Monday morning came sooner than I'd expected. Dad dropped me off at my new school, note the sarcasm, and eyed me curiously as I tip toed towards the school's building. I don't blame him though, cause I'd caught myself eyeing me. I mean, who goes to school in baggy sweatshirt and crazy Jean? Me. Why? Because I intended to remain invisible to the human eye. That's weird right? I know, but I couldn't help myself.
It was my first day in a new school and I'd not even met anyone yet I felt like peeing in my pants.
The school was magnificent.
I forced myself to move towards the hallway wishing in my heart of heart that I had worn something else. Fadalawd I was looking so underdressed. I glanced around to find solace in other students dressed like me but I couldn't see none. If it helps, I noticed other girls where dressed fashionably in tank tops, skirts and trousers. I was the weirdo.
Finally, I found my way through the hallway which was inscribed in bold big letters. I walked into the marble high ceiling foyer where the principal, vice principal and school attendant stood, a huge symbol printed on the floor where they waved welcoming both new and returning students.
Mom had thought it great if I knew my way around the school before I resumed and it was. Seeing the timid position I was in now, I had her enough to thank. Yes, I had my map to locate places in the school, but even heaven knows I hated map reading. Where the map was currently? Shoved into the bottomless pit of my school bag.
Finding my locker wasn't hard as my name was boldly inscribed on it, thanks to yesterday's tour. I spun the lock and withdrew a few pen, notes, deodorant and dropped it inside.
"Hey." A voice called out of the blues making me freeze in mid air.
Spinning around, I came face to face with a wild scattered afro haired girl who had long legs and a models body. She was breath taking but didn't she comb her hair? Mum would never let me leave the house that way.
"Hey." I replied glad that she couldn't read my thoughts.
Leaning on the locker close to mine she said,"you're new right?"
Eye rolls. I hated being the new girl right from time. It sucks. " I am."
"You're beautiful." She said making what felt like a blush creep up my face, "I'm foluke ojukwu by the way, returning student."
"I'm the newbie," I said rolling my eyes now that I felt more comfortable with her, " Emem yonas. I prefer to be called Emmy. From Nigeria."
Giving me a lopsided grin,she said,"I'm from Ondo state. Congratulations, you just got yourself a friend babygirl."
That made us both laugh,drawing the attention of the students nearby. Some gave us eye rolls, some acted as though we where some annoying things while others went about their business. I tried to stiffle a laugh.
"What? It's a free world. The sooner you stop caring about your impression on others, the better for you." Foluke said popping a chewing gum in her mouth. She had very nice set of dentition and very sparkly. She smiled in a way that it reached her eyes. She was a beautiful girl.
I watched her pile textbooks on the crook of her arms from the third locker across mine.
"Well, welcome to Greenville High school, Florida." She said her aroms flailing in opposite directions, "welcome to where life sucks."
I couldn't help but laugh. "So school's where life sucks huh?"
"Yeah." She popped a gum.
"So what time does class start exactly?" I asked. I knew already I just needed something to keep talking before she saw how much of a bore I was.
"Homeroom starts by 7:40, class officially starts by 8:00." Foluje said like it was something disgusting.
"Where's your homeroom?" She asked.
"Room 214 I believe." I said producing my schedule.
"Luck you, it's the same as mine." Foluke said, "Grab your stuffs so we can get going. I'd brief you about our school on the way."
I grabbed what I thought I would need heaping them on the crook of my arms.
"Well the teachers here are friendly. But you should look out there are some you don't wanna step on their toes."
Processing the information I asked, "so what do you guys do before school starts?"
"Well we just walk around. It's the only time we can see our friends asides lunch and study hall." She explained, "oh! Here are my friends." She announced pointing to a group of brightly colored girls walking towards them and smiling as bright as the sun.
And right behind them was Alain Greenbolt. I felt my heart skip a bit in my chest and my hands grew warm instantly. I clenched my fist to stop my trembling fingers. Holding my gaze, he took purposeful strides towards our direction.
My entire body grew stiff and cold. It wasn't from the way my heart flutter . It definitely was as a result of the way he was looking at me.
Foluke laid her hand on my arms and started to drag me into her group of friends but I was locked in an eye embrace with the sexiest man of the year.
Before I could be introduced, Alain welcomed himself into our circle and stood beside me. Turning on his mega watt smile, Alain smiled distractedly, silently disarmed and charmed every lady in the circle. Why did he have to be this fine? " Ladies.... Good morning."
He directed the statement to their circle, but he turned his head and looked straight into my eyes. His eyes twinkled in amusement at my speechlessness and obvious nervousness. His eyes looked me up and down making me clutch my necklace in my fist.
"Hey,Alain " someone said.
"How was your holiday?"
Beautiful morning to you too." Some of them said.
All eyes where on us. I felt their gaze lingering on I and Alain who intimately leaned into my space as if he belonged there.
"Good morning, Em." Alain said in a mesmerizing low tone that all girls in this school wished to hear over the phone late at night as they lay in their bed thinking of unspeakable things.
"Morning Alain." I said clenching and unclenching my fist "You don't get to call me that. It's Emmy and nothing else."
"Oh." He feigned innocence, "I didn't know that."
"Now you do." I rolled my eyes. "Took time in dressing today. Any special occasion?"
"Does it entice you?" He asked cocking a brow and giving me the puppy dog eyes.
"Come on mister. You have to put in more effort than upgrading your dress sense. And stop keeping your face that way."
"Why? It affects you that much?" He said giving me the look of a lost puppy. I hated to admit that it made him look charming. More charming.
"Nope. It doesn't." I lied, "just that you look like an hausa goat when you keep your face that way. And where I'm from, that's not a good thing."
The circle of onlookers gasped. I heard whispers of "does she know he's a senior?"
"She shouldn't be talking to him that way!"
"The nerve." Others said.
Winking with his right eye which was perfectly hidden from the group of foluke's friends. "Have a good Em." He said my nickname again before pushing off the locker and continuing on in the same direction he came. But not before his fingers grazed the bare smooth skin of my thigh along the Hem of my crazy Jean in a very intimate manner on skin that otherwise would not allow to be touched by boys without permission. Fire erupted over my leg where he touched me. That fire flamed over my body to my heart where it flourished in my chest."
Spreading her hands dramatically as if returning from a trance Foluke said, "meet my friends. Meredith and Bisola. The only girls I've ever seen stand up to the queen bee."
"Queen bee?" I asked,"it's a name of a person?"
"Nope, she's Alains girlfriend." She said popping the 'p', " Mitchell Drew, AKA, the queen Bee."
"Ow!" I said, unable to explain why for some unknown reason I felt a tug in my chest.
The bell rang signifying the end of homeroom.
"What's on your schedule?" Foluke asked.
"History." I replied , my emotions at war with each other.
"I'll see you tomorrow in class." Mrs Dubowitz announced as we exited history class around nine in the morning. It took every ounce of my will power not to March down to the principal's office and demand a new schedule. One that didn't involve history at 8am every day.Carting my new history textbook back to my locker, I marvelled at it newness. "How was class?" Foluke asked when I reached my locker besides each other's.It made my heart warm up that Foluke was still willing to be my friend even after all that had transpired between I and Alain."I had Mrs Dubowitz." I thought that was all the explanation I needed.Foluke burst out laughing."That bitchy old which! I bet you had fun?""Yeah, i did.""You know some students actually think she's a real witch." Foluke whispered as she closed her locker with her new book inside.I did the same
The only reason I was back in this hell hole was because my mother thought it logical and wise. I arrived home a mess after the girls had salvaged what they could out of my dress. I told her about the scenario in school and the only thing she did was smile and say," it's only normal Emmy. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Tomorrow would be better."There, that was the end of the discussion."You won't believe who made the headlines." Foluke said making herself comfortable on the chair next to mine.Curiously, I raised a brow and watched Bisola grab a copy of what seemed to be a magazine.I shrugged nonchalantly," what's so special about being in a magazine?""Firstly," Meredith cleared me, "this is no ordinary magazine, this is the Greenville High gossip review. It carries the latest news of who is cheating on who, who's dating who and recent breakups. And though, I'm not
I let my shoulders drop as I stepped out of the hallway and found my way to the car park.It's not even been upto a week and I had a guy messing with my head. The girlfriend had humiliated me on my first in school and now I had my name on the front page of a stupid school gossip magazine.I let my mind drift off to the conversation I had with the girls. I could picture Meredith now as she said, "But he is so cute. How did he end up with a witch for a girlfriend?" With a dreamy look in her eyes."If you ask us, who do we ask?" Bisola said smirking."isn't that why we have google? Google knows everything. So that should be where u direct your rhetorical questions to next time." Foluke summed.And In that moment I thought how google wouldn't want to have anything to do with her."Watch where you going, will ya?" A voice said drawing me out of my trance. For the first time, I noticed how crowded the lot was. I turned around and caught Alain staring at me, drawing clos
It took us barely two minutes to reach Mitchel's house. Her house was a big white neat house just like the others in Malibu drive which from what I've noticed so far is the lane where all the people who had snobbish attitude and deep pockets stayed. It was a lane for the rich."Are you ready for our first high school party?" Foluke asked as we made our way through the maze of cars."Your first? How come?" I asked, " I thought you guys have been here for like forever?" I looked from her to Simi."Well, before you came, Mitchel had banned us from attending any school party." Bisola said and shrugged, " you can understand now why we desperately wanted to come. Sorry for dragging you into all of this."I was dumbfounded.How could one lean girl be so mean and nonchalant. What was she? A god? For the life of me, I'll never understand how this school operates."It's fine." I said, " at least we're attending one now. Doesn't matter, does it?" I tried to take away th
Immediately I got home, I caught my parents sharing a cup of hot coffee in the living area. "What are you guy's doing up by this time?" I asked."Evening to you too." My replied with sarcasm laced in her voice. "How did it go?""Pretty cool.""Pretty cool? That's it?" She said turning to give me a long good look."Mum, if you're looking for details, I'm the wrong person you should ask." I walked into the kitchen with my mother trailing behind me."Glad you're finally getting to relate." My dad called from behind.I tried not to roll my eyes. If relating meant being locked up in a cupboard then I didn't want to.I entered my room and shut the curtains. The last thing I wanted to see was anything related to the house Nextdoor. As I collapsed on my bed, my eyes caught a simple lemon stick on notes plastered on my window. Curiously, I tiptoed to the window and peeled it off. Instinctively, I raised my eyes to the room opposite mine and saw someone looking at
For the rest of the the day, I spent it indoors counting the ceiling. The only time I went downstairs was when Meredith, Bisola and Foluke showed up. The moment they stepped foot in my room, foluke dramatically went to door and shut it. "Oya, spill." She said."What?" I shrugged pretending not to understand what she was on about.Meredith gave me an all knowing look, "oh please. You can tell us anything. That's why we're friends right.""Juicy, juicy secret. Pretty please tell!" Bisola jumped up and down on the bed."But it's nothing. Why act like I won a trophy or something?""Pretty, please tell!!""Pretty, please tell!!""Pretty, please tell!!" They ganged up and said in unison.I shut my ears with my hands, not wanting to hear anymore of their chanting. Out of nowhere, I felt them tackle me to the ground and began to tickle me.I wriggled and wriggled on the floor untill I could bear it no longer and started laughing. I laughed until I felt li
"OMG!! I can't believe I forgot my trigonometry textbook at home!" I said."No worries, we can share." Foluke said heaping textbooks in her arm, "how was practice?"After a week of attending trigonometry class, I was yet to come to terms with the fact that I was a trigonometry student. I avoided that subject like it was a highly communicable contagious disease. And I've got goodnews too, guess?! I've been accepted into the female baseball team!! Bad news is, I've never been stressed out this much in my entire life.As I walk with foluke to her house, I managed to walk with bones which where all in wreck."It was pretty good. The team has started talking to me more." When I told the news to my mum she had screamed and given me a big hug, "got my uniforms too and I'm starting to learn names slowly but surely.""Honestly, I don't know a lot of girls on the team. They're kind of weird."My curiosity was aroused, "how do you mean?""They never mingle with the
Minutes after Ray dropped me off at home, I yawned and kicked off my shoes locking the door behind me.My dad walked into the room in his glasses and pyjamas, holding chinua Achebe's things fall apart in his hands and looking smug. "You're getting in late.""I'm sorry dad. Trigonometry took longer than I thought. I didn't do it on purpose.""What friend where you with again?" My dad asked and I cracked my head trying to figure out how he knew I'd been out with a friend."Foluke. Foluke olatunji Ibrahim.""Oh, right. Right."I gave him a look."What? You didn't think I keep tabs on the friends you make. The ones who walk right through this door?" He pointed at the front door."Well yeah, I'm a little surprised. Like you're barely home.""I know. I don't need to hear how estranged I am from my family. I'm still trying Emem.""I'm not complaining dad. I'm just surprised that you still have me in mind and that your job hasn't eaten that part up."