So we have two songs for this chapter.
See you again by Charlie Puth and Whiz Khalifa(Listen to it when you get to Aminah's part 😪)
And
Time of our lives by Tyrone Wells(You can listen to it right from the beginning of the chapter ❤️ It's up in the media)
Dedicated to Testimony500 ❤️❤️
Last Days At Crescent High
KUNMI
I just couldn't wipe that smile off my face.
I was smiling so much, too much that I was starting to become afraid that my lips were going to tear.
But that fear still did not deter me from smiling.
Oh My God.
I just couldn't believe this night.
We had walked down the red carpet entrance, feeling like royalty with the thousands of cameras that were directed at us all.
God. Too many flashes.
Loud laughter, excited talks, girls hands wrapped around their dates, couples mingling together, students talking at the top of their voices, lot of pictures and flashes, gowns of all shapes and sizes and styles on girls looking all chic and hot, boys in various tuxedos and suits and even Agbada on Alex.
It was Prom.
This is what Prom is supposed to look like.
My mouth actually dropped open when we stepped into the hall.
Oh wow.
I actually whirled around because I couldn't believe it.
The hall, the decorations. Whoever decorated it had done one hell of an amazing job. The theme was in a sort of blue and purple color with chairs arranged in twos, fours and six. The center was left bare to serve as a dance floor with some of sort of starry light visuals on the floor.
What their prom hall looks like in my head.
"Looks like we got teleported to another universe the minute we stepped into this hall." Gab exclaimed, her arm still tightly wrapped around Alex who have not taken his eyes off her for even a second.
"Let's get settled down please. We know the hall is fine but you can actually admire them from the comfort of your seats." Ezekiel's already loud voice boomed through the microphone, momentarily deafening my eardrums just as Adam started tugging me forward so we'll go and sit down.
"We get to sit here," Gab announced, pointing to the very table of six directly in front of the stage and directly beside the dance floor.
It is a good spot.
"Perks of being the head girl," She told us again before she and her other half sashayed their way to the table and we followed them.
Adam pulled out a chair for me and I couldn't stop myself from blushing and smiling as I took my seat and then, I intentionally dragged my chair closer to his so he wouldn't have to crane his neck to look at me.
He took his seat and I watched as he visibly tensed when he realised how close we were. He turned to me.
"What..." His words trailed off and his eyes zeroed in on my lips for a nanosecond before they dipped even lower and his eyes lingered on my cleavage before he gulped audibly and he looked away.
I heard that not so subtle change in his breathing and I just smiled to myself.
The pendant was already working its magic.
"Flower boy," I called out, my voice sounding barely above a whisper and seductive? Hell no, was there alcohol in the wine Sophia gave me because I certainly wasn't acting like myself.
What exactly is yourself?
He jerked his head towards me, eyes wide with something akin to me. I found myself smiling and leaning even closer to him.
What am I doing?
"God! I can't wait to win Prom Queen. I bet the crown is really going to look good on me. The more reason why I decided to wear this gown. It'd compliment the queen perfectly."
I actually hissed underneath my breath and I turned back to see Jemima sitting down at a table not that far from us. She was draped in gold, an Arabian style golden gown and she honestly looked so good.
Win it. I just hope you trip on your shoes and down when you're climbing the stage. Ediot.
"Did you seriously just curse her?" Adam asked me, sounding so amused and as if he was on the brink of laughing.
I just shrugged.
"No, I did not."
"Yes, you totally did. You just cursed her. God! How many sides of you have I not seen yet?"
"200," I replied, then I proceeded to stick my tongue out at him, "And you've seen just how many?" Maybe 5."
"Oh wow," His eyes were now dancing with open mischievousness that made my cheeks heat up, "And why do I feel like I'm going to see like 50 more today?"
"Depends on how you behave, flower boy."
"Ohhh ohhh," He chuckled deeply, "That sounds like a thousand promises."
My cheeks heated up even more with my thoughts spiralling into a thousand ungodly ones.
The program soon started with an opening song performance by a female artiste who sang an heartwarming, yet nostalgic song about ending a phase and starting a new one.
Which just mirrors graduating secondary school and then, going out there to start a totally new life.
It's actually a little bit scary.
And watching the girl that couldn't be much older than us perform on that stage also made me feel so nervous.
There were a lot of people in the hall, the students, the few teachers around, the ushers, everyone.
It was making me feel so nervous.
This wasn't like the safe corners of my room, it wasn't in the presence of five people and it doesn't matter how hard or how much I had practiced, I was still nervous as hell.
"GUYS OO! ARE YOU GUYS READY FOR PROM?"
The person which turned out to be Zaynik just had to scream into the microphone, shattering our already shattered eardrums but everyone did not seem to mind because they were all quick to scream yes.
"NO, I DON'T THINK YOU GUYS ARE READY FOR PROM. IF YOU'RE READY, LET'S SHAKE THE FOUNDATION OF THIS HALL WITH OUR YES."
Everyone screamed yes and Jesus, that was so loud. That was so freaking loud.
"ANOTHER ONE."
This time, I joined in and honestly, the foundation must have shook because what? That was too loud.
"If the foundation should now shake and the building should now collapse, me I'm kuku not there."
I shook my head at Ezekiel's words while the rest of the hall just burst into laughter.
Figured out we were going to graduate high school with Ezekiel not having sense too.
"So, the voting has closed and I bet you all are excited to know who's going home with what award..."
"Yes, we all are."
"I know, I know and I'm sure you're even more excited about who's going to end up becoming the King and Queen of tonight. Our very own Prom King and Queen!!!"
"YESSSS!" That scream drowned even my thoughts.
I still couldn't get over the fact that I was nominated for Prom Queen but I was certain that was it. A fat girl could be bold and beautiful and sexy on her own but the world's acceptance was still nothing to write home about.
And besides, Crescent High students would probably never vote for a fat girl as Prom Queen and honestly, it wasn't even bothering me.
Prom Queen or not, I was already a Queen in my own body.
And for the best and popular couple, I voted Alex and Gab and Ezekiel and Fay respectively.
Because Gab and Alex deserved the best couple couple. I've never seen a couple like them before. Their chemistry, their love, their open and honest admiration for each other was just everything.
And Fay and Ezekiel? Well, after that very cute prom-posal, their fame just increased tremendously.
Adam told me he voted us for the two categories and then, he told me calmly that he was sure we were going to win, at least one of the categories.
My boyfriend and being so overly proud and full of himself.
"But please, where is Sophia and Kunle?" I asked no one in particular and that was when Alex and Gab decided to tear their faces and tongues off each other.
They were just here in their bodies alone, they've just been so lost in looking at each other and locking lips every now and then. They honestly weren't in this hall with us at all.
"Oh, here they comes." Gab announced and we all turned to the entrance to see them coming with Sophia's hands tightly wrapped around Kunle's elbow and even without making any announcements, everybody's attention turned towards them.
That was Sophia Williams for you with the ability to turn heads and make guys eyes nearly budge out of their sockets by simply just existing.
They soon just got to us and Kunle was quick to pull out a chair for her.
"Thank you, my prom date." She beamed as she took her seat and I just shook my head.
Of course, announce it to us that you ended up saying yes to being his prom date.
And I also knew that that doesn't mean that they were now together or anything, it simply mean that they've settled and truth be told, even that was everything.
"So, after all the hard girl, hard girl, you ended up saying yes to his prom-prosal?"
"Well, that isn't the case here," Kunle was quick to reply Gab, "I was the one that ended up saying yes to her."
Uhmmm?
"Meaning?" Adam asked beside me, his tone incredulous.
"Meaning Sophia was the one that asked me out to Prom."
We all burst into laughter, well, except Alex who was still lost in the universe of staring at Gab and watching the movement of her lips.
God. Gab has him completely wrapped around her fingers.
"Yeah. It's an historical moment for you. A whole Sophia Williams asked you out for Prom. You should be dancing and jumping around all over these tables."
"Ehn na. Tonight is already the best night of my life since Sophia Williams asked me out to prom. I'm going to have to stamp it."
"Of course, you're going to stamp it. Do you know how many guys would kill to have Sophia Williams look at them, not to talk of even asking them out to Prom. Oh come on."
And so their own bickering started and it did not stop until one of the ushers came to ask us what we'd like to eat from the mouth watering list of Jollof Rice, Fried Rice, Stir fried Spag, Pounded Yam and even Amaka for the main course.
I picked Spag without even thinking twice. I don't even think I could love any food like I love Spag.
Every other person picked reasonable foods and Adam picked what I picked too.
Perks of your boyfriend being obsessed with you.
So, everyone picked reasonable foods until it was Alex's turn. He wasn't even concentrating because he was busy staring at Gab and it was until Kunle poked him that he was jolted back to reality.
"Hmmm, Fried Rice," He answered quite absentmindedly and everyone just shook their heads.
"And Pounded Yam."
Ehnn?
We all exchanged startled looks and Gab just stifled her own laughter. And I just thought to myself that he probably wasn't thinking straight because all his thoughts are occupied with Gab
Fried Rice and Pounded Yam? What kind of weird combination is that?
"Fried Rice and Pounded Yam? Are you saying you want to eat Rice and Pounded Yam together?" The server asked, her voice beyond incredulous and well, I wouldn't even be surprised again.
He wasn't even King Weirdo for nothing.
"No, I'm going to eat them one after the other. Pounded Yam and Efo riro first, then Fried Rice after." He said casually as if that made total sense.
Kunle and Adam burst into laughter while Sophia and I just kept looking at Alex as if he just ran out of a psychiatrist hospital. Gab did not even look bothered at all.
"Thank God you're even saying this now, I'll be sure not to invite you to any elite luncheon or dinner in the future." Sophia announced while still shaking her head.
I still thought Alex was joking until the foods were served and he actually unwrapped the pounded yam, starting eating it with his girlfriend occasionally joining him with him feeding her even though her own plate of fried and jollof rice was in front of her.
See why I said they deserved the best couple award.
Alex finished eating, washed his hands and then, started eating the fried rice.
I died.
Kunle wouldn't stop teasing him about how if his stomach was going to function properly after eating pounded yam and fried rice.
Me? I was honestly convinced that nothing was functioning properly with him.
************
ADAM
Minutes later, Kunmi disappeared from the hall after muttering excuses I couldn't hear because of the too loud music and the murmurs of chatters in the hall.
I heaved a sigh of relief and that of frustration and something akin to anger as I watched her walk out of the hall.
The former because it was only then I could breathe properly, nah, breathe at all because I haven't been getting air into my lungs since I saw her like 3 hours ago.
How could someone look that beautiful, that flawless, that insanely pretty?
And I've sitting beside her since then, unable to do anything, unable to think anything.
How could I when she was looking that pretty? When everytime I turned to look at her, the chain, especially the pendant, on her neck would glisten because of the bulbs in the hall, drawing my attention to it, drawing my attention to her cleavage and God.
My thoughts wouldn't stop spiralling into a thousand ungodly and unholy ones.
The latter because almost every guys' eyes were feasted on her as she walked out of the hall and I wanted to rip their eyes out for staring at her like that.
For staring at my girl like that.
Actually, I wanted to climb up the stage and yell into the microphone that they should all stop staring at my girl like that.
I just know that I was bound to terribly embarrass myself today.
All because of Kunmi.
"Okay Guys!!" Zaynik said into the microphone, drawing everyone's attention to the stage once again.
"So, it's a very beautiful night tonight. I can feel the energy in the air, I can see the excitement! And we're just few minutes away from the highlight of the night which is the giving out of the awards and crowning the Prom Queen and King. I'm sure y'all can't wait, right?"
"WE CAN'T!!!" The whole hall screamed and I immediately had to cover my ears because God! The amount of noises we've made in this night alone...
But it was worth it.
We wouldn't be here next year.
We won't be able to do this prom twice.
We just have to do give it our all tonight.
I was hit by a sudden wave of nostalgia so deep that I felt my heart clench.
We were really getting done with High School.
"It's been all joy and laughter with you guys from our JSS1 days. Our last year has been all fun but everybody here knows I'm not the person that should be on this stage right now..."
Aminah Abraham.
"Yeah, if not for the tragedy, Aminah would be right here, hosting this night because she worked hard for it, the concept of our variety night was all hers, the theme of this prom was her idea too. She was looking forward to our last days here and I'm sure the combination of all our excitements here tonight wouldn't even be able to match hers if she was here tonight..."
She trailed off and she exhaled loudly into the microphone.
I felt my heart clench and unclench too. I wasn't close to Aminah at all but thinking about her still hurt and I wasn't sure of how Kunle and Sophia and Alex and Gab were coping.
And Kunmi too.
Kunmi... She still wasn't back from where she went to and it took me adding two and two together with the hunch I've always had that she was going to climb up that stage and sing a song for Aminah.
I didn't want to push it though. I wanted her to do it at her own pace because I knew that singing, especially on a stage with this many people present was a huge deal for her.
"So, tonight is really Aminah's night and because of that, one of our classmates and one of Aminah's closest friend will be singing a song specially curated for Aminah. Please, let's give it up for Kunmi Afolabi."
"Awwwwnnn, my baby Kay has finally decided to shock us all with her skills." Sophia said excitedly but her words were drowned by the loud applauses just as the curtains behind Zaynik were pulled apart to reveal a piano with a microphone set up on it.
And with Kunmi sitting directly in front of the piano.
I sat up straighter.
This was such a big deal, Kunmi deciding to sing in front of this much people.
"Does she think playing the piano is a child's play or something or what's she doing up there?" One overly chirpy and stupid voice asked from a table not far from us at the same time Kunmi started playing the piano.
I actually felt the temperature in the hall start to drop immediately that familiar tune started playing.
It was the intro of see you again by Whiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth.
And then she started singing.
Oh God.
I sat up straighter and I wasn't even the only one.
Kunmi was singing and her voice was beyond captivating.
It was bewitching, enthralling, powerful, gripping.
The song had been remixed with lines and words to suit Aminah, with mentions of classes, sleep overs, lunch breaks...
It was a song about sadness, about grief, about what could have been but would never be again.
About someone who you've made so many memories with, only for the person to end up becoming a memory.
It was a bittersweet song, a nostalgic one, one that'd make you want to turn back the hands of time just to get to relive some memories.
It was a song about death, about a goodbye so sudden and final, about things that'd never come undone again.
But it was also a song about love, about friendship, about happy memories, about a particular girl that was dead physically but would live forever in our hearts.
And Kunmi perfected the vocals and the instruments. The emotions she was able to invoke in us all with her own version of the song.
Her voice, her emotions, everything was perfect.
It was beyond perfect.
"It's been a long day without you my friend
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
We've come a long way from where we began
Ohhh I'll tell you all about it when I see you again."
She finished singing and for a minute, there was a total silence in the hall, a total silence that I could almost hear the breathing of the farthest person to me until the whole hall started clapping, started clapping, started standing.
Yeah, it was a standing ovation.
And Kunmi, this is all you.
You did this.
I couldn't see her clearly because of the fog on the stage but I was sure that there was a bittersweet smile on her face as she bowed a little before disappeared backstage.
"Please, can we revote oo. Kunmi deserves to win best female singer oo." A bunch of people shouted from somewhere in the hall and people were quick to scream their supports.
"Yes please. I honestly thought y'all sneaked Ariana Grande in."
"Honestly tho, Kunmi deserves to win best female singer. She's too good. Hands down the best voice I've ever heard." Gab exclaimed, that sheer awe in her voice and that jerked Alex's attention to her.
"Really? What about my own voice? You told me I have the most captivating voice ever." Her boyfriend whined to her and she only shook her head.
I was actually glad for him. He not only sang a song yesterday, he was also making jokes about his voice too.
When I looked at Kunle and Sophia, the latter had her hand wrapped around his and I knew she was silently comforting him.
My eyes darted towards the entrance, expecting to see Kunmi but she wasn't there and I found myself standing up so I'd go and search for her.
I found her leaning against railings in a secluded corner at the back of hall. She was the only one there and she was staring straight ahead into nothingness.
"Hey," I found myself saying, almost cautiously but when she turned to me with that huge smile on her face, all my worries dissipated.
"My flower boy, did you miss me already?" She asked me, the smile even more evident in her voice.
She really wasn't going to relent on this flower boy thing.
And I honestly don't even mind.
"Hmmm hmmmm. That was a nice performance," I told her immediately I was leaning on the railings directly beside her, "Why didn't you say anything about you singing tonight?"
"I wanted it to be a surprise," She turned to me, eyes glittering with excitement, "I bet you were really surprised when you saw me behind that piano."
"Well, I already figured out you were going to sing to..." She nudged me with her elbow and I really almost fell off.
"You could at least pretend you were really surprised instead of rubbing it all over my face that I was that readable to you."
What? I stared at her, dumbfounded for a minute before I got the drill and I burst into laughter.
"It's not my fault that I can actually tell what's going through your mind,"
"Yen yen yen," She replied me and I could only stare at her while wondering what level of Kunmi we were currently unlocking.
"Anyway, I want to hug you," She told me and before I could even fully process those words, she was already standing in front of me and slipping her hands past my coat and hugging me so the coat was sort of covering both our bodies.
I gulped.
And I don't know how long we stayed in that position, her arms wrapped around my midriff and mine wrapped around her waist and with my heart, with Kunmi's head directly placed on it was threatening to burst out of my chest every passing second.
It was beating, it was beating way too fast.
And that was all Kunmi.
"I'm going to miss you," She whispered in a very quiet voice that I almost didn't hear her and made my heart clench.
A few weeks from now, we weren't going to be in the same State again.
Same Country.
And not even the same Continent.
I was going to be a mess without her.
That was a given.
"You'll have to call me every morning and night and afternoon," She continued, her arms tightening around me and I could hear the tears, feel the pain in her voice.
There was even a huge difference in the time zone.
"If not, I'm going to show up in your dreams and beat you to a pulp," I could feel the pain even more in her voice and I tensed, the reality dawning even more on me, we were really splitting up.
There was a high possibility that we might never even see each other again.
God. I felt my stomach tighten into knots, felt the pain build up a lump in my throat.
It hurts.
"I'll slap you if you don't answer me oo." She said again, her voice slightly increasing and I could feel both tears and laughter in it.
"Of course, I'm going to call you every hour..."
"That's too long." She whined.
"Every minute?"
"Still too far oo."
"Every second then."
"Yeah, that's more like it if you don't want to show up in your dreams and beat you to a comatose state."
Aaaahhh. This is what happens when your girlfriend is a preacher of war and violence.
"I'll really miss you." She whispered again, hugging me even tighter as if letting go of my body would really be letting go of me.
"I'll miss you more."
"I know, you'll really be a mess without me."
That earned a chuckle from me.
We were definitely unlocking level 20 right now.
She pulled me so she'd be able to stare at my face with her hand still around me and her body still flushed against mine.
Now, that was starting to put ideas into my head.
"But why is your heart beating that fast?" She asked me, an overly innocent look in her eyes, "Why is your heart beating like you just ran a marathon?"
"Well, that's because a certain girl wouldn't stop hugging me."
"Wrong answer!" She countered immediately, "It's because you've been thinking of doing this..." She inched upwards and she pressed her lips against mine in a quick and chaste kiss and cutting off my train of thoughts in the process, "Since you saw me earlier this evening." She concluded still with that overly innocent look in her eyes.
Except that it wasn't looking all that innocent again.
Oh wow. We're in level what now?
"I've been thinking of doing more than that actually," I told her and her eyes widened slightly just as I lifted her chin up and I pressed my lips against hers.
Good God.
That was the the first thing that came to my head when my lips and I felt her tongue trace the seam of my lips till my lips were parting...
Good God.
Kunmi.
We kept kissing. I, like she was all the air I needed, the air I couldn't get enough into my lungs no matter how hard I inhaled. She, like I was an intoxicating flavour she couldn't get enough of.
A soft sigh escaped her lips when my tongue twirled against hers and I found myself angling my head just so to kiss her even better.
Even deeper.
I just couldn't get enough.
And so we kept kissing, kept nibbling, kept suckling for what seemed like eternity, till all the sounds that were in my head were the low sighs and moans from Kunmi's mouth, sounds that were promptly swallowed up by our kisses.
Sounds that I've decided were the absolute best thing I've heard.
It was also a kiss full of a thousand promises, a thousand love...
When we finally started to pull away, Kunmi intentionally bit my lower lips so hard that I groaned.
That I almost tasted blood.
"Jesus! What was that for?"
"For ruining my lipstick." She told me, as if that made any sense.
"We ruined your lipstick, Kunmi, what happened took two."
"Dourh," She stuck out her tongue at me before she kissed me for a brief second again, "That's your compensation."
"Not enough, I want a longer and deeper compensation."
"No way," She told me, her eyes dancing with mischievousness and she pressed her body more against mine, "You have to work for it."
"I have to work to get a compensation I deserve?"
"Uhhh Uhhh," She replied casually, "Or we can just go back inside."
God forbid.
"Okay Ma'am, What should I do to earn my already well deserved compensation?"
"Make me laugh."
"Simple as ABC," I replied her and her eyes widened just as I brought my hands to her sides and I started tickling her.
She was a laughing mess in less than half a second.
"Okay, okay... Stop please... I get it.. " She said in between giggles and laughter and while squirming and trying to get away from me.
I only intensified the tickling and she finally gave up by pressing her face to my chest and laughing to her heart's content.
"I feel like I'm going to faint from laughing that much." She told me once I stopped and she wasn't laughing that hard again.
"You were the one who asked me to make you laugh."
"Laugh, not to tickle me."
"Well, I had to do that to make you laugh."
"That makes you a cheater, shey you know?"
"I don't know," I replied her, feeling the laughter bubble up in my chest with so much intensity that I could as well be flying or floating right now.
Happiness like this.
God! I was really going to miss doing all these with her.
And I was so certain that I'd never meet someone like her in the future.
Not even close.
"Well, if you don't know, that means you're not getting any compensation for..."
I shut her up by pressing my lips against hers again and no sooner had our lips met than...
"I just knew it." The calm voice stated and we both turned to see Sophia standing not far from us and looking at us as if she was feeling incredibly sorry for us.
"I just knew that you guys will be doing something that the Holy Books frown upon and God is watching you people oo."
And my best friend ehn, will never ever have sense again.
"Any way, if you guys are done staring at me as if I'm some sort of Alien, let's head back to the hall, it's time for the award."
And Sophia did not move a spot from where she stood till Kunmi moved away from me and we started walking towards the hall.
Talk about Mother Hen.
***********
KUNMI
"It's time for the awards and I know y'all are excited, RIGHT?"
Zaynik screamed for the umpteenth time that evening and I really had to conclude that she had a microphone in her stomach.
That's like the only reasonable explanation.
"And I'll call on head girl and the head boy to open the floor."
"Yeah, that's my call," Gab muttered just as the head boy appeared by her side so that'll walk to the stage together and Alex just kept staring at her as if he couldn't bear to be apart from her.
"So, for the most popular female, we have..."
"Sophia Williams!!"
Of course, it just have to be her.
"And for the most popular male, we have..."
"EZEKIEL EGBUSON!!!"
Everybody screamed before the head boy could even announced his name and yes, that was just truly well deserved.
For the best dressed, Gab won for the female category.
And Adam won the male category.
Kunle won for the most social male and Zaynik won for the female category.
For the best singers, Alex and Gab won that.
"For the academic scholar award, we have..."
"GABRIELLA WILLIAMS!!!"
The whole hall shouted, even I joined in the shouting because it was so obvious that Gab was going to be the one to win that but instead of that huge smile on her face when her name was called as the best female singer and best dressed female, her expression was rather bored and she did not even look enthusiastic at all.
What was that?
Dele won for the best male dancer and for the female, they decided that the award just have to be in Aminah's honor.
"For the best couple, we have..." Sophia trailed off, allowing the tension to grip us even more. I was tensed and anxious but on the other side of table, Gab looked so sure that they would be the one to win.
"Gabriella and Alex."
"Yesss, I told you guys we were going to win." She boasted before she dragged Alex off to the stage.
I was not not even feeling that bad. Okay, I was feeling somewhere between bad and good.
"If you had fed me too when we were eating earlier, we would have won." I complained to Adam who looked startled that I could even say something like that.
"And for the most popular Couple, please give it up for Adam and Kunmi."
Oh wow.
I just nearly fell out of my chair when I heard our names. I honestly thought Ezekiel and Fay would win that
But we had won it and I was holding on to Adam's hand as we climbed up the stage and we were really collecting the award plague.
Oh wow.
Ezekiel won the funniest in the school.
They did the other award categories like Miss Ebony, most curvy, hour glass and the likes before it was finally time to unveil the Prom King and Queen.
Ezekiel and Zaynik were the one to announce the winners and while looking at them on that stage, I couldn't help but become tensed.
I knew it didn't matter whether I emerge as the winner or not but I still couldn't help but wonder how it'd feel like to sit on that golden chair that was specially designed for the King and Queen, to have that Gold tiara on my head.
Adam's hands found mine on the table and he squeezed them as if to reassure me.
"So we're going to announce the Prom King first and the King is supposed to wait till we announce the Queen so they'd climb up the stage to receive their crowns."
"So, Senors and Senoritas, are you ready to know your PROM KING?"
"YESSSS!"
"Okay, so our Prom King is..." Zaynik trailed off, intentionally allowing the tension to grip us even more. There was a very loud silence that I was sure that if a pin should drop, we'd hear it.
"The Prom King is..."
"ALEX CHATTA!"
There was an instant tremendous applause that momentarily cut off my train of thoughts. The people were hailing and clapping and shouting Alex's name but the guy in question was just smiling wildly and waving his hand in the air in that proud and almost conceited way.
"I know, I know, I deserve to be king. That's just a fact."
I dragged a hiss underneath my breath. This boy and pride, pride, pride!! He deserved to be best friends with Adam.
"And for the Prom Queen, we have..." Ezekiel trailed off and he just burst into a short laughter, "Now, that I've already know who the Prom Queen is, I kind of feel like hoarding this person's name to myself..."
The whole hall burst into loud hisses, screams of displeasure but the boy on the stage did not even care, he just broke into some sort of dance until the noise quieted down.
"You people should better beg me if you want to know who your Prom Queen is,"
Even more screams and shouts of displeasure.
"Ezekiel, do normal na."
"Act like you have sense na."
"Say PLEASE!"
He commanded and I was just really surprised when the whole hall shouted please.
"Another one."
"PLEASE!"
"Again!" He commanded in a song song voice while sort of doing a dance on the stage and I just couldn't keep my laughter at bay.
What kind of human being is this for Goodness sake?
"PLEASE!!!"
"One last time."
"PLEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEE!!!"
"Okay, Okay, Okay... So our Prom Queen is..."
An even louder silence with my heart thumping wildly in my chest.
"Give it up for ASAKE OREKE AWELEWA!"
Not Oluwabukunmi Afolabi.
I felt Adam's hand tighten around mine.
There was an initial screams and shouts and applauses of excitement but that was it. Everyone was now looking from one table to another, searching for the so called bearer of that name and that was when I allowed my brain to pronounce the name again.
Asake Oreke Awelewa.
There was no one by that name.
"And who on earth is Asake whatever?" That was Sophia to no one in particular while the rest of us was just looking as confused as possible.
"There's no one by that name jhare."
"Ezekiel, do normal na."
"Ezekiel!!!" The boys were literally shouting now and I knew it was just a matter of time before they hijack the stage just to get rid of Ezekiel.
"Ohhh ohhh, sorry oo. I was just calling the person by their nickname na, you know another name we can call the person is Beauty."
Ode.
"I can't be the only one who thinks Ezekiel is senseless."
"Definitely not," Everyone was quick to answer Kunle.
"So, our Prom Queen is... This Queen has an M in their name."
"Ohhh ohhh, that must be me," Zaynik gushed from where she was sitting, "We're only two with M in our names among the nominees and I'm just so sure I'm the winner."
"So, Ladies and Unruly Boys, give it up for our Prom Queen who is..."
Zaynik was now partially sitting and standing.
"Our Prom Queen is...
"Oluwabukunmi Afolabi!!!"
What the...
I just couldn't think...
Like my train of thoughts had been cut off.
I was just thoughtless and speechless and numb.
Yes, Numb.
I felt like it wasn't me those congratulations and loud applauses were meant for.
Sophia wouldn't stop shouting "Yes, that's my Baby Kay," over and over again.
Everyone wouldn't stop smiling at me, stop congratulating me.
Even when I was holding on to Alex's hand as we walked to sit on our thrones, it felt surreal as if it wasn't real.
The tiara, our crowns were soon placed on our heads and after numerous pictures of ours were taken, our mates flooded the stage to take pictures of us with us.
And both the girls and boys wouldn't stop complimenting me, wouldn't stop smiling at me, wouldn't stop taking pictures of me with me.
I was beyond flabbergasted.
I wasn't used to being the center of attraction, to being the focus of so many cameras and so many people.
I've always been the girl in the background.
And definitely not the girl in the spotlight.
But tonight, I was the Prom Queen, I was wearing a huge smile on my face and I was just the closest thing to the highlight of tonight.
It was probably the first time in history that...
A fat girl would be crowned Prom Queen.
***********
I was feeling as light and as giddy as possible.
I honestly felt like I was flying or floating or doing the both.
I was feeling so happy that I was starting to think my body won't be able contain that my happiness.
We were all back to our seats after the King and Queen dance which didn't even feel like it because less than five minutes into when the dance started, our mates hijacked the floor and before I knew it, I wasn't even dancing with Alex again.
I was dancing with Adam.
Which was both awkward and perfect because we both didn't know Jack about dancing.
I couldn't even count the number of times he stepped on my shoes.
And when I queried me, he told me he was getting distracted because of my face.
Which wasn't a total lie because I noticed how his eyes kept straying to that pendant, how his Adam's apple kept bubbling up and down before looking away.
Yeah, Sophia and Gab did not lie and they just have to be the absolute best girlfriends ever!
And now, we were back on our seats, eating our dessert that Adam was insisting he'd feed me much to my dismay because everyone at the table were staring at us and Kunle kept staring at Adam as if he had grown two heads.
"Guys, we're going to play a short video now. It's basically about our last days here. Final editing will be done to the video after our graduation and we'll send it to the group chat."
Zaynik announced and almost immediately, a video came up on the stage through the aid of a projector and my heart actually skipped beats when I saw the title.
Last Days In Crescent High.
Our days here was really ending.
The video was basically a compilation of some pictures and videos, pictures of us getting our face painted, pictures from when we finished our last paper, videos from when those boys kept screaming into peoples' ears that "are they ready to graduate high school?" videos from guys asking girls out to prom, especially Ezekiel's.
It was basically a video that captures all our last days here and don't even get me started on the background music.
It was nostalgia, too nostalgic and I couldn't help but tear up.
The hardest part is when you know
All of these years when we were here are ending
But I'll always remember
We have had the time of our life
No, the page is turned
The stories we'll write
We have had the time of our lives
And I'll not forget
The faces left behind.
I wasn't the only one tearing up now. My God! Almost everyone was dabbing at their eyes now.
It's hard to walk away
From the best of days
But if it had to end
I'm glad you have been my friend
In the time of our lives.
God! We were really going to say goodbye to high-school.
"So, how would you describe your experience at Crescent High?"
I heard the social prefect boy ask in the video and clips that followed were those of my mates summing their experiences up in two sentences, one sentence until it got to Ezekiel's turn.
He just kept screaming into the camera.
"Yeeeeeeeeeeeee. Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh. Yeeeeeeeeee." And the person behind the camera wouldn't stop laughing.
"Honestly, me oo, I'm not graduating with you guys oo. I'll go and start all over from JSS1."
That was from the video and in the hall, people starting screaming and wishing him all the best in starting high school all over again.
The video continued until it got to mine and I actually covered my face because I was too shy to see myself on that screen.
"It's been one hell of an unforgettable journey, one that I'd always remember."
"Oh My God! Look at that voice, look at that face, look at the lips that said those words," Sophia wouldn't stop gushing and I pried my hands from my face only for her to grab my hands and she started caressing it almost seductively.
"I'm obsessed," She told me, "I'm really obsessed with you and my offer still stands, I'm ready to become bi for you if you want."
Adam slapped her hands away.
"What's exactly is wrong with you?" He asked her and she just stuck her tongue out at him.
"You're kuku traveling out of the county soon. We'd have become an item before you come back." She told me while still batting her eyelids at me seductively.
I couldn't even imagine how I would cope with all Sophia for the next one year.
"Hyung is travelling out of the country? To where?"
"He'll be schooling in New York precisely," Sophia answered him while Adam just muttered profanities underneath his breath.
"Oh wow, amazing. I'll be crashing a lot in that city too. See ehn, we're a pair made in heaven. We'll definitely spend a lot of time together in..."
"God forbid," Adam interrupted before he could even finish that statement, "And please, just stop calling me that weird name."
"And stop calling me comrade," I added and King Weirdo just burst into laughter.
"Comrade," He started leisurely, calling me by that weird name I just asked him not to call me again, "I can't stop calling you comrade. You're my comrade, I'm your comrade, we're in a relationship called comradeship."
Ehn?
The whole table burst into laughter, especially Kunle who was almost wheezing.
You're my comrade, I'm your comrade, we're in a relationship called comradeship.
What on earth is Alex?
"No wonder you're a singer, I've never seen a line that rhyme more than this." Kunle joked, still laughing hard that tears were almost falling from his eyes.
They kept making other jokes, with Alex telling Gab that he loves her gown because he can hide in it and do whatever he wants to do there which made all of us cringe hard.
Kunle wanted him to tell us what exactly he'd be doing under her gown and he wouldn't stop teasing him and Gab while Sophia wouldn't stop being the Queen of Weirdness that she was and Adam won't stop shaking his head as if he just couldn't believe how he ended up with this set of friends.
I couldn't stop laughing.
I was laughing like I've never laughed before, I was laughing so hard that I could almost feel my ribs cracking.
I've never had this much fun, never felt this happy in my entire life and that huge smile wouldn't leave my face even when they stopped telling jokes and teasing each other.
My smile just kept deepening and deepening until the smile trailed off and I sat up on my chair.
That smile just now didn't feel like mine.
I looked around, feeling a sudden need to do so.
It felt... It felt like Aminah's.
That was the exact way she'd smile at a silly joke, the way she'd smile with her eyes literally shining with so much stars and her lips stretched to the extreme.
She wasn't someone that smiled with just her lips or eyes, she was someone that smiled with her entire body and soul.
And I just smiled like that.
And it wasn't even intentional.
Far from it.
"You okay?" Adam asked me and I blinked back tears to smile at him before I moved closer so I was practically hugging him on the chair.
I was okay. I'm okay and I just realized that Aminah was truly dead but she was still alive and would forever be alive in my heart.
In our hearts.
Okay. So I don't think I did justice to the last part of this chapter but then, if you've ever lost a loved one, you start to see traces of them in you after months or years. At times when you smile or laugh , you'll feel like "Oh, did I just laugh like this person?" or when you make some gestures or statements or whatever and then seconds later, you'd whisper to yourself "Oh, that's totally this person."
I personally feel like that's the greatest epiphany ever. That moment when you can truly feel it within you that this person has left traces of themselves and they would never ever die because well, life is transcendent.
And oh well, we're done with Prom and we have just a chapter to go. Just one chapter 😳😳😳 Mad oo😭😭😭😭.
Anticipate the last chapter of PERFECTLY IMPERFECT on the 3rd of September by 9am prompt. I really hope I'll be to make it work.
And oh well, I plan on doing some sort of "let's take a look at your journey" for each major character of P.I starting from today till September 3 on my IG story and yes, we're starting with your favourite character. Guess who???
So follow me on IG if you're yet to follow me. My username is @_ririwrites.
See you guys on the 3rd of September and please, make sure to come with a box of kleenex.