For You To Keep

Prologue

"Ola! Ola! Olanna!" I hear someone call quietly.

"What?" I mumble in response.

"Ola wake up!" This time, it was sharp but still low.

I jerk up to see my Bestie frowning at me.

"Yes Ella" I reply sleepily, rubbing my eyes with the back of my pointers.

"Stay awake! The Maths teacher almost saw you" she scolds.

"Oh really?" I straighten myself so it won't look like I was sleeping. "Sorry! And thanks!" I smile, but it was cut short by someone clearing his throat. And I cringe knowing who it was.

"Miss Chukwuma! Would you mind explaining how we got X raised to the power of two's coefficient to be 6" Mr Joseph says with a stern face.

"Sir, you haven't explained it yet. And this is the first time we are learning-uhm" Ella stops and I'm very sure it's because she doesn't know the name of topic and not because of the eerie look Mr Joseph has on his face.

"Thank you Miss Osahon, but I was talking to Miss Chukwuma. Since she found my class so useless that she had to sleep off, she must already know it." He turns to look at me, using his hands to call me out.

Differential calculus is something I've read before but didn't really understand. I stand up, looking at the floor willing it to open up and swallow me.

After straightening out my pleated Navy blue skirt and making sure there was no stain on my white shirt, I raise my head to look at the board. This was the basic part of differentiation and so, it was easy.

I smile and turn to look at my class, of 35 students.

"This is the basic part of differentiation or differential calculus. Since this isn't by first principle, there is a formula that we could easily use." I turn to the board and write the formula.

I explain how we multiply the coefficient of X, 4, by X's power, 3,which then gives us 12, the new power becomes 2 and then we divide 12 by 2, giving 6.

You did it!

I drop the marker on the board tray to look at the teacher. He has a mixture of annoyance and disbelief on his face. I bow my head a little to acknowledge him of the fact I was done and scurry off to my desk avoiding the judging glares coming from my amazing classmates. That is huge sarcasm by the way.

Before Mr Joseph could say anything, the bell rings. He didn't bother leaving any assignment and just walks away.

He is a good looking young man who almost all the girls in higher classes and surprisingly my class fawn over constantly. And just so you know, I am not one of them.

Break time,at last! Finally I could rest.

Just as I close my eyes, "Ola! Go and get me Fanta and meat pie from the canteen" I hear from someone who I don't wish to ever see again. Even if I just saw her earlier this morning

"Nkem please I'm tired. Moreover, the canteen is not far. Can't you get it yourself?" I ask politely, my eyes still closed. I wasn't a major fan of her face.

"So you have the audacity to talk to me like that, you will see!" I open my eyes to see her glare and strut away, forcefully swaying her hips. She doesn't know how funny she looks. It was as if at any moment her hip bone would break.

I know I will get into trouble, but I am happy, very happy. Why? My birthday is in two days and I will be 15, nothing can possibly spoil my week. Not even Nkem.

"Hey! Ola! Let's go to the canteen, I'm hungry!" Ella rubs her stomach with her right palm in circles for emphasis.

I laugh "I don't have money"