< Believe you can and you're halfway there >

- Theodore Roosevelt

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        Damilola
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I woke up feeling all giggly and bubbly inside. After stretching like rubber band, I skipped into the bathroom to freshen up.

Realizing I looked kinda pretty today, I decided to take a selfie. Ugh, I took multiple shots before finally getting the best snap. I posted it on Snapchat and tug my phone into my bag.

Before getting downstairs, my phone buzzed, so I brought it out to see a notification from Snapchat.

~Ivannn...

Fine girl, how far?

7:32 AM

My heart skipped, jumped, rolled over and landed back in it's cage or whatever they call it. There was no doubt, the message was from Ivan!

I added him immediately, and surprisingly he added me back.

~Ivannn...

So, you're just gonna ignore me?...

7:34 AM

Stupid me! I left him on seen. I started typing back.

Me

No, sorry.
I'm just surprised.

7:35 AM

~Ivannn...

About?

7:36 AM

Me

Umm..., nothing really.

7:36 AM

Geez, I can act so dumb sometimes!

~Ivannn...

Hmm, is it because I called you fine girl? Isn't it true?

7:37 AM

Was I speaking to Ivan Kingsley or some other Ivan? I was blushing profusely!

Me

Really? Thanks.

7:38 AM

He didn't respond to my text so I signed out of Snapchat. Before I could drop my phone, I received a message from Instagram.

Anonymous Tee

Wassup.

7:39 AM

Me

Oh, hi.

7:40 AM

How's your crush situation going?

7:41 AM

Well, I took your advice.
I ended the crush.

7:41 AM

Yeah, about that.
Don't end the crush if you
don't want to. Just follow your heart.

7:42 AM

He gave me an advice to end my crush with Ivan, so what's with the sudden change. Obviously, I'm still crushing on Ivan — duh! — but I don't want it to be too obvious. I'm crushing with composure.

Me

Yh, I kinda want to end it so....

7:43 AM

No!

7:44 AM

Why not?

7:45 AM

Be..cause, you never can tell,
maybe your crush has feelings
for you. You should confess to
him.

7:46 AM

Hell no!

Have feelings for me ke? Ivan of all people, mitchew. Abeg, I threw my phone into my bag and ignored that guy. I don't even know him, but I found myself sharing things with him.

Reaching downstairs, I saw Ms Margaret at the door with her... luggage?

I ran towards her, "Where are you going?"

"Back to my hometown," she replied, not looking at me but at dad, who was standing behind me. "There's no need to stay here, where I'm not appreciated."

I turned to look at dad, he seemed pale. The atmosphere was weird, like they both had an argument or something.

"But I appreciate you," I said, holding her hand.

She chuckled a bit, "I know, but others don't appreciate me."

"Why are you -"

"Just because you confessed your love for me and I didn't respond? Is that why you're leaving?" Dad asked her, cutting me off. He took a step closer to her, while I backed away. Just then, Anita came downstairs with furrowed brows.

"It dosen't matter now, there's no -" Dad cut Ms Margaret off by planting a kiss on her lips. It was a quick one.

Ms Margaret's eyes widened, as her chest heaved with breath. "Bu...wha...uh?" she sputtered.

"I," dad paused, taking a deep breath. "I love you."

Whatttttttt!

"You what?" Anita snapped. "No way dad, you're in love with a maid? Are you for real? Please tell me you're joking! What about mom? Are you just gonna -"

"Anita, shut up," dad ordered firmly, but his tone was calm. He faced Ms Margaret, holding her two hands. "You've always been there to feel the void in my life, how can I not appreciate you? Is it even possible not to love you?"

Ms Margaret's eyes welled with tears of joy. "I..love you too." They both hugged and shared another kiss. My dad carried her bag back inside and asked the driver to drop us off at school.

While driving to school, Anita kept ranting about how the whole thing is bullshit and how Ms Margaret is a tacky woman.

"She's so undeserving," she concluded. I didn't have anything to say, so I kept a straight face. Suddenly, Anita gagged and asked the driver to stop the car.

When the car was parked, she ran out, throwing up in a gutter. I got out of the car with a bottle water, rubbing her back while she kept throwing up.

"Are you okay?" I asked, while she rinsed her face, still coughing.

"I'm fine, let's just go," she responded weakly.

"There's no way I'll just let this slide, I'm calling daddy -"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because I said I'm fine! Mind your own dang business, ah!" With that, she angrily stormed back into the car.

                   ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Joy and I walked out of the cafeteria together, with my Harry Potter book in my hand. I gisted her the whole Ivan drama and she kept making, ahhhs and ooohs.

"I think Ivan likes you."

"That's a big CAP!"

"No it's not, I really think he does," Joy said further. "Only someone who likes you would be acting this nice towards you."

"Nah," I waved my hand.

"Well, don't you want to get closer to him again?"

"No way, tutoring each other is already enough for me. I got into the cheerleading team inorder to get close to him, and how did that turn out? I got kicked out of the team and humiliated by Ivan."

Joy sighed, nodding her head in agreement. "You have a point."

"What it is, it is. It is what it is."

Entering the classroom, there was no one inside. They were all still out for lunch break. But there was a girl, sitting on my seat and sobbing.

Joy and I walked over to her, not surprised to see Daniella crying.

"Daniella, what's wrong?" I asked her for the umpteenth time since she resumed.

She wiped her tears and ignored me. Joy was busy pressing her phone and eating cheeseballs.

"Daniella, please talk to me. What happened?"

"Nothing," she replied firmly, standing up from her seat and walking out of the class.

                   ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

"According to the narrator, his search during his early years, was characterized by?"

"Umm," Ivan scratched his head. "Hold on, I read this one." He continued thinking while I glared at him.

"Come on Ivan, you know this na," I groaned.

"Ehen, the answer is denial!" he exclaimed happily.

"Correct," I clapped for him, while he made cool faces, apparently feeling himself. I playfully hissed and turned the page to the next question.

"Okay, the narrator could most accurately be described as?"

Ivan did some brainstorming before blurting out, "Introspective!"

"Correct," I beamed, clapping my hands. "Omo, you really read the book."

"Of course I did. I did it to ease your stress, fine girl."

My heart skipped, as I tried to hide my blush. I don't want Ivan to think I'm still crazy about him, even though I am.

I nervously chuckled, turning the page to the next question. "Mr Norton's heart attack is brought on by?"

"The shock of Jim Trueblood's story."

"Wow, I'm really impressed," I giggled. "You got all the answers right. I swear, you're going to ace the upcoming exam, also WAEC."

He smirked, leaning closer to me. "It's all thanks to you, fine girl."

Okay, what's with the fine girl? I tried my best not to blush, because it seemed like what Ivan wanted to happen.

After our tutorial, we strolled out of the library together. "Thanks," Ivan voiced.

"For what?"

"For all your help, fine girl."

I ran my hand on my face, laughing. "You're welcome."

"Yo, Ivan," Segun called out to him from a distance. Ivan groaned inwardly, not wanting to leave.

"You should go," I insisted.

"I'll catch you later," he said. "At my house," he completed his statement. With that, he planted a peck on my cheek, before walking away.

What just happened?