Annah's POV.

"Guess what girls? Jamal is off the team, he's not playing for the MBs anymore". Emily said pressing her phone.

"Oh! I feel bad for him". Stacy said whilst I nodded sipping my coffee.

Maybe that was the policy of the Maine Basketball team, to replace or remove a player off the team if he likely did not play to their contentedness but none other than that thought, I couldn't put myself to point out the reason why they took him off the team.

"Let me grab a drink". Stacy stood up, her styled wavy hair dangling with every step whilst she accidentally bashed with someone splatting his coffee on his shirt. She apologized to the guy whom I recognised as Jack, trying to clean the coffee off his shirt whilst he held her, smiled, visibly assuring her that it was fine and walked away.

She walked to the counter which was queued with other students, a round looking lady with a slender or more of skinny brunette haired lady with glasses beside her talking and they walked to the far end of the of the cafeteria to eat, as they reminded me of my younger nerd self when my obviated place to be in highschool was the lunchroom when being alone wasn't favorable.

Stacy bought her juice and walked back to us. "Why are you looking at me like that?". She asked gazing from me to Emily.

"What was that?!". Emily asked.

"What?". She sat down.

"The coffee spattering, whatever". Emily pointed out.

She shrugged. "Accident?".

She scoffed. "Obviously, but with your crush, oh my god! I'm loosing my breath". She dramatically fanned herself whilst I laughed.

She reminded me of my best friend Hailey because she was typically over dramatic. I could remember when one of her 9th grade crush said he liked her curly hair, when we were in 7th grade, and how she kept squealing, looking at the mirror and dramatically drooling.

"Enough with the drama Emily, lets go". I said, whilst Stacy sipped her juice and we walked out of the cafeteria.

We strolled through the school crowded passage whilst a Ginger haired guy with nerdy glasses waving at us, maybe not at me, hence I was never the kind to make friends in my first week, month, or even year in school. Aside from Emily and Stacy whom I surprisingly get along with in my... Gasps and jaw drops; first day of school. And that was because they were surprisingly super nice, funny and just... Humans, which many chose to be the otherwise.

"Who is that?". I asked, gesturing to the ginger haired guy.

He jogged towards us before Emily could talk. "Hello Emily". He beamed.

"Hi Mason!". She said not sparing him a glance as she was pressing her phone. "Bye Mason". Without hearing what he had to say and we walked away. "Alright Annah, Mason is obviously a nerd in my biology class and my friend with benefit, in other word, he does most of my assignments".

Note: Don't ask Emily, because she knows everyone!!!

...and everything about them.

Okay, not everything... Sigh!

"And he's crushing on Emily". Stacy added while Emily nodded.

We stood conversing and in what looked like slo_mo, Violet was walking her hair dangling while she brushed it back dramatically and her clique were smiling right behind her. I looked around to find the cameras, fans or whatever, because they were literally copycatting the mean girls.

I shook my head at their dumb_dumb cliche whilst she walked to the guys, flirting with most of them till she stood right in front of Jack, talking to him as he looked our way with a glimpse of annoyance, perhaps Violet was likely clinging to Jack even when they were Exes.

The thought of how some ladies tend to flirt with people even when they undoubtedly showed their uninterest towards them was cringe-worthy, peculiar to how everyone knows they weren't dating but she chose to fling herself on him.

"Lets go guys". Stacy literally bounced off and we followed behind.

***

I flipped through the book pages in the eerily quiet library. The book was of the Nigerian colonization which I chose for our History assignment.

~
Colonial Nigeria was ruled by the British empire, from the mid_nineteenth century, until 1960 when Nigeria achieved independence. British influence in the region began with the prohibition of slave trade to British subject in 1807. Britain annexed lagos in 1861 and established the Oil River protectorate in 1884.

From 1886 to 1899, much of the country was ruled by the Royal Niger company authorised by charter and governed by George Taubman Goldie. At the urging of Governor Fredrick Lugard, the two territories were amalgated as the colony and protectorate of Nigeria while maintaining considerable regional autonomy among the three region (Northern protectorate, Southern protectorate and colony of Lagos). The colonial period proper in Nigeria lasted from 1900 to 1960, after which Nigeria gained its independence...

I was wholly focused reading the book, flipping through the pages without knowing of a presence across me. I heard a page rustled and I swiftly raised my head meeting Jamal engaged in reading a huge book and that book was none other than my Journal.

I squeaked, my eyes widening and yanked the journal from him. He surprisingly looked at me and I stirred a bit. "What's that?". He asked.

"What?". I kept the journal closer to me.

"The journal, what's the wishes in there?".

I creased my eyebrows. "How much did you read Jamal?".

He surrendered his hands, "I just read that you wish to finish your college, read James blossom's, sky dive, watch the BTS performance, taste Pezza's Tacos again, and... You yanked it away before I finish reading".

I sighed relieved. "Thank God!".

Being a private person infixed in my life ever since I was little, because I personally found it anomalous to rant about your life to people or publicise it in a way, which at some point in life that people you entrusted your life with, tend to break that trust.

"Why do you..". The librarian with glasses on his nose, dressed like an orchestra and walking like a model beside us 'shush' us while we nodded. Jamal propped his head closer on the table. "Why do you write all that?".

Here we go with everyone having a curious mind, howbeit not everybody has the bitter pit in them to break people's trust or heart but sometimes it's better to live a private life than publicized one.

"For peeking into my journal, tell me one of your wishes". I interjected.

He leaned back into his seat, his gaze on the table, aligning his long eyelashes on his caramel face and he gently raised his gaze back up. "Well, I wish to win the Redders and got to the NBA". He paused, "Can you tell me why you write all that wishes?". He said.

However him being taken off the MBs team was somewhat inappropriate, perhaps he didn't get to win as they likely put much surety that he was going to win but I thought of, what must be too austere that will make the team expulse him even after him having the record of the best MBs player.

"Because I want them to come true". I shrugged. "So the second reason you should be Alive, is to make your dream come true and be NBA best player". While he beamed, denting both of his cheeks, flashing his dimples which I just noticed.

Albeit he never for once muttered a genuine smile, just a forced faint smile but that was a first, hence there was a slight gratified change in him from seeing him on the bridge, undoubtedly filled with suicidal thoughts the previous day. That change did nothing but softened my heart, because not everyone easily recedes their tribulations.

"And I hope your own wishes come true" He added earning a faint smile from me. "Alright, so why do you wish to watch the BTS performance?". He asked.

"Because they are..". The model walking, orchestra dressed librarian 'shush' us again and we both groaned.

****

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