Against All Odds

Chapter Twelve : SIS

Obi and Obiefune got along quite well after the incident at the farm, she no longer excused herself at mere sight of him and held longer conversations with the boy to her dismay. Chioma was the one who now developed a leaking bladder at least Obi thought so. She always had something to do whenever they came across her brother in school.

Her ruined skirt had been dumped and she started wearing the one Chioma  lent her. Even as young as obi was she could tell the attention she got from the hormonal teenage boys in her school was because of the way her shape was well defined in the new skirt.

Obi had never thought herself beautiful and had quite begun to accept that being called pretty was a far fetched compliment.

Today senior Ebuka had called her and given her biscuits and when she refused he kept insisting till she finally took it. Senior chibuzor had slipped a note into her hand and winked at her in the strangest way. She barely paid attention to them because she knew what they were trying to do. The romance books she read described a lot about the behavior she was noticing in her recent male admirers.

Chioma had taunted her of stealing her shine when her very handsome classmate Timothy decided to keep his locker close her seat. Cynthia and her goons had snickered and hissed at that.

Something felt off about the whole day, even her teacher had complimented on her appearance. The hair she made was different from the one she was used to. Chioma had taken her to a salon and they weaved her hair into corn rows but in a special way, that brought out her high cheeked bones.

Whatever magic spell the woman cast on her had to be removed because it made her feel uncomfortable.

They were being prepared for their final paper and she tried to pay attention to mathematical equations on the board instead of the eyes focused on her person.

During break time she had gotten lunch invites from different people and even the seniors were so benevolent that they donated their lunch too.

Chioma was also getting her fair share of the attention and she even began to get paid for speaking to some seniors. Obi often wondered what she told them while their gazes lingered on her. Obiefune had been keeping to himself the whole day and the only time she got a glance of his face was when chibuzor was slipping a note into her hand.
He seemed somehow pained but she didn't get the chance to talk to him.

"She was not asked out jare, she is nobody's girl" chibuzor declared in the classroom

"Na all that oversized uniforms dey cover this gal beauty since. m ga ata godi nwa" Tobias assured the group of boys

"Bia city boy, shebi that Obi is your sister's friend, why you come dey waste time, u never chop am"

Obiefune felt his heart boil at the fact that they were talking about Obi in that manner. He knew how boys his age treated girls who fell for their sweet charms. The boys who were talking of Obi were notorious and had fairly rich parents. He knew he had to protect Obi from them.

They had finished chemistry class before the boys started their jest, he was supposed to go through the things he jotted but his attention was very much divided. Boyles law couldn't just stick when the boy was lost in thoughts. Maybe if he did open up to Obi everything will be fine. Recalling the conversation he had with his sister the previous day, he grew more tense.

She had been furious when he told her that he wasn't the one who gave Obi the gift.

"You are very bad at lying, everything points to you. Your writing, Sis? Who else knows the acronym for S is sweetheart?" she rolled her eyes while she continued to do the dishes