Updates have been coming steadily or at least, as steadily as I can make them 😂. Enjoy 😚❤️
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Two weeks later.....
It's finally the day of the debate and I'm bursting with nerves. I'm currently at a meeting with everyone that would be representing Crestview in the debate. Mr Ajayi is giving us a little prep talk.
"....so don't be afraid. You've worked so hard and your efforts won't be in vain. Let's bring the gold home" he ends and starts clapping. I can't bring myself to smile. I'm always nervous every year but it's worse this time around because it's my last one and I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself to win for the first time since JSS3. It's my last debate. As captain and as a student in Crestview.
"Kemi" Mr Ajayi calls. I walk with him outside the room and he turns to me. "I know you're nervous but you need to calm down and breathe. You can do this. I know you can. We both do" he says and puts his hand on my shoulder, giving it a pat. "I'll meet you out there" he says and turns to leave.
"Thank you sir" I say. He nods and leaves. I take in deep breaths and decide to walk to the garden to clear my head. I still have an hour or two before the debate. I take a sit on one of the benches.
"Hey" I look up to see Sophia and I smiled. It's been a while since we sat down to talk.
"Hey" I say once she's sitted beside me.
"It's been a while hasn't it? You've been scarce"
"See who's talking. You're always busy"
"Yeah sorry. Prefect stuffs and the likes but we should hang out more" she says and smiles apologetically.
"Sure. Just say when" I say and lean back on the bench.
"You're going to do great. Don't sweat it" she says nudging me. "And if you don't it's fine. Sure, it's your last one but have fun with it".
"Thanks Soph" I say with a smile. "Get a bucket of ice cream ready after school in case I don't win" I say with a laugh.
"And if you do?" She asks with a smirk.
"We'll still need it na. You can never go wrong with ice cream" I say and we both laugh. "Let's go back inside" I say and drag her up with me.
By the time we get to our block, the Mountaineers have arrived. I can spot Michael, their captain. He still has that aura around him. That confidence. He's gotten darker but it does nothing to make him less attractive. He's an epitome of hardcore melanin. I can already see some of my set girls drooling over him but then who wouldn't?
Just when I think I've stared enough, he turns, catching me and stretches his pink lips into a small smile.
"Kemi, let's go na" Sophia says and tries pulling me. I have forgotten we are supposed to go somewhere. I have even forgotten she's beside me.
"Babes wait first. He's coming over" I say only glancing at her for a second. Michael is the captain of the debate team in Mountaineers High and he's also the head boy. He makes his way over to us and his face erupted in a full blown grin. Being this attractive is meant to be a crime. Right?! He should seriously be charged with a couple months!
"Fayokemi, what's up na? How've you been?" He said in his deep baritone voice. I've been good. Perfectly fine. I realized I didn't say that out loud when he kept looking at me waiting for an answer.
"I'm good. How are you?" I asked and we explained pleasantries. "You remember Sophia right?" I asked and gestured towards her.
"Of course I do. Bae what's up?" Sophia didn't answer at first. Who's starstruck now? She regained her composure and muttered a reply.
"You look amazing Kemi. You're practically glowing" he said and I blushed but thank God for dark skin.
"Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself. I think every girl around can testify to that" I said with a chuckle.
"I try" he said running his hand through his hair.
"Cocky much"
"I'm allowed to be cocky. Have you met me?" he asked gesturing to himself. Sophia excused herself to help gather the students into the hall. "You ready?" He asked again looking at me intently.
"I'm gonna kick your ass out there" I said with a smirk.
"Now that's the Kemi I know".
We walked towards the hall together and tried to catch up on each other's lives. When I'm not swooning over him and he's not being overly cocky, we're actually good friends. Talking to Michael isn't forced or awkward. The conversation just moves freely.
The debate started and we moved to our different ends of the hall. Mountaineers on one side and Crestview on the other but we were later called to the stage alongside our team members that were participating.
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"You can't say that the internet has done more harm than good because let's be honest. Your points are also coming from there. Why criticize something that you're benefiting from? That's hypocrisy." I said pausing to glance at the other team before continuing.
"Sure, there are some disadvantages to it but there's nothing that doesn't have a disadvantage as well as an advantage. If we keep looking at the disadvantages, we're going to keep moving this country backward and stop it from developing.
Instead of saying that the internet is filled with 'R' rated stuffs why don't we change that and fill it with more things that would benefit us positively?
We should know our left from our right. What is good and what is bad. What we should do and shouldn't do. What we should watch and shouldn't watch. We can go on and on and on about why the internet is safe and why it isn't. " I said and turned to the audience.
"My ever listening audience and of course my judges, you would agree with me that in as much as the internet has a lot of disadvantages, the good outweighs the bad. Thank you" I said and took my seat. The standing ovation was deafening after that. I'm pretty sure both schools know who won.
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By the end of the event and all the congratulations, I was finally able to get past the large crowd huddled around the team. I couldn't stop the grin on my face.
"Good job out there but you won't win next time" I turned to my right to see Michael with his hands in his pockets.
"There isn't going to be a next time"
"Oh yeahhhh. Then, it's a good thing I let you win this time" he said with a teasing smirk.
"Oh please like you'd ever let me win. I won this fair and square" I said raising my chin up. He just laughed.
"We should hang out sometime"
"Should we?" I asked rhetorically thinking about it. "We should" I resolved, smiling. He didn't have a chance to reply because a teacher from his school called him over.
"I'll see you around" he said with a wink and left. He winked!! Too bad we won't be able to compete together again. Does it make me sad that I'm leaving Crestview soon? Definitely not. I can't wait but I'm pretty sure that'll change when I'm actually leaving.
"Who was that?" Someone asked breaking me out of my reverie.
"If you watched the debate you would have seen him" I replied turning to look at the owner of the voice.
"I wasn't really paying attention to the opposite team" Jacob said. I turned to walk outside and he followed me out. "I was looking for you actually. To congratulate you"
"It was a team effort but thank you"I said and turned to our block. "This is probably the first time you've watched my debate"I said with a smile.
"Yeah I know" he said and we fell silent. "Can I.." Jacob started but he was cut off by David entering the class since the door was open.
"Kemi" he started. "My guy how far na?" He asked when he noticed Jacob and did that bro handshake stuff. "Can I borrow her for a minute?"
"Yeah. Sure. We'll talk later" Jacob said turning to me and I nodded.
"So what did you want to say?" I asked David once Jacob had left.
"Exams are starting on Wednesday so, I'll be too busy to ask you this. Be my second half for the Christmas party" he replied. I had totally forgotten that we were meant to go in pairs. Christmas parties were like grand balls in Crestview. You go big or you go home.
"Sure". How will I look in a ball gown. Won't I look too fat? Would he regret taking me later? Why did he ask me in the first place?
"Just stop" he said and I looked confused. Stop what abeg? "I can practically see the gears turning in your head. You're overthinking things"
"I wasn't even thinking about anything" I said lying through my teeth.
"Yeah, right. You're going to be my date and you're going to look amazing and we're going to have a good time"
"Everything's going to be perfect". Not. But I plastered a smile on my face for his sake and he mirrored it but his was genuine.
"Well, I've got to go. The chemistry lab is a mess. I need juniors to clean it up" he said and rushed out. I breathed out a sigh once he'd left. I have to start dress hunting after I drown myself in ice cream. I can't kill myself.
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Please don't mind the debate scene 😂I didn't know how to write it😂
Manage it abeg😗
So, I introduced another character....
What do you think about Michael 🙃?
I'll need to look for a face claim for him so we can all swoon😂.
Anyways, don't forget to hit the star icon. It doesn't bite. And comment too I'll like to hear your thoughts.
Till next time. XOXO ❤️❤️