One-sided love.

Ana sat down on her bed as she stared at Blessing and her friends. She wondered if they ever got tired. Blessing and her friends were just like the fat woman who had sat down beside her on the bus she boarded when coming, they were always talking. Their lips were always moving. They were talking about the project work that the new research lecturer had told them about. 

Miss Mary Okafor, their new research lecturer and also the school counselor. She had only started teaching at the University three days ago but had gained the respect of so many students, Ana included.

When she taught in class today, Ana had tried her best to remain focused on the lecture but it had been impossible for her. Ana's eyes had trailed every movement that Miss Mary made. She walked ever so gracefully. Her movements were like that of a lady who had been trained in America.

She looked like a goddess, a beauty out of this world. She had long black hair that cascaded down her shoulders which made Ana doubt if she was truly a Nigerian woman. She was light-skinned. She had big eyes with long lashes, and her beautifully shaped lips were adorned with pink lip gloss. She had a mesmerizing beauty.

Oh, and her voice, her voice was like that of an angel. She spoke so gently yet sounded so firm with her voice. Ana had sat down dreamily in class that morning as she listened to Miss Mary talk. Her voice sounded so pleasant to Ana. Although she talked about research, Ana wasn't focused on research. She was much more interested in the sound of her voice than in the content.

At the end of the lecture that morning, Miss Mary had smiled ever so brightly at Ana that it warmed her heart so much. She had no idea that Miss Mary had noticed her gawking at her and she had no idea why she had even smiled at her.

"I hope I get teamed up with Micheal." Blessing said, her voice sounding shrilly.

"It would be so much fun to work with him," Matilda said.

Ana's thoughts drifted to Samuel Adebayo. She also hoped she could get teamed up with him. That would give her a chance to talk to him and they might, maybe become friends.

She had been at the University for three whole years but had never spoken to him, not even once. Of course, she had so many opportunities but each time, her cowardice came in the way, preventing her from going close to him.

She had dreamt of him so many times and imagined holding his hands and talking to him. They remained as it was, dreams and figments of her imagination.

Most times, she had wondered why she had even fallen in love with someone who had never noticed her. Someone who didn't even know her name. 

Love, they say, happens in the strangest possible way. Unimaginable ways, even.

Her eyes had been glued to his from the very first day she saw him. At first sight, she had been attracted to his brown eyes. Brown eyes that always seemed to call her in. She had been enthralled by his smile. The smile always seemed to make all the girls in the University swoon over him and she was not an exception.

She had only been seventeen then when she met him. She came to the University to submit her credentials. Amidst the hundreds of people that had also come to submit their credentials, Samuel Adebayo had been one of them. Somehow, her eyes had found him and refused to let go of him.

She did not believe in love at first sight, but she was sure that the eyes of Samuel Adebayo had captured her heart at first sight. Then, she didn't even know his name. She had gone home that day with his image carved into her heart, mind, and soul. 

Everywhere she went, she saw him. She had imagined both of them together talking and smiling. She had dreamt of both of them walking down the aisle. With her wearing a white floral wedding gown and Samuel, wearing a black tuxedo with pleasant smiles on their faces. Oh, her imagination had run wild, so wild! 

And when she met him again at the University, she had been over the moon. He had sat down in class for a taxation lecture. That day, she had not been able to focus on her lecture. She had kept on stealing glances from him.

She had called their love story 'unique.' They were meant to be together. Ana had repeated in her head over and over again. She had been so ecstatic that day, that she had wanted to scream to the whole world that she had fallen in love with him. A guy who didn't even know she existed. Oh, how silly she had been! 

She was not even brave enough to stand up for herself whenever she got insulted but she had dreamt of professing her love to a guy she barely knew. She had wanted to talk to her elder sister about him but she had been scared. Scared of what her sister might say. After all, she was at the University to study and not to fall in love with a guy who couldn't care less if she was alive or not. 

Yet, the one-sided love she had for him had kept on blossoming. Strange how love appears in different ways. Except that, Ana's love had been one-sided and unrequited. She had shut down every critic that her sane mind had told her. She could only hear the language of love. Oh, how insane she had been! 

Samuel was always at the cafeteria and each time she saw him, there was always a girl wrapped around his arms. Different girls for every single day. She saw the red light. It kept on blazing, warning her to stop but she had fallen deep. Fallen for a guy who was not committed to one relationship.

Romeo and Juliet. She wanted their love to be like that of Romeo and Juliet but of course, she didn't want to die. She wanted something unique. Out of the ordinary. What she didn't know was that she was seeking it from the wrong person and at the wrong time in her life. Such sad, indeed!

The sound of Ana's ringtone jolted her back to the present, she picked up her phone from her reading table. It was her mother.

"Hello, my dear. How are you?"

"Good evening, mum. I'm fine and you?"

"I'm alright dear. I miss you. How's school? Hope there is no problem?" Linda asked, her tone of voice sounding slightly worried.

"School is fine. Mummy, is there a problem?" Ana asked when she noticed her mother's worried tone.

"No, no. Don't mind me. Just take care of yourself." Linda said and hung up. That only made Ana more worried.

Later, Ana went to the school cafeteria so that she could eat. She returned to her hostel shortly after. She made her way to the common bathroom, took a quick shower, and returned to her room.

She lay on her bed with her eyes closed as she thought of the new project work. She had secretly prayed to God to get her teamed up with Samuel.

God seemed to have answered her prayers because the next morning, Miss Mary had selected each group member. She had gotten teamed up with Samuel, Micheal, Blessing, and Matilda.

Although she didn't like that she had gotten teamed up with her roommate and her friend, she was happy that Samuel was in her group. Her roommate and her friend were chatterboxes. And maybe she would have been more tolerant towards them if they spoke meaningful things but no, they didn't. They were always going on and on about things that didn't matter, completely irrelevant things.