get some freedom. It had turned out to be a good decision. Their apartment had become a chill zone for a few close friends and the occasional girl Kelvin charmed into spending the night. But tonight felt different. Abel noticed it the moment Kelvin pushed open the door, dropping his gym bag with a heavy sigh.

Kelvin didn’t say anything at first. He just walked into the room, kicked off his sneakers, and flopped onto the couch beside Abel like a man carrying the weight of the world. He looked beat—his usual spark dimmed, his jaw clenched, his shoulders slumped.

Abel didn’t need to ask. He paused the game and glanced at his friends. “You good, bro?”

Kelvin rubbed his forehead and groaned. “Man, I’m tired. Not physically—mentally.”

“Talk to me.”

Kelvin let out a humorless laugh. “It’s my grades. I got pulled aside after practice by Coach Daniel today. He said if I want to have any shot at going pro after the season, I need to pass all my courses. Like, not just pass—ace them.”

Abel frowned. “That bad?”

Kelvin nodded, eyes on the ceiling. “Yeah, that bad. I’ve been skating by, focusing on basketball and barely doing the bare minimum in class. But now they’re threatening to bench me if I don’t improve.”

Abel sat up straighter, his interest piqued. “So what now?”

Kelvin looked like he was chewing glass as he spoke. “Coach Daniel made me sign up for tutoring with some final-year student. She said she’s one of the best in her department. I didn’t even have a choice. He literally handed me the timetable and said, ‘Show up or show yourself out of the team.’”

Abel whistled low. “Damn. Coach Daniel isn’t playing.”

“Not at all,” Kelvin grumbled, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t even know this girl. I hate being forced into stuff like this, man. It feels… humiliating.”

“Kel,” Abel said, turning fully to face him. “You know I’ve always got your back, right? But you’ve gotta stop letting pride get in the way. If you want the NBA, you gotta play the long game—and that includes books.”

Kelvin groaned again, covering his face with a pillow. “I know, I know. I just… I don’t like the idea of some stranger looking down on me because I’m struggling.”

Abel chuckled. “Trust me, she probably doesn’t care enough to look down on you. Most smart people just want to get through the day.”

Kelvin peeked at him from under the pillow. “Wanna hear the craziest part?”

“Hit me.”

“She’s not just any final year student. She’s that Linda. The one everyone keeps talking about in Economics. The scholarship girl. You know, the quiet one with glasses who never talks to anyone.”

Abel raised an eyebrow. The name sounded familiar. “Linda Williams?”

“Yeah, that’s her. Coach said she’s tutoring me for the next six weeks. Twice a week. No excuses.”

Abel leaned back, curiosity buzzing in his head. He pulled out his phone and typed in her name. Within seconds, her profile popped up on the university’s student directory. He tapped on her photo.

And paused.

She wasn’t what he expected.

Her profile picture was simple—just her sitting in the library, her chin resting on her hand, eyes focused on something out of frame. She wore glasses, yes, and her hair was pulled back into a messy bun. But there was something captivating about her. Maybe it was the quiet confidence in her posture, the intensity in her gaze, or the way her soft features carried a kind of subtle, unspoken strength.

“Damn,” Abel muttered under his breath.

Kelvin looked over. “What?”

“You didn’t say she was fine.”

Kelvin rolled his eyes. “Oh God. Don’t start.”

“I’m just saying,” Abel smirked. “She’s got this whole low-key beauty thing going on. Like, the type you don’t notice at first… but once you do, you can’t unsee it.”

Kelvin snatched the phone from him. “I’m not trying to date her, man. I’m just trying to survive these sessions without her thinking I’m a complete idiot.”

Abel laughed, stretching his arms. “Relax. Just be yourself—but like, the humble version. Maybe she’ll surprise you.”

Kelvin looked down at the screen again, her face staring back at him from the photo. “She already has. I expected some uptight, boring tutor. But she looks... different. Real. Like someone who’s seen life.”

Abel nodded slowly, watching his friend with interest. “Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.”

“Let’s hope,” Kelvin said, finally cracking a small smile.

They sat there in silence for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts. Abel found himself scrolling through Linda’s public posts—quotes about discipline, photos of textbooks filled with notes, snapshots of motivational speeches. She wasn’t trying to be popular, but her page had a kind of soul to it. She seemed focused. Grounded.

Unlike most girls they knew.

He wondered what it must’ve taken for someone like her to get where she was—clearly working against the odds. She wasn’t just attractive. She was... intriguing.

“Let me know how the first session goes,” Abel finally said.

“Oh, I will,” Kelvin muttered. “If she doesn’t eat me alive.”

Abel chuckled and returned to his game, though his mind wasn’t fully on it anymore. Something told him that this tutoring arrangement wasn’t just a random twist in Kelvin’s journey.

It might be the beginning of something neither of them expected.