Last Day at Crescent High.

KUNMI

Ironic, isn't it?

I wanted my days in Secondary School to pass away in a blur, I hated secondary school, dreaded coming to school, dreaded being so different from every other person in school.

It wasn't that I couldn't wait to graduate from secondary school and leave all the drama behind, it was that I didn't even attend secondary school at all.

But now, with just a few hours left till the graduation ceremony will officially start, I realized that I didn't want to graduate.

I didn't want to leave secondary school, I didn't want to graduate from Crescent High because that would mean parting ways with Adam, Sophia, Gab, Kunle, and even Alex.

But I didn't want that.

Funny how two years ago, I didn't know these people and now, two years after, they were the best people I've ever met.

And I was certain I'd never meet people like them again.

I'd never.

"Auntie mi, we'll leave you behind oo."

Junior's voice interrupted my thought at the same time the door to my room opened and my brother stepped in.

I did a double take.

What the fuck did Mayowa do to Junior?

My brother was putting on a complete black tuxedo with a boat tie and he even had a pair of black boots on and was that a flower peeking out of his chest pocket?

He even had shades on.

"Are you the one graduating or me?"

I asked Junior who was already jumping on a spot as if he really couldn't wait for us to leave. Which brings me to that question again.

Why was he so pumped and hyped about my own graduation?

"It's already late, shey you want us to leave you behind ni?" He asked me again while I took a last look at my made up face that the makeup artist had perfected before I stood up.

"Leave me behind to go to my own graduation? And who exactly will you be cheering up there?"

"Me, I'm not going there to cheer you up oo." He announced to me with a serious look on his face and he even stopped jumping on a spot.

"So, why are you going?"

"Because someone told me that there are lots of fine girls in your junior classes so I'm going there to meet my wife." He started dancing on a spot, more like he started doing legwork before he even finished talking and I had to pick my imaginary jaw on the floor.

Girls. Girls.

The female gender!

That's what will be the end of my 11 years old brother.

"Oya oo, answer us or we'll leave you behind. We have to get there early so that someone else won't steal my girlfriend" He told me and he danced his way out of the room leaving me as shocked as possible.

Honestly, I still couldn't believe half of the things that comes out of my brother.

"Graduand," Mayowa called out in a sing song voice from somewhere in the house, "We're all ready oo."

I took one lasting look in the mirror, at my short wine gown, my perfectly made up face, the edges perfectly laid on my hair before I grabbed my graduation gown and cap.

I was finally graduating from secondary school.

***********

I was nearly taken aback by the number of cars that were parked in the school car pack and by the large number of people that were trooping into the hall.

God! Why were this much people showing up for our graduation?

The first thing we did was to take pictures by the pictures-stand and afterwards Mom, Mayowa and Junior entered the hall with Junior looking around everywhere as if he was looking for a lost treasure.

My classmates were all outside, taking pictures, laughing excitedly, making videos and just living their last day in secondary school

I whirled around because I haven't seen any of my friends even though I was sure that Sophia was already around.

So where was she...

I bumped into someone in the process of searching for Sophia. The apology left my mouth before I could even think twice.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't..." The words died on my lips, I trailed off as I stared into the smiling face of my old friend.

"He... Hey... Hi.. Hiii," I stuttered, unable to get a single word out while the girl in front of me just looked as composed as possible.

"Congratulations on your graduation," She told me calmly as if we talked yesterday, as if we've been talking for several days and months now, as if she hadn't been bleeding out to death the last time I saw her.

"Thanks... Thank you." I told her, tried to appear and sound calm even though my heart was pounding in my chest.

"And I watched your video yesterday night. That was an epic performance, you won't believe you made me cry with the song." She said, more line she beamed and I knew she was talking about my "See You Again," performance.

The performance had sort of become a thing before prom even ended. Someone had recorded the whole performance and uploaded it on social medias and soon people were liking and reposting and commenting how the song made them feel, how they loved the cover, how the song made them remember the loved ones they had to say goodbyes to, how they cried while listening to the song.

And then people had recognised the fat girl from the video as the one that had won the Prom Queen in Crescent High from all the videos and pictures that the media teams had been uploading to the school's social media accounts.

So people were talking about the fat girl that had performed that amazingly and had won the prom queen.

I wasn't even that peculiar or bothered about that, at least not right now, I was just concerned about the fact that Tara was standing in front of me and smiling and talking to me as if nothing happened.

"One of my cousins is graduating today, that's why I'm here." She volunteered when I wasn't saying anything and that sort of like snapped me out of my reverie.

"Ohhhh, okay so... How're you?"

The blooming smile deepened on her face as if she had been expecting me to ask that question.

"Of course, I'm fine," She looked around before looking back at me, "I guess we'll have to talk later since the..." She trailed off and then, she moved closer and hugged me for less than thirty seconds.

"Don't worry, I'll find away to contact you now that I'm sure you ghost on me." She said jokingly, referring to the time when she had messaged me on IG and I had ignored her. Looking back now, I wished I had replied immediately, I wished I hadn't cried that much over a split milk instead of finding ways to make it work. She wasn't even angry at me, she did not even blame me at all and yet, I had spent that much time hating and blaming myself.

Something that could have been avoided if I had reached out to her afterwards.

"Okay, I'll be... No, I'll be the one to message you, I know your IG account off hand."

Her smile deepened even more and she nodded curtly at me before she walked away.

"Should I be worried?" That overly familiar voice asked and I turned back to see Sophia standing directly behind me with her hands crossed over her chest.

I frowned, "Worried about what?"

She tilted her head towards where Tara just disappeared to. "About her. Should I be worried that she's going to steal my spot in your heart?"

I sighed and I even had to message my temple because for a split second, I had forgotten that I was in the presence of the Queen of Weirdness herself and for the first time in forever, I decided to play along with her weirdness.

I wrapped my hands around her elbow.

"Of course not, you don't have anything to worry about. If anything, you're the one that stole her spot in my heart."

"Really?" She asked me, looking seriously skeptical as if we were actually in the middle of an important conversation, "Then kiss me to reassure me."

I dropped her elbow as if scalded by a hot iron. The truth was no matter how hard I tried, I'd never be able to keep up with her weirdness.

She made a tsk tsk sound, "I know you won't be able reassure me but let's sha go and snap pictures while we wait for the others to get here."

We started walking towards the picture stand only to stop in our tracks when we saw what was going on in front of the stand.

There was a couple right there taking pictures which wasn't unusual but then, their daughter or son that they must have came with wasn't with them.

And then, they were posing as if they were doing a pre-wedding shoot... They kept hugging each other and looking into each others eyes as if today was about them.

They did not even bother that they were in the public.

I only needed to take a closer look to know who they were...

"Jesus Christ, these guys are hell bent on embarrassing me today."Sophia complained before she joined her parents to snap pictures.

Of course, it could only be Sophia's parents.

Weirdness runs in their family.

Infact, their family name was supposed to be Weirdness and not, Williams.

I joined them minutes later and Sophia introduced me to them and her mom told me that 'She was glad to finally meet me because Sophia had almost talked her ears off about me.'

Kunle soon arrived with his family, especially his two Junior-incarnates brothers who recognised me immediately and started demanding that I take pictures with them, especially the older one who had told me that he has a crush on me.

Alex and Gab arrived next with just an older woman who I concluded was Alex's mother but the minute they arrived, Sophia's parents came out again to snap with Gab and from their rapport, it was so obvious that they treated Gab as if she was their own daughter.

I fleetingly wondered why none of Gab's parents were here. Even if they were extremely busy, at least one of them should have showed up.

Gab didn't seem to mind or allow that to bother her tho. She was still overly enthusiastic especially with her future husband who was dripping with his cuteness and freshness with his shirt that had a spiderman painting on it and who wasn't interested in leaving her sides for a single second.

He was legit clinging to her like a second skin

We only have few minutes to the program now. Infact, most of the guests were already sitting inside the hall and I knew it was just a matter of minutes before we'd be asked to file into the hall.

Adam still wasn't here.

And he wasn't even picking up his calls.

Needless to say, I was beyond worried.

I was extremely worried.

Kunle and Sophia were still calling his number and he still wasn't picking up.

God... What could...

Of course, I couldn't stop my thoughts from spiralling into a thousand directions.

None of which I was liking at all.

"Oh, here he comes." Kunle announced from where he was standing in line and I looked at the direction of the park to see Adam really walking towards us.

No, he was strolling leisurely towards us as if he didn't just get us worried.

He was walking towards us without a bother.

"Hyung, why did you come so late? Were you dressing up for Kunmi?"

Adam did not even look like he heard him, I was the only one he was facing.

"Babe, I'm sorry I came late ehn. It's my mom, she has been dressing up since like 5am and she still isn't dressed. I ended up leaving her behind." He was only apologising to me and I wasn't even angry. I was just glad he was here.

I opened my mouth to tell him the opposite of that so he'd keep apologising when Sophia hit him at the back of his head.

"Babe, I'm sorry I came late yen yen yen," She mimicked, "Is it only Kunmi that you can see or is it only Kunmi that was worried about you?" She fired at him while the latter just looked as perplexed as possible.

"And let this be the last time you'll ignore my boyfriend. If not ehn, I'll allow just allow my threat to hang." That was Gab and Adam just sighed while I just thought go myself, Keeping up with the Weirdness-Williams.

In the end, he still ignored the both of them and said he moved closer to me so he'll help me put on my cape properly and he whispered this to me: "You look stunning."

I just blushed shamelessly and helplessly. And Ezekiel shouted from somewhere on the line that we should stop the public display of affection while some of our mates just cooed with Sophia looking like she wanted to slap the both of us.

Few minutes later, we all filed into the hall with the boys on a line and the girls on the other and with our boys standing directly beside us.

We filed into the hall to spend our last day in Crescent High.

************

We all took our seats in the hall with Adam and I sitting beside each other with Alex and Gab to our right and Kunle and Sophia to our left.

And there was this nostalgic graduation song that kept playing softly in the background as we took out seats.

I didn't want to but I couldn't help but feel nostalgic.

It was ending.

Our days here were really ending.

There wouldn't be a next term, a next excursion, a next outreach, a next sport, a next anything in Crescent High school.

It was really over for us here.

I wanted to cry...

"God! What's happening at the entrance?" That was Alex and that drew our attention to the entrance of the hall just like every other person was craning their heads to see what was going on.

There was nothing spectacular going on, just someone stepping into the hall.

An older woman.

It was when I took a closer look at her that I realized why everyone was craning their heads to take a look at the woman.

She was stunning.

No, she was beyond stunning.

She was captivating and she had just captivated everybody's attention as she walked into the hall, the sound of her heels echoing through the entire hall. And she didn't even look like she cared that she was the center of attraction, that everyone was ogling at her.

She was too beautiful, startlingly beautiful.

She was dressed in a long black luxurious gown with pearls and diamonds shining from every part of the gown and I could only stare in awe and complete envy of the woman as she walked closer to us so she'd sit down on the front row.

And that was when I realised that she looked so familiar.

"God! I feel like sinking into the ground right now." Adam groaned beside me and I chuckled.

Of course, it was his mom. She was the one that had been dressing up for more than three hours.

"Oh My Jesus! I feel so ugly right now. Just look at Adam's mom." Sophia complained and when I looked at her, she was scowling at her own reflection on her phone's screen.

"Wow! Hyung, your mom is a stunner, no wonder you're so handsome."

I turned to look at Adam again and contrary to how he said he was feeling embarrassed by how his mom had showed, he was now staring at her with his eyes full of love and she was staring right back at him with equal intensity.

I actually cooed at their love.

Then she looked away from him, her eyes met mine and I tensed before she smiled warmly at me and she winked at me.

Adam groaned beside me.

"Don't mind her, she..."

She blew me a kiss from where she sat and I nearly entered the ground.

Good Lord.

"Your mom knows about me?" I whispered to him and my heart shattered when he nodded in affirmative.

"She apparently reads my WhatsApp messages when I'm not there."

"Jesus Christ!" I exclaimed and I sank deeper into my seat.

That wasn't possible, right?

She couldn't possibly be reading his chats, our chats. She couldn't possibly know every silly things I've sent to Adam and vice versa but the woman admiring herself in her phone's mirror right now was capable of doing that and even more.

"But your mom is so pretty tho. I'm so jealous." That was Gab and I saw a flicker of pride flash through his eyes.

The truth was, his mom was truly beautiful, really beautiful and the fact that she had damned the fact that all tongues would be wagging at her for daring to dress up like this as a divorced woman, she was truly an embodiment of power.

The program soon started with the National and school anthem and it was swiftly followed by the Principal's addressing the graduands, the students and the guests.

I had expected the speech to be boring but it was actually very interesting and educative and I found myself listening especially when he got to the part where our experiences in secondary school was going to shape and influence our decisions in the future.

I did not even doubt that one bit.

It got to one point during the program when I was distracted by some sort of noise in a corner of the hall.

I looked back and my mouth dropped open when I saw what was going on.

It was madness plus danger plus trouble plus gangster plus cuteness.

Like, it was Junior and Papa and Kunle's brothers and Alex's brother.

Only God knows how they found themselves because they were all huddled together in a corner in a hall and talking and laughing in muffled tones.

They did not even know each other before now but then, they were now gathered together and playing some sort of game.

Chaos oo.

They soon got pretty louder that the anchor of the program had to call their attention and she asked them to keep it down.

They only kept quiet for a little while before they picked up again, even louder than earlier and my eyes nearly fell out of their sockets when Junior did a back flip and Alex's brother immediately copied him.

Wahala oo.

Most of the people in the hall exclaimed and that was when the MC asked them to back to their parents and Mayowa and Tari had to stand up to bundle them back to the normal seats.

I noticed that Dan, Alex's brother followed Junior to where my family were sitting down.

And no sooner had the prize giving started than I noticed Junior and the rest of the boys sneaking out of the hall to go and continue whatever they were doing earlier.

As expected, Gab bagged nearly all the awards, she kept standing up to receive one award or the other and it got to a time where she had to keep standing by a side on the platform because she wouldn't even have gotten to her seat before her name would be called again for another award.

It was then I noticed that it was Sophia's parents that kept standing up to receive the awards with her which could only mean that her own parents still weren't here.

Adam won the best student in Virtual Arts, Government and he was awarded the artist of the year too.

His mom stole the attention once again when she climbed the podium to receive the award with him.

I was surprised when I heard my name being called as the best student in literature and CRS and I was even more surprised when Junior matched up to the podium with Mom to collect the award with me.

Sophia won the best student in English Language and Biology.

Kunle was the best student in further mathematics and Economics.

Alex was the best student in Music and Geography and Dan wouldn't stop beaming up and clapping as he also matched up to the podium with their mom to receive the awards with him.

He still kept beaming and clapping even when it wasn't Alex up there collecting awards and I was honestly starting to get convinced that he did not even know what were doing here.

His seven year old brain could probably just comprehend that it was a thing of happiness and that was why he couldn't stop beaming and clapping and jumping on a spot.

And that was supposed to be Gab's future husband.

Gab won the overall best student in Science and I was extremely surprised when I heard my name as the best student in Arts class.

It was unbelievable but then, recently, my life had been full of unbelievably good things these past days.

Like how I could eat an ice cream or cookies without thinking twice about it.

To others, it was such a small feat but to me, it was huge and I was the only one that'd definitely understand what that really means to me.

Aminah's name was called as the best overall student in commercial class and I felt my heart drop, felt that familiar feeling of painful nostalgia hit me.

I wished she was here today...

Wished she was here with us to celebrate our graduation...

Wished...

Adam's hands found mine and he squeezed a little to reassure me that it was okay.

It was soon time for the Valedictorian Speech and nobody held their breath when the principal wanted to announce who the Valedictorian was.

We all already knew it was going to be undisputably...

"Gabriella Williams!!!"

The hall erupted into loud screams and applause and claps and we, the graduands even proceeded to stand as she made her way to the podium.

Guess who clapped the most?

Her future husband.

He was now standing directly in front of the podium and gazing up directly at her and everyone just let him be.

His mom was tired of trying to force him to settle down when he apparently was just interested in clapping and jumping on a spot and drawing everybody's attention.

Husband material 1million yards.

Gab started by greeting everyone present, from the board of directors to the principal, to the teachers, to our parents and our guests around, the students, then finally us, the graduands.

She thanked our parents for sending us to an excellent school like Crescent High, then she thanked the school most especially the teachers for teaching and grooming us to the best of the best versions of ourselves.

She trailed off and she allowed her eyes to linger on we sat and I watched as a beautiful and heartwarming smile lighted up her face.

"Honestly, it still feels so surreal that we're officially graduating from Crescent High today. Wasn't it just like yesterday we resumed this great citadel of learning as eager JSS1 students and now, it's our last day here. Unbelievable, I tell you.

It's been a journey. Yeah, that sounds cliche because that's definitely what all Valedictorian has always and would probably always say but it's just the truth. It has been a journey, a journey that was made worthwhile by every single one of you.

Most of my classmates have played really significant roles in my life, roles they'd probably never know about and I really believe that's it also works the other way.

Our final year in High school wasn't exactly filled with love and laughter and happy memories. We did things that made us learn through the hardest ways, we fought blindly with people whom we called friends forever, we drifted apart, we became our own worst enemies, our worst nightmares, we started prioritising trivial things over the important ones, we found ourselves going down the wrong paths, we..."

She trailed off, visibly overwhelmed and she actually swiftly dabbed at her eyes with her face towel.

"But in the end, all our experiences shaped us. It was also all these experiences that propelled us to reconsider our decisions and to go on the right paths. We've learnt and we're still learning that comradeship..."

She caught herself just in time but we were already laughing. At least, I, Adam, Alex, Sophia and Kunle were laughing because we were the only ones that understand the comradeship thing.

I'm your comrade, you're my comrade, we're in a relationship called comradeship.

"Imagine that, Alex, you're already influencing my comrade with your weirdness." That was Sophia, with a slip of tongue because she just said comrade instead of cousin.

Alex just shrugged and relaxed fully back on his seat.

"I guess we're all each other's comrade then."

We had to stifle the next fits of laughter because Gab was already talking again.

"We've learnt the importance of the gift of friendship, the need to value friendship, the need to look deeper into the people we call friends, the need to know them better because we won't get a second chance with some of them..."

A stab of pain so strong hit me that I almost cried out.

Aminah Abraham... We didn't get a second chance with her.

I didn't get a second chance with her.

"Like I said, our final year wasn't all rosy. We lost a friend, a classmate, a sister but she'll always live in our hearts."

Definitely. Absolutely.

"Now, for us the graduands, this is where the chapter ends and a new one begins. We've been making plans, plans to keep in touch, plans for reunions and get together, plans not to allow the bond we've shared for the past 6 years to vanish just like that but the truth is, the minute we step out of the school's gate today, we'd probably never see ourselves again..."

I swallowed, knowing and feeling the truth deep within me. I'd probably never see some of my friends again after together, even the ones I love, even the ones I'd give anything to stay in touch with.

That simply wasn't how life works.

"We're all going out there to various universities, we'll meet new people, make new friends, make new memories but the memories we've made here, in Crescent High, will live in our hearts forever.

They will shape and influence us forever.

I couldn't have asked for better classmates, for better people to graduate with.

So, to the Enigma's class of 202X, I say a very big congratulations!!!"

And we all went wild with applauses and shouts and screams and claps as she bowed curtly before climbing down from the podium.

We still wouldn't stop clapping.

Dan appeared frenzied by the loud screams and applauses and his clapping and jumping even intensified even though he did not understand what was going on at all.

But honestly, that grown man had been the highlight of today.

***********

The program ended a while ago and after taking too many pictures with all our parents, friends, even classmates that I've never spoken too, everyone juts kept snapping pictures together. There were laughter and fun and happiness all around.

I was snapping without my graduation cap though because Junior had stolen it and he was hell bent on appearing in all pictures with it.

At least, mine was even better, Dan had collected both Alex's gown and Gab's cap respectively, even though he kept tripping on the gown and falling down, he still wasn't deterred.

And don't get me started on how the cap had swallowed more than half of his face and he had to trip his head completely backwards so he'd be able to see.

But still, his excitement was still the most hilarious and contagious because he kept bouncing from one place to the other, kept beaming and smiling and showing his missing teeth.

At one point, I noticed him pointing towards Gab and signing something to Junior.

I momentarily smiled at his childish antics because I was sure he was probably introducing her to Junior as future wife or something like that.

Then I frowned because Junior has no way of understanding whatever he just signed.

So imagine my complete surprise when Junior signed back and Dan signed back and they kept communicating in sign language.

Oh wow. I did not even know at all.

I had zero idea that my brother could communicate in sign language.

Juniors were going around congratulating all the seniors and collecting foods from every single graduands, foods and snacks and drinks that they'd never even be able to finish on their own.

One particular Junior was going around with an already filled to the brim big baco bag and she had already opened a new one and stuffing foods and snacks inside.

"Imagine her falling down on her way home and the foods going to waste."

"My point is what will she even do with everything she's collecting?"

"Please leave her, let her collect everything she wants oo. There won't be any other graduation till next year."

That was three graduands whose names I didn't know and I couldn't agree more. It was a one in a year event, let her make it memorable for herself.

But it was already getting late and the crowds were starting to disperse and I knew that it was just a matter of time before we'll all troop into our parents' cars and they'll drive us out of the school's gates.

God!

I felt like sitting down.

I couldn't...

God. It was finally happening.

Sophia suggested that we should go to our classroom, take a final look at it and say a final goodbye to it.

A silly idea.

But why did the six of us actually followed her lead and we all walked to the senior block?

We walked to the senior block, got to our class only to meet most of our classmates there.

Shocker.

It seemed everyone wanted to come and take a last look at where we've spent a great part of our time during the last year.

There wouldn't be next term, next session, no lunch break, no literature period, no chemistry period, no morning devotion, no high school anything.

We were officially saying goodbye to high school life.

I found myself stumbling to my seat and sitting on it as I remembered all the times I've spent in this classroom and the times I've spent in Crescent High in total.

From the first day here, with Rahmon's rude remark...

At the thought of his name which left a sour taste in my mouth by the way, I turned around and I saw him huddled in a corner with other guys but he wasn't paying attention to whatever they were saying because his attention was on something else.

Or rather someone else.

Me.

I expected myself to look away when our eyes met but I kept looking at him and in the end, it was him who cleared his throat awkwardly before looking away.

Idiot.

"So please, what are we doing here oo?" Ezekiel asked no one in particular and that was when I noticed him in the class too, standing beside Fay and holding her hands.

Our power couple.

"Exactly! We should all just go back to the park before our parents start leaving us behind." Someone else said but no one made any move to leave the classroom.

That was when I realized that no one wanted to leave.

Leaving now, leaving this classroom now was prerequisite to leaving secondary school behind and maybe, we all weren't ready for that.

Why are goodbyes always this painful?

Everyone started talking all at once, talking within their cliques but I could still make out what they were saying.

Do you remember when Mrs Adunni made a grammatical blunder?

Do you remember the day this and that happened?

Do you remember this?

Do you remember that?

They were... We were all trying to relive our days here.

"It's so sad we're leaving high school without doing something in this class," Adam whispered to me and I only needed to see the look in his eyes before I decipher what he was going on about.

"Hmmm hmmm, we can wait behind to change that after everybody leaves." I told him, surprising myself by my bold statement and surprising him even more before his eyes doubled their original sizes.

Behind us, someone named Sophia cleared their throat loudly.

"May Jesus Christ forgive all the wayward children." She prayed loudly causing Adam to shake his head and me to chuckle.

Sophia ehn.

It seemed like we weren't the only one who haven't done that particular thing in class but unlike us that was really going to graduate without doing it, Alex and Gab were busy sucking the air out of each other's lungs.

Without a care in the world.

Without giving two fucks that they were in the presence of others.

Simultaneously, some phones started ringing and that was when some of our classmates started saying goodbyes and leaving the class.

Goodbyes...

But they all still promised to keep in touch, to keep the bond alive, to never miss a reunion...

But like Gab had said, today would be the last time we'd see most of our classmates.

After a while, we all trudged back to the hall to see that the cars in the park had reduced tremendously.

Most people left already.

Kunle was the first person to leave among us.

His brothers had immediately lunged at him when they saw him and he had to carry one on his back and hold the older one's hand as they walked behind their parents to the car.

And he was off.

Alex was the second person to leave.

We initially didn't know where his brother and mine had gone to and we were about to go and look for them when we saw junior racing towards us with Dan on his shoulders.

He was carrying a beaming and excited and smiling Dan on his shoulders and running towards us.

We honestly all heard our breaths because we all thought they were going to fall and Alex had to meet them halfway but Dan did not heed to his instructions and he had to hold on to him as Junior successfully carried Gab's future husband to where we all stood.

He got down from Junior's shoulder but still remained by his side.

This time yesterday, they did not even know each other but now, they were inseparable.

When Alex's mother told him they were to go home, he just burst into tears, a cute baby tears because he didn't want to leave Junior behind. He even had to hide behind Junior when Alex wanted to carry him.

It took a lot of petting and coercing and Alex promising him to bring him over to our house and Gab kissing him on both cheeks before he reluctantly followed them to the car while waving vigorously at Junior.

"I'll see you around, comrades."

He did a mock salute and he was gone too.

Junior looked like he wanted to cry as their car drove out of the gate.

"They've taken my baby away from me." Junior whined and Mayowa ruffled his hair.

"They've taken away a baby from another baby."

Sophia and Gab, the Williams cousin left next and I still couldn't wrap my head around why her parents were walking around hands in hands and even when they wanted to enter their car, her dad held the the door opened for her mom.

"Baby Kay, my prized obsession, don't worry, I'll make sure to show up everyday at your house so you won't miss me."

"Just say you'll show up in her house everyday so you won't miss her," Her cousin corrected and she had to add, "And don't worry, we'll come together so you won't miss us."

Then she winked at me, we all exchange hugs before they both walked hands in hands to their car.

Sophia's parents car and that was when I remembered that her parents still didn't show up.

I watched as their car zoomed out of the building and that was it.

They were gone too.

"Isn't that woman too gorgeous?" Mayowa asked me and I looked at the direction she was pointing at.

And of course, it was Adam's mom.

A walking definition of beauty and sexy.

"She's fine!!!" Junior exclaimed from where he was standing beside me and Mayowa had to give him a gentle knock on his head.

I already knew the female gender would be the end of my brother.

"So, we're leaving now." Adam told me and he squeezed my hand a little and that was when I realized that we've been holding hands all these while.

I blinked back tears that had been pooling in my eyes ever since.

"Korede, do you want me to leave you behind?" His mother asked and surprisingly she was now standing by the car directly beside ours.

I swallowed, curtseyed, almost knelt down as I greeted her and the woman just flashed me an heartwarming smile.

"Oluwabukunmi, don't worry, our wife, Korede will bring you home to properly meet and greet me."

Aaahh. Our... Our what?

"Don't mind her," Adam whispered to me while shaking his head and he squeezed for one last time before he let go.

He let go...

"So, I'll call you." He told me, his voice quivering a little and I nodded.

"You have to." I told him, my voice quivering more than his and he hugged me briefly for less than a minute before he let go and he walked away to join his mom in the car and I watched as the car started driving out of the school premises.

And that was it.

He was gone too.

My feet nearly gave way.

God.

Goodbyes... How much I hate goodbyes.

How much...

God! I wanted to cry.

I felt like crying.

"MY BEST FRIEND!!" A familiar voice yelled and I looked at the direction of the voice to see Ezekiel sticking his head out of a moving car and waving vigorously at me as the car drove of the compound.

I burst into laughter and I found myself waving back till the car was out of sight.

Oh god of Ezekiel, I thought to myself as I felt fueled by a sudden bout of happiness.

High school was really over and I was glad I've got to spend the last two years with the best people I've ever met.

"My sisters, help me to convince mom that I want to change me school next session oo."

"Why?" We both chorused in unison but I already have an inkling on the reason.

My brother and girls.

"I've seen my future wife in this school."

"Eeeh eeehhh," Mayowa screamed and I just shook my head.

"Me, I'm hungry again oo." My brother announced again to no one in particular and he did not even wait for anybody's instruction before he helped himself to a brand new plate of rice and a chicken that was bigger than his head.

He got inside the car and he started eating without a care in the world.

I was sure that was his 7th plate today.

"It seems like we'll be the last family to leave here today," Mayowa told me and I nodded.

"That's what happens when you follow a typical yoruba mother to any event," I replied her as we both watched mom converse animatedly with another woman at a side of the park.

That was like the 6th old friend she'd run into today.

My phone beeped in my hands and my heart skipped a beat when I saw that it was our yearbook that had been delivered to my mail.

Our digital yearbook.

I had to get into the car by partially sitting inside it so my legs were dangling outside so I'd be able to see the yearbook clearly.

I had to use my earpiece when I noticed that the yearbook has a background music on it.

Time of our lives.

The same song they had used for that slide show yesterday.

They made the year book into a book video and the pages were changing by themselves.

The first page, the cover of my own yearbook was my picture and it was surprisingly my prom queen picture with me sitting on the throne and with the crown on my head.

I smiled, felt tears brim in my eyes as the page changed to my written interview where I had talked about my future ambitions, best friends and stuffs like that.

The page changed again to a picture of mine and Adam's with my arms wrapped around his elbows as if I couldn't bear to let go.

I smiled through my tears at the picture.

Adam, my Knight in shining armour.

The page changed again and this time, it was a picture of Aminah and I. We were sitting on the bleachers and Aminah was forcing me to clap my hands so I'd be cheering for our football team.

Aminah Abraham, my energy personified.

The next picture was that of Sophia and I and I actually cackled loudly when I saw the picture. It was the picture of the both of us that day when we were climbing the chairs and she wouldn't stop hugging me because she wanted to make Adam jealous.

Sophia Williams, the original Queen Weirdo.

I doubled up when I saw the next picture. It was that of Ezekiel and I on the day he was begging me to be his prom date when in reality, he was just practicing how he'd ask Fay. I really had to ponder on how the media people even got all these pictures.

Ezekiel, the one and only class clown.

The next picture was that of Alex and I and with the way, I was glaring at him in the picture, I knew he had just called me comrade.

Alex, the undisputable King dripping in plain and total weirdness.

The next picture was that of Gab and I in the music studio and I remember how she kept begging me to sing just so she'd hear my voice again.

Gabriella, Queen Weirdo, the second.

The next picture was that of Kunle and I sometimes during the Olympia and I smiled, I wasn't particularly close to him but still, I'd always appreciate the kind of friendship he shared with Sophia and Adam.

Kunle, our goofy hypeman.

Oh wow, those people, I honestly couldn't have asked for better friends, for better people to spend the last two years. They've helped me, shaped me, molded me to become the best version of myself.

I honestly didn't think I'd be able to come this far without all of them. I was able to grow, in one way or the other, through them.

My friends, all of them.

I felt a sudden sense of deja vu as I glanced at the gates and I remembered the first time I came to the school, so unsure of myself, too sure that I'd never be able to fit in, too sure no one would even talk to me...

Then, on that very first day, during the first 5 minutes I spent in the School's premises, Senior Junior had talked to me, had made me feel like I mattered...

Maybe that was what laid the groundwork, what was prerequisite to all the friendship I now share with people I'll never forget...

"My friend, is that you?"

I thought I was hallucinating... I had to be hallucinating.

"It's really you, my friend."

I looked up to see him walking towards with that signature smile on his face.

It was really him.

"It's really you, feels like yesterday when you first came here and now, you're graduating, congratulations..." He told me once he got to where our car was parked, that smile still on his face and I couldn't help but wear a smile of my own.

It was really senior junior.

"Thank you, Senior Junior."

That name would always sound funny to my ears and no sooner had I said that when Junior yelled and ran out of the car only to throw his arms around Senior Junior's legs.

Mayowa and I doubled back in shock.

"Finally, I've met my namesake," He told senior junior who was now staring at him with a look of total amusement instead of the initial shock, "But why are you a senior and a junior?" He asked him and I just shook my head at the total craziness that my brother is.

I blocked the two of them out, blocked the rest of the world out as I looked back at my phone's screen. The current picture that was on display was a picture of the six of us on the first day the Olympia.

Adam's hand was around my shoulders in the picture and instead of smiling at the camera, his whole attention was on me and he wouldn't stop smiling goofily at me. It was Aminah who forced the four of us to gather around for the picture and coincidentally, Alex and Gab were walking by and they decided to join in.

These people, the seemingly perfect people I had met, people that I thought had their lives figured out but people that I ended up realising weren't perfect at all.

In fact, no one was.

Not even Mayowa who had always been the ideal definition of perfection to me. I remembered how she finally confided in me about she got into drugs, which still feels alien because I never thought of the fact that Mayowa and drugs can even occur together in the same sentence.

It made me remember the conversation she had with her friends sometimes back about the boyfriend who had slapped her, she had been so strong, so vocal about her decision and opinion then but it was all a lie.

A facade.

A mask she had perfectly worn and it was this that played a big factor in what led her to resort to drugs.

But I'd never have known because I was used to seeing things on the surface and not looking deeper.

But not anymore...

Funny how I didn't want to come to Crescent High school because coming to this school has ended up becoming the best thing that had ever happened to me.

It led me to all these people, all the friends turned family.

It also ended up teaching me a lot of things, a lot of life lesson's that I'd never forget.

I've learned through my Journey in CH that no one is ever truly perfect because in the end...

We're all broken, all beautifully imperfect.

THE END

My people, we've reached the end of Perfectly Imperfect and I kid you not, this is doing me a really strong thing 😭😭😭😭😭💔💔💔

Okay, let's do this 👇🏾👇🏾

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Who was your favorite character and why?

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What was your favorite thing about the book?

Comment one major thing that Perfectly Imperfect has taught you.

What do have to say about these Characters?

Oluwabukunmi Afolabi...

Adam Tella...

Sophia Williams...

Aminah Abraham...

Kunle Adegbite...

Alex Chatta...

Gabriella Williams...

Ezekiel Egbuson

Let's not leave out our last born babies too 😂😂😂

Junior Afolabi...

Daniel Tella...

Hmmmmmmm... Now, it's over. This is where we close the chapter, this is where we say a final goodbye to Perfectly Imperfect and all our imperfect characters that touched our hearts. Oh, I'll miss my babies. God! 😭😭😭

Please, endeavor to read the Author's note coming up right after this chapter. It contains major information about my next book ❤️❤️