The field as usual was noisy, it was the evening after sports activities and prefects were to coordinate the students to pick the debris. I walked behind a set of J.S.S 3 girls and watched them pick.

"hey, Hulda! Pick that nylon paper behind you. " I'd say when they passed a dirt.  My mind was however far away. The days that had gone by had me feeling weird, like everything was changing and I wasn't. I had finally succeeded in getting Jerome and Betty to talk, asking Afam about Karen but my failure was finding out why Jacqueline behaved weird all of a sudden. Besides me, walking on the same lame as I was but not doing the same thing was Jerome, Betty, Lanre and Mona. Jerome had his hands shoved in the pocket of his plain black sports shorts. His white chase deer shirt was stained at the hem. Everything he wore was not of the school. I watched him laugh heartily at what Betty had said and then she hit his chest lightly, shaking her head. I looked away, feeling alone. I turned to my other side, Mona and Lanre were of similar height. Lanre was fair skinned, average heightened and Lanky. He had a smile I often thought was weird. He'd smile slowly then in a nanosecond he'd wipe it off. The hell was that? He smirked this time and Mona smirked too. In their relationship, I saw Mona as the bold one. She was too bold in fact and most times it seemed like she wasn't shy or fearful. I watched her poke her cheek and look away. Lanre groaned lowly then chuckled and eventually,he leaned in to kiss her cheek. She however did not let him do that. She shifted her cheek and let his lips kiss hers and just as he leaned in to intensify it, she big his chest and moved away.
"dude it's the field, we could get caught." she smirked.

I shook my head and looked away. Mona was a case. I felt a hand grip my shoulder. Karen.

"hey, you're just watching all these girls walk past dirt. I watched from the other end." she smiled.

These days, talking to Karen was weird. I always imagined she against the wall kissing Blacky fiercely.  I had always seen Karen as one of those girls who said 'I can't date till twenty, I want to face my education and blah.' but in the state I saw her in yesterday, I just kept imagining her all unruly. Karen was prim, proper and strict. She had often warded off boys, didn't like vulgar languages used in her presence and simply shoved her head in her book when mature things were being discussed and to top it all, she was the head girl. One of the most brilliant girls on school, chosen to lead us for all her worthiness. Now it all seemed weird and although I didn't want to judge her, it felt surreal. She was one of the holiest girls in our set!

That night,after night prep while we were washing in the borehole in front of the senior hostel, I brought up Karen.  Because somehow, I just needed to talk about it. It seemed weird and we'd all never really talked about it.

Ene smirked. "Zee wants to gossip. That's never a thing."

"I'm being serious. "

"I think he's just using her." Jacqueline shrugged, rubbing her hands together on the collar of her shirt.

We all turned to her. "why do you think Afam is using her. He's not that type of person. He'd never do that. " Mona defended. "if anything, I think he likes her."

Grace raised a brow. The lather had began to dry on her arm as she stood, staring at Mona. "you think he likes her?!  Are you for real? Afam is like a... I don't know how to put it. He's so world apart from Karen. They don't have any reason to cross paths. So how could he possibly fall for her. I think it's a bet situation and he's apparently winning."

"haba. Afam might actually like her. I mean he's not a Casanova. He doesn't have such history of playing girls. And Karen doesn't have such bad character that boys would actually think of plotting against her. She's cool headed and nice. And people respect her. So the whole bet thing is out of it."

But I had spoken to Afam, I had queried him about Karen and he claimed he liked her. But he had an uncertain smile on his lips and he couldn't quite meet her eye. He seemed uncomfortable with the question. His reaction could mean two things that were entirely different. He liked her but for personal reasons didn't want it to be out in the light or he was playing her and he was ashamed of it.

"....please. don't even say he can't play her. Jerome is his best friend remember!"

"..and so? I've watched them. Afam is the more sensitive one —"

As though cold water had been poured on her, Jacqueline stopped washing her socks and let it drop into the bucket filled with lather. "Ehn?! For where?  Jerome is more sensitive than Afam oh."

This time, I snapped. "repete? You say?! Jerome is more sensitive than Afam?!  That's a huge wacko response."

"calm down and listen. Jerome is nicer when it comes to girls. I know how many girls have confessed feelings to the both of them and I know how they both handle issues. Afam would say no straight away, he wont even look at your face. But Jerome would go easy. He'd be like.. 'you're a great person but... Blah blah.."

"babe you don't have a point. " I snorted. "of course Jerome would rather take his time to seduce them and give them high hopes. "

"can you guys just stop talking about them so loudly? It's embarrassing." Ene spoke sharply. "besides why would some girls tell boys they like them. That's absurd."

"says Who?" Mona raised a brow.

"says everyone. That's how it's supposed to be. The thought is sickening. It's like throwing away your dignity. It's just not normal."

"to me that stereotype is lame. After some women will come out and claim feminism. Let women do what men can do. Then how about we also tell boys we like them. What's the harm in that?"

Ene shook her head in disdain. "it's just somehow joor. It's a man's work."

"remember how I dated Ehis in S.S.S.one?" Mona asked all of a sudden.

We all nodded.

"well it started when I told him that I admired how focused he was in his studies and that I might actually have a crush on him. Remember I told him that?"

Only very few people knew. Ene wasn't included in the few people who knew. Initially, both she and Mona hadn't gotten along.

"sure, I remember that. And do you remember how that went about after you guys broke up?  His friends called you a slit for throwing yourself at him in the first place." Jacqueline snorted.

Mona looked at her dryly. "his friends, compared to him are illiterates. They live in the eighties. Ehis however didn't insult me or do all those immature things children do."

"but He told them that you had told him you like him right?" I inquired.

"of course he did. come on, do I keep any thing from you guys?! No. Surely he'd tell them. But if there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that he'd never be part of stupidity. He even apologized on their behalf. Besides Ehis has never lied to me. He wasn't a part."

I smiled slowly at her words. "Ehis has never lied to you? Is that how much you trust that dude?"

Mona shrugged. "I think that stuff about first love or so is true."

We all went silent. We had finished washing and we're now standing up, holding our buckets firmly as our clothes were inside. We all stood there, staring at Mona.

Grace broke the silence. "you still like Ehis?!"

Mona tilted her chin upwards. "maybe. I don't know. I just like seeing him once in a while and talking too. Is that bad? "

"it is! " I shrieked. "I thought you were getting cozy with Lanre?"

"I am. I just don't think I'd forget Ehis. He's very dear to me honestly. Lanre and I would be fine. I'm not going back to Ehis.. Geez, can you guys stop staring at me like that? I feel like one of those hoes Nicki Minaj shouts out to in her rap. "

Jacqueline nodded. "you're a stupid hoe!"

We all laughed. "you guys are incredible. From Afam and Karen love story to Jerome and Afams's sensitivity down to feminism and now Mona's hoe story." I laughed. Memories I'd wish went on and on.

"touche... I'd dig up your hoe story Zara. Give me till Monday."

*******

Grace placed her hand on her hip and whistled for a junior girl to come over. Glory sat beside me sipping from her brown mug. I stretched my legs on Grace's bed and yawned. She sent the girl to buy her bons. I stared at she arranged her locker after the girl ran off. Glory sat by my leg, smiling.

"you said you wanted to tell me something." I reminded her.

Glory smiled. "yes oh... It's good news."

Grace glanced at her briefly before folding her clothes in. I nodded at Grace to speak. "The local government chairman visited the principal and pleaded on the behalf of the boys.

Mona walked in, smiling. "hmm.. Those notorious boys. They might after all be saved. "

I sat up. "local chairman? He's pleading?"

Glory nodded like a Zee world character. "hmm hmm."

"be serious." I threw my bare foot down on the dirty floor.

"yes.. I'm serious. I heard it from V.P's secretary Aunty Shola." Glory shuffled her feet against the floor. I was already sitting at the edge of the bed. "the man was sent to plead on their behalf. People are saying that the principal respects him enough to let the boys back in."

The next day in the classroom and every where, it was the new gist. Everyone had heard it and everyone talked about it. Ene couldn't shut up and Glory was worse, she kept in calling out to Wole, saying she saw him returning to school.

For everyone, things got better. Karen and Afam continued in secrecy and occasionally, I caught them together. I still intervened when Betty and Jerome had unreasonable fights. Jacqueline was behaving oddly and Mona got along well with Lanre but I just couldn't help but see the glances she stole his way when she thought no one was looking. Not that she cared what anybody would think if they suspected she still liked him, I was just worried for her. Mona the spitfire.

****

There you have it. So quick question, asides from the three main characters, who's your favorite. I like somebody...I'd tell you who later but tell me yours first! 😇