She's standing over there.
Like me? Is he referring to me? Am I standing over where I'm standing?
I conflicted with my head while watching Damian pin his beautiful gaze at me. Everyone else in the class was also looking at me and the person not having it was Queen and the blazing fire coming from her eyes. Right this moment, she reminded me of some tigress ready to hunt me down.
"Move," Stella whispered while smiling sheepishly. Move to where exactly? With the way Queen was looking at me, it was best I remained fixated on my spot. Stella tried pushing me again but I shook my head rapidly. What was she thinking?
"Move abeg!" This time, she pushed me greatly, making me stagger forward and hitting my knee hard on a classmate's desk. The impact of my knee on their desk was so great that I had to hop around while trying to distract myself from the pain. I turned to Stella who was whistling while facing the other side. Knowing I could do nothing to her, I turned to Damian's seat with a brave face, even though I was crying in my head cause my knee hurt like crazy.
Damian had been watching me this whole time and realizing that made me a bit awkward. I wasn't sure how to react.
"Morning," I gulped, once I got to Damian's desk. Thompson had a small smile on his face, Queen had a large frown on her face, and Muller wasn't even looking in my direction, probably because he was still mad. And Damian? Damian was acting like the words in his novel were written on my face.
"You saw me earlier today," Damian said bluntly. "You didn't say a word."
How could I tell him that I didn't say a word because I thought he wanted nothing to do with me? I guess Muller was right, my friends and I do jump to conclusions.
"Come on, Damian." Queen flapped her hands, unknowingly saving me from Damian's questions. "It's Nsikan. She probably has like about five tutors knowing how she sucks at all subjects."
I let my head dip a little. I knew I was the dullest in my class but getting a constant reminder of that fact hurt.
"I don't know why you're still here," I heard Muller say. "No one wants you."
"Excuse you?" I lifted my head in time to see Muller arching his brows at Queen, daring her to speak further but all she did was hiss and roll her eyes.
"Do you have one?" My attention moved to Damian.
"Huh?" I asked, confused at his sudden question.
"A tutor," Damian said, his tone even. "Do you have one?"
"Oh," I tried to laugh it off, waving my hands awkwardly like some maniac. "No, I'm tutor free!"
"My God," I heard Stella groan at the back while imagining her face-palming herself.
I wanted to make my intentions clear to Damian, never wanted my voice to end up being pitched at the end. But it did and the embarrassment of that made Stella groan. Thompson chuckled at Stella's reaction while Queen did the opposite. Her face made me want to regret the answers I gave. She obviously wanted me to lie about having a tutor and if I'd seen her face before my response, I was sure to lie. She was that scary.
Damian on the other hand surprisingly looked a bit more relaxed than earlier. I watched him nod his head before looking at his book. "Good."
I wanted to understand why he looked relieved for some reason. I should be the one having relief since he ended up being my tutor against all odds, but Stella appearing beside me pulled me out of that thought. She pulled the crumpled newspaper I'd forgotten I was still holding, and swayed it at Queen's face.
"Now that that's over, explain this!" Stella smacked the newspaper right at Queen's face, sending the class gasping for air. Queen forcefully pushed Stella, making her land hard on the floor.
"Stella!" I gasped, the same with everyone in the class. I rushed to Stella, looking for any kind of scratch on her but found nothing.
"What's your problem?!" Thompson swayed Queen forcefully to face him.
"My problem?" Queen pulled her arms away from his tight grip. "Didn't you see her smack my face with this trash earlier?!"
"So you know how trashy it is," Damian maneuvered his gaze till it landed on Queen.
"Da-"
"You just defined your work," He said dryly. "No one did it for you."
"What's it with Nsikan that makes you so insecure?" Muller asked ever so suddenly, which for some reason gave Queen back her confidence.
"Let go of me," Stella mumbled to me but I wasn't ready to do as she'd asked. She obviously would make a scene and that would make the whole situation worst.
"Excuse you?" Queen folded her arms. "What could she possibly have that I don't? Besides she's ugly, dumb, stupid, and an embarrassment to ladyhood-"
"Enough!" Damian voice echoed, which made me gulp while looking up at him from the ground with Stella in my arms. I had never seen him like this before. "You haven't answered Muller's question. What's it with Nsikan that makes you so insecure?"
"I'm not insecure!" Queen snapped and I stared at her in bewilderment. Damian on the other hand didn't look fazed by it. He acted like he'd expected that.
"Let go of me!" Stella sprinted from my grip and bounced at Queen, sending both flying to the ground.
"Stella!" I shrieked.
"Queen!" Chloe and Elue stood up from their seats and they rushed to the front to help their friend out. Stella by this time was already straddling Queen on the floor while trying to pull out her hair installment.
"Are you mad?!" Stella yelled angrily. "Are you stupid?! You pushed me earlier and thought I'd leave you be? Just like that?!"
"Stella please," I tried pleading for her to stop while trying to beg Elue to go call the teachers or something, but Elue was too busy saving Queen with Chloe.
"Get off me you psycho!" Queen yelled, trying to push Stella away but Stella was what I called small but mighty. She might have a small body just like me, but the strength that small body holds was beyond imagination.
The class door suddenly burst open and I turned to see Damian and our class teacher standing at the doorpost. When did he leave? I was so preoccupied with stopping Stella that I didn't notice when he left the class.
"What's going on here?!" Mr. Akan roared with venom sipping from his tone. Stella paused and so did Queen. Chloe, Elue, and me, used that moment to pull them off each other. "Here I thought you all will be waiting for my class but no, you two decided to practice WWE."
Stella and Queen promptly pointed at each other, "She started it."
"Shut up!" Mr. Akan hissed. "Queen, aren't you matured for all this? And Stella, you're an upcoming actress and a social media influencer for God's sake. Surely you've got people looking up to you. Is this how you brand yourself now?"
Stella's head lowered a bit. I noticed how much she wanted to say but the guilt was stopping her.
"She started it!" Queen yelled instead, pointing at Stella, and that fueled my best friend in a bad way.
"What?!" Stella flushed down whatever guilt she was feeling earlier. "You pushed me!"
Queen's eyes widened, "Because you smacked my face with a newspaper!"
"Because you wrote shit about my best friend-"
"Enough!" Mr. Akan yelled in anger. "Queen, apologize for writing such an excuse of an article. That could get you suspended but I'll have to plead on your behalf. Stella, apologize for not using your words to settle the situation. Fighting on school grounds could also get you suspended but I'll make sure this doesn't leave the ears of this class."
Everyone was quiet and no one was apologizing. "Apologize now or get suspended, both of you!"
Stella and Queen stared at each other the longest, which made Elue groan out of frustration. "Just tell her you're sorry and let's go. It's embarrassing enough that you both decided to act like market women."
"Stella," I tried pulling my best friend to me. "I know you're angry but what would suspension guarantee? Just please apologize."
Stella's lips were glued and I was starting to feel pressured.
"I don't think they fear suspension," Damian's cool voice filled the classroom. "How about the punishment of permanently making them seat partners for the rest of the school year-"
"I apologize!" Stella gasped out. "Anything but that, so I'm sorry."
"Same," Queen shook her head furiously. "I didn't do anything wrong and apologizing is uncalled for but I apologize."
Mr. Akan sighed, watching the two girls. "I'm going to pretend you two meant those apologies. You all should go back to your seats."
Mr. Akan then turned to Damian, "Thank you for bringing this to my notice."
I watched Damian nod before pulling Stella with me so we could hurry back to our seats.
"That was something," Omolara said dryly, before turning her head to the back, to have a glimpse of Queen. "No bloodshed which was underwhelming but still well deserved."
"Should I be worried about you?" I couldn't help but wonder as I looked at Omolara.
"Now that that's over," I dragged my attention to the front to focus on Mr. Akan. "I need y'all Geography assignments on your desk!"
Good thing I didn't forget to do mine, all thanks to Elue's constant reminder in the class group chat.
I sat quietly while waiting for the class teacher to get to our seats. Still waiting, I sneaked some glances at Stella.
"Are you okay?" I watched as she tried to contain her anger.
"Do I look okay to you?" Stella whispered harshly. "She's extremely lucky. If it wasn't for the teacher, I would've sent her to her sick bed."
"Sending her to her sick bed without drawing blood is still underwhelming." Stella and I paused to look at Omolara.
"Seriously," Stella said, gesturing to Omolara. "You're borderline scary."
I shook my head and tapped Stella so she could focus on me instead. "You're smarter than Queen and she's jealous of you, remember? Whether you like it or not, Mr. Akan is right. This could tarnish the star image you're building for yourself. Just please, don't ruin that because of Queen or because of... me."
Stella stared at me for a few seconds, then scoffed. "You're finally growing."
I blinked. Should I take that as an insult or a compliment?
"What?" Stella just shrugged, then leaned against her chair.
"If our life was a movie or in a book, I'll call it character growth or development." Stella wondered. "But knowing it's you we're talking about, you'd go back to your old self in no time."
"I'm still me," I pretended to sulk.
"Yeah," Stella admitted. "But a bit matured. The old you would've been yelling at me right now for fighting Queen, or you would have been scared shirtless for what she'd do to you."
Stella paused, just to lean closer and look me in the eye. "Why aren't you scared?"
It wasn't like I wasn't scared, I was. Only God knew what horrible things Queen was planning to do to me. But at the same time, I wasn't ready to fight with my best friend again. I wasn't ready to yell at the wrong person. If I couldn't yell at those that deserved it, then I shouldn't yell at all. Besides, it wasn't like worrying would solve anything.
───※ ·❆· ※───
"So guess what?" It was finally lunch break and we thought of going to visit Chuks in his class. After what Queen had done to him, it was best he get surrounded by his best friends.
"What?" I asked, knowing guessing would lead us nowhere.
"I'm thinking of opening a YouTube channel!" She squealed, forcing me to almost cover my ears. "You know, doubling my income?"
I admired Stella. Her parents weren't just rich, she was also making money for herself at such a young age. Social media influencer, upcoming actress with her first ever movie role about to hit the cinema, and now a YouTuber. Stella wasn't dependent on her parents' money, since she had hers and sometimes she made me think of how I wasn't serious with my life.
"So what will your youtube channel be centered on?" I asked.
"I don't know," She shrugged. "Beauty, vlogs, other fun activities."
"I think vlogs will be nice." Stella had an interesting life, unlike my boring ones. She had a lot going on in her life to put on camera. Plus, getting subscribers wouldn't be hard for her, knowing how she was slowly getting famous.
"I'll put that in my 'things to consider' box," She said and I scrunched my nose at her. We finally arrived at Chuks' class and pushed his door open. Chuks class was half filled, knowing how a majority of them went out to have lunch.
We stood at the doorpost while looking at Chuks. He hadn't noticed us yet. He was busy bopping his head at some music he was listening to from his earbud. When we finally came to his line of vision, Chuks lifted his head to look at us a bit stunned.
"Are we in All Of Us Are Dead?" Chuks asked and I almost face-palm myself.
"Chuks!" I faked a sob before wrapping my arms around him. "I'm so sorry?"
"For being an asshole?" He wrapped his hands around me and I nodded while looking at a few of his classmates staring at us weirdly.
"I won't be an asshole again," Chuks chuckled, before pulling me away from him.
"Hey queen bee," Chuks greeted Stella, before tapping the space beside him. I rushed and sat next to Chuks before Stella could, making her shake her head and sitting beside me. I kept looking at Chuks and couldn't help but feel sorry for what Queen did to him.
"I know my face is a work of art, Nsikan, but even stares ain't flattering." He turned, waving his hands at my face.
"How are you taking it?" I asked worried. Chuks always wanted to be the president of the press club ever since the news of it coming back to the school's club list. "Stella told me everything."
"So in other words I was the reason you guys are back to being friends?" Chuks asked and I couldn't help but smile. Chuks stopped to think. "I could probably end the world's hunger."
"You haven't ended Nigeria's own yet," Stella mumbled. Chuks chuckled, then sighed.
"Queen got the president position 'cause you know, her father owns that networking channel. The guidance counselor thought she must have learned a thing or two from her father and would be the best choice to put as the press club president." Chuks narrated.
"Learn my ass," Stella scoffed. "Did you read the article she made for Nsikan? She couldn't even differentiate between 'Am and I'm'."
I wanted to laugh but Chuks' laughter stopped me. It wasn't a small laugh but an actual loud and satisfying laugh. It was nice I was slowly getting my best friend back.
"For real," Chuks tried to control his laughter. "Her formation and use of words were so out of place. I'm thinking of quitting the press club completely. Just can't stand being in the same room with her."
"Your press club journey ended before it even started," I shoot my head, chuckling.
Chuks sighed. "Tell me about it. But who needs it anyways?!"
"That's the chucks I know and love!" I yelled, but that was a big mistake.
"Hey, can you shut up?" A classmate of Chuks said. "You guys are disturbing my peace."
Chuks stood up while placing his hands on his waist and tilting his hips to the side. "Did I not pay the same school fees as you? If you want peace, then go to the library or better still the greenhouse. Or if you're jealous I've got two best friends, then go bring yours. No one's stopping you."
"Forget about him, Chuks." I pulled him to sit back down.
"Yeah Chuks, he's only a loner," Stella added. "Now guess what?"
"The sky's falling?" Chuks asked and Stella leaned passed me to slap his upper arm.
Stella hissed, "Be for real na."
Chuks yawned, then decided to make an effort. "You are opening a YouTube account?"
Stella leaned back, a bit stunned.
"Well... yeah," She was still stunned. "But that isn't what I want you to guess."
"At least I guessed something," Chuks placed his hands on my shoulder. "What is it."
"Damian agreed to be Nsikan's tutor!" Stella exclaimed, forcing eyes on her.
"The Damian?" Chuks quickly sat upright with a gasp. Stella nodded rapidly and promptly stood up.
"Get this," She stated, demonstrating with her hands. "Nsikan and I were just about going over to our seats, minding our very own business-"
"You and Nsikan, and minding business?" Chuks wondered, cutting Stella's story. "I'm finding that hard to believe."
"Hey, don't interrupt my story." Stella spat pointing at Chuks. "As I was narrating, Nsikan and I were about going over to our seats, minding our very own business when we saw Queen all over Damian, acting like her desperate self."
"The usual stuff," Chuks nodded.
"Now get this!" Stella exclaimed. At this point, I felt she was narrating her story to the class, with the way everyone was thoroughly paying attention to her. "She wanted Damian to be her tutor. Like she's effing intelligent so why did she want Damian to be her tutor?"
"Love makes someone do stupid things," Chuks quietly commented.
"Queen was crying and crying, and whining and whining, nonstop. She was a banshee," Leave it for Stella to add all the seasoning to her story. Now guess what Damian said."
"Um..." Chuks tilted his head to the side. "No?"
"Exactly!" Stella clapped once and pointed at Chuks. "Then he was like," She paused to clear her throat before voicing out in a deep voice. "She's standing over there."
Chuks gasped, covering his mouth with his hands. "No, he didn't."
"Yes, he did!" She laughed, then finally sat back down. I rolled my eyes because of how dramatic these two could get sometimes. "Then Queen pushed me and we fought."
"Wait, you what?" Now Chuks was interested unlike before when he tried matching Stella's dramatic narration. Stella nodded proudly. "Who won?"
"Me of course," Stella dusted her shoulders and Chuks wanted to high-five her.
"No one won," I said, stopping their high-five. "Our class teacher interrupted the fight."
"Well I was on top of her," Stella said. "That counts as winning."
"Yes, it does, honey." They finally high-fived.
I shook my head at my best friends, then sat upright. "Well, I've got a hotter tea."
"Hotter than Damian being your tutor and Stella fighting Queen?" Chuks asked and I paused to think it through. Was it?
"Yes, it is," I responded, after thinking things through and reaching my conclusion. "Remember I told you that my mother was seeing a man?"
Both Chuks and Stella nodded. "Well, my mother hosted dinner for her date and his son, and guess who I saw?"
"Jesus?" I gave Chuks a deadpan look.
"Thompson!" I exclaimed.
"No way," Stella gasped. "Like Thompson, Thompson?"
"Can't you three be considerate?" A chubby girl at the back said. "You're disturbing the class."
"And?" Chuks turned to her. "You're free to leave."
The girl sent Chuks dead glares but he ignored it and turned to me instead. "So to your story. Your mum's dating Thompson?"
"His father!" I groaned. "Please pay attention."
"Wow," Stella breathed. "Wasn't it awkward? I remember we all left angrily on Friday."
"It was," I admitted. "But Thomoson's matured."
"Mhm," Stella nodded, chewing her inner bottom lips. "I think I should apologize to him."
"We all need to apologize to them," Chuks corrected. "But wait, Nsikan, does that mean you and Thompson are likely to be step-siblings in the future?"
Everything was a bit overwhelming to me. It would have been easier if it was an unfamiliar face but it was Thompson. Does that mean if we become siblings and he moves over, I'd be seeing more of Damian and Muller? "Seems like it."
───※ ·❆· ※───
We'd spent the majority of our lunch break at Chuks' class and when we realized lunch break was coming to an end, we rushed over to the cafeteria to grab some bite. Now lunch break was over and Stella and I were heading back to class. My heart was beating, probably because of the fight that happened earlier and knowing the eyes of everyone in the class would be on us. Stella on the other hand didn't seem bothered one bit. Her face was buried in her phone screen as she used her note app to brainstorm ideas.
I got into class with Stella, to see a girl in my class named Favour, shoving her phone at every girl's face and asking questions. Stella fully ignored her but that was because she was focusing on whatever she was writing down on her phone note app.
"Nsikan," I'd paused at the cool voice that had just called my name. I watched Stella not stopping as she moved over to our seat, then at Damian that had just called me.
"Yes," I asked with wide eyes.
Damian was sitting in his seat, looking up at me. "Are you busy after this period?"
Next period was History class and according to what I heard, the teacher didn't come to school today.
"No," It wasn't like I was busy and even if I was, I'd scrap it all for Damian.
Damian nodded. "Let's meet up at the library."
"It's a date!" I blurted out, then slapped my hands across my mouth. Thompson and Muller had their heads turned to me and Damian had a small smile on his face and an evident eye smile.
Why was I so stupid to call it a date? Was it because of the manner he'd used to say his words? Even if he wanted to go on a date with a girl, it wouldn't be with a girl like me.
"I... I meant yes, yes... yes, library." I fumbled with my words, closing my eyes afterward out of embarrassment and scurrying over to my seat.
"Stella make way," I tried ducking my head. Stella looked up to stare at me confused.
"A-ha," Stella moved her legs so I could pass through. "I thought you were beside me all along."
"I was talking to Damian, and he asked me to meet him at the library next period," I said to her, then squeezed my eyes shut. "If only I hadn't blurted the word date."
"You did what?" Stella laughed out loud and I nodded to my misery. "Anyways, your own sure. I was thinking of asking Thompson to tutor me on history but I don't know..."
I quickly turned to my best friend, "You should! I mean, you aren't failing History but you're having a C' and that's a fail in your book. Besides, you said you liked him."
"And I also said I don't have time to be chasing boys. If he likes me too, he should come for me." I think too much beauty was a curse. Stella was saying all this because of how beautiful she was. If only she knew Thompson might not act on his feelings cause he doesn't know his feelings. He said he was attracted to her. Only God knows how many girls he was attracted to.
"Plus," Stella interrupted me from my thoughts. "Why learn History when it's in my past? I don't go back to my past."
"Cause those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it," Both Stella and I turned to Omolara, who was looking at a textbook.
"Anyways," Stella continued, brushing Omolara off. "The main reason I don't want to, you know... ask him to tutor me is because of what happened on Friday."
"Thompson's mature-"
"To you," Stella cut me off. "He's mature to you. It's easier for him to forgive you and Chuks cause you guys said nothing to him on that day. Me on the other hand was acting like a radio without battery."
I couldn't help but laugh, then looked over at Thompson. "Maybe you should ask him to be your tutor, Stella. Find ways to get close to him so he can forgive you."
Unknown to her, Thompson had already forgiven her. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have asked about her when I was giving him the tour around the house. I wanted to let her know that Thompson asked about her, but that would hinder her from making an effort. I didn't want her to feel relaxed.
"I'll think about it," Stella commented under her breath, At the same time Favour moved over to us with her phone in her hands.
"Hi girls," Favour gave a toothy grin, hugging her phone close to her chest. "I'm doing a TikTok video on who's the finest boy in our class."
"Okay?" Stella said, which prompted Favour to move her phone camera to Stella's face.
"Who's the finest boy in our class?" Favour asked Stella.
"Hmm..." Stella pretended to be in great thought. "Damian."
Favour paused the video and moved to Omolara. "Can I ask you?"
"Do I have a say?" Omolara responded dryly.
Favour let out an awkward laugh, then scratched her head since she was on low cut. "Who's the finest boy in our class?"
"Muller," Omolara responded nonchalantly. She paused to look up when she sensed our silent gaze on her. "What? Have you seen him smile?"
"Okay..." Favour coughed, then moved to me. "Who's the finest boy in our class?"
"Um..." I only had one name I wanted to scream for the world to hear but then what if he see the video? Even if he did, it wasn't like I was the only one to call his name.
"Nsikan!" Favour snapped impatiently.
"Damian," I blurted out, though Favour was staring at me boredly. "Damian is the finest boy in our class."
"Was that too hard to say," Favour muttered dryly, before walking away to a different girl.
───※ ·❆· ※───
The Alarm sounded across the classroom indicating the next period which was History. I placed my head on my desk thanking God for whatever thing he'd done to the teacher to make him miss a school day.
"Hey Nsikan," Stella called my name, and I lifted my head to hear what she had to say. "I think vlogs are good but I'm also going to turn it into a beauty channel with you and Chuks as my model..."
Her words drifted as I saw Damian getting up with his backpack before leaving the class. Right, library date... I meant the library session.
"Later Stella," I said amid her rambling as I got out of my seat and rushed out before I could lose Damian. Getting out of class, I noticed him rounding a corner. You see, running was not for me but I noticed myself becoming The Flash.
"Damian!" I called before he could descend the stairs. Damian stopped to look at me with furrowed brows.
"You..." I dragged while catching my breath. Damian noticed this and turned to me fully. "You said I should meet you up this period at the library."
"I did," Damian muttered, looking at the side. "But Mr. Akan wants me to do something for him."
"Oh," Thank you so much, Mr. Akan. Thank you for taking the opportunity I had to admire Damian's beautiful features. Note the sarcasm.
"How about my place?" I looked up to see Damian giving me a soft look. What was going on?
"Your place?" Thank you, Mr. Akan. At least I get to see his room again. This time, I was grateful. "Sure it's a um..."
"Date?" My heart skipped a beat as I heard Damian let out a small chuckle before turning and descending the stairs slowly. "You can call it a study date."
───※ ·❆· ※───
Nsikan should be calming down😅
I'm so sorry guys but I hope this chapter is worth the wait. I would've updated since but something happened.
So one of my closest friends started reading this and she was like Chuks is so lucky cause if she has a friend like Chuks, she'd be beating him every day cause of his personality😂😭😂
Anyways what do you think about this chapter? Love to hear your thought on it... Bye!