Have you ever had that feeling of triumph, when your hard work isn't in vain and you end up reaping what you've sown, yeah? Well, that was what I'd been feeling over the past few weeks.

You see, after the little incident with Maureen. More people were now aware of who I was. That's right, I was noticed now. A million different views on the incident were being shared almost every day for a whole week.

Some people said I was the one who jumped her, some people said we were both fighting over Daniel, worse ones were that we were lesbians and I had finally cheated on her. A whole lot of nonsensical theories that were far from the truth.

My friends, well ex friends still weren't talking to me. Instead after school or during break or in rare occasions where we had few periods together, I now hung out with Daniel, Ebuka, Emeka, Mercy, Stephanie and Aliyu, sometimes Oreva joined in.

Honestly, they were really nice people and I wish I'd met them sooner. But that's just news. The real reason I was filled with this satisfying feeling of success is due to the fact that Joseph now had interest in me. Atleast that's what Danny said.

One time, Joseph had borrowed my note, only for me to later be informed that he didn't even offer the subject. He'd borrowed the note as an excuse to talk to me. My head had been on cloud nine. My crush was finally paying attention to me, it was amazing.

Also due to the fact that there had been peace these past few weeks, I'd gotten my study on. I was already sure of the A's I'd get in Math and geography but as for the others, it was all left to Jesus. Today was actually the last day of first term.

These few months had been the most interesting months of my life and I hoped they stayed that way. I hoped I wouldn't have to suffer through heart break and actual physical pain again after this, if I was lucky Joseph would ask me out sooner rather than later and then I could gloat in Maureen's face.

So far, we were waiting for our report cards as we sat in Stephanie's class. All of us, the boys and the girls, including all my other Siri friends. The boys were playing a rather interesting game of arm wrestling with Mercy who was surprisingly winning.

I had stopped in the middle of a laugh when Daniel suddenly kissed my cheek and laid his head on my shoulder. I felt my cheeks burn but due to my chocolate skin color, It was not noticeable for normal people. But as of the people I hung out with, they saw everything, nothing could get past my friends.

"Kolupss, why are you blushing?" Gigi teased as puckered her lips and made kissing noises. I layed my head onto the table in front of me, hiding my face from the group and also accidently shoving Daniel off my shoulder in a rush. "Babe na."

Gosh. What the hell was that?! My heart sped up right after the word babe slipped from his lips while I pleaded with my brain to stop thinking dumb things about us. Creating stupid fantasies where we were holding hands and having picnics, I had to remind it that it was Joseph we liked and that Daniel was only acting.

The whole kiss thing and the others were just a ruse, I couldn't afford to fall for him. "Guys, they're sharing cards in Ekpe!" I didn't bother looking for who had made the announcement and got up from the table I was currently blessing with my assets.

Mercy copied my actions as we departed briefly from the group and headed to our class. Most of the time we didn't stay in class, we prefered to avoid the girls and most especially Maureen. She'd really hurt my back the time when we faught.

Things were so much better. I didn't have to listen to Love whine about how something wasn't perfect or have to stand Rainy's perfection. I liked this quiet normal life, I really liked it.

It didn't take us time to sign and then wrap up. Luckily unlike past commandants we were allowed to go home early. Back when we were in Junior school, the day students (Non boarders) would have to clean up the whole school and wait until all the boarders had left school with their parents before they'd let us go.

Last days in Ojo were quiet memorable. We'd hug and promise to text eachother, some of us would check out our friends' or other students' hot siblings, some people moped because their parents didn't come get them and they'd have to leave with a friend. There was always so much going on, the school crawled with people.

Now that exams were in the blue, I could finally watch Penny On Mars without my dad barking at me to go study. Ever since it became me and him, he'd been getting into my business. He'd even been really sensitive, like how he got angry at me for ditching the church choir.

Yes, after my amazing performance that day, I quit. I couldn't have something like that happening again. And my conscience was killing me, for some reason I felt having a boyfriend was wrong and with all the things happening in my life, another stunt like that with the choir would make church a miserable place for me. I'd be a laughing stock, maybe not outloud but in their minds. And it was my mini comfort zone, asides the internet.

Today I was going to ditch the school bus, being trapped with Maureen again would be the end of me. So, instead of going towards the bus, I went towards the bus stop. Funny right, I was going to the place I usually hated.

Well, I used to hate it. Now it was a hangout. The people I used to avoid, they now spoke to me. They'd wave in the corridor, they'd even talk to me whenever I visited their class. Maybe dating Daniel was a far more better idea than I assumed.

When I got there, the first thing I did was hug Daniel. Not because I wanted to, but because Joseph was watching and the weather was cold. December wasn't always that cold in Nigeria, the real chill usually set in around January. Quite dumb if you ask me. But who am I to talk, it's not like I control the weather and knew when it was best to be cold or warm. I just didn't like going to school on cold January mornings.

"How are you spending your Christmas?" The question was thrusted at me as I pulled out of the hug. I moved towards Daniel's side while he still kept his hand around my lower back. Leaning into him, I shrugged. Probably binge watching Penny On Mars and sleep.

Before either of us could say anything, someone called my name. I looked up to noticed a smiling Joseph approaching us. Had my plan worked? I was quite confused on how this thing worked? Why was he even taking interest in me? Were men such scum bags that they wanted any girl that belonged even if they were taken? Or most definitely because they were taken? Or maybe I was looking too much into this, maybe he finally noticed how much he liked me when he saw that I was taken. That was the logic to it after all, that was what Daniel had proven.

"Hey." I blinked once. Then twice. Then I replied. "Hi." This conversation seemed awkward. I was talking to my crush infornt of my fake boyfriend who knew he was my crush and was only dating me to help me get my crush in the first place. "So, how are you spending your christmas?"

I threw Joseph a small smile and pushed out of Daniel's side. "Penny on Mars and sleep." Joseph laughed lightly and shook his head while I beamed at him like a child who had finally received a toy they'd always wanted.

"Choi, you're officially addicted to that show. You know, maybe I could be the Seb to your Penny." Then simultaneously we both bursted out into laughter. I wasn't sure why it was so funny but it was, I had even clutched my stomach for emphasis.

Once the laugh had died down, Joseph still kept a smile on his face. "I'm serious na. Isn't it possible." Right before I could reply, a loud and annoyed throat was cleared from right beside me and I immediately remembered I was still with Daniel.

Joseph glanced at him for the first time since our conversation began and nodded at him as a form of greeting, to which my prideful boyfriend ignored. He instead pulled me back into his side and looked elsewhere. The smile that once graced Joseph's lips had faded and now he frowned, full on showing his discomfort.

I swallowed a lump in my throat as Joseph waved and walked away, not even saying a goodbye of some sort. I turned my head to Daniel and moved away from him a little, a frown on my lips similar to that of Joseph's. "Why did you do that. He was starting to like me." Daniel paid me no glance and let out a question of his own.  "Why did you shrug?"

I furrowed my brows and adjusted my little bags straps on my shoulders. "What are you saying?" Daniel inaudibly sighed and turned to me. I'd come to know that Daniel didn't like repeating himself, he preferred if someone heard and understood him once and that was why he usually spoke loudly.

"I asked what you were doing for Christmas and you shrugged." It took me two seconds to process what he had said and immediately respond with a roll of my eyes. So the guy's fuss was all about that? Wow, that was new. "I didn't have an answer then."

"But the moment Joseph asks you, you can reply?" He shot back. Annoyance has set in and as I was about to throw something back. A funny thought made its way into my mind and I giggled. This seemed to shock Daniel because his eyes widened.

"Are you jealous?"

In all the days I've known Daniel, not once have I heard him laugh the way he did. He slapped the cemented wall and panted repeatedly while clutching his stomach like I did earlier.  "Jealous-" He sputtered and tried to hold back his laugh as he forced himself to finish the sentence. "-of you and Joseph?"

I crossed my hand and narrowed my eyes all too fast as my face heated up in embarrassment. He was making a mockery of me and it was really annoying to be found standing there while I was being laughed at, but the others were no where to be found.

When he finally stopped laughing, he cleared his throat and spoke. "Look. I can't be jealous of you or that Joseph guy cause you're not the type of girls I date and Joseph is... He's not up to my standards." Daniel was being a prick but I was used to this prick. And so I did the most reasonable thing possible. I punched him in the nibblets. hard.

I watched him double over in pain and even fall to his knees as he groaned and wheezed. I gave a nice innocent smile and adjusted my bag on my shoulders once again. "See you next term my love." With a nice mocking laugh, I whipped around and started in the direction of home. It was a week and a half to Christmas and I was excited to start my napping journey before my dad ruined it with family dinners and what not. On the bright side, I was done with first term.  I couldn't and wouldn't see those people that brought problems into my life, I'd be at peace. This might be one of best Christmas holidays ever.

******

I expected to have the face of Kolupo by now but sadly I don't. I feel a little dissapointed because some people took me for granted and didn't text me even after saying they were up for it. Asides that, thank you to everyone who participated in the contents. It is now officially over, I hope by the next update the face of Kolupo Davis would be found.

So how was this chapter?

Who so far is your favorite character?

Whose face do you want to see more often?

And Have you recommended this book to your friends yet?

That's all from me. Bye guys, lots of love.