HAPPY NEW YEAR 🍾
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Having eyes on you would make you feel important, right? Wrong. Instead, I felt like a lab rat filled with anxiety on a future test project. Ever since the conversation I had with Mr. Akan, I'd been feeling down. It felt like a truck fell on me or something. I wasn't that Happy after my conversation with Damian, that was how sad I was.
"Maybe the Trix attacked her again?" Chuks guessed with him and Stella's gaze still glued on my face.
"Doubt that, the Trix were in class the whole time." Stella shook her head, then tilted it to the side to have a better look at me.
Once the alarm rang indicating the end of school hours, I refused to get up which surprised Stella. I was usually one of the first to stand up once it was closing hours even though I won't leave the class immediately. Stella must have noticed me moping during classes and seeing that I refused to get up and leave class even after closing hours, she decided to dial Chuks. Now, they were both studying me with their gazes while taking guesses about what was wrong with me.
"Am I a blockhead?" I asked quietly, as I couldn't help but mope.
"Well..." Chuks dragged, while Stella coughed awkwardly.
Their answers weren't getting to me. It was a rhetorical question, I knew what the answer was. "Am I easily distracted? A no good?"
I felt a hand on top of mine and I lifted my head to meet Stella's eyes. She had a warm smile attached to her face as she tried her best to calm me down.
"You are not a blockhead, Nsikan. You just haven't found the push yet. Who got to you?" She leaned in closer. "You are hardly this down when the stupid Trix pulls their stupid tricks on you."
"Yeah," Chuks said softly. "What got you down, love?"
I remained quiet. It wasn't like I was embarrassed to say it out loud. They were my best friends and had seen me do the most embarrassing things in my life. It was just that I felt ashamed. Like I was worthless and I hated those feelings.
"It's Mr. Akan," I started in a small voice. "He reminded me of how bad my grades were slipping and how I might not pass the upcoming mock exams and Waec."
"That shouldn't be a problem, Nsikan," Stella held my shoulder and patted it gently. "We'll just have to schedule more night reading."
"So she'd sleep more?" Chuks asked, next he lifted his index finger to her and began wriggling it to each side. "No honey, that won't work. Every time we force her to study when we are studying, she either sleeps or daydreams."
"Mr. Akan said every teacher complained about how I'm easily distracted." I sighed in defeat. "I'm a lost cause, a lost one! I couldn't even be happy that Damian took my Coke because of this."
"That's it!" Stella snapped her fingers. "God, I'm a genius!"
Chuks and I shared a glance, then directed it to Stella. "What distract you? Well... many things. But, Damian takes like seventy percent of your distracted, doesn't he?"
"More or less," I shrugged, a bit grateful that I wasn't feeling too down like earlier.
"The reason you can't study alone is that you hate studying and end up getting entertained with thoughts of Damian." She wasn't wrong with that theory. "The reason why you can't study with us," She pointed at herself and Chuks. "It's because... well... you still hate studying and decide to distract yourself with Damian."
"So where are you going with this?" Chuks asked, blowing invisible dirt off his nails.
Bang!
Chuks and I flinched when Stella slammed her palms on the desk. "It means Damian's the key!"
"The key? To what exactly? Chuks asked and I couldn't help but wonder. I mean yes, he was the key to my heart, but I was quite sure that wasn't what Stella was talking about.
"We need Damian, to tutor Nsikan," Stella said slowly, so Chuks could grab it. But instead, Chuks started laughing hysterically.
"Darling," Chuks held his hand out as he tried to control his laughter. "Damian should tutor Nsikan? Not possible, honey. It's just like you saying Nigeria can be a corrupt free country."
Stella rolled her eyes, then focuses on me instead. "I'm being serious here, Nsikan. The only way for you to not get distracted when studying is when your distraction is present. It's simply logic. If he's there, you won't get distracted. Instead, you'd be finding ways to impress him."
"Simply logic? That's just-"
"Look Chuks, stick to your arts and crafts, while we the scientists, stick to the human mind." Stella brushed Chuks words off and I could tell that her comment hit him the wrong way based on the frown on his face.
"For instance, a little girl isn't getting her chores done cause she's invested in a chocolate biscuit. Her fed-up dad decided to come up with a rule. She can only get the biscuit if she does her work right. He placed the biscuit on a shelf so it'd be visible to the eyes of the girl, yet out of reach. Now, what do you think this little girl will do? She'd want her favorite biscuit back, right? And with that in mind, the little kid began to do her chores diligently so her parent would be impressed enough to give her, her favorite biscuit back." Stella tapped the side of her head. "Logic."
"So... what you mean is Damian's my biscuit?" I asked slowly, trying to understand the long bedtime story she'd just narrated.
"Mhm," She smiled. "He collected your Coke, right? That means he noticed you. Try asking him to tutor you."
"That won't work," I slumped my shoulders in defeat. "Throughout our conversation, he looked like he wanted me gone. I doubt he'd want to spend more than one second around me."
Everyone fell quiet in great thought. The only hope seemed to be Damian if Stella's words were anything to go by.
"That's where Arts, comes in." Chuks snapped his fingers while smirking at Stella. "We've made every movie and book to help you out."
"What do you mean?" Stella and I leaned towards Chuks.
"Let me see your tomorrow's timetable," Our timetable was posted at the front of the class but neither of us was ready to walk all the way there. So instead, I brought out my phone and moved to my photo app. I clicked on the picture I took at the beginning of the term, which was the timetable. Chuks creased his brows as he concentrated quietly on the timetable on my phone. "The only way Damian can tutor you is if he notices you and realizes he can at least tolerate your presence for like an hour or so, right?"
Stella and I nodded our heads rapidly to the oh-and-mighty Chuks. "Then I think what you both need is Chemistry."
"Chemistry?" I made eye contact with Stella and she shrugged. "But I've hardly spoken to him. How can the both of us pull it off and have chemistry?"
"Yeah, I doubt they'll ever have chemistry. Both of them are of different worlds. It will take a miracle for him to like her, even though that's what we want for her. He's Damian, beautiful, smart, and athletic while Nsikan is well, Nsikan." I frowned deeply with squinted eyes while Stella laughed awkwardly. "No offense."
"No babes," Chuks shook both hands. "Not chemistry but Chemistry." He pointed at the first period of tomorrow's timetable.
"Oh," Realization sets in. "You meant literally."
"Yes, literally." Chuks gave me back my phone. "You guys usually have Chemistry classes in the Chemistry lab, right?"
Stella and I nodded. "Find a way to be his partner."
"That's mission impossible, but go on." I gestured for Chuks to continue.
"Based on the rules of teen romance movies or books, one of the way two main characters get connected in schools, is if the fabric of whatever they are putting on at that moment, get twined." Chuks looked like he was proud of his brain for thinking this up. He held my shoulders just to look me straight in the eye. "Thanks to my artistic genius, your life is about to turn into that of a movie."
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My life is about to turn into a movie...
My life is about to turn into a movie...
It was the next day and everyone in the class was busy gathering their text and notebook so we'd go over to the Chemistry lab. During the assembly, Chuks had directed that I use my white sleeve to hook on Damian's belt during class hours.
"Come on Nsikan, I've got a plan." Stella voiced out all of a sudden.
I paused my hand from taking my Chemistry note from my backpack. "What plan?"
"Let's go meet Thompson and Muller," Stella nudged me. "Six persons on a lab table remember? We need to book our spot before one of those many Damian's admirers chances us."
"Muller and Thompson?" For do long I thought I was the irrational one. "We hardly talk to them and now you want us to use them?"
"Why are you acting like we're asking them to steal something?" Stella deadpanned. "We are not using them, we're just... making use of them."
I raked my brain, wasn't that the same thing? Stella laughed, pulling me closer. "Come on, look on the bright side here. You get to sit with The Damian, and I get to sit with Thompson."
"Thompson?" I was confused.
"Yes!" She groaned loudly, feeling a bit impatient as she started pulling me up and out of our seats. "He's good looking and it won't be bad to sit next to him. Now come on!"
Stella held my hand and pulled me straight to Damian's seat. All three were busy getting their books but stopped when they sensed Stella and me.
"What do we do now?" I leaned in to whisper into Stella's ears while giving the boys awkward smiles like I was the Nigerian version of Joker.
Instead of a reply from Stella, she clapped her hands together, smiling naturally at the boys. "Hey Thompson, Muller. Can you both please come out for a sec?"
Both boys stared at each other while Damian used that moment to focus on me. I diverted my gaze to the class ceiling and began to whistle instead. I didn't want Damian to have any hint, I wanted whatever plan we'd execute at the Chemistry lab to look natural.
"Why?" Muller asked, resting his elbow on his desk and his chin, on his opened palm.
"Yeah," I shuddered a bit at how Damian's voice was barely above a whisper, yet cold. "Why?"
"It's um... about something that has to do with me!" Stella stammered, causing her voice to go high-pitched at the end of her sentence.
"There's no time," I whispered again. The class was half-filled because many wanted to sit next to Damian. It was obvious he was going to sit with Thompson and Muller, but there were still three more seats available for the grab.
Thompson looked like he was studying the situation and Muller doesn't seem like he cared. I didn't dare to look at Damian. He was probably a robot and if we made eye contact, he'd analyze the situation.
"Muller, get up." It was Thompson. He didn't sound authoritative or anything.
"Why?" Muller groaned, refusing to get up. "Why are you giving Stella the fine girl privilege?"
I looked at Stella, then pouted. Of course between the both of us, Stella was the beautiful one who was entitled to the fine girl privilege. I was 'worgly'.
Thompson groaned and then stood up, before focusing on Stella. "Lead the way."
I was a bit grateful Stella and I at least tried and convinced him. But when we were about to turn to the class exist, Muller promptly stood up.
"Thought you weren't coming," Thompson scoffed as Muller maneuvered his way out of his seat.
"You know I've got a curious mind." Muller fast walked out of the class and the rest of us had to increase our pace to catch up with him.
"Why did you drag us out here?" Muller inquired once we were all out, all playfulness totally gone. "I know Damian doesn't care much but I've got him waiting alone in there, so be quick."
"Okay," Stella cleared are throat, probably used to serious Muller since they always have prefect meetings and whatnot. "I'll just go straight to the point. Can we book two seats close to you guys? One beside Damian and the other beside... anyone else?"
I almost laughed at the fact she couldn't say, Thompson. I've finally found something to tease Stella with, but not now. Why you might ask, because I was in a life-and-death situation.
Yes, you heard right, life and death.
If it ever get to the news on how horrible I did in school, my mum would flip! She'd kill me! Granted, she doesn't care much about me not studying, but she cares a lot about her reputation and anything that brings negativity to her path.
"Book?" Thompson was the one to speak next.
"Are we businessmen or something?" Muller folded his arms disapprovingly. "You brought us out here for this?"
Stella signed, then pushed me forward so I'd get closer to Muller. "She's in serious need of Damian's help. She needs him to tutor her. Not want, but need."
Thompson and Muller stared at each other for a minute or two, then let out a light chuckle. "Not gonna happen."
"Muller's right," Thompson added, "It's not going to happen. No offense, but you aren't Damian's cup of tea. I'm not sure he's going to help someone he doesn't interact with."
"Exactly!" Stella clapped her hands. "That's why we want both of them to start an interaction."
"Why Damian? Why not you?" Thompson asked. "Your grades are nice, why don't you help her?"
"You think I haven't tried?" Stella looked at me and mumbled for only me to hear. She then turned to Thompson, to say in a much louder voice. "Damian's got the ability to impact knowledge to anyone, even at Nsikan's level. But you see, I can't."
"My level?" I couldn't help but read the backhanded dissing.
"Shush it," She quickly shushed me. "Please, without this I'm not sure my best friend will be able to graduate. Damian's like our last hope right now."
I wasn't sure Thompson and Muller were going to give in based on the blank look they wore. I'd almost forgotten Muller had this side of him because he was always goofy.
"We aren't going to help you convince Damian to tutor you," My shoulders slumped in defeat as Muller focused on me with a harsher tone. "He got a lot on his plate to start thinking about your matter. But we'll keep seats for you both at the lab."
"You will?!" I almost squealed, if not for the fact that Stella pinched me hard, to stop me. "Ow!"
"Thank you," She quickly said, smiling at both boys. Muller let out a frustrated sigh before turning to head back to class and Thompson followed after.
"Why, why, why?!" I cried out in pain, rubbing my upper arm cause of how badly it hurt. "Why did you pinch me?!"
"So you can scare them away?" She scolded and I pouted.
"Anyways, does my social media influencer about to turn actress, have a crush on a certain someone?" I wriggled my brows.
Stella opened her mouth slightly, then shut it immediately and let out a scoff. Without saying anything, she rushed into class as she tried to avoid my interrogations.
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Stella and I strolled five feet behind Damian, Thompson, and Muller, as we all matched to the Chemistry lab. We strolled not too close to them cause we didn't want to get mobbed by our classmates trying to find a solution to be with the boys so they'd sit close to them in the lab.
We finally got to the last and walked passe the opened door which would be closed by the last person strolling in. The lab was pretty large with moderate temperature. It was painted white and has several white tables littered everywhere. Each table was wide and large enough to contain six tall stools, three on each side. On each table were an inbuilt sink and several pieces of equipment used when doing practicals. The teacher had his table just like ours, but a bit smaller and it was located close to the side wall. He had it so we'd follow his steps during practicals. At the front was a whiteboard to help Mr. Emma, the Ss3 Chemistry teacher during classes. This might be a Chemistry lab but it wasn't an office for any of the Chemistry teachers.
"Have this," Stella stretched out a metal bracelet to me, with a tilt opening. "Chuks was being dumb, how can you use your sleeve to hook his belt? Use this instead."
She handed me the bracelet and I wore it immediately, having a note to self not to give her back cause it was kind of pretty.
"We've told you, these seats are taking." Stella and I moved to the table Damian and his friends decide they'd be using today. Muller was busy chasing some classmates trying to sit with them but stopped when he saw us approaching. "Great, they are already here."
Our classmates trying to sit with them, grumbled as many gave up and decided to look for another free table. Damian was seated alone on the right, facing Thompson and Muller. Stella quickly moved and sat on the stool close to Thompson, making Thompson be in the middle of Muller and Stella, while I moved and slowly sat beside Damian. He didn't even look up to see who'd sat close to him. It looked like I didn't exist like I was a ghost.
Wait, am I a ghost?
The stool on my left squeaked and a chubby girl named Fatima sat beside me. "Good morning,"
I was happy to be seated in between her and Damian while facing Stella, Thompson, and Muller. The reason was she won't label me weird if she sees me try to hook my bracelet on whatever was on Damian.
"Get up!" Everyone aside from Damian, looked up to see the Trix, glaring at chubby Fatima. Damian had long placed his head on his desk, so that part was understandable.
"She said you should get up!" Chloe the muscle, decided to echo Queen's words.
"Please stop pouring spits, will you?" Stella challenged Chloe. I groaned shaking my head. When will my best friend learn not to meddle? "We heard your queen the first time. Besides, everyone saw that Fatima sat on that stool before you so let her stay."
"I don't think anyone added you into my business did they?" Queen folded her arms while tilting her head to the side to give Stella one of those her bitch look. At least to her, it was okay to act this way in front of Damian as long as she wasn't hitting anyone.
"That doesn't even make any sense," Stella groaned, spreading her arms wide.
"You and ugly over there should get up!" All this while I'd been hiding my face by placing my left hand at the side of my face but like before, that didn't help.
"Yes," I nodded with a wide smile. I didn't mind her calling me ugly, I knew I was. I got my books which were on the table and decided it was best I just leave and try this Damian stuff later.
A sigh stopped me from moving as Damian slowly lifted his head to stare at his Chemistry textbook which was serving as a pillow earlier. "If there's one thing I hate the most, is a headache." He said quietly and a little bit bored. "You're giving me a headache."
"Damian," Queen maneuvered her way to stand beside him. "Fatima is a fat distraction and Nsikan will just let you lose concentration with her ugliness. I want you to concentrate in class."
"Wow," Muller cleared his throat. "Is our school starting to have school mothers now?"
Queen glared at him but said nothing. All this while, I held my book not sure if I should get up or not. Fatima also seemed to be in that dilemma. "You are the best student Damian, and we want you to remain the best student. Don't we all, Nsikan?"
"Uh?" I was lost a bit but the way Queen turned to give me a death glare, made me recall immediately. "Yes, ma."
I began to gather my stuff again, hoping Fatima would do the same. Queen knew quite well what she was doing. If she could get me to leave, she knew quite well Stella would follow suit willingly because there was no way Stella would leave me alone on a seat when she was in school and not in some shoot, which meant the Trix will successfully sit with the boys.
"Queen," Damian began, his voice void of every emotion. "I love my morning peaceful and quiet."
"Yeah I know but-"
"You are doing the opposite," Damian finally lifted his head to look at Queen, anger evident in his eyes.
"If you don't understand Damian's terms," Stella stretched out her hand and began shoo-ing Queen away like she was some maid on dismissal. "He said you should leave, assistant social prefect."
Queen was raging mad. It looked like Stella just embarrassed her publicly with her last words.
"Let's go, Queen," Chloe said with a deep frown while looking at me. I was so dead. "This is getting embarrassing."
"Arghh!" Queen yelled in annoyance, forcing the heads that weren't turned to us during the whole drama, to turn and joined the rest busy watching from the start.
"Let's go," Elue held Queen's hand and began pulling her away. Soon the Trix were gone and I could finally breathe again.
"What a psychopath," Stella commented and Thompson laughed.
"What if we name Elue and Chloe the Trix, then Queen, the ice queen?" I placed my hand on the table to lean forward. Stella and I both stared at each other, then began laughing which confused Muller and Thompson.
"Good one, but the Trix won't be the Trix without Queen in the line-up." Good point. I nodded my head in agreement with Stella's words.
The door to the lab opened and Mr. Emma came waltzing in. "Sorry, I'm late. Elue, how many minutes do I have left?"
"Twenty-eight, sir." Elue said as Mr. Emma moved to the board to write 'Chemistry' on it with a red marker.
"Alright class," He said, capping the marker so the ink won't run dry. "Let's begin and try to cover as much as we can with limited time."
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During Mr. Emma's teachings, I kept zoning out as I kept staring at Damian's side profile. I watched his lips pressed tightly together and his full brows creased together in full concentration. He kept nodding his head ever so slightly which could be missed if not paid attention to and he kept doing that whenever Mr. Emma says something that picked his interest. I looked down at his jotter to glance at the important things he was noting down. This was the first time I was opportune to see his handwriting since Ss1 and though my handwriting was nice and neat, Damian's topped the charts.
"Psst, psst, Nsikan."I blinked, drifting back to my conscious stare as I directed my attention to Stella. Thompson and Muller also got distracted by her hush mumbling but Damian kept concentrating in class. Robot. I was quite sure he was in concentration mode right now.
"Bracelet," Stella whispered, pointing at her wrist while Thompson and Muller had confused looks.
I mouthed an 'O' shape in realization, then turned to look at Damian.
Please don't notice.
I moved my stool closer to his in a subtle manner. Miraculously, it didn't let out any squeaky sound. God really loved me. I stared calculatingly at his right hand which was on the table, close to his opened jotter, then gulped. I was to hook my bracelet's opening on his sleeve without getting caught. He somehow made it a little less hard since he decided not to put on the school jacket today.
"Hey, Damian," Stella and I gasped when Thompson called out his friend. It was no surprise he and Muller caught up with what we were about to do and now? Well, Thompson was getting ready to tell on us.
"Do you understand what Mr. Emma is saying?" Thompson laughed. "God, I feel so lost."
Stella and I stared at each other as we both realized what Thompson was doing. He was serving as a distraction. But why?
"I'll tutor you later," My jaw dropped. Here I was, using my blood sweat, and tears - I love you BTS - to get Damian to tutor me and an already intelligent person like Thompson was having it on a platter of gold?
Not fair!
I successfully hooked the opening of my bracelet on Damian's sleeve thanks to Thompson's distraction. The alarm used that moment to ring across the lab.
"That'll be all for today." Mr. Emma turned to face us. "Don't forget to go through what I've thought you. If you leave it in your bag and let a spider use its web to decorate your book, there'll be no way to guarantee your pass in my mock exam."
"Thank you, sir," Everyone chorus and waited for Mr. Emma to leave the lab first. Damian stretched his hand to get his book, only for my hand to follow his. He stopped, to look at the hand with an unreadable expression.
"How did that happen?!" I said in a high-pitched tone, feigning ignorance and hoping my acting worked. I leaned forward to look into Damian's emotionless eyes that were already on mine, without blinking. I wanted us to have the other chemistry found in movies and books. From the corner of my eyes, I noticed Stella face-palming herself.
"How did that happen?" Damian lifted a brow, not taking his eyes off mine and I gulped. He reached for my bracelet and unhooked it swiftly without even looking down. Once he got freed, he got up and took his exercise book, jotter, and textbook. He stepped out of his stool space and was ready to head for the door, only to stop behind me. "Don't be a nuisance."
With that, he walked out of the lab, leaving Stella and me with his best friends.
"What was that?" Muller was the first to speak as he tried so hard not to laugh.
"Is this the interaction you both were talking about?" Thompson asked, airing a quote with his right index and middle finger on the word 'interaction'. "It needs work."
"Bro, let's go." Muller got up and began gathering his stuff, this time not hiding to laugh. "These girls are so funny."
Thompson joined Muller and began gathering his and together, they both walked out of the lab.
"Hey, don't be sad." Stella laughed as she saw my bummed self. "There's still plan B."
"Plan B?" I asked, my mood lighting up once more. "What's it?"
Stella stood up in a heroic posture. Her hands were on her waist, her back straightened and her chin held high. I even imagine her weave-on getting swayed by the invisible wind to complete the look.
"I don't know," I heard glasses shatter in my ears as I groaned loudly.
"Come on!" Stella scrunched her face after my outburst, then sat down.
"Look," Stella began. "Chuks said if this doesn't work, we should go meet him for plan B."
"Yes!" I fist bumped the air while Stella began gathering her stuff.
"We are so late for History class," She said in a hurry. "Let's go to class first."
I wouldn't be told twice as I took my note and textbook while having it in mind that we'd go meet Chuks for a full proof plan to guarantee my success with Damian as my tutor.
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Happy new year guys!
What do you think of the new cover I made for MIX AND MAX?
I decided to drop this chapter cause I'd be busy later today with new year's celebration and stuff.
What do you think about this chapter and about Nsikan's attempt to get Damian to tutor her?