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It is yet another bright and sunny day at Kandore High. Things do not seem too brilliant for Uju though, as Mr. Rufus, the Geography teacher is in class.
Mr. Rufus is an astute man with a charming personality. His communication skills are superb, and his attentiveness to people's needs is simply excellent. However, Uju believes that he would do very well in human resources or on a talk show; just not in a classroom. He isn't very good at passing across the knowledge he possesses. And to top it all, he always gets carried away by digressions into irrelative topics and adventitious conversations whenever he teaches. Although most of the time, they're quite interesting to listen to, they end up taking the place of the academic work for that lesson. Right now, the class is so behind on their syllabus, that it would take a miracle for them finish their scheme before the exams begin.

Many students love Mr. Rufus however, because his classes are always fun-filled. Truth be told, Uju loves his classes sometimes; especially whenever she isn't in the mood for schoolwork. His classes are also perfect opportunities to finish up incomplete notes and assignments from previous lessons. Mr. Rufus is a great asset to many students who don't mind just studying Geography on their own. His classes provide them the time they always need to finish up other aspects of their schoolwork. Right now for instance, Bayo is not even listening to this man's yarn. He is rapidly completing his History note and finishing up his Chemistry assignment. To some others however, who perceive him an asset because he helps them escape schoolwork even more; he unknowingly slows down their learning.

At the moment, he is telling the class stories about the experiences of a close friend of his, who travelled to Libya on foot. The story is actually quite touching and very expository. He is enlightening young people on the dangers of human trafficking and slavery. But this is neither the time nor the place for such a symposium. Uju believes that he is supposed to be teaching them Geography. Their end of term examinations are close at hand. Yet with wide smiles on their faces, everyone is enthusiastically listening to his tales by moonlight, whilst their Geography scheme for the term wastes away.
Sighing again, Uju adjusts her head on her desk and turns back to look at Bayo, who is busy as a bee. For some reason, it is almost as though he feels the slight sting of her gaze, as he immediately raises his eyes up to catch hers. Then he lets out a mischievous smile, to which Uju responds with a naughty gaze. Afterward, they both chuckle warmly at each other.
As Mr. Rufus finally completes his story, the bell rings for the next class.
It is time for chemistry. And they'll be having today's class in the laboratory. Uju then immediately brings out her lab coat from her school bag while Mr. Rufus exits. Afterwards, they all start to exit the classroom and head towards the chemistry lab. Bayo is the last to leave, as he tries to quickly finish up his chemistry assignment.

"Good morning, Miss Yetunde!" they all greet, as the chemistry teacher takes her seat.
She always insists on them calling her by her first name. She should be in her early-forties, but she looks even younger than some women in their thirties. She's quite slender as well. No doubt, she maintains a very strict diet to keep herself in good shape. Many students don't like her though. She is too strict and nags quite a bit. Nevertheless, Uju has found no reason to dislike her like others do. She only tries her best to stay out of trouble, by humbly obeying Miss Yetunde's rules and giving her all the respect she is due. And to be honest, her teaching skills are impeccable. This woman knows her onions when it comes to chemistry. She is also doing quite a wonderful job at making sure that they have all the vital knowledge they need, to excel in chemistry. That is more than enough for Uju. Some students however, could neither care less about Miss Yetunde's teaching skills nor her desire to instill knowledge and discipline in them. She is not very jovial or sociable, and that alone among others has earned her quite some spite.

At the moment, the entire laboratory is dead silent. No one ever dares chatter in Miss Yetunde's class. Even James and his retinue are always taciturn during her classes. Sometimes, the way people tremble before this woman is quite baffling to Uju. 'She's just a strict lady; not Cruella de Vil!' Uju echoes within herself, upon noticing the gloomy aura in the atmosphere. She knows that as long as you never break Miss Yetunde's rules, she'll never scold you. It's that simple. Or maybe not. She almost chuckles again at the thought, while properly adjusting herself on her seat.
'Speak of the devil' Uju mumbles amusedly, upon sighting James sitting two stools away. He is currently looking down and slowly scraping the conical edge of his pencil with the tip of his finger nails. Wow! He looks so docile and innocent, like he couldn't even hurt a fly. Uju can barely recognize him right now. It's amazing to see him this calm. He is never this calm. 'What sort of spell has this woman cast over my classmates?' Uju wonders.

After introducing the day's topic, Miss Yetunde tells all the students to group themselves in twos for the practical. They will be carrying out some salt analysis today. So immediately, Uju rises from her seat and begins to search for Bayo with her eyes. But accidentally, she forcefully bumps into James. "Oh, sorry!" he exclaims after hitting her and then immediately attempts to move the other way. Uju simply nods in response; her mouth a bit ajar in perplexity. 'This is new!... Since when does James apologize?' she wonders. He has intentionally shouldered her several times before and walked past without saying a word. Something must be special about today.
Upon noticing the way James and Uju quickly separate from each other in search of other partners, Miss Yetunde then commands, throwing a sharp gaze at the both of them, "James... Uju... Pair up."

After hearing this, bamboozled James hastily attempts a plea, "..Please ma, I'm already paired up with..."

"...I said, pair up!" she rebuffs.

"Okay ma." Uju humbly responds, while walking toward James.

As Uju approaches, James starts to get a bit chilly, for some reason. He has never had an actual conversation with her before. And although he has tried to get her attention several times by being a jerk, she has never responded. She has never even yelled at him once for annoying her. He has come to believe, therefore, that she does not like to waste her breath on the likes of him. Thus, to preserve his dignity, he has decided to keep his distance. But right now, she is beside him. Standing beside her is almost like standing beside a furnace. He can literally feel her burning him with her thoughts of disdain; of judgment. He feels so uncomfortable, that he barely utters a word. He isn't half bad at chemistry. And he knows everything about salt analysis. But the mere fact that Uju is watching him, strangely reduces his confidence by half. As he gently picks up the test tube, he begins to feel her meticulous eyes thoroughly scrutinizing him. He isn't even sure whether he is holding it the right way anymore. Frankly, he doesn't think he can ever be himself around her. He believes her to be too much of a perfectionist; a know-it-all.
'No doubt; she is criticizing my method already.' he presumes.

"Uhm... Could it be copper?... Since it forms a blue colour in excess sodium hydroxide?" Uju inquires, looking up at him with her hand to her jaw, as she rests her elbow on the table.
"Yeah... It could be." James replies indecisively, although he does believe the solution contains copper ions. He does not plan on affirming anything yet, until he's completely sure, because the last thing he wants is for her to prove him wrong.
Uju on the other hand, is making sure to let James take the lead while she simply writes the inferences. The last thing she wants is to make him feel like she is trying to overshadow him in any way. She has studied him well enough to know that he has a large ego, and that his somewhat jealous tendencies stem from deep seated self-esteem issues.

Shortly after, James begins to smile deviously while staring at the solution in the test tube, "Please tell your boyfriend to stop shooting me with his eyes. I didn't ask to be your partner." he says.
Uju is flabbergasted by his words. 'What on earth is he talking about?' she wonders. Then she looks towards the right end of the lab and sights Bayo staring unflinchingly at them. Afterwards, she turns back to James and raises a brow, saying, "He is not my boyfriend."
James sighs and replies, still looking forward, "Then you'd better tell him that. The boy acts like he owns you."

"Excuse me??"

Then he sighs again, almost rolling his eyes this time, "..Why do you think most guys don't come close to you, even though you're one of the most beautiful girls in class? They're afraid of him."

Upon hearing this, Uju laughs sarcastically, "...Are you for real?"

Putting down the test tube, James continues, "..The two of you are always together. Everyone believes you're in a relationship."

"Wow... Then that's their opinion. We're just friends." she states.

"Uju... he is territorial." James adds, almost wincing at her in frustration.

"He isn't. People are only seeing what they want to see." she defends. But James exclaims again while keeping his voice as low as possible, so that Miss Yetunde doesn't hear, "Ugghh!...You're too hard headed. That's why you're so annoying."

In perplexity at his words, Uju gasps jeeringly, "I am annoying???... James... have you seen yourself?"

"Yes... I'm tall, dark and handsome." he replies smugly, with a smooth voice. And then placing a hand over her mouth, Uju starts to laugh blushingly, "...Are you kidding me? #Sighs... Don't flatter yourself."

"Well, at least, I'm much better looking than your boyfriend." he responds, in suppressed amusement.

"Hm?... You wish! Bayo would out-match you any day." Uju states confidently. Then James raises a brow, "Oh... So you admit, he is your boyfriend?"

"Ughh... You know what I meant, James." she replies blushingly, rolling her eyes.
Afterwards, James continues, looking forward again, "But on a more serious note, you need to let this dude know where you stand. He obviously has deep feelings for you. Just look at him. He has been staring at us since the beginning of the practical class."

"You're over exaggerating things." Uju responds frustration. James chuckles again, "...Believe me, Uju. I'm not." Then he adds, "Although... I don't blame him."
Amused but unimpressed by his not-so-subtle attempt, Uju rolls her eyes again.
Afterwards, he adds again, throwing her a slightly naughty gaze, "Now... all I need to do is kiss you, and he'll die of a heart attack."
Upon hearing this, Uju turns to him in slow motion and gives him such a stern look, that he starts to feel uneasy. Obviously, she didn't find that joke funny. At this point, James begins to realize even more, that Uju isn't like the other girls at all. He usually knows how to get them eating out of his hand. But Uju has this way of dissolving his hold on her, even after he has succeeded in ensnaring her. It's so odd how she is able to make such a swift U-turn from 'blushing damsel' to 'shrewd dowager'. In a way, it excites him. But it terrifies him just as much.

"Calm down nau... shuo!... It's only a joke." he apologizes tenderly. Then Uju lets out a breath and replies, "Well... I didn't like it."

"Which part?... The part where I said Bayo would have a heart attack?... Or the part where I said you would kiss me?" James inquires, with an innocent look on. Then almost subconsciously, Uju bursts into laughter again, making sure to do so in hushed tones, so that Miss Yetunde doesn't notice, "You really don't ever know when to stop, do you?..."

"...Nope!" he affirms, as he rinses out the salt from a test tube.

Afterwards, Uju avers in amusement, "... My goodness!... You've got tricks up your sleeves, I'll give you that."

"... So I've heard." he replies again, as confident as ever. Thereafter, he continues calmly, with his eyes focussed on his notebook as he writes,
"It's surprising to see that you can laugh. I don't think I've ever seen you laugh."

"Really?... I laugh all the time." Uju responds with mild certainty. Then he avers, "Well... Not often enough."

Upon hearing this, Uju sighs in frustration, responding earnestly,
"But James, I don't frown. This is my normal face. And it is what I'm most comfortable with... #Sighs.. Most of the time, I have to make conscious efforts to smile. It's exhausting."

"You're not the only one who finds it difficult to smile. We all do." he replies.

"Really???... I can list like ten people in here right now, whose normal faces look smile-oriented... Lola, for instance. No matter how angry she is, she can never look hostile..."

"... Is that so?..." he asks sarcastically.

"Yeah!... I just happen to have one of those faces." Uju replies and then continues, "...But what is it with people and smiles anyway? Smiles are only superficial. They don't necessarily show what I have in my heart."

"That's true... but smiles bring joy to everyone you meet. They make good first impressions and brighten your mood, whenever you're sad."

"Hmm..."

"Smiles make people happy. They are a reflection of that perfect love we ought to feel for one another; be them fake or genuine... #scoffs... And believe me, Uju... whether you like it or not, smiles are more likely to get you what you want from people than that plain face of yours."

"You are very correct, James. And should the practical need arise, I will put on a good show. But I refuse to live a life of pretence. Whenever I smile, I like it being natural. Emotions are very special to me... so much so, that I only wish to express them genuinely and truly. The joy and delight of a smile are only full, when it comes from the heart. I'm not saying that polite smiles aren't good... They are. But... I think that as a human being, I should be allowed to relieve my facial muscles without being judged for it."

James smiles at her words.

Uju continues, "That 'perfect love' you speak of; what is it, if not true?... And there are many other ways to express love than outward displays of warmth and affection...
...Everyone is always talking about keeping an open mind. But one of the commonest closed-minded notions accepted subconsciously by almost everyone, is that a smile means 'good person', and a frown means 'bad person'. The truth is, James... I'd rather wear an honest frown, than a dishonest smile."

Afterwards, James starts to chuckle at the futility of her earnest words and then nods, "Alright... If you say so... Good luck with that!"

Then Uju places a palm on his shoulder and he immediately turns, in slight shock at her sudden warmness; at which point she asks,
"...Isn't life much more than just getting what we want from people?... Or making them like us, for our own selfish reasons?... Is the entire aim of love not to achieve happiness, through mutual understanding of one another?"

Feeling immensely touched by her words, James then sighs and responds, "... Yes, Uju... That's how it should be. But... we're all human. In this state, perfection is nearly impossible. Our world is broken. And sometimes... we just need people to make us feel like it isn't, like love truly abounds, and like everyone truly cares. If we give up hope in humanity, then what little love we have left in this world will be extinguished. Smiles make us feel loved; understood; cared for. Yes, many smiles are fake. And these days, they're not even as appreciated as you think... But... what happens when you meet someone truly destitute emotionally... who just needs a warm smile, to feel uplifted? Your unwillingness to make that easy sacrifice might just be their downfall."

Then Uju smiles so radiantly, that even Bayo notices from the far end of the lab,
"... Wow!... that was... beautiful." she admits earnestly, afterwhich she sighs and picks up the boiling tube,
"... Honestly, I don't think anyone has sounded so right to me before."

"Mmm!... I'm pleased to hear that." James replies suggestively, while leaning slightly toward her. But Uju immediately shoulders him away, "Get away from me, you oaf..." Then she adds, with a suppressed smile, "... Do you have to ruin every magical moment?"

"Hmmmm... Magical?" his smile widens.

"Uggghhh!... You're incurable!..." she exclaims, rolling her eyes.

While their chatter continues, Bayo begins to feel even more uneasy with the way these two are getting along. 'What on earth could they possibly be talking about? And why hasn't Miss Yetunde caught them yet?' he wonders. Miss Yetunde always boasts about having such sharp eyes. But it would seem that they're never available when truly needed. Bayo knows James all too well. And he is certain that right now, he is trying to work his sleazy charms on Uju. Although he believes that she will never fall for them, the way they're getting along is starting to make him feel a bit insecure. 'How could she be laughing at his dry jokes?' Bayo wonders, in disgust.
As he watches them, he can't help but consider the possibility that Uju might actually be falling into James' lecherous net. 'Damn it! This can't be happening again.' he exclaims within himself.
'You know what... why should I even care? Uju has every right to talk to whomever she wants. It's not like she's my girlfriend or anything... I'm not even that interested in her.'

"... One thing you need to understand, James is that the sacrifice is easier for some than others. What about those with facial disabilities?... I've seen people who have been spurned, just because of the way they look, despite their burning desire to bring warmth to others. Mothers even shield the eyes of their children from them, as though protecting them from harm. Whereas, they are unknowingly instilling in their young minds how to judge people based on their looks alone.
Humans generally have a tendency to judge books by their covers. But if we truly hope to cure inner ugliness in this world, we need to learn to look beyond facades."

Then Uju sighs and continues while James simply drowns in her beauty, as unlike before, she now starts to look him more directly in the eyes, "Do you think I don't like being loved or seen as a nice person?... Or that I wouldn't like to bring joy to others, with my presence alone?... But even if I wanted to change, it's not as easy as most people assume. My personality is much different from yours. That which almost comes naturally to you, might require immense effort from me. We all have our flaws, James. Why must mine be considered any worse than say, yours, simply because it is less average, less common or less appealing to your tastes? There are some things about you that I don't like. But do you see me hating you for them?"

James remains silent.

Still engrossed in the topic, oblivious Uju asks after a pause, "Have you ever had a physical difficulty smiling?"

At first, James tilts his head a bit but then replies,
"Not really though... I've always been a happy child."
Upon hearing this, Uju smiles, "Okay. Well... I have always been a gloomy child."
Then they both burst into low key laughter; afterwhich Uju continues,
"... I had my boisterous moments though. But they weren't much. And I had them mostly around those who were close to me. Although I was hardly ever sad on the inside, outwardly, everyone saw me as a child who didn't like having fun and hardly talked much. But oblivious to them, I was more joyful than anything.
I've always lived in my own world of imagination and fascination. So many things around intrigued me. And I would fantasize about countless scenarios, but nobody knew... except for my mother, that is. Sometimes, she would always peep at me, while I talked to myself. But she would never interrupt me. She would only listen subtly, to hear what my world was like. She was one of a kind."
Tears start to gather in her eyes.

Then James responds,
"Wow!... Your mum must be amazing. How is she?"

Uju smiles faintly in reply, "Fine."
No one in this school knows her history and she intends to keep it that way.

Later on, as they finally start to rinse out all their equipment and prepare to leave, James avers, "Well... In a way, you were kind of lucky as a child. You never needed people's attention to make you happy. Me on the other hand... #sigh... I may have been a happy child, but I tasted the bitterness of loneliness so many times. My parents couldn't always provide the kind of attention I needed. And of course, friends eventually have to live their own lives. People leaving was something I had to deal with a lot back then. And the truth is... not having any friends would crush me, even now. I have to ask... How do you cope?"

Upon hearing this, Uju smiles again and replies, "Well, I manage... and of course, I have Bayo, Stella and many other nice students in our class. As a matter of fact, I've got all of you. If everyone else were like me, then our class would be as dry as winnowed chaff. Each person forms the dynamic wheel that is our class; that is our world and I wouldn't change a single one."

"Awww..." James holds his chest.

"... except you, that is." she adds wittily.

Then he gasps, "Me???... What about Jacob? That dude wears his tie backwards!"

"Hush up there!... He wore it forward yesterday." she replies. Then they both burst into laughter while everyone slowly exits the laboratory.

Afterwards, James sighs gloomily,
"And I suppose after now, we'll go back to being... classmates who never speak to each other."

Uju then turns to him dramatically and asks, "... Are you saying you want to be my friend?"

"... Ugh... hell no!... You're too weird for me anyways." he responds, trying not to blush.
Then she rolls her eyes and asks again, as they walk out of the lab, "Frenemies then?"

"Maybe." he replies smugly. "But I have a request though." he adds.

"I'm listening." Uju responds, looking forward.

"Please don't tell Bayo what we talked about today. I want him to die of jealousy."

Uju turns to him in wonder, shakes her head, smiles and then says before walking away, "I'll consider it."

"Baby girl!" a smooth voice calls out afterwards. Uju turns to find Stella beckoning her from the path leading to the other staircase, so she walks toward her with her lab coat on her shoulder. "Stella, how far?"

"I dey o." Then she adds with a playful whisper, "Dis wan dat you and Mr. Casanova were laughing... I hope all is well."

Uju smiles amusedly, "All is well o. We were just discussing."

"Hope he wasn't trying to work his charms on you"

Uju's smile widens as she replies, slowly placing a hand on Stella's shoulder, "What do you think?"
Then they both chuckle at each other while they climb down the stairs.

"Badoo!" echoes Kunle, one of James' friends, as he bounces down the hallway below the stairs. "Blood! What's good?" James responds. 

Kunle continues, "Dis wan wey Uju dey smile anyhow because of you.. You don run some kind levels abi?... Ladies man!"

Upon hearing this, James simply smiles in response, while licking his lower lip like a Don Juan.

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GLOSSARY
"Stella, how far?" - "Stella, how are you?"
"I dey o"- "I'm good"
"Dis wan dat you and Mr. Casanova were laughing... "- "I'm surprised that you and Mr. Casanova were laughing together... "
"Badoo!"- "Slick guy!"
"Dis wan wey Uju dey smile anyhow because of you.. You don run some kind levels abi?... "- "I'm surprised that Uju was smiling so much because of you.. You wouldn't happened to have made some moves on her, would you?..."