Dedicated to Adun_ni_ola_mi another avid reader of the book. I see you girl, I only wish you would comment more.

~Chloe~

" ladies and gentlemen men, boys and girls, welcome to the Westley Academy talent show off."

It's was the 16th of August. All academics related activities was done and dusted. Yes All that awaited us was prom  and graduation which was to happened 13th and 16th of September. Right now we were having the Ended of the year's performances titled our seniors got talent.

This happens every year and it is hosted by the school in collaboration with the junior school student. It was mostly for the fun of it and sometimes some use it as a Avenue to do an elaborate, romantic prompropsal. There were hidden benefits, sponsors from different school were always hanging around programs like this so they could hand pick students they would give scholarships too. Should you be soo lucky to get picked by them you won't have to worry about university or where you will do your masters because they would make sure they give you the best to nurture you talent.

Right now Zayatun Bello the library prefect and an Art Student was on stage doing an spoken words presentation. If I said it was beautiful it would be an understatement, it was extraordinary in every sense. It was truly captivating, really and it had everyone's attention as she spoke. The most captivating line was what she saved for the last as she said.

All they ever care about is who is already at the top, who brought you here, what connections do you have.
They never truly ask, What's your history? What fresh talent can you bring the the table? What gave birth to this new idea of yours?
Half the time I cowered away in Shame and fear in my apartment, never truly wanting to explore the kind of possibilities I count achieve.

Everyone rose to their feet giving her a round of applause. Who knew the quiet Zayatun Bello could speak like this, it was really awesome to watch and I am glad it came to mind to record her while I did. Some sponsors had already surrounded her the minute she got off the stage. Each one of them trying to persuade her to enroll in there college or university as there are a lot of benefits.

The next Performance were a group of guys from technical class. The call themselves the. Dance machine, ridiculous name if you ask me but what was I expecting from a bunch of technical students. Their is not a single bone of creativity in them so their was no way they could have come up with a better name even if they tried. They danced to Hold on tight by the wave and I have to say, i have to confess it's was beyond creative.

You know that saying, don't judge a book by it cover? Well I think it safe to say that I shouldn't have judge this band of Technical studentin by their band name Their performance is what I would call creatively mind blowing . Yes it was that good, too bad I didn't remember to record it on my phone. The moderator for the invent which was a JSS3 student came up the stage to make an announcement, I think she goes by the name Iyadona along that line.

" wow wow and wow is an explanation for that performance. Well moving to the next performance which is a very special performance, we have Antonio and Samuel performing a duet to the song titled Make love not war. Give it up for them!!!"

" good day everyone my name is Samuel Dawson and my guy here Antonio we are going to blow up your mind with this song.
it open for a gift
I put diamonds on your wrist
I can't buy your lovin'
It's never enough
I took that girl on a trip
'Cause we was arguin'
Ever since we stopped touchin'
We're not in touch

I was surprised, really surprised was he singing, my eyes was wide opened as he and Antonio sang the song in sync making me Wonder when did he and Antonio practice all this.

I know money can't buy, buy, buy your love
I guess I didn't try, try hard enough
But we could work this like a nine-to-five
Oh, oh
Mama told me stop playin', playin' all the games
Steady throwin' dollars, expectin' change

The song , the beat everything was amazing it really was but the crazy thing was that Samuel keep his eyes on me and I was worried, really worried. I hope he wasn't planning on doing a promprosal again because the way he was looking at me says it all.

Can we just make love, not war?
Oh, oh
Can we just make love, not war?
Oh, oh
Can we just make love, not war?
Oh, oh
Can we just make love, not war?
Oh, oh

With his eyes never leavening mine he sang the chorus and instantly I knew he was singing it for me. Before he could get down from the stage or pop up the big question I knew I had to act fast. I had to do something because I didn't want to embarrass him I like I did in the cafeteria last time. Do I say yes? Do I say no? do I say maybe or I panic and run like I did the the last time. Before I could decide on what to do he had already pooped the big question while I was still standing.

"Chloe. Pls Enough with the hide and seak, will you please be my date to prom?... let's make love, not war."

I froze as usual. Yes? No? Maybe? Urgh why was this so hard to figure out. I mean I used to have a huge crush on him so why was it to hard to say yes. Why was I having second thoughts and why now urgh, Antonio was still singing the rest of the  song at a low tempo giving me chance to speak.

" Chloe?"

" urrr... it's... ummm... look! A flying spider!!!"

"What? where! where! and she is gone."

Exactly, I was gone before he even realize there was no such thing as a flying spider or spider to begin with. I panicked and ran away since it was the only thing I was doing really awesome at. Once I was out of the hall where we hold our morning assembly, I went to my class  only to find Zoe patiently waiting for me at my seat, Serenity was no where In sight, I guess she drop her off at the day care since she didn't trust mom enough to watch over her. Yes you heard right, mom is back with Damilare who by the way looks like a scarecrow with no hope of survival.

" hey zozo, whatchia dooooing?"

" oh I  am very well sure you know what I am doing. Why did you walk, no starch that, run out on Samuel's Epic prom proposal to you? For the second time  for that matter."

"Errrrmm..."

" girl! Do you not see that prom is less than an month a way ?? Are you planning on going to prom alone ??"

"Well umm I don't know, is it that bad?"

"Hmmm it is bad! Very very bad Chloe and  you need to fix this. You are not going to that prom alone whether you like it or not. If I were you I would walk back into the hall find Samuel, apologize to him and tell him yes ! Tch rubbish."

And just like that she left me alone with my thoughts.  I groaned in annoyance and stomped my foot on the floor but Zoe was no longer in class to watch my tantrums. I went to take a shower seat for a while thinking about what Zoe had said. I had publicly humiliated this poor boy twice, I am sure he won't be able to take a third heart break from me if he were to do a another prom proposal.

"Urgh why is love soo hardddd!? Who am I'm kidding I am not in love with him, I just used  to crush on him really hard."

I said that to her myself after much contemplation and deliberation i decided to take Zoe's Advice. Without much thought to it so I don't change my mind I went back to them hall in search of Samuel Dawson.  I was trying to get to my my seat while I mmi
Trying my best to  look for Samuel in the mist of the crowd but instead  I found something or rather some one else. On stage Jayson was with another team as they performed a contemporary dance to the song  In The Name Of love by Martin Garrixand Babe Rexha.

Why ? That was what rank through my head. why me ? why now? why this program? I groaned mentally as I and  Jayson's eyes met for the first time this weeks after he confessed his feels to me. I still don't know how to feel about that because I didn't see it coming, it really caught me unaware  everything he said to me that day caught me unaware like a helpless dear in a headlight.

If I told you this was only gonna hurt
If I warned you that the fire's gonna burn
Would you walk in?
Would you let me do it first?
Do it all in the name of love

I stood at the door way his eyes were heavy on my as he stood still singing the first verse of the song. His team which were the contemporary dancers I had already began to display.

Would you let me lead you even when you're blind?
In the darkness, in the middle of the night
In the silence, when there's no one by your side
Would you call in the name of love?

At this point he was now in the center as his team of dancers had form a cycle around him. A piano was also at the center of the stage where he stood. He paused for a while keeping everyone in suspense so he could take his seat and make use of the piano and the mic set in front of him.

In the name of love
Name of love
In the name of love
Name of love
In the name of...
In the name, name
In the name, name

He sang as his eyes were closed. He opened his eyes and gave me one last glance and I could swear I saw sadness in them. He looked aware from me, eyes on his piano now  as he sang to second verse.

If I told you we could bathe in all the lights
Would you rise up, come and meet me in the sky?
Would you trust me when you're jumping from the heights?
Would you fall in the name of love?
When there's madness, when there's poison in your head
When the sadness leaves you broken in your bed
I will hold you in the depths of your despair
And it's all in the name of love

I was crying, I can't believe it took Jayson directly and indirectly expressing his feeling to me like this for me to realize that indeed he loves me, he always has and I am just leaning of that now. The tears just kept pouring no matter how hard I tried to control it or make stop.  By the time I moved from my position I realized I wasn't the only one touched by his performance, half of the whole audience were touching. Some were even crying uncontrollably like me and some were recording this moment.

In the name of love
Name of love
In the name of love
Name of love
In the name of...
In the name, name
In the name, name

I was now back at the seat I previously occupied my people who occupied the seat on my left and right were now empty. That was the lease  of my worries at the moment I was more worried that Jayson was confessing his love for me for the second time in a month and I don't know what to feel. I feel more touched by the song than having actual feelings for him to begin with. Heck what was I supposed to do Samuel wanted me to be his date to the prom and Jayson, was  now  showing his love for me by singing me this song.

I wanna testify
Scream in the holy light
You bring me back to life
And it's all in the name of love
I wanna testify
Scream in the holy light
You bring me back to life
And it's all in the name of love
In the name of love..

"In the name of love, Matilda. Please would you be my date to the prom?"

I froze. Heart thumping In my chest. Did I hear correctly? Or has  my ears Begin to fail me. Did he just call Matilda's name? Starch that did he just ask her to prom, as his date?
Dear gawd is this really happening? I thought He loved me, I thought he was singing the song for me to express his feelings to me since he couldn't do it properly. I thought,

You thought wrong chloe, you thought wrong.

To make matters worse he ask the question Again confirming what I heard the first time and this time there was a response. A resounding yes Rang throughout the hall and they came out of Matilda's month as she walked forward to meet him on stage. More tears came out of my eyes as I ran out of the hall heading for the girl's bathroom on the third floor of the senior block. Little did I know that I was being followed by non other Than Samuel Dawson.

Regardless of the fact that I was in the female toilet and Boys were obviously not allowed in, Samuel still broke that rule opened the door and sat on the flood with me. I could hear his breathing but I didn't want to look up, not while I looked like a mess. He patted my back awkwardly trying to best to parsify  me but I still cried the more, I have  been nothing but a horrible person to him why was he here.

" sss Chloe stop cry will you. You are just wasting your tears and it's not going to change anything."

" I am so...so... so sorry Samuel. I did.... I Was just scare really."

" shhh it's okay. It's okay, I knew you were scared and didn't know what to say the first and second Time I asked you, and the fact that so many people were watching wasn't helping matter."

He said to me and my tears immediately stoped did he just indirectly say he is not upset with me. I wiped my wet face with the back of my hands and when I was about to use the same hands to wipe my nose, Samuel stoped me . He passed me his handkerchief to use instead so I wiped my tears some more with  it and blew my nose.

" you... your... your not upset? Really?"

"Of course really. But now that it's the both of us I gotta ask will—"

"YES!!! I meant yes I'd love to be your date. I've always dreamt of the day your as me tooo ever since I knew the full meaning of prom."

He smiled at me giving me a quick peck on the side of my head.  After a while He pulled me up before some one or a teacher catches us in this compromising posing. Once we were both out of the female toilet we walked hand in hand , a ghost of a smile on our faces as we headed back to the hall in hope that I don't End up running out of the hall again.

A/N
Let somebody shout Hallelujah!!!
Ahhh after running out on the poor boy twice Omooo 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Ahhh help me shout another Hallelujah!!! Because for real tho this one is strong 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽 Chloe has done people strong thing sha oo Kai.

Any way whats your thoughts on this chapter guys. Let me in on your thoughts people. Please please flood my comment section with your thoughts and do votes while you are at it. Thank youuuuu 🥺❤️🥺