Gbemi rubbed her sweaty palms against her uniform skirt, and she blew air through her mouth. They were currently at Oriental Hotel for the competition and she felt like she wasn't going to win with the tons of students she met here already. They were all from different schools and Gbemi knew she stood no chance beside them because they'd experienced the competition before but she was a newbie. Reading the rules book wasn't even helping matters. Dunmininu was sick so he wasn't allowed to follow her to the competition. At this point, it's her and her head.

She decided to take a stroll before they were asked to seat and maybe stare at the beautiful sight of Nigeria's capital city spread out in front of her. Lagos was one hell of a beautiful place, no one could tell her otherwise. She wouldn't even sit down to listen or something. The sight did look beautiful if only she wasn't having the whole tension of the competition in her body. She blew the air through her mouth again for the umpteenth time today and she decided to walk ahead. Maybe go to the restroom and head back before the teachers start looking for her and raise unnecessary alarm. Father's prayers for her this morning resounded in her head and she smiled. The lord was with her and she could feel it. That seemed to have pushed the fear to the back of her mind a little bit and she whistled as she made her way back to the hall. the thoughts of going to the restroom long forgotten.

Jesugbemi walked inside the hall and she noticed that over eighty percent of the participants are here already and they were doing introductions already. She didn't care if they would see her as a rude person but the truth was that it didn't matter for her or anyone. Not like they would meet anywhere outside the walls of this competition or anywhere in fact. They were day students and she is a boarder. no one really cares at all.

Someone tapped the table and she looked up to meet a guy. One thing about him turned her off greatly and she found him somewhat irritating. For one, he looked too full of himself. There is nothing wrong with looking confident but Gbemi hated the way he looked too cocky like he knew he had an edge over everyone. With the way everyone was looking at him, he probably was kind of popular around here.

"Brixton High School. I've never seen your uniform here before but I'm sure I've heard that name many times before. Anyways, I'm Jomiloju Ekubo and I was the first runner-up last year. Well, you can tell I'm here for the trophy. To take it home where it belongs to anyways, I would love to know your name." He said before pausing shortly, waiting for Gbemi to say her name or something. Gbemi eyed him and she whispered internally for the Holy spirit to better activate unless she would show this mumu how to survive between the walls of Brixton High. She had a change of mind, she decided to introduce herself to him too in the same manner he had introduced himself to her.

"I am Jesugbemi llesanmi and I'm quite new here like you pointed out but I'm here to take that baby home to where it belongs. I look forward to seeing the defeated look on your face when I take it home." She replied before strutting out of his presence and she knew he wouldn't 't be able to reply immediately. The only thing she prayed for was to win the trophy unless she would pray for the floor to open up and swallow her. She would hate to see this boy gloat at her or worse not winning anything home for the school.

___________

"Since there's a tie between Jomiloju Ekubo and Jesugbemi Ilesanmi, we would have a trivia question. Anyone who gets it first is the winner of this year's price." The host announced and Gbemi rubbed her hands against her uniform skirt. She had watched every participant leave the stage till she was left with this coconut headed boy who is here to take the trophy too.

She noticed the way he looked sweaty as if his life depended on it and She wondered if there was more to it than just being labeled the winner. Anyways she was here to find out and she would know why this boy is very obsessed with taking it home.

"If there's 1kg of stone and 1kg of feathers, which would be the heaviest?" She asked and Jomiloju started to think. The trivia question was familiar because Mrs John punished her for a whole day for not getting it.

"The stone would be the heaviest" Jomiloju replied almost immediately and Gbemi took a moment before she said her own answer. Thank God it's not a battle of who said it first, it's a battle of who is correct.

"None would be the heaviest because they are both 1kg each." Gbemi replied calmly and Jomiloju paused to look at her. The whole hall was filled with silence and everyone waited for the host's opinion. She looked back and forth between them and she smiled. She walked back to the top of the podium before speaking again, leaving them with only their heart beating so fast.

"The winner of this year's Olajumoke Badmus Nobel prize for secondary school student is" She paused and the whole hall went silent for a moment. At this point, Gbemi was starting to doubt if she was correct and maybe she might not win the prize.

"The winner is Jesugbemi Ilesanmi of Brixton High School." The whole hall went wide and Gbemi started to doubt if she heard her name correctly. She had no chance to doubt anymore because some people lifted her up before screaming champion. They weren't from her school but she knew it was because Jomiloju had gloated to their faces.

______

"Congratulations, you really took the baby home" Jomiloju said as she stood at the entrance ready to go home and she turned to smile at him, the trophy laid between her hands. She thanked him for the well wishes and Gbemi couldn't help but notice how red his eyes. Like he had been crying uncontrollably. God would heal him, as for her, she was taking this baby home.

Two chapters more till the end of this book. Jomiloju Ekubo is a character we would meet in the second book of the Brixton High School Series and we would understand his obsession with the prize.

Thank you for not giving up on this book✌🏼❤️

Yours sincerely,
Ai's Baby💕