Shout out to my love savvy for the cover above. I love it. Thank you 🤗💗

                                   ~Kunmi~

It was a Yoruba period and our teacher, oluko was explaining the topic- Oruko in Yoruba land. Names in Yoruba land. I was listening with rapt attention because Yoruba was my favorite subject.

Well, after music.

'In Yoruba land, we accord names with great respect and honor and we don't joke with it. Our fathers used to take lots of things into concentration before naming a child. And there's this saying 'Ile la n wo Kato so omo loruko' which translates to the house a child comes from determines the kind of name he'd be given. When you hear Adeyemi, what kind of family do you think the bearer comes from?'

'The king's family.'

Gabriella answered in less than a heartbeat and Oluko nodded at her.

'And it goes on and on. Egunbiyi from Masquerade's family, Ogungbenro from Ogun's family. Esudaisi from the family of Esu.'

The whole class burst into laughter at that.

Seriously. Esudaisi? God forbid and May he save all these traditionalists.

'I sha hope you remember to laugh like this during your exams too.' Oluko said, using all of us. 'And Ayanbiyi from the drummer's family.'

'Another important thing in the naming system is Yoruba is the strong belief that Yoruba have on the impact of names on a child's future hence the proverb 'Orúko omo ló ń romo' We believe a child's name will go a long way in determining the future of that kid. Look at....'

He glanced around the class and his eyes landed on Adam.

'Okay, Adam, tell us your Yoruba name and its meaning.'

The whole class their attention to him and he cleared his throat.

'Akóredé and it means a child who brings wealth.'

'Good. That's the kind of names we're talking about. Can you someone else tell us another deep Yoruba name.'

'Oluwaseyifunmi; God did this for me.'

Another person answered and he nodded in approval again.

'Good! Names like that breed good fortune. They're not like the names you guys are giving yourselves this day. Sinzu? Please what's the meaning of Sinzu?'

The whole class burst into laughter again.

'Sinzu Money. Oluko, you don't know what's in vogue.'Ezekiel said amidst laughter and Oluko glared at him in mock disgust.

'Who knows if it's even the stupid names that you're calling yourselves that's ruining your generation. Imagine calling each other Santos, Marlins, Spending, Kabex, and the likes. Aye, ma ti wa ba Je oo.'

Then he clapped his hands together in a feminine manner and the whole class laughed again.

'Oya, Come and read out the love letter you've been exchanging ever since I got to this class.'

Oluko said out of nowhere, his attention now on one of the guys in class. I turned to the guy who was trying to hide a paper in his hands but oluko had already seen it. Oluko beckoned to him with his hand.

'Just come and read it to us. We're all interested in knowing what the content is anyway, abi?'

He turned to the whole class and almost everybody chorused yes except me and Sophia who had a bored expression on. I just don't understand how and why she is always so lifeless. She hardly talks at lunch, hardly smiles, hardly does anything. The only few times I've seen her talk, laugh, and smile were whenever she was alone with Adams and Kunle. I was starting to associate her aloofness to whenever Aminah was around but then, the latter had been nothing but sweet and nice to her.

'Are you deaf? And Wale, join him. I know you were both exchanging letters. Oya, Oya, come and read the content of the letter to us. I sha hope you guys are not Bi, you know that's 14 years in jail here.'

He joked and the whole class laughed but I could tell he wasn't happy with the two boys and I don't think I was happy with the two especially when the first one glanced almost nervously at me before he hurriedly looked away.

I sat up straighter as the two boys stood up and walked to the front of the classroom.

Could the letter or whatever it was about me?

I sat up even straighter, trying to think of all possible encounters I must have had with them. I couldn't think of any.

'Oluko, we were just...'

Oluko interrupted him by shaking his head and making a shushing sound.

'No excuse, just read it out.'

The first boy swallowed and looked down at the sheet of paper in his hands. He looked up again and his eyes briefly met mine before he hurriedly looked away again and that sorta confirmed my worst fear. I did not even need to listen to him read out something that describe my backside to know he was talking about me. I clenched my eyes shut when he muttered something like 'I wonder how it'd feel like to smack that ass, if only she had resumed with us in JSS1, we might have to go all the way.'

I could feel the tears brimming in my eyes. Now, everybody knew they were talking about me. Even though my name wasn't explicitly mentioned, the signs were there and they were pretty obvious.

I heard someone mutter 'foolish assholes' beside me and I did not even need to open my eyes to know it was Sophia.

'So I was teaching and the nerve to be exchanging derogatory notes like this in my class. So your parents are paying that ridiculous amount of money just for you to come and discuss a female's backside? Is that what Cresent High teaches you? To disrespect females like this?'

I could hardly hear their voices when they muttered We're sorry sir but I could hear Oluko's voice; he was really angry, so angry that his voice shook as he spoke.

'No, you can't be sorry but you'll be sorry once you're done with your punishment. Now go and wait for me outside the staff room!'

He barked the last sentence and I could hear the shuffle of feet as they hurried out of the class. I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes, even after the Yoruba period ended our next teacher, the Civic Education teacher entered the classroom. I heard nothing throughout the class. I did not deserve to be talked about like that. I felt the whole class staring at me and muttering words of pity among themselves.

I did not want something like that.

I don't want any attention.

I sat back in my chair, feeling I could shrink.

So I'd just shrink and shrink till I was barely invisible.

Or just empty.

*********
~Adam~

It was lunch break and we were in the school's garden Kunle and Aminah were sitting on a reflection bench, their bodies closely pressed together. Kunle was whispering something into her ears and she was giggling. I subconsciously glanced at Sophia whose eyes were fixed on her phone and she was occasionally sipping her milkshake. She was not sitting beside me today; She was sitting on the adjacent bench while Kunle and Aminah sat opposite me. The garden was quiet except for the indistinct chatters of other students in the far end of the garden and Aminah occasionally giggle.

I subconsciously turned to look at Kunmi who was sitting beside me and who was so quiet. She was always so quiet but she was quieter today.

Probably because of what happened in class.

And about that, I've always known Wale to be an asshole. That wasn't the first time he'd make a joke about a girl's body but it was the first time, the girl would know. At least to the best of my knowledge and I think she knows that it was about her. As for the other guy, there was this time I walked into the gents and a junior was giving him a blowjob. They're just assholes, certified assholes.

Aminah giggled again, this time louder than usual and she muttered 'Stop it' playfully.

'You people should get a room abeg. All these lovey-dovey is not good for my heart.'

On a normal day, I'd have ignored them and said nothing but after what Kunle said the other time in the Arts studio, I became willing to try to become friendlier to Aminah. Friendlier doesn't mean becoming her friend or something. Just to be cool with her. I wasn't a fan of keeping friends. Sophia and Kunle were the only friends I've ever had and most times, I feel like what we shared wasn't even friendship in the real sense of the world. While I know most things about them, they don't know anything about me. Except for all the fabricated lies of course.

I wondered for a fleeting moment how it'd feel like to have someone that know me; like the real me.

Aminah laughed at my words and moved a little bit away from Kunle who pulled her back to him almost immediately and I, for a moment thought of how they seemed to fit together.

'They're good for your heart. Just get a girlfriend and you'll get to understand how it feels like.'

I dismissed her words immediately with a wave of my hand.

'No. I'm not interested. I'm still too young for that.....'

'You're not still too young. Do you have any girls you like in school? Anyone? Just tell me her name and leave the rest to me. She'll become your girlfriend in less than 24 hours.'

She leaned forward on the bench and her voice became animated.

'Bae, trust me if Adam wants any girl, he'd get her in less than a heartbeat. Who'd say no to such a fine face?'

'Exactly!'

She replied to him and automatically turned to look at him and once again, they were lost in each other. I reached over to the space between Kunmi and me to pick my can Malt when my hand accidentally brushed hers that she placed near my drink. Immediately my hands brushed hers, I felt something like a jolt or a spark or whatever because I did not even have time to decipher what it was as she removed her hand almost immediately and she clamped it together with the other one.

'Hey, I'm sorry. I just...'

She nodded and smiled tightly and I looked up to see Sophia looking at me with her brows raised. She shook her head when our eyes met.

'Guys, about what happened in class, imagine what Wale and his friend were talking about. I wonder how guys don't think before they act. Thank God they did not mention her name. I doubt she is in our class self.'

That was Aminah and I instinctively glanced at Kunmi to gauge her reaction. It was one thing to have people demerit your body, it was another thing to have other people talk about the demerit but both were pathetic.

'Let's not talk about it. It's already happened and they're already being punished for it. Let's just forget it.'

Those were the first word Sophia said since we got to the park and she still had her eyes fixed on her phone.

'But we can't just forget it. We are girls and they body-shamed one of us. We are supposed to speak up.'

Sophia looked up from her phone and I could have sworn her eyes flickered to where Kunmi sat before she turned to look at Aminah again.

'I'm not excusing the act. I'm just saying it already happened. Talking about it now won't change anything.'

'Sophia, you don't even get what I'm saying. They elaborately body-shamed a fellow female. If we don't openly criticize them, they're going to do it over and over again.'

'But they're not even here!'

Sophia replied, almost snapping and I exchanged a knowing glance with Kunle who was looking at Sophia fixedly.

'Hey Coz, I've been searching for you. Let's talk.'

We all turned in the direction of the voice, my subconscious silently thanking the person for saving the looming disaster. It was Gabriella, Sophia's cousin and the most brilliant girl on our set. She muttered hi to all of us before she dragged Sophia away; the latter muttering something like 'hope you're not dragging me away to tutor me mathematics.'

'Hey, Kunmi, what's up? You've not said anything since we got here. Are you okay?'

Aminah said and she stood up from where she sat to sit beside Kunmi.

'You've not even eaten your snacks at all. Are you sick?'

The later shook her head and Aminah whispered something into her ears and she smiled and for the briefest moment;

I thought of how beautiful her smile is.

***********
~Kunmi~

'Is that how Miss Fadake is, every day?'

I asked Aminah. Miss Fake was our Swimming class instructor and we were walking back to our class after the P.E class, Sophia was walking in front of us and I wondered what it felt like to have a slender body like her. She was the thinnest person I've ever seen in my life.

'She even gets worse than this. Today is like a normal day.'

I turned to look at her, disbelief etched on my face.

'Normal day? So classes are always like this? With her yelling at almost all the students?'

Aminah smiled and shook her head.

'It gets better and besides, she just wants to push us.'

I said nothing for a while, not agreeing with Aminah. It was the first swimming class I attended and I was almost convinced to just drop out of the class. She found faults in almost everything we did. I wasn't even saved from the backlash at all. The only reason why I did not allow her to get to me was that this time around, it wasn't only me she was criticizing. The only person she did not outrightly criticize was Sophia and that's because she's extremely good.

'And you did well. I did not even have time to teach you anything and you did well. And to think you said you never thought of picking it.'

I smiled. I wasn't used to good compliments and each time I get one, I would become so light-headed.

We got to our class then and only a few students were in class. Aminah did not go to her seat, she came to sit beside me like she'd done every other day when we were free.

'Sophia is the best in the class and that's why she's Miss Folake's favorite. She's just like a fish in the water.'

I briefly glanced at Sophia whose face was buried in a fashion magazine as usual.

She's always reading that thing.

I looked back at Aminah.

'You guys have a lot in common. I just wonder why you're not that close.'

I saw a flicker of sober look on her face but it disappeared as soon as it appeared.

'I know, right? You know it has always been Sophia, Adams, and Kunle and they're so close. I just guess Sophia did not like the idea of someone infringing on their safe space.' Then she lowered her voice 10 shades. 'I understand where she's coming from though, it's not easy but really, I just want to be closer to her. She's a sweetheart when you get to know the real her.'

Sophia coughed and muttered something like 'what a joke but I wasn't sure because her face was still buried in the magazine. Aminah was undeterred by her words or she probably did not hear her.

'How's press club?'

She asked again and I shrugged, I just sit through meetings every Friday afternoon. I joined because it was the closest thing to what I liked.

'Sophia is the president of the club na. You should be enjoying it.'

'We've had just two meetings and she wasn't even present at the first one.'

And for the one she was present, we did not acknowledge each other. I don't judge people because of where I'm coming from but it was getting increasingly hard not to judge her even though I knew she had she was coming from too. Ain't all humans like that?

'I would have asked you to join my club, Cultural club if I had known. The club is the life of this school.'

I burst into laughter. Me? In a cultural club? I could help with singing but dancing? God no.

Aminah looked at me cautiously, a little smile on her lips.

'What's so funny?'

I shook my head. 'Nothing. It's just that I've never actually thought of being in a dance club. There's nothing for me to do there.'

'We'll teach you na.'

'No way. I'm okay with the press club.'

She raised her hands in mock surrender.

'As your lordship pleases, Ma-am'

I burst into laughter just as Adams and Kunle entered the classroom. My laughter subconsciously trailed off because of the intensity of Adam's gaze. He has this was a way of staring at someone that makes it seems like he was trying to read the person.

Something like shedding off layers and layers of the wall you've built around yourself.

Till you were bare for him to see.

Is that the ship I can see from afar? 🤔🤔

Isn't Aminah just a sweetheart? 😩

So sorry for the late update. I know it sucks and I'm sorry. We're slowly and steadily getting to the juicer part of this book and the sad parts too. That's just been work.

Have you ever been body-shamed? When I was in Secondary School, there was this senior that had like Kunmi's stature and I first-hand witnessed how two of her classmates body-shamed her. They weren't even discreet about it; they said it to her face. I hate people who have body shame and I detest people that indulge in the act.

Sophia and Aminah almost argued again, who do you think is right?

Oluko said not to give yourselves bad names ooo. Imagine calling yourself Cardi when your name is Khadijat? 💔😂

See you on Friday oo. Till then, take care.

Don't forget the star button, please.