Jazz It Up

CHAPTER 33

The live chatter of students filled the school corridors as they returned to their hostels after the closing bell. Jazz walked up to Mitchel when she noticed that he looked aloof and was walking in slow strides.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Yeah."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"I said I'm alright," Mitchel insisted.

"Yeah right," Jazz scoffed.

"Fine." Mitchel pulled Jazz aside so they were no longer walking towards the hostels but towards the trees.

"My dad wants me to participate in a young inventors competition. I've won the competition two times in a row but this time around, I don't think I want to participate anymore," Mitchel said as they stood beneath a mango tree.

"That means you've only been participating because your dad asked you to and not because you wanted to?" Mitchel nodded.

"If you don't wanna do it then you don't have to, just tell your dad you don't want to," Jazz suggested.

"It's not that easy. My dad can be very strict about these things," Mitchel said.

"Then you also have to be strict about what you want, it doesn't always have to be about your dad."

Mitchel chuckled. "This is Nigeria, not the US, you don't just object to your parents' requests, it's considered disrespectful."

"Then why did you object to your dad when he asked you to stay away from me?"

Mitchel rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, so you heard about that? Hehe, I got an earful from my mum that day," he chuckled.

"See? You're not gonna get set on fire or anything, you're just gonna get an earful and I think it's worth it for saying your mind and letting them know what you want. Who knows, they might actually pay attention to you."

"I don't think you know the gravity of the earful you are talking about so casually."

"All I'm saying is that if you don't wanna participate in the competition, just say so. You've let this drag on for so long that's why your dad thinks you're okay with it. If you had told him from the onset, you wouldn't be in this situation."

"I don't think you realise it's not that easy."

"It may not be easy, but it's something you have to do."

"You're right. I need to let my dad know that I don't like taking part in all these inventing competitions, I prefer to act on stage, that's where I shine more. I mean, the drama club is practically incomplete without me," Mitchel said and Jazz smiled.

"Are you finally ready to tell your dad about it?" She asked.

"Yeah, and I know he's not going to like it, in fact he'll probably not take it likely but I have to tell him."

"That's more like it!" Jazz playfully slapped Mitchel's arm. "Now that the serious talk is over, let's talk about something more interesting."

"I think we should head back before it's time for prep," Mitchel suggested and they turned around, going back towards the dormitories.

"Are you scared of your dad?" Jazz asked.

"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?" Mitchel asked back.

"I was just curious as to why you never told him before now what you really like and what you don't, having to endure participating in all those contests just to prove a point you don't even want to prove."