THE BIRTHDAY SURPRISE

Enoch's eyes were fixed on the mysterious beauty, his mind racing with memories of the past. "I know her," he whispered to Iyiola, who was standing beside him.

"Who is she?" Iyiola asked, her curiosity piqued.

Enoch took a deep breath, his eyes still locked on the girl. "Her name is... was... Nneoma. We met 8 months ago, during our WAEC exams."

Iyiola's eyes widened in surprise. "The girl who used to come to school only during exams?" she asked.

Enoch nodded. "The same one. I remember it was a day after our Mathematics exam... I was on my way to the toilet when I saw her walking down the corridor, crying."

Iyiola raised an eyebrow. "Crying?" she repeated.

Enoch's expression turned thoughtful. "Yes... I felt sorry for her, so I approached her. She told me she was going through a tough time, and I listened. Before I knew it, she was collecting my number, saying she needed someone to talk to."

Iyiola's eyes narrowed. "And then?" she asked.

Enoch's face darkened. "She forced a kiss on my cheek, saying it was a 'thank you' for listening. I was annoyed, but I didn't want to make a scene. I just walked away."

Iyiola's eyes widened in surprise. "And you couldn't tell me any of it?" she asked

Enoch shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. I didn't want to break our relationship which had just started back then.

As Enoch spoke, memories of that day flooded his mind. He recalled how Nneoma had smiled up at him, how she had leaned in close, and how he had felt a shiver run down his spine.

But what had brought her here, to his birthday party? And what did she want from him now?

Enoch's eyes searched for answers, but Nneoma's expression remained mystery, her secrets locked behind a mask of beauty and mystery.

As Enoch began to walk towards Nneoma, curious about how she knew about his birthday party, Iyiola's attention was diverted to a new arrival. Annabel, her friend from secondary school, had slipped into the party unnoticed and made her way to where Iyiola was seated.

"Annabel! What are you doing here?" Iyiola asked, surprised.

Annabel's expression was serious, and she glanced around nervously before leaning in close. "Iyiola, I need to talk to you about something," she said, her voice low.

Iyiola's curiosity was piqued, and she followed Annabel outside, away from the noise of the party.

Once they were alone, Annabel pulled out her phone and showed Iyiola a picture. Iyiola's eyes widened as she took in the image: a girl kissing Enoch on the cheek. The girl's face was unmistakable - it was Nneoma.

"Isn't this your boyfriend?" Annabel asked, her eyes locked on Iyiola's.

Iyiola's heart sank as she nodded. "He is the one."

Iyiola's mind was racing as she remembered Enoch's story about Nneoma forcefully planting a kiss on his cheek. She had believed him, but now she wasn't so sure.

A mix of emotions swirled inside her - anger, confusion, and hurt. Why hadn't Enoch told her the whole truth? And what was Nneoma doing here, at his birthday party?

Iyiola's eyes narrowed as she turned to Annabel. "Where did you get this picture?" she asked, her voice firm.

Annabel hesitated before answering. "I'll tell you everything, but first, you need to promise me one thing."

Iyiola's eyes locked on Annabel's. "What is it?" she asked.

Annabel's voice was barely above a whisper. "You have to promise me you won't confront Enoch about this... at least, not yet. What I want is for you to break up with him. He's a cheater, Iyiola. You deserve better than someone who would lie to you and cheat on you."

Iyiola's eyes widened in shock as she processed Annabel's words. Break up with Enoch? Could she really do that?

Iyiola's eyes narrowed as she looked at Annabel. "I don't know, Annabel. I've known Enoch for a while now, and I trust him. I'm not sure I believe you."

Annabel's expression turned frustrated. "Iyiola, I'm telling you, he's not what he seems. You need to be careful."

But Iyiola was still doubting. She had trusted Enoch, and she wasn't about to let Annabel's accusations ruin their relationship.

Annabel seemed to sense Iyiola's skepticism, and she took her hand, leading her back inside. "Come on, let's go hear what Nneoma has to say for herself," Annabel whispered.

As they entered the party area, Iyiola's eyes scanned the room, searching for Nneoma. And then she heard the sound of laughter and cameras clicking. She turned to see Enoch and Nneoma snapping pictures together, their faces inches apart.

Iyiola's heart sank as she felt a pang of jealousy and doubt. Why was Enoch taking pictures with Nneoma? And why did they look so cozy together?

Annabel's words came flooding back to her, and for the first time, Iyiola started to believe her. She felt a wave of anger wash over her, not just at Enoch, but also at herself for doubting Annabel.

She turned to Annabel, her eyes locked on hers. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I should have believed you."

Iyiola became angry, she left Annabel standing at that spot and straight to pick up her bag. Iyiola stormed out of the party, her bag clutched tightly in her hand. She was crying, but she didn't want anyone to see her. She just wanted to get out of there as fast as she could.

Amaka, noticing her sudden departure, ran after her. "Iyiola, what's wrong?" Amaka asked, concern etched on her face.

But Iyiola didn't respond. She kept walking, her tears falling harder now. Amaka tried to keep up with her, but Iyiola's pace was too fast. Eventually, Amaka gave up and returned to the party, worried about her friend.

Meanwhile, Enoch was still smiling, unaware of the drama that had just unfolded. He had been too busy snapping pictures with Nneoma to notice Iyiola's departure. But as he turned to look for her, he realized she was nowhere to be found. Her bag, which had been lying on the floor, was also gone.

Enoch's heart sank as he felt a pang of worry. He walked over to Chris, who was still playing music. "Hey, have you seen Iyiola?" Enoch asked, his voice shaking slightly.

Chris shook his head. "No, I haven't noticed her leave. But I've been busy playing music, so I might have missed her."

Just then, Amaka walked in, looking worried. Enoch's eyes locked onto hers. "Where's Iyiola?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Amaka's expression turned grim. "She stormed out of the party. And I went after her, but she gave me no reply."

Enoch's face fell as he processed Amaka's words. Something was wrong, and he had no idea what. He felt a wave of fear wash over him as he realized he might have lost Iyiola.

"Try calling her," Chris suggested, noticing Enoch's worried expression.

Enoch quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Iyiola's number. But it went straight to voicemail. Enoch's heart sank as he realized Iyiola was ignoring him.

What had he done wrong? And how could he fix it? Enoch's mind was racing with questions as he stood there, feeling helpless.

Enoch's eyes scanned the room, searching for answers. That's when he saw Nneoma and Annabel walking out of the party together, laughing. Enoch's instincts told him something was off. What were they laughing about? And why were they leaving together?

He tried calling Iyiola again, but her phone was still unreachable. Enoch's anxiety grew as he tried to piece together what had happened.

Chris, noticing Enoch's distress, tried calling Iyiola's number too. But it wasn't going through. Amaka and the other friends tried as well, but no one could reach her.

As the minutes ticked by, the party atmosphere began to fade. The music stopped, and the guests started to leave. Enoch's birthday celebration, which had started out so joyfully, had ended in confusion and worry.

The room was quiet now, except for the sound of Enoch's friends whispering to each other. They were all wondering what had happened to Iyiola, and why she had left so suddenly.

Enoch stood there, feeling helpless and alone. He had no idea what he had done wrong, or how to fix it. All he knew was that he had to find Iyiola and make things right.

Enoch kept trying Iyiola's number, but it remained unreachable. He tried calling her, texting her, and even sending her messages on social media, but there was no response. The hours ticked by, and Enoch's anxiety grew.

It wasn't until the next day that Enoch decided to take matters into his own hands. He couldn't just sit around waiting for Iyiola to respond. He needed to see her, to talk to her, and to find out what was going on.

After helping with the cleanup from the party, Enoch walked to Amaka's place to pick her up. Together, they headed to Iyiola's house, hoping to find some answers.

As they approached Iyiola's house, Enoch noticed that her parents' cars were not outside. He felt a surge of relief, thinking that he would have some time to talk to Iyiola without her parents interrupting.

He knocked on the door, and Iyiola's elder brother opened it, recognizing Enoch and Amaka. They exchanged pleasantries, and then Enoch asked for Iyiola.

The brother's expression turned thoughtful. "Actually, she's been locked up in her room since morning. This is unusual for her. Maybe she's reading or something."

Enoch's heart skipped a beat as he processed the brother's words. Locked up in her room? That didn't sound like the Iyiola he knew. Something was off, and he could feel it.

Amaka's eyes met Enoch's, and he could sense her concern. They both knew that Iyiola was not the type to lock herself up in her room. Something was wrong, and they needed to find out what.

The brother, oblivious to the tension, smiled again. "You guys want to come in and wait for her to come out? I'm sure she'll be happy to see you."

Enoch's eyes locked onto the brother's, his mind racing with possibilities. He nodded, a plan forming in his mind. "Yeah, sure. We'll wait."

As they waited for Iyiola to come out of her room, Enoch and Amaka sat in the living room, trying to make small talk with Iyiola's brother. But Enoch's mind was elsewhere, wondering what was going on with Iyiola and why she was locking herself up in her room.

Amaka, sensing Enoch's unease, tried to reassure him. "Don't worry, Enoch. I'm sure Iyiola is just going through a tough time. She'll come around eventually."

But Enoch wasn't so sure. He had never seen Iyiola like this before. She was always so bubbly and energetic, but now she seemed withdrawn and distant.

As they sat there, Enoch couldn't help but notice the silence coming from Iyiola's room. It was as if she was trying to shut out the world, to escape from her problems. But Enoch knew that wasn't possible. Eventually, she would have to face whatever was bothering her.

After what felt like an eternity, Iyiola's brother got up to get a snack from the kitchen. As he left the room, Enoch turned to Amaka and whispered, "I'm going to go check on her."

Amaka's eyes widened in surprise. "Enoch, I don't think that's a good idea. She obviously needs some space."

But Enoch was determined. He got up and quietly made his way to Iyiola's room. He knocked softly on the door, but there was no response. He knocked again, a little louder this time, but still, there was no answer.

Enoch's heart was racing now. Something was wrong. He could feel it. He tried the door handle, and to his surprise, it was unlocked. He slowly pushed the door open and called out, "Iyiola? Are you okay?"

But there was no response. The room was silent, except for the sound of soft sobbing. Enoch's eyes adjusted to the dim light, and he saw Iyiola lying on her bed, her face buried in a pillow.

Enoch's heart went out to her. He knew he had to be careful, but he couldn't just leave her like this. He took a step forward, and as he did, he saw something on Iyiola's bedside table that made his blood run cold. A piece of paper on Iyiola's bedside table, with a note scrawled on it in familiar handwriting. Enoch's heart skipped a beat as he read the words, his mind racing with alarm.

"Breakup Note," the note read. "Reasons: Enoch's infidelity, lack of trust, and disrespect. Prepare for the worst."

Enoch's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the note, his mind reeling with the implications. Iyiola was planning to break up with him? But why? What had he done to deserve this?

He felt a wave of panic wash over him as he realized that he had no idea what was going on. Had Iyiola seen something that he hadn't? Had she been talking to someone behind his back?

Enoch's eyes scanned the room, searching for any other clues. But there was nothing. Just the note, staring back at him like a cold, hard truth.

He took a step back, his mind racing with questions. What was going on? Why was Iyiola planning to break up with him? And what could he do to stop it?

As he stood there, frozen in shock, he heard a faint rustling sound coming from the bed. Iyiola was stirring, and Enoch knew that he had to get out of there before she saw him.

But as he turned to leave, he heard Iyiola's voice, weak but determined. "Enoch?" she whispered. "Is that you?"

Enoch's heart skipped a beat as he turned back to face her. What would he say? What could he say?

And then, just as he was about to respond, everything went black.

To be continued...