Electricity crackled in the air as Olamide's eyes and mine jammed in an unfriendly stare down. Her lined eyes eyed me condescendingly as glossed lip lifted in a way that told her dislike for me. I made sure to shoot enough venom into my scowl. My hand was itching to rip off her new ponytail hairdo.

I wondered what exactly gave the girl the audacity to actually pop up in front of me like an unwanted pimple and stop me from going to the classroom. I didn't have to wonder for long when her eyes moved to Vincent who stood beside me.

"You're hanging with Nairobi now?" She asked saying my name like a filthy word. The surprise in her voice actually slapped. Vincent and I met at the auditorium exit and we just walked to class together. We said nothing to each other but walked comfortably side by side. I guess someone was jealous.

My lip lifted in a teasing smirk. "Jealous?"

"Wo, I wasn't talking to you."

"Excuse me?" This girl was risking a back hand and a head bash. I wasn't a person of violence but Olamide just knew how to bring out the worst in me.

"You totally ignored me in class this morning, Ayodeji." Olamide ignored me and faced Vincent. It was for the best. I was ninety nine percent sure whatever she was going to say would just piss me off.

"So?" Vincent asked her. I stifled my laugh. I shouldn't have done that. I should have cackled in her face like her village witches who were playing with her sense.

"So?" She asked him back, baffled.

"I know your apology would not fix shit now but until you apologize to everyone, don't talk to me Olamide. I'm serious. If you don't think you need to apologize for being a total bi–nuisance, then we cannot be friends," Vincent told her, tone firm and final.

But honestly, was apologizing so hard? Yep. Totally hard.

Vincent took my hand, surprising me. "Come on," he said manoeuvring us around Olamide's flabbergasted form and continuing our journey to class.

"Still not good huh?" I said when we were a good distance from the girl.

"Is apologizing too hard?" Vincent asked sounding honestly confused.

"Kind of," I mumbled, mostly to myself. Vincent gave me an amused look.

"Maybe it is."

My mind wandered back to Saturday and how Vincent laid himself bare. I thought that by today he would be avoiding me out of embarrassment but instead he came to me. I looked at our joined hands. The change in our relationship was glaring. At the beginning of last term we couldn't even do our chemistry lab without arguing but now we were hands and hugging?

I didn't know if I was comfortable with the change but I knew I didn't hate it. I had changed too. I scowled less and I was more pleasant with strangers. Richard would be proud.

Our class was very noisy when we walked in. Any minute from now a teacher was definitely going to come and lecture us on how we were bad examples to the junior and were supposed to be preparing for our mock exams. Vincent left my hand at the entrance but I was not offended. I wouldn't want anyone getting ideas.

Immediately I got to my seat, Aliyah and Amanda came over to my desk. They dragged nearby empty seats and sat around my desk. I looked at them with a raised brow as I took my seat.

"Am I safe?" I asked looking from a smirking Amanda to grinning Aliyah.

"Tea please?" Amanda said snapping her fingers.

"Tea?" I asked confused.

Aliyah rolled her eyes and pushed up her glasses. "We saw you holding hands with Vincent. Give us the gist!"

I shook my head with a deep sigh. This was what I wanted to avoid. "There's no gist Aliyah."

"Lies. Since when did you two start holding hands?"

"He had to hold my hand to lead me away from Olamide, when she confronted him," I explained.

"Wait. . .was she dating Vincent?" Amanda asked. There was a look of disbelief on her face.

"Hey don't misunderstand me please. Vincent has a beef with her because of the Israel fiasco. She came to confront him about it while we were walking together from the auditorium," I clarified.

Some of our classmates hand started drumming and singing songs because the teachers were having a meeting. So much for being science students.

"Aww," Aliyah cooed. "You two were walking together. My ship is sailing," she said the last part in a sing song voice.

"I can't believe these two couldn't stay together without ripping each other's throats last term," Amanda said smiling at me.

"Love is a beautiful thing," Aliyah said dreamily.

I scoffed. Love?

Love was definitely far from it. I didn't want to argue with Aliyah so I said "whatever" instead.

Just then a teacher walked into our class looking furious. I would be shocked if he wasn't. The noise was beginning to get on my nerves too. It was the teacher who had saved me from Tolani that time. His bald head hadn't lost its shine and his regular baggy trouser was ironed crisp. "Do you children want to pull down the school with your noise? What example are you setting for your juniors Ehn?"

Here we go again, I sighed.

The class had gone deathly silent as everyone's eyes was on Mr. Feran. Jessica and Stephen came into the class together while the man gave us a sermon we were used to. They seemed good, it was surprising to see them together but nonetheless, I was glad.

When the man left our class, Jessica walked over to us. "What did I miss?" She asked standing in front of my desk. My classmates didn't waste a millisecond before starting their noise again.

"We should be asking you that," Amanda and I said while Aliyah screeched, "Naya and Vince is in phase 5 of the transition from enemies to lovers."

I looked at Aliyah and blinked, confused. "Phase 5 of. . . What does that even mean? And who's transitioning from enemies to lovers? Guy don't get ahead of yourself, we were just holding hands."

"Wait a freaking moment, they were holding hands?" Jessica looked between Aliyah and Amanda.

"You bet they were. Who knows what coming next?" Amanda said before pouting her lips and making kissing noise. The others giggled.

I gagged and stared at my friends shocked to the bones. What on earth was giving them such an idea? I wondered what they told each other when I was not there.

"Jessica holds Chijioke's hands all the time but even she doesn't believe they are ever going to amount to anything more than friends so can someone explain why in the galaxy, you guys are harboring crazy thoughts and making unbelievable theories about me and Vincent?"

"Aliyah the self appointed love expert and chief ship sailor says there are ten phases in the transition from enemies to lovers," Amanda said.

"And apparently we're in phase five meaning?" I asked in a bored tone.

"A bit more than friends," Aliyah said smiling like crazy. When I met Aliyah newly, I never believed she had it in her to be a hopeless romantic but unfortunately here we were. She once told me that then when she didn't have us, her clique of friends to hang out with, what she normally did was to sit invisible to everyone at her corner of wherever she was and observe classmates and schoolmates alike then sail ships and according to her all of her ships sailed.

"A bit more than friends?" I asked still confused.

"Phase one, you're enemies always fighting and arguing. Phase two, you're beginning to not see reason in your fights so you have toned it down a notch. Phase three, you've agreed to be civilized. Phase four, you're friends now. Phase five, you're going away from being just friends to being bit more than friends. Phase six, you both understand that this is way more than friendship. This phase is characterized by awkwardness and lots of confusion. Phase seven, the attraction is evident now but it is being fought against. Phase nine, the big fight or very major event that opens your eyes to the fact that you two are in love. Phase ten, you agree to be two hearts merged into one," Aliyah explained in one breath. She tilted her head at me. "I hope you didn't zone out, Naya."

"There's no Phase eight," I pointed out.

"Nope," Aliyah popped the 'p' while she shook her head. "Because it rhymes with hate."

I opened my mouth to say the obvious which is that there were basically nine phases but I just shook my head and closed my mouth. Not really wanting to say nothing, I said, "you're crazy, Aliyah. You just decided to study people who go from friends to lovers and pull out some theories?"

"All people with similar cases as yours that I know followed these pattern just like you are doing now."

I rubbed my forehead with a slight shake. Aliyah was beginning to sound like a doctor talking about the transition and symptoms of a deadly disease. "The big fight has already happened sef."

"The fall out of last term?" Jessica asked. It was then I realized that she was still standing.

"Yeah. It did happen around the time we fought," I said referring to our own fight.

"Hmm," Aliyah hummed stroking her cheek. "I guess it's a sub phase between phase three and four, a major event that leads to friendship!" Aliyah concluded with an unexpected excitement.

"Liya, you're beginning to sound like a mad scientist researching on a special and deadly disease," Amanda said, slight amusement in her tone.

"I thought I was the only one that noticed!" I said voicing my agreement and they laughed.

*

After getting our food from the vendors at the cafeteria, the girls and I went over to one of the empty round tables at the back to have our meal. Aliyah sat beside me while Jessica and Amanda sat in a way that seemed to opposite us. Less than a minute after taking our seats Stephen, Chijioke and Vincent came over to our table asking to join us for lunch.

We all stared at them for a full whole minute. I particularly believed everyone was staring because of Vincent that stood behind Stephen and Chijioke looking uncomfortable under our gazes.

"What's with the stares?" Stephen asked raising a brow into a perfect arch.

Aliyah blinked rapidly. "Sure. You guys can join us."

"But you'll need to get an extra seat," Amanda said staring at Vincent.

"I'll get it," Chijioke said dropping his food before going in search of an unoccupied chair.

Vincent took his seat beside me which was also beside Amanda. Stephen sat beside Aliyah leaving a little distance between him and Jessica. I suspected that the space was for Chijioke.

"To what do we owe the honor?" I asked when Chijioke settled in beside Jessica a little while later.

"What honor?"

"Vincent freaking Adebayo is having lunch with us."

"If you want me to leave just say it," Vincent deadpanned with a fork of spaghetti halfway to his mouth.

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Sheesh. I thought you would be less stuck up."

Jessica told me when Vincent had apologized to her. It wasn't grand and he didn't offer her Ice cream. He just met her during school hours one day and apologized for what he did then. She told me that she was stunned by his apology and she didn't respond. Vincent being original Vincent didn't even wait for her response he just turned and walked away. Now I stared between both of them and it didn't seem like Jessica had forgiven him. Their close proximity was a recipe for disaster.

"Seriously Ayo?"

That voice was one I didn't expect and want to hear. I looked up at the owner of the voice making sure what I thought about her presence was written on my face.

Bug off, pest!

She looked at Stephen in disbelief. "Of all places to eat you guys chose here?" She folded her hands and stared pointedly at Vincent. "Let me guess, you didn't want me to join you that's why you settled for this."

Vincent didn't respond and Jessica looked like she wanted to give Olamide a piece of her mind. Aliyah concentrated on her food and Amanda looked amused. I didn't know what was funny.

"A full table won't deter me just so you know," she said before pulling an empty chair from a close table and forcing herself in between me and Vincent.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked her unable to hide my displeasure any more. I didn't like the fact that Vincent didn't correct her. Nobody said anything. Jessica and Chijioke looked like they were holding back. I decided to do the same, for peace to reign.

Olamide ignored me and faced Vincent whose attention was on his spaghetti."Ayo, I'm sorry okay. I was stupid, I agree. I like Israel but I shouldn't have been the other woman in his relationship. I truly regret my actions now."

Vincent didn't look at her for once.

Somehow, Olamide scooted closer to him and tried to force her face in his line of sight. "Vince? Ayo? I believe that this is more about you than Israel and Nmesoma." Her voice had become more sombre and everyone at the table had their attention on her. I have to admit, this was unlike Olamide. She had pride, way too much of it. "I didn't heed your warnings and I lied to you about Israel and I. I know I said something you didn't like that day too. Ayo I'm sorry. I truly am. If I wasn't, I wouldn't be throwing my pride away and apologizing in front of Nairobi and Chijioke."

I frowned at her last statement. When I thought Olamide was doing good, she always found a way to ruin the impression. Vincent didn't respond and I smirked in my mind. With a sigh, she placed a hand on his. I wanted to tell her to give up already and get out but I forced my attention to my food. I realized I was staring way too much.

"Nmesoma has not been in school and she's not picking my calls. You can follow me to her house to help me talk to her. Israel already ended things so. . ." She looked at Vincent expectantly.  "Come on Ayo. I'd do anything just say you forgive me."

It was like all of us at the table were invisible. The respect Olamide had for Vincent was admirable. She went way out of her way to get back in his good book. If only this attitude would extend to others.

Vincent threw an arm over her shoulder and smiled to my dismay. "We're good now. Emotions mislead many including me. I just wished you said something to me, we would have avoided this mess. Since you're willing to fix it, it's all good."

I scoffed at that. Olamide literally barged in between us and he didn't say anything about that. And the way she referred to them sitting with us was demeaning. She even specifically called out me and Chijioke for goodness sake yet he was here smiling at her, giving her what she wanted.

"That was so cringe," Chijioke finally commented. "You really accept her apology?"

Olamide scowled at him and he glared back with as much intensity.

"CJ, you of all people should understand what it means to do stupid things for 'love'" Vincent answered him.

I don't think Vincent realized how terrible that sounded. It was a bad jab at his crush on Jessica. Chijioke didn't like the statement either. When I looked at him, he held his cutlery in a death grip but he didn't look visibly angry. It felt like it was more than a jab at his crush. In that moment, I remembered his sister's relationship and I felt bad for him. I got annoyed wondering if Vincent had made that statement on purpose. My glare shifted to Olamide. I sized her wondering what she was to Vincent. I decided that I didn't like their dynamics. Olamide always had it out for me and if Vincent was going to always turn a blind eye to her attitude we would just go back to square one.

"Deji," Stephen shot him a disapproving look.

Vincent eyes widened in a certain realization. "Oh no no. CJ, you know I did not mean it like that–"

"I'm not feeling the food again," Chijioke said as he stood up. "See you guys in class."

And he left.

This seemed deeper than his sister even. But to my surprise, Vincent didn't go after his friend. I suppressed a scoff and stood up swiftly. Not sparing a word, I left in the direction Chijioke took.

Our first attempt at sharing a table didn't even start well and the end was worse. All because of a girl named Olamide. It was a reminder of how incompatible Vincent and I were. If I were to get close to him I would have to put up with Olamide and that was flat out impossible.

I had to cut this friendship that was budding between us if I wanted to stay away from drama that would mess with my sanity.