From the genesis

Soyara's heart ached for David. His single mother, struggling to make ends meet, had pinned her hopes on the scholarship. When David didn't get it, Soyara felt a pang of sympathy for him. She knew how much this scholarship meant to his family.

At the breakfast table the next morning, Soyara blurted out, "Mum, is it possible for David to get my scholarship?"

Her mother frowned, her silence speaking volumes. Soyara wasn't sure what her mother had been saying to David or how she was trying to make him feel better, but three days later, they both returned from a short outing. It was a Saturday, and both parents were home.

"Mum, Dad, we have something to tell you," Soyara announced, ushering David to stand beside her.

She cleared her throat, her voice wavering slightly. "Harvard said if I stepped down, David will get my scholarship. I passed him by just a few marks, and you know it's just his mum; he needs this scholarship more than I do."

David stood beside her, his head bowed, a mixture of shame and gratitude etched on his face.

Vanessa and I were there. We gaped, our mouths open wide.

"What do you mean, Soyara? Why did you bring him here?" Mum's voice was laced with disbelief and a hint of anger. "It was your hard work that paid off. No cheating or anything like that. David, are you okay with this embarrassment she's making you face?"

David remained silent, his discomfort evident.

"But we have money to send me without the scholarship, and David's mum is just trying. He needs it more," Soyara insisted.

"David," my mum said, her voice firm, "You don't let a woman drag you around like this to embrace you. You are a man."

David, unable to bear the weight of the situation, turned and walked away, his hands covering his eyes, leaving behind a trail of unspoken emotions and a room filled with tension and confusion.

Soyara followed and I followed them too immediately. Knowing fully what soyara was capable of saying to console David.

"What did you two talk about?" she asked, her voice cautious.

Soyara, her face flushed, hesitated for a moment before replying. "Nothing much. Just catching up," she said, her eyes darting away.

Leila wasn't convinced. She knew Soyara, her impulsiveness, her tendency to jump into things without thinking. "Are you sure?" she pressed, a hint of suspicion in her voice.

Soyara's smile faltered. "Of course," she said, a touch too forcefully.

Leila couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. She knew David was a good kid, a quiet, hardworking student. But Soyara... she was quick to take charge, to make decisions that weren't always in everyone's best interest.

Leila decided to approach David directly. "David," she said, her voice gentle, "I've heard about the scholarship. Is everything okay?"

David, his eyes downcast, looked like a deer caught in headlights. "It's complicated," he mumbled, avoiding her gaze.

Leila could tell he was uncomfortable, caught in a web of emotions he couldn't untangle. She didn't push him further, knowing there was a story unfolding, a story that Soyara was perhaps trying to control, to spin in her own favor.

My heart ached for David. I knew he was sensitive, a kind soul who always put others before himself. At least as I thought then. Witnessing the awkwardness, the hurt that clung to him like a shadow, made me want to offer him solace.

"I know I'm the youngest of our family, but I'm quite smart, you can rely on me," I said, trying to inject a bit of lightness into the atmosphere, hoping to make him smile.

He managed a fleeting, almost forced, smile.

"Mum didn't mean those things," I continued, my voice earnest. "She said it because of Soyara. She didn't mean for it to hurt you."

David remained silent, his eyes reflecting a mixture of sadness and confusion.

"Harvard doesn't know what they're missing out on," I declared, trying to lift his spirits. "Leaving out a student like you is just silly. Harvard, right? We'll register for a new scholarship at other schools."

"We?" he asked, a genuine smile finally breaking through the gloom.

"Now you're smiling," I said, relief washing over me. I knew that a single word, a shared plan, could make a difference.

"What do you know?" Soyara said, a playful, yet menacing tone in her voice. She tapped my head, a light but pointed gesture. "Better go back before Mum starts looking for you."

I knew better than to ask what she meant. Soyara had a way of weaving intricate webs of secrets, leaving me to decipher their tangled threads. But I was young, and I trusted her, despite my occasional doubts. Perhaps she simply wanted to keep things light, to maintain a façade of normalcy. Perhaps, just perhaps, she truly believed she was doing the right thing.

But I couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. The way she had looked at David, the way she had spoken about the scholarship, the urgency in her tone— it all felt off-kilter. I knew she was hiding something, something she wasn't ready to reveal.

"Alright," I said, my voice a bit too casual. "See you later."

"I wasn't hiding anything," Soyara insisted, her voice sharp, cutting me off mid-thought. "I knew he needed it more than I do. I won't stop talking about it before that day."

"Okay," Leila said, her voice even, though a knot of tension tightened in her stomach. She knew Soyara, her impulsiveness, her tendency to act before thinking. And while her intentions might be good, her methods often left a trail of chaos in their wake.

Yeah I know, found out later that you were just carelessly inlove. Leila said and continued what she was saying before