Dedicated to Myself💙 It's my month, lovers. I'm finally gonna be a year older.😍
"You can be amazing
You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug
You can be the outcast
Or be the backlash of somebody's lack of love
Or you can start speaking up
Nothing's gonna hurt you the way that words do
And they settle 'neath your skin
Kept on the inside and no sunlight
Sometimes a shadow wins
But I wonder what would happen if you
Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave."
- Sara Bareilles.
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Hello, Monday.
Oh well, it's another Monday in Empires' College. In case you care to know, our exams start next week and I'm damn happy and prepared. Today was just dry as all Mondays are and thank goodness, Demmie and Lydia seem to be back to normal now.
They talked to each other times without number and she's no more dull like last week. Me? Oh well, Demmie and I haven't said a word to each other since today. As for me, I know why I didn't talk to him, but for him? I know not why he didn't talk to me.
"Barb this your hair." Someone touched my hair from the back, while I was on my seat. I turned back to see Ramos.
Ramos is a close friend to Demmie He is also Lydia's male best friend and also my family friend. I didn't know he was my family friend until he told me. Then, he described his Dad for me, that was when I recalled. His parents are good friends of my parents. He is very tall and has a nice stature. He's dark-skinned and always neat. He likes fashion alot and he does Shakara alot. Even Aunt Tilly says it lots of times that he does Shakara, just to attract girls. He sits directly behind me in class, and we're also good friends.
"Awe jor. I'll barb it tomorrow." There is a public holiday tomorrow and everyone isn't supposed to be in school. Well, everyone except S.S.S 3 students. We are to all come to school tomorrow in mufti for lesson. That was said by the Proprietor, which I know very well that I won't attend. Why? No one to bring me.
"We have lesson tomorrow. Hope you know sha?"
"Ehn, as if you do see me in Saturday or any holiday lessons." I said to him as he poked my head and mouthed a 'naughty girl', which just made me smile.
We are allowed to make hair in our school though, as 90% of the girls make their hair. One reason I'm not making mine is because back then in Trailblazers High, girls are to be on low cut and hair making is forbidden. So, after graduation and I got to know I'll still come back to have my S.S.S. 3 here, I didn't bother making it. Though, most of my classmates are disturbing me already to start making it.
The Geography teacher entered for the afternoon class. All students have gone home already, except the S.S.S. 3 students. I wasn't offering Geography though, but I decided to stay in school to play till 5PM, and then wait till the bus will come to take me home. If I'm asked why I didn't go with my normal school bus by the general closing time; 3PM, I'll tell the teacher that I didn't know it was Geography we were gonna have that evening. Yeah, I'm a liar, everyone is, duh!
"If you're not offering Geography, excuse us." The Geography teacher said. I was expecting that already so I just stood up from my chair, zipped up my bag and walked out of the class with Lydia's Oxford Dictionary. I guess I'll have to go to the table tennis court, to stay with the guys and watch them, while reading the dictionary.
Getting to the class corridor, Ramos, Dami, Demmie, Biola and many others who ain't offering Geography were there. Jetemi and Lydia were both offering Geography so they were in class. I stayed with the others in the corridor and someone touched my hair again.
"Go and cut this your hair."
What's with these people and my hair gan? Daddy has said I'll barb it tomorrow. In fact sef, I should have barbed it before now. But our family is the one with 'family everything', to the extent of having family barber. Imagine! So, I can't barb my hair unless our family barber is around.
I turned back to face the person who touched my hair. It was Demmie. Since morning, this is the first time we'll talk today. I wanted to tell him that I'll cut it tomorrow but then I remembered that Aunt Tilly told him to barb his own hair too. Why? He barbed this common style that guys barb; cutting the sides and leaving the middle. Is it Afro or Obama?
So, The Biology teacher said if he doesn't cut it, he won't attend her class. That was said last week and since then, he hasn't cut it.
"You too, go cut your hair."
"Eh! Imagine oh. Is it me who is supposed to cut my hair or you?" He said, smiling and clapping his hands together melodramatically.
"I'll cut it tomorrow. Leave me. You too, cut yours."
"Huh.."
"You guys, please let's leave here. I don't want Mr. Akintunde to see me here. He'll talk that I should have followed the normal school bus since I know I don't have lesson." I said.
Mr. Akintunde is one of the school staffs and a Maths teacher to the junior classes. He was also our former class teacher when I was new here. He would always tell me to check the subject we have for evening class so in case I wasn't offering, I'll go home with my normal school bus by 3PM, but since I wasn't ready to go yet so I can play in school, I stayed behind.
"Don't worry jor. I'll protect you." Demmie suddenly said to me out of nowhere. I just stared at him and he smiled to me, which made me smile back.
"Ey! This one me and Demmie will be going somewhere and if he sees you like this, you guys will start talking and forget me. I'm suspecting both of you oh!!" Ramos said to us.
This guy is insanely crazy. He said that on Friday too when I went to meet Thomas to explain something. Demmie was talking to Ramos there, so when he saw me, he started disturbing which caused an argument between us and Ramos said the same thing he just said.
"Weyrey sha" Demmie said to him as we all walked to the table tennis court. The guys started playing while I took a nearby chair and continued reading the dictionary. Sometimes, I would look up to watch the tennis and really, it was interesting.
I was so focused on the dictionary that I forgot myself there. I jumped suddenly as something hit my face, just to see the tennis ball they were playing bounce back to the floor.
"My God!" I exclaimed as I touched my face.
Gosh! It's painful aswear! The last person who played it fired it with huge force that it hit my face. Gosh! What was I looking for that I sat here in the first place sef.
"Awwn!!! Sorry. I'm sorry, it was by mistake." Demmie said, as he held my hand with his right hand and held my cheek with the other. The other players also stopped to tell me a 'sorry'. I just nodded to show I was okay, though I still felt the pain.
"Are you okay?" He asked me again.
"Just go back to resume your game. I'm okay ah!"
"Huh. Abi you want to form? You better tell me if you need cheek massage."
"God! Demmie, have sense nah. I'm okay. Thank you." I said, as he was now smiling and I smiled back to him. The other players have continued playing the table tennis already, giving us less attention.
"Berra." He smirked and released me as he joined them in the game again while I resumed to my dictionary reading.
Soon, a hand closed the dictionary I was reading but I was fast enough to slip my hand in between, to know the page I was in before.
Mtcheew. Who is this one again bayi?
"You ntie. Be reading dictionary always! Go and read your Chemistry note." Thomas said to me. He was the one who closed the dictionary with his hand.
"Abi oh. She'll be reading dictionary like storybook. Weird girl kan sha." Demmie said before I could even reply Thomas. He was looking at me as he was talking with a smirk on his face.
"Ehn... Is it everytime someone will be reading Chemistry ni?" I said to both of them.
"It's now everytime you'll be reading dictionary abi?" Demmie said.
"Thomas, please take Demmie with you. I don't know you guys' business bai."
"Huh!!! Peeeeeele." Demmie said as he turned back to join the table tennis players.
"Hmm.. Ademola Oluwademilade, hmm!" Thomas said, not facing me but made sure I heard him well.
"Ehn???"
"Huh! Just let's hear in some years time when you're giving wedding invitation."
"You're not okay, I swear." I said, between laughs as I continued reading the dictionary.
• • •
It's a frustrating and boring Tuesday again here in Maltan street, my street. No light, no good road and no water. Summary? My street is a village in the city. Actually, there's water for all I care but the road is so bad ehn. The light? Tch! Since April 8 this year, our light just decided to go on vacation without return. Now, we're in December and still no sign of it. If not for Inverter in our life ehn, maybe we would have packed out to an hotel due to darkness.
We have lessons today in school but since Daddy won't be able to take me, I didn't bother to tell him. I just laid on my bed listening to music. I'm quite sure Jetemi and Lydia would go. Oh well, tomorrow is Wednesday again.
In case you care to know also, I'm finally going to get rid of my full hair today. I won't be looking for my comb again every morning just to comb the hair. It would have been better if Dad just took us to a nearby Salon to cut the hair but instead? He told my second elder brother, Timilehin and I to go with a public transport to the next town to the barbing salon we used to cut our hair when we still lived there.
Really, things have changed here! The last time I've been here was during my graduation day at Trailblazers. Lol... Memories.
Soon enough, I got my haircut and Timilehin too and we left for home immediately.
• • •
"Aye mi oooh!!! Demi, what is this???" Dami shouted as I entered the class the next morning. This is the first time I'll be on low cut in Empires' College.
"Leave me oh." I said, laughing as I walked into the class to drop my bag on my chair.
"As in! OMG!!! Demi!!! You look different!!!" Lydia screamed as she saw me and she ran to hug me.
"You guys should stop shouting jor." I said, hugging her back.
"As in! Why won't we shout? Aye mi oh!" Dami replied again, still laughing.
God! This guy is so silly.
"Ehn, what happen to all of you that you're laughing nah?" I heard Demmie's voice as he entered the class.
"Jor. See Demi abeg." Dami said, still laughing.
"Jesus!!! Demilade ooh" That said, Demmie also started laughing. Soon, other classmates joined us in class and started laughing. Some from B class even joined us.
"Baby, good morning. You shouldn't have cut it this low jor. I don't like it." Daniel, a very tall guy from B class said to me. Let me tell you a little about him.
Daniel is the best runner in our set and he's quite tall. Really tall, if I may say. He's kind of nice and the second guy who collected my number in the school. He calls me 'baby', and sometimes Aramide and what I heard? He's a playboy. So, that practically made me stay away from him.
"Ehn. That's how I cut my hair."
"It's okay sha. How're you?" He said.
"Fine jor. Thanks."
Soon, our Biology came in and taught us for the morning class though when it was time for Sports, she released us to join the other students on the field. As we were going out, Dami touched my head again.
God! This silly boy!
"Olohun, this head would be very easy to slap now." He said, making the other guys laugh.
Then, we kept on walking as I was with the guys, who were discussing as they walked towards the field. Demmie walked up to me and touched my head from the back with his right hand. I placed my left hand on my head to remove his hand, and I succeeded in dragging it down but then, we kept holding hands and walking towards the field. When we got there and I needed to go to the side my house members were, I tried releasing my hand from his grip but he held tightly and looked ahead like he wasn't aware of what's going on. Then, I had no choice but to tell him since he wasn't ready to release it.
"Demmie, my hand. I need to go to my house."
"Then go."
"You're not letting go of my hand nah!"
"Use your sense too. Must you go to your house? Let's go to my house together instead."
"Awe. . . Free me jor."
"Ehn free yourself." That said, he tightened his grip again as we walked side by side towards his house.
"Okay, please. . ."
"I can't hear you."
"Please!" I shouted again.
"Please what?"
"Please just let me go nah."
"See her face." That said, he smiled a bit. "Good morning, Demi. I love your hair oh." With that, he winked and smiled like he was making jest of me, then released my hand and walked towards his house. I turned back and walked towards my house. Jetemi was there already.
• • •
It's break time already and I'm hungry but I don't know what I can eat. So, I just bought plantain chips and a sachet water from the Tuckshop. The guys snatched some of the plantain chips from me while I was eating, which annoyed me a bit but I didn't show it.
It's already common to them. When you buy stuffs like snacks and bring it to class, they take 80% of it and share it among themselves. Sometimes, or should I say most times, I give them freely because it's part of me already and sometimes, they just snatch it and it annoys me but I won't show it. Today is a day like that.
As they snatched the plantain chips, I brought out my water and as I was putting it in my mouth, someone snatched it from me again. This got me really annoyed and I couldn't take it in. It was Dayo, the funniest and most annoying guy in my class.
I got more angry when I realized that he just finished eating Fufu from the Café and hasn't washed his hand yet. It was that same hand he used to touch the tip where I cut the sachet water. This got me really annoyed.
"What's this rubbish nah? Can't you even ask politely? Assuming you did, won't I give you after I drink to my satisfaction! At least, y'all know I can't finish a sachet water"
"Is that now why you're shouting?" He said.
Wow! He can't even apologize.
"No! I won't. You've been doing it constantly, I won't complain and you'll think it's funny. I've not even drank anything from it."
"Ehn, take your water oh. I don't know if you're the first person."
"It's not the water I want. Just change your manners. The way you behave sucks! And you'll think you're shining, whereas it ain't funny. Drink the water and if you can't, throw it away. For all I know, I can't drink that water again."
And yeah! I have my pride! You don't possibly expect me to drink from a water he used his dirty hands to hold.
"Take your water seh. I don't need it again." By now, our classmates were all watching now. On a normal day, they would have supported him but I guess they all knew he's at fault, that's why they couldn't say a word.
"I've said what I want to."
"Dayo, you too apologize naa. It's your fault." Someone said.
"Emi? Apologize? Stay there. You'll think I don't have money to buy my own water ni. Take your water oh!" He dropped the water on my desk and immediately, I took it and threw it out of the window.
I said I would and I don't go back on my words. Nonsense! If no one would teach them manners, I would.
"Ahah, Demilade, you shouldn't have thrown it out." Someone said from behind me.
"Nobody should disturb me oh. Case closed." I said back to the person, though I didn't bother to face the person.
It's none of them's fault. If I hadn't failed Chemistry in WAEC and NECO, I wouldn't be here now. Nine of them can try this nonsense with me, if I was their senior.
• • •
Yes! We started our exams yesterday, yes, I meant yesterday. We were told we'll start on Monday though, but we didn't. So we started yesterday, which was Tuesday and today is a freaking Wednesday. It's been a week now since Dayo and I's argument in class. Since then, he didn't talk to me and neither did I. Not like he meant something relevant to me anyway. For your information, I'm not mad at him anymore, but I just don't see why I should talk to him since he isn't talking to me. Yeah, I have my pride.
Probably because of the argument or a reason I don't know, Demmie decided to stay away from me since that day. It hurts somehow but it's okay. He and Lydia got really close through those days and we got distant. We don't even greet each other anymore. Well, maybe it'll help to get over him soon. I have my exams to think about, not one guy of a sort who likes someone else instead. And oh! If it's about the fight, I'm quite sure I'm not at fault. So, if he's annoyed with me because of that, it means if he was in Dayo's shoes, he would have done what Dayo did. I wonder why they all lack manners.
It's 5:10PM already and I'm waiting for Lydia to walk out of the class. I was outside the class waiting for her, with my bag on my back and a textbook on my left hand. Ramos was by the railings, waiting for Demmie also. Did I say waiting?
Demmie and Lydia are the only ones in class right now and I can bet something is going on there. She actually told me that she left one of her books in class so she wants to go back to take it. So, here I am waiting for her after 14 minutes and she's still not out.
Well, from my own point of view, I guess Demmie is finally asking her out and Ramos, being his friend is waiting by the corridor to stop anyone who wants to enter the class. Though, all other S.S.S. 3 students have gone to the school gate and some would have gone home. I still waited patiently though, but when I was getting tired of everything, I had to call her.
"Lydia, answer me nah!"
"Sorry. Please, a minute!"
I groaned as she said that, and Ramos looked at me and smiled a bit.
"She's coming, she wanna arrange the class. Don't interrupt."
"Telling me the truth is better than just throwing unbelievable lies to me. And by the way, I didn't ask you what she's doing in there. No offence, but that's just the truth." I said to him and I turned to another side.
Soon, she walked out and baded Ramos goodnight with a smile as she walked up to me.
"I'm sorry. I was doing some things."
"Yeah, whatever. Just let's go."
"Yup."
"So, what were you and Demmie discussing?"
"I don't know if I should tell you this. Rachel even told me not to, so you won't get hurt."
"Lol. Worst thing. . .Did he ask you out?"
"Sort of. I'm so sorry, I didn't-"
"Congrats, Twinnie. I know, I know, I know. Thanks for caring about how I'll feel when I hear the news."
"You ain't like. . .annoyed?"
"Lydia." I said, turning to her, as I held her hands. "I saw this coming okay? And I told you I've let go for you. So, why would I be annoyed? I'm happy for you okay? Though it's normal I'll feel somehow, but believe me, I'll get over it soon."
Lies. I know right!
"Awwn. Thanks sis. So, he asked me out yesterday but in class the other time, he asked me who my crush is and I told him it was him after pestering me. Then, he held my hands and said he'll be my boyfriend and after all that, he told me to give him a French kiss. . ."
Okay.
". . .But I told him I don't know the meaning, that I only see it in novels, so he told me to check the dictionary and I saw the rolling of tongue with his, and seriously, I found it irritating, like you once said." She nudged me and I smiled to her a bit.
". . .So, I said I can't kiss him, that I'm short. I only used that as an excuse anyway. Then he talked about a peck, and I gave him that instead...." She completed her story some minutes later and I gave her a smile and another 'Congrats' as we walked towards the gate. Then, she hugged me and told me I was the best twin sis ever.
When Demmie and Ramos came out to the gate, Lydia was talking with those she walks home with, while I was standing beside the gate alone, waiting for my bus. I felt a hand wrap around my neck and I looked back to see who it was.
Demmie.
I bent down and moved backwards, making me leave his arm there and I walked to the other side. He came there and did the same thing, but this time, I didn't push his arm away. I just waited for him to say what he wanted to.
"Hey. Are we fighting?" He asked calmly as his eyes locked with mine.
"I don't know.. No."
"So, why ain't we talking? You've been staying away from me."
"Nothing. There's nothing to say, so-"
"The times we do talk too. Was there something to say?"
"Fine. . . I just don't feel like talking to you."
"Why?"
"Nothing." I shrugged his arm off my shoulder and left him there, walking towards my school bag. And I heaved a sigh of relief as my bus came at that very moment and I had to leave. I was suffocating inside, probably because of the news I just heard or so. I walked into my bus and it zoomed off. I managed to wave back to Lydia who was waving to me outside the bus. As the bus zoomed off, a tear fell from my eyes.
Gosh. Not again.
___
Happy new month, loves💓 It's my month..💃💃
Please, make sure you read through the whole A/N.
What do you think about the chapter?
I'm literally in tears for Demi, I can feel her pain. And I'm also happy for Lydia. Demmie? That guy is damn confusing😪😪
Thanks a lot guys for the 486 reads and 221 votes. It really means a lot to me! Please, keep reading, sharing, and VOTING! It means a lot to me. To those who sent me DMs and all to update soon, I'm sorry for the delay, loves❤ School made me busy😪