< The wiseman is the one who knows what he does not know >

- Socrates.

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Ivan
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I was about to score a goal, a freaking GOAL! Unfortunately, something hit me, causing me to trip over the ball and fall flat on my ass, in front of everyone. It was humiliating and Coach Thompson wasn't pleased at all. He has been on my neck for a while now, and he's looking for reasons to kick me out of the team. All the players shot me a dirty look, because this was the second time practice got ruined because of me. The game was ruined, and who's fault was that?

Damilola Oladele's!

No one can judge me for being angry, because I have alot going on in my life, and when I try to be happy, something ruins that moment. I looked at what Damilola used to stone me, it was a sneaker. Why would she stone me? Why is she always trying to get my attention? She also ruined the cheerleaders pyramid, which got all the girls yelling and eyeing her.

I angrily picked up the sneaker and marched towards Damilola, who was already frightened. Some of my teammates tried to stop me, but I ignored them.

"I'm really -" Damilola uttered the moment I got to her, but I cut her off by smashing her sneaker on the ground next to her.

"I've had quite enough!" I bawled, and Damilola twitched at my immediate gesture. Perhaps, she hasn't seen this side of me. Infact, no one has.

"P-please I didn't mean to -"

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" I yelled at her, gaining everyone's full attention. "You're just, just like- a jinx! Everytime we cross paths, something bad happens to ME! Whenever I see you at times, I try to stay away, but you keep looking for ways to ruin me further! Haven't you done enough?"

"N-ot at all se-nior -"

"Just stop it!" I shouted, hearing everyone gasp and murmur. Damilola looked flushed and she winced as tears gathered her eyes. She was trying to act innocent, but I know the kind of girl she is now.

An attention seeker!

"This isn't the first time you've tried to get my attention. I remember you threw a paper at me one time in class, then you bumped into me at the library, and worsened my punishment, then this afternoon, you bumped into me again, causing our foreheads to collide, making me drop my phone and doughnut. Why do I feel like you're doing everything on purpose? What are you trying to prove? Now, just look at the mishap you've caused." I directed my hand to the hurt cheerleaders and also the football players on the field who were angry about the game being ruined.

"You ruined everything!"

"I d-didn't- mean to, I swear -"

"There's no need for you to explain anything because I want nothing to do with you," I said to her in anger. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she tried to blink them back, but they just fell out of her eyes like raindrops. The pain in her eyes was palpable, but I cared less.

Enough is enough.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, lowering her head. Just then, her best friend, Joy, ran into the scene and held her.

I ignored Joy's presence and faced Damilola, "Listen, I am begging you for the umpteenth time, please," I folded my hands in front of her. "Leave me alone."

There was stunned silence, Damilola was unable to speak. Her eyes casted downward, avoiding eye contact. She wiped her tears and sniffed, still not lifting her head. "I'm sorry everyone," she apologized lowly, pressing her lips inorder to control herself, before running out of the field.

"Dami," Joy called out to her. She faced me to say, "You're such a jerk," before running after her.

Megan came to hold me, and I narrowed my eyes at her. "That girl is really bad luck. I hope she didn't hurt you -"

"Can you not touch me," I tossed her hand away. She was taken aback by my action. "I-Ivan -"

I eyed her and stormed out of the field before the coach or anyone says something to me.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

"What? Ivan, that was too much," Raymond said to me in class, after I narrated the incident with Damilola, to him and Segun.

"Raymond's right, the poor girl must've felt bad," Segun added. I wasn't pleased that my best friends weren't taking my side, instead they were siding Damilola. Especially when she's the one in the wrong.

"Say whatever you want, I don't care. I just don't want to have anything to do with that girl, she's- badluck."

Segun and Raymond gasped in shock. "How can you say something like that?"

"Also, didn't you say Mrs Toyosin appointed Damilola to be your tutor?" Raymond asked.

"She didn't appoint her, she suggested her because she's the best student in literature. That dosen't mean I can't find someone else, they're still art students in SS3 B."

Which is what I plan to do, find someone else.

I don't want Damilola doing anything for me, because I don't need her around me. Yes, I admit I was interested in getting to know her after finding her IG handle, but that was just a phase. I thought she was the opposite of what she actually is.

"Oh well, if you say so," Segun shrugged.

Mrs Toyosin walked into the class with her literature textbook, which means we were having literature. I groaned, sluggishly bringing out my notebook.

It was like, the universe was against me today.

She asked us to go to art class, so we all went there for the class. It's where we usually have art classes.

"Good afternoon class," she greeted, turning to the white board to jot down something.

"Good afternoon ma'am." She faced us with a smile after jotting the subject, literature, on the board.

"So, in our last class, we read a few chapters on invisible man by Ralph Ellison. Who can summarize the plot?"

I hid my face slightly, praying she dosen't call my name. She had given me a special assignment to summarize the entire book, but I refused to do it. I know nothing about that book because I haven't read a word in it. Not even the description!

"Damilola," she called out, pointing at Damilola. Probably because Damilola was raising her hand to answer the question. I restrained from turning my neck to look at her, but I heard her speak.

"Well, invisible man is the fictional memoir of an unnamed black narrator's journey to self-discovery," she started. I found myself turning to look at her. She couldn't look at Mrs Toyosin directly in the eye, she kept blinking, narrowing her eyes everywhere. Her lips pursed, and she scratched her head to remember the rest summary of the book.

"The narrator is not invisible because of a physical ailment or a freak accident; he's invisible because society sees him simply as a blackman."

I dozed out of her explanation, wondering how someone could read such a book. How can someone just sit down and read?

A round of applause was given to Damilola as she sat down after answering the question correctly; as always.

"Good job, Damilola. I need most of you to be more like Damilola in literature class." Mrs Toyosin's gaze met mine, but I broke the gaze immediately. I knew she was referring to me, but I chose to play dumb.

"According to Damilola's explanation, invisible man is a story about the narrator's life as a black man and how he navigates a series of disillusioning experiences in an American society."

She did some explaining here and there, I wasn't paying attention. I can't just pay attention in her class, it's like jazz - jújú. I looked around the class, we were just twenty arts students in SS3 A, and Damilola was the best student. My plan to go to SS3 B in search of a tutor must prevail!

I looked at the time, and realized Mrs Toyosin still had about twenty-eight minutes with us. Instead of paying attention to what she was teaching, I started counting down the time till her period was over.

"That'll be all for today class." I smiled and celebrated in my head after Mrs Toyosin's period was finally over. I was the first to stand up, while the rest were still seated. Mrs Toyosin looked at me and asked me to sit down back.

I was pissed!

"I'm giving you all an assignment," she announced.

"O o ooh."

Some students groaned and I wasn't an exception. Who likes homeworks?

"I want you all to create a writeup on LIFE. I'll pair you all with someone, inorder to promote teamwork in this class."

I stared at Mrs Toyosin suspiciously, what was she up to? Since when did she start pairing us in this class?

"Trevor and Denise, you're a team." Two boys by my side, beamed joyously.

"Sarah and Goodluck. Fatima and Tara. Ivan and Damilola -"

Wait, what?!

I stood up abruptly, "Ma'am, please pair me with someone else." I avoided looking at Damilola. Mrs Toyosin stared at me quizzically before coming closer to me.

"You know it's for your own good," she whispered sternly, giving me a death glare. "Sit down." I sat down angrily, wondering why everything about me must be connected to Damilola. What is it? She's not the only one in the class. I know Mrs Toyosin did what she did deliberately. She asked me to talk to Damilola about tutoring me, and I refused to do so. So, now she's pairing me with her. Is it by force?

"Your assignment will be due on Thursday, so until then. Have a great day ahead." She packed up her books and left. The rest of us stood up to walk back to our class. Me and Damilola accidentally bumped into each other at the exit, she quickly apologized and walked away before I could say anything.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

I arrived at my house and went straight to my room. It was a long day and I was just glad it was over.

After freshening up, I went downstairs to eat. Then, I went back to my room to just chill. My eyes staring at the television, but not watching the contents.

Rather, my mind was on my literature problem. How was I supposed to partner up with Damilola? And I don't want to ignore this assignment, otherwise Mrs Toyosin might do something drastic. Like getting me suspended for refusal to complete assignments, and my mom will just slaughter me.

My phone chimed and I averted my attention to the notification that displayed on the screen. From Instagram, a message from....

Dami_bby

Hi.
4:15 PM

I wondered why she texted me, what did she want? Was there any need to reply to her text? I ignored the text and stared back at the television. I was to blame though, for following her in the first place!

My phone chimed again, and this time I was ready to block her. But I cooled down after reading the message.

Dami_bby

I need your help, please.

4:17 PM

I couldn't bring myself to ignore that.

It wouldn't hurt to just know what she wants.

Me

Hi.
What do you need?

4:19 PM

An advice.

4:20 PM

??

4:22 PM

I know we don't know each other irl,
but I really need an advice from
a neutral person I do not know.
I want you to advice me honestly.

4:23 PM

Go on.

4:23 PM

I'm not the kind to blurt out my
life on social media, but I trust
you, and I don't know why.
Anyway, something bad happened
to me at school today. I got
accepted on the cheerleading team,
and we were busting some moves
while the footballers played on the
field. We formed a pyramid, and I got
stinged my some mosquitoes. I
panicked and sprung my leg forward,
and my sneaker accidentally flew,
hitting a player on the field. That player also happens to be my crush.
He got mad at me, and I tried to apologize, but he didn't give me a
chance. I'm starting to feel like I'm
wasting my time crushing on him.
He sure dosen't show any interest in
me.

4:29 PM

I read her message almost five times. She has a crush on me? It was obvious, but I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. I appreciate the fact that she likes me, but Damilola isn't really my type of girl.

To be honest, I don't have a type, I'm not just interested in girls. Megan was the first girl I've ever tried dating and that didn't end well. Asides that, Damilola is, well.....cringe.

I only wanted to know her after I found out she was a singer, because I love singing as well. I'm not interested in her in any other way, and it wouldn't be nice to give her false hope. I'm not that kind of person.

I need to set things straight.

Me

Wow, what happened to you was terrible, I'm sorry to hear that.
My honest opinion is you shouldn't waste your time on someone who doesn't have interest in you. You should just end the crush and move on. It's hurtful, yes, but it'll save you from getting more hurt in future.

4:35 PM

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A/N

💔💔😭
Ivan is..😞

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CiCi 🌹