That's the lake.
Fuse Odg- New African Girl.
Thanks for all the vote and support. Keep it coming 😂😂
She kissed him. What blew her away was when he kissed her back with so much passion, she felt intoxicated and light headed.
" I guess you do, but there's something you should know." He begun between rasped breaths,
" I'm already with someone and she'll have to know what's going on because I never hide anything from her. If she allows me to hang out with you then we can continue what we just started."
She looked stunned and confused obviously so he decides to change the topic, " So how'd I sound up there?"
" Great actually, good enough for you to be on the talent show tonight." She snaps back to her normal self and said as if nothing had just happened.
" I was planning on not showing up for my performance but I guess you're right and also it wouldn't be fair to the rest of the guys in my house. So with your recommendation, I'll give it a try."
She smiles in deep thought and bent over to pick her book from the side of the tree. He noticed the genre and turned to her again, " You read gothic fiction?"
" I have terrible addictions." She shrugs.
" You should meet my best friend Zaron, he lives for these kind of stuff."
" Zaron Daniels, I've seen him with you three a lot. He's really reserved."
" He prefers to be like that unlike the rest of us." He says.
" I've gotta get going, I need to join my girls for the runway." She grins and walks away before she could squirm under his deceitful gaze.
OoO
The dance studio was another party on its own since Joyce had reserved the studio for only Manhattan girls to have their last rehearsal for the show that evening.
This Saturday was different from the others because it was visiting, nobody was allowed to wear anything other than any of the school's uniforms on a visiting Saturday. It was compulsory to have on at least one of the school's uniforms until visiting is over. This was so no one leaves school grounds with anyone without the security's notice.
The speakers here were much louder and therefore the song reached your head easily and therefore getting you to feel your performance better. All ten girls were in their PE kit and dancing to Blackpink's As If You're The Last infront of the large clear mirrors of the studio.
Joyce had done a great job in training them for the show in just three days but let's face the fact, she literally picked out all the best dancers in the house and showed them a video of Blackpink dancing to the song so all the rest of the struggle had come from the girls themselves and Ha Won who was leading that dance.
They had to removed some inconvenient moves and swapped them with much easier ones since they were too late to learn those moves.
They were dancing to a mixed tape of five songs, Blackpink's As if You're The Last first, followed by Fifth Harmony's Work from home, then Beyonce and Shatta Wale's Already then Nobody by Joeboy then finally Shake body by Skales.
They were really celebrating Korea because Ha Won was the leader of the dance, girl had so much energy to spare, sometimes some of the girls couldn't keep up with her.
Unfortunately at this moment, she was rather not feeling it.
" Geez, Ha Won, what's up with you today. It's like you've lost your power?" Joyce walks up to her as Flynn turns down the music and slips unto the linoleum floorboards of the studio next to all the girls who were now sitting there. They weren't that sweaty because of the powerful air-conditioning of the room, this place must have taken Joyce a lot of effort to reserve because not everyone in the school was allowed in there just for rehearsals.
" I don't know," She replies pulling her T-shirt up to wipe her face.
" You've been the mastermind behind this particular dance, you are in charge, so what's up?" Rashida asks.
" I'm sorry guys, I'm just nervous. This is my first performance away from my bedroom mirror and on a stage." She replies in a solemn tone.
" Me too!" Aba raises her hands and says.
" Great, now we're all starting to have cold feet." Cheyenne whispers under her breath.
" I think we should do something different to lighten up the atmosphere cause now is not the time to pull back." Heather suggests.
" Right.Any ideas?" Joyce asks them.
" Let's go karaoke, there's a machine at the back." Flynn suggests eagerly and everyone begins to murmur in agreement.
" Why not?" Joyce says and everyone scurries off to the machine in excitement except for Ha Won.
Joyce threw a hand over her shoulders in a reassuring way,
" We've got this buddy."
Jordyn was already setting the machine up while Flynn tested the microphones.
" Guys I want her to sing first." Joyce called out.
" No, I can't sing infront of an audience." She declined.
" Don't worry it's just us, we'll sing it with you, right guys?" Mameley asks Peace and Max and they all nod.
" Let's pick a song." Flynn says and walks to the list of lyrics on the machine, " I think you'd love to sing a song with an Asian artiste but there are only two here, Tatiana Manois and Jhené Aiko, you choose."
" I can't sing half the lyrics of songs by Tatiana but I think I like Jhené." She replies and sits next to Nana Aba.
" Then Post to Be, it is!!" She hits on the play button and the microphone is handed to Mameley and Peace to sing with her.
Mameley was Chris Brown and Peace was Omarion. The girls laughed anytime they couldn't keep up with the lyrics and mumbled incoherent words out loud. Even Joyce couldn't help it. They were silly.
Now Jhené Aiko's part came and they kept silent for her and damn straight, the girl could impersonate Jhené Aiko at any place, she even had the gestures off head.
" That's my sister!" A voice called in a thick Asian accent from the entrance and She turns at the sound and dashed towards him shouting ' Oppa!' in excitement.
All the girls turn in unison and there standing far off was a really tall asian boy with the palest skin and dark black hair just like Ha Won's and he had the most contagious smile spread across his pink lips.
She embraced him tightly and said something in Korean to which he chuckled and replied.
She pulled him towards her friends, " Guys this is my annoying older brother, Park Jae-Su."
" Hi." Most of them greet.
" He looks like he just popped out of a K-drama." Peace whispers to Nana Aba who almost squealed as they awaited his response.
" Guys, that's about all he can say in English. He was raised in Korea." Ha Won chips in and they all nod in realisation.
She says something to him in Korea and he waves at them, " I'll be right back guys."
As soon as she exits the doors, Joyce claps to get their attention.
" Okay girls back to the dance, we've had a great tension relieving moment, we'll be starting with Cheyenne's lead then Heather's before Peace."
They were to switch who leads the dance to each song because to each song, there was someone who danced it better. The rest just followed their lead and mirrored their moves in perfect sync.
If you as much as move a second faster or slower than the person leading, Joyce would kick you out even though it was last minute. She loved perfection.
OoO
The school's theatre was another show on its own. The Mavis Annan Art Theatre was filled with the buzzing noise from the various photographers from the school's photography club and the loud music emanating from speakers embedded in the walls.
The theatre could be made darker easily even during the day for any purpose. It was constructed by an alumni from 1 Los Angeles and a former resident of Florida House, Mavis Annan.
The runway had been set up with seats on either sides of it now packed. The front row seats had the school's Head of Clothing and Textiles department of the school, Mr Badu. One of the entertainment prefect's, Naana Boatemaa Humphrey who was a fashionista of her own and had much publicity on Instagram and TikTok, there was Mrs Addae one of the aging teachers in the school who still had her sense of style up to date, then finally, they had one of their very own alumni who funded this particular program each year.
She was in the person of Mimi Clottey, a professional model from one of the top modeling agencies in Milan, she was originally know as Millicent Clottey before she picked up her runway name and made a name for herself all over the globe.
She flew to the country each year for this show so it was a big deal both to her and every single member of her house, Manhattan.
Afrakomah was supposed to help them dress up and put everything together, Ivy and Wathoni were in charge of their make up and coaching whiles Valeria a final year student from dorm three did their hair with Joy's help. She had been the chief hairstylist of Manhattan house since she got there.
Those with haircuts didn't even have a problem, all she needed was some hair gel, bobby pins and a comb.
Some of them needed extensions to match the clothes they were modeling whiles some needed longer lashes to bring out their face and extraordinary make up. Behind the stage, every house was in their own studio.
There were other serious touch ups they had to go through like manicures, pedicures, and eyebrow plucking by expert's called in by Mrs Addae, some of these experts were guys who were feminists and had fun conversations with them.
Ivy pulled out her cellphone and took a selfie with each person because honestly, they all looked ten times more mature and gorgeous.
The hardest part for some of them was getting into their shoes. Others had to have their dresses adjusted to fit them at last minute with pins.
Ciarra winced with every slight bending she did because the pins would keep pricking her in ways she couldn't explain.
Ivy assured them hers had also been similar but she still pulled it off back then so they also could.
Veronica felt taller now that she was Wohalay's height and she kept rubbing shoulders with her and getting everyone to laugh.
" Is this how it feels to be high up here?" Faye asks, " I love it, oh how I wish we were allowed to wear heels to class!"
" Careful what you wish for," Ashanti warns, " My classmate once broke her ankle."
" Bummer!" She deflates.
" Posture everyone!!, I want you to be poised that's why you are in those." Ivy walks in and calls out and everyone attempts to comply, " You'll realise that the more you slouch, the more painful it feels to walk in them. Walking in heels is all about confidence and poise. "
" This is our first collection, themed Red Carpet. Every dress each of you has on is a remaking of an original worn during a red carpet so if you care to know, you can ask Afrakomah after the show. But you're going to be out in ten minutes so if you have anything to do, do it now...and please no one should tell me they need to pee."
Nobody replied and she sighs in relief.
" Good, after this we have the African Sensation which involves clothes designed by African fashion designers in African print. Afrakomah and Sauda observed the designs and put things together. Then there is the final show, Combo, which is about combining African cloths with foreign materials to make stunning outfits.
You've got this right guys??"
They all murmured a yes and she smiled, pleased with her work.
Afrakomah had been their designer since she stepped into Manhattan house and they were in dire need of her replacement. Belinda, their house prefect was in search of new talents amongst the freshmen so Afrakomah could train them before leaving.
Then Faye's hands shoots up.
Ivy almost rolled her eyes,
" What?"
" Are we allowed to keep the shoes or the clothes?" She asks excited.
" No, they all stay. Everything is funded by Mimi so you don't get to keep anything, if it had been funded by the school then it will be okay to steal it, I mean I would have been one of the first to even think of doing it because I hate this school sometimes." She points out with a lipgloss wand as she applies a generous amount.
" Hey Ivy, you've got visitors." Valeria announces a few minutes later and everyone whirled around in confusion, none of them were expecting anyone backstage.
Ivy's eyes open wide as she gasps and drops the lipgloss unto the white fluffy carpeting.
Three boys, averagely 6'3 tall walk in in matching tuxs. They had an attractive aura about them as they took in their surroundings. Wathoni, Valeria and Afrakomah all rush to go hug her.
The tallest of the three who had a hand in his pocket grins widely. He was probably a photocopy of some girls dreams with his wavy shoulder length dark brown hair.
" Miss me?" He asks and Ivy snaps out of it and rushed in for a hug.
" Hey everyone." The guy on the left of the boy hugging Ivy greets.
The girls were stunned and Ashanti and Ciarra had to snap at the other girls to respond, " Hey."
" Look at you, you're all grown up now. I'm sorry I couldn't visit you as much as you deserved." She says, " And you too Fedes."
She gives the guy on the right a playful punch in the shoulder totally ignoring the guy on the left.
" Yeah, we did too. Trust me we did miss your visits." Fedes says with a captivating smile then clears his throat, " I think everyone here is confused."
Then Ivy realises there are still people in the room, " Oh hey, girls this is Fedes Sekani and Baby, my best friends since freshman year."
The girls were confused by the second name , he notices and decides to clarify it.
" I get that a lot, my name is actually Adam. But my full name is Boateng Adam Benjamin Yaw. Picking out the initials gives you the word BABY." He says pushing a lock of hair away from his entising face, " Everyone prefers to call me that but just so you know, my last name is now Ollivante not Boateng."
" Nice meeting you." Madeline speaks up for the others.
" Wow, we have a lot of beautiful girls this year. Manhattan right?" Fedes asks, Ciarra to be precise and she nods.
" It's a pleasure to meet you." He offers her his hand to which she hesitantly took.
" Nice meeting you, I'm um...Ciarra." She introduced and he smiled at her holding her a hand a tad bit longer before letting go.
He had this warm and calming effect on people that got you to want to spend more time with him.
" Who's your friend?" Veronica asks referring to the handsome young man standing at the entrance glaring at the ground.
Ivy scoffs and turns back to the mirror.
" Ivy listen," The guy begun but she seemed to not be ready for whatever he was going to say, " I know sorry doesn't cut it but I really mean it. I don't want this to keep going on, that's why I came back...Save it Sly!" She cut in as he tries to explain.
" I know you don't want to listen and you're right not to do so but please..." He trails.
" Fedes, can you please tell your friend that I have a show to run and that I am too busy to hear anything he has to say?" Ivy informs him and turns back to the girls, " We're on in thirty seconds, remember to rock the dress, don't let the dress wear you. Own it."
" This is all about poise, confidence and the daring attitude of putting yourself out there. You all know Clair & Finesse, don't you?" She asks and they all nod, " They are the judges for tonight and they are very hard to please so you've gotta impress them. The other houses also have extraordinary clothing lines coming up but don't be scared because if there's ever something Manhattan house doesn't achieve, it's Losing. We Never Lose."
Adam takes a seat on one of the stools available after Fedes walks Sly out of the place. He sits cross legged and watched the tall ebony skinned girl with a pretty attractive face, whom he'd come to know since his freshman year lecture her newly found protegés.
They had obviously missed the crazy moments they'd shared together before the accident.
He smiled at the oddest girl out of them all and she smirked at him without her friends notice.
The show was competitive, competing with girls like Mahalia, Leila and Rebecca was not an easy task because they could pull off any clothes even a couture dating all the way back to 1955 originally worn by Marilyn Monroe, popularly known as the Flying dress.
Afrakomah was finally having a face off with her equally talented rival, Lady Macbeth. Yeah right, her parents gave her such a weird name of a villain. She was also in her final year from Miami house.
Mimi's photographer, Jean Luc, whom she had brought along actually made the Manhattan girls feel good with his constant paparazzi shots.
It was a tough decision to make but the African and foreign combination fetched them extra marks and Manhattan won hands down.
Afrakomah was beyond excited because, Mimi had told her that if her last designs for the house wins again, she was going to take her along to Milan to a fashion house after she graduates.
Mimi embraced all her house girls and took photos with them before meeting up with Ivy and Afrakomah in private.
The girls go backstage to change from their last clothes for the day and back into their PE. It was dinning now but people ignored the bell because most of them had received real food from their parents. Only the seniors went because their parents rarely visited so the dorm was left to them.
The dorm was filled with different aromas of food as all the first years line up the food they had just received on three suitcases pulled together like a table and covered with someone's burgundy bedspread.
They felt bad for those without visitors so they had all decided to share what their families brought with them.
Unfortunately, Heather's siblings couldn't make it because of a heavy downpour in the city and Sarah's mom's vehicle broke down on the hill so she couldn't make it. Healenore's parents totally forgot it was visiting at her school. So they had all joined Ashanti and Mae's gang.
" I requested Waakye but my Dad forgot. He remembered when he was on the highway so he bought me something from the nearest luncheonette; dumplings and Thai chicken in peanut sauce, I don't really like it but we'll manage." Ciarra explains to them picking up a pair of plastic chopsticks.
Veronica opens up her food warmer and the enticing smell of spicy cellophane noodles escaped into the room. The other bowl was filled with grilled tender lamb chops definitely from her grandmother.
Kweiba rushed into the dorm looking all sweaty carrying her lunch bag on one shoulder and a box of pizza in her other hand.
" I was told to give this to Ashanti Goodman." She pants and hands the box to Ashanti who was sitting indian style on the ground around their makeshift table just like others.
" Where the hell are you from?" Sarah asks.
" Peace's mom brought her Fufu and goat light soup, so I sort of helped her finish it along with Mameley." She announces, " Who wants Banku with Okra stew, because my mom brought me a lot."
She sets her lunch bag down and squeezes herself in between Faye and Mae before bringing out two bowls and adding them to the table of food.
" Hey Ashanti, I thought you didn't have any visitors." Heather whispers
" Yeah, I ordered it even though I was only given a limited amount of money this semester. " She says with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
" What did you do?" Heather asks out of concern.
" Nothing, I just figured there's a loophole to my frozen account so I have recruited an expert to help me draw some money during the midterm break." She elaborates, " So I'm trying to spend more now."
" What if it doesn't work?" Heather asks her.
" Trust me, it will work. As I said, I am using an expert so relax." Ashanti assures her.
Everyone had their plates out and picked from the variety of food available. Faye insisted on learning how to use chopsticks which was a painstaking job since everyone was eating more than she could. She got pissed and begun to use her hand. Kweiba was the only one who ate from every food available on the table claiming that she was trying something new.
" Keep trying something new and something new will be happening to your stomach." Sarah warns her.
********
Ever been to boarding school?, Share your experiences and keep voting. 💕💕