•Daryl•
"Can we ever have a normal conversation?" I found myself blurting out the question before I could think about what I was asking.
She finally averted her gaze my way,her brows furrowing as she stared,trying to comprehend what I'd asked her. "Normal conversation like how? What have we been doing since?" She retorted.
"Why are you so defensive around me? It's like all you want to do is just attack me or do you just have something against me?" I pressed on as I didnt see the need to back down from what I'd already started.
"I dont have anything against you" She shrugged,turning back to where her book lay on the table. Something in me didnt just want to let it go. I'd promised myself I'd give up the bet because of Temi but I couldnt comprehend the hurt I felt when I saw her laugh with Jawal. Why couldnt that be me?
"Then why?" I asked her. "Why what again na? Daryl,I dont have anything against you,havent I already said it?" She fired at me.
"At least you dont attack Jawal the way you always attack me" I pointed out. "Oh my God!" She sighed heavily. "Why does everyone around me keep doing this?" She questioned to herself.
"Daryl I dont think I owe you any explanation but then,Jawal is my friend and I cant say the same for you" She told me blankly. I stared back at her for a while,trying to grasp every emotion from her facial features.
"So why cant I be your friend?" I asked which earned a sly chuckle from her. "We both know you dont keep 'girl' friends" she told me. "And even if you did,why would it be me?" She questioned.
"Do I need a reason to want to be someone's friend?" It was my turn to shrug. "Hm,okay o" she finally brushed the topic away.
I spent the next five minutes rooted in my seat,simply staring at her. I couldnt understand myself,why did it feel like I was beginning to get desperate? I'd watched her from the sidelines for two days,her dissmissiveness towards me seemed to get to me more whenever I watched how friendly she was with other people.
This was one of the few times that I was being really honest with myself,I just wanted her to at least talk to me the way she did with others. I just wanted her to at least recognise me,I'd never felt so small before a girl,so insufficient,so inadequate. Let alone a girl who was starting to stir up some sort of interest in me in such a short span of time.
"Why aren't you going to ref?" I found myself questioning again. "I dont like spaghetti" she gave a plain answer,as always. "But you..." she started,looking to me and I could swear I almost forgot to breathe.
"Shouldnt you be in ref? As per Head Refectorian.." she trailed off,crossing her legs as she did. "I dont have to go if I dont want to" I told her,at least she inquired something about me.
"Oh...its true" she smirked,earning a slight eyebrow affirmation from me,telling her that her thoughts were correct.
"I think it's over though" I informed her,looking backwards on hearing the faint sound of trodding feet against our slabways. "Oh.." she trailed off.
"Arent you heading back?" I inquired,taking to my feet and heading to pick my bag from my seat,two seats behind hers. "I'm going to wait for Jawal" she replied which made me look to her.
"You dont even know how long Jawal is going to be inside that office" I pointed out yet again,rather fiercely. "I know...I..." I was quick to cut her off.
"Or you just dont want to go with me?" I asked her which made her sigh. "Daryl,which kind of blackmail is this today na? From one thing to another,if I dont want to go with you and so?" she retorted,shutting the book she'd been reading and turning to glare at me.
"I'm just saying...I'm not forcing you..." she did the cutting in this time. "Please let's just go,and dont ask me any nonsense again abeg" she warned,packing her bag in a split second and walking through the back door of the class and I found myself following suit.
I noticed her turn back at intervals and I figured she was probably checking for Jawal. Deciding to ignore it,we walked in utmost silence and I didnt realise when I'd started counting how much steps it would take us to reach the intersection.
"Do you have something else to eat? Won't you be hungry?" I questioned as we finally reached the intersection. "Dont worry about it" she stated blankly.
"No wahala na,later" I told her,with a tight smile. "Bye" she greeted curtly before walking through the crowd of people whose current of movement opposed ours as they were coming from the refectory.
I noticed her stop and greet someone,flashing that smile that she just couldnt give off whenever I was involved. Temi moved past her,walking straight towards me. I exhaled deeply as we walked together to our hostel as I knew what was about to come.
"Daryl,didnt I tell you to leave her alone? What's your problem guy?" Temi questioned the minute we stepped into our room. "What's up Temz?!" Yomi's voice boomed through the walls of the hostel as I loosed the tie around my neck.
Yomi looked between Temi who stood before our corner and I,who sat on the bed,carefully shedding off items of my school uniform off my body.
"Oh,oh,oh,this matter" he caught on and even though I wasnt looking,I clearly knew what sort of daggers Temi was currently digging into my skin.
"Daryl!" Temi called,much louder this time. "Temi,I'm not doing anything stupid,I swear" I stated lowly. "Guy,I go yarn you abeg,make I just chop first" I told him.
"Oh it's true sef,you didnt come to ref" he realised "Where is that your yeye carrier( someone who carries things belonging to a refectorian eg food,snacks)?" Temi questioned,walking out of the corner.
"Guy how far na?" Yomi chuckled,settling into Temi's bed which was opposite mine. "Fuck off man" I sneered at him which had him giving off a deep laugh.
"Tuoyo!!!!" Temi's yelling hit my ears making me look up and finally notice that every single class lower than final year students had been punished on 'the square,probably by Yomi,the house captain,no wonder the room felt so quiet when I'd first stepped in,I'd been so out of it and I knew why.
Our hostel was built in a four cornered manner,thereby housing a space at the middle of the four blocks,which we always referred to as 'the square' although it was actually a rectangle.
"Bring Daryl's food to my hostel" Temi ordered before walking back into the room. "Yomi go your corner na" Temi snapped as he got back to the corner.
"I don dey tell am since o" I added,finally taking off the pair of black socks from my feet and lying down on my bed.
"Nawa o,person no fit dey una gist?" Yomi questioned. "Abeg come dey go jare" I snapped at him. "I go still hear am sha,na you know" he laughed while Temi simply rolled his eyes,slapping the back of Yomi's head he could walk out of the corner.
Placing my right hand over my temple,my eye lids fell shut. "Daryl,see your food o" I heard Temi call after a minute. "Where are the biscuits?" He directed towards Tuoyo who was currently standing before our corner.
"Dont worry,Tuoyo carry them out for prep,bring it to my class" I ordered,opening my eyes slightly.
"Okay" he replied before turning to leave the corner. "And if you're late ehn,just come with your cane" I added just before he exited the door.
"You're not going to eat?" Temi questioned as I relaxed more into my bed. "I dont feel like abeg,just keep am for there,thank you" I told him.
I turned to lie on my side,thoughts filling my head once again. Why was I feeling this way? So many things about her were beginning to get to me,why couldnt I just stop it? Why was she beginning to occupy my mind more often? Despite Temi telling me to give up on the bet,why did I suddenly lose the will to do that to her? Why did it feel like I was trying to be sincere with her?
I shut my eyes,tighter this time,willing my chain of thoughts to come to an end and myself to fall asleep,which after a while,I did.
****
"Guy,you sure say you dey okay?" Temi questioned as we walked on the empty slabway as Temi had every other soul already at the school block for afternoon prep.
"I'm fine" I told him lowly,tucking my second hand into the pocket of the grey pants of my daywear. "I sent Tuoyo to also carry the food out sha" he informed me which I nodded to.
"So.... what's going on with the bet?" He questioned,earning a low sigh from me. "Temi nothing is going on,didn't you say I shouldn't do anything to her,I won't" I gave him my word.
"It isnt really looking that way" he pressed on. "Temi,I'm not going to hurt her okay, I'm just...urgh..I dont even know" I groaned. "Just know that I'm not trying to do anything concerning the bet" I told him.
"Okay then,let me believe you" he concluded just as we started hearing threading feet behind us,making Temi pause in his tracks and turn back.
"Are you mad?" Was all he had to say to get the three junior students who'd been walking behind us to start running towards the school block.
•Kainene•
"Should I just have carried the garri?" I asked Onome as we settled into our seat in class. "Why? You don't want to take the caprisonne again?" She questioned.
"I'm just thinking,if I should have carried the garri" I explained. "Ehn,you'll eat that one another day na" she told me and I shrugged in agreement.
"Ehen,I said I'll tell you what happened in ref today right" she started,tapping my shoulder lightly as I took out the juice box and biscuit from my bag,paying keen attention to her.
"Wait,is it about that Brother John?" I asked,knowing fully well that the new Brother in our school was stirring up a lot of drama as well as gossip. After all,both went hand in hand,when there was drama,there was gossip.
"Yes na" she laughed. "The guy came to ref and was forming strict things o,he na told boys to leave girls tables and go to the back,that's how it started" she explained as I began munching on my biscuits.
"Ah,see error" I laughed,picturing what she was telling me in my head. "Nobody answered him right?" I questioned.
"Before nko" she said admist her laughs,probably reminiscing what the scene had looked like. "Everybody just did like they didnt hear him,the guy naw started seizing pots o" she continued her story which had me trying to not choke on what I was eating due to laughter.
"No come choke o" she laughed and I waved in appreciation of her comment. Within my stifled laughs,I looked up and noticed Temi and Daryl stroll into the class and for some reason,my gaze met Daryl's.
It last for a brief moment before we both looked away,but it felt like in that split moment,he'd observed everything around me. From my teeth that was currently on display in my laughter,to Onome sitting beside me and even to the biscuit in my hand.
"He doesnt know that you dont try Pacreis boys when it comes to food abi" I finally commented after I'd swallowed my food. "That is ehn,you should have seen how they rushed him,the guy was scared" she laughed.
"I just wish it was that Sister White-ney" I told her. "Chai,you and that woman's beef" Onome laughed. "Funny enough,she doesnt even know me,she just used to annoy me" I explained.
Her name was actually Sister Whitney but us being the Nigerian students we are,we had found our own special way of turning her name upside down. She always rubbed powder in the night and she rubbed it in such a way that you wouldnt miss it even if you tried,if our lights ever went off during evening food,I could assure you that the light from the powder she had on her body could illuminate the whole refectory.
So despite her being dark in complexion,she'd become Sister White-ney to us,and Brother John was currently heading down the same road as her.
"Do you want?" I questioned,extending the biscuit in my hand towards Onome. "Abeg finish your food my friend,let's go and borrow biology note from B class and copy" she urged,slapping my hand back to me.
"But I'm tired" I whined. "See somebody that didnt even eat afternoon food,abeg do let's be going joorh" she sneered.
"See why I said I should have carried garri" I sighed as I begun forcing the last bit of the biscuits into my mouth.
Sometimes,I feel like I'm going blank on this story😂. Please comment guys! Perhaps your comments might help me a bit. Lend me all your thoughts about this book please😩...just hit me with it,both good and bad. Thank you for reading🤗💕.