It was another boring day coupled with an equally boring lectures. As if that wasn't mentally draining enough, Naya's stomach rumbled like it too was laying a complain. She crunched up her nose with a low groan and pressed the side of her stomach with her hand.

Her harmless show of discomfort had drawn the history teacher's attention towards her, "Naya Thompson, is anything the matter?" asked, Mr. Okeke.

Students of S. S. 1 class A all stared at her, waiting for her response. This made her feel a bit embarrassed and keeping silence was only going to add to it, "Uhm, nothing sir." She replied quietly. She never liked to be the central of attention especially not in school.

"Nothing? I've been watching you. Since I came into the class, you haven't been concentrating," He complained, "It looks like you're thinking about the Eba and soup your mother prepared at home and you can't wait to go home and eat it."

Naya joined the class to laugh at his successful attempt to make a joke just to brighten up the student's faces and make the class less boring.

What Mr. Okeke had said wasn't far from what Naya had in mind. In actual truth, she was looking forward to have lunch. The difference was that, she wasn't craving to swallow Eba and soup. Rather, her mouth watered at the thought of crunching a pack of burger peanut or the School's hot and spicy made meatpie. Her eyes darted to the wall clock that was close to the black board. It was approaching lunch period but it felt like it'd take years for it to. Cause to her, time was moving like a snail.

She took her eyes away from the clock as she forced her mind to focus on Mr. Okeke's teaching instead.

Some minutes after, the school bell went off followed with a cry of uproar from students whom also couldn't wait to take lunch. Many students who had money on them to buy their break food, rushed out to get it. Others who had brought with them to school home made delicacies sat down to devour it from their food flask. While those who had nothing of that such, just sat down and watched. Students who couldn't just watch while their mates ate, went around the class begging their peers for the remains of their meals.

Naya wasn't part of any. She had a little change on her that could buy her what she wanted, but she had to wait for her best friends to finish the note they were copying from the blackboard.

Getting impatient, Naya asked them to be faster, "Ama and Bose, please you guys should hurry up. I'm afraid they might buy all the peanut before we get to the store."

"Shut up, Naya," Bose shouted at her, obviously irritated by Naya's complaint. "The store has a lot of peanut carton stocked up. It wouldn't finish today and it's not like everyone in school eats peanut like you do."

"Just because you don't like it doesn't mean others won't like it." Naya fired back and clicked her tongue in disgust, "By the way, that's not an excuse for writing so slow."

Bose couldn't come up with a comeback on time and Ama wasn't ready to listen to her friend's squabbling so she had to interfere, "It's okay, you two. You're not Tom and Jerry."

"Well, she was the one that started it." Bose defended herself.

"Well, you're the one always getting on my nerves." Naya avered. She looked away and then mumbled to herself, "I wonder how we became friends in the first place."

"Did you hear that?" Bose asked Ama, practically offended. Before any one of them could stop her, she zipped her book in her backpack and stormed out of the class.

"See what you've caused? We are going to have another lunch today without her. You know this isn't how we do things as friends. We all have gone a long way together in life to be having problems now." Ama expressed her disappointment.

With narrowed eyes and a slacked shoulder, Naya gave up, "Okay. I'm sorry for that. I'd apologize to her when we get to class. Satisfied?"

Ama nodded, "Better. Now let's go get that lunch you've been whinning about."

They both got what they wanted. Ama had bread and butter with a bottle of Fanta. Naya had her usual; Burger peanut and a bottle of chilled coke. As for Bose, she was no where to be found so they both headed to their classroom, engaged in a random conversation.

"Hey," Someone shouted after the two girls for their attention, "Hey!"

It took some time before they knew they were the ones being called. They both spun around to see Fredrick, the new student in her class and a cousin to Doubra, walking towards them with a lopsided smile.

"Who are you calling hey amongst us?" Ama inquired, pointing at Naya and herself.

He nodded towards Naya, "She is the one."

"Me?" Naya asked to be sure she had heard him right.

"Yes." He confirmed, "Why surprised?"

Naya shrugged it off, "Well.. My name is not Hey," she corrected.

He knew. He had heard the history teacher call her by her full name in class earlier but Fred had always wanted to start up a conversation with her ever since he got admitted into Majestic academy. For him, pretending like he didn't know her name was a good start.

His eyes darted to her hands, "Since I don't know your name, I'd call you peanut."

He had noticed that her favorite snacks were peanut and meatpie.

Naya huffed. She knew too well that he knew her name and was only pretending, "What do you want, Fred? Just voice it out and stop beating around the bush."

Oh my God! She knows my name. He thought happily then smiled sheepishly at her, "I can see you're not just a pretty face. That's good. Well," not wanting to waste more of her time, he cleared his throat and went straight to the point, "I like your name, Naya. I just want to tell you that your name is sweet like perfume."

Ama and Naya gave each other an amused look.

"Is that all you want to say?" Asked, Naya.

"Yes." He winked at her, "See you in class." and as he walked passed her, he made sure their shoulders brushed.

Naya's lips parted in wonder as she turned to Ama and asked, pointing to the side of her head, "Come oh, Ama. Are you sure Fred is mentally okay?"

Ama laughed at her friend's silly question as they both walked to their classroom. Only if they knew before hand that it was just the beginning.