Chapter 5: Awkward Five-Stack and Seyi's Confession

As for Halima luck pass me, abeg, she chop pass me for breakfast.

Halima fit forget heartbreak if food dey. Na so she order jollof, moi moi, puff puff—table full.

Heartbreak turn to appetite, Halima just order full table. "Chop, na my money!"

She dey act like say na compensation, dey tell waiter make dem add extra egg. Me I dey collect, dey eat join.

After breakfast, we plan to play ranked serious.

We vow say we go climb rank today, even if network wan disgrace us. Data full, energy full. Na only motivation remain.

But by mistake, we jam our classmate Fatima and him babe dey do sweet duo queue.

We nor expect am—Fatima just pop online, dey do couple avatar with her babe. Halima dey whisper, "See as love dey pepper everywhere."

As we join, Fatima talk, "Hey, no go o! My babe dey promo match. You get friend? Call dem join!"

Na so Fatima begin beg. E go pain am if her babe lose promotion. Me I dey reason say make we no fall hand.

So we no fit run. E go too awkward.

If we run, e go be like say we dey vex or we dey hate. We nor wan cause wahala, so we gree join.

I check my friend list, see one familiar account online. I no remember who, just say we don play before and the person sabi.

I dey scroll, see account wey name resemble Seyi own. I pause, reason am. Halima just dey nod, "Invite na!"

I invite am, Fatima start game.

I press invite. Sharp sharp, lobby don full. Game don start, na so tension dey build.

While picking hero, Halima ask, "Who you invite? E resemble person I know."

She dey squint eye for screen. My heart dey beat.

"You sef know am? I no even remember who."

I dey form forget, but fear dey catch me small.

Then the random person on mic.

As the voice land, I freeze. No other person get that deep voice for our circle.

He grit teeth, call my name: "Lola."

Omo, na Seyi! My hand begin shake. Wetin I go talk?

I panic: "Remake! Abeg, remake!"

I dey beg like pikin. My heart dey do gbim gbim.

Chai, wahala don find me!

I fit run, but Halima dey hold my hand. Fatima dey shout, "No go na!" Seyi voice dey echo for my ear.

I no fit forget Seyi voice for my life.

Once you don jam Seyi, you no fit unhear am. Na signature voice.

But Fatima dey stammer, "Na five-stack, you no fit remake for five-stack..."

Fatima dey beg like say promotion na NYSC posting. I dey pity am small.

I just blank.

My mind dey reset, dey format. No idea fit drop.

Either surrender at six minutes or just close game, pretend say I disconnect.

I dey plot escape like 419. If I close app, dem go curse me for chat. If I play, I go face Seyi directly.

As I dey reason, Fatima babe begin beg, "Abeg, make we finish this game? I don play four promos, never rank up."

E pain me. I gree. Na so life be sometimes.

To spoil person promo match na real bad luck.

I nor fit carry that kind bad name for campus. I resign.

No choice, I just pick top lane.

I dey hope say Seyi no go talk too much. I just dey lowkey pick hero, dey pray.

Seyi play jungle, before he reach level four, he don gank top three times.

As e reach my lane, e just dey kill enemies left, right, center. Even Fatima dey hail am, "Chai, who be this pro jungle?"

Enemy team vex, type for all chat:

[Enemy jungle, you dey craze? Na top lane be your papa? You just dey come anyhow!]

Enemy dey para—Seyi dey oppress dem. I dey laugh small, but I dey hide am.

Seyi reply cool: [Na my babe dey there.]

Seyi voice cool like Zobo with ice. If e be real life, enemies for don faint.

Enemy team quiet.

All of them just mute. Game don change.

I add coldly, "Ex-babe."

I gree drop line, dey form hard.

Seyi say, "Lola, you never tell me say we break up, so you no be my ex."

Na so he take dey sharp. E no dey carry last for talk.