Chapter Eight
Anike’s POV

“Good morning Jesus... Good morning Lord. I know you come from heaven above. The Holy Spirit gives us control. Good morning Jesus, Good morning Lord.”
Mercy sang beautifully while we all dressed up. 

I woke up feeling even more tired about this whole school thing but her voice and the song made me decide to just leave everything to God.

Today is Friday. Spending close to a week here has made me grow even more quiet. 

The confrontations I received on Monday made me decide to just go back into my shell.

I now keep to myself during classes and when teachers even ask questions, I do not bother to answer. 

I have always been like that since forever. I have been a ghost in my former classes and I have survived all the dramas. 

I do not know what got into me to think I should act otherwise here, anyways, that thing, the confidence or whatever, it is gone. And now, I am even more of a ghost than ever.

Mercy, Mariam and Jada found it weird at first that I did not mutter a single word throughout the class, not to their conversations or the teachers but with time they decided to let me be.

I only talk to them during lunch or in the room and I am loving it like this.

Rumours about Jayden and Sophia breaking up has also been around. 

Mariam and Mercy even talked about it when Jada went to the restroom. I sometimes wonder if it was because of me, because Jayden looked so angry too but I know it is not because of me.

 She seems to have a lot of experience in telling girls to stop staring because she did it so well.
And ever since she came to me like that because I stared at him just a little, I have been avoiding him. 

I know I was wrong that day. 

I was not actually staring at him; I was watching the both of them argue until he  turned to me or more like caught me watching their couple argument, and I just could not look away for some unknown reason. I was so shocked with the way she came to me after seeing us.

Her glare was enough to send me six feet under If glare could kill. The beautiful girl I saw that morning turned to a warrior ready to cut my head off. 

I guess she is just an overprotective type and even though Jada tried to apologise, I just felt so embarrassed, I still do. I have never been tackled like that because of a boy?

Chai.

Anyway, that is in the past and I have learnt my lesson.

And I do not want to start my day with such thoughts any longer.

I heard every Friday happens to be a mini test day here and the scores are actually recorded. I revised a little more last night before sleeping but with the way the others looked at their bed so longingly and from the hushed conversation, I heard last night I can only conclude that they did not sleep.

Jada even woke me up to read and was surprised when I told her I was done reading. Looking at them now makes me wonder why I did not just read more. Maybe the tests are really hard, or something.

“Oh, Anike, you are in the red house, just like me. “
Mariam said with a pride filled grin and a smile covered my face.

I glanced at everyone else and noticed the different colours. The sports wear here is really comfortable. Long joggers and an inner polo, with a matching jacket. Shorts were also provided, but I went with the joggers.

I wore my black sneakers and black socks with it and packed my hair into a bun.

“I hope red house are the winners here too.”
I said and Mariam grinned sheepishly.

I noticed Mercy roll her eyes,

“We are the winners for sure! The blue house…”

“Mariam better shut up. we got first in matching abeg.”
Mercy argued and I just chuckled,

Jada was also in yellow and she just kept dressing since no one mentioned her house.

“Anike, are you still trying out for the basketball team today?”

She suddenly asked and I nodded,

“Yeah, I guess I am.”

“Basketball? Did you used to play in your former school?”
Mariam asked,

“No, I used to play in the church team since I was nine.”

I have been playing basketball since I was nine. Used to play with my dad when I was younger at the basketball court in our estate. He made me join the church team and would come watch me play against other regions and all.

But with time, he started getting busy, started getting distant but basketball did not change. It was the same and I grew to love it more during the time of the divorce.

Anytime I was tired of crying or angry, I would listen to BTS, grab my ball and play in the court. I got used to playing alone or sometimes with this quiet guy who I think also played just to kill time and we only knew each other’s name. nothing more nothing less.

Remembering him now, I hope he is okay wherever he is.

“Wow, I have always loved basketball but nah, I am not just good at it. I play football instead.”
Jada said and it was my time to be wowed.

Soccer is another game I used to watch with my dad every weekend. Not up to date anymore but I love the game even though I can’t play it.

“Wow, that’s nice.”
I muttered and she just grinned, flipping her hair with that confidence. 

“she is quite good at it. she is even the striker.”
Mercy said making Jada flex the more,

“Messi gang.”
Mariam said, chuckling and I swear, Jada’s head grew bigger.

“I am in the swimming team. I am not built for all this ball wahala. And even the swimming team sef, I am just coping.”
Mercy said with a sigh,

“She got second last term and now she is shouting she is coping.”
Mariam immediately attacked back, making me laugh. 

How is that one coping?

Honestly when I heard about coping, I thought she was really bad at it.

“Mariam, what about you?”
I asked and the look on her face made me laugh before she even said anything,

“Look at me, I already look like the sports type without trying.”
Mariam is a tomboy but she does not have any muscles or anything else. To be honest, she just looks like a cute girl with the hair cut and hearing her say that made me double over in laughter and it was not just me, even Jada that seemed oblivious to our conversation, joined in.

“Why are you all laughing?”

“Mariam, it is Lola that looks like the sport type without trying, not you.”
Mercy said in between laughter,

“Whatever, I am the defender in both soccer and volleyball. I also play table tennis once in a while and trust me I have won golds in that too.”
She bragged but earned my respect to be honest. 

Until Mercy opened her mouth,
“It is only your defender that I know that will be using mouth to defend.”

“Mouth?”
I asked again to be sure I heard her correctly,

“Yes mouth. Mariam will use talk to confuse her opponent.”

“I do not understand.”
I said again after Mercy explained because I just don’t understand the logic.

Jada, who could not take it anymore, busted out laughing, holding her stomach as she did.

“She will either compliment or insult the opponent to distract them while she gets the ball.”

Oh My God!

I did not understand her the first time but now what did I just hear?

The whole room got filled with our laughs and even the person, the source of our laughter, was now on my bed, rolling around as she laughed.

“Please, have you guys not heard of work smart not hard. When my body can’t push them back, I decided to do it with my mouth and it works.”

Oh my God.

What will I not see in this life?

How does she even manage to do it?

“I heard her say you are beautiful to someone. When the person stopped for a second, she passed the ball to me and it was a goal. To be honest it does work but the reactions of people when they find out what she had done, makes it better. You should see it Anike.”

“Please y’all should leave me alone.”
Mariam said when she finally got herself.

“Hope you get in Anike. The basketball team here is very tough.”
Mercy added when she was also done laughing.

I nodded,

“Thanks.”

“Ahh hope I have not laughed away the physics I read last night?”
Mariam suddenly asked and we busted into another fit.

I really hope they do not laugh it away sha, we should not hear stories that touch the heart.

************

One thing is for sure.

Tests in this school are hard. Period. But God came through for me and I have no worries. I guess the others do not feel the same way though since they spent the whole of our journey to the canteen complaining about how hard the tests were.

“Why did he just decide to ask that question?”
Mercy asked with a sigh. 

“Are you just knowing that Mr Fred is wicked? He is cruel but thank God we got it.”
Mariam answered. 

The three of them did this till we got to the cafeteria and it confused me. Why complain when you got it?

We sat on our table and settled the trays on the table. Today we were having beans and plantain. I am not a good fan of beans but it looks good. It also made me remember my mum. She loves beans and I don’t. It used to cause a lot of arguments whenever she cooked it sequentially. But now, I am here wishing it was her own I was eating.

We were eating and talking peacefully until Sophia and her friends passed our table. They gave different types of dirty looks as they did. the same way they have been doing since the last two days.

“Did Jayden and Sophia really break up?”
Mercy asked Jada, looking annoyed.

“Yeah, they did.”
She replied with a sigh and I just faced my beans.

“Then why is she venting out her anger on us by staring like we are not humans? She should deal with the breakup personally. I knew they wouldn't last anyway.”
Mercy replied,

I glanced at Mariam when I did not hear her say anything and she was just busy with her food. Enjoying it with complete ignorance of what was happening here.

“Yeah, me too.”
Jada said. and I remembered she told me the first day I saw them together.

“I hope it is not because of her you have been avoiding Jayden and Jeff?”
Jada suddenly asked and my expression at the sudden attention turned to that of a deer caught in front of the headlight.

I had nothing to say.

And they guessed the answer perfectly.

“It is not worth it. trust me.”
Jada said,

“Well truth be told; I have stared longer at Jayden than that. the boy is so handsome, if he was a girl, I swear he would have looked more beautiful than Jada.”
Mercy suddenly added,

“Ahah, where did you take the matter to?”
Jada asked back, looking shocked while I chuckled.

Thank God it is not only me that sees just how handsome he is because he really is.

“Sorry Jada but it is the truth. Your brother is beautiful.”

Mariam could not feign ignorance again and she laughed out almost spitting out the beans in her mouth.

We did not understand why she was laughing so hard until we turned back and found Tobi staring at his girlfriend.

“Oh My God!”

Jada whispered, shouted and faced the front. She placed both her hands on her mouth to stop her from laughing out loud and I just looked down at my plate instead trying to hide my face but my body betrayed me as it vibrated as I laughed.

“Baby, trust me you are the only hot guy to me now.”

Ahh!

Mercy!

Laughing out loud!

I think this is one of the funniest chapter I have written so far.

It is Mariam’s and Mercy’s defence for me.

What do you think about their friendship?
I think it's nice!!

Anyway,

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Thank y'all

Eniola_writes 💕💕