My first day at John Felix Academy was... well, to be honest, it's better if I tell you what happened. I was treated nicely by some students and teachers. A teacher named Tutor John led me to my class and was very nice to me. I was beginning to like the school already because of that.

I almost forgot to mention the appearance of the inside of the school. The inside of the school was also colored dark green, just like the outside.

My classroom was more beautiful than I imagined. The rows of long chairs were colored dark green, just like the walls. The ceiling was white, and the windows let in a lot of natural light. There were posters of math equations and theorems on the walls. There was also a big whiteboard in front of the classroom.

As I was admiring the classroom, the bell rang and students started filing in. They all looked smart and well-behaved. When everyone was seated, Tutor John started teaching. He was very knowledgeable and patient with us. He explained the math concepts in a way that was easy to understand. I was really impressed by him.

However, I noticed that some of my classmates were staring at me during the class. I was seated in the second row, on the left-hand side, at the edge of the row, where I could easily turn to see the rows on the right-hand side. I noticed that the stares were coming from both girls and boys. I didn't pay too much attention to it, though. I figured they must have been curious about the new student which was me. So, I just continued to focus on the teacher and what he was teaching.

After he was done teaching, he looked at me and told me to introduce myself to the class since I was a newcomer. I introduced myself, and then Tutor John, who I later learned was our form master, told my classmates to treat me well and make me feel welcome in the school. After he left, we had about ten minutes before the next teacher came in.

During those ten minutes, many of my classmates in the classroom started talking to me and introducing themselves. They were all very friendly and made me feel at ease. I was beginning to feel more comfortable and thought my dream of making friends and fitting in at the new school was coming true.

After the break, the next teacher came in and introduced himself. His name was Mr. Adisa and he taught English. He was a very jovial and friendly teacher, and I liked him immediately.

Mr. Adisa asked us to take out our English textbooks and turn to page five. He began to teach us about verb tenses and grammar. Even though it was a difficult subject, I was still able to follow along. I had always been good at English, and I enjoyed learning new things.

After that class, was the next class, which was history. My history teacher was Mr. Fagunwa, and he was a very knowledgeable and passionate teacher. He started the class by asking us to take out our history books and open to the chapter on the Nigerian Civil War. He began by giving us a brief overview of the war and its causes. He then asked us to turn to a specific page in the book and read a section about the war. I found the material very interesting and was glad to be learning about my country's history.

The class flew by, and before I knew it, the bell rang and it was time for lunch break. I headed to the school compound, where there was a woman selling snacks and cold drinks. I bought some snacks and ate them, while watching some students play ball until the break ended.

One thing about me is that I'm an ambivert. That means I'm somewhere between an introvert and an extrovert. And on that day at school, my introverted nature was showing for some reason. My personality can be unpredictable in new environments, and it's something I've learned to accept about myself.

After the break ended, I went straight to my class, and the first thing I saw was one of my classmates putting something in my bag. He was the only one in the classroom, and I was shocked to see what he was doing.

As I approached him, he stopped halfway and then acted as if what he was doing was normal. He said, "I was just checking how well your bag would accommodate my things. I really like the size of your bag. Can we exchange bags?"

I then thought, "What a weirdo!" I told him a firm 'no' and offloaded all my belongings from his bag and put them back into mine after offloading his belongings from mine and putting them on the table. I checked to make sure my money was still intact and that nothing was missing. Then, the guy left, taking his own bag from my table after putting his things back inside. He then sat on the last row on the right-hand side of the classroom.

As the rest of my classmates rushed into the classroom and took their seats, I wasn't sure what to make of the situation with the boy. But I was just glad to have my things back and to know that nothing was missing.
After two more classes, the bell rang for a break which is before lesson. My classmates called it a lesson break, but to me, it's just the second break, as that's what it was called in my previous school.

As everyone else left the classroom for the break, one of my female classmates grabbed my right hand.

"Wait, Paul," she said. "I want to tell you something. Stay here."

We sat in the middle row on the right-hand side of the classroom. She looked deeply into my eyes, which made me feel nervous. It felt like a girl about to confess her feelings to a guy she likes. Then, what she said next shocked me: "I want us to be friends - not just friends, but friends with benefits."

I knew what "friends with benefits" meant, and the "benefit" I knew is associated with the term "sexual". I couldn't believe that my classmate, who I assumed was older than me - wanted to be friends with benefits. After all, we were still kids. It seemed too early for me to be involved in anything like that. Not to mention that I had no experience with anything like that. I was still trying to figure out how to respond when she spoke again.

"I can tell you're confused," she said. "I know it's a big thing to ask of someone, but I think it could be good for us. We could talk about anything, share secrets, and be there for each other when we need it. We could be there for each other in ways that other friends can't be. I know it might seem weird, but I think it could be really beneficial for us both. What do you think?'

I didn't know how to respond. I'd never been in a situation like this before. I was still trying to process everything she had said. I hesitated, not knowing what to say.

I almost forgot to tell you all. She was part of my classmates who was staring at me during Tutor Jobn's class in the morning.

After a long pause, I finally found the words to respond.

"I don't know what to say," I said. "This is all really new to me. I'm not sure how to feel about it." My classmate smiled. "It's okay if you're not sure," she said. "You don't have to decide right now. Just think about it and let me know what you decide. By the way, my name is Rebecca," She said.

With that, she got up and headed out of the classroom. I sat there for a few minutes, still trying to process everything. The bell rang, signaling the end of break.

As my classmates rushed into the classroom and sat down, I waited for our first teacher of the lesson period to arrive.

While I waited, I overheard a group of four girls discussing something. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help but listen. One of the girls said, "Rebecca has her eyes set on a new toy and It is that new kid. Just one encounter is enough for her to get what she wants."

I wondered if they were aware that I could hear them. They must have known, since I was sitting nearby. When they noticed that I was listening, they stopped talking. I felt a little embarrassed, but I tried to act as if I hadn't heard them.

I began to think deeply while I waited for our teacher to arrive. I realized something that had been bothering me. My classmates who had acted friendly to me in the morning had not acted that way since. It felt like it never happened. I wondered if they had been wearing a mask when they acted friendly towards me. Even the classmates who were sitting with me did not seem to pay attention to me. I felt like a ghost in the row where I was sitting.

I wondered why my classmates were acting so differently. Had I done something wrong? I thought about the boy who was putting his things in my bag after our first break, and then I thought about what Rebecca said about wanting to be friends with benefits. I couldn't understand why everyone was treating me so strangely.

Finally, I thought about the group of girls and their comments about me. I tried to interpret what they'd said, but I couldn't come up with anything other than the idea that I was a "toy" I felt like I was being treated like an object, rather than a person. I wondered if the girls meant that I was just someone to be used.

The thought made me feel uncomfortable. My mind started to race, and I felt my anxiety level rising. As I sat there, I tried to take deep breaths and calm myself down. I looked around the classroom, trying to focus on something other than my worries. But no matter what I did, I couldn't seem to stop thinking about it.

Everything I thought about led me to the conclusion that my class was a bit strange, and it might be filled with more weirdos than I'd imagined. The thought was a bit frightening, especially since there were 52 students in total, including me. However, I still hoped to make friends with the normal students in my class. I knew that not everyone in the class would be a weirdo. Every class has a few bad apples, after all.

I tried to push my worries aside and focus on my studies. Before I knew it, our teacher, Tutor John, arrived. He taught two subjects: math for junior secondary school students and math and chemistry for senior secondary school students. Just like I enjoyed his class in the morning, I also enjoyed it again. After his class, our English teacher, Mr. Adisa, came in and taught us. I enjoyed his class too. Finally, our CRS class with Tutor Martha started. She taught well, just like the other teachers.

Just as Tutor Martha's class ended, the closing bell rang. I put my things in my bag and went to the school compound to wait for my mom. Fifteen minutes later, she arrived, and we took the bus home together.

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As you can see, the chapter has come to an end. So, I will like you guys to air your thoughts on this chapter. Pls, feel free to do so. And pls don't forget to vote if you enjoyed it. I will really appreciate that. By the way, thank you all for putting in your time to read this book. I'm truly grateful. 😊😊