～Ife

I could have bitten my best friend, Oghenerukevwe Osarodion, for abandoning me as we got to our Civic Education class. So what if we were late? That didn't mean she had to rush over to her desk immediately we arrived leaving me zombified in the doorway as the second bell rang.

I clutched at the sapphire ring hanging on the chain around my neck, hoping it would ward off my fear like a magic amulet. As if it hadn't been three weeks since Mrs Gibson assigned seats and I still felt like I had been slapped in the face severely. Sitting at my desk next to the drop - dead gorgeous Delroy Angst each morning was torture. Quite enjoyable torture, admittedly, but still.

I forced myself to put one foot in front of the other as I made my  way to my desk, shooting Rukky my meanest look - the death glare - as I crept past. Rukky rolled her eyes.

I pulled the wooden spike out of my hair as I sat down, then peered out at Delroy from behind a curtain of brown hair.

He was utterly gorgeous in every way. Skin, the color of a well polished olive colored furniture, high aristocratic cheekbones that made dark valleys in his face, a truly well sculpted nose, curly light brown hair that hung near his neck. Those perfect pink lips. My heart convulsed. I was sure I'd die if we ever exchanged a single word.

I'm so going to fail this subject, I thought. How can I concentrate on a thing when he's this close?

A sing song voice interrupted my thoughts.

"After I win the cheer leading tryouts and become captain of the squad, I'm so going to do a photoshoot," said Folakemi Adegbenro.

"I am already so much better than my big sister," Folakemi twittered on. "And she has won like so many gymnastics competitions."

"Maybe I'll be your co- captain," one of Folakemi's minions said brightly.

"Maybe i won't need a co- captain," replied Folakemi coolly.

It was one thing to get assigned a seat next to Delroy Angst and die of embarrassment. But it was another thing altogether to get seated behind Folakemi Adegbenro and die of boredom, listening to her endless, dumb, mean - spirited chatter. Folakemi and her lemmings had been yammering on about cheer leading tryouts since the first day of school.

I tucked a few stray strands of hair behind my ears and pulled out my notebook.

I angled myself away from Delroy - If I couldn't spend eternity with him, I could at least use my time productively - and turned to the back page, where I jotted some ideas for the press club.

"What are Brookestonites saying about the upcoming career day?" I wrote. Let's see, I thought, I heard some ss1's discussing if modeling was a career and...

I realised the room had grown quiet all of a sudden. I stopped writing.

"Class," Mrs Gibson said. "I'll like to introduce a new member of our school."

Beside Mrs Gibson stood the new girl from this morning. I got the same weird feeling I'd had when I first met her on the hallway. A mixture of deja vu and shock.

"Her name is Adunni Agbai," she explained. "She just moved here from Abeokuta."

I put my hand on my necklace and twirled the ring around my finger as I watched the new girl at the front of the room. Adunni's long, curly, black hair was packed in a chic low bun. She looked good, for a new student.

I wasn't usually interested in new students. So why did I feel like I was looking at someone I had met before?

Dunni was given a seat right in the front, probably because, once again Mrs Gibson was trying to ruin my life - using the ancient curse of assigned seating, no matter how I craned my neck, I was unable to catch a glimpse of the girl's face.

In between trying to learn about the qualities of the civil society and trying to look cool and beautiful in case Delroy was looking at me, I tried to figure out how I knew Adunni Agbai.

I decided to list all the possibilities in my notebook: Kindergarten? Primary school? Junior school? Easter camp out? Dance camp? Rufus and bee? Finally, desperately, I wrote.....TV?

There weren't many people I knew who Rukky wouldn't recognise as well, so I tore a blank corner from one page and passes a note to my friend while Mrs Gibson was writing on the board.

Rukky's response came at once: "She does look a little bit like Mikaria Janae." And then at the back of the paper she wrote, "Did you see Mrs Akinbo's makeup today??" The eyebrows looked like the confluence point."

I tried to cloak my laughter with a fake cough, but the resulting rattle was seriously grave. Delroy probably thought I was a choking rat.

"Do we have to type the assignment?" The new girl asked. Even her voice sounded familiar.

I was more certain that there was something strange about the girl with puffy hair.

When the bell rang, I waited for Delroy to leave before I got up. Rukky and I headed to our lockers when Rukky nudged my arm and said, "Looks like the new girl is about to be eaten up by TMO." TMO stood for Tobechukwu, Mujeeb and Oladele. The three highly immature and most disgusting boys in our set who had this stupid mindset that they were loved by all.

Down the hall, Adunni Agbai was standing by the bathrooms, surrounded by the three boys.

Oh no, I thought. She was still too new to know how to handle boys like them. Before I knew what I was doing, I was running towards the group.

They stood behind a row of lockers and whispered nonsense to each other. Mujeeb whistled and then said, "Omo, see new babe. She as she set, come package wellar for front and back."

The trio winked at Adunni and Oladele leaned closer to her.

For the first time, I saw Adunni without a smile on her face. Our eyes met over the lockers and she looked confused.

I clenched my teeth. There was no way I was going to let this girl be annoyed by the biggest idiots at Brook stone.

"Can't you guys find something better to do!" I said, shoving them aside and stepping in front if Adunni.

"What's your problem, Adeleke?" Oladele asked.

"Yeah, if you want attention, you could have asked."

"You're my problem, you this mad man." I unleashed my death glare. "I said get out."

The boys all shared the same disgusting look and turning around, they left the hall.

"I am so happy you showed up," Adunni blurted. "I barely even know you and you're already my favourite person!"

"Don't every worry about those idiots, abeg. If they ever bother you again, be sure to put them in their place."

"You sure know how to handle them," Adunni remarked."

"Yeah, well, I'd better," I said. "I'm going to have to put up with them for a while."

I laughed. "Anyways, thank you for the second time today, Ife. I'm really grateful."

That strange feeling rushed back over me, with a force so powerful I nearly stumbled. All at once, I realized why the new girl looked familiar. She looks a lot like me, I thought. More than a lot - she looks exactly like me!

A wave a nausea hit me, and my knees trembled. I was either going to throw up or black out in the middle of the hall. Delroy would see me splayed on the floor, my face whiter than before, my legs twisted like a doll's.

Adunni was still talking, but the roar in my head was too loud for me to hear.

"Later," I croaked. And quick as a bat, I flew into the girl's bathroom.

   ●

So, TMO was actually inspired by some of my set boys😂. Most of them feel themselves too much, but then they're not all that 🤪

Hmm..Ife and Dunni🧐
What's this resemblance I'm seeing? I can't wait to see what happens next. Can you? I'm sure you can't 💅🏼

The best is honestly yet to come✨✨

Random question?
What's the most awkward situation you've ever been in?

I've been in many awkward situations tbvh but the most recent one was this term at school when one of my friends was trying to get me to talk to the boy I like 💀

Tell me yours in the comment section below!🌚(Tryna feel like a you tuber😂)

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