Naya and Vince

9

KOJO'S ASSAULT

I nearly screamed what!. Thank goodness for self control.

I was Ms. Chielo.

I couldn't imagine myself working with the guy. I was going to speak with Mr. Palmer after class, that was for sure.

"Ms. Chielo?" The man called. I raised my hand. I heard someone say 'wahala dey'. There was no doubt about that.

"Nairobi, you're working with Vincent," Amanda said her voice laced with excitement.

"I know," I said curtly. I could hear murmurs around me.

When the bell rang for the end of class , I quickly walked up to the chemistry teacher before he could go into his inner office.

"Good afternoon sir. I'm Nairobi Chielo," I started.

The man smiled at me. "Ah yes I know you. You were one of the best in the scholarship examination. What can I do for you young scientist?"

"You see sir, I really don't want to fail chemistry. It's one of my core subjects."

"Okay?"

"I need favour from you. I really need a change of partner. I can't work with Vincent Ade–whatever."

"It's Adebayo. And sir I can't work with her either. You and I know that I really need a good grade in chemistry. If I have to work with her, I'm doomed to fail," he said.

Well, that was an insult.

"What do you mean? You should be lucky you have to work with me," I said proudly which was half the truth. I was very good in chemistry, yes but I had never done any practicals in my life.

"This is very interesting," Mr. Palmer laughed. "But I can't change the pairing. You two have to figure out a way to work together."

"But sir–"

"That's final, Naomi." I froze for a fraction of a second when he called me that. I had registered into the school as Nairobi Naomi Chielo but I didn't expect anyone to call me that.

"It's Nairobi sir," I corrected.

"Sorry Nairobi. I can't change it," Mr. Palmer said. "Oh and please announce to the class that we'd have a practical class tomorrow so that they don't forget their lab coats," he said before retreating into his office.

I turned to face Vincent. "You better don't ruin this for me," I told him before walking away.

School was over and it was time to go home. I think I preferred school to my home. Even though I had Chijioke and Jessica kind of frustrating me and Vincent with Olamide annoying sanity out of me, it was better than going home to work in a hotel full of horny men and sleeping in the same house with my aunt doing gross things under that same roof. The mere image of it is horrifying.

"Bye Nairobi. See you tomorrow," Jessica bade, when she was leaving the class with a group of girls I didn't bother to get acquainted to.

"Bye."

"Naya-bear," Chijioke called coming over to where I was arranging my books in my locker. I wasn't assigned a locker yesterday because the staff with the keys wasn't on seat.

"Eww! Don't call me that. Ever," I told him pausing what I was doing.

He laughed hard before speaking. "The look you had on your face definitely worth a million bucks," he said before laughing again. He removed his glasses and pretended to wipe tears.