ADEWOLE-ADEDEJI  INIOLUWA.

He was BIC's pride. He and Snr Toke had crashed the National Mathematics Competition and he didn't miss not even one question. He was probably the next Senior Prefect. Tall, handsome and intelligent; he wasn't friendly much but a lot of people liked him.

I popped my potato chips into my mouth as my eyes traveled to where he was seated. He had a bottle of Coke and a nylon of chips on his tray. An SSS1 student had probably brought her classwork and he was explaining it to her.

His best friends Ife and SK were talking while Ini explained something to an SSS1 girl who had brought her notebook. Seeing how the girl was staring at him, I knew barely half of what she said would enter her head.

Ife was the least friendly of the trio. He was detached from others and didn't like relating with others. SK was the opposite. He was the most friendly of the trio, he had this smile that you make you go dizzy and all but SK was an infamous player.

He changed girlfriends faster than the way he changed his shirts. The longest his girlfriends lasted was a week and only a girl had lasted that long yet; they still swarmed around him.

Talk of pathetic.

I turned to my side and saw the girls after leaving. I quickly packed the trays and hurried after them.

"You are back to the real world?" Gani asked as I forced a smile.

"You were staring into space like an idiot" Josie added hissing.

"You guys didn't tell me you were going already" I said slowoy.

"Are you my mom?" Gani asked as I swallowed my saliva.

While Josie could insult someonw till the person cried, Gani's sarcastic comments could leave one distorted. I tried to avoid it but then; it was more like I was meant to receive it because no matter how I tried to avoid it, I ended up receiving a double portion.

"Rachel, please get me a bottle of water" Josie said turning to me as she stretched her meal card towards me.

I pushed the meal card back to her and smiled "What are we friends for when I have to use meal card to buy bottle water for you?" I asked before I turned away and started hurrying back to the cafeteria.

The line was already long as most SSS3 students had just finished their classes. I joined the queue as I waited patiently for my turn.

A smile crawled up my lips as I saw Snr Jasper holding Snr Kanyin's hands. He whispered something into her ears and she laughed.

So cute.

I turned to see who was at my back and my eyes widened. It was Snr Toke, Snr Fefe and Snr Chioma. They could be said that they were BIC most popular girls.

Snr Toke had box braids on her while Snr Chioma had Bob Marley on. Snr Fefe has usual kept her short hair giving her that boysih look. No wonder Snr Dann always called her his boyfriend.

I turned to check how the line had moved only to find Ini, Ife and SK walking towards me. I froze as my heart started to slam against my chest erratically. I tried to pull my eyes away from Ini but I couldn't. My hands became sweaty and I tired to wipe it off my jacket.

Why were they approaching me?

My fantasy shattered when I heard Ini greet Toke.

"Snr Toke" Ini greeted.

"Ini, how are you?" Toke asked.

"Fine" Ini replied.

"Snr Toke, this one that you are getting finer every day yi" SK teased and I laughed internally.

Toke laughed "It's you that know" Toke replied.

"Of course, only I know" SK said winking at Toke.

"Its Toke you are testing your flirting skills on. Na small thing Phil do you the other day" Chioma said as the girls burst into laughter.

SK pouted "Snr Phil gets too jealous easily" SK said.

"Let him catch you" Chioma added.

"This one will be doing as if he's dumb" Fefe said as she kicked Ife.

Ife frowned immediately "Snr Fefe haba, your kick carries weight nah. I'm even thinking you are actually a boy" Ife said.

"Ma hear" Chioma said as they laughed even Ife wore a small smile.

"Snr Toke, I have some questions for you" Ife said.

"Bring it when you close" Toke said as the boys nodded and walked away.

My eyes trailed after Ini as I smiled  a little.

"Is he that fine?" Toke asked and I turned to her. When I discovered she was talking to me. I turned red instantly and rushed forward. I quickly bought the bottle water and sprinted out of the cafeteria.

Toke turned to her friends "Why is she running away?" Toke asked.

"Na your pikin nah" Chioma told Fefe as Toke burst into laughter.

I dropped the bottle of water in front of Josie as she glared at me.

"What took you so long? Is it not just to buy a bottle of water?" Josie asked.

"The line was long. SSS3 students just finished their classes" I said as I looked for a place to seat.

"Always clumsy" Gani snorted as I sat down.

"We want to talk about something private, excuse us" Temi said as I wore a smile.

"You guys are keeping secrets from me?" I asked as Gani turned to me.

"Who you? See this one o" Gani said clapping her hands as she  folded them.

"What do you know?" Gani asked eyeing me.

"Excuse us abeg" Temi snapped as I forced a smile and stood up. I walked to my seat and sat down.

Ini and his friends walking inside the class. SK was saying something that made Ini glare at him while Ife walked faster away from him. He was probably saying sometjing crazy.

I had always had this admiration for Ini since junior class. He was neat, cute and there was this aura that just drew me towards me. It developed into a crush when we became classmates in SSS1.

He excelled at every thing he did. He was the only science student offering an Arts subject. We were two in SSS1, I being the second person. He offered Visual Arts while I offered Music but I dropped music in second term.

The girls had always complained about my music classes and Gani kept making sarcastic comments on my voice. She said my voice wasn't that great and I was making a fuss because I had a nice voice. According to her; only guys looked cool when playing instruments.

To avoid her picking on her, I had to drop Music and even stopped going to the academy. Once in a while she brought it up and made comments on it.

"Shouldn't you take extra classes?"

I turned to my desk mate who also turned to me.

"You got zero in maths. All the previous tests we've had. You've had poor scores too. This is SSS2, don't you want to promote. You know every test and exam matters" My desk mate, Lola said.

I swallowed my saliva at her words. I had bad luck in everything, friends, relationship and even my academics wasn't spared.