"Mummy, Daddy can I go out on Saturday?"

"To where?"

"My friend's house...friend from school"

"Friend from school?" Her dad asked, taking another spoon of rice from the glass plate Ifechi chose to serve them with for the special occasion.

The special occasion of asking for such a request from her very strict parents. "It's a girl o" she added knowing her strict parents wouldn't consider her request if it was a boy she was going to visit.

"Do we know these people?" Her dad inquired again. Rolling her eyes mentally, she replied "no dad, it's a friend from school you won't know them"

"So why do you want to visit them?...."

"Nothing o, I just want to go and hangout"

"Hangout Kwa? Which one is...." Her father started but her mum interrupted.

"Why are you making your father to talk while eating?do you want him to choke?"

"Ah no God forbid na" she replied. Deciding not to press further, she waited for them to finish eating before asking again.

"No!" Her mum's answer was plain and strict, the tone made it obvious that there was no space for arguments but she decided to try her luck.

"Daddy please na, it's the first invitation I've gotten since I entered that school, she's a really good friend" she begged.

"Listen to your mother, the country is not safe now, we can't be moving around anyhow, things are happening, bad people are everywhere" her father adviced while she listened half heartedly to the same old gist they said anytime her or any of her siblings wanted to go anywhere else that wasn't school or church

"Okay...sorry" Ifechi said, her lips pursed in a thin line. She went back to the kitchen to drop the food tray in her hands.

Clearly the wonderful fried rice she had prepared with extra love hoping it would soften her parents heart didn't work. She trotted back to her room dissapointedly and grabbed her textbooks out of her schoolbag when she heard her name.

"Yes mum" she replied

"Come in" her mum waved her in . She stepped into the room and plopped on the bed where her mum lay with her back against the headboard holding a toothpick in one hand and a phone on the other.

"How's school?" She said when Ifechi had sat down

"Fine"

"Are you sure? Do you like the new school, or you prefer the old one?" Her mum asked again, this time her gaze shifted from the mobile device in her hand to her daughter.

Ifechi exhaled softly. Did she like her new school? Well if you excluded the fact that her classmates were a bunch of snobs and she had barely made any friends then probably.

Not to mention the pretty witch who had made it her mission to frustrate the new girl.

She didn't prefer her old school either, she hated boarding schools, going from house everyday was better, even though it could be exhausting on the days she chose to walk home in order to save transport money.

Not knowing what to answer she simply replied "Yes"

"How are the teachers?"

"They're okay"

"Can they teach?"

"Well..yeah" she replied

"Ok good, do you like the environment what of your classmates?"

"Mummy I like everything o" she replied jokingly to cut the interrogation short, her mum looked at her sternly but shook her head smiling after.

"Ok fine, I'll stop asking questions"

"I should have said this earlier but..." Her mum started, dropping her phone beside her and adjusting to the position Ifechi knew was for giving advice, she zoned out while waiting for her mum to begin her "teen" lecture.

"You have probably gotten used to the school by now, but remember you came from a different kind of school, so the environment may be new especially with the presence of the opposite sex...."

'Opposite sex...so she cannot just say boys' she snickered in her mind but her face remained plain as she listened to her mum speak.

".....don't allow any boy fool you or deceive you, you're beautiful and you know it...none of the things they promise you will last, do you hear?"

"Yes, thank you mum" she responded.

"You're welcome my dear, you can go" her mum replied and she stood up ready to return to her pile of homeworks when she had an idea. She turned back to face her mum who had resumed what she was doing on her phone. "Mummy?"

"Hmm?" Her mum answered looking up

With the biggest smile she could put up she asked "Can I go to my friend's house on Saturday?"

"No!"

Dang it

~

"Sorry guys, my parents did not agree"

"Agree for what?"

"The hangout on Saturday"

"Too bad, no probs sha" Anita replied, her attention on the mirror she held in her hands. Her best friend reached over and snatched it from her hands.

"Ow, give me back abeg"

"No!"

"Damilola?"

"What"

"My mirror"

"No, you've been looking at this thing since morning..."

"Come to think of it, you're actually putting too much attention in your appearance these days Anita" Ifechi cut in.

"It's true o.." Dami said smiling "...who are we crushing on?" She said wiggling her eyebrows. Anita shook her head smiled, her eyes involuntarily looking at the seat beside Ifechi, something the two girls didn't fail to notice.

"...oh my gosh!!!" Dami squealed.." you're crushing on P.G!" She said as a statement rather than a question.

"Shhh you want everybody to hear" Anita said nudging her, thankfully the object of their new discussion was not in class, he barely ever was.

"But since when though" Dami asked, the mocking grin not leaving her face.

"I dunno, well it has been a while but it became strong after his dance last week"

"You're crushing on a guy because he can dance?" Ifechi asked surprised "sorry...I mean...sorry" she stuttered when she saw the blush on Anita's cheek flatten.

"I don't like him because he can dance" Anita said matter-of-factly. "...he's just so ...."

"Hmmm, tell us" Dami teased, Ifechi rolled her eyes smiling at the two girls while they gisted about her seatmate. Her attention was diverted when the class suddenly because quiet and everyone seemed to be looking at who was at the door. She looked up as well.

Damien.

The handsome guy that had gotten all the girls attention. He stood at the door scanning the classroom till his eyes landed on the corner and he started approaching them more specifically, Dami.

"Hey girls" he said in his deep voice that Ifechi couldn't get enough of.

"Hi" both Anita and Ifechi replied

"Oga what are you doing here?" Dami said.

"Nawa o, is that how you greet somebody?" He chuckled, Dami rolled her eyes. "I'm not happy with you"

"I know...that's why I'm here to make it up to you"

"Go away joorh, after what you did to me in your house yesterday" she blurted. Ifechi's ears sprang up.

Did to me? In his house? Together?

"Let me make it up to you" Damien said interrupting her weird imaginations.

"How" Damilola replied. Only the both of them were talking now as Ifechi and Anita just stared at them.

"Come with me" he said

"No"

"Please"

"No"

"Pretty please" he cooed

"Ew, whats that one?" Dami said scrunching her face.

"...shey that's how you girls say it na...oya sorry, please just follow me" the boy chuckled. Dami rolled her eyes but stood up. "Fine"

"Girls please lemme just steal her for some time" he said shining his teeth at the both of them. Anita nodded her head smiling sheepishly while Ifechi just stared with a neutral expression, her emotions burning holes within her heart.

What was wrong with her?

Wait don't tell me you're jealous, you've only met this guy like what... once? Her subconscious mocked but it didn't help the pang of hurt she felt when her friend and Damien walked out of the class together.

"Those two" Anita said shaking her head, she turned to Ifechi "I'm bored....come let's go to computer lab"

"Huh?"

"I said let's go to computer lab, the free period is not yet over"

"Ok...." Ifechi drawled staring at her open civic textbook she had been reading to pass time.

"You've not been to the computer lab before have you?" Anita asked when they had both stood up.

"Nope, never thought of it...how's it's like?"

"Very dope, you'll like it...I just hope it's not full by now" Anita replied looking around the half empty class.

They walked out of the class together, Anita leading the way to the lab.

"Oh no I forgot my wallet in class" Anita blurted stopping suddenly. They were almost at the entrance of the building that held all the labs, including some of the junior classes.

Ifechi stopped and sighed.

"No vex, it'll just be a minute, lemme rush and get it" Anita said and scampered away before Ifechi had the opportunity to lash out at her carelessness.

"Always forgetting things" she sighed at her retreating figure.

Standing there in what seemed like the middle of nowhere, Ifechi took time to admire her surroundings. She'd seen this part of the school when she'd first arrived but never really got an upclose view. The building was two storeys, she couldn't see much from where she stood, but the little noise from the first floor told her some students were in there probably the juniors.

"Vera?" A familiar voice called

Huh? She thought to herself choosing to ignore the voice as it obviously wasn't her.

"Vera" the voice was heard again, louder this time as the caller was close. Still, she faced her front willing whoever it was to know that her name wasn't Vera by her refusal to answer.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned sharply.

"Hey hey" the one and only Damien stood in front of her chuckling as he took in her startled expression.

"What was that for?" Ifechi found herself slightly annoyed, her eyes trailed down to her shoulder where his hand was.

Pulling his hand away, he muttered "I'm sorry, I was calling you..seems like you were lost in thought because you didn't hear me"

"Actually I did, but my name isn't Vera" she shot him a subtle glare. What was he doing disturbing her when he had just ignored her existence few minutes ago when he came to "pick" Dami.

Jealousy... Her conscience teased but she ignored it still staring at the figure who towered slightly above her.

"Really?" He asked rubbing his neck nervously "I thought it was...is it Victoria then?"

"Nope"

"How about Veronica, I know it's starts with a v"

Ifechi scoffed. How could he have forgotten her name when it wasn't even up to a month since they met. None of her names had a v in it, not even her middle name.

"Oya sorry what is your name again?"

"Its Ifechi"

"Aha Ifechi, a pretty name for an equally deserving pretty girl" he said flashing his dentition causing Ifechi to roll her eyes.

From the three encounters they had since the time they met, nobody needed to make it clearer that Damien was a sweet talker. But even this realization didn't stop her from blushing.

She rolled her eyes in response.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"What are you doing here?" She fired back.

"I have a free period"

"So do I"

He paused, looked at her and smiled "Alright you got me...are you going to the computer lab?"

"Yeah"

"Oh that's great, I'm going there as well, let's go" he said boldly grabbing her hand which she annoyingly liked, but as tempting as the offer seemed, she had to decline.

"I'm waiting for my friend" she said, his face fell a little but the smile didn't leave his face

"Okay" he nodded and seemed as if he was about to leave before he spoke up again "...speaking of friends, pls give this to your friend when you get back to class" he said to the moody girl beside him.

Ifechi stared at the end of his outstretched hand to see a black scrunchie with pink polka dots, she recognised it as Dami's own, she always used it to pack her braids. She frowned at his request.

"You're in her class right?" He asked when she'd not replied for some seconds.

You're joking right? Ifechi wanted to say, her frown deepening. "No" she said absent mindedly but he heard it.

"Really? I thought I saw you in her corner this aft...."

"If you saw me then why did you ask that stupid question?!" she snapped throwing him off guard. He looked shocked for some seconds before regaining himself

"Wow...that was...ok fine I'm sorry, could you please give this to Damilola for me? She left it at the place we were gisting.... Pleasssee" he said extending his hand.

"Whatever" she muttered quietly grabbing the scrunchie from his hand.

"Why are you so...."

"Sorry..I'm just not in the mood" she said cutting him short, at that time she was beginning to wonder why Anita was taking so long to return before she recalled that their class was a little far away from where she was.

"Its okay...see you next time" he said and started to walk off.

When he was out of sight, Ifechi let out a big sigh. She felt like slapping herself for lashing out at him like that. She couldn't comprehend the reason for her sudden annoyance but her inner voice kept ringing out the obvious.

Anita approached some minutes after with her wallet in her hand, Ifechi felt like rolling her eyes at her friend, but she decided no one else deserved to suffer because of her inexplicable, sour mood.

Jealousy sucked

A/n

Sorry for the inconsistent uploads, I'll try to be better