K A I R A

１３

Caleb glanced at Nathan, then me. "Stop this joke, you two. I'm not playing here."

"Just read as many books as you can."

"Yeah." I supported Nathan, biting my lower lip in order not to laugh. "Even borrow some of your mum's books if you get bored of the ones you have already."

Nathan lowered his gaze when I said that, and anyone could've have missed that reaction. Anyone but me.

"Kaira." Caleb pouted. I never knew he could. Then, I never really knew anything about my classmates. It surprised me how I managed to talk with these guys. I guess it's because I had something to tease them with.

I didn't answer. It was fun leaving Caleb clueless.

Nathan sighed. "Before you transform fully into a puppy, pummel is sorta like an act of hitting someone repeatedly—in a hard way."

Caleb took two steps back. "Bro, you were not going to do that."

"Chill. Of course not." Nathan chuckled.

I was already back to reading Geography. Who knew Nigeria was part of ECOWAS? Definitely not me. Okay, I definitely knew that. But that was the trouble I put myself through—the pain of reading chapters I was familiar with, before heading to unfamiliar chapters.

"What are you reading?" Caleb asked, peering at my book. "Geography? That sucks. Isn't it boring?"

"As long as it isn't Biology, and it's not boring."

"Okay then."

It wasn't long before he asked another question. "Do you two always come this early? Isn't half past six too early?"

I shrugged. "Dad leaves before I wake up. Mum goes out by five o'clock. My sister leaves the house few minutes after six. I prefer going with her to school to having the driver take me."

"So what you're saying is that you don't like being left alone." Nathan lifted an eyebrow. I couldn't understand what he meant.

Caleb have him a light slap on the head. "No one likes being left alone."

"Yeah, I guess." Nathan said.

"Okay. Now, to you, dude." Caleb turned to Nathan. "What the hell—forgive my language—brought you here by this time?"

We all looked at Nathan who looked at me while I stared back, waiting for his answer and puzzled as to why he was giving me such attention. He was meant to face Caleb, not look at me the way he was.

"Let's say," Nathan said with a sly grin, "Let's say that it's because I like being here by this time of the day. The serenity and all, plus...nevermind."

What's going on? 

He broke eye contact and stood all of a sudden, taking his airpods with him. "I'll be jogging if any of you needs me."

After saying that, Nathan dawdled out of the classroom.

"Okay." I nodded, and even when he was already out, my gaze lingered on his seat as if it held the answers to the questions in my head.

Caleb replaced Nathan on his seat. He sighed. "Well, that was  off."

"I agree." I said, absentmindedly.

"Do you guys have something to sort out or what?"

"No." I shook my head. "Not at all."

"At least, do you know why he walked out?"

"No, Caleb. I don't know."

Caleb heaved an exasperated sigh and rested his head in the table. "Even if I'm his friend, I still don't know jack shit about Nathan. Man, it's terrible."

If I knew anything at all about Nathan, it would be that he's a smart guy with an unpredicted hobby of reading novels, a person who could perceive what's beneath the surface, and a guy whose thought process I could never understand. I knew so little.

I nodded. "Yup, it is terrible."

And maybe I just am.

"I'm going to meet him." Caleb stood, arching his brows, perhaps to question if I was okay with being left alone in our classroom. I nodded in affirmation. "See you later, Kaira."

Not too long after Caleb walked out, Daniel walked in with furrowed brows. "Was Caleb here before?"

"Yup." 

"That's strange. Why did he come early?"

"How would I know? But he and Nathan came at the same time."

"Nathan's in school already? Oh, God, why? Damn it."

I watched with a stoic expression as Daniel hurried to drop his bag on his desk and proceeded to walk out. He paused before turning. "Where is he?"

I shook my head. Boys. "I don't know. But Caleb went in the direction in which he left."

"Thanks. I'll be back, I promise." He dashed out of the class, and I was almost  certain that his heels met with his butt. 

"Yeah." I answered when he was gone, sarcasm lacing my tone.

None of them returned to class by the time the first bell rang.

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so, i might not say or show it enough , i truly appreciate all my readers. a story can never be complete without readers and so, thanks a whole lot for over 400 reads :)

i also wanted to let you know that thanks to our effort of keeping this story going, our book placed 4th in the naija on wattpad contest! 

once again, thank you, and i hope this chapter was at least enjoyable