They continued talking till night fell. Leke quickly noticed that although he played with them like mates, they still respected him and minded the words they spoke to him.
"Its late already you guys have talked too much" Mrs Omolola said bringing plates to fruits into the room.
"Why? We may never see them again" Samuel whined.
"Okay,okay"
Everyone soon retired to the rooms allocated to them. Nathaniel heard a knock on the boys room door while Peter stood up to open the door.
"Semiloore?" He turned immediately to Nath "She wants to see you"
"Semiloore what's wrong?"
"Nothing" Semiloore replied with a smile and instantly he knew she was lying. Nathaniel whizzed past him as the girl clutched unto him immediately.
As Peter closed the door,he sighed. He called himself her best friend yet he had to find out everything when everyone else knew.
He found it out to know when she was alright. He remembered when she first came,she talked and played around with them but now;she was always with Nathaniel.
He needed nobody to tell him,Nath understood her the most. They were more like best friends than boyfriend and girlfriend. He just couldn't believe they had drifted so much apart. He couldn't remember when last she laughed with him or talked to him.
She didn't even realize the fact that he liked her a whole lot. He smiled sadly.
"Why such a sad smile?" Christian asked with a grin. Peter smiled in reply.
"Don't think about it too much. She'll always be your best friend its just that you can't understand her the way Nath does"
Peter turned to Christian in surprise. He had always wondered too. How could these guys figure out whatever was happening by just looking?
"How'd you know?"
Christian raised an eyebrow at him as if to ask him if he was serious.
"I have eyes to see dude"
"You think she'll always be my best friend?"
"She always is"
"We so distant"
"Partially your fault. Your jealousy that she liked Nath was killing you"
"Huh? Jealousy? Why would I be jealous?"
"You liked her right? Don't even try denying it"
Peter was tongue-tied "Dude, were you stalking me or what?"
"Please, I am a practical science student. I observe what goes on around me"
"This is pure psychology!"
"If you say so"
"You think Nath is a better match for her than me?"
"Yes"
"Why? Because he's more handsome?" Peter asked with a frown.
"No. Apart from Tamiloore, I don't think anyone understands Semiloore the way Nath does. I mean we were at the hotel and the girls room door opened and he already knew it was her. Couldn't it be any of the girls? Nathaniel also changed because of her. He actually became approachable and less cold. I thought how he would get a wife with that attitude of his but seems like I was wrong. Look Peter, you have to understand Semiloore to keep your friendship solid. You can't be as good as Nath but you can give it a shot"
Nathaniel chuckled at the girl's childish behavior as she wrapped her hands round his waist.
"You are nervous"
Semiloore buried her head into his stomach immediately. "Its has never happened before"
"You'll do better c'mon"
"You always trust me with without thinking,why?" Semiloore asked raising her head up to him.
Nathaniel met her eyes and smiled as he patted her head.
"Because its you"
Semiloore turned red from the compliment and buried her head in his stomach again.
"Ya! Can't you give me a notice before flirting? I really can't take it"
Nathaniel ruffled her hair as he gazed at the clear sky above.
"What exactly are you scared about?"
"What if we don't make it? I mean am sort of revenging, what if I don't make it? You know those stuffs nah that if revenge pushes you to do these things you likely fail"
"When we were reading what was on your mind?"
"Well...... A lot of things"
"I'm listening"
"I thought a lot about you, you wanted to help me so much. I thought of others who wanted to help me too. I thought of all our classmates who trusted me. I thought of Oxford as my family who I wanted to be proud of me. I couldn't dare let any party down"
"Family?"
"Aren't you my family?" Semiloore asked teasing as Nath laughed in reply.
"You'll be fine"
"You think so?"
"I know so"
"Don't you think you trust me too much?"
"Sometimes I think I don't trust you enough"
Semiloore stood on her toes and pressed a kiss to the guy's lips. There was no way on earth she could find a replacement for this guy. He was just toooo much.
Nathaniel was taken aback by the sudden kiss.
"Will you go to bed now?"
"I want to sleep with you" Semiloore whined as Nathaniel started coughing.
Semiloore punched him playfully "Stop thinking dirty"
"Ya! I was just coughing. You are the one having dirty thoughts" Nathaniel defended.
Semiloore turned red from embarrassment and turned on her heel before sprinting to back to the room allocated to the girls with Nathaniel's laughter trailing after her.
Semiloore closed the door and touched her cheeks.
"Bully" she murmured as she got into bed.
Nathaniel stood on the balcony for a long time. He put on the lights as he walked to the dining and opened the fridge and took out a bottle of water. He walked back to the balcony and sat down.
He didn't even know why he trusted her so much. It was just something that came naturally to him. Like he had told her,maybe because it was her. She was just her,she impressed everyone around her even without her doing anything. She was just her. He drank out of the water and smiled as he dropped his head.
Mrs Omolola woke everybody up at 4am to pray. She had cooked and cleaned up the house.
"When did you do all these?" Peter asked sleepily.
Leke chuckled "Mom likes cooking in silence a very early in the morning suits her"
"Ohh"
"Let's someone pray for us"
"Our Father and our God.." Mr Williams started as he clasped his hands together.
Consecutive Amens were repeated after the other and soon the prayer came to an end.
"What next?"
"Take your bath and sleep for an hour"
They frowned "What kind of logic is that?"
Olivia wore a lopsided smile "You'll know when you wake up"
Everybody went to take their bath as Leke only wore his school trousers and walked downstairs.
"My eyes!" Olamide yelled as her hands flew to her eyes.
"What?"
"Don't corrupt them Snr Leke, please get a shirt"
Everybody burst into laughter as they retired to their rooms.
Nathaniel was the first to wake up. His eyes went to the wall clock up in the room.
7:12
Nathaniel sat up on the bed surprised. He never felt this before. He just couldn't describe the feeling. He felt more refreshed and there was this alien feeling in him. Christian stood up almost immediately.
"Guys"
"How do you feel?"
They had an undescribable expressions on their faces.
"I feel great"
"Like very calm"
"Me too"
"Its kinda an alien feeling though"
"Yeah. Its always like that"
"Whoa!"
"You guys are off to school"
"Yeah. School bus should be here in a minute" Leke said and just then they heard a horn.
"Bye bye"
They had gone out the door before Nathaniel ran after Leke with his textbook. He had collected his textbook to do some revisions. Everyone in the bus was surprised as they started cooing.
"You guys are going home straight after the competition right?" Leke asked.
"Yeah"
"So we won't see"
Nathaniel shrugged "We can always video call".
Olivia waved frantically at Nath who gave her a big smile making him more cute.
"Tell Snr Christian to come back and play PES with me, I'll beat him" Samuel yelled and Nathaniel nodded before walking back into the house.
As soon as he was out of sight,everyone crowded Olivia and Samuel.
"Who was that guy?"
"He was the one on the cowbellpedia yesterday bah?"
"He's so cute"
"What's his name?"
"How do you know him?"
They boarded them with question but no one dared asked Leke a single question.