KEMI

The new boy was entirely different from what I had expected, the boy was a beautiful and charismatic young man.

Don't ask how I had come to such a conclusion within few hours of meeting him,you'll know what I'm talking about.

I glanced at Nene as stood up and scurried away from the new boy and out of class entirely, "She is always like that"

I comforted the new boy who still had his eyes on her disappearing figure, that is what Nene does to you, you get curious about who she is in her shell and she just amuses you in an annoying way, may I add.

"Is she?" The new boy turned his attention back to me and flashed a smile that released a whole lot of butterflies in my belly, boy was he charming.

"Thank you again for the directions you gave me earlier today, who knew we'd be in the same class" He said.

"It's nothing" I pushed it away with a smile, although it was far too stretched for a smile, seeker's god, I was swooning for this fine wine.

"Kems, I'm outside Sha" Efua passed me a knowing look before adding,

"Welcome again to BHS" to the new boy.

He grinned, "and thank you again, Efua"

She smiled and headed out of class.

I knew Efua was favorable of the new boy which was surprising, given that she was not easy to please or a people's person either... He even remembered her name from when she had introduced herself to him earlier which is impressive if you ask me.

"You both are best friends, I guess?" The new boy put his books away and began packing his bag, he still had his attention on me.

"Not entirely, but something like that shaa, she was my first friend when I first arrived at this school " I would have given him the words of encouragement of how to blend in over such a short period of time, but it would be useless, seeing he had it in his palm.

"You transferred here too?" He asked.

"My JSS 3, yes·"

"Wow" He just said.

I stood up and tucked my notebook into my bag and pushed Efua's bag to my own chair where my bag sat too.

"My guy!"Malik swirled to the new boy's side, and with ease they exchanged handshakes.

"Kems, how far" Malik winked at me and I returned a good natured laugh.

"I'm good" I said, "see you around Sean" and I hurried to meet up with Efua, the girl would eat me alive for keeping her waiting.

I could hear Malik's chatter with Sean, the new boy and the new boy was listening with attention.

It made sense now. The boy just had a way of making people confortable around him by giving them the attention they so wanted, he made you feel like his entire being is interested in whatever you had to say. I liked it.

"Liking the new boy, are we?" A low murmur swept accros my ear as Efua snaked her hand around my neck, when I hurriedly fell into steps with her.

"Who? Me?" I feigned ignorance.

"You are too accepting of people" Efua sniffed.

I'm not, but she doesn't know that.

"I'm not, and unrelated though but everyone deserves a chance, don't you think?"

"Abeg, abeg, abeg ooo" Efua rolled her eyes and hissed playfully. "Don't start that with me right now ooo"

"Pele o" I grinned.

"Kemi, how far" Biodun or something greeted and I returned it back.

"I have gist for you Shaa" Efua poked me with her side causing me to laugh. We headed to the library, I always escorted her to the library to conduct her final supervision before I did the final general supervision with Leo.

"You don't mean it" I laughed and she began to download everything for me as we walked to the library block,

I liked the playful and talkative Efua, I liked how the sky was bright, I liked how things were, if only it would stay the same way.

I and Efua talked as we helped the librarian fix the used books back into their designated shelf's, talking about everything and nothing and that was how time had slipped rapidly without our consent.

"Done" Efua ticked off the last book that I fixed on a shelf.

"Finally" I dusted my hands by clapping them together several times. "Ice will kill me, if he does the final inspection by himself"

That earned an eye roll from Efua, "Sometimes, I wonder how someone can ever be that serious, like..." She trailed off. We walked  away from the shelves and towards the reading area where we had dropped our bags on the chairs.

"What marvels me is how that trio is able to remain friends even despite their disparities, what happened to 'birds of the same feathers flock together?'" I piped as we picked our bags.

"Do you get?" Efua slung her bag over her shoulder and poked at me to prove her excitement.

"Maybe it's because they are boys"Efua shrugged and I slung my own bag on my shoulder and we headed towards the librarian's office to inform him that we were leaving.

"As how na" I scoffed.

"As if it were girls now, they will not eat themselves up? Our gender is too problematic abeg"

"There are still good female circles out there, yunno" I smiled.

"Like Skye and her geng bah? Too real!" I could feel the sarcasm dripping from this statement by Efua, but she only earned a shrug from me.

Efua blew a sigh of resignation, "Trust you to see the good in others all the damn time, this your good heart go land you for soup ohhh"

"It' not like that" I laughed.

Our conversation halted as we approached the librarian's office, at the far end of the library.

"Sir" We greeted in unison.

"Ehen, you children are done with your work ehn?" He asked.

"Yes sir, we are taking our leave now sir." Efua smiled at the man.

Efua was fond of Mr Babatunde who was a man in his early 50's. He was an enigma of wisdom, if you ask me; I can swear that the man was present during the Civil war, because his foresight and wisdom comes with this faraway look and charisma that reminds me of characters from 'Half of a yellow sun', or something.

"Okay, be careful" He finally looked up from the book he was buried in, he poked his slim framed glasses that sat lazily on his nose closer to his eyes and glanced at me. "Especially you, Kemi".

Weird.

One reason, I wasn't comfortable with this man sometime, he gave me chills.

"Yes Baba"Efua smiled and dragged me along with her and exited the library.

"What was that?" I scrunched my face at Efua, rubbing my arms to ease the goosebumps that crawled up on my skin.

"Just one his moods, you know how Babatunz can get" She nudged me.

I knew but, all along, Babatunde never warned me of anything, I heard his intuitions were always right or something, I refuse to believe in superstitions right now but it can't be helped.

I went separate ways with Efua and headed to join  Leo finish up the inspection I was guessing he was already on.

After we were done, Mum had already come to pick me from school, and I was so glad to get into the Aircon car, lean against the seat beside my mum and think about the beautiful new boy, or stoic faced Leo or even the weird Nene Coker.

Mum's voice intercepted my thoughts, "Be fast, you know we have a guest at home".

I glanced up to see that she was talking to Dayo who nodded at her before facing the steering again.

"We have a guest?" I turned to Mum, who gave me a knowing look.

She looked away, a smile on her face when she said, "mhh, you might be happy to see him sef"

"Him?" I asked, my curiosity peaked up, who could that be? I tried searching my memory but I came up with nobody.

"Mum?" I blinked my eyes pleadingly at her. "Spill!"

"Nuh uh! You will see for yourself"Mum just chuckled and leaned back to shut her eyes, a very fond habit of hers.

I anticipated our return home, it was rare to see mum excited to meet a guest and so the rest of the ride was me trying to find who the mystery person could possibly be.

.....

When our car drove into the courtyard, I caught a tall figure standing before our house, leaning on the pillar at the side, I blinked my eyes and tried to remember. That figure was a little familiar — not a little, it was so much familiar but I couldn't see the face clearly.

When Dayo came to a stop before the house, I  stepped out of the car with mum, and Dayo swerved the car to pack in the garage.

I turned to face the house while adjusting my school bag on my shoulder and what I saw next plunged my heart into a pounding mess.

He was standing there, in his tall refined glory, all bucked up and handsome, clean and kept; he smiled at Mum.

"Long time no see, Auntie"

He turned and his eyes met mine, "Kiki"

My heart sank.