Tobias at the media.

IRENE

My week was very uneventful. I was practicing really hard for the competition on Friday as I didn't want to disappoint my coach. Theodore and I hadn't met concerning our project and I didn't receive any funny texts as of recent. Maybe it was just a prank and the person gave up. Right?

I was seated at the cafeteria with the guys on Friday. Classes for the day ended before break as a result of the competition which would start by twelve.

I was typing away on my phone as the others ate. "Irene won't you eat something?" That was Ola. And did I mention that Ola and TY were now official? Well they are a couple now.

"Nah, I'll have something afterwards."
She nodded and turned to TY to whisper something into his ear.

Ola and TY had been giving the couple goals ever since Monday when they started dating. The talk they had led to the relationship. They both confessed their feelings and I would have sworn they would have kissed if it wasn't that they were at a crowded place.

"This one that you're pressing phone. Hope you're ready oh." Kiki said pulling her ear dramatically like an overbearing mum. "Yes I am."

I was ready indeed but was as nervous as fuck. Now thinking about it, I didn't know which schools we were competing with.

"Hey Desmond, which schools will we be competing with?" I asked and he looked up from his phone. "Loyola high school and Oasis College."

"Loyola? Ohh Theodore  that's your former school right?" Zion said and took a sip from his soft drink. "Yeah." Theodore replied his eyes on the table. He looked somewhat uncomfortable but that was the least of my worries.

We were competing with Loyola high school!

Now that had me worried. It was the first time our school was competing with Loyola for extra curricular activities that involved sports.

Lunch break was over in no time and most students still remained at the cafeteria and some moved to the garden while some others made their way to the indoor pool at the sporting area of the school. It was already eleven O'clock and the swim contest was to start twelve pm.

I immediately made my way to my classroom to get my bag as I didn't plan on returning to the class when the competition was over. Walking into the classroom, I met Theodore there.

He probably returned to the class for the same reason that I did as he had his bag slung on one shoulder.

"Hey, Um Theodore." I called softly.

He turned to me. "Yeah?"

"You're gonna watch me at the competition right?" What the fuck did I just say. It left my mouth before I could think it through.

"I'm sorry I won't be watching you." He slid his free hand into his pocket. "I'm going home."

"But the school hasn't closed." I said in order to convince him to stay. The reason I did that, I didn't know.

"Yeah. But classes have ended, and I'll love to go home now. Good luck." He gave me a small smile and walked out leaving me standing there.

"Thanks." I muttered inaudibly. The pang I felt in my chest as I made my way to the indoor pool was one I had never felt before.

I felt the tears welling up in my eyes and I took a seat on one of the bleachers as soon as I walked into the pool area.

My elbow was plopped on my thigh as I held my face in my palms and tried my best to push back the tears that threatened to flow down my cheek.

I shouldn't cry.

Why am I crying?

Why does this hurt so much?

"Oh please, Jerry is hotter. How can you even compare Jamal and Jide with him." I heard a voice say behind me. "It don't matter what you say, I still think Jamal is the cutest." Another voice laced with American accent replied. I knew those girls were students of Oasis College as their girls were fond of ogling at unaware good looking boys without any iota of shame.

"Y'all be talking about the triple J. Don't you see Tobias Pirah? That dude is mad cute. I mean, I won't mind being his side chick if he has a girl." A deeper voice spoke up.

"I do agree with you, Tobias is very good looking." The girl with the American accent added.

I sighed loudly and immediately wiped away the beads of tears that left my eyes. I smiled at the conversation the girls behind me were having.

It was very true that Tobias was a very good looking guy. I crushed on him for two weeks when we first met six years ago. His mum and mine had been friends in their university days but we didn't meet until six years ago.

He was the only guy I had crushed on asides Desmond whom I crushed on for one year straight. I smiled at the memory.

"A thousand naira note for your thoughts." I turned and met a with a grinning chocolate beauty handing me a one thousand naira note. He looked awfully familiar. "What?"

"I was going to say a penny for your thoughts but then this is what I have." He said waving the clean naira note in my face. "You can keep your money."

"So what were you thinking about?" He asked with a amused look on his face as he shoved the naira note into his breast pocket and that was when I remembered where I had seen him. At Jade's party.

KayCee.

"KayCee?" I called out and his lips morphed into a smile. "You remember!" "Yeah, I do."

"What are you doing here?" I asked looking around. "I'm here for the competition. I'm a swimmer from Loyola. How about you?"

"I'm a swimmer here." He nodded and smiled yet again showing forth his beautiful dimples. How can someone be this good looking?

"You know, you look even prettier without make up." He stated bringing me back to reality. "Aww that's such a sweet thing to say."

"Sweet things for a sweet girl." He responded and gave me a gentle poke on my cheek which I reciprocated. "You don't look bad yourself."

"Really?" He asked an amused glint in his eyes. "Yeah."

"Senior Irene. Coach asked me to call you." A junior student walked up to us. "Alright, tell him I'll join him soon." He nodded and walked away.

"Now I have to go." I cocked my head to the side and he smiled. This dude is definitely a freak. Like he smiles way too much. "Sure, break a leg. Kick all 'em asses."

I soft chuckle escaped my lips. "Shouldn't you tell that to the girl from your school?" He shrugged "May the best swimmer win."

I stood up, grabbed my bag pack and gave him a wave before making my way to the locker room.

"—Do not loose focus, do not look at your opponents. Just look forward and keep your eyes straight—" The coach was giving instructions to the other swimmers.

There were four of us. Two junior students, one girl and one boy and two senior students, myself and a boy I wasn't very familiar with in my set.

"Irene." Coach called a scowl on his face. "You're late." he stated. Now there was a thing about our coach, he was no fan of tardiness. In fact, it was a big no no for him. "I'm sorry sir." I responded and sat beside the male swimmer from my set.

"The competition will begin in fifteen minutes." The voice of a commentator boomed through the speakers. "Now go get ready and remember, be focused."

We made our way to the dressing cubicles after grabbing our swimsuits from our various lockers. "Irene." Coach stood beside me and my brows creased. What is the matter now?

"I hope you're ready."

"I am."

"Calm down okay. You're gonna ace this." He said and walked away but not before giving me a smile. Changing in one of the dressing cubicles, my heartbeat took a different pace.

I was anxious, nervous even.

"May all swimmers take their places at the bleachers with their various coaches." The voice came again and we made our way to the now crowded pool area. The bleachers were almost fully occupied.

We took our seats and my palms were sweaty. The junior students had their own round with the girl emerging as the second with Loyola High as first and Oasis college as third. The boy came first with Oasis College as second and Loyola High as third.

It was time for the senior's round and my hands got a lot sweatier as I approached the pool with two other girls. Googles on, we stood by the side of the pool waiting for the sound of the horn.

My eyes met Desmond's for the briefest moment and he smiled and I got that courage, and then the horn went off.

I dived into the pool and swam as fast as I could to the other end and back not looking at either sides. Focus! Coach's voice came to me. With all the strength I had in me, I swam to the other end and turned to go to the for the last lap when something snapped.

When I moved again, I felt the pain shoot up my spine. I won't give up now, I'll make it to the end.

Good luck. Theodore's voice came to me. And with the last ounce of strength left in my person, I surged forward ignoring the throbbing I felt in my leg. I swam to the other end and paused. I looked up and turned back to see that the other two girls were just making their way to me which means I won!

Smiling as a result of my victory, the sharp pain returned and I winced. I got out of the pool and the paramedics helped me to the bleachers where I was going to wait to receive the medals.

The boys went their round as as I half expected, KayCee came first with the guy from my set as second and the Oasis dude third.

When they were done, we were all called to collect our medals. Second runner ups were given bronze medals, first runner ups silver medals and the winners for each categories, gold medals.

After taking several pictures and receiving handshakes from several people, the paramedics helped me out of the hall to a secluded place in the hallways.

"It's a sprain. Nothing too serious, it'll heal in no time." One of them said and applied a little amount of neurogesic causing me to close my eyes and wince in pain.

"Irene. You did great out there." My eyes flew open instantly and I managed to smile at KayCee even though I was in pain. "Yeah thanks. You did great too."

"Sorry about that." He said gesturing to my leg. "You did ask me to break a leg, well I kinda did." He chuckled loudly "I didn't mean it literally." I shrugged smiling.

"Irene the fish!" I frowned. "I have told you severally to stop calling me a fish Zion."

"And I decided not to." I rolled my eyes at him. "Girl you did great out there." Ola screeched crushing me in a hug. She pulled away from the hug and grabbed my medal wearing it and twirling. I turned but KayCee was nowhere to be seen. He mist have gone. I thought.

I watched TY stare at Ola in admiration. He looked at her like she could pluck the stars. I sighed loudly and my thoughts wandered to Theodore.

What is wrong with me.

You're whipped! That's what's wrong. My subconscious mocked and I frowned. I'm not!

"You're not what?" Desmond asked and I turned "Huh?" "You said I'm not."

"It's nothing. I'm exhausted." I let out an exasperated sigh as Desmond helped me out of the sporting area with Kiki who held my bag walking right beside him.

                         ➪➪➪➪➪

"So how's your leg?" Tobias asked and I sighed running my hands over the bandage. Mayowa had redressed it early this morning. I was presently on a Skype video call with Tobias and it had been going on for more than twenty minutes now.

"Getting better." I stated fiddling with my remote. "Make sure you take care of yourself."

"Yes Daddy." I replied in a teasing tone and I fake gagged as it sank in. "That doesn't sound so right." He said in between chuckles. "Yeah it doesn't."

"Oh hey, Toby. I came across an account on IG yesterday. It was an impersonator."

"Impersonating me?" He asked dramatically placing his hands across his chest causing my lips to stretch into a smile. "No impersonating Jamal and going by the name Matthew."

"Ohh, he's not an impersonator." He stated running his hands through his hair. It was something he had gotten used to and I found it very cute. "He just looks like Jamal."

My eyes widened. "He looks so much like Jamal. Damn!" "Na so we see am." He said pulling his shirt off. "Ew, Toby put that shirt back on."

"You don't wanna see this babies?" He asked pointing at his abs. "Oh God! Tobias."

"I thought you were asleep" I turned to the sound of Mayowa's voice. We had been interacting more lately and I got to know that he was a really cool person. "Am I interrupting something?" He asked as he glanced at a shirtless Tobias through my laptop.

"Not at all." I rushed out and he smirked. "I'll leave you two to continue whatever it is you have started." He said and walked out the door.

I ran my hands over my face. "Toby! He's probably going to think the worst of this situation now." Tobias shrugged nonchalantly and arched a brow. "Who's he anyway?"

"My mum's fiance."

"Your mum is getting remarried?" He asked bewilderment evident on his face. "Yes she is." I shrugged taking a sip from the bottle of water beside me. "That's cool."

"So is there a girl?" I asked him and his smile dropped. "It's complicated, really." "Care to share?"

"Yeah. But can that be some other time? I need to go off now." "Sure. Have a nice time and send my regards to your mum and Kiki."

"I'm here." I heard a voice at the background. "Kiki!" She walked to the laptop and waved at me. "I'm sorry but this conversation won't be taking place. If I let you two start, it won't be ending any time soon." Toby said pulling his shirt back on behind his sister Kiki.

"I'll call you later Irene. The grumpy old man here doesn't want us to talk." She said, passed by Tobias and smacked his head and scurried away. "I'm coming for you." He said to Kiki and bade me goodbye and the line went dead.

I picked up my phone to go through my social media page as I hadn't gone online since the previous night. I had been watching movies on my laptop all day.

I checked the time and it was already some minutes to six pm. I unlocked the phone and immediately I got a message. I tapped on the message icon and my heart started racing as I read the message.

Your death is hovering around you and it'll get to you soon.

It was my anonymous stalker that had sent the message. I became conscious of my surrounding. I was being watched but by who? Could it be Osaze who doesn't like my guts? No, Osaze wouldn't stoop that low. Would she?

It was like my hands had a mind of their own as they typed speedily and only after the message had been sent did I become conscious of myself.

Can we meet up at the beach?

The reply came almost immediately.

Sure, I'll be there in fifteen minutes.

I got down from the bed, limped to my walk in closet and wore a white turtle neck sweater with a pair of black booty shorts. With my phone in my hands, I limped down the stairs quietly so as to get out of the house without anyone stopping me and when I say anyone, I meant Mayowa.

I managed to slip out of the house and my driver was currently driving me to the beach. Seated in the car watching the streets get darker, I became really nervous, conscious of what I was wearing, what my hair looked like and I took a quick lance as myself through the rearview mirror. All good. And most of all, I was bothered about what Theodore would think.

Girl you're whipped. My subconscious chipped in again and I could have sworn I heard it laugh maniacally.

Oh shut it!

My heart raced a notch faster as we arrived at the beach and I stepped down from the car and watched my driver, Mr Sunday drive away.

The beach was quite scanty as it was already dark. I didn't get any special attention either as the result of the dimness of the whole place.

I limped slowly to nowhere exactly as I scanned the area in search of Theodore and when my eyes landed on him, I drew in a breath.

Oh boy!

He was draped in a pair of black shorts and a black vest with his hair in a cute tight bun showing forth his ears that were gleaming with the diamond he wore.

Theodore had piercings? Oh my Lord!

And as if aware I was staring so much, his eyes slowly met mine and at that moment, I felt my whole body on fire.

*
Dayuuum! 🔥

And our dear Irene is officially whipped.

So what do y'all think of KayCee?
I'm beginning to love TY and Ola's ship. Who's with me?

So please drop your thoughts in the comment section and vote for this chapter.

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Expect me back here soon 😉

Word count: 2979