We are the
Kings and queens
Seeking our aces out...
--
Chimdi never loved attention, but who was she to shy away from one, with a life like hers?
She placed a faux smile on her face, while the school staff came to congratulate her on her 'achievement'
But she'd been well groomed with the reality and true nature of humans.
They'd flaunt their faux feelings to you once you are successful. They never want to be left behind, any little chance they got at finding favours, their hands were always quick to grab.
Chimdi knew all the smiles, pats and hugs she received were all fake. Some of them had their own share of judging her. But she smiled anyway. She adjusted her blazer and pulled up her socks, as she made her way out of the staffroom.
The violent harmattan breeze hadn't calmed a bit. Nigerian weather was like that, whenever you need it, it becomes scarce.
Her black shoe was coated in dust and she bent to clean them, before retracting her hands, knowing fully well that, walking a little distance would still make them dusty.
Curse Harmattan.
She tugged again at her stockings when the breeze became more violent and kept walking.
She reached where Nene and Lara promised to wait for her, just to see additional company.
Elo was in his usual happy mood, unlike Jiki who constantly rolled his eyes at whatever the shorter boy said. She smiled when she finally reached them.
That was when she noticed a new face, the boy was dark skinned yet, his skin was clearer than theirs and his hair, a mop of thick black curls, cut low enough to look clean.
She felt his eyes on him as she gave in to Jiki's embrace.
To outsiders, Jiki was the overprotective boyfriend who wouldn't let the other boys get to chimdi. While in reality, he filled in the big brother role, shielding out the hormone crazed boys.
"Oshey Modella." Elo sang out, clearing an imaginary road for her.
She played along, sashaying to where he stood.
"Drumrolls please, Elo you're such a fool!"
The shorter boy rolled his eyes before enveloping her in a hug.
He sniffed her hair. "You are still using that Sheabutter nonsense." His nose scrunched in detest for the hair cream.
"Brand influencer duties." She sassed back.
The boy rolled his eyes, using his fingers to play with the curly ringlets of her luxuriant fro. "Still, that doesn't mean you should use it."
She glared at the shorter boy. "You should keep your opinions to yourself El. You don't know shit about hair maintenance."
Meanwhile, TJ felt out of place in the midst of people who were totally not in anyway familiar. He had to admit that though his father had told him of his non-existent friendship with Elo, the shorter boy still was a stranger in a sense. However, amidst the mini chaos going on at that moment, he felt he knew the skinny girl from someplace. He just couldn't figure out the exact place.
"Dee, did you grow taller?" Jiki teased Chimdi who was done arguing with Elo, hovering his hand an inch above her head.
Truly her short plaid skirt and long skinny legs made her look taller.
"Of course, I'd do anything to be same height with some people." She replied, not looking at anyone.
"Awwwn, for me?" Elo crooned, draping his hands around Nene. "Or did you meet someone we aren't aware of yet."
Nene rolled her eyes, swatting off his hands.
"Awon brostitute! Get your smelly hand off me!" Nene scolded, glaring daggers at him.
They cracked up in a fit of laughter when Elo went ahead to sniff his arm.
Elo and Nene were the comic relief of the little clique. A day would never go by without a fight.
"C'mon Nens, you know this hottie here never smells." He spread this arms to envelope her in a hug. "Come and give Daddy a hug sweetie pie. I know you missed me."
"Jesus ewww! I swear El, if you come near me-" before the threat words could make a successful get away out of her mouth, Elo had already wrapped her in his arms.
She made gagging sounds, giving him the impression that she was about to throw up.
"Awwn. Cutie, cutie!" Elo cooed when he released Nene, dragging her chubby cheeks. "I'm sure you consumed every meal in your mum's kitchen. I mean, look at these chubby cuties."
"What the hell El! Even your palms are fucking disgusting!" She pushed him off, wiping furiously at her cheeks. "What the hell are they? Wet towels? Eww!"
"They're called sweat glands babe." Elo replied, wiping his palms on his trouser. "You know everyone is born differently I discovered it this summer-"
Jiki groaned, palming his face in embarrassment. "Dude c'mon! That's the lamest gist ever."
"What?" The shorter boy asked, rocking on his heels. "What's so lame about my major sweat glands being my palms and feet? And this doctor on Twitter was like; sweat leaving through another-"
"Jesus El shut up! You're triggering my gag reflex right now!" Lara groaned, covering her ears.
"C'mon Larabear. We learn every day."
"Yeah, but nobody signed up for lessons over eww- sweat glands!"
The Clique clicked so well.
With Jiki exhibiting his mean aura, when behind the light skinned, tall swim captain, laid a golden boy with a heart, twice as big as the universe and a smile, bright enough to brighten the dark nights. And this, he only showed to the people in his circle and on set, doing what he loved.
Elo went all out and once he was sighted, one can tell what he was capable of. The average height, black boy with dreadlocks, Dr Addy never stopped frowning at, had a bubbly personality that could rub off on anybody. Except one would totally scram when they meet an angry Elo.
Lara was the introvert with the charm of an extrovert which concealed the soft spoken lowkey nerd, whose nose was always stuck to a good read. And Nene, who just like Elo came all out, was the brain of the clique and Elo's nemesis. The ebony beauty who was all brains and curves used her tongue and brain as a weapon of mass destruction.
Chimdi to all was the vibrant teen star, who out shone her friends. With will, made from the strongest materials. She was a closed book, people painted her in a different light. But she had the universe on her shoulder and the sun for a crown, with a thousand pleas on the tip of her tongue.
Chimdi still felt the new guy's eyes on her. She turned and he looked away.
"Guys, Oh I forgot. This na my gee, he just came in from the states. No jokes here though." Elo introduced TJ who shyly smiled, all eyes were on him. Including Jiki's judgemental ones.
"You people need to hear him speak." Abike butted in from nowhere, making her twin brother groan.
Abike, Elo's twin who always claimed to be older, just because she was taller and Chimdi's frenemy wasn't really part of the clique. She butted in whenever pleased her, said whatever she thought and stuck by her own rules.
The twin never tried to conceal her true feelings towards Chimdi. And the clique couldn't put a ring to it.
"Do you have to do that every fucking time!" Elo groaned.
"Do what?" Abike asked as she went on to lean on TJ.
TJ knew she had a crush on him, from the moment her mother mentioned how they played with tiny sunflowers and turning them into crowns, which TJ gifted her when they were kids.
Though none of them could recollect, Abike clung to that.
"What happened to his accent?" Nene spoke up for the confused clique.
"Mind blowing." The twin giggled, earning a grunt from her brother.
This made them look at TJ, waiting for him to speak up. This action made the boy uncomfortable.
"Y'all really expect me to speak?" TJ asked, clamping his mouth shut when he realized he actually did end up speaking, earning a crack up from the clique.
"Dude, that was epic." Nene hiccupped, cupping her tummy and unaware she was leaning on Elo.
"Hmmn. But nothing I say is epic baa? " Elo asked, feigning a broken heart, earning a hiss from Nene, who retracted her hands immediately like it was never there.
"I don't know, you guys talk so normal It's beautiful." TJ confessed.
In the African movies he'd seen, Africans spoke in a particular way that was stereotyped. What he got back in Nigeria was a different thing all together, starting from the woman who sat beside him on the airplane.
"No way, the way you speak is cool too. You know, like those... what do they call it again," Lara tried to put a name to it.
"Afro Americans?" Nene supplied.
"Yeah, exactly. When I heard you speak, I thought 'dear Martin." Lara giggled. "It's fun listening to someone speak ebonics in the flesh."
Nene made a face, her brows making a connection with her hair line. "Who the hell is Martin?"
Groaning at everyone's confused face, Lara rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I wonder how I'm friends with y'all."
"Same here," Chimdi waved, wiggling her fingers at the annoyed girl. "You're such a dork."
The clique bursted out fit which had Lara letting loose the grin she'd been hiding.
The bell rang for lessons to commence. And with a groan, they all dispersed to their various classrooms.
--
"Get ready to explore cinematography SS3. I am Corp Morris Ofose." An overly cheerful man in his mid twenties addressed the class.
The students interests were piqued immediately. Mostly because he was a youth Corp and Cinematography wasn't a course practiced in the lower academic section in Nigeria.
TJ looked around to see different shades of excited faces. Looking like they just got served five star meals.
He sighed.
Been there, done that.
"I need a comprehensive list of the class." The young corp requested, rocking on his heels.
No answer.
"Class captain?" A brow raised.
"We have none sir." Came the loud voice of 45 eager students.
--