Moyo felt choked; she had expected her lunch break to go smoothly, but how could it go smoothly with Aaron and Bayo sitting at the same table as she? She had walked into the cafeteria with Aaron, so it was understandable, but Bayo was at a different table. Yet, he stood up immediately and joined her table, making most of the students turn their attention to her.

She was never an attention seeker, so she hated this attention. She knew instantly that she had fresh enemies now.

Knowing nothing would make Bayo stand up, she decided to focus on her meal. She had thought this was an opportunity to talk to Aaron about Cassie, but Bayo just spoiled all her plans. He planted himself beside Aaron while she sat opposite them.

If anything, she wouldn't deny the fact that they were both handsome, but why was she the one they decided to pay attention to? To her, her beauty was just average, not over the top like Cassie's.

"Heard you guys are doing some drama stuff?" Bayo asked, initiating a conversation.

"What's it to you? You're a science student. Don't you have some chemical to mix or some animals' stomach to cut open?" Aaron responded.

Moyo hid her smile behind her hand.

Bayo turned to Aaron, "Hey, guy. I wasn't talking to you. I'm talking to Moyo. I don't know what you're doing on this table."

Aaron stirred his food but didn't attempt to eat it at all, "I'm her classmate and friend. I think I deserve to sit here more than you. You're making her uncomfortable."

Moyo sighed. Can't they just get over all this?

Bayo frowned and turned to her, "Am I making you uncomfortable, Moyo?"

She was about to say yes, but he turned back to Aaron with a smile as if she had answered him.

"You see. I'm not making her uncomfortable. She's fine with me here."

Moyo cleared her throat and looked around the cafeteria. People were obviously talking about her, and some weren't hiding it.

"I would have preferred sitting alone."

The guys turned towards her, but none said a word. She forced her food down her throat while they silently ate theirs, too. Moyo was the first to bolt off the seat once lunch break was over. She was about to leave for her class when Bayo's hand stopped her. Not wanting to cause more attention to herself, she faced him. The rest of the students left the cafeteria in groups, leaving her alone with Bayo, "What now?"

Bayo looked meek, "I'm sorry I made you feel uncomfortable. I just want to be your friend."

She shook her head, "No. You wanted me to be yours. You treated me like an object you can own."

He looked down, dejected. "I'm sorry. I want to be friends, and I promise not to pester you to be mine anymore. But, I honestly will like to be your friend."

Moyo squint her eyes. Was this some sort of trick to make her let her guard down? She didn't know how to deal with him. There was nothing bad in making friends, but she still didn't trust Bayo's intention.

Bayo smiled at the look on her face, "Why are you looking like that? I'm not lying. I just want to be friends."

He looked honest

She nodded. "Fine. Let's be friends, but nothing than friends."

Bayo fist-bumped, and Moyo laughed. He scratched the back of his head, "Sorry. I do that whenever I am happy. I am kind of used to it."

Moyo nodded again. "It's okay. I'm getting late for class. See you later, friend."

She ran towards her class. Thankfully, there was no teacher in the class, but she could see her classmates talking and pointing at her. She couldn't understand why some people don't get tired of talking about others. It wasn't as if their opinion of her life was important.

She walked towards Aaron, who was focused on whatever he was writing.

She sat down and turned to him, finally seeing the opportunity to talk about Cassie. "What are you doing?"

He didn't look up from his book. "I'm sketching a character. I love to meet my characters before putting them into different situations in my book."

Moyo nodded. It was a topic of interest to her. If she didn't plan to go back home, she would have asked Aaron to mentor her on fiction writing. She believed it would help her understand her characters when she started acting. "So, how's it going?"

Aaron smiled, "Nice. So far, this guy can be brutal or nice, depending on whom he is facing. And he doesn't believe in love. But, mostly, he's very kind, especially to women," Aaron winked at her.

His smile seemed so pure. It was the first time she saw him smiling like the earth belonged to him. And maybe it did at that moment. He had once called himself a god. It was only acting that made her feel that way, too.

"How do you come up with these characters? Are they all fictional or based off people you know?"

Finally, he closed his book and turned his full attention to her. Moyo noticed his long eyelashes for the first time. The guy was as pretty as a woman. Women would be jealous of those lashes.

"Are you trying to know me better?" He responded.

She smiled, "What's bad in knowing more about my friend?"

"Well, most of my characters are based on different things. A little fiction, a little on people I know, and some about books I have read. I just try to come up with characters I love. What's the essence of writing about characters I don't love?"

"Oh. That's sweet. It's not everyone that does what they like. Lucky you."

He shrugged, "It's not always fun. I try to make it a bit of fun."

She nodded, "So, if anyone wants to act you characters, does it have to be people you love, or anyone could act it."

He narrowed his eyes at her, "Are you trying to act a character in my book?"

Moyo chuckled; the boy was smart. "Just answer me."

"Fine. Not just anybody can act my characters. I can only allow someone who I feel is similar to the character. That's why there's audition."

"Okay. What if I recommend someone for the female lead?"

Aaron frowned, "Don't. I don't favor nepotism. Everyone has to go through auditions including you. Don't think because you're my friend, I'll let you have a free pass. Everyone is going through auditions."

Moyo stared at him in disbelief; she couldn't think of any way to bring up Cassie's case anymore. So, she joked about it. "Ehn ehn. No advantage of being your friend."

"There are advantages, but I won't cheat. If you deserve it, then you'll get it, but if not then you won't get it."

They closed that topic and discussed other things. Some of the teachers were absent, and it gave Moyo plenty of time to work on her new project. It was her first book.

Towards closing time, Cassie waited for Moyo. When the driver came, Cassie pushed Moyo into the car and sat beside her. "How did it go?"

"I'm sorry, Cassie, but he refused."

Cassie glared at her, "He refused or you didn't tell him?"

"I told him, but he insisted that everyone had to go through audition."

"Really. Did he say that or you told him that? Be honest with me, Moyo. Are you also eyeing the position of the female lead?"

Moyo frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"Your selfishness, Moyo. I'm talking about that. If you truly want, you can convince him to pick me as female lead, but I believe you don't want to because you want to be the female lead."

Moyo stared at her in disbelief, "Well, if you don't believe, Cassie. It's none of my business. Are you not confident in your skills? I refuse to help you anymore."

Cassie glared at her, and Moyo glared in return. She had never met anyone that selfish. She acted nothing like her mother, and it made her think if Cassie was truly her mother's daughter.

The ride was silent as they both ignored each other. Moyo wanted to be friends, but she refused to be a pushover to Cassie.

When they got home, their parents were absent.

Moyo went to her room and locked the door behind her.

She lay on the bed and punched her mother's number into her phone. As the phone rang, Moyo's heartbeat rose along. She missed her mother so much. She missed her voice. Her bits of advice. She missed seeing her whenever she returned from school.

"Hello."

As she heard her voice, Moyo sat up on the bed and focused on nothing in particular as she listened to her mother's breathing on the other side.

"Hello," her mother sounded anxious now, and she knew if she didn't speak anytime soon, her mother would hang up on her.

"Hello, mummy. It's Moyo. Moyosore."

The line was silent for a while, and Moyo had to check if the call was still connected. It was.

"Mummy, are you there?"

When her mother spoke again, her voice broke, "Moyosore Ajoke Ade, is that really you?"

Moyo nodded, smiling while tears formed at the corner of her eyes, "Yes, mummy. It's your Ajoke oh."

"Ajoke mi. How have you been? Hope you like that place? How are they treating you? How's your new school?"

Moyo laughed while sniffing back unshed tears. "Everything is fine, mummy. I just missed you so much. How's daddy? How's work?"

"Your daddy is fine oh. Do you want to talk to him too?"

Moyo shook her head, "No. Just send my regards to him. I'll come and visit you very soon, mummy."

"Okay, Moyosore. But, where did you get the phone you used in calling me?"

Moyo laughed. She should have known her mother would have been curious about that. "Madam bought it for me."

She heard her mother's laughter, "Moyo, she is not your madam. She's your mother."

Moyo knew that, but she just couldn't seem to get used to calling her. "I don't know, mummy. It's not easy to get used to."

She spoke with her mother for a long time while telling her about the rich kids and their attitude, but she never mentioned anything about Cassie until her mother asked.

Moyo didn't know whether to be honest about Cassie's attitude, but she didn't want to break her mother's heart more. So, she tried to see the goodness in Cassie. "She's really beautiful, mummy. And her English is like those oyinbo's. Her fashion senses too are top notch. I think she's brilliant too, because the students at school respect her."

"Really! I'm glad to hear that. Would you be coming with her whenever you are?"

Honesty, Moyo thought it was a bad idea for Cassie to visit their place, but her mother deserved to meet her daughter.

"I don't know, mummy. I'll ask madam."

"Moyosore, I told you she's not your madam, but your mother. Just think of it as having two mothers. Try to say mum or mother."

Moyo sighed. She wet her lips and tried again. "I'll ask, mum."

Her mother laughed, "That's better. I'll speak to you later, Moyo. I need to prepare your father food now. You know how he can get about his food."

Moyo knows. So, she bid her mother goodbye, promising to call back soon.

She sighed, smiling at her phone. Just speaking to her mother put her mind at ease.