Naya and Vince

49

On Monday morning, I was walking into the school through the gates when a car drove by.

"Nairobi!" A very familiar voice called. I looked towards the owner and it was Chijioke. I couldn't even remember when last he called my full name. I waved back at him as the car drove ahead. Soon the car stopped moving and Chijioke came down. He beamed at me and jogged over to where I was.

"You decided to wear your glasses this morning," I commented taking note of the transparent framed glasses on his nose.

"My mother would not stop telling me how I would go blind before forty if I don't wear them," he complained pulling off the glasses. Typical Chijioke. He only wore his glasses when reading or copying notes. Sometimes he would rather squint than wear the glasses.

"It makes you less ugly," I teased as I continued walking to the Senior school building. He fell in step with me.

"So this is your way of saying with my glasses, I am cute in a nerdy sorta way."

I only chuckled lightly.

We walked in comfortable silence for a while until we reached the senior building.

"Nairobi," Chijioke called. I hummed in response. "Do you know if anyone has asked Jessica to the love fest?" That question reminded me of Vincent's text. I reached the house only to realise that Vincent had sent a text asking me to be his val. It reminded me of Aliyah's words last year. It came to pass.

"I don't know she didn't text or tell me anything."

Chijioke just said okay and kept walking.

"Are you planning on asking her?"

Chijioke just smiled sheepishly and truthfully what I wanted to do was slap some sense into him. How could he want to ask Jessica? The girl who he claimed had insulted him because she was jealous of me. He wanted to ask her? Come on wasn't that the perfect definition of stooping low?

"We are good now," Chijioke told me like he had heard my thoughts.

So?!

"You know she likes Stephen," I said instead. Chijioke deflated. And I felt bad for him.

"It won't hurt to try my luck," he smiled. Chijioke it would hurt a lot especially if she refuses you, I wanted to say but I shrugged instead.

I stepped into our class first and paused at the entrance because of the scene my eyes met. That instant I just wanted to run out of the class and pull Chijioke far away.

"What's the hold up?" Chijioke whispered in my ear before peering into the classroom. I closed my eyes and hissed lightly as I felt him momentarily pause beside me. Chijioke didn't deserve this.

There at Jessica's desk, Stephen and Jessica were kissing. And Chijioke had to watch. Chijioke was watching the girl he wanted to ask to be his Valentine kiss his friend. His bosom friend for that matter.

Chijioke didn't say anything, he just stared.

"Chijioke. . ." I trailed of not knowing what else to say. The boy looked so beaten and heart broken.

The 'couple' must have heard me because they jumped away from each other. Jessica stared at us with wide eyes. When Stephen eventually turned to us, he dragged his palm down his face, muttered something under his breath and looked away.

"I'm going for assembly now."

"I can drop your bag for you," I offered as Chijioke walked away. He paused then handed me his school bag before leaving.

"Aren't you guys going to continue where you stopped?" I asked, sass and a bit of anger rolling off with the words. Both of them just looked down as if they were sorry for what they had done.