The results were set to be announced at 4 PM.
By 3:59, the entire school had gathered around the notice board like it held the secrets of life itself. Phones were out. Mouths whispered prayers. Eyes darted left and right, searching for that one name.
I stood beside Tope, hands clenched into fists.
"You okay?" she asked gently.
I nodded, but my heart was racing.
Suddenly, the principal's secretary stepped out with a clipboard and tape. She walked toward the board slowly — too slowly — and pinned the white paper at the center.
The crowd surged forward.
But I couldn't move. I froze.
"Go check," Tope said.
"You go," I replied, suddenly afraid. "I can't."
Tope didn't argue. She moved through the crowd like a shadow.
Seconds felt like years.
Then she turned around… smiling.
A real, wide, genuine smile.
I pushed through the students, heart pounding.
There it was.
1st Place: Adewale Johnson
2nd Place: Blessing Adebayo
I stared at my name. My chest rose and fell. It felt like a dream — but it was real.
I turned to Tope, speechless.
"You did it," she said, beaming. "We're going."
I laughed. Then I cried. Then I laughed again.
This was the moment.
Not just a win — a door. A future. A new beginning.
And best of all?
I wasn't walking into it alone.