"What! What did you just say now?" I asked just to confirm if what I heard was actually what I heard.

"Er...I..."

"You heard right!" Faith from behind spoke up and started walking to us.

I frowned a bit as I looked at Joy confusedly. "So you actually were the one who inserted his contact on my phone." I said in a rather whispered tone.

"Tell her Joy. Tell her the truth." Faith said again.

Joy looked at me and before I knew it, there was a scowl on her face. "Yes, I did it." She said firmly yet sinisterly. "And should I shock you? I wasn't being sincere when I apologized to you on WhatsApp. It was actually a plan just to ruin you and Benji's relationship. We were this close but I don't even know what happened. That's by the way. My main point is, duh! Do you actually think I can swallow my pride that easily? After what you did to me. You stole Benji away from me." As she said that, I looked at Benjamin and he had a surprised look on his face as he flinched back a little.

"And you then expected me to just slide into you DM and apologise to you, just like that? Ha! You are a long thing my sister. I'm not that desperate to be friends with you. And also, I have a huge pride just as you do." She concluded her speech.

Whilst she was saying all of that, my mouth was in agape. So all that was just a plan? Why am I even surprised? "Hmph." I scoffed. I squinted my eyes and smirked at her. "I wouldn't say I'm not shocked at what you just revealed. But what I wanna know is how you got hold of my phone."

"Pfft! That's easy to explain. I think that day, after break, you went to use the toilet or thereabout sha, so I took your phone from your bag while no one was watching, and even if someone caught me, I would have lied that you told me to bring your phone to you. After I'd taken your phone, I tried the password and found out that it was still the same as when we friends, so I got access to it. That's how I inserted his number into your phone. Smart right?" She let out a smug smirk.

"Yeah, pretty smart dumb head." Amaka chimed in. "But you just ruined it with your big mouth, now is that called smartness?" She rolled her eyes at her. Savage bitch!

There was a short pause that took place amongst us all. After which, I spoke. "So what do you have to say for yourself, John?" I glared at him.

He seemed to be taken aback by my question. He sure didn't expect the question. "I–" He trailed off.

"Apparently, he has nothing to say." Benjamin sneered at him.

"You know what? Let's just go home and forget about all these rubbish that happened." Chuka suggested. "At least, we now know the folks behind all the nonsense that was happening." His look read disgust. And I was sure as anything that he referred that statement mostly to his ex – Faith.

"I totally agree with Chuka." Benjamin supported. "Let's go guys."

We backed our bags and walked out of their midst. As we were walking, Amaka started a conversation. "Ruby, you know I told you that that John guy was wasn't meant to be trusted?"

"Hmm." I didn't want to discuss that again. I just wanted to let it slide off. I've already had enough.

"And I also told you that all what was happening was just a plan." She said again.

"No wonder after Joy had successfully inserted the guy's phone number into Ruby's phone, that was when they decided to execute their plan." Chuka added.

I just sighed and wore a long face after their speech.

"What's the matter?" Benjamin asked in a low concerned tone as he interlocked his fingers with mine. Chuka and Amaka had already changed the topic and were now discussing something else with each other. They sure looked good together.

I looked at Benjamin and sighed again. "What if they had succeeded in their plan?" I asked worriedly.

"But they didn't." He said in a soothing tone. "I'm glad they didn't. Is that why you have this face on?"

I smiled. "Isn't it justified, huh?"

He returned the smile. "It isn't. I even thought you were seeing your...you know na." He winked at me.

I pouted my lips at him. "My what?" I knew what he wanted to say but I asked nonetheless.

"Your period na."

I nudged him on the shoulder as I shook my head. "Pervert."

"A pervert for you babe."

I rolled my eyes at his choice of words. "I'm glad that we finally discovered who was behind all of that."

"Yeah, me too. Waec is around the corner, are you prepared?"

"Hmm...not really sha, you?"

"Sort of. Although, I'm still preparing."

"Who would ever be fully prepared for an exam like waec?" I rolled my eyes in askance.

He chuckled. "Me." He joked. "Anyways, are you writing jamb this year?"

"Er...I don't know yet. I think i am. It's depending on my parents though." I shrugged.

"But you didn't attend  jamb class for once."

"Do I have to before I pass jamb? Besides, you also didn't. Wait, are you even writing?"

"Yeah, i am. And I did attend jamb class."

I furrowed my brows. "When was that?" I inquired.

"When I stopped attending this lesson. As at that time, I was attending jamb class." He revealed.

"Woah! That was a smart thing to do though." I paused for a while. "So have you registered for jamb?"

"Yeah."

"What institution?"

"I chose unilag as first choice, lasu as second choice."

"Hmm. Everything is just in Lagos. Don't you want to leave this place?"

"I saw that question coming. Well, not like I don't want to, but those are my favorite universities in Nigeria. If at all I don't gain admission into any of those schools, then next year, I'd school abroad."

"Lucky you. So what course?"

"Uhm...for unilag I chose geology, while lasu, what did I even choose again sef?" He started thinking. "See, I can't remember."

"Mumu boy."

He coughed out a laughter. "That's why you love me."

It was my turn to laugh. "You wish."

"So wait, Joy also had a crush on me?" We were back to serious mood.

"Yeah."

"Ew! Thank goodness I didn't know about it or I'd just throw up." The look on his face was a look of disgust.

I laughed. "Why?" I cocked a brow.

"Duh! She ain't my type." He sounded like a pussy. "Puh-lease." He gestured like a girl.

I shook my head at him as a smile graced my face. "Naughty boy. Anyways, don't say that again." I said seriously. "You don't know who you might end up with in the future."

"I wanna end up with you." He put on a puppy face.

Aw! Cute you. I smiled. "You are just saying that 'cause you're here with me." I told him.

"No, I'm serious Ruby. I wanna marry you in the future." There was no trace of humor in his tone.

"Benji, should I tell you something? When we get to the university, we would be so done with each other." I told him seriously.

"That you ruby, not me. I don't even know why all or most teenagers are in the school of thought that teens love ain't genuine, and that it don't last." Okay, we were in for a serious argument.

"That's because it's actually true. Most teenagers, if not all, just wants to experience that life and nothing else."

"That's most, I'm not most. I'm Benjamin Arugbo, and I can't be part of that doctrine."

I sighed and rolled my eyes at the same time. "Benji, you're just saying all these because you're in the present. No one knows what the future holds for them."

"I do." He raised one hand up. "Mine is already planned out."

"What if God has a different plan for you?"

"And what if I told you He has already told me my future?" He smiled victoriously at me.

I sighed in a some what exasperatedly way. This guy didn't want to give up that easily. "He can't." I thought of something to say again. I didn't want to be defeated, even though I knew there was light in what he was saying, still I needed to prove him wrong. "Even asides from that, we are in Nigeria."

"So are you telling me that Nigeria is in another planet? 'Cause I don't get." He looked at me eyeball to eyeball. He seemed to always have a comeback for me. This was were I needed Amaka, the brain.

"Benjamin, life's not a movie. It's reality we are talking about here. Things change, people change. You might go out there and find someone way prettier than me, way smarter than I am, way curvy than I am. That's life guy." I needed to convince him that teens love don't last.

"See babe, when there's life, there's hope."

"Yeah, I know."

"So when there's love, there's a future. I just formed that though." He giggled.

I laughed. "Funny you. Dude, love doesn't exist between teenagers, it only exist between married couples." I said in a calm tone.

"And who told you that love doesn't exist between teens? Okay if you say love exist between married couples, no contradiction, but isn't it love that would make them marry?"

"Definitely. However, love is not just a one day discovery let me tell you now. It's something that grows within you."

"So all these while we've been together, you've not grown to love me yet?"

That question kinda left me dumbfounded for a short while but I recovered quickly. "I feel teenagers just crush. Love is a very huge feeling for teenagers." That was my opinion and conclusion concerning this topic.

He stood us to a halt. "I couldn't agree less. But they eventually grow to love each other. Would it be shocking to say that I love you?" He asked me with all seriousness.

I chuckled. "Of course not."

"Okay, I love you Ruby James."

FULL STOP!

* * * *

A rap for today! Phew! That was one intense argument. Anyways, how was the chapter?

Permit me to ask, does teen love exist? If yes, do they last?
Let's please discuss this.

Until we meet again, lovelies! 😁😘