𝐾𝐸𝑆𝐼𝐸𝑁𝐴
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I was seated on the bench in the school's little garden. I checked my wrist watch and it read 3o'clock, which means I've been down here for an hour now.

Mrs Yinka finished teaching and I left the class to get away from the upcoming noise, but mostly to think about the number one and only thought on my mind. 

I had been scribbling random words in my jotter in order not to get bored quickly. Sleep off in her class and become a victim of her wrath. Then I looked up and found him staring....at me. We made eye contact but it didn't last long because Mrs Yinka yelled his name and he looked back at her. My heart was pounding like never before.

I had only two questions on my mind. How long had he been staring and why in the world was he staring?

I replayed this morning's encounter with him and how I had snapped at him when he asked what the problem was. And then Amariah's confrontation that morning replayed in my head.
I placed my head in between my legs and groaned out loud.

"Oh God."

I could vividly see images of my childhood in my head, I wanted to do something, something to take them away, to wipe them out, to just-

"Are you okay?"

I whipped my head up and saw Nicholas right in front of me.

No I'm not.

"I'm fine." I said with a smile.

"You don't seem fine. I heard you groan, like you're in pain or something."

"I'm just tired that's all."

He seemed like he wasn't buying my excuse, but nodded anyway and sat beside me.

"Sooo, how do you like our school?" I asked, hugging my legs into my chest.

"Its great, really."

"Are you sure? Or you're just saying it not to make me feel bad?"

"I'm a 100% serious. In fact, you're here and makes it even more great." He said I smiled.

And it makes it terrible for me.

"How was South Africa?

"SA's cool. Its really nice."

He began telling me everything about South Africa. Fascinating things by the way. The number of celebrities he met and whose concerts he had been to. It was really nice hearing all of it.

"Any girls?" I nudged him, winking continuously and he laughed.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Excuse me for wanting to know what my childhood friend has been up to all these years."

His deep laughter filled the air again.

"Okay. Yes there were girls."

"Girls?"

"Yes girls."

Hmm.

"How many of them?"

"About four of them. I think."

I nudged him again and he chuckled. "You're not even sure!"

"I'm sure. Okay just four."

Four? The Nicholas I know couldn't even talk to girls properly when we were younger. I and his sister were the only girls he'd ever talked to!

"I'm a spec over there. You better know now." He wiggled his eyebrows then winked at me.

"Tell me your story brother."

He began narrating everything to me, but I stooped him when he mentioned he and a girl slept together.

"Wait. Do you mean slept together, as in, like you guys slept on the same bed."

"You know what I mean Kes."

"No I don't."

"We had intercourse. Copulation. Sex."

My eyes widened.

He did what?

I'm sure if I was eating or drinking, I'd have choked right away.

"Um, you did what?" He was about to reply but I cut him off with my hand.

"You mean you had sex?"

"I just said that."

Damn!

I'm telling you, Nicholas couldn't even talk to a girl to save his own life and now he's already having intercourse?

"Oh my God, Nicholas. Are you serious?"

"Gosh you're making it sound like its a crime."

Like how would you do that at this age for Christ's Sake?

"No, no, no. I'm not judging or anything. I'm just surprised."

"Its not really a big deal." He shrugged. "People just make it seem like a huge thing when its not."

Is this Nicholas?

"Yeah," I chuckled nervously. "I guess so."

Well It is the biggest deal in the world.

"So what happened after you guys..." I paused, thinking of another word I would use instead of the actual word. "Did it?"

That was the closest word I could think of at that moment.

"Let's just say I dumped her before she could dump me."

I raised an eyebrow.

"How is that even possible?"

He tapped the side of his head with his index finger. "Common sense."

Okay.

He proceeded and went straight to telling me about his second relationship which was one sided. I haven't been in any relationship before, but I know how terrible one sided relationships can be because Laide has been in one. We had to drill sense into her brain before she left the guy.

"So you were the one doing all the loving?"

"She was the one. I didn't even have her time. It was a truth or dare game and she was dared to give me a kiss me after the game. She did and one thing led to another." 

"So you guys..." I trailed off and he nodded.

"Oh wow." I sighed.

"The third girl left the school, so we had to break up. It wasn't one sided this time because she's the only girl I really liked."

Now that's something.

"And what about the fourth?"

"The fourth...." He paused, and I looked at him. He seemed hurt.

"Are you okay? Its alright if you don't want to say anything." I placed my hand on his and he tensed immediately. A sad look graced his handsome features.

"She must have broken your heart that bad."

"No, no its fine. She didn't break my heart Kes, she..." He gave an audible sigh then looked at me.

"She died."

Oh..

I held his hand this time. "I'm so sorry." That was the only thing I could say.

"What happened?"

"Suicide."

Suicide?

"But why?"

"I don't know Kes. I wish I knew."

That word suicide bothered me a lot. What in the world would have made such a young girl with a bright future take her own life?

"Didn't she leave a note or something?"

"She didn't."

I did the next thing that any other human being would do. I pulled him into a hug and I heard him sniff a bit, he was trying hard not to cry.

"So, what about you?" He asked after he pulled away. He didn't look like he was just sad seconds ago.

Wow.

"Me?"

"Yes you."

I scoffed.

"Would you believe it if I said nothing?"

I'm just there. I won't say my life is boring. It's just there, normal.

"You know I won't. When you're as pretty as this Kes, there must be something."

"I'm serious. There's nothing. I've just been there. The only drama that revolves around me are my three best friends. The crack heads that have drama as their middle name."

Three junior girl greeted us as they passed by. So many questions ran through my mind. Questions I wanted to ask, but could not, for fear that certain memories would resurface.

I do not want to remember.

"How are your sisters and your mom?" He asked.

"They're good and Elohor has the most adorable baby girl ever." I said with a huge grin on my face.

His brows furrowed. "She's married already?"

"No. She just happened to have dated a douche bag."

"Oh. So how's she, I mean the baby?"

"She's doing fine."

There was silence for a while before he took my right hand and turned it over.

"Its still there." I looked down at my hand. There was a scar, not too big, not too little, on my palm, way below my thumb and close to my wrist.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry."

I don't want to remember.

"It's okay. It happened years ago and its just a minor injury and a scar."

Just a minor injury that put you in the hospital for two weeks

"Its not Kes-"

"I said it's okay Nicholas. That was years ago, and this is now. Don't ruin our little happy reunion."

"Excuse me," We turned and Matthew was leaning on the wall with his arms folded.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

I was about to answer but Nicholas beat me to it.

"No you're not."

"Okay. So can I borrow her? For a while?" He asked Nicholas like he was in possession of me. And that tone he used...

"You're needed in the lab."

"For?"

He only shrugged and told me to hurry up.

"Later Nick." I ruffled his hair and got up to follow Matthew who began walking to fast for my pace.

How do boys walk that fast?

"Could you slow down for the old woman please?" I stooped to ease my legs of the incoming pain. He listened to me and I managed to catch up with him.

"Thank you."

Why are we even going to the lab in the first place?

"You'll find out once we get there."

So I said that out loud.

We got into the lab and no teacher was in. Not even Mr Osai.

"Nobody's here." I said once we entered. More like murmured to myself.

"Sorry, but I hope it's nothing related to our assignments."

"No."

"Okay thank God." I breathed out.

Don't do it Kes. Don't look at him. My subconscious chided.

Oh come on. Just a glance won't hurt. One second, and that's it.

And that one second glance turned to a full blown stare. I was seated behind him, so it was easy for me to keep ogling him like a piece of delicious cake.

I took in every freaking detail about this guy over and over again till I had mastered everything about him.

I noticed the outline of his singlet showing from his sports shirt. His exposed arms as his muscles flexed while he cracked his fingers and the very much visible veins that ran along his arms.

I could just imagine my fingers on his skin, tracing each and every one of those veins. Feeling them pulse slightly under my touch, feeling his muscles as they flex too.

Do not get your head into the gutter Kes.

"Kesiena!" A loud voice and a bag on the table jolted me out of my almost dirty thoughts.

"Are you okay?"

I could only nod and pray for the ground to just open up and swallow me. For how long was I staring?

My eyes met Matthew's for a split second. My heartbeat sped up again and I had to stylishly lower my head to hide the red was beginning to creep up my cheeks for the second time today.

I cleared my throat and began listening to what Mr Osai had begun to say.

"You two are going to be in charge of the project as class captains."

A mini confusion set in.

"But Matthew isn't the class captain. Tolu is."

"Well sorry to burst your bubble but Tolu won't be available. So I'm taking over his crappy responsibility."

What?

"Yes. I appointed him since he's closer to Tolu and I don't trust that Clinton boy."

Not surprised.

"One of you is going to be handling the finance, while the other is going to be coordinating the class with assistance from the other person."

Mr Osai was to continue but Matthew cut him short by the raise of his hand.

"Just to be clear sir," He pointed at me. "She's on finance duty."

What?

I turned my head to him with my eyebrows furrowed in confusion because I was so confused as to why Matthew was acting this way.

"Great. Kes should be really good with money."

I turned back to Mr Osai. "Sir no I can't handle finance." I objected, shaking my head frantically. Then if the money gets missing, I'll be held responsible.

"Kes."

"Sir?"

"You will handle the finance and Matthew will coordinate and you will assist him too."

Oh come on!

"You assigned me to finance and now I'm still going to be assisting him?"

Of course I liked the idea. Loved it even. Heck I would do anything just to be in the same space with Matthew. But I had to keep up with the partial act.

Partial act because I was actually shocked at what I was going to be burdened with.

The next thing Matthew said ticked me off a bit.

"You're the class captain, its your responsibility."

Meaning?

"Then you are what? Acting class captain?"

"Exactly. This isn't supposed to even be my problem." He said with a shrug, not even sparing me a glance.

Is he serious right now?

"Are you okay Matthew?" I asked sincerely. Something seemed off about the way he was behaving.

"Enough you two. Go to class, I'll come and explain the whole project to your colleagues."

Still baffled, I quickly stood up, grabbed my sweater which I had untied from my waist and left the lab.

The only thing on my mind as I made my way to the class was why he acted that way. He looked annoyed, obviously. But still...

Mr Osai came into the class with Matthew few minutes after I got in and settled down. Then he began explaining the project to the class.

A few of us asked questions and he answered. I just sat patiently, waiting for the short hand of the clock to just strike 4 so we'd be out of here.

Zino suddenly appeared beside me. She was seating with Mary Jane just seconds ago.

"Are you okay?" She asked with concern etched on her face.

"Yes."

On cue, the bell rang stopping any question she wanted to ask or anything she wanted to say.

School is officially over. For today.

I packed my books into my bag and bid some of my classmates goodbye. I left the class and waited for Zino in the hallway. She came out and we both went to join Benji and Laide.

"What's with the face?" Benji asked when we had stepped out of the school gate.

I sighed and spoke up.

"It's Matthew."

"What happened to him?"

"He was acting somehow today."

"Wasn't it obvious? If you noticed, he wasn't around for sports today." Laide pointed out. I explained what happened back at the lab few minutes ago.

Benji shrugged. "Seems like he was in a bad mood today. And it also seems like you like this boy." He said.

"I don't like him. It's just a crush."

"Crush that you've not gotten over for a year now."

"I will get over it. It's just a matter of time."

"Or maybe he just realized he might like you and it's probably baffling him. So he wants to kill it by being hostile towards you." Laide said and Benji shook his head in mock pity.

"Too much Wattpad has turned your brains to mush." Benji deadpanned.

"Which too much Wattpad? Isn't that Ibinabo and Senior Uche's story? That girl literally suffered in his hands oh."

God knows I would never want to be in her shoes. With the way Senior Uche treated her, I wouldn't want to. He punished her almost everyday for absolutely no reason, like he found pleasure in making her suffer.

Then one magical fateful day, Senior Uche woke up, came to school and kissed Ibinabo in the seniors block. In front of all the seniors, and some Junior students who suddenly and magically forgot their way to their classes that day. After that he apologized, told her he likes her, yada yada, and they began dating. Though she gave him a hard time before she finally accepted him. Revenge shit.

"But IB has mind sha. God knows I will never give you face. Like what's all that shit for? If you like me and you don't know how to tell me, send me a letter or tell one of your trusted friends to tell me.  If you're too chickened to tell me, keep that shit to yourself!" She paused to take in a short breath because she had been talking in a rushed manner.

"Its that simple. I will not be turned to a victim of abuse all because someone has feelings for me. That's crap!"

"Abuse?" Benji faced her with a raised eyebrow. "You're saying it like the person is a wife beater or a bully or something."

"You don't have to be a wife beater to be abusive. That thing Uche did to IB,"

I raised an eyebrow at the way Zino called him by his name.

"Is bullshit. Total bullshit."

I and Laide didn't say a word as we listened to the exchange between Zino and Benjamin.

"Look, It's not even his fault. Some people don't know how to express their feelings either because they're scared.."

"Scared of what?" Zino fired back.

"Zino, let him finish." Laide said.

"Either they're scared that they've never felt anything like that before, or they don't want to feel anything anymore because of past experience. But they end up feeling, and that is the only way they think, emphasis on the word think, they think, they can handle it." Benji explained, but Zino still didn't seem moved.

"Doesn't still justify anything." She simply said.

"Oh my God." Benji muttered with a groan.

"You know you should be a lawyer."

I nodded in agreement with Benji's words.

"Exactly. I have no idea what she's doing in science class."

Zino suddenly jumped in front of us, halting us in our tracks. "You make a girl suffer, just because you like her. Does that sound sane to you?"

"You know what? Let's just end this and walk home peacefully, I'm not about to settle world war 3 here." I told them and walked past Zino.

"Its not something to kill yourself over. Everyone has their own opinion."

"Whatever."

"Soooo....." I placed my hand on Benji's shoulder. "How's things between you and Imade?"

"Just normal." Benji looked as though he was trying to hide something from us, which we know he was. Laide shook her head.

"She kissed him." She said and with my widened eyes and my mouth opened halfway, I faced him.

Zino stopped in her tracks, then slowly turned back to face him.

"She did what?"

"You know he's a douche and wouldn't want tell you guys yet. She kissed him." Laide said again.

"Imade kissed you. Oh my God!" Zino exclaimed.

"I thought you were being-"

"Shut up." I smacked him on the head, already knowing what he wanted to say.

"Deets now!" She slung her arm around his shoulder as we all walked home.

~•~•~

"This girl will spill this sauce on the table Zino. Elohor abeg carry this child from her."

My mother complained as Zino held Theresa In one arm and used the other to eat. The baby girl was trying to reach for the table and grab anything she could lay her hands on.

"Mummy she's not going to spill anything, I'm holding her well."

"If I keep carrying her, she'll become attached and that's one thing I don't want to deal with again." Elohor explained while she took a glance at me.

Of course, I'm the one.

"I was not attached. I only like you carrying me more than every other person."

"Guilty conscience because no one called your name." Zino said and earned a glare from my mom who decided to remind us about our table manners.

I finished eating quickly, washed my plate to avoid any confusion later on and then moved to my room.

I had been on the phone with Nicholas before Zino called me down to eat. We just talked about random and funny things, it felt really nice reconnecting again after so many years and I got to know many things, including Amariah's love life. I was surprised at first that someone as nasty as her could have a love life but then, look at her. I was actually awed by her beauty when she stepped into the class yesterday. She had everything in the right proportion, she looked perfect.

My phone chimed, I checked and saw a message from Nicholas asking me if I was done eating and if I had kept his share of the food. So I sent him a food emoji together with a glass of wine.

Kk. Well played girl;-)

What happened to ur emojis?

Emoticons are cooler:-)

🙄🙄

What happened to ur face??
Lmaooo.

Gosh, you're so annoying. 😣

😂😂💔

I lost track of time and by the time I looked out my window, it was dark, I checked the time and it was 7:23pm.

Oh wow. We chatted for that long?

Thank God no assignment was given to us, so I went offline after replying some texts from Benji and co. I got to the living room and joined my mom to watch Botched.

"Can you imagine this one?" My mom pointed at the TV.

"With all these puff puff lips, she wants to make it bigger again, o ga o."

Well what can I say? This world is filled with weird people.

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Heyy again!

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Y'all need to check out this wonderful, talented author and her book  I_am_Jazzy, Shattered Heartstrings. Trust me, you'll love it❤❤

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