I know we had an agreement, but I wanted to update twice today 😭✨✨✨♥️ So I hope you enjoy this chapter, especially the Tobiloba fan group 😂♥️
Dedicated to rollypop123 a new friend I've met with sense 😂💙
                         ♠Tobiloba♠

These guys were moving mad! Tobi exclaimed, watching Reuben and a new girl approach him.

It had been like  this,the countless teasing and bringing of new girls to try and get him to blend.

There wasn't much he was going to do but ignore them.

The new girl placed herself carefully on his laps, almost like she was expecting him to push her off, which he did.

Tobiloba stood up and left the classroom with a herd of teenagers following behind him.

Today was Friday, thankfully the last day of the week, and he was grateful to God for that.

He looked forward to meeting his parents and staying in the comfort of his parent's house again, this week had been hectic.

He was heading to the library one place  students never went, he needed to loose those boys behind him.

Reuben walked infront of him and turned around, blocking his path.

A taller boy stood beside Reuben, blocking him completely.

“Reuben please shift, let me pass " Tobiloba said earning a laugh from the two boys.

“Wetin you even get down there? Abi na wood?" The other boy asked hitting Reuben on the back as they laughed to his silly joke.

Tobi sighed.

This taunting had been going on for weeks now and he was starting to get fed up.

Why couldn't they just ignore him? He had lost whatever friend he had when he had insisted that no girl should be put on his lap again, and instead of respecting his wishes, they heaped girls upon girls on his laps, he didn't want to report to the school authorities and make a scene, but it looked like that was what he would have to do.

He clenched his fist, as the taunting began, with a few arts  girls throwing all sorts of insults and unwanted comments at him.
“Just leave" he said to himself, he pushed through the crowd, taking no regard of the people he pushed out of his way.
They deserved it!

Break times were the worst! They gave him no rest, how could teenagers busy themselves with whether he was sexually active or not?

“God your children have no chills" he sighed running a hand through his  hair as he walked towards the library.

He was surprised at the thick mass that had began to grow, he needed to lower it, he made a mental note to do that during the weekend.

Tobi met a locked door and a notice that the library was out of service.

‘Was a library ever out of service, or was it just the books that were out of service' he wondered as he turned around, facing the way he had just come from and wondering where he should go.

“Tobiloba" Chetachi called, giving him a bro handshake and a pat  on the back when he reached him.

The tall boy had been jogging towards him.

“Where are James and the other team members? Principal is calling us for a meeting" he finished signalling for a junior boy to run over.

Chetachi told the junior boy to find the other team members, and dismissed him.

They walked together to the administrative block and waited for the rest of the team   members to arrive at the entrance of the principals office.

A few minutes later, James arrived with Reuben, and a few other boys from science class with Eniola leading the team.

The principal ushered them in, all ten of them.

They met the rest of the Jasper High Athletic Society already in the office.

Basketballers , Runners, Tennis players and the volleyball team.

Chetachi left Tobi's side and moved forward to speak with the principal privately.

Tobi stood by himself.

He wasn't ready for any drama this afternoon. He ignored the arts boys already snickering at the back, his eyes remained focused on the certificates and plagues hanging on the principal's wall that were pinned to a board behind his desk.

Chetachi talked with the principal at length, going back and forth over an issue they seemed to be deliberating on until they came to a conclusion.

The athletes had broken up into different groups, discussing among themselves, while he stood there sticking out like a sore thumb.

“Eniola please come forward" the principal said, motioning for the dark girl to move forward.

She pushed her way through the crowd of  boys, asking the few girls there to excuse her.

When she got to the principal desk, she curtsied and waited for him to speak.

Tobiloba found his mind wandering, after this announcement was games and he had to change in the locker room with the boys.
A dreadful feeling lodged itself in his throat and  refused to go down.

He  glanced briefly at his wrist watch, it was 2:39pm.

Sports lasted for two hours, luckily for him, he didn't take remedial lessons so he would be free to go home after that.

‘Give me the grace Lord,' he whispered ignoring the empty space beside him.

His closest friend would have been here, beside him if he hadn't betrayed him.

“Talk about modern day Judas Iscariot" he chuckled softly to himself, earning him a few weird glances from some boys.

“Na konji dey do this one" someone said making other boys laugh.

“Okay guys, let's go outside, Principal wants to address us in the field, this office is too stuffy" the head boy spoke up, asking them not to make any noise while they were at it.

Standing in the basketball court, the principal addressed them.

“You all know that our interhouse sports competition is coming up this next month, and after next month, the graduating set among you will be busy with their exams, so the sports prefect and I will divide you people into groups.

I'm happy to announce to you all, that the Jasper High Athletic Society has been selected to participate in the Interstate Athletic Bowl of The Nationals competition" he announced, loud cheers  erupted from the group with ‘whooping' sounds and whistles, everyone was elated.

Tobi clapped along.
The Interstate Athletic Bowl was a part of The Nationals competition, an avenue created for athletes from different states in the country to participate in it's events.

Talent scouts usually came to these events, viewing each schools performance during the course of the event, and the winning school got to represent their country, state and school, in the international level.

There were three scholarship opportunities for each sport, three outstanding students from each Athletic group,stood a chance to win a fully sponsored university scholarship to an Ivy league university of their choice.

Selections were usually hard, with the government going discreetly to monitor each schools progress in that area.

Letters were sent to schools that were accepted and the competition held once every two years.

Chetachi tried to control the noise as the principal got ready to resume his speech.

“Next two weeks are for tryouts. Only thirteen of you are going to represent us there, the rest of you will invest yourselves fully in the interhouse sports competition." Noise broke out again at his  last statement.

The Jasper High Athletic Society comprised of 66 students, who were not even fully present right now, how did this man expect only fifteen of them to participate?

What about the footballers and basketballers?

Tobi voiced out his last thought.

“Sir, we are ten players in a basketball team, how are we going to play with only three people?"

The principal stepped backwards and nudged Chetachi.

Chetachi replied him “They're pairing us with two players from another school. So we'll be complete. That's means we'll be in the same team with people from another school so we better give them a good impression" the tall boy finished.

The principal nodded in agreement and signalled for Chetachi to continue when he turned back to tell the man he was done addressing the issue.

Tobiloba's mind wandered off as Chetachi spoke, explaining to the different teams how the selections would be done.

Next week was the week before their second test week, so every member of the Jasper High Athletic Society was mandated to stay behind after school for three hours so tryouts wouldn't interrupt the school's curriculum.

Tobi was going to be on the basketball court for three hours everyday,he smiled.

After God and his family, basketball was the next big thing for him.

“Please let me win Lord, prepare me for this tournament, and also let me meet new friends in the course of this championship" he said smiling to himself.

“Assistant head prefect, go and call the  Performing arts society captain to come here please, the rest of you can go, let me finish with your sports prefect ." The principal added watching  the boys and few girls file out in groups.

The Performing arts society members were already gathered in the auditorium, huddled in groups discussing. He guessed word must have gone out about the National stage of the Discover We competition.

Tobi smiled as he approached Lumen, who was the head of the society, she seemed to be rounding up a discussion with one of their instructors.

“Good afternoon Lumen" he said giving a small bow to the teacher who walked past, acknowledging her presence.

"Hey you!" she responded, smiling brightly.
Tobi smiled back at her. Her energy was contagious.

"Principal wants to see you guys " he said nodding towards the direction of students huddled together doing what students did best, gossip.

“Oh okay, that's what I was just told as well " she added, as she slipped off her ballet flats, and changed into her school shoes.

Tobiloba nodded and excused himself.

He walked towards the locker room, swiped his card, the card every member of the Athletic Society had to have to reduce the number of people who just came here to play or hide out.
But that didn't stop them from bringing in others, especially the girls.
The blue metal door opened, revealing the sports locker room. He walked towards the boys section, opened the door and let himself in.

Tobi approached his locker, punched in the code and opened it.

A pack of used condoms fell out. He sighed this had Reuben written all over it.  He picked up the ziplock bag, scrutinized it and threw it away.

He searched through his sports bag and brought out his journal to jot down a few things, after writing he changed into his sportswear and sat down on a bench with an airpod in each ear, while waiting for the sports bell to ring.

                    Authors Note
Purrrrrrr 😗
So, Tobi is a basketballer, remember this piece of information because you'll need it when we reach the epilogue 😗♥️😂
Incase you all haven't read Tints And Shadows by my very own vickyraee
The Nationals competition is from her book, yes I asked her for permission, don't come at me😂🤌🏽

The interstate Athletic Bowl is part of the Nationals, and ..
I've said too much🥲😗

Vote comment your thoughts and share this chapter, also thank you for almost 300 reads😚
I started this book five days ago and we got to 100 on the first day, let's share this book and push it to 300 this evening 😗✨

I have a surprise for you guys in the competition chapters, that's all I'm allowed to say 😗😂

Have a nice rest of the day 💜