Naya and Vince

46

"Good morning students."

A firm young feminine voice greeted us from the podium momentarily distracting me from what Jessica was telling me. Us.

Me, Aliyah and Amanda.

Our clique was back once again. And we have been making up for lost time. Like we did almost everything in school together particularly without any butt-ins from extras like Lydia, Chioma and Peter – no offence to them.

I looked at the stage where Tara Dele, the female social prefect stood. Tall and confident, looking beautiful and sweet. The girl was one of my favourites from the SS3 class and that was seriously something. I hated the guts of those ss3 guys. They always moved with his really annoying pompousness and Ego like they owned Regal high. I did my very best to avoid everything concerning them but. . .

"Chimamanda and co, what are you guys gossiping about?" An intimidating feminine voice belonging only to Tolani Johnson, snapped at us. Tolani was the head girl of Regal high and Olamide's elder sister. This girl had a problem with everything concerning me, or maybe she just had a problem with ss2's in fact. But I was certain she had a problem with me because her sister, Olamide, didn't like me and also because both of us started on a really wrong foot.

At a certain time last session –after I had fallen out with all my friends– I was heading out of the Senior school building, when someone called me.

"Girl on low cut!" Was her exact words and of course I didn't stop. I was Nairobi, not girl on low cut. The girl snapped her fingers as she followed furiously behind me with heavy strides. "Hey you with the peeled black school bag I'm talking to you!"

That was me alright. I was already so close to the next staircase. I should have just walked on and ignored the girl but I turned to face her. I would only be kidding myself if I walked down the stairs. The drama that occurred afterwards would have still happened. That was Fate's twisted way.

"What?' I asked throwing her an uninterested look. I wouldn't say I didn't know she was Tolani Johnson or the head girl at that time. I knew that very well.

She chose to ignore my rudeness and proceeded with her agenda. "Go to the ss2 science class and call me Olamide –"

The audacity though.

"I can't do that. I am going home."

Tolani stared at me with a slack jaw, her stare clearly stating; who is this bloody motherfucker?

"Did I hear you well?" It was then I noticed the very dark boy standing few feet from her. He must have been walking with her before she started following me.

I just looked from him to Tolani then turned towards the stairs. I swear I didn't have the time for this. Someone yanked me back furiously and I would have fallen if not the boy was holding me tight. Too tight.

"Why did you drag me like that na?!" I tried yanking my hand from his iron grip. "Leave me o!" I was already gathering loathsome attention with my yelling.

"Will you shut up?!" Tolani finally snapped. "I was talking to you and you walked out on me? Are you mad? Like did you loose a nut upstairs or something?!" And I must say, Tolani was yelling so loudly, shaking and pointing like a deranged woman. Students that could watch from their classrooms were watching while some of those that couldn't, came out to watch, some of them peeping through corners.

Another guy I recognized as the disciplinary prefect came from absolutely nowhere, whipping his Gucci belt in the air as if showcasing. "On the count of ten, I want everyone out of this hallway!" He ran around whipping his belt about. "Two! I'm counting in even number!"