We took many group pictures first. Then couples. Jessica and the rest rocked perfect couples poses. When it got to I and Vincent's turn, I actually felt a bit nervous. Was I supposed to snuggle him or place a peck on his cheek or let him hold me from behind like the others had done? Honestly, I had never felt so uneasy around a guy. Vincent slowly put an arm around my waist and pulled me closer. Being so close to the human version of an iroko tree made me feel so small.

"Smile," he said. I placed my palm on his chest and did just that. His heart raced beneath my palm. It was good to know I wasn't the only awkward one. Unlike the others we took just one picture. They tried to encourage us to take more then we took one more. It wasn't as awkward as the first. When we were supposed to go back to the cafeteria, Vincent told them to go in without the both of us, saying that we would join them soon. I saw Stephen pass him a small nod and I wondered what they were up to.

"What do you think about the moon?" Vincent asked immediately we strayed away from the others. It was sudden and weird conversation starter but I sort of preferred it. I didn't want us walking in awkward silence.

I shrugged. "It is beautiful." After a very few seconds of thought, I asked. "What about you?"

"Same."

I responded with a low hum.

"So you and Stephen are good now?" He asked again.

"I don't know sha. I'm still angry at him. But he explained things."

"He compromises a lot for my selfish ass. It's scary sometimes to be honest."

"I thought you enjoy it."

"I do but sometimes it's just disturbing, for instance this incident. Although he likes you a lot, Stephen was keeping his distance from you because of me. It's somehow."

I honestly only paid attention to the fact that even Vincent was attesting to what Chijioke had told me that day in Royal B 'n' B. Well, Stephen did say it's not in that way so there was nothing to worry about.

After walking in silence for a while, I saw Vincent sneak a look at his palm. "What are the two things you enjoy doing?" He asked me.

I eyed him suspiciously. "Drawing and painting?"

"Are they not the same thing?"

I looked him up and down numerous times. "Of course not! In drawing you draw and in painting, you paint."

Vincent scoffed lightly. "What an enlightening speech." I could hear the sarcasm rolling off with the words.

I rolled my eyes. "They use different medias. That's difference enough. Like when drawing you can use charcoal, graphite, pencil and co while painting you use water colour, poster colour, spray cans and co."

"Wow. You know your stuff I see." He looked up at the moon lit sky for a while before looking back at me. "Drawing or painting?"

I didn't have to think for long. "Painting."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Painting is surreal." Vincent gave me a look that told me to go on and I did.

"Okay, I might enjoy drawing a sketch of a-" I paused in thought. "Let's say a garden because I prefer nature drawing. But if I should eventually start painting the green of the grasses, the red, yellow and what have you of the flowers and so on, I momentarily get lost. And then I kid you not when I say I can hear the birds chirp and the rustle of leaves. It feels like I'm in that scene."

I was ranting but I couldn't still stop. I always ranted when it came to things I liked or enjoyed. Stephen and Chijioke had pointed out a few times.

"When I'm stroking my brush against my paper or anything-" I sighed dreamily. "I feel like a creator, a god. I just watch my wrist do their magic as I enjoy the thrill of everything. I think I even feel what they say God felt after creation when he saw that his creation was good–"

I stopped my rant when Vincent started laughing. It was so unreal and real at the same time. It totally took me off guard. I eventually started feeling a tad bit embarrassed because he was aware he was laughing at me and my stupid rant.

He stopped laughing and looked at me with a very soft gaze. "I wasn't laughing at you. I just -it was your expression when you made your last statement. It reminded me of Constance when she. . .never mind," he shook his head slightly before turning back to me. "You really enjoy your stuff. That smile on your face and look in your eyes when you were talking about painting, I like it. I wouldn't mind seeing it everyday."

I wouldn't mind seeing it every day.

Seriously what happened to Vincent? Never in my life would I have thought that Vincent was capable of saying sweet things, to me especially.

I rolled my eyes while trying to fight off my cheeky smile. "What about you? What are your two favorite things?"

He paused and dragged a breath. It was fast and I would have missed it if I wasn't paying so much attention to him.

"Erm. . .basketball and playing the violin I guess."

I was aware that he did music. But basketball? I had never seen him play during sport or even with his fellow boys.

"You don't play basketball with the school," I pointed out when in fact I wanted to ask, 'why don't you play in school?'. But I didn't ask because I suspected it was related to his mother and I just couldn't bring myself to ask.

"Nah." He didn't give me the answer I expected but I didn't push.

"Let's sit here," Vincent said. We were almost at the gates of Regal High. On the lawn by the left side of the gate was a bench. I guessed that it belonged to the security guards. Vincent went and sat first before I followed.

Vincent looked at his palm again. "Favorite musicians?" I didn't understand where he was going with the questions but I wasn't disturbed at all.

"I'm not really a music person but I like Kizz Daniel and Simi."

Vincent nodded. "Foreign?"

"I don't listen to foreign music."

Vincent nodded again.

"I like David Garrett, Ed Sheeran and Wizkid," he told me.

"I like Wizkid too sha. But Kiss Daniel is the man after my heart." I attempted a joke and Vincent didn't disappoint. He satisfied me with a short laugh.

None of us said anything again as we let the calmness and serenity of the night overwhelm us. We sat in that comfortable silence for a while. I could hear the music blaring from the speakers. An unfamiliar music started playing and I heard someone hum to the tune. I realized it was coming from Vincent by my side. I looked at the boy who in turn was looking upwards to the sky. I wouldn't deny the fact that the moon's glow made him look beautiful and I don't know why I found it hard to just look away. He wasn't even aware of my stare.

Or so I thought. . .

"You're staring," I heard him say. He was still staring at the sky while tapping his fingers on the wooden bench.

I swallowed at the realisation that I was caught. I sat up straighter and managed to scoff. "Why would I be staring at you?"

Vincent turned his gaze to me with a kind of triumphant smile playing on his lips. "I never said you were staring at me you know."

"I was just staring at them," I defended pointing my hands towards the school building where people were loitering outside.

"Really?"

"Yes," I said firmly.

"Um, I want to give you this." Vincent sat up straight and dug his hand into his right pocket. He pulled out a transparent pouch and stretched it out to me. Something glistened beneath the wrap and I realized that it was a piece of jewelry. "Take it na."

I could hear a hint of amusement in his voice. I took the thing and brought out its content. I pinched the thing between my index finger and thumb as I studied it under the lights.

It was a studded golden bracelet. It had several pendants –a star, key and butterfly–dangling from its chain.

"Wow," I breathed out still looking at the glistening piece between my fingers. It was beautiful.

"You like it?" Vincent's voice jolted me out of my marveling session.

"Y-yes. It's beautiful. Er. . .Thank you." I tried the fasten it on my wrist.

"Do you want to put it on?" I heard Vincent ask slowly.

Obviously.

"Mhmm." I didn't have a purse and I didn't want to misplace the gift so I had no choice but to put in on.

"Let me help," he offered.

I disagreed at first but after some moments of trying in vain to put on the thing, I stretched my hand to Vincent. "Help me."

"Done," he announced immediately. I looked from his face to my wrist with a look of unbelief. He didn't even waste a second. I withdrew my hands and placed it on my laps thinking of what to do next.

I didn't get him a gift. It wasn't intentional. I had been thinking of what to give him since Monday and nothing was coming to my mind. So I gave up on getting him a gift, because I didn't expect him to even bother getting me anything.

We sat in silence. Vincent didn't ask for his gift, he just kept staring at my wrist.

"How is Constance doing?" I asked. I just had to. It was becoming too awkward. Though I wondered if I had just jinxed everything.

"Better than me and our father. She got better faster than I expected. I'm glad. You know Nairobi, I'm kind of glad about that incident on her birthday. I would have never told her honestly. None of us would have." I couldn't ignore the pain in his voice.

But the damage of the incident were more than its advantage, I wanted to say but I decided not to. I couldn't have him thinking back to all the wrong things that happened too.

Asking about Constance made me think of Chijioke.

"I want to ask you something."

Vincent furrowed his brow, probably in confusion as to why I was suddenly whispering.

"Does Stephen know Chijioke is obsessed with Jessica?"

"Yeah." He answered after some moments of pondering my question. "If you're wondering why he is here with Jessica, just know it was all CJ's idea."

"How?"

"Stephen told me Chijioke caught them locking lips on Monday-"

"He was going to ask her to be his val," I chipped in, feeling pity for Chijioke.

"Yeah. Jessica was the one that initiated that kiss just so you know."

Well in all honesty, I wasn't surprised.

"We were sitting at the bleachers during break when Stephen tried straightening things with CJ and my bro told Steve that he wasn't angry at him."

Again, I wasn't surprised.

"He told Stephen to take her to the love fest, apparently it would make her happy. Stephen didn't agree but Chijioke coaxed him into doing it. Believe me, I seriously don't understand CJ and his feelings towards that girl."

"Me neither," I said.

I watched Vincent try to sneak a look at his palm again. I grabbed his wrist and dragged his hand towards me. "What are you up to guy?" I asked, squinting my eyes to read what the almost faded ink on his palm said.

1. Tok abt d surrounding.

2. If it goes well, ask abt her fav. tins, hobbies, artiste, music etc.

3. Be cheesy.

4. Don't 4get humor. . .

I blinked in shock. Then looked from Vincent's palm to his face. He withdrew his hand and looked away in embarrassment.

"Stephen made me note them down."

"Why?"

"To know what to say. You know, to avoid awkward silences."

I actually thought that was funny.   "Okay. So what's next on your to do list?" I teased.

Vincent scratched his head with an almost invisible smile. "Erm. . . would you like ice cream maybe? I think there's a stand back there."

We walked back to where the stands were located. Couples were littered everywhere. All booths and stands were almost crowded. I guessed they were done with the so called competition I didn't get to see. I scanned the crowd for the others but I didn't see any of them.

"Good evening," I greeted the young lady at the stand after Vincent.

"Evening dear," she responded with a bright smile. I cringed slightly. I didn't like endearments, be it from a guy or a lady especially one I just met.

"So which flavor do you want?" She asked.

I and Vincent unconsciously shared a look. I looked away so fast and told the lady to give me anything Vincent ordered.

The lady gave me a wistful smile before turning to Vincent. "So my boy what flavor?"

My boy keh? I unintentionally scoffed earning a look from Vincent.

"I want a combo actually. Chocolate and strawberry," he told her.

"For the two of you, that would be two thousand."

"No problem," Vincent said. As the lady went ahead to get our ice cream, Vincent fished out his wallet and brought out two crisp one thousand naira notes. After paying the ice cream lady, we walked off.

I ate out of my ice cream and hummed in delight. I and Vincent walked side by side without any destination in mind. Well, I didn't have any destination in mind.

"We should take a picture," Vincent suggested after some moments of walking sluggishly while eating ice cream.

"We've already taken pictures," I reminded him

He shrugged. "A selfie maybe."

Weren't selfies reserved for close friends? We were not even really friends at this moment.

Vincent didn't wait for my response. He whipped out his phone and placed it in front of our face.

"Say ice cream!"

I blinked, confused. "Ice cream?"

Light flashed on my face followed by a shutter sound. He smiled at the snap before shoving his phone in my face. "Good huh?"

I initially looked into his phone with a frown but it soon melted away when I saw the picture.

It was absolutely cute.

It had Vincent smiling at the camera with his ice cream in his other hand and me looking at him with in confused yet beautiful way. I just noticed how beautiful I looked and together we looked. . .perfect. In the picture that is.

I looked away throwing away the thought of how good we looked. "I didn't consent to that picture. Delete it."

"Nairobi!" Someone called. The voice sounded like Amanda's. I looked away from Vincent to find her. She suddenly appeared in front of me with Alec and Dabira.

"So you were here doing love nwantiti, you didn't go to support your friend!" She accused pinching my cheek painfully.

"Ow!" I massaged my cheek. "What do you mean?"

"If you and Vincent were in the Hall, you guys would have voted for her and Hakim for best couple. She lost by just one vote."

"When did those two even become a couple to the extent that they were nominated for best couples contest?"

"I also wonder!" Dabira said.

I eyed her briefly and looked at Amanda. "Where were you though? We took some pictures earlier–"

Dabira interrupted me by grabbing my wrist. "Wow. This is so beautiful!" She cooed. I realized she was looking at my bracelet. "Did Vincent give you this?"

I didn't respond but the girl apparently answered herself.

"Vincent so you know how to gift a lady something so beautiful?"

I didn't know if Vincent was offended but he didn't say anything to her. He just concentrated on his phone as he ate his ice cream.

"What did you get for me Alec?"

"It's in the car."

"Oya e malo. Let's go and get it," Dabira said pulling Alec away. Good riddance, I said in my head as I watched their backs before I turned back to Amanda.

"Where's Peter?" I asked Amanda.

"In the sick bay." She sighed. "He has been vomiting. The boy is wasted. I was actually looking for you since I couldn't find Jessica so that I could tell you that I would be leaving with Peter soon. I called my driver–"

"Chimamanda!" Another voice interrupted her. Jessica was walking furiously towards us, Aliyah following frantically behind her. I just realized I hadn't seen Aliyah since after the Dabira fiasco.

"I'm going now."

She sounded angry. I was forced to wonder what soiled her mood.

"What's up?" Amanda asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Nothing." Jessica looked at me and I saw that same look she had given me that day at Constance party. I racked my brain for anything I had done wrong. The last time we were together, she had been smiling.

She turned to Amanda. "Are you coming?"

"I'm sorry. . .I can't. I need to–"

"What about you?" She directed to Aliyah.

What the hell was this attitude?

"Oh, the sleep over." Aliyah looked back at the school building then back to us. "The event. . .it isn't over and–"

"So it would be just me and Nairobi?" She called Nairobi like some kind of filthy word. I decided not to make a fuss about it. I could reason with her later.

"Since Hakeem lives in your area, I will tell him to drop me off," Aliyah suggested.

"Good for you." Jessica said then turned away. She started walking in the direction of the gates.

I looked between Amanda and Aliyah. They both shrugged.

I looked at Vincent. "I have to go." I didn't want to. But unlike the others, I didn't have a fancy car and an obedient driver.

"No P. Good night."

"Bye!" I said to the girls before jogging after Jessica with my melting ice cream. I didn't even commend Aliyah for whatever she and Hakeem did at the contest that made them apparently come second.

The pink SUV was already waiting at the gate. Jessica entered the front seat wordlessly. She didn't even acknowledge me. I suddenly wasn't looking forward to the sleep over any more.

"Jessica what's the problem?" I had to ask some minutes into the drive because I caught her numerous times staring at me with that look through the rear view mirror.

"Why did you try to kiss Stephen?" She accused sounding like she wanted to cry.

I was taken aback by her question. I never tried to kiss Stephen. It was the exact opposite. But she had even told me she understood, so I didn't understand where that was coming from.

"What are you driving at now?"

"I saw the two of you in our class." Jessica turned to look at me as she said that. I don't know what she was expecting. I just gave her a blank stare.

"So?"

Jessica scoffed and faced forward again. "Do. . .Do you like Stephen?" She didn't let me respond. "I like him too and I honestly don't want us to keep malice because of him."

"Jessica abeg no start," I warned. What was wrong with this girl? "C'mon, we're bigger than that. And I'm going to remind you again, there's nothing going on between me and Stephen. The guy doesn't even like you like that. Understand that and know peace!"

These kids– Chijioke, Jessica and Stephen–and their twisted love triangle or whatever it was was becoming annoying. They should all just rest. This whole like and no like was a fickle stuff. They would still graduate and go their separate ways. They would meet new people and move on from this thing they had going on. Just like what ever I thought I had for Richard. Changing schools and not being around him all the time had made me realize I only enjoyed the attention he had been giving me.

"Would you really fight with me because of a boy?" I asked her calmly this time.

Jessica didn't respond immediately. She just looked out of the window letting silence dwell in our midst for a short while

"Maybe."

How e be abeg?😩

Share your thoughts on this chapter! Don't be surprised if I unpublish it later Sha🌚
Would try updating another chapter this weekend🌝

Vote. Comment. Recommend.

And please follow my Bookstagram @AnnScribbles_

Buenas noches 🌜