2. Manning up, not for me

We walked to school, walking as though the world doesn't exist. I guess we were basking in the euphoria of the last day of school, I was almost sure I heard "one jam of a song playing in the background"(it certainly sounded like John Cena's theme song) and we "walking in slow motion, Temi flinging her long hair like fashion models while I took my time to take steps like that of a gangster who got "promoted to gang leader's lieutenant position".

The jam playing in the background ended abruptly with a "rewind tune" as I sighted Osmosis and his gang of friends on their bicycles, riding to school.

(coughs)Before I forget, Temi doesn't have long hair but braids--wild imaginations sure take a toll on me a lot.

Most unlikely, my brain popped up Mr. James, at this moment...the least person I needed to see was Mr. James, he would go on about knowing your rights and all and sure did it this time, he was like "Stand your ground..."

That surprised me coz this kind of talk usually comes from Mr. Jones but when he completed the sentence by saying;

"...and tell him he will be sued for civil wrong and criminal offence too.."

And I knew that was the Mr. James that I know.

He continued talking, saying something about "juvenile delinquency".

I didn't get him quite well coz my heart was already playing the Mortal Kombat theme song as Osmosis turned his head towards our direction.

Signalling the others, they rode towards us grinning teeth to teeth, oh my, it was a carnival of colours--I'll leave it at that. My heart beat changed to that of "Mission impossible theme song".

Temi gripped my hand instantly and shoved me to her back and stood as mother hen ready to protect its chicks from the kite.

I forgot to tell you guys that Temi is the reason why I have not been "killed" a long time ago, Osmosis would most times back out whenever I was with Temi.

I couldn't get my hands on why. That son of a gun, "why" was always on the run. Shot him once in the head, he simply smiled at me, plucked out the bullet and continued running.

Osmosis dropped off the bicycle while it was still in motion, same with his "gang members",specifically three guys, identical triplets from the look of things, why they followed Osmosis, that I wondered.

His style of dropping off bicycles still in motion was obviously an imitation of the gangsters in the "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" game. He walked to Temi who was staring straight to his face.

If Temi's eyes were lasers...the three identical triplets would have gotten a pop up info like "JOHN_WICK killed your teammate using AKG-14"

"Teachers' pet, I can see you are hiding behind your momma, ain't you gonna stand up to me and be a man,Maaaaggoot?", he spewed out, stressing the "Maggot".

I'm used to the name though, it's one of the least things he does amongst others.

"Hasn't he insulted you enough?. There comes a day in one's life when he stands up and takes the bull by the horn, today can be that day..."

I'm getting something, right there, I can feel it, wait for it....wait for it....it's coming strong aaannnd...I lost it.

I just stared blankly at Mr. Jones, saying nothing.

"..Stand up and take the fight to him, don't be such a wimp, kid", I could hear Mr. Jones conclude his heart felt motivational talk. Mr. James was just frowning at him, saying nothing. I could sure interpret his looks were saying, "there's always a legal approach to this, you know".

To the winds with the "be a man" talk, I stood behind Temi as she confronted him.

"Stand down, Buchi. I won't repeat myself again, don't let...", Temi hammered.

And for the name "Buchi", that's Osmosis's real name. Temi thinks Buchi's nickname is so lame that she can't afford to call him that.

"....Let you do what, dear?", Osmosis cut in.

Temi did not reply but still kept her gaze on him. I pinched myself to know if I were dreaming, why on earth will Osmosis, the bully of all time afford to be polite enough to call someone "dear" whilst he was in a challenge with the person-and that also, is because I was pretty sure the "dear" intended no sarcasm.

I brought my mind back to the face staring competition that went on to what seemed like eternity. The three guys, quite over zealous wanted to intervene since it seems their boss was having a hard time dealing with us.

"Naaa....they are mine to handle. Let's go, boys, I'll deal with this brat personally", he grinned, pointing his finger at me, as he moved backwardly with his front still facing us.

And this is the part where I wished that I had some earth-bending superpower

Before he mounted his bike, he did the I-got-my-eyes-on-you thing(and that is Osmosis for you trying to act cool). They all entered their bikes and rode off.

"They are mine to handle" is actually the most "honourable" thing I have heard, Osmosis say. I guess there are moments people surprise you by doing the unexpected of them-or is there a thing to it?. Why didn't he want to go through Temi which he could have beaten off easily if he actually wanted to handle us personally. She might be a worthy opponent but she was in no way, a match for Osmosis.

Well, "they are mine to handle" no matter how honourable it sounds was a threat also-which means I had to avoid Osmosis throughout the day if I do not want to spend my long vacation looking like Kelechi who took our J.S.S 3 graduation photos looking like Tony Stark in the ending scenes of "Captain America: Civil War" movie.

Kelechi was one of those guys whose words spoke louder than his actions. He would boast of how none could beat him in a fight nor even our seniors then. We believed "his report" as his muscles were conspicuously large and carved until he had a fight with Tobi, one of my class girls then.

Tobi was a girl too thin that I've had a mental imagination seeing her carried away by heavy winds, the kind that blows during July, she was the type referred to as "single bone".

The end result of the fight surely proved that physical structure is quite different from strength and fighting tactics. It was later that I came to know that Tobi visits the gym every weekend and works out every day, I guess that's why she made the fight look so easy.

As Tobi was landing carefully targeted punches; side punch, upper cut and what have you like a professional boxer. Kelechi couldn't even land a single punch or kick on her, just the slap from him to her that started the fight.

It was a popular meme for students in my school on social media, that session. One of the memes had a picture of Tobi's hand exactly at Kelechi's jaw with the caption, "Kelechized" and below the picture was written, "Total Tobility".

Another had the same picture with a different caption, "When you pre-order an iPhone in an Online

Store and the Deliveryman Gives you Techno with Samsung Start-Up Screen", one had their heads photoshopped to a Mortal Kombat Flawless Victory's picture, another had Tobi's and Kelechi's head removed and placed with that of "Pepe, the Frog" and "the Crying Boy" respectively and so many others.

It was quite hard to believe that it was Kelechi that started the fight coz he had all the bruises and Tobi, none, it was more of a beating than a fight. That day ehh, Kelechi for the first time had a pitiful look, looking like a turkey that has moments to live before being slaughtered for Thanksgiving.

For the fight, I really enjoyed it, that's inhumane, I know, I would even pay anything for a rematch-ohh, ooh...now, that's way too inhumane, lol, I take it back, well, what I'm trying to say is that the fight was just like one of those WWE Wrestle Mania fights.

Both were slammed with a month suspension. Kelechi's one month was surely spent recuperating. When he came back, he "taught Humility as a subject".

"Are you alright, dear?. That Buchi guy needs to be taught a lesson, he can't just go about...", I could see my mom in Temi's eye as she was talking.

Temi is just a year older than me and moreover my classmate, yet she treats me like I'm her son-little younger brother rather. I have gotten used to that too...though I do act as a "man of my own" when people are around-by people, I mean "non-bullies".

Temi is the only child of her parents, guess that's why she takes me as a younger brother she never had.

The imaginary D.J scratched the song, and we went off again with the background jam. Though this time, the dance rhythm included circling around to make sure no surprise attacks were forthcoming.