Chapter 1: Always Number Two

Since I sabi myself, na always number two I dey. Every prize, every assembly—Halima Yusuf first, me dey manage second. Today, I swear, e go change. I don bind myself to an exchange system—my last card, like when person go Sango priest because everywhere else don close.

The weight of that number two na like stone for my chest. For every school prize, dem go call Halima Yusuf first, then me as afterthought. Sometimes, as dem call Halima name, my own na like breeze—nobody even dey clap. E be like say I dey invisible for my own life. But today, this system na my last hope.

A barrage dey float for my front:

[This 'wicked supporting female character' dey always jealous of our precious female lead wey dey always carry first. She go definitely use the system swap her jamb score. 😂😂]

[Thank God say our female lead dey hear all the system gist between her and the supporting character! So she just dey flex, enjoy her life, even sleep throughout the whole jamb.]

[No matter how the supporting character try, she fit only swap zero score, but our female lead just donate building to Harvard. E sweet me die!]

Na so dem dey talk as if say my whole existence na for background. That "wicked supporting character" title, na me dem dey point at. For their mind, na only Halima fit shine.

Wicked supporting character.

Me?

But——

As I dey hear all this yarns, e dey pepper me. My chest dey tight. Na who talk say na the female lead’s jamb score I wan swap?

What I wan exchange na something wey even dey more precious to her:

1

[Congrats, host, for binding the exchange system. You get one—and only one—chance to make an exchange:]

The system voice for my ear be like mosquito, but I hold myself. I ask, “I fit exchange anything? Even the jamb score?”

My hand dey shake. For my mind, I dey reason if I go regret am. But wetin I get to lose?

[Of course. Just talk wetin you wan exchange:]

I open my mouth, voice low but steady. "Halima Yusuf."

As I talk am finish, not too far, Halima Yusuf clench her fists. The way she look me, e full of insult and mockery. The air between us cold like harmattan breeze for early morning. Her eye sharp like mama’s kitchen knife—if e touch you, e go pain. Her face dey sharp, pride and small wickedness just dey shine.

E be like—

Just as the barrage talk, she dey hear all the conversation between me and the system. For her mind, she dey always two steps ahead. E dey clear for her body language, the way she raise eyebrow, lips bend one kain.

Halima Yusuf dey always carry first. And na me dem dey always use laugh as the forever number two.

She come from big family, everything dey easy for her. Even my mama na just house help for their compound. People dey always greet her mama, dey hail am for street, but my own mama, na only “Aunty Grace, help me wash uniform,” dem dey tell her.

My mama dey always scold me:

“Miss Halima na big person. Who you be? You sure say you deserve to drag first position with her?”

When she hear say Halima Yusuf friends bully me for bathroom, my mama no even send:

“You go don vex Miss Halima, na why she show you pepper. Person wey get bad luck, where you dey see all this wahala from?”

The kind tone my mama dey use, e dey bite more than slap. Sometimes, I dey wish say she go just hug me, but for our house, na only work and wahala full everywhere. Even when my body dey pain me after all those wahala, I no fit complain—she go just look me from head to toe, hiss loud like generator wey no get silencer.

Before, I dey think say my mama just wan hold her job as house help, so she dey support anything Halima Yusuf do. She dey always dey careful make madam or oga no vex, but the way e be now, I dey see say e get as e be.

Until the barrage open my eye:

[The supporting character sef dey suffer—na she be the real daughter of the rich family, but dem swap her for hospital. Her ‘house help mama’ na actually Halima real mama...]

[Still, the supporting character deserve am. Who send her go dey eye Halima jamb score? Thank God our Halima wise, she just score zero on purpose, spoil her plan.]

[After jamb, when dem recognize the supporting character as the real pikin, Halima Papa and Halima Mama still no like her. She dey totally finish under our sharp Halima. Even as real daughter, so wetin? Nobody love her, she dey alone, and last last, depression kill am—na wetin she find be that.]

Alone. Depressed. Suicide.

The word dey ring for my head. For this Naija, even if you dey suffer, dem go say "be strong," but that kind loneliness na real thing wey fit kill person. People go just dey look, gossip, but nobody go really help.

But all that one no go happen.

Because wetin I wan exchange no be Halima Yusuf jamb score at all—

Na something wey dey even more important to her.