"ehn?! Na lie!" Karen shouted.

Mona raised a brow upon hearing her voice. I sat up from my slouched position and placed my book aside. I'd been reading nonstop as the final exams were fast approaching. We had not gone on a mid term break because of the tight schedule and late resumption. The test had come quickly and unexpectedly the week before and the announcement that exams were in two weeks had pushed me to read more.

Glory Fashina dashed out of the yellow house, Temi and Morayo were hot on her heels. They approached Mona's corner, panting and excited.

"you people. Who's finer in Michael and Tobi?" Morayo blurted.

Mona raised a brow. "Michael frying pan face?"

I burst into silent laughter as I jabbed her. Mona broke into laugh. "what? Is not true? He has this kind of... Pan looking face. I didn't say he's not fine."

I shook my head lightly. "why are you asking sef? "

"we're seeking top five finest boys for set."

"and Michael is among?"

"yes, is he not fine?" Glory queried, now looking perplexed.

Moray laughed. "no!"

I zoned them out completely but they were persistent. "OK. This is the top five o."

I looked up to see Karen now standing there, smiling broadly and speaking. Karen? ".....Toby, Fuhad, Michael, John and Ibrahim."

Mona opened her mouth agape, she shifted her book aside and focused on them. "wait. Your list has some k-legs and crooked nose. You didn't add Ehis. Forget that he's a nerd, he's hot and fine. You didn't add Jerome...."

"ehn?! Nobody is talking about him o. He's just fair. If you look at him well, if he's dark hell be ugly." Mirabel, the assistant head girl shouted from my corner. She was reading partners with my bunkmate.

Mona looked towards her. "Madam Deputy. Have you looked in the mirror, imagine that you're fair. You'd look like that troll in Merlin." Mona winked to lighten up her insult. "OK. My point is.. We shouldn't be judged based on the skin colour. If you're fine, you're fine. There's nothing like if. Jerome is fine. Let's face it. Stop imagining him to be dark. It's not his colour."

"he's not that fine to me o." Morayo called. "OK. Ehis is finer. But he doesn't do well to bring out himself."

"he's on the low. Thank you."

"Well, I personally think Jerome is finer than Michael. But he doesn't make the list though. Dandy is finer and has a good body. He makes the list before both Michael and Jerome." I piped in.

They all exchanged looks, weighing my words.

"no o. No. Jerome is way finer than Dandy...."

"I heard my baby's name!" Betty walked through the threshold demarcating Sapphire house from Topaz house. She was dressed finely in her red checked gown and her perfect gold coloured slippers. Jerome's babe. She smiled dazzlingly at us and raised a brow. "Jerome what? "

"Jerome looks like a fucking chimpanzee," Mona said dryly. "now can you shift so your elders can discuss."

Betty bent and tapped her head lightly. Mona withdrew with a light laughter. She always did that, hide insults with dazzlingly smiles and hysteric laughter. I couldn't help but laugh too.

*******

Jerome smiled as my hands grazed his softly, tightening the watch around his wrists. The moment it was done, I patted him softly. "all good."

"thank you." he flashed me a smile and sighed in content. "I spoke to Tobi on Friday. He sends his greetings."

I almost never really thought about him. Scarcely, I did and I felt bad for not thinking about him enough. I sighed and looked away. Jerome's biceps brushed lightly against my shoulder. We were standing on the corridor, shoulder to shoulder, looking at the blank wall before us. It was comfortable, standing like that with him and talking about random things. This particular position was becoming something I was used to. We'd stand, tease, talk and laugh. There was so much about him that I didn't know I'd end up knowing. Sometimes Afam would be with us, they'd both tell me their childhood stories or something about where they both live. They'd tell me minor things, I'd watch them size up girls and feel self conscious. How we'd gotten to this position, I had nothing idea. And all of a sudden, Betty would walk up and drag him away. I'd feel cold for a while and then I'd walk into class and brush it off. I often went to his class, I'd sit with Jacqueline and pretend to be there for her. I was really there to see if Jerome would come and talk to me. Sometimes he did. Most times, he'd just wave or ignore me.

"how are you prepping for exams. I hate exams."

I laughed. "do you even read?"

"not always. Not really."

"maybe if you read your step out of average." I don't know why I said that, I don't know why, but I did. Jerome wasn't the best in his class, he was an average student. He was OK, just OK. I didn't mean to throw it at him.

"not every one can top the class even if they read the same way. Nothing is equal."

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to say it that way."

"I read with Tobi. We read the same way. He encourages me to read and I think that's the most influential part of our friendship. But he is above average, I'm not. We're not the same."

"I wasn't comparing you to anyone. "

He cocked his head to look at me. "really? Cause it felt like that."

"I wasn't I just said that. I'm sorry."

"yeah. It's not the first Tobi gets to beat me in something."

"you have nothing rivalry issues with him. You both are OK the way you are."

He shrugged and said nothing else. I felt bad. It was as though I'd just said Tobi was better. But did that mean that he got that statement A lot? That was stupid, I never even implied such. Jerome was insecure when it came to Tobi and it made me wonder why.

"you didn't come to church yesterday." I blurted. I was apparently trying to clear the air

He hissed lightly. "guy, church doesn't always do me. But I try na."

I scrunched my lips. "hmm... How many times have you come this term."

"like two times."

"and that's an achievement?"

"yes.."

"na so." I nodded sarcastically.

He nudged me. "ah na, but seriously o. I come to church. "

"OK. On Sunday I'd check for you."

"since you'll be looking for me, I'd be there." he smiled finely, making sure that it reached his eye. I loved that he was smiling at me. His eyes were solely on me as he smiled, sealing his promise. He'd be there because I'd be looking for him.

The moment broke. Not by the young French teacher who came to paste the exam timetable, no. It was by the boy who now stood before us smiling, his cheeks looked fatter, he had his school uniform on and the expensive waft of the Red Diamond perfume he had on filled out nostrils. It was his dimple I saw and then his eyes and the him. Him.

"Holy fucking no!" Jerome screamed. "my guy!"

I stood there, frozen. A small smile on my lips and my eyes as wide as saucers. I couldn't believe it myself. Where had he come from. I moved slowly. He jumped as Jerome pulled him up and down, dragging and hugging him. But his eyes remained on me. I couldn't believe it. Toby was back. What was going on?

********

Toby is back. Yaaaay!

P. S. Do you think Jara has progressed?