Part Twenty-one

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David's POV

Like wtf!

Did I hear her question correctly or am I just over thinking this.
It hasn't even been up to six months since she joined the school and she wants to know the relationship between Hassan and I.

Well I've got some good news for her. I may be all sweet and all over her, but it's because of the dare I had made and not that I owe her anything for trying to get closer to her. The deadline for the dare is next week. On exactly the end-of-the-year party that the school annually celebrates before going on Christmas holiday.
I have to make her fall for my charms before that day.

"It's no big issue. Hassan and I have been through this before and we've  overcomed it, it's only a misunderstanding that we would clear soon enough." I lied, playing around with the chips in a bowel before me.

"Funny, Hassan said almost same thing." She announced, putting a stick of chips into her mouth.

It's normal for Hassan to say such a thing. It made me remember the times we were still close, he'll always have my back. He'll support me in times of trouble or danger, he'll be my counsellor in my saddest moments. He'll always chastise me when I go wrong and most of all, he'll always clean up every mess I dragged myself into. He was an ideal brother, until he stabbed me at the back.

Even as of today, I can hardly believe that we haven't spoken peacefully with each other for ten months. My pride will definitely not let me confront him about it and he'll certainly keep his distance.

Nnenna and I continued eating in comfortable silence which I was grateful for. I really have nothing more to say to her. I may be the star player at my school and the hottest jock who could get any girl I want in my school, yet, whenever it came down to things like this; keeping a reasonable conversation going, Hassan was the guru.

I was slowly picking the food before me when my phone vibrated. Incoming message.
I unlocked it to view the message. It came from Hadith Danjuma.

Lady D
Bro we need your help, San is in trouble😭.

Received: Tuesday 2:34pm

Immediately I saw the message, I became alert and tensed. Hassan in trouble, that's not possible. Hassan is the most responsible guy I've met how could he get into trouble. I thought of calling Hadith but I waved it aside, she'll just be more anxious.

I replied to her message.

Me
I'm coming right now, where are you guys?

Sent: Tuesday 2:36pm

Lady D
At Giant Stars Library. You know the place right?

Received: Tuesday 2:36pm

Me
On my way...relax.

Sent: Tuesday 2:37pm.

“I have to go. Hassan is in some kind of trouble. ” I told Nnenna who's looking into her plate.

"What?!" She asked, looking anxious all of a sudden.

"Come on let me take you to your house." I stood from my seat and counted some notes from my wallet.

She thought for a while before standing up. "Okay, please let me know what happens when you get there. You can call the number that I used to call you,"

"No problem. You can take these home if you're not done eating." I told her. I really don't like the idea of wasting food especially if money was used to buy it.

She nodded her head and began to straighten her rumpled black skirt with pink blouse. I called Vivian to come collect the money and wrap up the chips.

"Hey! Vivian," I called her back before she walked out.

"You can keep the change, just wrap up all these for her."

"Mhmmm." Vivian sauntered away and I looked at Nnenna.

"You can go, I know my way back anyway." She said.

"No chance! I'll see you off, you're a girl and anything can happen to you." I spoke out before I thought about what I said but it's too late now to care.

Vivian came back with black polythene in her hand, she wrapped the chips, tied the polythene and gave it to Nnenna. I started walking out and faster too, hoping she would meet up.

After I dropped her off outside the gate of her house, I got a taxi and made my way to Giant Stars Library. It's a public library in this area and well known, so it wasn't hard to get to the place.

Within minutes, I found Hadith, Damilare Peter and one other girl wearing simple rimmed glasses. I don't think I know her cause I haven't seen her before.
I walked up to them and asked where Hassan was, she directed me to a closed door in the left section of the library. It seemed suspicious but I slowly opened the door, waited for a minute before I walked in.

The light of the library was so bright that it was easy to spot him seated at a corner, typing on his phone. He was still for a while before he stood up and looked at me.

I was furious, how dare he try to play such tricks. He looks perfectly fine to me.

"What the..." I almost cursed before I stopped myself from completing the sentence. I  marched towards the door in bold, angry steps and pushed it, yet the door didn't budge.

  "What is this now?" I asked angrily. I couldn't stand this. 

"What is what?" He turned the question to me. Who's he playing.

  "What sort of childish trick is this to get me to be stuck here with you, are you really that bored that you can't think of anything better." I flung my arm around to emphasize how angry I was.  

"What exactly is your problem David? I know you have a score to settle with me, can you just get straight to the point and stop beating about the bush!" He became angry as well, I could tell from his tone.

"Oh so you want to play dumb...I see. Tell me then, why I got a message saying that you're in trouble then I find you here, sitting comfortably."

The arguments continued back and forth until I couldn't take it any longer, he's such a snake. I spoke up about how he betrayed me and he just stood quietly.

"How could you do that to me, to us! Hassan." I retorted.

"Do you know how distraught I was when I found out that it was you who prevented me from becoming the head boy. You know just how much I wanted to be the senior prefect when we get to SS2 but you...you took that away."

He didn't say anything, just listened to me as I was ranting. I got infuriated.

"Will you answer me Hassan, tell me why?! I should have listened to my father when he told me that friendship with a Muslim would lead me nowhere." I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes to prevent the tears that threatened to fall.

"That's enough now David. I've kept quiet and listened to you rant your anger out, it doesn't mean I'm stupid or have nothing to say in my defence." A thick vein appeared on his forehead and throat as he spoke to show how angry he had gotten.

"Yes I know how much you've wanted to become the senior prefect and yes, I took that away from you too but how does that have to do with my religion being bad. I wanted to tell you after the results were called but you deliberately ignored me and stayed away.

I waited for you to confront me but you didn't do that either and there was no way I could talk to you personally because you made that impossible too. The only reason I took the position of the senior prefect was so you could still be eligible for the scholarship grant into university." He exhaled after saying that and sat down on a chair.

"What... How...how did you know that?" I asked. If there's anything I haven't told Hassan it was that, the scholarship grant I applied for gave me an ultimatum.

If I wanted the scholarship into the university, I would forfeit any other post or office in school except that of the games prefect. The reason for the ultimatum was so I could have a lot of time to improve in my sport skills. When I played in the inter & intra schools match and our school won the match in every game because of me, UNICEF granted two best players in the competition scholarship into any tertiary institution of their choice.

I was one lucky benefactor and another player from Emerald College. I loved the opportunity and it would be beneficial to my family as well. So when I found out about the ultimatum, I changed my mind about accepting the scholarship. I've always dreamed to become a head boy and even a scholarship of four-five years wasn't going to change that.

I remember having an argument with my dad about it. He had insisted I forfeit going for the head boy or else he would not sponsor me into the university should I afford to lose the scholarship. I still made up my mind to forfeit the scholarship, I would look for work if it came to that but I can't just not become the head boy. I've nurtured the dream for too long to go back now.

I was surprised to realize that Hassan who I didn't even know got nominated for the post, was eventually declared the head boy as he won me by twenty votes.

After the elections, I was going to confront him about why he didn't tell me he's contesting for the post as well but I overheard some students conversing amongst themselves.

"Those students told me that you bribed them into voting for you. You used the fact that you're richer than me against me, I never knew you could stoop that low." I spat.

"I had to! You left me no choice. I overheard your conversation with your father when he told you not to contest for head boy anymore. I was going to talk to you about it but I know you very well to know that you wouldn't have listened to me. So going behind your back to contest for the same post was my best shot."

I stared at him, stupefied. If anyone knows me as well as I know myself, that person would be Hassan.

"I know that once you lost, you'll have no other option but to accept the scholarship. You still have your scholarship, an opportunity to study further. Most people out there aren't even sure if they'll sit for WAEC exams.” He started walking towards me.

Immediately as he got closer, the door suddenly opened. The librarian, an average height middle aged looking woman, wearing thin glasses with a white shirt and black skirt came in.

" What silly noise have you two been making here. If you were stuck in then you should have called the help desk. There's a telephone on that table." She pointed to a round table at my left, end of the library.

"Now if you're done here, please go." She more like barked the order.
I was fast to read the identity card pinned to the left breast of her shirt.

'Head Librarian
Mrs Chidiogor Irenwa'.

"It's high time you man-up bro." Hassan patted my shoulder before making his way outside.

It's a good thing this woman came in after I heard his side of the story because if she had come in earlier, I would have walked out on Hassan.

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Shout out to these wonderful guys,they've been my solid support.

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