T Y L E R

Felix was making it too obvious, so I had no other choice but to step on his left foot, which was covered with his sneaker. He shot me a glare, while I pretended not to realize what I did.

I also didn't like the way he was staring at Yemisi, it made my heart ache somehow.

Divine was still awfully quiet as she ate her vegetables which I paid for, and I knew it had to do with Gloria. When we were in SS2, Gloria had accused Divine of theft, so since then, Divine has harboured hate feelings towards her.

Gloria on the other hand, dosen't hate Divine, but she doesn't like her either. She was this chirpy person in our class, always vibrant and full of life. Literally, she was friends with almost everyone in class.

"My birthday is next month," Felix announced, breaking the awkward silence as we ate. "I'm so excited."

No one said anything, and Felix could sense the peculiar atmosphere. But Yemisi chose to speak up, probably out of pity for Felix.

"How old will you be turning?"

Felix smiled, opening another packet of coaster biscuit. "Eighteen."

"Oh, wow. So, you're that old?" Yemisi teased, taking a bite from her plantain.

You should've seen the look on Felix's face, he looked like a dog with two tails. Yemisi was finally speaking to him normally, and that must've been a jackpot in his mind.

Hmm.

"Lol. Come on, I'm not that old. How old are you?" Felix asked Yemisi.

She looked up from her food and leaned back in her chair, taking a sip from her Sprite. "I don't know."

That smile on Felix's face disappeared instantly and he exchanged a glance with me. I didn't know why he was looking at me, because it's not like I don't know how Yemisi is. One minute, she's talking to you normally, and the next minute, she's snobbing you.

Makes me wonder if she's bipolar.

I jolted slightly when I heard loud noises from the table behind us. It was David and his crew. They were banging their table, and laughing hysterically like gamblers.

David's eyes met mine, and his smile slowly faltered, despite the noise from his peers. Took me a while to realize he was staring at Yemisi, not me.

I managed not to make my anger obvious, and it was the first time. . .

Yemisi was oblivious to David's stare, she was busy eating her fried plantain with egg sauce. Watching her eating and lick those lips of hers, made me smile unconsciously. My anger towards David was momentarily forgotten, and the only thing that was on my mind was Yemisi.

And her sumptuous lips. Gawwwd!

Things I'd love to do with those-

"OMG!" Divine shrieked, jolting up from her seat, and interrupting my thoughts about Yemisi. After being quiet throughout.

She tugged out something from her pocket, and I realized it was a phone.

A phone? An iPhone XR?

"I'm already late for my press meeting. I told them we'd have a meeting fifteen minutes before lunch break is over," she said, hurriedly stuffing her mouth with the remaining food on her plate.

I just watched her curiously, wondering when she got an iPhone. She was using an itel phone before, so seeing her with an iPhone XR was surprising. And she didn't tell us?

"Divine, you got a new phone?" I asked her before I could stop myself.

She was caught off guard by my sudden question, and I could tell she was forming the right words in her head.

Initially speechless, she regained her composure and finally said, "Yes. M-my brother got it for me."

"Oh."

She flashed us a small smile before maneuvering out of the cafeteria.

Divine using an iPhone? But I thought. . .

Ringggggg!

"Break over!" a boy screamed, while standing on a table in the cafeteria. Didn't know what that was all about, but okay...

Felix, Yemisi, and I walked out of the cafeteria together, and Felix was still eating that same coaster biscuit from earlier.

"Tyler!" I heard someone call me, so I turned to see one of my teammates. "Coach wants to address all of us," he shouted so that I can hear him from where he stood behind me.

With that, he jogged off to the direction of the football field. I groaned a little because I didn't feel like practicing, especially when I was with Yemisi at that time.

Yes, I've got it real bad.

I'm crazy about her, and it's a bit terrifying because she's the last person I thought I'd ever fall in love with. But when I saw her on her first day here, after a really long time, I realized she was effortlessly beautiful.

I don't know why it took me a while to realize how beautiful she is. Maybe because I just hated her during our childhood, so I didn't have time to acknowledge her beauty.

"Aren't you going?" Felix suddenly asked.

Now that I realized that Felix would get to be alone with Yemisi if I left, I didn't want to go.

But you have to, Tyler! You're the captain.

My subconsciousness had a point. I'm the captain of the football team, so I have to be present during meetings, practice, and all that has to do with the team.

I took one look at Yemisi, and she stared back at me with this cute expression that made my heart skip. She might have been just looking at me blankly, but to me it was cute.

Gosh! I need help!

Felix suddenly snapped his fingers, and I flinched. "You well?" he asked while laughing. "Why are you just standing like a dummy?"

Me? Dummy? Felix must be stupid. Because he's with Yemisi, he's trying to act cool, like we don't know how we do.

I ran my hands through my hair and told them I'll see them later, then I walked away. I had no idea why I was standing like a dummy in the presence of Yemisi. She already thinks I'm weird, but what if I'm just giving her reasons to think like that?

I sighed and face palmed myself.

When I got to the field, I saw my teammates gathered together in some sort of circle, while coach Thompson stood in the middle.

"Ehen. Tyler, bia," coach Thompson called out to me, the moment he saw me approaching.

"See the time he's coming sef. A whole captain, mitchew."

I needed no soothsayer to tell me that it was that junior boy who spoke.

"Sir?" I answered coach Thompson, standing beside one of my teammates, and ignoring that junior boy. Because if I don't keep ignoring him, I might end up beating him.

"Founder's Day is just around the corner, and we need to come up with some ideas to make our presence known," coach Thompson said.

I folded my arms and nodded in understanding. Founder's day was indeed around the corner, and we players barely participated.

"We can't just sit back and let other clubs and teams take the spotlight nau," Coach Thompson continued. "I want to hear your ideas. What can we do to make this year's Founder's Day one to remember?"

We all looked at each other, some shrugging, others whispering to each other. One guy named, Obed, raised his hand.

"Yes, Obed?"

"I think we should organize a friendly match against another school," suggested Obed.

"That's not bad," Coach Thompson said, nodding. "But we need something more. Something that'll draw in the crowds."

"How about a charity match?" Eric spoke up. "We could play against other schools."

"That's what I said," Obed argued, shooting daggers at Eric, while the guy just continued staring at the coach.

"I like that idea o, but we need more. What else you got?"

I thought about it for a while before raising my hand to speak.

"Yes, Tyler?"

"What if we combine Eric and Obed's ideas with something like, a carnival?"

Coach Thompson creased his brows and another of my teammate, Rotimi, snapped his fingers, muttering 'Bingo!'

"We can add other fun activities like, a bake sale, games, food, music, and the likes," the latter said.

That junior boy yawned and stretched his arms like we were boring him with our talks. Despite being the youngest member on the team, he had a very sharp mouth.

"Sir, Tyler's idea makes no sense. Let's just use Rotimi and Obed's ideas. A charity match against other schools."

This boy was really getting on my nerves. He will tell me whether I look like his age mate.

I angrily glared at him. "How does my idea not make sense?"

He refused to look at me, as he folded his arms and tapped one foot on the ground like a market woman. "It dosen't make sense. Rest."

"It's like you're very stupid this afternoon," I growled and took a step forward to pounce on him, but some of my teammates held me back.

"Hey, hey! No fighting," Coach Thompson thundered. "Franco, behave yourself. You're the youngest on this team, so you should know your mates when you see them."

That was the first time I heard his name and acknowledged it. Franco. What a troublesome name!

Franco muttered an apology to Coach Thompson, but he still scrunched his nose up at me. Foolish boy. He can't even play properly, and to guard the goalpost is another jamb exam for him.

The day I'll beat him eh, e go be like film.

"Alright, alright. I think we've got a good starting point. Let's assign tasks and make this happen," Coach Thompson said while clapping his hands.

                   Y E M I S I

I was surprised that someone like Divine could afford an iPhone. It's not a backhanded comment or anything like that. She did say her brother got it for her, but her brother can't give her lunch money?

Like, what the actual fuck?!

She's using an iPhone, but she's still begging Tyler to pay for her lunch. Isn't that just bizzare? That honestly adds to my reasons for disliking Divine.

I practically think of her as a gold digger. Is that wrong?

After she left the cafeteria, the bell rang for break over, so, Tyler, Felix and I stood up and left the cafeteria.

Someone called Tyler, and told him they had a meeting with their football coach, but he didn't seem like he was interested in going.

He watched the guy jog off, not bothering to follow him. I furrowed my brows at him, realizing he was lost in his thoughts.

"Aren't you going?" Felix asked him, and he turned to look at Felix with an expression I couldn't fathom.

He then turned to stare at me, and I wondered what was going on in his mind. I blinked, watching him study my face with an unreadable expression.

Felix snapped his fingers in front of Tyler's face, making him jolt out of his reverie.

"You well?" Felix asked him, with laughter in his tone. "Why are you just standing like a dummy?"

Tyler didn't say anything. Instead, he treaded his hand through his hair and muttered something like, "See you guys later."

I watched his retreating back, noticing how he face palmed himself as he walked. Now, that's weird.

However, he is Tyler. He just has to be weird.

"So," Felix dragged, and I turned to face him. He had both hands in his pockets and he was swinging back and forth slightly with his feet.

I knew he was trying to start up a conversation, and I wasn't interested. I started walking away, and I was surprised to see him matching his pace with mine.

"Do you want me to give you a tour around the school? I'm not sure you're familiar with all the places here."

I didn't even pause to look at him, I just replied with a clenched jaw, trying to swallow my rudeness. "I don't need a tour."

"But you do," he persisted. "I've noticed your movements strictly has to do with the classroom or the library or the cafeteria. And that's it. There are other amazing places at this school that you haven't seen yet."

I paused to spare him one glance, because what he said actually surprised me.

"Are you stalking me?" I asked, a serious expression on my face.

He blinked, then took a deep breath. "I'm not. I just noticed."

"Noticed?" I questioned him, with an incredulous tone. Then I folded my arms and leaned on one foot. "Why are you noticing me? That means you've been keeping an eye on me?"

He chuckled slightly and threw away his coaster biscuit wrapper in the waste bin close by. "Well, yes. I have been keeping an eye on you."

"Why is that?"

With a subtle shrug, he said, "Just making sure you fit in perfectly, and don't find anything difficult. I am your tour guide after all."

I heaved a sigh before rotating my eyeballs with amusement. "So, where do you want to show me?"

He smiled immediately, like a child who just got candy. "I want to show you a special place."

Instantly, he took my hand and led me to the unknown. As we walked, I started noticing some rooms I haven't seen since I started attending this school. He was right, I wasn't familiar with some places other than the classroom, library, and cafeteria.

I was surprised that the special place Felix was taking me to, was outside the school building. We were currently in the school's compound, and he was still leading me to the place.

Before I lost my patience, he announced, "We're here!"

I looked at the entrance of where he brought me, realizing it was like an archway to a garden. This school had a garden and I didn't know? Wow.

We stepped into the serene, and damn, it was beautiful. It's not a very big garden, but it's one of the most special gardens I have ever seen.

Flowers in the garden did not only make it seem beautiful and vibrant, but they also added a natural scent to the living spaces. The alluring scent of lavender filled the air, reminding me of Tyler for some strange reason.

That his scent is nice.

Wait, what?

"What do you think? Do you like this place?" Felix asked, grinning from ear to ear.

I nodded and tore my gaze from his, staring at the shrubs instead. Birds were chirping melodiously, as some leaves gradually fell from some trees.

I never thought I'd find nature this beautiful. The only things I usually find beautiful are; my face, my hair, my skin, my lips, my designer bags collection, my Louboutin heels collection, my lash extensions. . .

And the list goes on.

"It's my safe haven. I come here at times to breathe and think properly," Felix said, with a distant look in his eyes.

He suddenly smiled and turned to me. "I also have a bed plant I'm currently working on, a rare species of orchid that I'm trying to cultivate."

I just nodded and said nothing, because what do I know about plants? I only find them beautiful, not like I'm actually an enthusiast or something.

"You probably don't get what I mean," he stated and started laughing.

I stared at him dryly as he continued laughing like a mad person. What was so damn funny?

After a while, he stopped, but he was still smiling and staring into space. Then he turned to me. "Would you like to see it?"

"See what?"

"The bed plant I'm working on."

Oh, that.

"Actually, no. Don't we have English class now?"

He groaned. "Yes, but-"

"We should go."

I didn't even wait for him to reply, I just walked away. My mom said I should take my studies seriously, and that I shall do.

That sounded funny in my head. Wasn't it?

<─────────>
A/N

This Yemisi na heavy werey 😂 😂
But we just got to love her, right 🌚?

Baba Felix, we see what you doing there 👀. But you have to try harder. Do we have Felix fans in the house?

Anybody rooting for Felix and Yemisi 🤔?

Because me I don't know anything oo, I'm just watching 😩🫠

And that Franco kid dosen't have respect ni🙄. Tyler will soon beat him.

Thank you for reading! Please don't forget to vote and comment your thoughts 🌹🌹

Buhbye!!!

CiCi 🌹