(030a - On a Date Part 1)

Happy New Year Mi Familia🎊🎉🥳

Important Notice

So in the last update, I realized that some of you guys were kinda bashing Gigi for not acknowledging Semeeha. I'm not supposed to say anything and let you guys keep assuming but let me just put it out here.

Gigi actually has nothing personal against Semeeha. They didn't have a fight or a clash sometime in the past. As a person, you might not want to talk to or want to be friends with certain people because of certain behaviors, characters and attitudes they exhibit and that's exactly what Gigi feels about Semeeha. It's just normal human nature.

Some of you were also saying Gigi should have at least said hello to her instead of ignoring her, but the truth is, Semeeha ignores a whole lot of people in their class. Gigi didn't even ignore her. If she was ignoring Semeeha, she would have completely acted like she wasn't there even after Kizito pointed her attention to her presence.

Remember when Semeeha outrightly disregarded Adela and Sochima (Chapter 14 and 19 respectively), or when her fans were greeting her and she acted like they weren't even there. Now you see that Gigi only gives her the taste of her own medicine. Besides, they have never spoken to each other before, so why start now?

Sha Sha, they'll still talk to each other... basically because of Kizito anyway. But you now understand that Gigi isn't a bad person. She's just wired like every one of us.

I'm talking too much. Go ahead and read biko 🤣.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

𝐃𝐀𝐖𝐍
(Dawn Damipe Dayo)

"This is the last day before you go on your mid-term break, guys." Our CRS teacher, Mrs. Teniola began, her lips stretching in a bright smile when the entire class erupted in cheers, claps, and catcalls. I laughed heartily, beating my pen gently against my desk.

Finally! We all need the few days of rest. I thought to myself.

The mid-term break after the first test was something that was well earned in Crestview. Unlike most schools that still heap their students with assignments during their break, Crestview made sure no teacher gave us anything. They wanted us to rest our brains.

Sir Isaac's words this morning, not mine.

"I want to commend everyone for a job well done in the past test." She continued, "Nobody failed the CRS test, though some of you could have done better. Which is why we are going to have a quiz real quick." She dropped the bombshell.

"Argh!" Everyone lamented, the class breaking into murmurs and whispers of disapproval. I hissed lowly.

So much for allowing our brains to rest. I rolled my eyes.

"Calm down, Calm down," Mrs. Teniola tried to quiet the rowdy class down. "It's not a test or anything, it's a fun quiz between the boys and the girls. We already did it in Art Class D and they enjoyed it. You guys like that sort of thing." She clarified.

The murmurs and whispers of disapproval seized immediately, replaced with noises of approval and loud bangs against the desks. My lips turned back up in a smile and I nodded.

Now, that's more like it. I thought to myself.

Quizzes like this constantly were one of the many things that made Art class fun. Besides, it's very educative because people won't easily forget. And again, I'd give anything to beat the boys for once in this quiz. CRS was my major, but Chima was a genius who didn't need a major to be the best.

Yes, I really like him... but I gats take him down. Today is the day.

As if I knew I was thinking about him at that moment, just as Mrs. Teniola was explaining how the quiz would go, I felt his gaze peering at my back. Automatically, my lips stretched in a smile, still beating my pen against my desk. I wanted to focus on what Mrs. Teniola was saying but all I could hear coming from her lips were mumbles of words,

Just because Sochima Johnson was staring at me.

This boy. I sighed, the smile still playing on my lips.

We have gotten close since the night of the party after I made that decision not to avoid him or push him away again. Since that day, he hasn't given me any reason to regret I made that decision. Even though it has been only two weeks and a few days and it seems a rather short time to judge, everything in me told me I made the best decision.

He makes me so happy. Happier than I have been in a while.

I could still feel him looking at me, staring at me like he always does. After willing myself severally not to turn my head to meet his eyes, trying to still focus on bits and pieces of what Mrs. Teniola was saying, I failed woefully at my task and found myself propping my chin in my palm, before turning my head slightly to look at him.

He was staring all right. Intently if I might add, with that smile playing on his lips. That warm and charming smile that he always had on, directed at me.

"What?" I mouthed, unable to stop the smile that tugged at the corners of my lips. He shook his head, mouthing back the word nothing, but still kept his gaze steadily on me, his lips in a lopsided grin.

He knew what he was doing. It was like this boy was created to distract me.

I quickly turned back to the teacher before she caught me staring at Chima, but I could still feel him staring at me. After making sure Mrs. Teniola wasn't looking at my side, I picked my phone from the table and opened my WhatsApp to text him.

Me.
Stop staring at me, Chima🙄.

He was watching me so he must have deduced that it was him I was texting. I felt his eyes leave me for a moment and glanced back in time to see him picking his phone. I watched his lips stretch further in a smile, indicating that he had read my message, and looked away right before he could look up to see me watching him.

At that same moment, my phone made a sound and I picked it up. He had replied.

Chima❤️✨
Why? Am I distracting you, Dawn?

I couldn't stop the small chuckle that escaped my lips, slightly shaking my head as I typed back.

Me.
We are in class! We could get caught!🙉.

I sent it. In a nanosecond, I got a reply back. Wondering how fast he was typing, I opened the message.

Chima❤️✨
But you texted me first. Not that I'm complaining though 😌.

Le sigh!

That's what I thought because I couldn't think of what to say again. My phone made a sound again and I checked. Chima had sent another message.

Chima❤️✨
Besides, you make it quite hard not to stare at you. You are Beautiful, Dawn Damipe Dayo. I don't mind reminding you every second.

Oh, God...

I sighed, feeling my heartbeat accelerating a tad faster than it was already beating. There was no way he can convince me that he doesn't have his way with words because he does. He always knew what to say at every given moment, and how to say them. It was as if his lips, his tongue were bridled specially for words that can make a girl swoon.

Words that can make me swoon.

He might be texting them but I could literally hear him say those words in my head. It felt like he was behind me right now, whispering them into my ear... his breath tickling the sensitive skin behind. Just the mere thought of it caused goosebumps to sprout on my skin. I had to bite down against the corner of my lower lip to stop me from smiling too hard.

But it was a futile effort because I was smiling so hard!

I couldn't stop myself from peering over my shoulder again to look at him. His eyes were glued to his phone, tapping his fingers on the screen as if he was waiting for me to reply to the message he sent. But like he felt my gaze on him, his fingers stopped tapping and his head rose immediately, his eyes meeting mine.

The wide, toothy grin that followed right after, stretching at the corners of his lips made my smile widen even more. It also made me notice something. Sochima called me beautiful, but he probably hasn't seen himself in the mirror while smiling.

His smile was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. A smile that made his face glow, that seemed to light up everything and everywhere around him. His smile literally made my heart swell in my chest. I could watch him smiling for an entire day and not get tired.

That was the kind of effect he had on me.

"Dawn! Sochima!"

Mrs. Teniola's voice alerted me back from where my mind had drifted off to. My head swerved back to its right position, looking at the woman standing in front of the class. She kept alternating her gaze between Chima and me, and I knew she had caught us.

As if that wasn't enough, I could feel the entire class looking at me, at us. Even my seat partner, Isimeme was trying so hard not to laugh. He must have peeped at the text messages Chima and I were exchanging.

We are screwed.

I cleared my throat, trying to act as nonchalant as I could but was failing woefully. In this situation, I couldn't even look back to see what kind of expression Chima had on his face, but I could imagine.

He probably had a knowing smirk playing on his lips, fully aware that he had been caught red-handed and there was no need to try to salvage anything.

While I was still trying too hard to keep an unbothered expression, Chima obviously didn't care that we had been caught.

And he's the one that caused all this o.

"When the both of you are done staring and smiling at each other, please come back to class. Thank you."

The Teacher said with a teasing and knowing smile playing on her lips. The entire class burst out in laughter, knowing exactly what she was talking about. Isimeme's laugh was the loudest of all as he had watched every single thing play out, his hands hitting the table.

I felt my cheeks heat up all the way to my ears as I buried my head against my desk in utter embarrassment.

Jesus...

As if that wasn't enough, I glanced back only to see Chima's lips still tugged in a smile, clearly not finding the entire situation embarrassing at all. If anything, he looked like he was enjoying himself.

Then his eyes met mine again and he winked.

He flipping winked!

This boy!

"Sorry ma," I found myself apologizing, even though I was sure she didn't hear me because of the sudden rowdiness of the class.

"Quiet down class," Mrs. Teniola called out and the noise reduced. When she looked to my side again, that teasing smile still playing on her lips, I knew she wasn't done with us yet.

Oh boy, is she going to punish us?

"Since the both of you decided not to pay attention when I was talking, you will be the ones to head the groups." She said and I sighed in relief. This wasn't exactly a punishment.

"Dawn, you'll be the spokesperson for the girls, and Sochima, you'll be the spokesperson for the guys. So, the winning or losing of your team solely rests in your hands. Do you understand?" She asked and I nodded, didn't have to look back to know Sochima had done the same.

This was the opportunity I needed to finally beat Chima in a quiz. Again, I like him. I really, really like him but abeg, just once na. Let me beat him just once.

We divided ourselves with the rows of seats in the class. There were four rows. The girls took the first two rows while the guys took the other two, with Chima and I sitting at the front. Even though I could feel his eyes on me, I decided not to look at him... or at least, I tried not to.

Before daughter of Zion gets distracted again and can't answer her questions.

I am daughter of Zion. Daughter of Zion is me.

"I have questions from number one to twenty, which means ten questions each for you guys." Mrs. Teniola began and we all kept quiet, listening to her. She turned to Sochima and me. "Each question carried five marks. If you cannot answer one question in sixty seconds, it will be passed as a bonus to the other team. I believe that's fair."

I nodded while Chima muttered, "yes ma".

"You have the luxury to ask your classmates for help if you cannot answer any question. Dawn, you can ask any of the girls to help you. Sochima, you can ask any of the guys. Is that clear?"

I'm sure Sochima wouldn't need any help. I thought to myself.

Mrs. Teniola asked one guy to volunteer to be the timekeeper and a girl to record the scores. Efe came out as the timekeeper while Kosi volunteered to record the scores.

"Are you ready?" She asked. Some of us nodded I'm affirmation while others muttered yes. "Who will like to go first? Guys or Girls?" She asked again. Choruses rang out across the classroom, guys saying the ladies should go first and the girls saying the guys should go first.

This time, I had to look at Chima and found him already looking at me, that lopsided grin playing on his lips.

"Ladies first," He whispered, quirking his eyebrows slightly... attractively.

Jesus, your daughter is already getting distracted.

I quickly looked away.

"Ladies will go first," I called out, trying to be as loud as possible so that the noise wouldn't overshadow my voice. Mrs. Teniola caught that and smile, nodding.

"Pick a number from one to twenty," She said when the class quieted down, replaced with a pin drop silence. I exhaled, my palm suddenly feeling sweaty.

"Number five," I answered.

"Number five," The teacher mused, looking through her list of questions. "Okay, this is a simple one." She smiled. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

All questions are simple until we fail.

"What was the core of Saul's disobedience that made God punish and reject him?" She asked and I sighed. It was actually a very easy one, and the sigh of relief that came from the girls behind him told me I wasn't the only one who thought that

"Okay," I drawled, then cleared my throat. "So the entire gist of Saul's disobedience is that he defiled God's instructions. He was told to kill all the Amalekites and not leave a soul, but he spared Agag, the king of Amalek, and reserved the animals he wanted for himself." I rapped out in one breath.

"That's correct!" Mrs. Teniola shouted and girls screamed in excitement, hitting their hands on the table. Some even went ahead to start mocking the boys, boasting that we would win.

When I looked at Chima, he was still staring at me, a lazy smile playing on his lips. I could stop the smirk of pride that stretched across my lips, and shrugged, silently telling him that I was ready for him. He got the message loud and clear, chuckling as he finally looked away.

Don't get too cocky, Dawn. He's a genius, remember.

"That's five marks for the girls." Mrs. Teni said when the commotion had died down. "Guys, pick your number."

"Twenty," Chima answered and I looked at him again. This time, he wasn't looking at me. He had his eyes on the teacher. I felt my lips form into a pout

Why did I feel somehow that he wasn't looking at me again?

Shebi, you are the one that said he is distracting you? My subconscious reminded me. My pout deepened.

I got what I asked for, didn't I.

"Ah, you picked a very easy one." She said, chuckling afterward. "Where did Jesus Christ heal the man who had been lame for thirty-eight years?"

Mrs. Teniola was right. That question was an easy bonus with one simple answer. But well, Chima didn't make the answer as simple as everyone expected.

"Jesus healed the lame man on a sabbath at Bethesda, specifically at the pool of Bethesda by the Gate in Jerusalem."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes again, but I couldn't stop the smile that tugged against my lips.

Show off! He could have just simply said Bethesda.

"Igi Iwe!" Isimeme suddenly shouted and the guys took it up, hailing Chima and singing his praises. Even most of the girls went Hmmmn, Sochima don't finish us o! followed by fits of giggles.

At that point, I couldn't even fight the urge anymore. Even though Chima only smiled and looked away from them without saying a word, I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes. I rolled it so hard, it almost fell off.

Is that jealousy I sense? My subconscious mocked me and I pouted again. I'm not jealous jhor.

I looked at Chima again, this time finding his eyes back on me. A small, amused smile was playing on his lips and I needed no one to tell me that he had been watching all the expressions I had on my face, reading them... interpreting them. The amused smile told me he had interpreted them perfectly.

With mock spite, I mouth the words you are proud to him, and he laughed. A loud, hearty laughter that was drowned by the rowdiness of the class. I rolled my eyes at him but still smiled.

"Alright. Settled down, settle down." Mrs. Teni called out to quiet down the class. "Let's continue."

The quiz went on, with Chima and I going back and forth with the answers. At the end of the day, we were tied because none of us missed a question. The guys had fifty marks and the girls also had the same. The fact that there was no winner or loser made me even more nervous.

We needed a tiebreaker question.

"This is a tiebreaker question." Mrs. Teniola started, "Whoever answers this question first between the both of you in the space of twenty seconds will be the winner." She explained.

I exhaled deeply. Chima on the other hand looked very relaxed like he was ready to win this quiz. It was nothing personal... but I want to win.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, ma." We chorused.

"The triumphant entry was the fulfillment of a prophecy foretold by which prophet?" She asked.

The class went dead silent after that because the question was almost a trick one. I had the answer at the tip of my tongue. I knew the answer but then, I didn't want to jump into answering it, just in case I was wrong.

"Shebi it's the prophet Isaiah?" One of the girls sitting behind me, Dorathy asked, trying to confirm with her friends. Most of the prophecy foretold about the new testament was by Prophet Isaiah, so most people might think that was probably the answer.

"No, I don't think it's prophet Isaiah." Her friend, Bisola answered her. "I think it's Amos o, abi?" She also wasn't sure. Those two were not even the answers on my tongue, but the guesses were beginning to confuse me.

"No no!" Beauty Idoma whispered harshly. "I think it's Elijah."

She sounded so certain of herself, but I couldn't help but roll my eyes for the second time today. Elijah never prophesied about Jesus or the new testament even. We might not have been taught but I knew my Bible that much. Besides, Sunday school shouldn't be missed. You never know what you gain.

But, it wasn't Beauty's certainty in the rubbish she said that even baffled me. It was the way Chima was quietly staring at me even when the boys were telling him to answer the question, telling him that time was going. He knew the answer. I could see it in his eyes that he did.

Why then was he very hesitant to answer?

"Chima, talk na!" One of the boys pressured him, followed by strings of pressured words from the other guys. He looked at me, his eyebrows slightly quirked as if to ask me why I wasn't speaking. I got confused.

Is he waiting for me to say the answer? I had to ask myself.

"Guy, how far you na." The boy pressured him again and he sighed, looking away from me to Mrs. Teniola who was waiting.

"The... prophet... that... prophesied..." Chima was talking extremely slow, taking his words in excruciatingly long drag, like he was buying time... for me.

"The... prophet..." He was even starting again, earning murmurs of disapproval from the guys, "that... prophesied... was... Z..." He only said the first letter, dragging it a bit. But, he said it so lowly that I could hear, confirming the answer that was at the tip of my tongue.

"Zachariah."

It took me a moment to realize that the person who had shouted the name loud enough for everyone to hear was me. Everyone stopped talking at once to look at me. Chima stopped trying to speak and looked at me, his head bobbed to the side with a sly smile playing on his lips.

It almost felt like He had done it on purpose.

"Repeat your answer, Dawn." Mrs. Teniola said, trying to confirm what I had said.

"Prophet Zachariah was the one who prophesied about the triumphant entry." I clarified, giving a more detailed answer.

"Correct!"

The girls went mad!

All of them, no exaggeration, screamed at the top of their voices like banshees, shaking the entire block to its foundation. I was so certain the entire senior school heard their screams, even all the way to Sir Isaac's office. Some even went ahead to climb on the chairs, dancing to whatever tune was playing in their head.

Art girls were abnormal breeds. In fact, art students, in general, weren't normal. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

I would have joined them in displaying madness but I couldn't, not when I was trying to figure out Chima had been so hesitant to answer the question even though he knew the answer.

Looking in his direction, I found him apologizing to his guys for not being fast enough. But, trust the guys not to take things personal. If I was the one that missed the question, I'm sure Beauty would have turned most of the girls against me.

When he was done apologizing to the guys, he also looked in my direction, his eyes meeting mine. He smiled and shrugged, a way of saying better luck next time for him. But I wasn't buying that.

He delayed the answer on purpose. He definitely did it on purpose.

When the bell for closing went off and Mrs. Teniola left the class, everyone went back to their class-designated seats including me. I began to pack most things from my locker into my bag, knowing that this was the last day before the mid-term break.

As I was doing that, I felt a presence behind me. His presence, actually. I didn't have to look behind me to confirm that he was the one. That strong, distinctively powerful aura was radiating from him and I could feel it all around me. My heart automatically began to beat fast.

What is it sef? Why can't my heart ever be still when he is around me?

I still comported myself even with my racing heart, kept doing what I was doing.

"Dawn..." He called softly behind me and I almost melted right there and then.

The way he calls my name.

"You hesitated on purpose." I cut him off, my voice as steady as I could get it to be.

Chima walked further to stand in my front and I glanced at him. He still had a smirk on his lips, a knowing one. He knew what I was talking about, but then he said,

"I don't know what you are talking about," He didn't even try to feign ignorance. His expression clearly told me he knew what I was saying. The fact that he wasn't even trying made it very funny for me. I couldn't stop the small chuckle that escaped my lips.

"Stop playing, Chima." I chided playfully and he laughed softly.

Then he crouched down to my position, so he could be on the same eye level as me. His eyes bored into mine with that hypnotic stare. I made to look away, but of course, he didn't let me, not when he was this close to me. His hand came to rest on my left cheek, to stop me from looking away from him.

"Have I ever told you... I really - really love it when you call me Chima." He whispered, his voice suddenly an octave deeper and huskier, it sent vibrations through my body.

Good Lord...

And as if that wasn't enough, he hadn't taken his hand off my cheek. His skin touching mine added to the way his voice made me feel, making me hot all over. Not just from the contact but also from embarrassment. Most of our classmates were still in class and they were all staring at us, watching us like we were acting some telenovela. I could feel their eyes digging holes into my skin.

Chima didn't seem to care though. He looked very comfortable in the position he was in.

"You people should not kill us with love o!" Someone screamed, making me even more embarrassed. Chima was obviously enjoying it because he smiled.

"What's all this oppression naw? It's not fair o." Another person shouted.

"These ones are just acting Zeeworld upandan. Well done o." Someone else said, eliciting laughs from the class.

I said they weren't normal. Now they have proven it.

I carefully took his hand away from my cheek and held unto to it before he could think of putting it somewhere else, like around my waist. I knew holding Chima's hand in mine would be interpreted in another way by my classmates but I ignored their banters.

"Why did you lose on purpose?" I asked again, bringing the topic back to the original. He sighed but smiled, shrugging.

"A way of apologizing for almost getting you into trouble." He answered. My eyebrows quirked in question, wondering why he had gone to that length. He could have simply apologized. I wasn't even mad at him.

I could never be mad at Chima.

"So you decided to lose for the entire team, as a way of apologizing for almost getting me into trouble? That's a lot, Chima. Besides, I wasn't even angry with you." I told him and he shrugged again, still smiling.

"Now that you put it that way, I kinda went too far," He chuckled between his words and I smiled, muttering you think?. But he shrugged, not looking fazed still. "But we all do strange things for someone we like, don't we?" He asked rhetorically, his head bobbing to the side as he peered at me.

I rolled my eyes.

"I don't think I'll ever do something strange for you, Chima." The words came out of my mouth before I could rethink them a second time. Chima positioned his head back to his position as he peered at me, his eyes widened slightly in shock.

It was at that moment I realized what I had said.

"So you do like me." He noted in a whisper, the shock gone from his face and replaced with a teasing look I was more than familiar with. His lips were quirked in a lopsided grin, his eyes peering straight into mine. I chuckled, shaking my head.

No, I wasn't going to deny it.

"I thought we already established that fact, Mr. Ansel," I whispered back, keeping my eyes pinned on him. Calling him Mr. Ansel must have struck some sort of cord in him because he looked surprised... and fascinated.

But that look dissipated and was replaced with another look. A deeper, more impassioned look at legit set my entire body on fire.

"Mr. Ansel, uhn?" His voice had gotten deeper again, causing me to exhale shakily.

He leaned back and peered at me, his eyes giving me a slow and precise once-over. He was taking his time to look at me. The kind of look that would leave heaps of goosebumps and hot flames on every exposed skin his eyes meet.

Then a lip bite. Chima was actually biting his lower lips, his eyes coming back to rest on mine.

Damn.

The look he had on was enough to turn any girl on.

I have to run!

I quickly averted my gaze from his and stood up with my already packed bag, "I have to go meet the girls. We are going home together." I told him, not waiting for a reply before I made my way out of the class and into the hallway.

And of course, Chima followed me.

"Dawn, wait." He called, quickly dashing in front of me to stop me from walking any further. I stopped walking and looked at him, before looking around the rowdy hallway. People were still walking around. Some in groups, gisting about something.

I looked back at Chima and found him looking at me still. We were standing closer to each other, almost touching bodies. It made our height difference even more obvious. He was a good six feet plus and I was five feet five inches. In all honesty, I kinda liked the way I'd have to crane my head up to look at him.

All girls like tall guys anyway.

"I want to ask you something," He whispered, after a moment of abstract and comfortable silence.

"What?" I asked. I expected him to go ahead and just ask me what he wanted to ask me. What I didn't expect however was him reaching out to take both of my hands in his.

My eyes widened in mortification. We were standing in the middle of the hallway, where most of our set mates were. With the way Chima was holding my hands, in the space between us, no one could easily tell what he was doing. But those standing close to us could see everything. I could hear the indistinct whispers.

I might act like I don't care what my set mates thought of me anymore. But truth be told, I actually do care.

Being the center of attention as a dancer was one thing I could handle, but being the center of attention because of a guy was something I wasn't sure I could handle anymore. The last time it happened, it didn't end well.

"Chima..." I gasped, looking around us again. Most people were still minding their business but the ones closest to us were looking, watching. "They are looking," I whispered, fidgeting.

"Let them look, I don't care," Was his simple, straightforward answer. "And neither should you," He whispered. I took in a shaky breath, looking around again.

"Dawn, look at me." He said quietly, his voice coming out like a breath. I turned my head and looked at him, my eyes meeting his. "Focus on me, not them." He added, his voice calm and soothing like he was trying to calm me down.

"Relax," He breathed out, and I automatically dragged in a long, calming breath, still keeping my eyes on his. "I'm not going to hurt you." He whispered. I nodded, unable to form coherent words as his thumbs kept rubbing circles to the back of my palms, giving me tingles all over.

He said he wouldn't hurt me like he knew my fears. Like he could sense them, feel them. And all he had to do was speak, tell me to be calm and I was calm.

Where has this boy been all my life?

"W-What did you want to ask me?" I asked after gathering my words right. His lips stretched in a small smile when I said that, glancing down to our joined hands before looking back at me.

"It might be a little too early for this, but you know I don't waste time when I have my mindset at something." He said. I blinked repeatedly in confusion, causing him to laugh. "Don't worry, I'm not proposing... yet." He assured and I laughed.

"Then what are you trying to say?" I asked, urging him on.

"I want to take you out on a date." He deadpan and my mouth hung open like someone about to catch a fly.

He wants to take me out on a date. A Date!

"You want to take me out on a date," I repeated what he had said and he nodded, that extra confident smile playing on his lips. If he was nervous, he was doing a very good job at hiding it.

"Yeah, if that's okay with you."

Of course, it's okay with me! I've never been on a date before!

"Yeah, it's okay!" I squealed louder than I intended, not caring if anyone was still listening. Chima laughed, shaking his head slowly. I giggled, trying to tone my excitement down a notch. "It's Perfect," I whispered and he grinned, a wide grin that radiated nothing but excitement.

I felt he was even more excited than I was.

"I'm going to text you the details on Whatsapp," He informed me and I nodded. "And I'm going to call you," It sounded like he was promising.

"I'll be expecting," I answered and he grinned even wider if that was possible.

There was a call for those following the school bus that it was about to leave. Chima was one of them so he had to leave. He squeezed my hand gently before letting me go, promising again that he'd call me. I watched him walk away, a wide smile stretched over my lips. He occasionally turned to wave at me and I waved back before he was completely out of sight.

Sochima Johnsons made me so happy, so effortlessly.

I want to be with him, no more doubts.

"Look at you blushing like someone shot you with an overdose of Cupid's arrow." Hilary's teasing voice jerked me out of my reverie. It was then I noticed she and Semeeha were standing at either side of me in the now empty hallway.

"How long have you guys been standing here?" I had to ask. In fact, how long have I been standing here?

"Long enough," Was Semeeha's monotonous reply and I looked at her, wondering why she sounded so bored and uninterested in whatever.

Semeeha has been in a mood since the beginning of the week. And even after asking her severally, she said she was fine but was stressed about her upcoming photoshoot during the mid-term break. I guess she was still in that mood.

"Long enough to see both of you holding hands in the middle of the hallway," Hilary explained even further, seeming more excited than Semeeha. My lips automatically quirked in a smile when she said that.

"He was asking me out on a date... and I said yes," I told them. While Semeeha still looked unbothered, Hilary's eyes went in a huge circle like frying pans.

"Oh wow!" She exclaimed. "Sochima doesn't waste time at all! I stan a guy that knows what he wants and goes for it. Super happy for you guys!" She threw her arms around me and pulled me into a bear hug and I laughed heartily, hugging her back. She was sounding even more excited than I was.

"You sound more excited than I am, sef." I voiced out my thought and she shrugged, still smiling.

"I'm just happy for you. The fact that you have decided to get out there again is very liberating. Besides, Sochima is a good guy and I can tell you are in good hands," She said.

My smile deepened in appreciation, glad that Hilary was being very supportive even with e everything going on with her. The therapy must really be working and I was happy for her too.

"Where is he taking you?" Semeeha suddenly asked after being silent for a while. I turned to her, shrugging.

"He didn't say but he is sending the details to me soon," I answered. Then, she scoffed. Semeeha scoffed. That usual scoff that always escaped her lips when she wasn't impressed with something. I tried not to roll my eyes.

What is it now?

"A little advice. Don't expect too much," She said. I heard Hilary sigh beside me but didn't say anything.

"Who says I was expecting too much?" I had to ask, folding my arms across my chest. Semeeha shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm just saying," She answered, shrugging again. "He's a scholarship student, which means he might not be able to take you to a place of your standard..."

"Semeeha!" Hilary chided, cutting her off. I on the other hand couldn't help but feel offended on Chima's behalf.

"Tell me Semeeha," I came in, looking at Semeeha. "Where exactly is a place of my standard? A five-star restaurant in Lekki crown? I really want to know, so tell me." I challenged her. She scoffed again but said nothing, muttering some incoherent words to herself.

"I was just saying, he won't take care of you the way you should be cared for..." She began to say again but I cut her off this time.

"Well, I don't need your unsolicited opinion, thank you." My voice came out harsher than intended, shocking her because of the way she looked at me with a mock amused look, a way of asking me if I was talking to her like that.

But I didn't care.

She indirectly insulted the guy I liked... the guy she knew fully well that I really liked. This same guy she told me the day we were getting ready for the party was a nice match for me. Now she was all about his scholarship status or his supposed inability to take care of me?

Because of what?

"For your information, I'm not with Chima for his money..."

"Or his lack of it, in this case," She audaciously cut me off rudely, insulting him again. She even dared to start laughing after what she said like it was funny. It made me so annoyed. Even Hilary was shocked.

I can't be around this kind of bad energy today. I thought to myself and started walking away.

"Semeeha, shut up." I heard Hilary snap at the darker girl behind me.

But Semeeha didn't stop laughing. I wanted to turn around and demand her to tell me what was funny in what she said. What she said was outrightly rude and uncalled for. She might be in a mood but that doesn't give her the right to talk trash about other people.

"Dawn, wait." I heard Hilary call from behind me.

"I don't want to see Semeeha right now," I said, descending the stairway that led downstairs.

"She's not with me, don't worry," Hilary said and I stopped walking, turning around to confirm for myself. Semeeha wasn't with her truly. "I left her there." She added.

"I don't want to talk about what she said either," I told Hilary, and she nodded in understanding.

"I understand. We are not going to talk about it. It's pissing me off too." She answered and I sighed, still feeling angry. "Let's just leave her and go home. You can stay at my place." Hilary offered, a small smile playing on her lips. I took in a deep calming breath and exhaled all the anger out before smiling and nodding at her.

"Okay," I whispered and she smiled back, looping her arm with mine so we could descend the stairs together.

Right now, it felt Hilary and Kizito were the only true and real friends I had. I've been trying to make excuses for Semeeha indirectly insulting me or anything that had to do with me. If it wasn't about me eating a lot of junks, it was about my body. Now, she had the guts to bring Chima into it... and even laughed about it.

One moment, she'd be praising and hyping me, making me feel good about myself. But another moment, she'd say awful things to me, all in the name of looking out for me or staying stupid facts.

Not anymore.

I'm not going to let her victimize me ever again.

I'm done making excuses for her.

𝐀/𝐍

I honestly didn't plan to write about Dawn's resolution not to take shit from Semeeha anymore in this chapter because I wanted to make it all about her and Chima. But oh well, it's actually long overdue.

Don't worry, we'll still get more of #Dachima in the next two updates. Yup, it's all about them on their first date 🌚. And also, this is where the awesome collab between me and lovetori_xo is coming in and I'm super excited!

Our baby Dawn and Mr. Ansel would be meeting Brother Acha and Sister Aurora in the next update. Are you ready?! Of course you are 😌.

I'm returning to Ibadan next week to continue my service year (I can't wait to finish in April 😑) but don't worry, I'll still make time to update. In the meantime, you know the drill 🌚. I'll see you when I see you❤️.