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"Beef yourselves to the fullest, it does not change the fact that you still need each other!"
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                    ∞BOLU∞

“Do you wanna go back to class now or…?” He trailed off as I kept sniffing.

I had cried throughout the entire free period and beyond. Trust me, I did not even know until I heard the bell. I was still wrapped in his embrace as I sniffed... HE WAS STILL HUGGING ME! OH MY GOD! AH!

I quickly pulled away from him and got up on my feet. He looked shocked at first but he then replaced it with a satisfied smirk. Honestly, that was what it looked like.

“No…uh…yes, I think we have a class now,” I answered his incomplete question.

He stood up too, still smirking and looked at me. “You broke your rule, didn’t you?”

“What rule?” I asked as I raised an eyebrow and feigned ignorance even though I had a pretty good idea of what he was getting at.

I don't hug boys...or people in general.

“I know you know what I’m talking about,” He replied and got closer to me. I moved back.

I rolled my eyes. “No I don’t.”

He chuckled.

I rolled my eyes again and then they suddenly trailed down his face to his shirt. His white shirt was soaked all because of me. Why did our school uniform have a white shirt? I immediately felt so embarrassed. Geez…why was there so much water in my eyes?

“I’m…so sorry about that.” I gestured to his shirt with my index finger.

He followed the direction of my finger, looked at his shirt, and then looked back at me grimly. “Yeah, you should. Do you know how much this shirt costs?” He held a part of his shirt.

“It’s a school uniform, mumu,” I shook my head, giving him look.

“But I bought it expensive more than fifteen thousand,” he said seriously but I looked at him and saw he was trying to hide a smile.

“See, guy. You don’t have sense.” I laughed a little and sat down on the bench, feeling exhausted from all my crying.

He smirked and sat beside me again. “And I still manage to top the whole of our set.”

“Cocky much?”

“Yep.” He popped the ‘p’.

I rolled my eyes. “What do we even have in class now, sef?”

“Uh…that would be History.”

I groaned. “Not that man again.”

“Abi, the man that will be dancing and performing gymnastics anytime he’s teaching. And what’s that his catch phrase again?” He leaned forward and put on a serious expression, putting his index finger beside his head just above his ear, scrunching up his nose. “Mo ro pe o stupid!”

I didn’t even think twice before I started laughing, holding my stomach in the proscess. I laughed so hard I almost forgot I cried today. I heard him laugh too. His shoulders quaked and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he did.

I did not know Ore Jumai had a good sense of humor.

“Hope this laughter makes up for the ocean of tears you spilled on me today,” he said turning to look at me with a small smile after I was out of breath from laughing so much.

I sat up and looked down at the grass, playing with them with my shoes. “I guess…” My smile suddenly disappeared as I stared blankly at the grass.

He said nothing and for a while, there was an awkward silence.

“Thanks,” I said, breaking it.

He nodded and then smirked which meant he was going to say something…

“Don’t mention, you know I’m always here for my damsel in distress.”

Stupid. He was going to say something stupid. He did not disappoint.

“Yen, yen, yen, yen, yen, yen, yen, yen.” I sang out and mocked him. “When will you have sense, bayii?”

His smirk did not leave his face. “The day you do.”

Wait. What? Did this guy just… Never mind, I’m going to win the next round.

“Bravo, bravo, just dey feel yourself go, I got your back,” I said clapping my hands, whining him.

“I know you’re whining but I won’t not feel myself,” He said and pulled his collar multiple times.

I rolled my eyes.

Bobo yii o ni brain aswear.

“We should get going, Boluwatife.” He stood up and I did.

“It’s actually Boluwaji, not everyone whose name is Bolu is a Tife,” I told him.

“Oh.” He placed his hand on his chin like he was thinking and then said: “That means I get to call you Waji. You kuku deserve a nickname. Case closed.”

“No, no, no! I do not want a nickname and not even that nickname! Case is not closed kan, kan.” I grimaced.

“You look cute, Waji,” he said and started walking away smiling like a goat.

“I’m not…you know what? Never mind.” I followed behind him. “Ore wait.”

He stopped and turned around. “Yeah?”

I stepped closer to him with a sober look in my eyes. “Tell no one about this…please?”

He tilted his head and he raised an eyebrow, which showed that he was probably asking himself or me why I wanted no one to know. “Sure,” he said and nodded nonetheless.

I grinned and walked past him running to class ‘cause we were more than late. He caught up with me in no time and we entered the class to see no teacher in it.

How epic.

“Oh my God! Boluwaji Jayeola! Where the heck have you been?” Nina shouted as soon as she saw me walk in with Ore behind me.

Dramatic much? Yeah, she definitely was.

I mustered the most innocent smile I could as I walked towards her, putting my arms behind me. “Uh…”

“Soro soke, my friend!”

She spoke the language fluently even though she was an Edo babe. She looked at me and her gaze held seriousness but there was teasing behind it.

Her eyes then landed on Ore who was probably smirking. “Where did you take my best friend to, head boy?” Her finger moved from Ore to me and back to Ore again.

“Believe me Nina, I swear I have nothing to do with this, I could never kidnap Bolu, we met outside the class coincidentally!” He raised his hands in defense and ran to his seat and I was not sure if I was happy or not that he did or did not just sly me.

I, on the other hand, still held that innocent smile, shinning my teeth like no man’s business.

Nina, after shaking her head at Ore’s retreating back, squeezed me in a hug.

Literally. I was almost out of air when we pulled away. Geez, Nina and her engulfing hugs.

Nina and I shared a whole lot in common but at the same time, we were different. While she was bubbly, outgoing and made friends easily; I, on the other hand, did not. We could say I was quite reserved and a little bit introverted. I only spoke to those I knew very well. Others were just mere hi-buddies whom I waved at occasionally. However, in the midst of people I knew well, I was what you would call, crazy.

“Where’s Ninu?” I asked noticing she was not in her seat. Nina took hers while I took Ninu’s empty seat, turning to face her.

Nina shrugged. “I don’t know. Sheybi she likes walking around.”

“Oh.”

“Have you checked your GCE result?”  She asked smiling like the Nina she was.

Oh and one more difference between Nina and I was that she was smart and I was dumb.

“Nope,” I lied painfully and I looked over her to see Ore looking at me with a shocked expression. I ignored it and faced Nina again.

“Me too jare, I’ll just check at home. I don’t wanna get involved in any drama, abeg.”

“Abi na. But I’m sure you’ll have eight As na. You wey be jarkobian, original mother of knowledge. I hail oh. I wanna be like you when I grow up.” I raised my hands in mock acknowledgement even though I kinda meant what I said.

She eyed me and hissed. “Don’t even start again…oya gerrout! Be going to your seat!” She turned to Ore who was already staring at us. “Ore come and carry your seat mate away o!”

I burst out laughing, nearly falling off the seat, forgetting I just lied to her. She feigned seriousness but I knew she was trying not to laugh. I stood up quickly before Ore had the chance to carry me again.

Because I knew that although Nina did not mean it literally, Ore would have done it. His mischievous smirk gave him away already. When I sat in my seat, I could not even begin to understand why I’d lied to Nina but I could not take it back. I had already done it.

Just then, the history teacher walked in.  Yes, he walked in ten minutes to the end of his class.

                      ∞ORE∞
I checked my phone again for the hundredth time today. Hoping seriously that I wouldn’t get any message from mom or Aisha and hoping at the same time, that I would get a call saying the marriage was a joke and it was not real.

But nothing came so I guess I felt at peace a little bit. It was the week after our midterm holiday and our exams were just a week away.

During the midterm, I didn’t go home. I remained in the hostel. The hostel master let me stay since it was the first time I’d do that and besides, it was just a four day holiday. I was not the only though.

It was break time and presently, my friends and I surrounded Chidera’s seat, which was at the front of the class, close to the window beside the main entrance of our class.

Chidera sat cross-legged on her desk while I stood beside her, making her too-short-for-school skirt raise higher up her thighs, exposing her bare skin.

It would have been more distracting if I didn't keep spacing off and on.

Joshua was her seatmate and he sat in his seat while Fawaz took his desk. Ashley sat on Chidera’s seat quiet, the whole time. Halima sat in her seat with Jeremy in his too. Their seats were in the next column, close to Chidera and Joshua’s. They both turned their chairs towards us though.

“You okay, boo?” Chidera asked looking up at me and jolting me from my reverie.

“Yeah…of course,” I lied, smirked and snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her close to me. “I’m with you na.” I winked at her and she blushed before kissing my cheek softly.

I held my smirk and looked over to Jeremy who mouthed ‘you go soon enter hole’.

Ode.

I rolled my eyes and focused my attention…no, I TRIED to focus my attention on what Chidera was saying but my eyes lingered to where Bolu and her friends sat. 

My attention was just all over the place today.

They were laughing at something and I watched as Bolu kept on holding her stomach and almost falling of the chair. I smiled.

I smiled at how happy she looked right now. At least she was not the vulnerable and crying Bolu I saw last week when GCE results came out. I honestly wondered why she cried that much and why she told me to tell no one and also why she had lied to Nina, her best friend about it.

“Ore, you’re coming for the party, right?” Chidera asked me again and I started to massage my neck ‘cause I was clearly guilty of zoning out unintentionally on them− on her.

“Ashley’s birthday party after our exams,” she continued. “You’re coming, aren’t you?”

“Sure. I am. Wouldn’t miss it, babe,” I replied.

“Great! It’s gonna be loud! Now where’s Ninu?” She said all that in one breath, clapping her hands excitedly and at the same time, scanning the whole class for Ninu until her eyes found her.

Chidera released herself from my hold and grabbed Ashley, who didn’t share her enthusiasm and who was supposedly the celebrant.

She skipped to where Ninu sat, which was in the same column I sat. I followed them and stayed in my seat, beside Bolu, who blatantly ignored me when I smirked at her.

She was like that. Sassy, presumed to be a snub ‘cause of how she carried herself with her head up high, and her height supported it. She laughed a lot with people she knew well, like she was doing before now and like she did when I comforted her last week.

“Ninuola Adams!” Chidera linked her arms with Ninu’s who looked rather unpleased by that action but smiled nonetheless.

“Um…hey Chidera?” Ninu said.
She greeted Fred, Nina and Bolu before she spoke again. “So…Ninu, I need your help ‘cause as it is or were, you are the social prefect and…” She scanned the class again. “Where’s Goke Wilson, your second?”

Ninu shrugged. “Maybe in his class, because he’s an arts student?”

I held back my laugh as I depicted the sarcasm in her tone. I heard Bolu giggle and Nina too. Fred laughed hard and it got Chidera confused. The latter shrugged whatever it was, off and continued speaking.

“So as I was saying, I need your help to plan Ashley’s party coming up after exams and…” Chidera rambled on, dragging Ashley and Ninu out of the class, probably to find Goke, the social prefect boy.

“Jeremy Tosin! Get off my chair or else…” I heard a female voice yell and I looked to see that it came from the front where Jeremy sat. But this time, he was in Joy-Anne’s seat, the girl who sat behind Halima. 

“Or else, what?” Jeremy fired back, crossing his arms.

I face palmed mentally and wondered why Jeremy loved to look for this girl’s trouble. I also smiled though, considering it was a funny scene and the look Joy-Anne had on her face was…priceless and it could murder ten thousand Nigerian soldiers plus the president.

No be me talk am o.

“I’ll rip your butt to shreds and your butt bone won’t even be left out!” She yelled back at him.

“I’m scared mehn,” Jeremy said and I could hear the tease in his voice.

Joy was really annoyed and he was enjoying her frustrated state. Jeremy and I made eye contact and I twirled my hand above my left ear, indicating that he had a screw loose somewhere in his head. He only smirked at me.

“Jeremy, leave her chair na,” Halima butted in and Jeremy legit shenked her. I felt sorry for the girl.

“You won’t leave abi?” Joy asked as a smirk, an evil one, by the way, crept up her lips causing Jeremy to become suddenly scared. It scared me too.

She opened her locker and brought out a cooking fork. A freaking cooking fork and my mouth dropped open at the sight. It was pointed, too pointed for my liking.

“Mad oh! This is so mad!” I commented, clearly amused.

“Ah! Wetin Bolu no go see for gate?” Bolu stated with a chuckle.

“Abi oh!” Nina added as she clapped her hands.

In the twinkle of an eye, Joy grabbed the fork and used it to poke Jeremy’s butt off her chair.

As in, she legit used it to push him off her chair. The latter fell off the chair moaning in pain, cursing faintly mumbling clearly. “My butt oh, ouch na…Joy…ah.”

That got the whole class laughing and Joy just smirked in satisfaction as she sat down; cross-legged on her chair, removed invisible dust from the fork and placed it back in her desk locker.

“Las las, those two will still date,” Bolu said aloud shaking her head.

“Couldn’t agree more,” Nina added as she stood up and we all laughed.

“Where are you going?” Bolu asked Nina. A mischievous smile appeared on her face and I wondered what she was about to say. “Or is it Ayo you’re going to see again?”  Bolu wiggled her brows.

Nina glared at Bolu but blushed nonetheless. “No. Stalker much?”

“Awww, Nina, you’re blushing,” Bolu replied.

“I am not.” She said in denial.

“First stage of love…denial!” Bolu and I said at the same time causing us to laugh.

“Nawa oh.” Nina clapped her hands in wonder, smiling through it. “See collabo ooo, ah ahn.”

“Yes, it just proves how right we are about it, sheybi Ore?” Bolu turned to look at me for support and I smirked and nodded giving it to her.

Funny how she just involved me in the convo, when she had totally ignored my existence throughout since last week, after what happened.  Only God knows what she always thought. Her mood ehn…

“Say or think whatever you both wanna but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m leaving without telling you where I’m going. Peace out!” She skipped out of the class but not before raising two fingers showing the peace sign.

Bolu shook her head at her friend. I laughed too. She picked a book from her locker. I stole a glance at it and figured it was a Chemistry textbook.

This girl and chemistry sha… They were lovers…aswear. I didn’t even understand why she was ignoring me. The only thing I did was comfort her when she cried and now she was ignoring me.

I was about to ask her why she was ignoring me when two girls walked into the class and headed straight to our seat.

They were both senior students, probably in SSS1; I’d seen them around couple of times. Or maybe because they always greet me everyday.

One was extremely slim, light in complexion and fairly tall. The other was not so dark, chubby and round; almost the same height with her friend.

I couldn't remember their names.

“Hi senior Ore,” they both said looking at me and smiling like they’d seen a celebrity. And it was just me.

I smiled at them. “Wassup babes? You both look good today,”

I heard Bolu mutter something like ‘oniro oshi’ after I said that.

The girls in front of me blushed like no man’s business as they muttered “thank you”

“So how may I help you ladies?” I asked casually.

“Actually…senior, we…sorta have a question we tried to solve in chemistry and couldn’t get it.” The slim one said.

“And we thought you could help us with it?”  The chubby one completed.

Both looked at me with hopeful eyes and I gestured for them to give me the question. They did and when I looked at it, I knew the answer instantly ‘cause it was a simple one. Bolu was always the first position in chemistry but I came second to her.

I was equally good, if I could say so myself−not as good as she was though. I was about to pick my pen and solve it when something clicked in my brain and I smirked at the idea.

I creased my forehead and massaged my temples dramatically as I looked at the question and pretended it gave me a tough time.

“Girls…see ehn, I don’t know this one oh. My brain is turnioniown.” I lied. “Why don’t you give it to my seatmate Bolu, she’s the guru in chem.”

The girls stared at me. Shock and disappointment written on their faces as the chubby one asked. “She? Does she know it ni?”

That sounded offensive.

I frowned. “Yes she does and as a matter of fact, she’s the best chemistry student in our set― the best since SSS1. So just trust me, she’s got this.”  I snapped at them and they flinched.

Why did I just defend her that way?

The girls looked at each other before shrugging and asking Bolu with fake smiles plastered on their faces. Bolu equally had hers fixed for them too. She glared at me though, before she taught them and I smirked in satisfaction.

Her frustrated/annoyed expressions always looked cute. I pretended to be jamzing as I plugged in my earphones while she taught them but I was actually listening to her.

After about ten minutes, she dismissed them.

I removed my earphones and turned to look at her. Her face was lit up in a smile.

“It’s like chemistry makes you glow.” I said and she looked at me.

“Yeah, chemistry is my boo for life jare.”

I feigned seriousness. “Wait; is it just chemistry or the one that Simi and Falz sang?”

“Boring.” She covered her mouth in a fake yawn. “You’re dry jhor!”

“But you’re smiling,” I said as I noticed her hidden smile which she miserably failed at hiding.

“I’m not,” she said again still smiling and smacking my arm.

I laughed. At least she was not ignoring me anymore so is there any need to ask her why she was in the first place?

“Wow. I wish you’d act that way towards physics maybe…” I dragged out and shut myself up as I noticed her change in demeanor. Her smile had dropped into a frown.

“Ore…please don’t,” Her voice broke and I felt guilty immediately. She was about to cry again.

“I…I’m sorry, I did not mean to…but why?”

She shook her head, wiping the tears that already dropped from her eyes. “You wouldn’t understand…no one would ever be able to understand.”

Would anyone never really be able to understand?😞😟😩

Hi guys!

How're y'all?

How's the going going?

The weather? Please who understands Naija's weather? 'cause me I am grabbing no more😂😂

Harmattan be like: you guys thought I was done with you abi?

LMAO!

Anyways... thoughts on this chapter?

The part that made me laugh was the episode with JoyAnne and Jeremy😂😂😂😂 where did she see cooking fork from abeg?

And why do you think Bolu lied to Nina?

Why did she ignore Ore?

I'll like to see y'all's comments okay? So please comment.

Thank you for reading this book and sticking with. Tbh, it means a lot.❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

One more thing: Let's pray for Nigeria oh because e get as e be. Many things dey sele ohh.
#prayforNigeria.

Stay safe oh.

Vote and share.

Next update might be late cuz from the new week up till around 3rd March, Imma be kinda busy so...yeah.

Lots of love❤️💓💓

~Ife😎