JARED

The door protested and I looked up from my video game as I wondered who could it be. I was the only one at home except Chichi who can't come to my room except with my permission.

The appearance of Sharon and two other girls answered my thought. She walked up to me with a big smile and pecked me. I didn't even know why she was here? She'd been calling me for the past few days and I'd ignored her several calls but he remained unperturbed as he was hellbent on reaching me.

"Hi," she greeted before turning to her friends.

"This are my friends, Sarah" she pointed to a chubby girl who waved at me and I couldn't but returned that as she then turned to a lanky girl who looked somehow familiar, "Dariya"

"Hi, Jared"

I looked at her in surprise. How did she know my name? Though she looked familiar but I can't place where I'd seen her before.

"We do meet at competitions, the last was a chemistry quiz that you won," she explained with a smile.

Oh! Now I remember.

"Sorry I didn't quite recall quickly"

"It's okay"

"So guys, Jared is my boyfriend, the one I told you about," Sharon introduced with beaming smiles. This girl must be suffering from amnesia, how many times will I make it clear to her that I was no longer her boyfriend.

"Wow, he's handsome oo," Sarah cooed as she moved nearer to touch my face but I stood up before she could.

"I'm her ex," I said, Sharon's face flushed with embarrassment and Sarah looked slightly embarrassed and turned to her friends. Sharon glared at me but I didn't give a damn. She opened her mouth to talk but the entrance of Kiisha and Idiat stopped her.

Oh, goodness gracious. I just hope they won't fight today. It was our last day at home and my place was the last place for our group study.

Kiisha and Idiat looked at me in surprise, Kiisha was wearing a white top that had 'I don't care' engrossed on it with a black bubble skirt that made her look like the ballerina she was. She was looking as radiant as the sun while Idiat was wearing a purple freeyard gown.

"What do you want?" Sharon asked Kiisha who gave her a disgusting look.

"I should be asking you that question, last I checked this is my friends house and he doesn't welcome cheap sluts like you"

Ouch! Sharon's face drained as she turned to her friends who erupted into laughter. Idiat pinched Kiisha and gave her a questioning look.

"And this is my boyfriend's place so maggots like you shouldn't be here," she retorted and Kiisha scoffed.

She moved closer to her and touched her cheek, "What you're doing is a awful, big disgrace to yourself. Jared doesn't want you and you're forcing yourself on him." She turned to Idiat, "How can someone just be throwing herself at a guy that doesn't want her? Is she that desperate or more stupid?"

A vein appeared on Sharon's head as she pulled Kiisha's braid in anger.

"Ouch! let go of my hair," Kiisha thundered and she did promptly. Maybe Kiisha's voice scared her or she just decided to be sensible, I didn't know.

"Good girl," Kiisha patted her face with a crook smile and Sharon pushed her away before glaring at me.

"Hey, Dariya," Kiisha greeted, seems she just noticed her. She must have recognized her.

"Hi," Dariya greeted.

"Don't tell me you're this silly thing's minions?"

Dariya wanted to respond but the door opened and my guys walked in.

They casted a curious look at Sharon and her friends before giving me a questioning look.

"Hi, Joshua," Dariya greeted and her friends glowered at her.

"Oh, Dariya, what are you doing here?" Joshua asked. Seems I was the only one that didn't recognize that Dariya earlier.

"I came here with my friends," she pointed at Sharon and Idiat who were expressionless.

"Peacock, you have to go now, we're here to study and we don't need any chewing gum to disturb us," Kiisha mocked and Sharon glared at her before stomping angrily out of the room as her friends followed her.

"Omo, that girl is hot oo, can you give me her number?" Demolu said immediately they banged the door.

"You can still run after her o," I responded and he smirked.

"Ashewo, it's every girl you like," Idiat mocked and he smiled.

"But Kiisha what just happened with that girl?" Yimika questioned.

"Don't ask me any stupid question," she responded and Yimika snapped his mouth shut.

"Let's go downstairs, the room is stuffy," I suggested and no one responded as they all walked out of the room.

"Mom," I called as I descended the stairs, she just got back.

"Jared," she greeted with a smile before hugging me and just after turned to look at my friends who were all seated in the living room.

"Oh, Kiisha, you're here, what of your mom?" she asked as she moved closer to them.

"She's fine ma," Kiisha responded with a smile.

"You're just getting more beautiful day by day," mum complimented.

"Thanks ma"

"Good afternoon ma," others greeted in unison like a timed chorus.

Mom cast me a curious look before replying their greetings.

"They're my friends, they're are here to study for the competition I told you about," I explained and mum nodded.

"You are all welcome, so can you introduce yourself?"

Mum sat beside Kiisha as she listened to them.

"Ma, you are just too pretty oo, I didn't know you'll be this pretty in real life," Demolu said, he's exhibited the trait that he can die because of the female specie.

Mom laughed before responding, "Thanks dear, you're just as handsome too"

Demolu grinned before nudging Joshua, "You can see now, you guys didn't want to believe I'm most handsome"

Joshua smiled as well as the others.

"Ma, can I take a picture with you?" Demolu inquired and I frowned at him but he ignored me.

Mum agreed and everyone took their turns in taking picture with mum who was obviously enjoying the company, she hadn't smiled that much ever since she got back on Friday 'cos she's been picking fights with Dad who seemed not that concern.

Mum knew of his cheating escapade and he never failed to deny it. I haven't talked to dad since that day I saw him kissing Miss Edna but he nevertheless, had come to bribe me with a trip to Spain if I didn't tell mum what I saw.

Can you imagine? When I'm not a baby. I just walked out on him that day and stopped talking to him. If at all I wanted to go to Spain, I can tell mum or even my uncle but dad bribing me with a trip is just embarrassingly disappointing.

After the picture session, mum headed straight to her room and left us to ourselves.

"Gosh, your mom is just too beautiful, if she were younger nii, I'd ot hesitate to pull down the moon just to have her oo," Demolu gushed and I frowned at him.

"Stop blabbing nonsense," Idiat cautioned.

"This picture will be my profile pics from now on," Joshua said and Kiisha eyed him.

"You can start living here then," Kiisha said.

"Really?" Demolu asked in stead of Joshua.

"Just shut up!," I said and they all laughed.

"Now, let's be serious and start studying, trust we're through with all the past questions, right?" I asked.

"Yes," Joshua responded.

"But I just downloaded the PDF of the InterswitchSPAK past questions," Kiisha announced and we all turned to her.

"It's on your phone right?" Idiat asked and she nodded.

"Good, let's go to the study," I said. I only go to the study when they were around, it had been a deserted place to me before but whenever Jacinth got back from school she spent most of her time in there.

"Wait, me oo, I'm hungry," Yimika announced and we all erupted into laughter.

" You didn't eat before coming abi?" Kiisha asked with a glare.

"I did o."

"Then why are you still hungry, goblin?" Demolu asked.

"Chimp, you know I always like to eat before studying or else I'll just faint"

"Hungry wolf," Kiisha mocked.

"Eese, thank you. So who will cook now because I can't cook anything oo?" Idiat asked.

"Even me," Kiisha added.

"I will," we heard mom's voice say as she descended the stairs.

"Mom," I called and she smiled.

"Don't worry kids, let me prepare something for you," Mom announced and they all smiled and obviously happy.

"But... "

"Don't worry, Jared, Chichi will help me," mom said before walking to the kitchen.

"Your mom is the best mom ever," Yimika shouted.

"I know but what of your own mom?" others erupted into laughter at this.

It was back to school and as usual it was to face, first thing, our mid term test which lasted for four days, the last day being a Friday and of course the last day for practice for the inter house sports that was in a week's time.

"I'll make sure my house wins the swimming competition," Kenneth said to me, we were both in the changing room changing back into the P.E dress. We'd just had the last practice and he had come first as always and I had no intention to compete with him but he was somehow jealous of me always been in the competition, even when I have always came second in swimming.

"That's good, there's no one to compete the position with you actually," I assured and he dashed me a false smile.

"Thank God you know I'm your boss in swimming"

"I'm not competing to be your boss, so relax boy," I touched his shoulder and smiled.

He nodded and returned the smile.

We both walked out of the changing room and out of the indoor pool as we headed to the field.

On getting to the field, I saw Kiisha who was in her house, watching the match past, she waved at me and smiled as I returned it.

"What's going on between you two?" Kenneth asked. I tore my gaze from Kiisha and turned to him.

"Nothing yet"

"Yet?... that means you have plan to make her yours," he said.

"Yeah, is anything the problem with that?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You know I've liked her since junior school?"

"Yes, so why are you now telling me?"

"So you won't date her, I can see you guys are close so she probably won't turn you down like she does for every other guys but she's mine"

I chuckled at this. After several disgrace from Kiisha, he was still bent on her.

"She isn't a shoe that you own"

"Whatever, ...but I don't want you to near her, you know what I mean"

"You're not to tell me who to date," I deadpanned and as he opened his mouth to talk, Kiisha beat him to it. I didn't even know when she got here.

"Hey, jaguar," she flashed a smile at me.

"Hi, riff," I responded.

I didn't miss the confused look on Kenneth's face before he greeted, "Hi"

"Hi," Kiisha replied coldly.

"Aren't you going for basketball practice?" I asked.

"We are done with that and I just decided to stop and watch my house training," she explained.

"Oh, I'm also free now"

"Mm...Kiisha, can we talk please?" Kenneth asked with a smile.

Kiisha turned to him, " Do I have owe you any talk," she punctuated it with a hiss and held my hand as we walked away.

"The way you treated that guy was bad oo, just hope he wouldn't get back at you," I said.

She turned to me, let go of my hands before talking, "He's just so annoying"

"But...," she shut me up with a wave of her palm.

"Don't talk about it again"

"Okay oo, so where are we heading oo?" I asked.

" That's even true, let's go to the volleyball court, Kiishi and Kiiti are there," she proposed.

" But I don't enjoy watching volleyball"

" Don't worry, you'll enjoy it now," she said as she dragged me to the court.