SAMANTHA's POV

It is always in my mind. No matter what I do, I still think of it. The thought brings both fear and joy to me. I want to be a football player. I want a job related to football in the future because I know it's the only way I will be happy. There is this international football game between countries and Nigeria is involved. First, school will compete nationally before they will go international. The school that wins will be rewarded handsomely and the players will be given scholarship to some football academy within and abroad. I have been preparing since my junior secondary days for this opportunity. The competition is around the corner and I fear my teammates aren't ready. They are good but are they the best? We will be competing with different schools. Are we going to win? That's the fear and joy I face when I think of this.

"Samantha," someone yells my name. I like sitting in the backrow. It gives me my personal space and I get to daydream or just sleep off during boring classes. For instance, the physics class I'm in now. "Samantha Ademola, stand up now".

I rise sluggishly. My physics teacher glares at me. "You will keep standing till that sleep clears from your eyes".

"But I wasn't sleeping," I say blandly. He narrows his eyes at me and I shrug. "I'm wide awake".

"Keep standing. It's only ball you know how to play. Book, you don't know. You will tell me if football will put food on your table".

"Ronaldo plays ball and his life is far brighter than yours," I snap. The class begin to murmur as they try to stifle their laughter.

"What did you say?" he growls.

I shrug.

"Leave my class"

"Thank you. I'm even bored sef. I'll read in the library. It's better for me," I say for him to hear and pack some books with me as I stroll out. "The truth is always bitter. Football puts food on some people's table".

"You still have mouth to talk?" he barks and I roll my eyes at him before I swagger out. Science students are much in my class so we are grouped into three: Gold, Silver and Diamond. We each have our separate classes.

Na my mumu classmates wey give us that stupid name.

I'm so glad I'm in SS 3 Science Gold class. I want to win gold in all my football games so I like the name. As I pass Diamond Science Class, my mind flickers to Daniel. That's his class and I'm so glad we aren't in the same class. He would have been dead by now. I would probably be in jail. I hate the way he looks at me and I definitely hate the fact that he is falling hard for me.

You might be wondering how I know? Two days ago, we talked. I'm sure you remember that day. And since then, he has been trying to make us talk again. He is always calling me beautiful or Sammy Baby. I'm losing my temper already. I don't know if I can hold myself any longer. I might beat him up soon.

I head straight to the library. I should read, don't you think? Well, I'm gonna sleep. I'm actually an average student in class. Book and I aren't really close. We fight alot. I'm not so good with Chemistry or Physics. I don't even want to talk about Mathematics sef. My brain goes off when it comes to it. I'm not a lazy student though. I will read at night. I prefer reading at that time and playing in the day. If I don't get to be a footballer, I want to be a physiologist and that's why I love biology so much.

I sleep off in the library and when my dream gets interesting, someone taps me. I rise from the desk and glare at her.

"Samantha, I am tired of you. You missed two period of physics class. Wetin dey do you?" Anna yells at me, her hands on her waist.

"Leave me alone jor. He chased me from his class. Were you expecting me to beg him? You know he will just insult me more"

"But you insulted him first"

"Lemme oo. No come dey preach for my head abeg"

"Sammy, I want you to respect your elders more na. You don't have control of this your mouth"

"Abeg oo! The truth is bitter"

She sighs and sits beside me. Anna is the only female I keep so dearly to the point that I call her a friend. She is a true Child of God. I know she tells me that she is not perfect but it doesn't change the fact that I admire her commitment to God and his commandments. I always tell her that it is God's mercy and blessing to me that I have her as a friend.

"So what have you read so far?" She asks.

I cough playfully and voice, "I was sleeping, sweetheart".

"May God have mercy on you," she whines and pinch my cheek. "But you said you were going to read".

"Na mouth I was making oo. I already knew I will sleep," I confess.

"Okay! We will study during our free period. Deal?" she asks.

"Deal!"

The library door opens and we easily spot the person that walks in. Anna's breath hitchs and I see her adjust her chair so that she is facing me fully, her back to the door. I raise a brow at her action and she waves her hand dismissively at me. I glance back at the person walking in. He is Boma if I'm not mistaken. My brow squeezes in disapproval. Isn't he Daniel's bestfriend? I hope Daniel doesn't walk in.

As if he could hear my thought, he walks in, his school uniform perfectly fitted on his body. Our uniform is a blue long sleeve and a dark blue patterned skirt and pair of trousers for boys. We then add a dark blue tie to it. We wear that color on Mondays and Thursdays. On Tuesday is a Cream-colored long sleeve and black skirt or trouser with black tie. Wednesday is the sportswear and Friday is a red T-shirt under blue jeans. Girls like to be fashionable on that day. They wear either stylish jeans trouser or skirt.

Daniel's hands are in his trouser pants as he strolls to the shelves. I eye his tall figure and shake my head.

"Is he still there?" Anna mumbles to herself before she glances at the boys. She gasps and faces me again. My eyes scrutinize her and she bunches her shoulder up and lets them down in a careless shrug. I hiss.

"What's happening here? Why are you acting weird?"

She lets out a squeaky and strange laughter, fanning herself with her hand. "It's nothing, dear. We will read later. Let's leave this place. We will be having English soon. You know na. Our English teacher doesn't take nonsense. You even fear him too".

"Excuse you," I hiss. "I fear him because he has the power to remove me from the football team if I fail his class".

"Then, let's leave here. We need to be early to his class"

I eye her suspiciously and she is sending a sickly smile at me. She rises and pulls me to my feet. She packs all my book in one arm and slides the other in mine. She mumbles incoherent words and pulls me as we hastily walk towards the door.

"Hey, sister Anna," Boma's voice ring in the air. I glance back before I can spot him, Anna pulls me out the door and into the hallway.

"I'm tired of that boy," she mumbles, her legs moving faster than mine.

"Why? Do you talk to him? I thought you don't like boys like him. He is a player, you know"

"Did I say I don't know," she snaps at me and I gasp. I don't say a thing since she is acting unusual. I just watch her as I try to figure out what's on her mind.

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     From your Naija Writer,
Mabel 🥺❤️❤️♥️😏