I applied a little lip gloss, gave myself a last assessing gaze in the mirror making sure to rake my fingers through my hair to accentuate the curls of my virgin afro-hair, more at the top.

When done and glad with the beautiful result, I snatched my handbag from the plastic chair and made my way out of my room, to the street. Barely a minute passed, a keke drove along the lane, I waved at the driver who stopped immediately with a suggestive smile plastered on his face.

"Where are you headed..." Another tricycler blared his horn as he sped by interrupting the first tricyclist question. "Thunder fire you!" He cursed after him giving him a wide-five. He then turned once more to me. "Where did you say you were going?"

I told him the address, Daniel texted me earlier on.

"You will pay one-fifty for the service?"

"Is that supposed to be a question?"

His smile changed to a grin. "Get in, fine girl. I was expecting you to add more as the pretty girl you are."

Ignoring his comment, I wrinkled my nose climbing in and settling on the seat. About five blocks away, he stopped to pick three more passengers and we continued our journey. Suddenly, he drove in and over a bad pothole causing the tricycle to sway recklessly to the two sides sending us along.

"Are you blind!?" A male beside the driver shouted, having recovered from hitting the side of his head to the iron roof handle. "You almost tossed me into that dirty quagmire, you squat!"

"But you did not fall. So why the cussing like a deranged imp? You better arrange o."

"May amadioha strike your mouth." The passenger shot back pointing angrily at him. "Say one more word and I swear to kick you off this damn disfigured vehicle!" He threatened, livid.

"Oga, that's enough," a female passenger sitting next to me, voiced. That silenced them.

The three passengers alighted at my school gate. He took another route leading to Prudence hostel. "Miss, you will add fifty to the agreed price; the place seems to be very far today."

Again, I ignored him. Handed him the initial price as I got off. He smiled as he received it and drove off.

I studied the tall broad building containing one hundred and forty rooms. Place I'd been assigned to live in before I opted to reside off campus. Viewing the location of room 122 at the third floor, nervousness crept in. Butterflies swam into my stomach dancing in anticipation at the pit.
I took each step that led up hesitatingly, tried picturing what Daniel would probably be doing in his room... Be in a nervous state, restless waiting for my arrival? That would never be the case. If he at all is disturbed, it would surely be about school, because that's the only topic he gets to talk about for the past one month. Unwanted frown sliced the center of the brows in annoyance. As soon as I got to the front door, the frown was overthrew by a feeling of uncertainty. Would he be excited to see me? Hug and ki... No no no, he'd never try such a thing, could he?

I Knocked––actually attempted to, for it opened at the same time I did, ended up hitting a face.
"Geez!" The person hissed covering his face with a hand. "Who the hell are you?"

Embarrassment clawed it's sharp merciless nails at me. "I'm... sorry. So sorry... I-I...." I began frantically before I was cut short.

"Back off, guy. She is my quest."

My heart leaped to my throat as I heard the voice. Behind the accidentally attacked boy, stood Daniel. So tall and charming that I forgot to breathe. He smiled at me, the already existing butterflies multiplied. My legs weakened under me. "Good... um... Hi?"

He slid a finger up and down his jaw still smiling, shoved his friend slightly aside with his free hand. "Come in, and do have a seat." Daniel gestured behind him to a couch.

I sluggishly walked past the guy who I now presumed to be his room mate, muttering an almost inaudible sorry to him. Beside the settee, was a sixteen inches bed covered with a maroon blanket. The unstylish setting of the room devoid of pink, blue or white, scream masculinity. Brown light curtains covered the two windows situated at the back. No television, except for a grey laptop on a small brown table at the side of the single sofa. Very neat, I approved, the room was well kept. My scouting eyes rested on someone standing before me, smirking. I jerked back a bit, startled.

"I recognize you to be the lady dozing off under the tree about a month ago." His smirk deepend. "Nice to see you again. I think we are even now, right? I laughed at you, you punched me on the face."

I rolled my eyes. "To settle that, I will have to use a chainsaw on your head."

He burst into laughter, his shoulders bumping up and down, the sound of his laughter weirdly, amusedly childlike. I didn't know when I smiled at him sweetly. "So adorable."

His laughter ceased, in his eyes, it still glinted. "What?"

"I wasn't talking to you," I said quickly. "How have you been?"

"Like a teddy bear."

"I can imagine," I hurriedly added before he would put meaning to my remark. "How's studies? Remind me of your name again? Mark?"

"Luke and John." He smirked.

"I'm serious."

"Anthony...?"

"Isabella. You are welcome."

He chuckled. "I love dramatic women."

"Your life is screwed, then."

"Does that mean, Daniel..."

"If I were you, I will shut the fuck up." I snapped at him blinking furiously, avoiding looking over at Daniel to ascertain his reaction. I prayed he hadn't heard.

Anthony, grinned in total understanding, and that pissed me off the more. I searched for taunting words to lash at him...

"To answer your first question," he said out loudly that I had to let go of my profanity probing, "I'm not going to hide anything from you, I hate school. If it isn't for my mama encouraging me not to give up on it, I'd have dropped out a long time ago."

It didn't come as a surprise to me to have heard that from him. A cousin sister of mine who lived in Lagos, abandoned her education in her second year at the University to learn and be a makeup artist. When she made the decision, her parents and siblings were all against her; her father threatened to disown her, called her all sorts of names like: a disgrace, illiterate, lazy, useless and so many others I wouldn't mention here.
To their shock, she paid no heed to all the warnings she received. Ventured through the process of acquiring the skill in 2011. Within the period of a year and two months, she was done with it and established her own business. She is now one among the few well known artists in the entire country. After her success, she extended her business to other developed countries like: South Africa, Italy, Canada, India and China. Built a duplex and purchased a latest car for herself. Her success in five year was so massive, and almost unbelievable. Her parents were so ashamed of themselves and sought her forgiveness. And of course, she accepted it with whole heart blessing them with a shopping mall in lekki, Lagos. If she hadn't dropped-out of school to work toward achieving what she strongly believed to be her destiny, she might have been one of the thousand other jobless graduates milling about everyday in search of a 100 or 50k job. It shows that you mustn't be a graduate before you achieve your dreams.

"You know what?" I said softly...

"Yeah?" He narrowed his eyes in concentration.

"You can chase your dreams while you study."

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Wide-five: An insult demostrated by spacing the five fingers of a hand at someone. Common in Nigeria, and known as WAKA.

Amadioha: An idol known in the eastern part of Nigeria.