MALE FACTOR [BxB]

Chapter 2

During break, Two SSS3 boys Lateef and Lekan; both tall, dark skinned and bullies are in the walkway of their block when they see Chika; a boy in SSS2, who's effeminate and light-skinned of average height.

Lateef and Lekan felt like bullying the boy just cause they're homophobic and were not comfortable with the way he walked or talked, they called him over to come and sweep their class even though it wasn't that dirty.

"Guy! Are you gay?" Lateef shouted. "See the way you're sweeping like a woman" the whole class laughed, Chika ignored him.

"Fag!! it's like you're deaf? Can't you answer the question?" Lateef asked angrily, frightening Chika.

"No" Chika responds shakingly.

Jason walks into the class when he overheard Lateef shouting slurs at Chika, he immediately felt irritated by them.

"Be going to your class" Jason dismisses Chika, annoying Lekan and Lateef.

"He hasn't finished sweeping yet, let him finish" Lekan said.

"Abeg class would soon start let him be going before Mrs Jeffrey would come." Jason turns to look at Chika, Chika drops the broom and gets his bag.

Lekan and Lateef hiss as they go back to their seats.

"Come back" Jason calls Chika.

"Yes, please" Chika tries to hide the rudeness in his tone giving he's already frustrated.

"When you get to your block help me call Zuriel" Jason instructs, then Chika leaves.

Zuriel is seated amongst SSS2 students like she's one of them, you won't even notice because of her height.

Chika walks into the class looking for Zuriel, his eyes go side by side like he's scanning the class, Zuriel immediately notices but doesn't know it's her he's looking for.

"Chika is here... Is he gay?" Zuriel asks Tope.

"I think so, why'd you ask?" Tope asks.

"The way he's holding his bag" Zuriel demonstrates.

"School mother senior Jason said I should call you" Chika finds Zuriel.

Zuriel stands up and packs her things to get going but before she does, she asks Tope when she'd be paying her 'dues' to Zuriel, she postpones and says Thursday, she warns her to have it ready before then.

"Boygirl" Olamide; Another SSS2 student calls Chika right after Zuriel leaves the class.

"Don't be stupid" Malik; Lateef's younger brother in SSS2 scolds Olamide, he stands up from his seat and goes to shake Chika "babe, how far?" Chika snubs him and walks away, Olamide laughs at Malik.

Chika breaks down to Tope and says he has had it with stupid boys today, if Jason hadn't been there, Lateef and Lekan would've probably done something more stupid eventually.

Zuriel meets Jason on the walkway, the two start walking together headed for Mathematics department.

"You know we're supposed to help Mrs. Jeffery record attendance today?" Jason starts.

"Why are you saying Mrs. Jeffery? call her mummy" Zuriel mocks Jason cause both his parents teach in the school.

They help Mrs Jeffery carry her notes to their class, wiping the white board before she got there.

Jason starts calling the attendance in alphabetical order. First name first. He had called almost all students' names, so far only Lateef and Lekan were absent as expected.

"Moyosore Arera... " Jason struggles to pronounce her surname.

Moyo responds rudely then hisses, this catches Mrs Jeffery's attention "What's going on?"

"Nothing ma, sorry ma" Moyo apologizes.

Tenth period was cut short, when the principal asked all the students to move to the assembly hall for a seminar.

Some guests were invited to enlighten the students on some social topics, a lot of the students were annoyed by this cause they all felt they had better things to do.

This was tiring for some students who had to stand, cause the seats in the assembly hall couldn't take all of them.

Jason and his friends who were seated on the second row to the front, paid no attention to the guests when they were discussing "dangers of drug abuse and cultism".

Jason and Timi stopped talking when they heard the word "homosexuality"

Noone else seemed to care except Chika standing at the back with Tope.

"...Homosexuality is sin and it goes against God's plan... " One of the guests said.

Tope noticed Chika was absolutely disheartened by everything they said, Timi started second guessing everything he knew since he was a kid, Jason called bullshit and turned deaf ears towards them.

After the closing bell rings, Tope and Chika walk home together like they always do, it's been a long silent walk which is unusual so Tope decides to talk.

"I'm sorry to ask but as your friend, I just wanted to know..." Tope says.

"Know what?" Chika asks.

"Are you gay?" Tope asks, Chika bursts into laughter.

"Wait you think I'm gay?"

"Yes! That's the only reason why I'm friends with you" Tope continues "I don't know if you know but girls are more comfortable with gay guys cause they know they won't hit on them"

"Well I'm not..."

"Well I think you are and I'm comfortable with that so..."

"I have a crush on Malik" Chika blurts out.

"Are you serious? Well he's fine so I get why you'd like him" Tope says.

"He's just so annoying and I hate that his friend Olamide" Chika says. "I can't believe you're ok with this, Ah! And I wanted to ask you out to go with me for Senior Lateef's party"

"I thought you hated Lateef" Tope asked.

"I hate him... Doesn't mean I hate his parties... So will you go out with me?"

Tope turns him down, stating she's already been asked out, but if she weren't she'd have gone with him anyways, she hugs him then the two go their separate ways.

Tope gets home and sees Moyo not smiling, extremely frustrated, she immediately knew something was wrong.

"What happened?" Tope asks.

"Mind your business" Moyo shuts her out.

Tope begs Moyo to talk to her but Moyo feels embarrassed about what happened to her, she finally let it all out.

"It's just that Jason, I hate him so much, like what's his problem? I've left him alone but he still finds ways to hurt me" Moyo says.

"I'm so sorry, boys are stupid!!" Tope says.

Moyo breaks down, Tope has never seen her sister sad like ever, Moyo's usually mostly frowning because she's mad not sad, Tope could only hug her to comfort her.