Anita's POV

Good morning Africa!

My alarm beeped indicating that it was six in the morning. That was the time I set to wake up every morning, asides from weekends.

I stretched like those cats in barbie cartoons, so cute. I stood up from my large bed gently so as not to fall due to my still weak eyesight.

After I was done with dressing up for school, I hopped down to the dinning area with my bag hung behind my back. Lest I forget, today was Monday and I was looking flawlessly neat. My fitted cream top was properly ironed coupled with my red skirt, which had some black lines on it. My shoe was...you don't even want to hear it. Not exaggerating, but not a little dust would stain your hand if you touched it. It was that shining and neatly polished. I also had a new hair style on.

"Good morning ma." I greeted mum.

"How are you my little princess?" She was seated in the dinning table devouring her breakfast, which was a cup of coffee with just a slice of toast bread. She didn't eat much. Technical, she was watching her weight. She didn't want to look old and fat yet.

"Mum, I'm not a baby anymore." I narrowed my eyes at her. I didn't like when she called me that, because it made me look like a five-year-old.

"I know." She smiled broadly. "But you'll always be my little princess; you and your sister."

I smiled genuinely. "So mum, why haven't you gone to work yet?" My mum was the CEO of a very large multimedia company. She travelled sometimes though. Whilst my dad, he was a geologist. And for that reason, he was hardly ever around. He travels often. Right now, he had travelled abroad for work.

"I kinda work up late." She checked the time on her wristwatch. "I'm late already. Bye." She stood up to leave. "What about Tracy, she hasn't woke up yet?"

"I don't know." I shrugged.

"Why didn't you check up on her?"

"I...nothing."

"Anyways, bye dear. Don't go late to school." And that said, she scurried out of the house.

I glanced at the time in my wristwatch and it read 6:41am.

After I was done eating my breakfast, I was set to go but Tracy hadn't come out from her room yet or let me rephrase that, she hadn't come downstairs to eat. I hope no problem.

I checked the time for what seemed like a hundred times and it was already 6:59am. Where's this girl now?

Running out of patience, I ran up to her room and barged in. Shock wouldn't be the word to describe how I felt when I saw her. I was beyond shocked. I couldn't believe my eyes. She was laying on the bed with her uniform on, fiddling with her phone. This Monday morning?!

"Tracy, I have been waiting downstairs for you. We are running late already." It took everything within my power not to shout at her, but it was obvious I was furious.

She took a peek at me and later continued to fiddle with her phone. "Good morning to you too." She said indifferently.

I folded my arms around my tits and pouted my lips. "Tracy, please come down to eat. We are running late."

"Ah!" She groaned. "Boring girl. Can't we even just skip school today?" She sighed after which.

"Really?" I furrowed my eyebrows. "Why don't you tell that to mum."

"Is she still around?" She jolted up.

"No."

"Better." She relaxed back.

"Okay? Come down already."

"Yeah yeah. I'm coming." She rolled her eyes at me.

It took like forever before she could finish eating. The time was already 7:17am when we left the house.

We arrived at school 7:37am. It wasn't assembly time yet. We usually do start assembly by 7:45am.

As I walked through the ss1 corridor, Ola and Susan bumped into me. Ola came from the left corner while Susan from the right. They came out simultaneously, with a straight face on like all those America detectives in movies.

They walked beside me quietly without uttering any word.

I marred my eyebrows in confusion with a smug smirk on. What was wrong with them? I decided to speak up since both of them already made up their minds not to talk to me this morning.

"What sup?" I exchanged glances at both of them.

"Why are you late?" Susan said. They kept on a straight face, not looking at me.

I scoffed. "Have you now been assigned a teacher of this school?"

"That's not an answer to my question." She fired back.

"Woah. Cranky much?"

"We told you that we'd all be coming early today to talk." Finally, she glanced at me but with a scowl on her face.

"I'm so sorry. My sister caused it." I simply said. No form of remorse was evidence in my tone.

"Hmm. So how was your weekend?" Our steps slowed a little. We were walking quite fast initially. 

"Was...somewhat eventful?" I was unsure of how my weekend went. Some things happened, but could I classify those stuffs as eventful? Well...

"I guess it's time for the fun master to speak up." Ola was  finally healed from his dumbness. Hallelujah! "You guys have been boring me with your lame conversation." Ola added as we walked into the class.

The class was quite filled up. Almost all the students had come, which erupted a hell of noise. 

I walked gallantly to my sitting position and sat down. Ola and Susan followed suit. Ola sat in his usually position, behind me, while Susan, because she sat at the front row, she sat at the empty seat beside me which was Samson's.

I sat in a way that I was facing both of them.

"So your weekend was eventful you say. What happened?" Ola gay and cheerfully asked.

I cocked an eyebrow at him, smiling. "Why would you think something happened?"

"Duh, 'cause you said your weekend was eventful, so something had happen." Ola gestured in a girly manner.

I gleefully laugh. "Nothing much." I said dryly.

"You're such a bore." He rolled his eyes at me, playfully.

Susan kept on looking at him in amusement. "Why you dey do like girl sef?"

"Susan, we've been friends since ss1, haven't you gotten used to it?" I asked immediately, not wanting Ola to feel bad about Susan's question. "Besides, I prefer him to other guys that are manly." I stated truthfully.

"Thanks sis. That's why you would always be on top of my friendship list." Ola literally shaded Susan.

I chuckled. "Whatever." Susan said.

"So how was your study with your boo boo?" Ola wiggled his eyebrows as he asked that question. But luckily, as soon as he asked, the bell rang for assembly.

"Off I go." Immediately, I stood up and made my way out of the class.

The assembly felt like a day to me. It was longer than longest. Today being Monday made it so. It was always like that because they needed to pass a lot of information across. Some were vital, some were just there, some were not even worth being said by a child.

We marched to our classes in enthusiasm, ready for what the day would throw at us.

As I got to my seat, I looked at Samson's seat but he wasn't there. I wonder why he hadn't come yet. Could it be traffic or could it even be that he was not coming today? Whatever were his reasons, that was his problem.

With the absence of a teacher in our class, Wale used the opportunity to walk up to me, and sat on Samson's seat.

"Where's your so called boyfriend?" He said with his rough deep voice.

"I've always known you don't have manners but I never knew you were this stupid." I retorted.

"Oh, so who don't have manners now in me and you? On a beautiful Monday morning, you're already insulting me when I didn't even do anything wrong." Let's get this straight, assuming I wasn't the one who said this to him, he would have beat the hell out of the person who would say this to him, be it a girl or a boy, that wasn't his concern. But since it was me, he dare not touch me.

"You did nothing wrong, but you said something inappropriate." I glared at him.

"Is he not your boyfriend?"

Silence was the response.

He spoke up again. "Anyways, tell him that if I catch him, I would deal with him." That said, he stood up and left.

What! I frowned as I looked at him walk away.

Ola cat-walked to his seat, behind me. "What did he say?"

"Who?" I played charade.

"Wale of course. I saw him walking up to you that's why I waited back. I didn't want his wahala."

"He said nothing." I simply said.

"Really Anita? Talk joor!"

"Why don't you ever mind your business!" I knew he was already angry at my statement but right now, I cared less. All that bugged me was the fact Wale wanted to beat Samson, probably because of me. He thought we were dating. Ew!

Minutes later, Mr. Kelvin, our maths teacher and also our class teacher, walked in. We were not having him now, so why was he here? Initially, we had him first thing on Monday mornings but the time-table was changed. So now we were supposed to have Agric.

We stood up to greet and after which, be told us to have our seats.

"I know you guys ain't having me now, but your agric teacher is not around so she asked me to fill in for her." Mr. Kelvin and the agric teacher were very close. In fact, the whole school presumed that they were dating but who knew...?

When he said that, most students groaned. Not like he wasn't a nice man, but when it came to maths, who liked solving? But with the exception of me, I didn't groan 'cause I loved maths. It was my best subject.

"It's necessary I fill in for her cause we have a lot to cover up." Mr. Kelvin added. "Anita and Samson, get up." He ordered afterwards.

I got up. Samson wasn't around, so I was the only one with Mr. Kelvin on my feet.

"Where's Samson?" Mr. Kelvin questioned.

"I don't know." I shrugged.

"He didn't tell you he wasn't gonna come today?"

I raised an eyebrow. "We don't stay close, so I got nothing."

"Didn't you guys study on Saturday?" He further questioned.

"We did."

"Then he ought to have told you that he wasn't going to be coming today."

"What can I say? He didn't tell me anything sir." I was a little bit exasperated with his questions. He should just go straight to why he called us up 'cause my legs were hurting already. Not like I couldn't even pass the message to him when he comes.

"Anyways when he comes, tell him that..."

"He is here already." Someone interrupted.

We all snapped our heads at him in the doorway. He looked pale.

"Very good!" Mr. Kelvin gleefully said. "Mr. Uche, why are you late?" He regarded him with his surname.

Samson looked shocked to see Mr. Kelvin in our class. Perhaps, he thought that he could just walk in late today with the excuse that the agric teacher would just let me in because of how lenient she was.

"Good morning sir. I'm so sorry. Tra...traffic held me sir."

"Where do you stay?"

"At shasha sir." He humbly replied.

When he said this, a few student chuckled mockingly but Samson seemed not to care.

"That's quite far from here. You may go have your seat."

"Thank you sir." He bowed a little before walking to his seat.

I kept on staring at him as he walked to his seat. He didn't look fine to me; something was definitely up.

"Um Samson, you may please stand up."

Samson looked at me in confusion before standing up.

"Why does it feel like you guys are having issues studying together?"

"Issues?" Samson questioned, his eyebrows furrowed together. He then glanced at me. "Not at all sir."

"But since you guys are study partners, you guys ought to be really close. Because now, I asked Anita of you and she had no  slightest idea. Just imagine."

"I...I didn't know I would come late today." Samson defended.

"Okay. But you guys should be really close."

Out of annoyance still standing, I bluntly asked. "Sir you called us up, why?"

"Oh yeah. Um...we just got information that the competition is in two weeks time, and they've sent the topics on where you guys should study from. My brother and sister, there's no time for play. We need to kick up studying immensely."

"Yes o. You guys should not come and be forming love say you're studying." Wale said, making the class burst out in a fit of laughter.

Mr. Kelvin scoffed. "Funny right? Wale, get out of my class now!"

"But Sir..."

"Now!" Mr. Kelvin glared at him.

Wale stood up and strutted out of the class, murmuring words.

"Idiot. So where were we?" He asked no one in particular. "Ehen, you guys should please study hard o."

"Okay Sir." We both chorused.

"You may now have your seats." We sat down and after which, maths class kicked off.

Break time!

No sooner had they rang the bell for break than Ola stood up and immediately went out of the class. Apparently, he was mad, and I was at fault.

I remained in my seat, placing my books properly under my locker. I then sneaked a glance at Samson and he was placing his head on his desk. Why was he moody today? And come to think of it, didn't he have friends or at least, a friend? I thought all guys were rambunctious yet friendly. But this guy here was different. He was weird in the good way.

Susan placed her hands on my desk. "What's wrong with Ola? Why did he walk out like that?"

I sighed. "It's really nothing huge. He is just being petty right now."

"Hmm. Okay then. Not like I care that much."

"Susan!" I exclaimed.

"What? He also feels the same way with me." She said indifferently.

"Shake my head. You guys need to sort your differences."

"Waheva." Silence befell us both. She later then spoke up again, but whispering this time. "What happen to him?" She pointed at Samson.

I shrugged. "I don't know."

"Ask him na." She nudged me on the shoulder.

"Why?" I almost screamed.

"Ahn ahn! Anita na. He is your friend o."

I scoffed. "Friend? You wish."

"Okay." She shrugged nonchalantly. "Watch what I do in your presence." What was she up to?

She walked up to Samson and placed her hands in his desk. "Hey Sam." He raised his head up to face her squarely. His eyebrows were marred in a frown. "Erm...sorry to disturb you, but Anita wants to talk to you." She pointed and looked at me, which made Samson also look at me. He cocked an eyebrow. He was seemingly not in the mood.

"Hey, not cool Susan!" I was seethe. I didn't even look at Samson way now. I was kinda embarrassed.

"C'mon, don't be shy." Samson chuckled lightly at Susan's word. I snapped my head at him and glared.

"What? Why are you laughing?"

He just shook his head with a smirk on his face. Okay, that facial expression suited him perfectly. He looked handsome.

"I'm off." With that said, she scurried away.

I rolled my eyes at her.

"Did you want to talk to me?" Samson asked seriously.

'You wish.' I wanted to say. "No." I said instead. Could this be the right time to ask him what's bugging him? "Actually, yes." I found myself saying. "Not like I wanted to talk to you, it's just now."

"Oh, okay." He sounded slightly disappointed. He later sat up straight. "I'm all hears."

"Yeah, why are you moody?"

"I'm not." He didn't want to admit.

"Apparently, you are." I said dryly. Did he think I was in the mood for any sort of argument now? "You look so pale. What's the matter?"

"Er..." He licked his lips. "It's... It's nothing, really."

"That's what everyone say. Anyways, if you don't wanna share, no problem." I stood up to leave but he held my arm, making me stop.

"Actually there's a problem, but I don't know if it's cool to share it with you." He said.

"Really Samson, if you feel it's not safe telling me, then don't." There was no sign of sympathy in my tone.

He swallowed really hard before speaking again. "I...I want to. Actually, I don't want to but something keeps telling me to. It's a mix feeling. I don't know how you would soak it in if I told you. Really, I don't want pity. I just need a friend to share this with, and I feel you are the right person to. You know what, never mind. I'm sorry I wasted your time." That said, he released my arm and went back to his normal postion – placing his head on his table. 

Okay, why was I feeling this way now? I felt sympathy for him. I felt like just running up to him and hugging him, telling him everything would be okay. I felt like listening to all he had to say. I felt like...'just meet him already!' My subconscious mind did justice on talking sense into me.

I then sat down quietly. "What's the matter?" I asked softly.

He raised his head to face me and surprisedly, there was a little tears in his eyes. He was crying? Okay, whatever was bugging him was huge!

"Samson?" I was a bit worried for him.

"I'm...I'm sorry." He wiped off the little tears off his eyes. "You shouldn't have seen me this way, sorry."

"What's the matter?" I ignored his apology. I was curious as hell.

There was silence before he decided to spill it out. "I...my...it's so hard to say."

Better talk. "Just say it anyhow."

"It's... It's—" He trailed off. He was almost breaking down in tears.

"Talk to me." I said in a suiting manner.

"Today marks another year of my dad's death." A tear dropped from his eye.

"Oh." I was lost for words.

* * * *

Thanks to those that wished me success in my exam. God bless you guys.

Yeah, I'm back for good. Long chapter I know. I had to to cover up for the late update.

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