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"Life is crazy but I know I can work it out. 'Cause I got you to live it with me."
                         ∆•∆•∆•∆•∆

  Dedicated to mohnie03       because her comments and votes motivate me😊
  
                  ∞ORE∞

“The date for the wedding is set then…”

I remembered the last words of my dad when we met with the girl’s parents. I watched how they planned. They were about to get me married without me having a say in it.

Without me having a say in my own freaking life! Like, what the heck?

I’ve been so shut out by my family members that I didn’t have control over me anymore. I’d lost myself to them. It was like they owned me− my decisions, my every move…every single darn thing.

I sighed as I sat up in the bed of my dorm in the boy’s hostel. The Boy’s hostel wasn’t in the school’s compound unlike the girls’ but it was just two blocks away from the school.

It was a relatively large hostel, with good enough facilities. It had three floors with each one containing at least seven rooms. Each room took four people. We were all arranged according to our classes.

The SSS3 boys were a bit different because we all huddled ourselves in one big room on the topmost floor. The biggest room in the whole hostel. Big enough to take all the SSS3 hostel boys and we were about ten boys to be exact− Jeremy Tosin, Fawaz Adepoju, Oche Daniels, Phillip Rotimi, Joshua Aliyu, Tobi Oni, Chukwudi Obi, Uduak Akpan, Fikayo Justice and me.

There were five bunks in the room, a big bathroom and toilet and wardrobe where could place our clothes. We all had our spots in the room.

“Guy, why your forehead come resemble cow shit?” I heard Jeremy’s voice say as the bed deepened and he sat beside me.

“Nice to see you too, bro,” I replied sarcastically.

The other guys were in the room either reading or just flexing but Phillip was sleeping. Like there was no tomorrow.

“Guy, what’s up with you na? I just wanted to make you laugh small jhor, see how you just kill vibe.”

“Sorry man…” I sighed running my palms over my face. “There’s just been a lot of things on my mind lately.”

“Oh, no wonder your face is pressed like that,” he said and made a kinda face that definitely did not look like me. It was funny though so I laughed.
“Thank God o, you finally laughed.”

He said feeling proud of himself.

“Jesus! Thunder fire your crystallized brain, Barack Obama and my dad are siblings!” Someone suddenly shouted and everyone looked to where the sound came from.

We all hissed and shook our heads when we realized it was from Phillip. Man still talks in his sleep. And he says trash.

“That was how he shouted yesterday that ‘Hamburger and Pizza were related to his girl friend’s maternal grandmother’,” Joshua Aliyu said making us to laugh.

“Phillip has a girlfriend?” Tobi Oni asked.

“Yeah, in his dreams,” Fawaz Adepoju replied and we all laughed again.

“But seriously man, what’s got you all worked up and tensed. I mean, the Ore I know isn’t always like this.” He made a gesture, moving his hand up and down.

“Stuffs jare…” I dragged out.

Stuffs you ain’t gonna understand...
I added in my head.

“Like…” He pressed further.

“I don’t know.” I shrugged.

“Lemme guess, girl problems?”

I gave him a look and ran my hands over my face again. “Not exactly…no.” I shook my head.

He sighed. “You might not wanna talk now but you’ll talk sha and whatever happens, make sure you let Chidera know that you’ll break her heart soon, okay?”

“What?” My eyes widened. “No! I can’t do that to Chidera, she’s a really nice girl!”
He was seriously adding to my problems right now. Jeremy Tosin was the only one who knew my relationship with Chidera was actually a fake.

“Just do it, man! She’ll be hurt either way.”

“Ugh. Fine! But I don’t wanna think about that right now, it’s kinda the least of my problems.”

“Yeah, yeah whatever.” He stretched.

"Eehen guy, how did you manage to hmu on WhatsApp with baba hostel's phone?"

He smirked. "It was a simple case of blackmail." He then wiggled his bushy brows.

I burst out laughing. "You did it again?"

I remembered all the pranks we used to pull on that man.

Omo mehn, baba yen ti suffer gan!

"Yeah nau. And this time, it wasn't even a serious one. But baba still fell for it. See guy, e be things."

I clutched my stomach hard laughing at what Jeremy said and he joined in too.

Jeremy was like a brother to me. And of all the hostel guys, he was the closest to me. We've been best buds since JSS1. Man always made jokes and stuffs to keep the place lively and fun for all. He was just always there.

Fawaz and Josh became acquainted with me just in SSS2, when they joined the hostel. They are my gees too and they were the jesters and ballers of our set. And like me, they were also on the school's football team.

“Nawa for the seatmate wey dem carry give person o, she too dey talk…abeg. I’ve been holding myself from screaming that into her face for the past two weeks,” Jeremy said after our round of laughter.

“Who be your seatmate sef?” I smiled.

“Halima Gbenro. Aunty go just dey talk, talk…”

I zoned out unintentionally on what Jeremy was saying as I thought about all the seat mates I've had  since JSS1. All girls of course.

There was one of them who was very weird. She was just really weird it sometimes scared the crap out of me. She talked and laughed to herself a lot. And when I asked her who or what she was laughing about, she'd point to the air and say "them." Then I was like "them, who now?" I think she still attends RBA. I wave at her sometimes, you know, to be nice. She still scares me though.

Another one was really cool. I think that was in SSS1 or something. She was the jovial type, always lively and very bold. I was kinda attracted to her at the time but I was already tied down by Chidera. The girl, whose name I can't quite remember, was clearly into me but after SSS1, she left and I never heard of her again.

Then I remembered what happened between my new seatmate and I in class today. Bolu Jayeola. We’ve been in the same class since SSS1 but we never actually spoke except me trying to be nice and say hi and she being totally savage by shenking me and sometimes giving me fake smiles. That was the way we ‘related’ with each other.

Today was funny because how she squeaked and the shocked look she had on her face when I lifted her from mine to her original seat was so priceless. She probably thought I could not lift her.

I remembered how she replied me today in class when I asked if she was still shocked today. Still so funny.

“Guy why you come dey laugh like goat? I didn’t say anything funny now,” Jeremy's voice cut through my thoughts. It was then I realized I had been laughing. Oh. I stopped.

He raised an eyebrow at me. “You zoned out on me, didn’t you?”

“Uh…um, wow, Halima talks a lot oh!” I shook my head feigning interest and ignoring the question.

He bought it.

“Exactly! Thank God, you’re back in school and we can exchange seats sometimes, as per, you be head boy na. They can’t think of flogging you.” He smiled mischievously.

I raised both eyebrows at him. “Guy, seriously?”

“Yes na.”

“Nuh-uh, nope. I’m not misusing my post and I’m not changing my seat, abeg. I like my seatmate like that.”

“Oh…Head boy things na...” He drew out. “I see.” He smiled again and it had a teasing appearance to it. “You LIKE your seatmate.” He laughed in an evil manner and wiggled his eyebrows at me.

I swore at him.

“Ore has a crush on his seat mate?” Joshua, who was reading his note before, literally shot up and shouted from his bed, which was the top bunk of Tobi’s. Josh was one of those guys who did amebo for a living.

Even if the amebo didn't make sense.

Thankfully, Tobi was already snoring and didn’t hear a thing.

“That’s not_”

“Guy, no loud am!” Oche Daniels said in a hushed tone. “Ore has a girlfriend. Chidera is his bae now.”

"No I_"

“Exactly my point,” Josh continued.
And that was how they started reasoning my matter. The one Jeremy supposedly started. And the mumu was already snoring in his bed, which was the bunk above mine. Of course it was a fake snore.

"No, no, no you guys are not grabbing anything at all. What Jeremy was trying to say is that Ore is double dating." Fawaz added with a stupid nod.

“No…I did not mean…ugh, never mind.” I didn’t bother explaining myself to them again.

What are friends for, right?

Even if they were a group of goats, we keep them and then, we meuve!

                     ∞BOLU∞

I stared at the physics assignment before me and it was like I was reading Mandarin Chinese, whatever that was.

I was seated at my reading table in my bedroom and for the past two hours, I’d been trying to solve this stupid problem from physics.

Who invented physics sef?

Isaac Newton, if you were the one, I’m coming to kill you!

Oh, wait, e be like say you don die sef.

I face palmed and groaned for the umpteenth time.

“Isaac, my guy afar na? Who did I offend?” I groaned.

Physics was a major problem for me−a very big problem. Most Science students found physics easy and chemistry, hard but mine was the other way around.

I didn’t even get it. All my friends found it easy. They also found math easy. Safe to say though, that my performance in math was slightly better than physics.

Still, it wasn’t good enough. People always said I was smart, but I never believed. I mean, could a smart science student be so terrible at physics?

Even though, I was good at chemistry and English, it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t good enough. Most times, I’d look at Nina and Ninuola. I’d look at how intelligent they were. Anything they were thought, they easily grabbed it.

And it was in any subject. They understood easily. I somehow convinced them that I knew physics and math already so that they wouldn’t have to teach me again. I didn’t want them to feel like they were just wasting their time on a block head.

GCE results would be out next week and then they’d all know my secret.

The part about me that I always want to hide from anyone. The sound of a knock on my door brought me out of my daze and I stood up to unlock it.

I opened it and was met with the face of my annoying younger brother, who’s taller than me and is one year younger than me, Joba

“What?” I asked with a bored tone.

“Yo, sis!” He said shining his teeth and entering my room as if he was not currently disturbing me and sat on my neatly arranged bed.

“Wawu, when did you become so neat?” He started running his hands over my bed. The bed that took me so much effort to arrange.
“Touch my neat bed once more and I’ll burn your fingers,” I threatened.

“Yen, yen, yen, yen, yen, yen, yen…” He sang out mockingly and stuck his tongue out at me.

I rolled my eyes at him. So… childish.
Of all my four siblings, Joba and I were the closest. Yes, I had four siblings. Yes, we were seven altogether and no, my dad was not a machine. I had an elder sister named Kanyinsola who loved to bully me; she was three years older than I was and then two other younger brothers− Tomide, who was eight years and Fayo, who was five.

Joba was in SSS2 and was a science student too but we did not attend the same school. Unlike me, he could draw and was incredible at math, further math and physics. He attends my former school, Town’s High International.

“What do you want, Joba?” I asked as I sat down, clearly stressed out on the chair close to my reading table.

"Whoa, whoa... what's got you all worked up sis?" His brows creased and worry etched over his face.

"Nothing jhor."

"Liar, you're blinking."

"I'm not!"

"You did it again, you are. You always blink when you attempt lying, which makes you a terrible liar." He crossed his arms.

I sighed.

"Come on babe, spill!"

I rolled my eyes at the fact that he called me babe. "Fine."

"It's just... I'm terrible!"

"That's true...so freaking accurate," he nodded his head vigourously and I glared, reached over to smack his arm.

"Ow...guy na..."He rubbed his arm. "See why I said you're terrible?" He whined.

I stuck my tongue out at him.

"But seriously guy, what's the problem? Why do you think you're terrible?"

"Because...I don't know physics!"

He sighed. "I thought you were done with this problem, huh sis."

"Well..."

"Well...what?"

"Every science student is great at physics na."

He reached over and placed both his arms on my shoulders. "Relax guy, you'll get it, okay?"

I nodded as I forced a tear from slipping down my eye.

"Good!" He clapped. “How’s Ninuola Adams doing?” He asked as a small blush appeared on his cheek. He was light so I could tell. And yes, he had a major crush on Ninu.

I decided to play dumb. I suppressed my laughter towards his present facial expression and said: “Who’s Ninu? What’s a Ninu? Do Ninus exist?”

“Ooh Oh, stop na…Bolu,” He said obviously embarrassed as he covered his face with his hands.

“Ooh Oh, stop na… Bolu,” I mimicked him and burst out laughing. “I wish I could get this on camera…oh, wait, I can!” I stood up to get my phone from where I was charging it but Joba was quicker and got it first.

“There’s no freaking way you’re getting my embarrassing moments on camera…again.” He said taking my own phone out of my reach. Geez, I suddenly felt short.

I laughed so much I almost fell on the ground. All the while, he just stared at me, annoyed. After I laughed, I sat on my chair feeling better than my former state.

“Okay, Ninu is fine. Is that all you came here for?”

“Nope.” He popped out the ‘p’ and shook his head. “I actually came here for your advice. I need help from you.”

Immediately my eyes lit up.

“Awwwnn, so cute! Advice on what?”

He rolled his eyes at my dramatic behaviour. "There's this scholarship competition I applied for and it has to do with architecture Sha...and I need you and your smart brain -- don't feel yourself too much -- to help me come up with something I can design."

"Wawu! That's so cool! I'm proud of you guy." I ruffled his hair, he blushed slightly and smacked my hand away. "Do mom and dad know?"

"Nah... you're the first soul I'm telling and I don't want anyone to know until I get it Sha...you get?"

I nodded. "I'll definitely help! So when do we start?"

I took out a book and pen and he picked up my laptop -- he didn't have his yet-- from it's place on the table and turned it on.

Joba and I surfed the net for various ideas for a long time and it wasn't until 2:00 am that I realized I hadn't solved my former problem and it came back to haunt me.

With a yawn, I picked up my pen, jotter and textbook; stared at the question and tried again.

I almost understood.

I said 'almost' because it never happened.

The voice came back. The voice in me that never went.

'What do you think you're doing, block head?'

‘You can never grab physics you’re too dull for that!’

‘You can never be an Albert Einstein. So just drop it!’

It was true I could never be an Albert Einstein.

I could never ever understand it.

What I wanted to believe was over, never was.

I was never ever gonna be good at physics…Never.

Hey guys!

Belated happy New month!XD.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter?

Tell me what do you think about Jeremy, Josh and the other hostel boys?

Do you like Joba?

He has a crush on our Ninuola Adams oooo! 😂

And what do you think about Bolu's plight?

Hmm. This is the part where I'll start my rant on how dangerous it is to listen to negative voices.

Aswrrr ehn... it's very bad. And I'm talking from experience. A painful one at that. Whatever or whoever we are, we all gast to fill our minds with positive thoughts. I know that as humans, we get tired, let down, frustrated, even and the voice might wanna come and chip in one or two things that it might think about you.

The best way to avoid it from being a strong hold in our lives is to kill that darn voice the moment it surfaces. Though it might not be easy but we gotta try.

Bolu is struggling with that and it might take some time before she gets out of it. How do you think she's gonna handle it?

With that being said let's gist about life😂

So...how this valentine go be na?

Where we go go catch cruise? Cuz me I wanna catch cruise ooo! XD

Okay, okay.

Please vote, make a shy and upcoming writer -- me -- happy!

Comment. Don't be scared to do that. Point out my mistakes nicely. Let's be friends and let's vibe.😁

Share. It will do me a lot of good. Don't hesitate!

If you make covers, aesthetics and so on, pls hmu. I'm gonna need all the support I can get for this book.

You do know I love y'all!

~Ife😜😎😍