KHALID

Finally, it was the examination season, the whole school grew quiet and everyone could be seen reading even on the assembly, that was one thing about JANU students, we all took our exams serious.

I walked into the library planning to revise my technical drawing, other sciences were still in the exam hall doing Agric while the commercial were currently doing Commerce, I didn't really know much about the Arts but seeing that Kikiope and Bimpe weren't at our usual spot means they were also having exam.

Our library was a storey building painted in blue and white, the colour of our school, lots of wooden table and chairs were dispersed around it. The library was unusually full, somewhere that on a normal school day was like a love arena, it was like our school library could better be termed love arena instead of library.

I decided to sit at a corner where a girl was resting her head on the table, probably sleeping but how did they not catch her? I pulled out a chair opposite her and it made a noisy sound.

"Who is that cretin gan?" A voice which I instantly recognized half- shouted before our eyes met, her frown slipped into a smile.

"Hey, Khalid , what are you doing here?" She inquired while rubbing her eyes.

"To read of course," I stated the obvious, and she laughed, it felt like a song to my ear, one that I don't mind listening to every time.

"But wait, your face is somehow shining oo, is it the exam that is making you that happy?" She teased and I chuckled. How would exam make one shine and happy?

"You're not okay, I'm just happy that my mum called last night," I admitted, and she sat uprightly.

"Wow, so, what did she say?"

"The unexpected."

"Abeg, talk jare," she gesticulated with her palm and I smiled.

"Well, she wants us to travel together during the holiday, she said she'll be based in Paris then, I can't believe I'm going to spend a whole three weeks with my mother," I said happily.

"That's good news, just that I'll miss you during the holiday."

"Really?" I teased.

She pursed her lips before responding, "Realla, ode, who do I spend the holidays with before?"

"Me, of course," I pointed at my chest proudly, and she rolled her eyes.

"Be feeling yourself."

"But, why were you sleeping when I came in?"

She pouted, "I wasn't sleeping, just skimming through the pages."

"Hmm, skimmer but wait, where is Bimpe?" I asked while looking around the library.

"I left the exam hall before her though I told her I would be in the library, but she hasn't showed up," Kikiope explained and I nodded.

"Oh, I see," I responded.

"So, you came here to read?"

"Noo, to watch the lovers," I replied sarcastically, and she dashed me a scowl.

"Like, I think JANU should just consider changing this library to love arena and build a new library," Kikiope suggested and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Love arena ko, love library nii."

She eyed me and placed her textbook on the table.

"So, what are you guys having next?" I queried.

"Government, you?"

"Physics."

"Hmm, e ku ise oo and you're not reading anything, you're busy talking to Kikiope."

"Are you not the Kikiope?" I asked in a jocular tone.

"Did I tell you to talk to me, see, my own subject is very easy but that your own ehn, you'll sweat before you can answer one question."

I wriggled my brows, "You're cursing me niyen oo."

She pursed her thin lips before replying, "Is it not the true fact?"

"And physics is not that hard oo," I assured, and she scoffed.

We kept on talking for minutes until the bell was jingled meaning I didn't get to revise anything, neither did she. We both sauntered to our classes for our last exams for the day.

"When AY ought to come early he won't, abi he doesn't know we've started exams nii," Bimpe complained.

"Did you tell him?" Kunmi asked and she glared at him. We were at our rendezvous waiting for AY who didn't seem like he was coming soon, it's been almost an hour since we've closed, yet he hadn't showed up. Doyin and Abee would probably be serving their siesta now gan.

"You're stupid, he goat" Bimpe eyed him before turning to Kikiope who was chewing Chloret.

"She goat," Kunmi retorted, and she picked up the pen from the table, aiming it at him, he was quick to dodge it.

Just then two female junior students from the junior section walked up to us, they do enter our car pool too.

"What do you want?" Kikiope asked them.

"She wants to give Snr. Khalid something," the prettiest of the duo said pointing at the other one who hid her face behind her.

"What's that?" I inquired wondering what it could be.

"Oya, give it to him," the prettiest told the other one who shrugged.

"No jare, I'm not."

"But, you told me to bring you to him," Prettiest pestered on.

"Ehn, but..."

Bimpe cut in, "What's the meaning of this nonsense? If you're not ready to give him anything then disappear na."

Prettiest snatched a paper from the other one and gave it to me, instantly, my friends rounded me poking their heads into the paper and I slowly unwrapped it.

"Hey, come back here, don't leave," Kunmi told them, and they obeyed.

"Snr. Khalid, I like you very much, I always dream about you, you're my sunshine, you're...," Kikiope read it out before bursting into laughter while others joined including me though I felt slightly embarrassed.

"So, you came here to give him love letter?" Bimpe teased and they nodded.

Kikiope straightened up as she clapped, "Wonders shall never end oo, what class are you?"

"Jss3," the prettiest replied while the other who actually wrote the letter looked down.

"Iyen na da," Kunmi commented.

"What's your name?" Bimpe pointed at the other girl who looked up instantly.

"Prin...Princess," she stuttered.

"Princess ko, King nii," Bimpe replied.

"But, you guys are doing exams, right?" Kikiope inquired and the prettiest nodded, Princess had resumed back to looking down.

"So, you decided the best thing to do during the exam period is to write love letter, princess sunshine, you're in Jss3 what?"

Princess looked up and replied, "Purple."

"No wonder," we all shouted in unison.

"Don't worry you can leave, princess sunshine I'll help you talk to your sunshine, he'll reply you tomorrow, you hear?" Kikiope mocked and the junior students walked away.

"Oko princess sunshine, se you'll not say yes to your sunshine nii," Kikiope jested, and we all laughed.

"Reply that girl oo, someone that even had the courage to toast you herself, it's not easy ooo," Kunmi joked, and we all giggled.

"But truly, that girl likes you, just do her the favour of dating her, you'll see she's the best thing that has ever happened to you," Bimpe added, and we all tittered.

"You're not okay," I told her.

"See, if it's because of Abimbola forget that one jare, you see princess sunshine, she'll treat you like a sun and you'll start shining, why don't you give her a trial?" Kikiope said and I couldn't help but shake my head.

"You guys are sick," I replied.

"But, the girl is fine nau, Abimbola gan cannot stand beside her," Kunmi pestered on.

I placed my palm on my forehead and shook my head. How did I become friends with this people?

💢💢💢💢💢💢💢

Ever since our exams ended, Abimbola had always resumed in my class and it was choking me. Like, what gan? Can't someone have peace?

"Are you even listening to me?" She interrupted my thoughts.

"Yes," I nodded. Me that I didn't hear shingbayin.

"So, I was saying Nnena and I are going to Conference, do you mind joining us?" She asked with a bright smile.

"I do."

"Ehn?"

"I said I'm not going whereas I have to go meet my friends," I told her.

She screwed up her face, "It's always your friends every time, they're always your first priority whereas I'm your girlfriend," she complained.

I chuckled, "You can't expect me to abandon them."

She scoffed, "But, you can abandon me, when last did we have fun, it's always your friends but most especially that useless Kikiope."

The latter statement was what I didn't want to hear. What the hell is wrong with this girl?

"Must you always mention her name when we have a disagreement?" I nagged.

"Who else would I mention?"

"You're hopeless," I shook my head and proceeded to leave, but she pulled me back.

"Are you really choosing your friends over me?"

I smirked. What's this one saying? Who are you that I won't choose them over you.

"Yeah, see, I don't even understand why you're going to Conference, it's not like school isn't fun, there are different programs, now, there's a match between the technical class and Arts, isn't that fun to watch?"

Well, ever since we ended our exams, the social Prefects and Kikiope had taken it upon themselves to make sure the school was lively and as such different programs had been slated for each day. Actually, Kikiope had actually been the one who brought up the idea while we were in SS1 and the social Prefects had accepted. Kikiope was the social butterfly, another reason she was popular apart from being the best debater and also a member of JANU Icons.

She squeezed her face, "You know I don't like football."

"I know that?"

"I told you na."

Turns out I didn't pay attention, not like I paid attention most times.

"Okay, any way, I have to go now, I need to speak with my friends before preparing for the match."

"Are you really leaving me?" She asked in a sweet tone.

Nooo, I'm taking you with me.

I nodded and left the class before she could even reply. I got to our rendezvous minutes later and met the others there.

"Why did you come late?" Abee inquired as I sat by him, Doyin's head was placed on his laps.

"It was Abimbola jare."

"It's always that stupid girl," Bimpe shouted and I smiled. None of my friends liked her a bit, not like they were at fault though, she was a proud and bitchy girl who didn't know her place at all.

"I don't even know what you're still doing with her," Kikiope said.

You, you're the main reason, all because I didn't want to ruin our friendship.

"Abi oo," Doyin added and I smiled before turning to Kunmi who was chatting on his phone, phones were allowed after exams but during school hours gan, he and Abee still came to school with their phones.

" Who are you chatting with that you didn't see me?" I smacked his head and he turned to me.

"What's your business?"

"Hmm, better talk abi this boy is already doing Yahoo Yahoo nii," Bimpe accused, and he turned to look at her.

"Yahoo ko, plus nii," he pointed his phone at her, and she quickly looked into the phone with Kikiope.

"Yeh!" They both screamed and Doyin quickly jumped up from Abee's laps to look at Kunmi's phone while I pondered on what they might have seen.

"Is this not Kaffy?" Doyin queried while pointing at the phone.

"What does it look like?" He turned the phone to Abee and I and our face changed quickly. We'd seen Kaffy's nude pics.

"Did you ask for that?" Abee asked, and we all shifted our attention to Kunmi who cackled.

"I'm not that bad na, why would I ask for that?" He said when he finally stopped cackling.

"Then, how did you get hold of that?" Kikiope asked.

"On the internet, it has gone viral."

"Oh my goodness!" The girls shouted before clamping their hands on their mouth.

"That means she sent it to someone else and that one did it," I said and Kunmi nodded.

"Gosh, se nkan ton ponle niyen( Is that the thing you're placing high?" Kikiope said with irritation evident in her voice.

"When did I do that? Someone I'll dump immediately I stand up from here now," Kunmi assured.

"Send that picture to me, I'll use it to blackmail that girl," Bimpe turned to Kikiope, "We must paste it on the notice board, it's a holiday gift, thank God, school is closing in three days time."

"A ahn," We boys said in unison.

Kikiope turned to Bimpe, "Don't let us do that jare, it would be somehow stupid whereas it's already viral."

Doyin added, "The girl should just pray the school management doesn't here about it, if not she's saying goodbye to school niyen."

"Abi oo," Bimpe added.

Kikiope then turned to her, "Anyway, Bimpe are you sure you brought the Christmas cloth sha, don't forget tomorrow is the Carol oo."

"That's even true sha," Doyin added.

"Gosh, you're the one that reminded me sha, it's in AY's boot," she said before standing up.

Well, Bimpe had been the one who sewed the school choir's cloth for the Christmas celebration, it was a white and red gown for the girls and green and white for the boys. She was really earning a lot from her sewing. Though, we JANU Icons we're not members of the school Choir, but we were very much needed.

Just then we heard the sound of the bell, we didn't even notice  when the timekeeper came. It was to signify the preparation for the match.

"We'll go and take it after the match then," Kikiope suggested and the girls nodded in agreement.

We all stood up and headed towards the field where the match was to hold, it was compulsory for all students to be there.

We kept on discussing till we got to the field, then I left them and walked over to my classmates to prepare for the match.

"You're playing for your class?" I asked Tunde and he nodded.

"Yeah, you?"

"Same here."

Not quite long, the match started, the Arts were the first to score a goal, halfway into the match, Tunde scored a goal while we Technical hadn't scored any goal yet.

Twenty minutes to the end I scored a goal, then another guy from Green; the other technical class whom I didn't know his name scored another goal. We were now on a draw and it was becoming fierce, one had to win, just a minute to the end, I scored another goal and noise erupted from the crowd.

My friends screamed their lungs out and I couldn't help but laugh. Kikiope and Bimpe who ought not to shout for we won their class were the ones whose voice was the loudest.

I smiled at this.

Thanks for reading