I'm scared and I don't hesitate to show it. I'm not with my phone to call Zara or anyone, and I don't think he'll let me touch his. I don't even want to.
I'm literally sweating profusely right now. He looks at me and smirks.
"What's funny? We're stuck in here and you're smilling..."
Okay not actually smiling, but SMIRKING! Are you ok?
"Calm down, ok?"
I make my mouth vibrate and move away.
"What are we going to do?" I ask.
"Sing until someone comes to open the door."
I turn and look at him. Is this guy okay? We don't have any hope of leaving right now and he's being silly.
"Come." He does so, but not after being hesitant. I touch his neck and shake my neck. "You're actually sick."
I sit down on a chair and rest my back on the wall. He comes close to me and starts to remove my tie -undoing the knots.
That's sensitive.
"Jamal, what are you doing?" I find my tongue back and push his hand away, but he still keeps undoing the knot of my tie. He removes my tie and drops it on the speaker and stretches his hand so I can take it.
"Why?"
"C'mon..."
I take his hand and stand up.
"You'll dance and I'll sing. That's something we can use to keep ourselves busy," he suggests.
"I can't dance."
At all! I'm so bad at it. Sooo bad.
He brings a hula hoop and hands to me.
"I saw you doing this on Circus Show Day," he says.
Yeah, right.
I collect the hoop from him and pull it over my head, then it goes down to my waist and I hold it.
"What song?"
"I'll count how long you can do it."
I start to do what he says but I stop when he gets to number fifty. I hiss immediately I'm done, and go back to sit down. But on the floor this time around.
He comes over and sits beside me but I don't bother to look at his face. I shall overcome temptation. Besides, I don't want to prove Zara right with her quadrilateral love ideology.
"Hey." His voice is calm and I can feel his breath on my neck.
"Jamal please I'm tired. Don't make me do another task," I tell him.
"You're giving me a task already..."
I look at him. Okay, I know his face is close now but nah-uh, we don't want to do something silly.
"...the task of admiring your cuteness. You're beyond beautiful y'know?"
My heart is blushing.
His face keep coming closer to mine but I look away first.
"Someone's coming in," I say.
We stand up and hide. It's Mrs Tolu this time. I'm sure she's coming to collect some flutes because she takes music classes for the junior classes on Mondays. They're supposed to be entering the music room now but they-
"Karen, what are you doing-? Jamal? You too?" Mrs Tolu asks.
"We got locked in-"
"Leave before you get reported, and I don't ever want to meet a scene like this again," she says.
My heart is beating as I leave the room. I keep walking towards my class until Jamal pulls me back. I turn to him directly and looking up at his face. Mehn, I'm short.
"Thanks for making my eyes see a beautiful creature."
"Urm..." I blush.
"Karen!" Zara calls. I turn to her and hug her, and when we pull away, she looks at Jamal. "What happened?"
"Nothing..."
"C'mon, tell me already. The both of you left us."
I look at Jamal who's smirking and carrying his blazer on one arm, and the other hand in the pocket.
"I have Chemistry, we'll talk after school ok?" I rush upstairs and go back to my class.
Luckily for me, my classmates are just leaving the class. When I go to my locker to bring out my lab coat, I see Asher still sitting on his chair with his hoodie covering his head. As usual. I don't know why I'm so drawn and I move to go and ask him if he's okay but Praise calls me.
"Karen," he calls. I turn and face him. "Where were you?"
"Sorry, was doing something. Did you miss me?" I ask.
He scratches his neck and smirks. "Is it obvious?"
I nod, and open my locker to bring out my labcoat.
"Well, I know we started talking so much last week but I've been observing you since SS2 and I'd pretty much like us to be friends."
I hit his shoulder playfully, and start putting on my labcoat. "You must be joking..."
His smile is slowly fading away. "...of course, we have always been friends." And that cute smile is back again. One word for him:
Adorable.
"Let's go to the lab now, you ready?" he asks. I take a quick glance at Asher and he's already carrying his book.
I nod. "Yes, sure."
******************
"Don't forget your aprons on Friday. I decided to give this announcement today because I don't want to hear any excuse. Is that clear?" Mrs Solade tells us.
Everyone has been standing with their bags because school is over and they want to leave the class.
"Yes ma."
Why does she even have to come after last period?
"And, make sure you have your white clothes too," she adds.
Who doesn't know?
"Madam comot class na," Praise says in a low tone but most of us hear him and laugh. Mrs Solade leaves immediately.
"The Boss!" Some of the guys hail Praise.
"See as you jes make the woman disappear from class," Godwin says.
"You gat the keys to the bimmer, mannn!" Kevin says.
Who dash Praise Bimmer sef?
Aina comes to me.
"Today has been so long. Why did you and Jamal leave the cafeteria?"
"It's nothing important though."
She doesn't ask further and I like her for that, because that's the same way I do.
Aina's older brother picks her up really early so it's just me and Zara, sitting on one of the benches under the almond tree close to the blue gate.
"Tell me everything!"
I'm not the type of person who keeps things away from my bestfriend. I trust her a lot, and she's like my diary.
I tell her everything that happened and I can't stop her from squealing when I tell her the part when Jamal was removing my tie. He removed my tie for a reason I don't know, and I'm not ready to ask.
"So, is he still with your tie?"
That's when I notice that I've not been putting on my tie.
"I'll go and get it from the music room. I'm sure I forgot it there."
"Do you have the keys?"
"I'll just ask my form teacher."
She rolls her eyes and scoffs. "You guys are lucky to have a nice form teacher. Mr Lucky is so grumpy, I hate him."
I laugh. "Start liking him o!"
"God forbid!" She snaps her fingers after moving it round her head. "He should marry and go on a honeymoon so SS3 Everest can have rest abeg," she says.
"I'll be back." I giggle and leave her.
I'm heading upstairs when someone pulls me inside JSS2 Hotshot class. That class is basically the darkest class in the whole school because it has two big trees beside it's windows. Zara used to be in that class until she complained and switched to JSS2 Everest in second term.
He shuts the door quietly and locks it, then he pins me to the wall.
"Accept my apology Karen. You're making it worse for me to leave that way."
"Was I ever part of your life? Why do I have an effect on you?"
"Because I have always wanted to be close to you but you're so rude, and I didn't want to make it obvious that I was pushing hard to be your friend!" He hasn't even taken a breath.
I won't believe that.
I fold my hands, with my eyes squinted.
"So?"
"Karen...please."
It doesn't even make any sense for Asher to be so nice now. Afterall, he was the one who threw my bag to the other side of the class and occupied my seat seven days ago.
"I'm not angry with you. You're forgiven."
He smiles at that and pulls me into a hug. I tap his back, and he pulls away. He probably has noticed that I'm not going to hug back.
"Thanks."
"Yeah, sure." I move towards the door but he pulls me back.
"Your tie." I try to collect it from him but he raises it up, so high.
"Okay give it back. You know I'm..."
Should I say short? I'm not short. Just average-heighted, but I feel short when I stand close to him. Does the word average-heighted even exist?
"You're what?" He chuckles.
"...not as tall as you." I jump and try to collect the dark blue tie from him.
"Say you're short."
I jump again. "Asher please just give my tie back."
"Yay! She called me by my name. She likes my name." He laughs.
I yawn sarcastically and jump again. "Give my tie back! Stop acting like a terrorist."
"Do terrorists act this way?"
Karen, you know that they actually don't.
"Asher na, just stop this your madness abeg." I scratch between my braids.
"Just say you're short."
"No way!"
"Then it means you don't need it." He moves towards the door and I drag him back by his shirt.
I feel empty without my tie, and thank God I had not noticed it earlier if not, I'd have been so disturbed.
"Fine! I'm short."
As I'm saying short, I roll my eyes.
"Awwn." He rubs my hair.
Mumu, it's just braids.
Stop talking to me, Inner Karen.
Ode! I'm just telling you before you start feeling special.
Vamoose!
I'll be watching from in here. But keep these guys tight sha...
So that's just, basically, me talking to myself. Or rather, arguing.
I want to collect the tie, but instead he raises his hand up and holds my shoulder -slowly pushing me to the wall.
Ahhhh! Karen, I feel sensitive oh! Do you?
Free me joor.
He starts knotting my tie for me and when he's done, I don't waste time in unlocking the door.
Immediately I step out, I see Dianne passing by and she shoots me a cold stare. Wait! Has she been crying?
She walks by and immediately, Zara shows up with my bag. I guess she's surprised that Asher is behind me. She tries to hide her smile but I know my bestfriend too well.
Why she no go smile? You're getting into a quadrilateral love. Drama before finals.
That reminds me of a wattpad novel though.
I go to her and collect my bag, wearing it on my back.
"Sheybi gist dey?" she whispers.
"Maybe."
At that she squeals and doesn't hesitate to give me a video call at night.
I hold my unicorn pillow so tight as I sleep, remembering how everything went on today.
Praise...check
Asher...check
Jamal...check again.
My goodness! I'll try my best not to get confused between these three.
***********
Y'ello!🤩😘
So I know that this chapter is short, but that's because I'm tired and I am thinking of how to bring the drama in.
I already wrote this novel before, but I honestly never wanted to publish it.
I got the courage from so many novels here on wattpad, which I can't start listing.
And, I made some corrections on this chapter which will affect other chapters...so now, I have to go and start editting those ones too.
Anyways🤭
Don't forget to make me smile. Y'all know what to do.
With L❤VE,
Angel___❤