───※ ·NSIKAN· ※───
Did I mention I wasn't intelligent? I hated all subjects and my grades consisted of C's and D's as if I was selling CDs in the market.
I hated all subjects which automatically included the English Language. You see, most science students considered English subject their enemy and I wasn't an exception.
If I hated Science subjects so much, why didn't I go for Arts or Commercial? To be honest, I felt that was an insult to those classes. Science wasn't superior and Arts and Commercial were equally as hard. The thing wasn't the class I was in but school generally. I hated school and if it wasn't for the fact that I was gushing over Damian from my seat, I'd have been sleeping in class.
"It's rude to stare," Omolara said sloppily beside me. I moved from my drooling position to compose myself.
"So it's now a crime to stare?" I asked while realising I hadn't written the English topic on the board.
Omolara slowly looked at me with dead eyes and for a second, I thought she was possessed. "No, just rude."
I groaned inwardly but kept making googly eyes at the back of Damian's head. He'd rescued me in the hands of the ice queen. Of course, I was going to admire him from afar.
"Focus Nsikan and listen in class," I scolded myself deeply as I tried to listen to the English teacher's teachings.
To be honest, it wasn't like I needed rescuing earlier, I was okay with Queen slapping me as long as it was just a slap in an empty classroom. I wasn't beautiful so I didn't care about her hand prints on my cheeks. At the same time, I wasn't complaining that Damian spoke for me. Or was it what he did? Anyways he'd noticed me and that was all that mattered right now.
"Class rep, how many minutes do we have?" Mrs. Nelson the English teacher asked and Elue checked the leathered watch she had on. Shocking right? But yeah one of the Trix was the class rep and she was also punctuality prefect.
"Just three minutes, Mrs. Nelson," Elue replied after checking the time.
"Okay, I'll be giving an assignment that will be due in a week. Elue, come join me in my office to have the assignment and share it with your mates. That'll be all for now." Mrs. Nelson finished before her time which was a first and one-week assignment. Great! Heaven's knew I wouldn't do it till the last minute.
The alarm sounded across the classroom indicating it was closing hours. Elue got up first, probably to go meet Mrs. Nelson for our assignment and share it in the group chat.
Ding!
Sassy King
I'm outside your class.
-4:30pm
I read the message from Chuks and quickly hung my backpack, ready to go meet him. "It might be the end but a new life awaits."
I paused and creased my bushy brow while staring at Omolara. "What on earth are you talking about?"
Omolara promptly stood and hung her backpack, staring ahead. "The light shines at the end of every tunnel."
My jaw dropped as she walked out of our seat and out of the class and I began to wonder what tunnel she was talking about. See what I meant by creepy?
Chuks!
I gasped, remembering I'd forgotten about Chuks all because of Omolara. I skipped happily out of the still-full classroom and into the lobby to see Chuks folding his arms while waiting for me against a wall.
"Chuks!" I exclaimed, rushing to my best friend to hug him, only for him to stretch out his hand to stop me.
"Ewww, the stain's still there." He reached for my school jacket and began buttoning it to hide the stain. "Whatever happened to you girl?"
"Oh, this?" I pointed at my chest which was already covered by my black jacket. "I bumped into Damian and his drink spilled on me.
"You what?!" Chuks held my shoulder and pushed me toward the nearest wall.
"If it isn't the gay and his girlfriend," A random guy remarked, walking passed us with his friend.
"If I was gay I wouldn't have a girlfriend dickhead!" Chuks yelled after him in annoyance.
"Forget about them," I patted his shoulders soothingly.
Chuks waved his hand and let go of me as we began walking down the staircase toward the hallway. "You bumped into The Damian?"
"Uh-huh," I smiled sheepishly, as I recalled the event again in my head.
"Hold up, do not spill anything yet!" He brought out his phone and began typing with both his thumb while voicing the words out. "Hey, sunshine, how are your shoots going? Tots fun right? Anyways, honey bunny got some tea for me but since I'm such a caring bestie, I told her not to spill until our trio is united. Let's meet up at Nsikan's place okay? Hugs and kisses. And.... sent."
"What if Stella's busy," I groaned, once he'd done with his texting and we rounded a corner.
"Have your brain forgotten what a text message is?" He tapped the side of my head. "Besides it's close to five. Doubt her shoot will last this long."
I was excited to meet Stella again. I mean it was torture without her today in class. Not because of the Trix, but because of Omolara. I could bet my money that, that girl was possessed.
"What's this?" Chuks placed his hand on his waist while staring at a flyer on the noticeboard. "New members for the swim team? Hmmm, maybe I should apply."
"You swim?" I questioned Chuks.
"You talk like I can't swim," Then he began snapping his fingers at my face. "Girl, I own a swimming pool at the back of my house."
"I know, been there." I rolled my eyes, then looked at the words on the flyer. "Just that you don't strike me as the athletic type. What am I even saying sef?"
I stood my ground and held my best friend's shoulders. "Chuks, you are not the athletic type. Why do you want to join?"
"I don't wanna join swimming, babes." He wiggled my hands off of his shoulders. We decided to leave the notice board and head out the parking lot. "I was just considering the chance of me joining."
Joining a sport wasn't my thing and thank jeez Chuks and Stella, shared the same opinion. I tried joining in Jss3 though. You know, try new things and make new friends? Yeah, wrong. Turned out no sport was my sport.
Peep Peep!
"That's my ride," Chuks said to me, as we both spotted the black Range Rover. Chuks turned and hugged me. "Love you okay."
He planted a quick kiss on my cheek before moving over to the car waiting for him. He opened the door to the back seat, waved at me, then got in. It didn't take long for the car to zoom out of sight and I was alone, waiting for mine to come take me home.
───※ ·❆· ※───
The driver drove into the car tent and I got out with my backpack on one shoulder while skipping my way into the house and hoping the maids made my favorite dish.
'I could have my Gucci on (Gucci on)
I could wear my Louis Vuitton
But even with nothin' on~
Bet I made you look (I made you look)
Yeah, I look good in my Versace dress (Take it off)
But I'm hotter when my morning hair's a mess
'Cause even with my hoodie on~
Bet I made you look (I made you look)'
That sound kept blasting from the home theater as many workers with makeup products in their hands, kept buzzing at every which way in the living room. My mum had an iPhone attached to a ring light as she kept mouthing the words from the speakers while swiping her right hand close to her face.
"Good, that last swipe was perfect!" Said someone holding a makeup wipe box. "Now we need to clean your makeup and mess up your hair so it'd look good for the next line."
"Will I be lip-singing the words again from the top?" Mother asked the woman with the wiper.
"Yeah, you need to for the editing to come out perfect, Melanie." Mum hated the word miss or ma or ma'am, so everyone called her by her first name. Well aside from me.
"Gosh, I'm so excited!" Mother squealed from the chair she was on as I slowly walked over to where she was seated.
"Oh honey, welcome." Mum finally noticed me and I noticed the heavy makeup on her face with many designs on it.
Mother smiled widely at me, reminding me how extremely beautiful she was. My mother was light-skinned with a small face and an evident cheekbone. She maintained her model thin body and was five foot eight without heels on. How could a woman like that give birth to a monkey like me?
"What's... going on? I asked slowly, watching the buzzing of unfamiliar faces.
"Oh love, I'm doing the made you look challenge. Gonna post it on TikTok soon." She squealed, holding my hands while showing how excited she was. "I've always wanted to do this challenge, so I hired the best of the best makeup artist in Nigeria."
I wasn't surprised though, my mother wasn't like other mothers but that made her entertaining and unique.
"And how much do they cost?" I asked, counting the number of unfamiliar people in the living room.
"Roughly three hundred, four hundred thousand?" Mother shrugged like it was no big deal. "Don't know."
"Mum!" I yelled, spreading my arms out. "You can spend three to four hundred thousand on makeup you'll soon clean before you sleep but can't increase my daily allowance?!"
"Go, upstairs love," Mum flapped her hand. "You smell like sweat and..." Mother dragged, then began sniffing my uniform. "Coke?"
"It's not coke," I clutched at my school Jacket. "It's my newest perfume."
"Well, it's horrible, yuck! Disgusting!" My mother had no filter in her mouth and I knew that the day she told me about how I was created. She was the type to unknowingly call me out in public on the most embarrassing things. But I don't care, I was used to it.
"Guys isn't my daughter beautiful? She's an African queen isn't she?" Mother started out of the blue and most of the makeup artists chorused in agreement. "How about she join me in the challenge? Mother and daughter version?"
"No!" I yelled and ran out of the living room before the head makeup artist agrees to my mother's request. I found myself running upstairs to my room. Made you look challenge? I wish.
I got to my room and slammed the door. It consisted of a pink wall, white door, pink fluffy bed, brown wardrobe with different drawer compartments, a reading table I never use that had my apple laptop on it, a chair which came as a set with the reading table, a makeup table with a desk mirror on it, a full-length mirror at the other side of my room, a different white colored door leading to the bathroom, an air conditioning, a plasma TV attached to the wall facing my bed and a glittery chandelier above me. My mum had decorated my room when I got to Ss1 and luckily for her, I loved it and still do.
I moved to my wardrobe and opened my shirt compartment drawer to grab a plain red tee shirt and to my short compartment to grab my white bum shorts.
I moved to my bathroom to have my afternoon/evening shower and once I was done, I wiped my body and wore the clothes I'd taken earlier. I placed my uniform in the laundry basket in my room, then moved it outside my room so any maid walking by would see it and do my laundry.
I moved downstairs, passed the commotion in the living room, and moved into the massive kitchen to find something to eat.
"Are you hungry Miss. Nsikan?" Joy, one of the maids asked.
I smiled sheepishly at her and began rubbing my tummy. "I'm so hungry, I can eat a whole elephant!"
Joy laughed and moved to the pot to dish out something massive for me. I loved the maids and usually joked around them. They found me adorable and I found their company worthwhile.
Joy after dishing my food came to me with a large tray, and on it was a white ceramic plate filled with jollof rice and deep-fried turkey.
"Oh my God, my mouth's watery!" I exclaimed while gulping my spit. I haven't eaten a thing aside from breakfast and I was starving.
"I'll take it to your room," Joy offered but I shook my head and took the tray from her.
"I can do it!" I proved it by having a strong grip on the tray but Joy still looked hesitant. She didn't want to get in trouble with my mother. "Okay, help me with a packet of orange juice and a glass cup."
That did the trick. She nodded and moved to the fridge while I turned and excitedly left the kitchen only to trip on a makeup box. Good thing I had the time to stop myself from falling.
I matched to my room and unlocked the door using my elbow. Inside my room, I sat on my bed then placed the tray in front of me I cracked my fingers, ready for the great feast.
"Your juice, Miss. Nsikan." Joy came into my room with a tray and on it was a glass cup placed upside down and a juice pack.
"Ah Joy, I love you!" I exclaimed as she placed the tray in front of my food tray.
"Miss. Nsikan, I'll do your laundry." I nodded and waved my hand since my food was the most important right now. I stretched out my hand and started cracking my knuckles before wiggling my fingers as if I was about to perform an incredible magic trick. I grasped the golden spoon lying on the tray and scooped a large amount of food with it. I made it act like an airplane by moving the food left and right. Then I opened my mouth like it was a gate for the airplane to pass through before landing.
"Bestie!" My spoon fell from my hand out of shock, sending it and the rice on it to scatter on my bed. I shifted my head to my side annoyed, but it morphed into that of surprised excitement just seeing Stella holding my door open with a wide smile.
"Stella!" Forgetting my spoon and the rice on it which was scattered on my bed, I jumped down and raced to my best friend, hugging her so tightly. "I've missed you so much!"
"It'd only been approximately twenty-four hours, Nsikan." She was as beautiful as always. She was putting on a white tank turtle neck top and a white skinny aphrodite. She had white sandals on and a mini forest green bag hanging on her left shoulder. "You'll survive."
"No, I won't," I pouted as we both moved over to my bed. I began picking up the rice that had fallen from my spoon and placed them on the tray.
"So Chuks' on his way," Stella informed as she place her bag aside. "What hot tea are you about to spill?"
"So Chuks will behead the both of us abi?" I finally ate my first spoon full and moaned with satisfaction. "Haven't eaten all day!"
"Why?" I stopped chewing, realising what I'd just said, then grinned widely irrespective of my mouth being full. "Ewww, Nsikan."
I laughed and kept on chewing again. "By the way, gosh your mum's extra pretty today. Where did you come from again?"
I raised my right pointy finger in the air and poured the juice into my glass cup using my left hand. I drank the juice in my cup with my pointy finger still in the air and belched as an evidence of good living before putting my finger down and turning my attention to Stella.
"Could you imagine, my mom wanted me to join the challenge?" I scoffed at that idea.
"She did?!" Stella gasped, then scrunched her nose. "You refused didn't you?"
"Of course!" I wiggled my finger at her, happy that she knew me too well.
She hissed, saying some incoherent words while looking at her phone. "Have you seen the English assignment Elue posted in the group chat?"
I shook my head and continued eating but at the same time, used my left hand to blindly search for my phone. Once I found my phone, I unlocked it and went straight to WhatsApp. One of the main reasons Chuks and Stella love coming over was because they'd testified how fast my home WiFi was.
I scrolled through the many messages on the group before finally meeting Elue's.
"Poem?!" I yelled as I read the assignment. "How does Mrs. Nelson expect us to write poems?! We aren't Arts students for a reason!"
"What did Arts students do?" Both Stella and I turned to see Chuks at my door. He winked at us before approaching my bed just to hug Stella. "I saw your mum downstairs, Nsikan. Wow, she's the goddess."
"Pfft," I scoffed, finally done with my food and focusing on my juice. Chuks and Stella weren't visitors. If they wanted drinks, they knew their way to the kitchen. "I'm prettier."
"Cough cough lies, cough cough," Stella said, forcing my jaw to drop.
"You don't say it, Stella, you cough then say lies and cover it with cough again," I said, feeling a bit offended but Stella didn't comfort me. Instead, she started laughing hysterically.
"Okay, okay," Chuks waved his hand. "Let's stop with the teasing. Stella!" He turned to her, holding her hands in his. "How was your shoot? Met any famous person?"
"No," Stella pouted a little. "Only rookies got to do the shoots today. But guess what, I was praised a lot."
"Of course you were!" Chuks pinched Stella's cheeks. "My best friend is the prettiest!"
I sulked when Chuks said that, then looked at my phone feeling a bit hurt. I knew I wasn't pretty enough but I also wanted compliments. The only one that had ever complimented me was my mum. But that didn't count, you see. My mum was my mum, it was her job to compliment me.
Anyways I was hideous, that was just a fact.
I drank from my cup and started nodding my head as if invisible music was playing in my room.
"So what's the gist?" Stella asked, moving her eyes from me to Chuks and back to me again.
"Babes, tell her." Chuks placed his hands on my shoulder, urging me to spill every tea I had in my tea cup.
"No I don't want to, I'm shy!" I took my fluffy pillow and buried my face in it, squeals muffled by the pillow. "So!"
Both my friends were taken aback by the way I lifted my head, almost smashing the back of my head with Chuks' face when he tried leaning down to check on me.
"I bumped into Damian today," I said to Stella and her jaw dropped a little. She knew how much of a big shot Damian was. Even as beautiful as Stella was, she hadn't found the opportunity to talk to Damian. None of us had, well except today. If only he'd said 'Hi' instead of 'What are you doing?'
"You know all those high school movies we usually watch where the two main characters bump into each other?" Stella nodded her head frantically.
"It happened to me and Damian today!" I was no main character but I squealed excitedly and Stella and Chuks joined me at the fest. "The thing was, there was coke."
"A coke?" Stella leaned in asking.
"Uh-huh," I nodded. "I was in a hurry during the break to go beg Chuks for money but then bumped into Damian and the coke he was holding spilled on my shirt."
"So romantic," I clapped my hands together and stared into space, dreamingly.
"Wait," Stella cut whatever dream state I was in as she stretched out both hands towards me. "Why were you going to beg Chuks for money? Your mum's a multi-millionaire. Yes, she doesn't give you the money you want, but three thousand naira is supposed to last you for the day at school."
That was what you get when your friends knew everything about you, down to even your daily allowance.
"Uh," I tongue my left cheek, searching for a lie. "Spent it all before lunch break."
"No. No, no, no. No lies babes," Chuks snapped his fingers at each word. "You told me you gave it to someone that needed it. Who?"
"Yeah," Stella nodded with furrowed brows. "A few minutes ago, you said you haven't eaten the whole day. What's going on?"
I sighed defeatedly as I stared at my crossed legs.
"The Trix!" Chuks and Stella chorused after my lack of response.
"I knew it!" Chuks spat. "I was like ah ah, you are not broke."
Stella began to crack her knuckles. "Once I get hold of those girls."
"Miss WWE champion, save your energy first." Chuks dissed, then turned his attention to me. "What happened?"
I fell silent again. I didn't want them to get involved. "It's no biggy, just that Queen tore my Geography note and-"
"Eh?" Stella knelt on my bed. "The subject with the longest notes so far? I knew it!"
"Solomon sister, you knew what?" Chuks angled his head to have a better look at Stella.
"She's still jealous of the fact that the school gave me social prefect and her assistant." Stella heaved, placing her hands on her waist.
"But this is about Nsikan," Chuks slowly pointed at me.
"Same difference," Stella waved her hands and sat back down. "After that, what did she do?"
"Nothing much," I shrugged like it was no big deal. "She just took my three kay and left."
"Nothing much?" Chuks scoffed, the same time Stella palmed her face while saying, "Nsikan why are you like this."
"So how's this connected to Damian?" Stella asked while I used that moment to rest my back against the headrest because my back was starting to ache.
"Oh, the Trix sent me on an errand during lunch break without giving me money so I was rushing to go ask Chuks when I bumped into Damian and magic happened." I stared into space, smiling softly while picturing Damian's face again.
"Aside from Damian being his usual dreamy self, your story is bullshit!" Stella yelled at me, anger sipping through her. "Why did you let that happen? You need to stand up for yourself Nsikan! We all know you aren't weak, you know you aren't weak but only playing it safe!"
"Calm down love," Chuks patted Stella's back soothingly.
"Why are you getting angry?" I looked at a different place, avoiding Stella's raging eyes. "I haven't gotten to the part where you'd get angry yet."
"Oh great, there's more." Chuks sighed, knowing there was no saving me now from Stella.
"Of course, there's more," I wriggled my brows at Chuks, then focused on Stella. "I'll guarantee that you won't be happy at the start but you'd be smiling with Joy at the end."
"Wow me," Sarcasm was noticeable in Stella's tone, but I brushed it off.
I leaned closer to Stella and Chuks, who was currently facing me. Chuks expression was filled with honest curiosity while Stella had a 'disappoint me further' look.
"I couldn't get the Trix what they wanted and Queen almost slapped me." Stella's eyes widened upon that knowledge of Queen almost slapping me. She looked like she was ready to murder the latter. "But Damian pull me off my feet."
"He did what?" Stella scoffed at my cliché words.
"Well not literally, but he still did." I wriggled my brows at Stella and her facial expression couldn't help but soften. None could stay mad at me for too long.
"He came into class with Thompson and Muller, and Queen stopped. She tried convincing Damian that she wasn't about hitting me but the word Damian threw at her ehn."
Stella scoffed, shaking her head. "Well, you didn't lie when you said I'd smile."
"That's a good thing girl," Chuks said, resting his chin on his palm. "You've had a crush on him like forever."
"Who hasn't? What are you going to do now?" Stella's question seemed genuine, indicating that she was no longer mad at me. "Of every girl in school, he noticed you. Well if you called that a notice. You can't just let it end there, Nsikan. You need to push further my dearest friend."
I didn't want it to end there either but there was nothing I could do. "Queen clearly likes him too and she's showing interest. Remember the last time Queen and I liked the same guy? That's what started my torment."
"Forget about Queen babes," Chuks sat directly beside me, holding me in his arms.
"And she only torments you because you let yourself get tormented." Stella mirrored Chuks' actions, holding me in her arms too.
"Are those your comforting words?" I snorted and Stella shrugged.
"Chuks right though. Forget about Queen, she can't do more than a fly. Go for Damian, talk to him. This is your last year in school before going to the University. Make the most of it." Talk to him? Damian was a mini-celebrity. He was more handsome and more popular than Andrew ever was. This time not just Queen, but the whole girl population at our school would gather and beat me. "Did you later get him a new bottle of coke?"
"Uh?" It took me a second to recall Stella's question " Oh, no. No, why?"
"We'll start with that then," Stella said with a smile and began patting her shoulder as if she'd just done a job well done.
Chuks also seemed to grab what Stella was trying to say, but I was lost. "Start with what?"
"Oh my God, I'm out!" Chuks was about to stand up to leave my room with a frustrated sigh but Stella laughed, pulling him back down.
After successfully planting Chuks back to his original position, Stellar etched for both my shoulders and gave me a reassuring pat. "Tomorrow, we're going to start by giving him Coke."
───※ ·❆· ※───
What do you think about this chapter? I'm really liking Nsikan and her friends.
What do you think about Nsikan's mother and Stella?
This chapter is dedicated to NaijaBae