Song for chapter ☝
Muncachi Odumba
"... Do not lie to me young lady. " I gulped.
Note to self: Never go vandalizing with Arthur...
Never vandalize at all.
I was in the principal's office-Mrs. Ojukwu...
We were in the principal's office.
"Yes Munachi, do not lie to her. " Ngozi said behind me, she was seated on a couch with two of her classmates while senior Somto stood beside them.
"No one talked to you. " Kenelum growled at her, and for a second I almost thought he was defending me... But naa.
He was standing behind me.
They were all behind me, barely a foot away and spread out on the carpeted floor.
Chidinma, Nonso, Segun, Kenelum, Arthur, Dominique, Kenneth.
Arthur was directly behind me.
"Exactly, I wasn't speaking to you Ngozi. I was talking to Munachi... She has a flawless reputation, so I highly doubt she'll partake in what you're accusing her of. What you're accusing them of. " I smiled awkwardly at her as she spoke..
"Yes ma. I swear to God with my parents and everything dear to me we didn't do anything in her class" Kenneth lied.
"Ma, it's true they're lying... They don't even have proof of anything." Segun.
"Ma, why would we even do that? What would we gain? " Arthur joined the committee of liars and I struggled not to laugh.
These boys are professionals.
"Exactly. Nothing! So why would we? " Chidinma.
"So where were you guys yesterday during lunch and before evening prep? Immediately you all walked out of rehearsals, after Arthur came back to take Munachi with him. " Ngozi said adding a suggestive tone to the end of her sentence.
The way she said it sounded like she was implying Arthur came back to... Fuck me.
I ignored her.
"Yes Munachi, where were you all? " Mrs Ojukwu dropped her glasses in front of her on her table.
She leaned back on her chair and crossed her hands against her chest.
"She was tutoring us. We went back to the school because I'm failing further maths, I don't understand that shit-"
"-Language! " Our principal yelled at Kenelum and Arthur chuckled.
"Go on... " She continued.
"We weren't on their floor at all... All through out while Munachi taught me. "
"Okay, let's say I believe you... Why would Arthur need tutoring on further maths? Or Chidinma? Or the rest of you, but Nonso? I sign your results boys... Do not lie to me. " Nonso sighed heavily at the mention of his name.
"I'm dropping! SS2's further maths is fucking stressful..." Mrs Ojukwu picked up her glasses and stared at Arthur.
"Sorry, I mean... Very stressful. " Arthur apologized.
"You all are lying to me and I have no choice but to-"
"-Menstruation! " Chidinma sudden yelled and we all went.. "Whaaat? "
"I'm on my period... I started for the first time yesterday and I got stained. I asked Munachi for help because she's a girl and these five mugus(Fools)decided to tag along.. "
"You just saw your period for the first time? " Our principal asked and I heard my grade mates groan behind me.
Chidinma nodded.
"How old are you?" The girl who Chidinma shoved asked.
"None of your business... " Chidinma snapped at her.
"Chidinma... I don't believe you. You supposedly got stained right? And instead of heading back to your hostel... You walked down a hill with boooys walking with you. " Our principal drew out the word "Boys" and they all groaned.
"Our house mistress, she's evil ma! She won't had let me go in there while lunch was going on... Munachi always keeps a spare pad in her bag. I had plans of washing up a bit and returning to the chapel for rehearsals, I burrowed a junior's sweater and tied it round my waist-"
"-Oh, so that's why you even tied that nonsense. " Dominique chuckled as he interrupted her.
Tied what?
"Oh, yuck... You got stained with blaaawd. "Arthur shrieked and moved forward.
His waist touched my back a bit before he stepped back a little.
I froze.
"Eeew... Blood!" Nonso yelled and jumped away from her.
"No wonder you were stinking yesterday..."Kenelum joined in and I stared at Chidinma.
Her face was priceless right now, her eyes were wide and her lower jaw was dropped.
She looked confused.
"I swear, disgusting. " Kenneth moved away..
"If I knew, I won't have followed you guys... I just thought Munachi was going to tutor you both. " Segun smirked.
I understood what they were doing... And it was hilarious, mixing the two lies together.
Too bad it was at Chidinma's expense.
"I told you guys not to follow us.. But you all must do aproko (Gossiping)" Chidinma said and I blinked at her.
She caught on fast.
"Abeg, how you take dey menstruate... Boy like you(Please how do you menstruate, a boy like you.)"Segun muttered.
"I swear... Aren't you a guy? " Arthur asked behind me.
"And you! Why you go dey carry pad dey move around(Why would you walk around with a pad?)"Kenelum spoke to me...
Ooooh, I know he did not!
"I'm a girl... That's what we do. She just started, so she wasn't stained like that... And washing her skirt didn't take time, what wasted our time was when you couldn't even comprehend what I was teaching, the four of them had to assist me to educate your dull brain." I told him and his nose flared up.
Since,we're all lying... Why don't I use this to my advantage?
I was very much aware of Mrs Ojukwu's eyes on me.
"Hmn. So you confirm it? You confirm that these six hooligans aren't involving you in their lies to cover up their crime?" I shook my head at her and smiled broadly.
She continued.
"Because I know you Munachi, you won't do such and I don't want you being punished for a crime you didn't comm-"
"-But ma! They're lying! They're all acting, Chidinma didn't walk out wearing any sweater! She can't see her period, she's a boy!" Ngozi yelled from the back.
Mrs Ojukwu glared at her then quirked up her eyebrow at her.
"'She's a boy'? " Mrs Ojukwu quoted before she hissed and eyed her then continued talking.
"Do not interrupt me next time young lady... Munachi has quite a nice reputation, so I'm taking her word for it.. Just this time. Bills will be charged to SS3 art to pay for the damages made-"
"-Bills?!! " Somto yelled.
"Ma, my dad would kill me if that happens, I've paid for so many things just this term! "
"Well, I'm sorry for that. This will serve as a lesson for the future: Always lock your doors like I announce every assemble. Now to your classes... All of you. " We all turned to walk away.
Her office was beautifully decorated, flowery wallpaper and an air condition that seemed to blow in lavender...
White couches beside each wall and a desk and chair at centre end.
"Except you Munachi. Stay back. " Arthur turned back at her words and stared at me...
I shrugged and he nodded then walked out.
"Have a seat, dear. "
••
The cold air consumed me once I walked out the principal's office.
November's weren't warm but today felt like Harmattan had kicked in in full force.
"And why are you grinning like that?" I gasped at the unexpected voice as he came into view.
"Arthur!" I shrieked at him.
He smirked down at me.
"Hope, I didn't frighten you or whateves. " He asked and I nodded.
"So where's the rest? " I asked him.
"Class... " I cooed.
"You waited for me? That's so sweet. " He rolled his eyes and grabbed my right hand.
"No. And yes. I needed to make sure no SS3 would wait for you, they all looked mad at you. Especially Somto. " He squeezed my palm.
We started walking. His left hand holding my right hand. His right leg always moved first.
Arthur made our school uniform look perfect.
His blue trousers weren't fitted but yet at the same time weren't bogus, they just looked like something only someone as tall as him could pull off—it was his shirt that was slim fitted, his black belt added a sharp contrast to his trousers and his whitish-milk colored long sleeved shirt with thread like red and blue stripes were rolled up on his elbows. Today his shirt was tucked in, maybe because we were on the administrative block and he'd just come out of the principal's office; but then again he wasn't wearing his red tie with the school's logo printed in blue on it so that meant he didn't seem to care about that fact.
Even without his tie he still had this formal look and air about him.
"So, what did principal Lady tell you? " His voice brought me out of my reverie and I looked up at him.
He smirked and I smiled.
"Positions.. Head girl, prefect ship and the rest. I lost lots of things because of you. " My smile turned to a scowl.
"How? They didn't suspend us and... "
I interrupted him.
"I can't be head girl again. According to her, I was on the list-"
"-The list? "
"Yes... There's a list that contains the list of students nominated for prefect posts and senior prefect and everything. "
"For real? Still doesn't explain why you were grinning like a Cheshire cat when you walked out of her office." We didn't follow the path leading to the walkway, instead we went the opposite.
"My act... I plastered a fake smile on my face while she talked and I walked out with it." I replied honestly.
He stopped walking and I scanned our environment, we weren't following the hill that led to our own building, but we were rounding the building...
I knew this place...
"Arthur?" I called out his name after nodding my head and nudged at the nearby walls..
"I'm not kidnapping you, it's a hidden shortcut. Rooney discovered it. " I nodded again and we both continued walking.
"Well, she didn't buy that lie you guys sold... She's clever and in her own words: You have to wake up pretty early to pull wool over my eyes." I told him, and he chuckled.
"Then, why did she act like she did?"
"Something about me making progress from when she first saw me and how she's happy I have friends, she's not excited with my choice of friends by the way. But all that didn't stop her from removing my name from 'Nominated head girls' and into 'Nominated prefects' thanks to you! " I stumped on his feet and he yelped-not in pain but in shock and stepped back.
"I'm sorry! "
"Sorry? You're the opposite of normal. I didn't want to do the crime but now I have to serve the time.. " I grumbled under my breath.
Even though drawing slashes on tables with table knives and forks was fun, while Arthur and Kenneth drew skulls... I'm not artistically talented-Unlike Rooney.
I'll never admit that to him... Watching Kenelum 'talentically' step on each wall and Segun positioning the 'stink bombs' carefully on top of the doors while Chidinma doodled on the wall and Dominique kicked tables and Nonso stomped on the fallen desks... Was super fun.
He didn't need to know that.
"Serve what time? " I rolled my voice at his tone... He sounded like he just got injected with a huge syringe.
Baby.
This boy was just too soft.
Just little stepping on and he wants to cry.
"Losing my chance at ruling this school isn't time enough? " I raised my eyebrows upwards and narrowed my eyes at him.
I took a few steps forward, leaned on the wall and crossed my arms round my chest.
He moved closer to me and leaned beside me.
"Ruling this school?” His voice had humor laced in and I could imagine him smirking down at me.
I pouted and started talking.
"Yes, when I was little... I always wanted to make mama proud... She never cared about my A's, so I concluded she'll love me if I become head girl, you know... It'll be proof that other people loved me, so it'll mean that she could too...." I trailed off.
He took my palm again and I leaned against his hand.
"I understand. " He squeezed my palm.
"We're making progress. You mentioned your mom."
Yes, we are.
We stayed in our position in silence for about three minutes before he let go of my palm and moved away.
So abruptly that I almost got hurt... He acted like I suddenly developed Ebola.
"Arthur... " He turned back to stare at me and I gulped...
Why was he looking at me so intensely?
"Did you mean it? " I asked him. He moved closer until he stood in front of me.
"Mean what? " His voice sounded so husky and so manly...
Munachi!
I looked at his dark brown eyes... The streak of sunlight casting down made his face look so perfect, dark red lips...
Soft, swo-
-Munachi!
His eyes dropped down to my lips and on a nervous reflex motion, I drew it backwards into my mouth, my teeth nibbling a bit on the top.
" When you said, 'I love you. Munachi, I never stopped and I don't think I'll ever stop' Did you mean it? " I quoted to him and I watched how his eyes grew big as they flew back down to stare at me..
"You heard that? And you remembered it? Why'd you lie to me?" He asked... Instead of replying me.
Nigerians.
"Did you mean it? " I probed, his eyes moved down to my lips again and he nodded.
"Yes, I do." Our eyes met again and I smiled at him.
Arthur tried to speak "Now my question-", I interrupted him.
"-Yes, yes and I didn't feel the need of telling you... I still get flashes of everything that happened that night and back then I felt awkward already and there was no need to add more to it." He nodded and smirked at my reply.
"That's not what I wanted to ask... Let me finish sometimes okay?" I rolled my eyes at his tone.
Someone should ditch American movies.
"Why did you start ignoring me and avoiding me last section? I mean I even paid Nonso to find ou-"
"-You paid Nonso?! " I half shouted.
If he did pay Nonso, it would explain why Nonso had spent excessively last section, first term on Jasmine.
He rolled his eyes.
But then, again..
"Let me finish okay?! We dropped the case, I told him to drop it-"
"-Did you still pay him?" I asked him and he shook his head.
"No. Back to my question... " He said then raised his slashed eyebrow at me.
The air felt thick around me. "... It'll sound stupid to you. " I faked a cough and he smiled.
Arthur shrugged and said "Tell me. "
He stretched his left hand till it stopped on the wall, inches above my head.
And moved closer.
"Rooney. I felt like, I'd cheated an-"
"-You're not dating anymore.. Or are you? "I shook my head at him.
"After what we did that night... " I trailed off and the smirk on his lips widened slowly...
"Our first kiss. " I don't know why, but I smiled and nodded.
"When you forced your self on me. " I said to him and he chuckled and moved closer.
His perfume suddenly engulfed me... Watermelon? Scented water? He smelt divine.
"Yeah. Sorry for that. "I looked down and nodded at his apology.
" Can't believe you actually didn't tell Jasmine and Silvana about what really happened that night. "He chuckled and moved closer again. So close that my chest rubbed against his abbs.
Yeah... what really happened that night, in front of my hostel. Hidden by the pillar what really happened that night.
How long I let him kiss me, how my hand impulsively roamed down his chest and settled on his groin, how he held my wrist and slowly moved my palm around before I snapped out of the lust trance and raised my leg up to kick him, did I thrill in it? One minute I was passing his T-shirt he'd given me to cover my body from the cold with and the next, he was kissing me and we were in the same position we were in right now.
Me trapped in between his arms.
Arthur moved closer again and his body was pressing my breasts almost painfully, there was no space between our bodies anymore and the crazy part is I don't even think he did this consciously, I could see that it felt natural to him being in my space like this, felt like he was a flower leaning towards the sun.
Like I was his sun and he was just a flower... I raised my eyes to stare at him only for our eyes to lock into an intense heated gaze.
Was I his sun?
Was he my flower? Worshiping me?
Should he be? Wasn't everything wrong. We can't be. We can't hurt Rooney like this. It would hurt him.
I should stop this and I've tried. I've always tried but he's just like a flower, searching for his sun.
"Um... We should get to class, we have Mat-" His eyes followed my lips as I talked and I gulped.
He was so close. Really close.
"-Can I kiss you?... Like, with your permission?" He added the last part with a neck scratch, I know he remembered me kicking him in between his legs from the last time he kissed me—without my permission.
I froze and he pressed his body against my body, his hands were placed limply besides his body.
Do you want to kiss him?
I do not know.
He still loves you!
That's shocking, because he's never flirted with you.. Ever.
Does he respect you?
I think he does...
Would you regret this later on?
Never!
I'm his Sun.
I nodded and he brought his head closer to mine slowly.
His breath smelt like... Toothpaste.... It reminded me of a mint and that minty flavor fanned my nose as he inched closer.
I tilted my head upwards and shut my eyes as our lips slowly met.
••
(●'▽'●)ゝ
"You might have a fortune but you lose me? You still gonna be misfortunate. Nigga."
-Cardi B