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"Together...we can change the world!"
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~NINA~

"JSSS3A get your tiny butts out to the field right now!" The head girl, Mary Belle screamed at them and they scampered out of the classroom without second thoughts as I passed their classroom to the next.

It was the last Friday before exam week. The bell for sports rang and all prefects were assigned to make sure every student was present on the field.

Bolu decided to tag along with me even though she'd be among those taking part in the main events of the day−whatever they were.

"Geez mehn, Mary Belle sure has a loud voice," Bolu commented from beside me.

"Tell me about it. They made no mistake in assigning her that post."

I waved at Mary Belle with a smile and she did the same.

We got to the next class and I chased them out saying: "Okay people, get out, now!"

Some obeyed walked out fast while some were slow and I scowled.

"Faster!" I ordered and they increased their speed.

The last people to leave the class were three short girls and they were still taking their time when I said they should be fast.

They stood arranged around a particular desk and chit chatted like no one was in the class, asking them to leave. I stared at them in awe and shook my head.

See all these small children o!

Ah! Osanobua.

Children of these days have grown balls.

What insolence.

"You guys got gum stuck in your ears abi? I said you should be fast na!"
The trio turned to look at me at the same time, eyed me...literally and then continued what they were discussing.

Again...what insolence!

"Oh, it's those idiots. Leave them to me," Bolu, who was behind me the whole time, whispered in my ears and I stood back as she entered the class fully, wondering what she was gonna do.

"Essss Sule, Mufu, Kasali!" Bolu yelled at them and I laughed at the choice of names she decided to call them.

They looked up at the voice that spoke, a glint of fear/recognition passed their eyes, and she continued. "I'm sorry, not sorry to ruin your dumbass party but you have to excavate out of your one-tabled kingdom."

"Y-y-yes se-senior B-Bolu," they all stuttered and ran, literally, out of the classroom, making sure to avoid touching Bolu and I at all.

I stood and my mouth slightly dropped, both in shock and in awe. "The way they ran, it's like they've had an episode with you that they wouldn't like to re-live."

"Yeah...it's a long story." She smirked.

"Gist me na," I said, tucking my arm into hers as we walked to the next JSSS3 class.

It was empty and I assumed other prefects had done the work so Bolu and I headed straight for the field as she told me the whole story, which I found really funny.

Those girls deserved it.

We finally got to the field and found Ninu, Joy-Anne and Fred. They gathered in a small circle and we joined them.

"This one that RBA wants to do sports just few days to exam, when it's not even inter house sports, I don't grab o," Fred said. "They'll just be shocking someone anyhow."

Fred was one of the few guys at RBA who did not take part in sports, as in, no sports at all. Not even football.

"Abi. Who invented sports sef?" I asked agreeing with him 'cause I did no sports either. I could not kick a ball to save my life.

"Both of you are just lazy," Ninu commented stretching and then bending forward, trying to touch her toes and could not.

"Ninuola, you're doing it wrong," Joy told her with a smile and tried to show her the correct way.

Ninu stood straight to look at her and there was something in her eyes and the way she looked at Joy. I could not place it but I knew it was just there.

"Thanks...Joy," Ninu said hesitantly. She tried bending again, following what Joy had told her and she finally touched her toes.

"Praise the Lord o! I need to do testimony/ thanksgiving in church on Sunday because my best friend's back is no longer stiff!" Fred shouted and we all burst out laughing, except Ninu who glared hard at him.

"I don't blame you Fred, it's because the functioning of your brain is equal to instability of NEPA and they have not kuku returned power that's why your brain is malfunctioning!"

Jesus!

If we laughed before, we laughed harder when Ninu opened her mouth to say that.

"Ninu now, be nice to poor Fred na," I said in between laughs and put my arm around him.

"Nice ko, D Banj ni." She hissed. Fred just proceeded to give her the middle finger and she stuck her tongue out at him.

They had the weirdest kind of friendship.

"What'd I miss peeps?" Jeremy asked he jogged towards us with his ever-goofy smile. "Hey Joy-Anne." He put an arm around her and she shrugged it off and elbowed him in his side.

"Clearly, it's only Joy you missed oh," I said smiling.

"And it's not like you did not see her this morning on the assembly," Bolu added and then hissed.

"What's with girls and violence these days, abeg?" He winced and rubbed his side.

I laughed. "It's like the fork she put on your butt the other day was not enough for you abi?"

"Ah...I live to experience more of those." He smiled and turned to wink at Joy― she elbowed him again...harder this time. "O-ouch!"

"Wahala!" Bolu shouted.

"Be like what?" I asked.

"E be like bicycle." Fred completed mimicking a bicycle rider.

"He always asks for it," Joy said with a shrug, flicking her long hair.

We just laughed again.

"Aren't you prefects meant to be helping over there with the students?" Joy asked looking between Ninu and me and then directing her gaze to where the head boy and head girl, with some other prefects, were controlling our juniors.

"Abeg jhor, no be me behead Paul. Some children are demons. Let the senior prefects handle it, they're doing a great job, as it were," Ninu replied. I smiled and shook my head at her.

I directed my gaze to where the students were. They were already arranged according to their classes and houses on the field.

Ayo was with the sports and labor prefects, helping them bring all the needed equipment to the field. My gaze lingered on him for a while before I heard a throat clear beside me. I turned to look at the person.

It was Bolu.

"Nina has seen fine boy o," She commented as she wiggled her eyebrows, nudging my shoulder.

I rolled my eyes at her. The others were already in a convo. Ninu was still stretching.

"What are you saying?"

"As per, Ayo is looking extra fresh today, is he not?"

I nodded and then realized I shouldn't have. Shet! I felt heat rising in my cheeks.

"No wonder you've been sneaking off to see him, huh." She wiggled her brows again.

"I have not!"

"Yes you have!"

"It's not a secret that we read together every day in the library and even if we're gonna date, you'd be the first person to know, aunty. Stalker oshi."

"Ohhhhh, so you admit, you do wanna date him? And the other day, when I asked where you were going, sheybi you were doing peace out with your fingers and shining teeth."

My eyes widened as I said, "I...I...Uh__"

She raised an eyebrow at me, anticipating my answer when I saw my savior, Ore Jumai walking towards us in his usual casual way; waving and smiling at people who waved first―some he knew and some he didn't. I called out his name and waved him over, Bolu stiffened beside me.

I looked at her and she was already looking down, examining the grass. The others also looked at him strutting towards us.

I was generally a people lover but everybody loved Ore. He just had this aura around him that made people feel good. I liked him a lot too.

Not that we were too close but anytime I got to talk to him, we vibe really well.

He was that popular dude that was a celeb for no exact reason.

I smiled at him and slapped him a handshake as he finally got to where we stood.

"Guy, come and see how these girls are rubbishing our PES o!" Jeremy said.

"It's not just rubbish, it's a total piece of shit," Ninu said picking at her nails.

"Yeah!" Joy agreed.

Jeremy and Fred gasped in horror and placed their hands on their chest dramatically.

"I don't even grab why you guys are having this argument," I said. "Very soon, you'll goan start arguing about which is better in an orangutan and a monkey when both are one and the same in terms of family and genus__"

"Oh, Nerd alert!" Ninu yelled and
everyone burst out laughing including me.

"You guys shouldn't mind. It's 'cause they feel we'd choose PES over them anytime," Ore said and high fived the guys.

Ninu glared at him and Joy crossed her arms with a playfully grim expression.

"Ore, you should be on my side! I thought we were gees," Ninu said again.

"Yeah... but it's like this: brothers before missies."

"Heck yeah!" Fred and Jeremy yelled, slapping themselves handshakes.

Ninu and Joy Anne rolled their eyes, muttering "it doesn't even rhyme."

I was just laughing at my friends. I was also happy for Fred too. He was now rolling with boys freely without them hating on him or pushing him away 'cause of his girly behavior.

I glanced at Bolu and saw she was still admiring the grass and was very quiet. She became like that when Ore showed up. I was about to nudge her when the sports master blew the whistle signaling that we ought to be in our various houses.

Ninu and Jeremy left first. Ore followed. Joy went to tuck her arm in Bolu's; they were in the same house.

"Nina if that glucose should finish ehn consider our friendship partially over!" Bolu said and sprinted off with Joy to their house/team mates and I shook my head at her.

"It's true Nina. If that glucose should finish ehn..." Fred started saying with a playful look on his face.

I just clicked my tongue and sashayed from his presence to the canopy where I'd stay throughout today.

Since I was not going to take part in any of the events of the day, I was going to exert my full duties as the health prefect without Ayo because he was also sporty, RBA's major basketball player.

The labor prefect girl, Joan Adeleke came to join us at the canopy. She brought along a novel.

Thinking back, I wish I brought one too, considering I'd be very bored and I left my phone in class.

"Hey, Joan!" I called and gave a little wave with a smile.

"Hi, Nina." She smiled back. "I guess I'm not the only one who got dumped. So much for being a prefect and having male partners who are sporty."

"Abi na." I shook my head knowingly.
"I like your shoes, by the way. They look good." I pointed at her pink girly high tops.

"Thank you." She grinned.

The sports master blew the whistle again, calling my attention to the track.

They were going to start with a race.

The sports prefects and sport master arranged all the students that would be participating on their tracks.
Today was going to be a long day.

│~│~│~│

Basketball was the last event of the day and we all had to move to the indoor court to watch the match between SSS3 and SSS2 students.

We were nearly at the end of the match. I moved from the health site in the court to the bleachers. Figured I could take a break from working.

No, that was not the reason. I did not figure anything kan, kan.

The real reason I moved to the bleachers is 'cause Ayo and Bolu were among the SSS3 players and I wanted to cheer them on like a mad person.

Actually... I t was Ayo I wanted to cheer on like a mad person.

Don't tell Bolu that o! She will just kill me, coupled with the fact that glucose had also finished.

I wanted to cheer him so bad that I broke rules and went back to class to get my phone so I could take pictures while he played.

Oshey...rule breaker

The ball entered the basket again, erupting cheers from the crowd and I looked at the marks board to see that it was SSS2s that scored the goal, seeing how they were jumping up and down. And it made them tie with SSS3. The coach for SSS3 called a timeout for about thirty seconds and the game resumed.

The ball was with an SSS2 student but in no time, he got dribbled and the ball was now with one of my classmates, a girl― Kathy Alero― the female sports prefect.

She dribbled past another SSS2 student, playing with skill and energy and then passed it to Bolu, who easily dribbled past another opponent, smiling and dancing stylishly as she did.

I captured it.

"Omo x 100000, see how Bolu is even dancing with the ball sef. God when?" Fred cried out and I remembered he and Joy were with me on the bleachers.

Joy was asleep and I did not know how she was able to with all the noise in the place.

Fred has been screaming his lungs out like a Yoruba maniac since the game began.

Ninuola was nowhere to be found.

Two more passes and dribbles and the ball was already with Ayo.

A smirk played on his lips as he bounced the ball and checked the time left on the marks board seeing it was ten seconds to go.

I only saw him act cocky when he was with the ball.

I raised my phone in the air, ready to capture the moment he will score as if I knew he was going to.

The countdown began and after a dribble and a swift movement, he jumped and the ball went through the net and I actually captured it with my Gionee camera.

The picture was so perfect I wondered how my photography skills became good all of a sudden.

Weird things just be happening anyhow.

The whole of SSS3 and our supporters jumped up and down, celebrating our victory.

They lifted Ayo in the air and I captured it too.

See as you don turn photographer because of boy.

I ignored my mocking subconscious and tucked my phone in the pocket of my sport shorts.

I ran to where Bolu was and threw my arms around her in a hug, squeezing her tightly and intentionally 'cause I knew she hated squeezing hugs.

"Nina calms na, I did not get lost oh," she said in a muffled voice and I hugged her even tighter. She tried pulling away but gave up after a few seconds. I finally pulled away, grinning at her. She rolled her eyes but smiled.

"Babe, you were amazing out there, as per, you were even dancing again!" I gushed out.

"Really?" Her smile was full blown now.

"Of course! You played like a pro! You're good, you know?"

"Thanks Nina. I t means a lot."

"Puh-lease! It's moi job to hype you even if no one else does. I took pictures sef."

She gasped in horror and her eyes widened. "Oh no! You did what? My face will be bent o eh Jesus o! Who sent you?"

I laughed. "Don't worry this time, they were good I swear. My skills have improved nau..."

She narrowed her eyes at me as I tucked my arm in hers. "Are you sure? Before you goan post one rubbish picture on your status where I look like a bent star."

"Trust me babe. I got it this time around."

"Fingers crossed."

I shook my head at her still smiling.

Fred and Joy made their way towards us with Joy yawning and Fred dragging her.

Ninu also appeared at that moment shinning teeth at us.

"Aunty, where have you been?" I asked her. She just kept shinning teeth.

"Ninu, Nina took pics o. Me dey fear abeg," Bolu said and Ninu's eyes widened.

"Ehn? She did what?"

"Don't worry I took good ones just in case Nina's own is too bad," Fred said.

"You guys won't even check first, you'll just be casting. Check it first na..."

"Oya bring it sef," Bolu took the phone from my hand and Ninu and Fred gathered round her as they checked the pics.

"Okay, this time...they make sense." Ninu

"Yes...strangely." Bolu.

I smiled and said, "See, I told you."

"Don't feel yourself yet oh, Fred's might be better."

We kept checking and they concluded that mine was actually better than Fred's and that's something 'cause he was a real smart phone photographer.

We stood in the middle of the court and kept posting and posting until...

"Abeg, I feel like a filthy rag doll, I wanna goan change..." Bolu drew out. " Nina please comman follow me to the locker room na."

I was about to go when I thought again and realized I hadn't even talked to Ayo at all.

"Uh..."

"Don't worry sef, I know you wanna see Ayo," she wiggled her brows. "He's already coming gan."

Oh.

I didn't need to turn 'cause he was already beside me, hands behind his back as he smiled at me first, mouthing 'hi' and then greeted the others, shyly.

"Ayo na you o. One day, I will be a boss like you," Fred said slapping him a handshake.

"Correction Fred: you will never!" Ninu exclaimed.

Everybody laughed and Fred just rolled his eyes.

"Hey, hey, MF! You don't effing shake my best friend anyhow abeg carry your hand commot jhor!" A very loud voice said and we all saw that it was MJ.

He probably had the loudest voice in the whole of SSS3, if not the whole school sef.

And he could not do without swearing.

"Guy must you always shout?" Ayo asked in a cool voice.

"Yes ke! If not, nobody will effing hear me," he replied and threw his arm casually around Ayo's shoulders. The former shrugged his hands off. "Ah ahn Nina baby afar na, e don tey wey I see you oh." He reached out for a fist pump.

"You shone your teeth at me this morning na," I said fist pumping him back.

That was how he greeted everybody one by one. Joy Anne yawned in response.

"Let's get going and leave this people alone since they are making googly eyes at each other," Ninu said, winked at me and dragged everybody away including MJ.

Googly eyes?

For where, abeg?

"Hey," He greeted again.

"You've already greeted me before, you know." I smiled at him.

"Yeah... I," He scratched his head.

"Hey, hey it's okay," I laughed. "I'm just teasing."

He laughed too, his easy and free laughter. I listened to the rich sound coming from him. It sounded like music to my ears.
The indoor court had cleared and only few people and we were left in it. We left the middle of the court and took seats on the bleachers.

"You were amazing on the court today, Ay."

"Thanks. From the corner of my eye I saw you cheering for me."

"Oh really now? Instead of you to play your game, you were looking at fine girl." I flicked my invisible long hair.

"You, fine?" He chuckled.

"Yes na." I flicked imaginary hair again.

"Who told you I saw you because you are fine? I saw you 'cause you were cheering like a mad person and mad people stand out."

I gasped in fake horror and placed a hand on my chest dramatically. "So you are talking to a mad person right now, abi? In fact sef, I'm going!" I made to stand up and he dragged me down before I could. His grip was so strong ―stronger than normal.

"I'm just joking na...of course you're fine. More than fine sef. You're beautiful―drop dead, inside-out," He rushed out to say and I looked at him with heat rising in my cheeks. He blushed too and his eyes widened as if he did not believe he just said that.

"Yeah, yeah. Apology accepted."

"Phew." He wiped imaginary sweat off his forehead and smiled.

"I wager you like basketball a lot huh?" I nudged his shoulder; he smiled more.

"Yeah I do..."

"But?"

"Dad thinks it's stupid child's play. Always wants me to study and study and study until my head explodes."

"But you love studying too right?"

"Yeah. I can't really pick between the two." He laughed again.

"You can always combine both."

"Yeah but..." He sighed. "I don't know."

"Don't worry you'll figure it out." I patted his arm. "That being said, I took some pictures."

I scooted closer to him and this time he did not even flinch at all. I guess somebody is already getting comfortable with girls. I turned on my phone and showed him the pictures.

Although I didn't see him, I knew he was smiling.

I showed him one I took when he was entering the court, another one when he dribbled past a player. I showed the one when he scored in the net and the final one when his teammates carried him.

"Wow, you're really a good photographer, Nina," he complimented.

All I did was laugh nervously. If only he knew how terrible I am. Let's just not get into deep details today huh?

"That one..." I pointed to the one where he scored in the net. "Is a very good pic for IG, don't you think?"

He shrugged. "I'm not on IG though."

My face fell. "What? Which human is not on IG? How can an amazing basketball player like you not be on instagram? Like...what?" I threw my hands in the air.

He laughed again, bringing his finger to his lips. "Shhh Nina you're shouting. Everyone is looking."

"Who cares?"

"I do."

"Well, I don't and I'm freaking opening that IG account for you asap!"

"Okay ma'am!" He laughed again. He unlocked his phone and handed it to me. I grinned and took it from him. I expected him to move away but he didn't and he moved even closer.

I could feel the warmth from his body so close to me. I tried not to blush but failed miserably as I tapped on the Instagram app, signed him up and explained to him how it works.

All the time, he was not paying attention but just staring at me.

Flashback to the time I was staring at him too instead of paying attention to what he was explaining. Hah...seems just like yesterday.

Good times, good times.

"Um...Ay, do you grab?"

His eyebrows rose. "Uh...huh?"

"Sure..." I drew out giving him a look from under my glasses. "You really grab gan oh. Ah ahn! Mad grabbing...swears." I stated sarcastically.

He blushed already embarrassed and covered his face with his hands. "It's just..."

"What?"

He reached out for my hand and took it in his. The blush remained on my cheeks.

"I really wanna say thank you, you know...for everything. Like I'm a really boring person... and uh...I have never really had other people to talk to or other friends except MJ or my sisters and you just showed up you took me as I am? Thank you so much Nina..."

Okay I did not see this coming.

"There's no need to thank me, you know. But you're welcome any way." I smiled and he gave my hand a little squeeze.

He smiled too and kept looking at me with...I don't know adoration?

His gaze was intense and the heat in my cheeks was intenser?

Ah ahn! Nina you don blow gan oh. See as you just dey form new word: intenser!

What a spec.

I once again ignored my stupid subconscious.

Mocker, mocker oshi.

He still held my gaze and for a while it dropped to my lips and then back to my face so quickly I thought I imagined it.

He did it again and this time when he looked at me, it was like he asked for some kinda permission and I nodded a little, giving him a go ahead.

He looked around to see if anyone was still in the court and all the people had disappeared.

Strangely.

He brushed his fingers lightly against my cheek and moved his face closer and closer until our lips were only inches apart from each other.

I closed my eyes ready to be drawn into a realm of sweet, blissful ecstasy until...

A phone rang jolting both of us out of the moment.

I almost cussed aloud.

Infact, I cussed in my mind.

"That's mine," He said with a flustered smile as he picked it up. "I'll be right back..." He held his finger up and I nodded at him.

"Yes dad...okay sir..." He trailed off as he walked towards the store room.

I suddenly had the urge to pee so I got up with my phone and headed straight to the girls' toilet in the senior block.

The whole time, I could not stop thinking... we almost kissed, we almost kissed!

After I finished my business, I got back downstairs hurriedly to the court----maybe we could finish what we we almost started----and heard yelling.

I heard Ayo's voice and three others'
What were they saying?

I got closer to the entrance and saw them at a corner.

Ayo was there for sure but his back was turned to me. The others were Sukky and his geng― Jare and Kome.

I couldn't exactly make out what they said but I heard Sukky say, "I've warned you Balogun! You sabi say we know you wella. We no wetin you dey hide and we fit talk am anytime!"

I saw Ayo clench his fists as they walked away through the other door.

I walked to where Ayo was and saw his eyes were a scary shade of red and his veins popped out of his arms.

He was breathing heavily and for a moment, I did not know what to do. I was scared. I was not sure if he knew I was standing before him.

He took one look at me and his breath eased. He was back to normal―almost back to normal because he did not smile.

His shoulders dropped and when he looked at me again, his eyes were teary. I didn't say anything. I moved towards him and wrapped in a hug. I patted him softly as he wrapped his arms around my waist and dug his head in the crook of my neck.

This was not the first time I'd seen Sukky and his geng talk to him but this was the first time I'd ever seen Ayo Balogun this way.

UH-OH!!!!

Wetin dey occur???

Yo! Yo! Yo!

Wassup people?

How far??

How's your life?

First off...super sorry for the late update!

It was beyond my control.

My laptop got a virus and I thought I'd lost this chapter but fortunately, I found a backup 💃💃💃. Only I'm still sad that I might lose my songs and vids😩😩😩 but pray for me so that we'll be able to fix it.

And this is a freaking long chapter. I wanted to cut it but figured it wouldn't have made any sense.

So...hope you enjoyed it???

Who also thought Ayo and Nina were gonna kiss???

Yeah, me too! XD.

And Bolu is still ignoring Ore. What's wrong with our baby na?😩😩😩😩

And what do you think about Ninuola and Joy-Anne?

And don't you just love MJ???

Do you also have people like that in your life?

And if you have or haven't noticed, this book contains little to no swear or cuss words 'cause I personally don't like it but this book won't be realistic enough if I didn't at least point it out. It's a well known fact that secondary school students cuss a whole lot! So that's why I intentionally included mild cuss words to make y'all grab and I take it that you grab, abi?

Good!

So that being said...

I'm not certain when another chapter will be up but it won't be too long, okay?

Sorry for the long Author's note oooo! Thanks for reading it.

Um...so

Vote!!!!!!!!! Please!!!!!!!

Comment!!!!!!

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God bless you all!!!!

Love

~Ife❤️❤️😎