BELONGING - BOOK 1

07. Beauty and Brains

HANIFA

As I walked into the classroom, the sound of chatter and shuffling feet filled the air. Kaltume's voice cut through the noise, "Hanifa!" she called out, her bright smile a ray of sunshine on this nervous morning. Today was the day the head girl and head boy would be nominated, and my stomach was a jumble of butterflies.

I made my way to my seat, my maths textbook and notebook clutched tightly in my hands. The familiar scent of fresh paper and ink calmed my nerves slightly. Kaltume plopped down beside me, her perfume wafting through the air, a sweet blend of citrus and florals.

"Listen, girl, don't stress," she said, her voice low and reassuring. "We all know Hanifa Bello deserves the post." I smiled, feeling a surge of gratitude towards my friend. She was always there to lift my spirits.

As we chatted, the boys walked in - Bayero, Halim, and Vasilios. We always called them by their last names, a quirky tradition our group had adopted. The six of us, including Mariya, had been inseparable since SS1. Our little squad was a mix of brains, charm, and humor, with Hassan being the resident nerd.

Mr. Lekan, our maths teacher, burst into the room, his crisp white shirt and black trousers a stark contrast to his wild hair. His glasses perched on the end of his nose, giving him a slightly nerdy look. "Good morning, class!" he chimed, his voice booming through the room.

As we replied in unison, I couldn't help but notice the way Mr. Lekan moved with a sense of urgency, as if he was always running late. He scribbled "Mathematics" on the board with a flourish, his handwriting a messy scrawl.

"Today, we're going to quiz ourselves to see how well you've grasped the topic," he announced, his eyes scanning the room. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I glanced at Bayero, who was already grinning at me. It was our usual game - a friendly competition to see who would come out on top.

As Mr. Lekan wrote an equation on the board, I felt my heart rate quicken. Trigonometry, our topic for the week, was my weakness. But I was determined to ace it. I worked through the problem, my pencil scratching against the paper, as I glanced up to see Bayero's hands already raised. His eyes sparkled with confidence, and I could see the gears turning in his head.

"Mr. Bayero," Mr. Lekan called out, his voice a little too loud. Bayero's answer was spot on, and I felt a twinge of annoyance. Why did he always have to be so fast? Kaltume rolled her eyes good-naturedly, while Mariya looked puzzled, her brow furrowed in concentration.

Bayero's gaze flickered to me for a brief moment before he turned back to the equation. A hint of a smirk played on his lips.

"X is equal to 28.5," he said with confidence, though it was clear he knew it was incorrect.

I felt a surge of irritation mixed with annoyance. Why was he deliberately getting it wrong? Our academic rivalry was legendary, and I knew he was trying to goad me.

Halim and Vasilios exchanged skeptical glances, their faces neutral, while Hassan nodded thoughtfully, his eyes fixed intently on the equation.

"Wrong!" Mr. Lekan exclaimed, his gaze shifting to me.

I couldn't resist a smug. Bayero knew I'd been preparing for this topic, and his deliberate mistake was a transparent attempt to provoke me.

"Bayero, are you sure that's correct?" Mr. Lekan asked, raising an eyebrow.

Bayero shrugged nonchalantly. "Just a guess, sir."

I recognized the challenge in his eyes. He was daring me to correct him.

"The correct answer is x equals 27.5°," I said, my voice clear and confident.

The classroom erupted into applause, and I couldn't help but smile, feeling vindicated.