Semiloore placed her hand on the 5k "Mine"
Deji instantly blocked her "Yours keh? Nobody won awey"
"Should I recall my statement for you?"
"Go on"
"He'll do what nobody expects and that? No one was expecting it"
Deji grumbled before taking his hands off the money.
Jerry frowned "What's going on right now?"
"We made..." Semiloore quickly used her hand to cover his mouth "You continue reading"
Jerry gave the four a weird look before dragging the Further Maths textbook to himself.
SSS2 students gathered round the bus wishing Semiloore, Nathaniel, Deji and Rolake success.
Rolake was sitted in the bus fiddling with her hands. She hadn't been very nice to everyone while everyone swarm around the rest, no one was around her.
"Are you being nervous right now?" Someone asked and Rolake raised her head to see Jerry.
"Jerry?" She called out as Jerry sat opposite her.
"I'm not" she lied.
"You are"
"Yes. I am,am scared. What if I blow up the competition? What if I can't even get to the semi finals? Why if our school gets cut off in the first round? I've not really done this so well. What if I disrupt Semiloore's plan in the process? What if a
I am not all that..... "
Jerry stopped her speech as he placed his mouth on hers. Rolake's mind went blank.
Jerry withdrew after a while. "I watched you study hard, we all did. You'll do good huh?"
"You believe me?"
"We all do" Jerry replied with a wink as he got up. Rolake shot up immediately and hugged him from the back. Jerry smiled a little.
"Thanks for believing in me"
Jerry placed his hands on her hands and slowly rubbed them.
"I know you'll do fine"
"Oh my precious eyes" Christian yelled before bursting into laughter.
"Almighty Jerry has a girlfriend" Christian sang as Jerry raised an eyebrow at him.
Christian stopped instantly "My apologies"
Semiloore had asked him to check on Rolake. He had seen her blab all her insecurities to Jerry. He had watched how Jerry had kissed her.
He had watched everything. He wondered when the two started having feelings of each other. He slid his hands into his pockets as the corners of his mouth lifted in a smile.
Love like they say,is beautiful.
"Goodluck Rolake" some of the classmates cheered as they got on the bus. Mr Williams wore a huge smile as he got on the bus.
"Are we all ready?"
"Yes"
"Success in your exams" Semiloore yelled as she waved to her classmates.
"Come back victorious"
They kept waving to each other as they bus driver started the car. Rolake eyes were on Jerry who gave her a reassuring smile in return. Deji rubbed his sweaty palm together.
"Nervous much?"
"To be sincere,I am scared. I've never been this scared like this my whole life" Deji confessed and
Semiloore smiled at him.
"You'll be fine. I trust you"
"Luckily for us,the cowbellpedia starts at 10am while the BDS Current Affairs Quiz is 9am,so you guys can still watch a little"
The bus drove into the avenue and Semiloore glanced at Rolake and Deji.
"I want you two to take a deep breadth. And release it. You guys are going to reach the semi finals, you are already there"
Rolake smiled at Semiloore "There are lot of people who believe in you,don't let us down"
They walked inside the hall and instantly took their seats.
"Where is Akin and Moyo?" One of the contestants asked.
"Who are you guys? You both are not in SS3 right?"
Rolake bit her lip.
What was wrong with these two?
"Hey don't tell me your school sent SS2 students"
"Those two are so brilliant yet they have never reached the semi finals and here are you guys. I doubt if you'll pass the first round"
Other contestants laughed.
"In every battle we were always taught one thing. Apparently your school didn't teach you that" Deji said with an air of superiority.
"And what is that?"
"Do not underestimate your opponent. You have seen Snr Akin and Snr Moyo before, you've seen their performances,have you seen ours? No! If I were you,I would pull my seatbelt tight. Why? Because those ugly teeth of yours I won't be seeing them at the end of today" Deji replied as other contestants burst into laughter. The Model students were fuming and soon the quiz started.
"Oxford,your turn?"
"Number 27"
"Which state was the Federal Capital before Abuja?"
"Lagos" Deji replied.
"Correct"
Rolake clenched her hands together, she had been asking the questions and Deji had been answering flawlessly. For now, the 48 schools participating were on a par so the judges brought a delete questions.
Ten schools were selected pairing the schools into groups. In each group, questions were asked and you were given twenty seconds to answer.
There were five groups but the last group consisted of eight schools. In the last four groups,about 21 schools had dropped out. And soon it was the last group turn.
"Oxford your turn"
"78"
"What's the name of the Minister of Information and Culture in Nigeria?"
The moment Rolake saw Deji hesitate, her heart did a summersault.
"Lai Muhammed"
"Correct"
The schools in the the fifth group were well informed and no one was slacking. Answers were given within ten seconds. Even the judges seemed interested in the fifth group.
At least three schools had to be eliminated
"Who was the third colonial governor of Nigeria?"
There was dead silence as the man waited but no answer.
"Bonus to KGS"
"No idea sir"
"Bonus to Model"
"Sir Richard Clifford"
Deji gave the guy a look that said "are-you-kidding-me-right-now"
"Wrong"
"Bonus to Oxford"
"Sir Authur Richard"
"Correct. When did the second military coup start?"
"1967"
"Wrong, bonus to Model"
"1976"
"Wrong,bonus to Oxford"
"1970"
"Correct"
The man glanced at the two students before asking the next question. Model had gotten it.
"Oxford,your turn"
"Who was the former president of Zimbabwe?"
"Robert Mugape" Rolake replied.
Semiloore made a signal to Rolake and Deji that they were leaving as she sent flying kisses that made both of them smile.
"Goodluck" Rolake mouthed her nervousness gone.
Semiloore glanced at Nathaniel as he had being staring outside the window. She moved closer to him and turned his face to herself.
"You are nervous"
"Is that a statement of fact or a question?"
"Both"
Nathaniel smiled "You are pretty much used to this, I am not"
"Doesn't make a difference"
Semiloore smiled as she kissed him "Feeling better?"
"Are you kidding me?" Nathaniel asked as he pulled her for another kiss.
Christian yawned as he trotted to the cafeteria. He was so famished. He groaned when he saw the long line.
"I'm gonna die here" he muttered to himself as he hit someone and the tray flew into the sky and landed face down as the food poured away.
"Oh my god! I'm so...... You!" Christian yelled as he saw that it was the girl who her friends had dared her to come and tell him that she liked him.
The girl lowered her eyelids immediately "Snr Christian"
"Come with me" Christian replied his hunger gone.