Mondays.

Worst day of the week. So stressful and annoying. I watched my classmates discuss among each other. Some wouldn't stop rambling about how they spent the weekend and some about how they've missed each other. They've just been away from one another for two days. Just T-W-O days.

I didn't have anyone to talk to since the others were busy and i didn't want to brood over Richard so I decided to checkout my classmates. I had promised myself that I wasn't going to bother myself.

There were about ten of my classmates I  had never noticed. And I don't think they've noticed me either.

But I think they should have? I've been part of one or two dramas.

"Hey pretty," a male greeted me. I so badly wanted to lift my mood so I decided to play along.

"Hey Romeo," I replied. He looked shocked. "Erm, What?"

"I didn't think you would actually reply me," Damilare said. "It's Damilare by the way."

"I know. And if you thought I was not going to reply you, why did you greet?" I asked with a raised brow.

"I was just trying my luck. And I sure was lucky," he smiled widely, eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Wait why did you think I wouldn't reply?" I asked when he sat on my desk.

"Well you were not especially nice or rather polite when we first met."

"I said Hi," I shrugged. Duh.

Damilare laughed. "Hi? I've heard words too. Words go round about you," he said twirling his finger in the air.

I rolled my eyes. "Wow. I'm surprised I'm worth the gossip."

"No hard feelings dear. It feels nice to finally proved them wrong."

Getting what he meant, I nodded. "I guess it is. I don't really care about their opinion."

Damilare said nothing but watched me. I raised a brow and he shook his head.

"Dami no dey chyke girl! The literature teacher is in our class," a familiar guy announced.

"I guess it's goodbye prettiest. Ttyl," he said before swaggering away. I didn't think he was bad.

In less than five minutes, Chijioke brought his over cheery self to my desk.

"Dami said you were nice."

"Spent less than two minutes having a thankfully decent conversation and he's off to ruin my reputation," I sighed dramatically.

Chijioke laughed. "So you were nice?"

"You gossiped about me right?"

Chijioke squinted. "You're way too nice for a Monday morning. Did you hit your head somewhere or loose your memory or something on that path?"

"Truth be told I'm surprised too. I hate Mondays." You're trying so hard not to be miserable, my inner self teased wickedly.

"So how is Dami?"

"Good. Nice kid."

"You like him?"

I gagged and gave a disgusted look. "Never."

"Vincent?"

I raised a brow.

"He said the tutor session went well."

I felt my countenance change. He didn't ask.

Vincent didn't ask.

But why would he ask? He would have probably guessed that I would be rude as usual.

"Yeah it went well."

"He said it didn't end well."

"It didn't," I replied before even realising what I said..

"You want to say why?"

"Nope."

"Okay."

I looked at him, blinking in shock. "Okay?"

"What should I say?" He asked.

"I don't know," I dragged. "Okay is too weird to come from you."

Chijioke only chuckled.

"So I've not seen Vincent since. Is he in school?"

"Oh so now you're asking after my sweetheart?" I sent him a playful glare.

"He said he wanted to return a book to the library. He should be here soon."

I nodded.

We kept discussing random stuff mostly about him before lessons started. I realised he loved football and tennis. He was also a very big fan of Marshall Mathers and Lionel Messi—whoever they were.

*
"He's so cute!" Lydia squealed for the umpteenth time and all of us groaned. We were enjoying a nice plate of Abacha garnished with ukpaka, fried fish and garden egg leaf with a glass of mango juice.

"E don do na," Chioma complained slurping her juice.

"I really need to see this guy that is turning Lydia's head," Jessica said.

"He's tall. Fair. Pink lips. Deep voice. Oh my good--fucking--ness!" Lydia gushed. Lydia claimed that there was a new boy in her class and he was "hot".

"So he's a scholarship student." I said picking my fish.

"He doesn't look like one. He's tush and all."

"But one look at me and Jessica concludes I'm on scholarship. Is it about looks now?" I felt offended.

"Sheesh! That stuff is still on your mind?" Jessica asked.

Ignoring her question, I said, "I thought it's only scholarship students that get admitted into SS3?"

"He wears Rolex and these super dope Adidas. He can't be here on scholarship. Maybe transfer or something," Lydia defended, offending me more.

"Yeah whatever," I huffed inaudibly.

"There she goes defending her Romeo," Aliyah said with a chuckle obviously not hearing me.

"I have a boyfriend. I'm just appreciating beauty," Lydia responded.

"I'm pretty sure your boyfriend wouldn't want that."

Lydia shoved a spoonful of Abacha into her mouth. "That's his cuppa' tea. Baby gi-" she choked and started coughing. We panicked. Chioma and Aliyah forced two glasses of water down her throat while Jessica patted her back.

I watched them holding back a laugh. They were really helping me forget my lurking misery. "That's what you get for cheating I guess." Lydia scowled then almost immediately her face lit up.

"He's here!" she whispered, looking towards the entrance of the cafeteria.

Aliyah was the first to comment. "Aw. He's cute." A tall fair guy stood at the entrance of the cafeteria just. . .looking. He wore a round cut that had finger curls. And his outfit definitely did not say “Scholarship student”. His Adidas was to die for. I would admit he was handsome. He should be the third cutest guy after Vincent and Stephen.

I saw Jessica roll her eyes. "Abegi you can't compare him to Stephen."

Chioma cleared her throat dramatically. "No one was comparing both of them. Aliyah only said he's cute." I guess she checked him out before adding, "And yeah I admit he is really handsome."

"Manageable," Jessica shrugged.

I punched her shoulder and she winced staring daggers at me. "You're lying to yourself. You and I know he's dope. I think he's the third cutest boy in our class, for the guys I've noticed though."

"Even Nairobi admits he's cute!" Lydia said triumphantly banging the table. It didn't really draw attention.

"Ouch! He just encountered our saucy Queen bee. Poor boy," Aliyah said.

"What happened?" The other girls except me asked in unison. I kept my eyes trained on Olamide who was making her way to her friends' table. The new boy was still standing at the entrance of the cafeteria probably looking for a space but I didn't fail to notice the smile that tugged at his lip as he stared at Olamide.

"She pushed him aside as she wanted to enter the cafeteria."

And he was admiring her?

"I'm going to invite him to our table!" Lydia announced standing up.

"There's no-" but she had hurried off. "-Space."
I watched Lydia and the new boy smile at each other as they approached us smile at each other.

"Girls meet Peter," Lydia introduced cheerily. "Peter meet Girls."

"Really?" I asked.

"Kenya?" Peter directed to me.

"What?"

"That's your name right?"

I frowned. "Very funny."

He raised his hands in defense. "I honestly thought that's your name." Lydia sat at her initial space. She mouthed “awkward” and they stifled laughter.

Peter noticed  their laughter and shook his head. He took a seat and continued. "Please what's your name?"

I ignored him.

"Who even told you her name was Kenya?" Chioma asked.

"Err. . .It doesn't matter just tell me her name," Peter responded scratching his head.  "Lydia won't you introduce your friends?"

"Chioma. Jessica. Aliyah and NAIROBI."

"Oh Nairobi. I guess Kenya was a sort of joke."

"Obviously it was," I snipped.

Jessica yawned. "Please ignore her dear."

"So thanks for inviting me to your table Lydia. I didn't want to eat actually. Just wanted to look around," Peter said. "And honestly Nairobi, I didn't know it wasn't Kenya."

Chioma laughed. "That statement sounds so funny." We all ignored her.

"Hey, I know you've had your first encounter with Olamide please don't let her get under your skin," Jessica advised.

"The girl that bumped into me?"

"Yes!-"

"I actually find her interesting," Peter admitted with a stupid grin. Minion Alert rang in my head. He suddenly looked less cute to me.

"Really?" Chioma asked with a disgusted look. Peter nodded. Chioma shook her head. "Come off it bro."

Peter laughed. "Is she that bad?"

We chorused a scattered YES.

"I think I can handle her perfectly," he responded still with the cocky grin. We stayed in a comfortable silence —for me— for a while before Jessica spoke.

"So?-"

"How are you so cute?" Aliyah asked and we burst into laughter.

What do you think about Peter? Minion or no minion?

Share your thoughts!

Merci,
Ann