~Uthman~
'No'
I stared at her incredulously. No? What does that mean? What does she mean by that? And she wasn't even smiling. What the fuck?
'What do you mean by no?'
She shrugged.
'Exactly what no means.'
We were standing so close that it was basically impossible for me to move my hand without touching her and No? What's no?
'Why?
She shrugged again.
'No particular reason'
I said nothing for a while and we just stood there staring when she burst into laughter. She moved back, laughing hard.
'God. I should have made a video. You need to see your expression just now. It was epic.'
She said in between laughter. I stared at her. That was a joke?
'Wait, Jade. Was that a joke?'
She said nothing, still laughing. Oh, really?
'It wasn't a joke oo. I'm still maintaining my no.'
I stared at her.
'You'd have to ask me to be your girlfriend the proper way.'
I kept staring at her. Proper way?
'And what's the proper way?'
She shrugged again and started to towards the door. I followed her. She opened the door and nearly stumbled into the principal.
Wow. If he had came just five minutes earlier, my dad would probably be on the way to school by now.
The principal appeared shocked to see us. He peered over Jade's shoulders to see if anyone was still in the conference room.
'Why are you guys still here?'
'We were talking about the project. About the speech we'd have to give on that day.'
Jade replied immediately and I pinched myself to keep from laughing. What?
'Oh Good. I'm very sure you guys would give your absolute best on that day. Now, go back to your class.'
He actually believed her. Of course he was going to believe her. Nobody would think Jade could lie, at least not a lie like this. Always a sweet and innocent girl. If only they knew, I smiled.
'Why are you smiling?'
She asked when we got outside. I shrugged.
'You're such a good liar.'
I gave her a thumbs up and she glared at me.
'The more I spent time with you, the more I do things I wouldn't have done on a normal day. You're a bad influence, Mister Uthman Gbadamosi.'
I burst into laughter at her words and serious tone.
'But you love it. Hmm? Saturday, park, swing, lips and......'
She punched me. If that could count as a punch thought. Small and very flexible fists.
'You're impossible, Uthman.'
She said and started to walk away.
'And you like the impossible guy, Miss Jadeshola Badmus.'
She shook her head and gave me the middle finger without turning back.
I burst into laughter as I followed her into the class. Oluko, our yoruba teacher was in the class.
'Eyin Senior prefects, why are you just coming to class?'
He asked in Yoruba immediately we entered the class.
'We were assigned to do something by the principal.'
I replied and he nodded.
'Oya, you guys should go and sit down'
I saw Akin smirk as I sat down.
'So someone should tell us the types of Asa Iran ara eni lowo that we have.'
Lots of my classmates raised their hands and he picked Jade.
'Hmm, Aní Àrokodóko, Èbèsé, Aaro dídà, ojà àwin títà.'
'Good. Clap her.'
Jade sat down admist the claps.
'My girlfriend to be is so brilliant.'
I whispered to her as soon as she sat down.
She glared at me.
'In your dreams.'
I smiled at her and she just eyed me.
This girl is too adorable.
Roger that.
**********
'So, what's the proper way to ask a girl out?'
I asked Akin and Daniel. It was lunch break and we were waiting for the girls outside the cafeteria, leaning against the wall. Akin and Daniel exchanged a glance.
'Proper way? What's the proper way to ask a girl out? The only way that I know is the straight forward way, tell her hey I like you a whole lot, be my girlfriend?'
I mentally rolled my eyes at Akin's word. Exactly what I did and I was turned down in less than 3 seconds.
'For me, that would be after a crazy and mindblowing kiss, just tell her you're now my girlfriend after kiss. O ba tan (that's all)'
Daniel's ideas were always off and this did not surprise me. Those two suggestions won't work for Jade.
'But why are you asking? You want to ask.......'
Akin was cut off by Hana's voice.
'Sorry we kept you guys waiting. Let's go in on.'
We entered the cafeteria and we all ordered food, not snacks. Michelle joined us immediately we sat down to eat. I saw and heard Jade hissed underneath her breath. I swallowed. Hope Michelle won't ruin everything like this?
I watched as Jade started eating her food, fried rice and Jollof rice. I had ordered the same thing she bought.
'Are you not going to eat?'
Michelle asked and I turned to look at her, then my food. I was supposed to be eating. God! I must have forgotten that. After a while, I heard Jade speak.
'Don't waste your carrots, just give them to me.'
I looked up at her just as the others look up too. Michelle scowled and mutter bitch underneath her breath. Jade did not wait for me to answer as she started to pick the carrots from my food.
'So you guys are official now?'
'Yes'
'No'
We both answered Dan at the same time. I exchanged a glance with Jade and she shrugged. Akin chuckled and said
'So Uthman already started Jade in his own head and Jade is not dating him. There are levels to that ooo.'
'Well, I only told him to ask me to be his girlfriend the proper way.'
I saw Dan and Akin exchange another glance and they both smiled when they understood why I was asking them about the proper way earlier.
'So, what's this proper way oo?'
Akin asked again and Jade smiled.
'Well, flowers, balloons, music, stars and.... '
She trailed off when she realized we were all staring at her. Even Hana was shaking her head. Someone should please tell me that this wasn't what Jade meant proper way. To think I've been troubled by that since morning.
'Jade, you're talking in the nonsense.'
Akin finally said and we all laughed.
'As in, this matter off me. Is this the Jade I've known for more than 5 years?'
Daniel said and I smiled and said
'Trust me, there are still other sides to her that you guys don't know.'
'That's actually between Uthman and myself so you guys should leave me abeg.'
Jade said and I smiled at her. Between Uthman and myself? Well, I love the sound of that. I took her drink, the 5 Alive pulpy and took a swipe.
'Jade's lips were on those same straw like a minute ago.'
I shrugged at Akin's words.
'No biggie.'
He exchanged another glance with Dan and they both laughed.
'No biggie indeed. If you are talking about saliva exhange or whatnot, Uthman first swallowed Jade's saliva when we were in JSS1.'
Hmm? I turned to Jade who was looking at Hana and shaking her head.
'What does mean?'
I asked.
'I don't remember but Jade got really angry at you for something you did and she spat in your water bottle. We watched you drink that water.'
Akin and Dan burst into laughter. I stared at Jade, not believing my ears. What?
'I was 10 and Uthman was very annoying then. I did what I had to do.'
What?
'So you really spat in my water and watched me drink it?'
'You annoyed me that day.'
'Let it rest man, is it not that same saliva.......'
Akin's words got blurred out when I Michelle dropped her cutlery loudly on her plates. Geez. I had completely forgotten she was here. I heard her stifle a sound, pretty sure they were tears as she stood up and walked out of the cafeteria.
'Eeh. Tragic! Someone is going to cry loads.'
'Akin, don't be so mean na. Look at Uthman and Jade acting all lovey dovey right in front of her. Would she survive it like this?'
'Look at the person telling me not to be mean. Dan, o gbadun.'
I barely heard the rest of Dan and Akin's banter. I could only stare at my food, appetite completely gone. When I looked up a while later, Jade was staring at me with a piqued interest.
Then she ignored me for the rest of the day.
********
I was reading in my room late at night when I heard a knock on my door. I was startled at first because I was the only one in the house.
'Uthman, are you in there?'
Dad? I glanced at the wallclock. It was 11PM. He entered without waiting for me to reply. I looked at him, I've not really looked at him since mom left. He looked way older than his age and lines that I've never seen were on his face. What does he want now?
'You're awake?'
Obviously.
I nodded and he nodded too. He lingered by the door without saying anything.
'You're reading?'
Obviously.
I nodded again.
'That means I should not disturb you. You should keep reading.'
I nodded and he left muttering goodbye. I stared at the door.
What was that?
That was super awkward.
**********
~Jade~
I've ignored Uthman for two days, Monday and Tuesday and it's basically killing me more than it's killing me. He tried to talk to me on Monday after we left the cafeteria, after his whole mood changed when Michelle left. What was I supposed to do to that? I was only going to ignore him for the rest of the day but now, it's been two days, three days counting today, Wednesday.
It was sport practice time and he was overseeing some of his housemate's running. I was staring at him and he wasn't even looking my way. He stopped looking at me yesterday when I basically snapped at him.
Now, you regret it.
'Just go and talk to him. Your eyes will just fall off if you keep staring at him.'
I turned to see Akin walking towards me.
'Just talk to him ehn. You're torturing the both of you with this silence treatment.'
'Torturing myself. He is perfectly fine smiling like that to people.'
'Trust me, he is barely holding it together. And besides why are you not talking to him in the first place?'
I shrugged.
'Is it because of Michelle?'
'It's funny right? Getting all angry at Uthman because of Michelle. It's all ridiculous.'
He smiled.
'I know right but talk to him, hmm? You guys need to talk.'
I nodded.
After the sport practice, I was walking towards the class area with Hana when I saw Uthman talking to Michelle. And if I should go all angry now,
You can't just expect them to stop talking.
I rolled my eyes at my subconscious mind as I walked towards them. I tapped Uthman and he turned to me.
'Let's talk'
I said and I heard Michelle hissed.
'We are talking. Can't you see that?'
'I'll be at our spot.'
I said and started to walk away.
Our spot?
God! I laughed at myself. Our spot indeed. I started walking towards the park.
What if he thinks our spot is the corridor?
I stopped. Oh No. I walked back to the corridor. He wasn't there. I waited for some minutes and when he did not show up. I walked to the park.
No, you ran.
He was there.
'I was starting to think you fooled me here.'
I shrugged as I sat down beside him. It was the same seat we'd sat down on Saturday. Memories threatened to resurface.
Not now, please.
'Maybe that was your punishment for ignoring me for two days. Straight!'
I said and made sure to put enough distance between us.
'Who ignored who? You were the one who started the ignoring game in the first place.'
'And you just left me?'
He shrugged.
'I was actually planning on kidnapping you today.'
I smiled and I took off my shoes and socks to fold my legs underneath my laps.
'You wanted to talk? Oya oo.'
I rolled my eyes.
'Maybe I just wanted to get you away from Michelle.'
He laughed and said teasingly.
'So you were jealous of her?'
'No, I was not and I'm definitely not jealous of her but I'm just overly possessive and it's just so sick as your girlfriend across the table from you and watch your mood change from good to bad because of some girl.'
He said nothing for a while. He was just looking at me.
'No reply?'
'You just said as your girlfriend. Did you realize that?'
'Was that the only thing you heard?'
'That was the most important thing to me.'
Blacks don't blush? Well, I just did.
I don't know if this is reckless, I mean getting into a relationship at 16 when I basically don't understand a thing about a romantic relationship but I don't think I want to be anything other than a girlfriend to Uthman at the moment. Or was it because of the kiss we shared. Thinking about the kiss.
'Was that your first kiss?'
I blurted out without thinking. He turned to me with a smirk on the his face.
'Was that what you wanted to talk about?'
'Just answer me'
'Why are you asking though?'
'I asked a simple question. Yes or no question.'
'Okay okay. It was my first kiss but seriously, why are you asking?'
'No way, first kisses can't be that perfect.'
Did I just say that?
Uthman just burst out laughing. He was laughing so hard that he clenched his stomach. He stopped laughing and he moved closer to me.
'Trust me Jade, it'll even get better.'
He moved even closer.
'Come, let me show you'
I pushed him and he laughed again.
'Wow. You've legit being thinking about that since Saturday? Jadeshola. God!'
I kept a blank face.
'Come on. I'm saying the truth. It was our first kiss, the both of us.'
I narrowed my eyes.
'Speak for yourself, Uthman. You don't know about me.'
He smiled.
'It was pretty obvious.'
Wàláhì, Uthman ò gbádùn. (Uthman is not alright.)
'Well, I missed you. I hope you won't go around ignoring me in the nearest future.'
'Depends on how you behave.'
I replied and he laughed.
'Depends on how I behave? You were the one who spat in my water.'
'Uthman, that was over five years ago and I'm not even proud about it.'
'Wow. I never expected it. What else have you done to me in the past oo?'
I stood up. No way I'm going down that memory lane with Uthman.
'Let's go to class, bad influencer. We're not skipping another class today.'
He smiled smugly and winked.
He actually winked.
'let's just stay and do other things.'
My opened and closed again.
What?
I shook my head.
'No way I'm staying here with you and you can do the other things by yourself.'
I said and walked away, hearing his deep laughter behind me.
*********
I got home late in the evening and while I was undressing in my room, I heard noises from Zee's room. I mentally rolled my eyes. I don't really like how Fatima has been going in and out of the house as if it's her room. I put on a short gown and stepped out of my room. I opened the door angrily.
'Fatima, I told you to stop entering....'
I stopped at the sight of who was in the room.
It was Zee.
Hmmm
What do you guys think of Zee coming home?
And our fav couples seems to kicking off. Who else is loving their relationship.
Till next time, don't know when.
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Love, Riri.