Jazz It Up

CHAPTER 3

The dining hall was almost as large as the auditorium and was swarming with students who were either walking to their seats with their food or going to get their food.

After getting their food from the seemingly never ending queue, Jazz sat with Kelechi and Ronke who asked her questions about her life in America. Jazz wasted no time in bragging about her large and expensively furnished room, designer and custom-made clothes, straight A record, thousands of followers on social media and in real life and her car which she got the previous year on her sixteenth birthday. Everyone on the table wowed, including the other students who were listening in.

"Do you really have a car?" Ronke asked and everyone started murmuring.

"You make it sound like it's a big deal," She said.

"Well, that's because in Nigeria you have to be at least eighteen before you're allowed to drive," Kelechi said.

"Though some people learn how to drive before that age, but just don't let the police catch you without a driver's license," Ronke joked.

"Whatever," Jazz said and took a bite of her sandwich.

After a while the bell rang and everyone scurried out of the dining hall so they won't be late for their classes. They went to the biology lab for their next class with Jazz answering most of the questions and showing off her knowledge. The teacher and her classmates were fascinated except for Ella who frowned the entire class.

They had a few more classes before the bell went for lunch break and the students were more than excited to leave the class.

The dining hall was more crowded than it was during breakfast and it was almost impossible to get your food without being pushed or stepped on.

"I wish I could help you get your food so you won't have to face all this but we're not allowed to collect food for more than one person," Kelechi said as Jazz just stood at the back folding her arms.

Mrs Kayode spotted Jazz at the back and was visibly upset. The queue started moving quickly as she barked orders at the kitchen staff. The girls were able to get their food and went to sit on the same table they sat in the morning.

"I can't eat this," Jazz said, gesturing to her food. They were being served boiled rice and stew with fried plantain and meat.

Kelechi shrugged. "We're only served jollof rice and chicken during the weekend so you just have to eat this. Besides, the food is not bad but if you don't want to eat it then you can go to the tuck shop to buy something to eat."

"I'm talking about the meat, I'm vegetarian," Jazz said.

Kelechi and Ronke exchanged glances for a while before breaking out into laughter.

"Are you serious, you don't eat meat?" Ronke asked surprisedly.

"That's new," Kelechi said.

Jazz was pissed. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," They chorused.

Jazz went ahead to give them her meat and continued eating. They agreed that Kelechi would have her chicken on Saturday and Ronke would have it on Sunday.

Jazz chuckled. "You two."

Ronke grinned. "Us two."

They ate and talked for a while before the bell rang and they had to go back to class. The classes continued until three o'clock when the bell went for closing and the students wasted no time in leaving the class for their various dorms to get ready for prep.