Unlike my previous school, the one I currently attend has better infrastructure than our apartment.

I get out of bed to brush my teeth when I realize that the tap does not let out water.

Moving to the other rooms, I see they also do not have water. There is no electricity, so I use a torchlight to dress up regardless of the circumstances.

Wearing my school uniform, I leave the apartment with a bucket to fetch water from the tap near the gateman's house. That is the only place with money during these situations.

"Joy, you are still in this house?"

I walk past Faith without uttering a word.

"And from what I see, you are also experiencing the same situation,"

I start to water fills the bucket.

"Hey, I am talking to you." Suddenly, I feel cold water fall on my neck.

"See, do not think that since my school uniform is expensive, I will take nonsense," I approach Faith when a figure appears from my left.

"You this girl. Can you stop picking a fight every time?" The gateman points at me.

I blink back. "What do you mean? It was her that started it."

"No, it is always you. Last week you almost spoilt another neighbor's car. If you don't stop this nonsense, I go report you to your mama," He speaks in broken English.

Picking up the bucket, I eye her before walking back to my apartment.

Faith and her pointless arguments bother me even till lunch break in school.

"Why aren't you eating? Is the food not good?" Faisal and I are sitting at our usual dining table, and he notices my mind is out of the dining hall.

"I just thought of that neighbor, Faith. She gets me so angry."

"You told me about her. Show me her picture," He points at my blazer, and I carefully bring out my phone.

"This is Faith."

"She is fine. Look at that angelic smile," Faisal takes the phone and zo

oms into the picture.

"Pictures can be deceiving. We were once friends and schooling in the same institution, so I know she is the opposite of that," I pause at seeing his eyes glued to my phone screen.

"What are you doing?" Not getting an answer, I take the phone from his hands.

"That is why I don't give people my phone," I scroll through all the apps he went through.

"Joy, forget that girl. She is enjoying herself in school, and you are here gossiping about her." My mind is no longer in the conversation but at a table distant from us. Faizal turns back and watches one of our classmates laughing with a group of boys.

"Oh, Titi. Do you remember what Ade said about her? That it is her relatives that are paying for her tuition fees."

I keep silent for a while. What has that got to do with us?

"Faisal, my tuition here is also being sponsored."

"Well, of course, it is," He thinks for a moment. "I just don't like how she keeps bragging that her parents would help pay for most of our social events when -"

"Faisal, you are right about this, but why don't we study and stop talking about rich people's problems?"

I could understand were he is coming from though. His mom is the secretary of this school and he often times complain of how he gets discriminated on because she earns pennies while working here.

"You are right. I am going to drop my plate," Faisal exits the table.

"But I would not blame her for being proud. That is what happens when someone has too much money," I raise my head to see Titi hovering over me.

Her lips form a straight line. "What did you say?"

"Titi! I was talking to Faisal about a movie before you came." I lie and wave her goodbye before leaving to look for Faisal.

When classes are over, I wait for mom at the reception.

Around the high school block entrance, students in short skirts and skinny trousers get cornered by after-school teachers, some acting like they were not using their phones and others just chatting.

Suddenly, I see one of my classmates sitting opposite me. My lips twitches as she stares earnestly at the thick textbook in her hand before raising her eyes to see the person behind me.

She slowly calms down and returns to flipping the pages of her notebook.

Then I see him. "Ade, what's up?" As I rose and approached him, so did her widened eyes.

"How far, Joy?"

"I am good, what about you?"

"Well." He dips his hands into his pencil trousers' pockets. "I am going to the hostel now. I was supposed to meet Dorcas, see her coming." I nod my head in response.

"Ade, where have you been?" Standing up from the row of seats, she frowns.

"What do you mean by that? Do I owe you?"

"Didn't you ask me for your notebook at the end of school?" Dorcas folds her arms, and Ade glares at her from top to bottom.

"And you couldn't give one of my friends?"

Immediately, she flings the book at his chest, picks up her laptop bag, and briskly walks away.

"Ignore her. Even after that, she will still like you," I beam.

"Do you know what?" Ade let his eyes roam the floor as he speaks about Dorcas. "I still don't understand how the smartest student is still this dumb."

"Me neither," I shrug my shoulders.

"I hope she does not get the Valedictorian position though?"

"Stop fretting about it, Ade. You are second after her when it comes to academic standing. If you continue playing with her emotions, you will be able to destabilize her and become number one as you rightly deserve."

"Wow, Joy. How aren't you even in top 5?"

We laugh at the joke. I observe as he picks up a wooden brush from his pencil trousers, and starts to work on his outgrown hair. Ade shoves his hands in his pockets, showcasing his sculpted thighs, his dark chocolate skin glistening under the light with his facial muscles contracting as he watches Dorcas enter her driver's car.

Did she make her driver wait just because of Ade?

Please vote, comment, and share. I would really appreciate constructive criticism. Thanks for reading.