Monday came faster than expected and all students were dressed smartly in their school uniform which was a combination of light blue short sleeved shirt and grey slacks for the guys and a grey flared skirt which was just above the knee for the senior girl and pinafore for the junior girls.
Jewel wore her uniform and complimented it with black high tops sneakers, her white socks showing. Her tie was loose around her neck and her hair was packed in a donut bun. She was just stuffing her back pack with books when Henrietta walked in.
"Hey gurl!" She called in her naturally excited voice and Jewel flashed her a smile. Henrietta plopped down on her bed and watched Jewel.
"Hmm, someone seems super excited about start school. That's a first." She teased and Jewel laughed.
"I'm just excited about being in my first boarding school, away from my parents. It's partial freedom." She replied and Henrietta nodded, agreeing with her. Henrietta accessed Jewel with an impressed smile. The girl was killing the look.
Is it safe to say that she's jealous of Jewel's curves.
"Nawa o! See the way you carry package!" Henrietta hailed, causing Jewel to burst into laughter. That did t stop Henrietta from talking. "The boy's are in trouble today o!" She exclaimed and Jewel let out a full blown laughter.
"Abeg! Don't whine me o. Don't be ridiculous abeg." Jewel said between laughter and Henrietta joined her in laughing. A senior rang the bell, cutting off their laughter and indicating that it was time for breakfast.
"Come out and line up. You have five minutes!" The senior shouted. Jewel put finishing touches as her roommates had gone out then slung her bag on her shoulder. She and Henrietta then made their way out of the room to join the other girls of their class. Jewel greeted Teni and the rest except Motunrayo who wouldn't stop glaring at her.
Abeg, that's her cup of tea. She can jump into a lagoon for all I care. Jewel thought as she and the other girls walked out hostel and to the dining hall.
****
The day started with an assembly where the Principal of the school, Mrs Benson addressed the students and admonished them, especially the new ones like Jewel. Soon after assembly ended by twenty minutes to nine in the morning and everyone moved to their classes.
Jewel and her class mates haven't been divided into their respective departments so they all stayed in the same class which would be till mid semester break. All other senior classes were already stationed in their class.
Henrietta and Jewel entered the class. Henrietta already had a space in front. The only space left was beside Henry and in front of Clinton.
Just great. Jewel thought as she settled on that chair, hanging her back on the chair handle.
She could feel Henry's eyes on her and it made her feel self conscious but she was able to comport herself and act nonchalant about it. She turned to face him and sure enough, he was staring at her. He didn't even make a move to look away when he got caught.
"It's not polite to stare, you know." She whispered, so that only both of them would hear. Henry smirked and sat up, his gaze not wavering from hers.
"What if I can't help it?" He asked, and she scrunched her face at him in confusion.
"Why can't you?" She asked back and he shrugged.
"Because it's hard not to stare at a beautiful lady when I see one." He replied and Jewel snorted.
"That's incredibly cringy." She stated and he laughed. Jewel relished in the sound. She loved it.
Soon, the mathematics teacher came in and started revision. Clinton kept teasing Jewel through out the classes, using a broom stick or any available object to tickle her. She tried to ignore if even though it was very hard concentrating with a pest like Clinton. When he got tired, he stopped.
Clinton was a very unserious boy.
*****
The term began to move quickly and it got very loaded for Jewel. She resolved to focus more on her studies and improve on it. She began to improve more on but as she was focused on art class. Jewel avoided Henry, mostly because she wanted him to be the one running after her.
Pearl didn't act like she had a sister in the school and Jewel didn't care. In fact, she liked it because she had her own freedom and Pearl wasn't meddling in her business. Jewel and Henrietta became close and became best friend.
Everything was going absolutely fine.
It was one Friday, during night prep and everyone was doing their assignment or reading. Jewel was already done reading and she was doing what she knew how to do best and that was to write stories. She picked her pen and began to write.
Jewel was so engrossed in her writing that she didn't notice anyone walk up to her. It was until she felt the pressure of the person's weight on the chair that she looked up and found Henry sitting right beside her, his signature smirk playing on his lips.
Seems like it worked. He came to me. Jewel thought, but with a straight face.
"Can I sit?" He asked and Jewel snorted.
"You are already seated." She replied and Henry smiled.
"I can stand up if you want." He said, making to stand up. Jewel was quick to stop him.
"No! You don't have to." She quickly said and Henry smirked, settling back down.
Suddenly, the class became too quiet and Jewel looked around. Almost everyone in class had turned to look at both of them. It seemed weird but Jewel got used to it. She loved the attention. The fact that the Golden boy of her class was seated next to her. The boy girls wanted and boys wanted to be.
"Don't pay attention to them." Henry's voice tore through her reverie and she looked back at him. "They just like to busy body." He added and Jewel nodded.
"So, what are you writing?" Henry made to pick up Jewel's note book but she was quick to jerk it away from his grasp.
"Don't touch my book." She frowned at him and Henry rose his hand in a mock surrender.
"I'm sorry. I just want to know what you are doing?" He said. Jewel looked at him skeptically before handing the book over to him. He opened the book and surfed through it.
"Wow, you are writing a story. That's rad." He said, impressed. Jewel found herself smiling.
"Thanks. I've actually seen your drawings too. You are quite talented." Jewel complemented and Henry grinned. He then rested his arm behind Jewel's head rest and leaned closer to her as they talked. Jewel got weird stares from most of the girls.
But she didn't care.
*****
Jewel was lying on her bed after night devotion, reading a novel. My room mates were juniors and were in their friend's room. The door suddenly opened and two of my class mates came in. It was Omolewa and Motunrayo.
"Jewel, we are here to really advise you." Lewa started snd Jewel's frown deepened.
What's going on?
"I don't get you." She stated, sitting up.
"Look." Motunrayo began, her voice harsh and straight. "Henry is a player, the worst Player. He played me in JSS 3. He's always playing girls and you are his next target." She said bluntly and Jewel rolled her eyes.
"Wow! Thanks for the advice. But I need to go back to what I was doing before you guys came. Thanks for stopping though." Jewel went back to reading. Lewa and Motunrayo exchanged a look.
"We are advising you o." Motunrayo said and they both left. Jewel rolled her eyes, kissed her teeth and went back to reading the novel.
*****
Another night, Pearl called Jewel aside to a room and talked to her. Jewel was surprised because Pearl always acted like she didn't existed. So calling her to her room was very weird. She was sat down, facing Pearl who was claded in her pyjamas
"Jewel," Pearl started. "I care about you and I don't want you getting hurt." She added and Jewel frowned, wondering where all these was going.
"What are you talking about?" Jewel asked her.
"Henry is bad news! He is a Player!" Pearl exclaimed and Jewel rolled her eyes in utter frustration.
Here we go again.
"He will hurt you." Pearl added, her voice solemn like a concerned sister. That got Jewel annoyed because Pearl has never been a concerned sister to her.
"Oh please!" Jewel stopped her. "You are not the first person to tell me this, Pearl and I am seriously tired of hearing it over and over again. I don't know what you guys have against Henry. He's a very nice and sweet guy. If only you get to know him, you won't be saying this trash!" Jewel retorted.
"Trust me Jewel, I know him and he is bad news." Pearl stated and and Jewel hissed.
"You are not even his classmate and you are not close to him. Or are you one of the girls he played?" Jewel asked mockingly and Pearl kept quiet.
"I'm just trying to look out for you, Jewel. I am your elder sister."
"Well you never looked out for me, so why start now big sister?!" Jewel spat out. "I am 16 years old and I can manage on my own." She added, snorted and walked out of Pearl's room.
Henry and Jewel became close and closer by the weeks and those weeks turned into months. This sparked up rumours from every one, even seniors from other class but Jewel didn't care about that. She like Henry and she was so certain he likes her just as much, if not more.They went home for the mid semester break and still kept in touch. Pearl stopped trying to persuade her sister against being friends with Henry. The girls of her class also find the same but Henrietta supported their relationship. Jewel was glad that she was allowed to be with the one she likes in peace. Even though they were not official yet.Soon, they came back from the mid semester break and were placed in their respective classes. Henry and Jewel were no longer in the same class because of their various divisions. That did not stop them from seeing each other because they still saw each other during the free period or whenever it was time for sport and he doesn't feel li
It was night prep one night when a Junior came to Jewel's class with a paper wrapped together. It was from Henry. The content of the letter said that she should meet him at the Visual art studio in the next ten minute. She got the message and waited for the time before she stood up from and seat and left the class room to the studio. Jewel got to the front of the studio and saw Henrietta waiting. She frowned. "Henrietta." She called and the latter turned to her. "Thank God, you were finally here. He is inside, he wants to see you." Henrietta chirped and Jewel nodded, opening the door and walking in the dim lit room. It was still quite so she could see her surroundings and she didn't miss Henry standing by the table. She smirked. "Are you trying to be romantic?" She asked, teasing him. He chuckled in response and moved closer to her. "Maybe. Am I doing a good job?" H
The end of first term came quickly and they had their annual inter house sport to crown the semester up. Jewel's house came in first position because the house was filled with several good athletes. Soon, the students went home for the Christmas break. Jewel and Pearl already had bad blood between them and didn't talk to each other. Their parents noticed the tension between them and tried every means to stop it all to no avail. Pearl had practically given up on Jewel and had left her to herself. If she gets hurt by Henry then it's on Jewel, not on her. At least she did try her best to warn her sister. This was why she didn't want her coming to the school in the first place. The school will taint her innocence and even though she didn't show it, Pearl was worried about her sister. Jewel and Henry kept close contact with each other and were always talking. They weren't offici
As usual, by 6:30pm in the evening, all the students moved from their hostel to gather in the dinning hall for dinner. Henry saw Jewel and waved at her and she waved back, her lips spread in a grin. Soon, they ate dinner, catching up on things they couldn't catch up on during the Christmas break.Jewel and Henry hugged good night after they arranged their things in class and Jewel made her way to the hostel with her friends. Henry was the last person to leave the class as he had forgotten one of his note books. As he moved out of his class, he saw Senior Ife at the Corridor. He looked and saw no one around except the both of them. He didn't like the look of things, especially when she had a devious smirk playing on her lips and was sashaying towards him, an aura of arrogance and pride hovering around her.
BACK TO THE PRESENT Henry's POVRiing... I took my eyes off the road for a few seconds to look at my phone that was ringing by my side. I saw that it was my mum and sighed. Picking the call, I connected my phone to my AirPods and cleared my throat, getting ready for whatever she wanted to say. Even thought I knew exactly what she was going to say. "Good morning mum." I greeted her, using the rear view mirror to look at my daughter that kept playing with the straps of her school bag. I smiled, my mind absent to whatever my mum was saying. "Akinola!" Mum's voice pierced through my reverie and I winced as her high pitched voice pierced through my reverie. She called me by my middle name which indicated that she meant business. "Yes mum." I answered her. "You are not listening to me, this boy
Jewel's POV"Excuse me." I didn't wait for any of them to reply before I dashed out of the office and practically ran all the way to the rest room. Immediately I got in, I locked the door and leaned my back against it, by breathing ragged and laboured. I walked over the mirror and stared at my reflection. Henry is here. As my boss. "This cannot be happening." I whispered to myself as I began to splash water on my face, trying to be sure that I wasn't dreaming. It was quite certain that I wasn't dreaming. I stared at my reflection as my mind began to go back in time. To everything that happened back at high school. I suddenly began to feel anger course through my veins. Not at Henry but at myself for being so naive to actually fall for a Player after so many warnings. And I hated Henry for proving them right. All of them.
Jewel's POVI honked when I got to the gate of my house and waited for the gate man to come and open the gate. I have had a long day at work and thankfully, I was able to avoid Henry because he was barely on seat today. That was literally good news for me. I still wasn't used to seeing him every day. As the gate man opened the gate and I drove inside, I began to think about him. Even though I hated to admit it, I missed him, so much. And seeing him again, all grown up, successful, more handsome, it sparked up memories of high school. Memories that I have tried over the years to bury. Those childish memories I still couldn't deal with. Pearl has been asking me about the new job, who my boss is and so on. She must not know it's Henry or she would ask me to quite. I told her that it was Laura instead. I just hope that one day she doesn't drop in my office unannounced and see Henry there. She would kill m
JEWEL'S POV"I want to resign." I stated matter-of-factly, slamming my resignation letter on Henry's desk. He looked up from the folded envelope to my face and back to the folded envelope, utter confusion written all over his face while I maintained a straight face.I had made do with the thought I had in mind. Putting my resignation letter together wasn't so difficult and I didn't tell anyone about it. I just wanted Henry to be out of my head once and for all. I was fine before he came into my life again. I wasn't going to let him affect me.Now you are sounding like he purposely came into your life. My subconscious mocked me."Why?" Was his simple question. Even thought his voice was calm, I could easily sense the other tone of worry and concern. That almost melted my resolve.Almost."I don't think I can walk here anymore. I'm not comfortable w