Yobanna
St Louis cafeteria

I was late as hell to school and it was already time for lunch break and someone I found myself moving to the cafeteria. Precious was down with fever (I doubted) after all the previous day he wouldn't let me breathe without mentioning seeing Shade Onam, Dozie was away on some quiz something so it was currently myself and Ken walking to the cafeteria.

There was so much noise coming from there and somehow it unsettled me, why was there so much noise?

Now it only meant one thing and that means something interesting was happening in there.

Myself and Ken walked in the same time and only few people noticed us and then slowly as though the person or people at the middle noticed the slight withdrawal they stopped and suddenly the whole place went quiet, too too quiet.

Without thinking I moved to the middle, to see what was so interesting and then I saw her, covered in stains from drinks, her hair dripping wet and her uniform, God. My heart sank. Deep.

She looked at me, tears pooled her vision, she was shaking, shivering even, tired, how long was she being dragged, insulted, disgraced, all because of me? Was it because of me?

Why were this people making it so hard for me, so hard. How was she ever going to forgive me?
I took two breaths first to calm myself.

"Who did this to her?" I asked nobody in particular.

There was murmuring, whispers, like they weren't all there, laughing and cheering the fools on

"I asked a fucking question!" I yelled. There was stunned silence.

" Amarachi, Modesta and Kemi" I got my answer from a girl like that I didn't know.

I saw them, my culprits, they paraded themselves as a clique, an untouchable clique but I was going to use them as an example.

"Get ready to leave this school today, I don't care what it takes, you will leave St Louis today!" I thundered.

I was mad, livid, too livid and I was serious about then leaving the school.

Ken who had been quiet barked at them to get the f out of the way and they did, people were that scared of him

The three girls were already begging, begging me  because everyone knew I didn't make empty threats but I was tired for that. I pulled Selena by the wrist, she was trying to resist but I ignored her, I pulled her right into my car and shut the doors.

"Let me out! Let me out this minute!" She cried, she still had tears in her eyes. I understood her fears and anger. Towards me.

" Selena please, please.."

"Don't come close to me, don't touch me,you are just like them! Don't you dare,let me out this minute"She was still crying, trying hard to control her breathing.

It hurt me when she compared me to them,she compared me to people who made her life miserable.

"Selena I'm sorry,I've said sorry before but I don't know what other word to say than sorry,I was wrong,I shouldn't have, please, Selena"

She was a little calm,I felt it,I knew she was listening to me, she was still facing the window.

"Selena" I called calmly. I didn't touch her so she wouldn't flip.

"I know sorry doesn't fix it all but allow me make amends,I promise I'll fix it,I promise, please"

I've never pleaded this much,I've never wanted a person's forgiveness this much.i just wanted to have her forgive me,I wanted to see her face.

"If I forgive you, will you stay away from me?" Her condition came and I felt a tinge in my heart. She turned around from the car window to face me and I felt my mouth go dry.

I tried to comprehend her word,how could I stay away? The car was really quiet,I was suddenly lost on what to say

"Let's get you changed first Selena"

"I asked a question?" I have never heard her voice so cold,so distant. And it scared me.

"I don't think I can" I found myself replying and she turned away from me, facing the window

She didn't mutter as much as a word to me, she simply looked out of the window as I drove past and I badly wanted to know what was on her mind.

I got a text from Paris,I had a photo shoot with Universe Phones in the next hour.

Paris💛
You'd better not be late this time🙄😏

I drove Selena into some boutique close to my school and we both came down.

Somehow they picked a blue dress for her and she changed into it minutes later and she did look stunning.

Selena was slim I noticed but in an attractive way,she didn't posses curves and all that but somehow she was alluring in her own way.

I preferred her in mufti,uniforms really had a thing for hiding beauty.

"You look beautiful" I told her and she pouted before muttering a thank you. I guess I wasn't totally forgiven. But there was definitely progress.

"I'll buy you new uniforms" I suddenly told her when I watched the way she looked at the one tied in the nylon.

"You don't have to,I'll just wash this one" She told me. She looked sad I could see it and anytime she had such face on,I felt really bad. Like my heart got clogged,I wanted to see her smile.

"I want to" I responded softly and she shrugged.

We got into the car and then I asked her if she like Burna boy songs and she surprised me by saying she likes Wizkid.

"You like Wizkid?" I asked to reconfirm.

"Yes I do"

" I'm more of a Burna boy and Mayokurn fan"

She was mute,she definitely wasn't cool with me

" So Soco or Manya?"

" Manya"She replied quickly and I smiled

" Now I wish I'm Wizkid" I teased

"You wish" she rolled her eyes at me, struggling not to smile.

"I'll have to for a photoshoot now,it won't take time I promise"

" So you want me to follow you?"She asked quietly staring at her fingers.
I nodded.

" I'll take you to Nick's place when we are done and if you don't want to go to work today, I'll take you home instead"
And I felt how her eyes perked up,her body became really alert.

" Home?no,no,just drop me at Nicks"She replied and turned away,cold and unreceptive.

I nodded.

I drove for a while listening to Wizkids songs,it seemed he was the backup at some point cos Selena was taking over and it warmed my heart how she was smiling a bit and singing word for word,I wasn't complaining anyways,I found it cute,her seating close by and me listening,it seemed perfect.

I drove into the drive way and got down and Selena followed suit.

I took her to a confectionery shop, bought some pies and ice cream for her.

"I wasn't sure if you were able to eat at school or not..." I trailed,she was watching me silently now and I took several breathe in, like her watching me like that seemed to make me nervous..

"Thank you" She told me gratefully and accepted the stuff from me.

" I'll be back soon" I promised and went upstairs.

"You are 3 minutes close to being late Yobanna" Paris regarded me for a while.

" I was busy"

" Same excuse"She rolled her eyes at me.

She was wearing a crop top over a pair of jeans and white canvas,and her glasses over her eyes and then the low cut she has dyed white and gold at the edges.

She was taller with just an inch though and she was caramel too and had doe shaped eyes and singleeeee too.

I ignored her and changed into the clothes that that wardrobe team had set aside. For many reasons I wanted to be done with these whole thing and be back with Selena.

I came out from the adjournment bathroom back into the room that was filled with people,cameras already set up and the blinding light I was used to.

But there seemed to be a problem as Mister Bernardo seemed to be in a deep conversation with Paris. His Mexican accent really strong despite his years of living in Nigeria.

"The female model sent a message that she's currently in the hospital and we really needed to shoot those pictures today"He was explaining to Paris who was annoyed with the way she ran her hands over her hair. She hated disappointment.

Mr Bernardo didn't seem pleased either,we had a deadline. And the short bushy haired Mexican man took his business really serious.

And then somehow I got an idea

"I think I might have a solution" I said to their hearing

" Yobanna what are you up to?" Paris asked me like a mum.

I didn't reply then immediately. I went downstairs to meet Selena taking her last bite.

"You are done already?" She asked

"Nope."

So why are you here,her eyes seemed to be asking

"So the model who is supposed to be here fell ill and sent  in the information real late and we have a deadline. There's no female model around and I have a feeling you can do this"

She was staring at me,like I grew two heads overnight or I was spitting bars of rubbish.

"What were you thinking?do I look like a model?"

" You can always be one.."

" You enjoy embarrassing me,don't you?"Her voice, really low now, how could she say that? But I wasn't backing down.

"Can you at least give it a try and you get paid also trust me"

I lowered my voice and whispered really close to her ears

" Something around a million naira"

She didn't budge and I found myself convincing her more before she finally followed me upstairs.

Everyone seemed to be waiting for my "solution". Once I walked in,all pair of eyes were on me and I felt her recoil beside me,I held her palm to reassure her,I rubbed my thumb around her palm repeatedly.

Mr Bernadio was the first to approach her with a really wide smile.

"She looks just perfect,so beautiful for the job"he said and soon the makeup crew were over her.

Mr Bernardo couldn't stop showering praises on her while I watched her, looking nervous as ever, trying to smile at the man who was probably giving her pep talk.

"She's pretty" Paris broke into my thoughts.

I hmmed in response.

"Is she the one?the Same assignment partner and girl you kissed?"

"How did you figure that out?" I faced Paris now

" Duh,I'm your manager"She replied, like the way she said it, like dude,I know a lot.

"I can swear you've never had this kind of look on your face before"She said again.

" What look?"I asked

" The one you are having now"

" I don't understand Paris"I used her name now because like Matthew, Paris could be speaking English in a Chinese way.

" The look you have on your face is making me want to shout God when"

She was smirking and then someone called her but she winked at me before leaving. Weird.

I watched them doll Selena up more. Then she was given the clothes to change into. I didn't know when she got out but when I raised my head from my phone and saw her,I swear my breath hitched.

She was wearing red,was that color ever legal? Red screamed hot, daring and everything. The dress stopped right on her thighs and her legs on display and her hair,I don't know how they styled the wig and then she was wearing some glassy sitleotes. And the makeup,she looked different but in a good way. She didn't even know how beautiful she looked standing so innocent in that dress and staring at her feet. Shy much.

"Oh my, perfecto" Bernadio kept saying over and over. The photographer was hyperactive most of the times anywhere.

"Red definitely looks good on you" I told her and she smiled.

" I'm just nervous as hell,I don't know why"

"It's normal to be nervous, it shows you are human"I reassured her.

" Don't they look so cute,God when oo" Paris cooed from the other side and I eyed her but she was laughing,I wouldn't want Selena more uncomfortable than she was.

Bernardo made us take pictures and then he paused.

"I really want to feel a synergy between you both,try to make it real,like some sparks"He exaggerated with his hands.

The thing was that,I know what to do,but I didn't want Selena becoming uncomfortable.

"What are we expected to do?" She whispered really close to my ears and I felt it,the way my heart thrashed against my chest wildly.

"Just some intimate stuff,like trying to make us appear like a couple"

"Oh...okay,let's do it then"

I was surprised,was she really saying that? Maybe she was saying that cos she didn't actually know what it entails

So I made an example by diving in for her lips,no I didn't kiss her but our faces were inches apart that one move would result to a kiss,she looked too stunned to even talk and my hands were around her tiny waist,I noticed her eyes now,how they looked like pearls, clear,like you could see all the conflicted emotions going through them at once and I felt it again,my heart beating really fast and I was nervous,again.

"Wonderful!" Bernardo's voice rang in the air in excitement and we moved away from each other.

As I stared at her,I realized something was not right and I didn't know what it was.

"Tell me the truth Yobanna,would you have kissed her if we weren't here?"Paris teasing voice came from behind me.

" What's with the weirdness Paris?" I asked feeling flustered.

" Ahh,his even sounding husky,mad o,you know you can tell me anything"She tried to sound mature and I scoffed

"Did they send you?" I asked

She laughed at me hard and I eyed her,with how pretty she looked no one would know she didn't have sense but nice one nature,I see the combination from afar.

When i got home that day after dropping Selena i felt happier than I've actually been in a long while.

And then Paris texts came in

Paris💛
So when am I becoming a god mother☺️☺️

Me
🙄🙄,Paris abeg, what did you smoke today?

Paris💛
Don't be shy honey,big sis is here for you 😘😍

Me
Avoid me please

Paris 💛
So because I no get money, Yobanna say make I avoid em,sapa i see you bro😥

Me
😂😂😂😂
Paris na
What's your own today sef?

Paris💛
It is well😫
One day me too go get loml 😏
Lemme continue eating my indomie

And she went offline. God, Paris was a handful. I smiled when I remembered the photo session,how flustered she looked even as I drove her back.

Geez,why are you smiling too much

***
Selena

I hadn't been so close to much boys in my life and maybe that was why I was feeling really flustered at the distance we shared.

God,his eyes,I could swear I was literally swimming in them and the way he looked at me. I felt warm and flustered and then his lips that were so close to me,I noticed how full they were,the top somewhat brown and the lower part a slight shade of pink.

And like he said, I got a million to my account and then the pictures had gone viral,Kim showed me this morning, somehow we've gotten closer .

"You both look like a couple" She commented. He had posted it on his Instagram page,Kim showed me the photo,I didn't look like myself,I looked too exotic in the picture,no one would believe it was the same person who was in an oversize trouser and over washed black shirt sitting on the creaked bed.

I looked closer,the picture had over 100k likes now and just a simple caption, everyone knew Universe phones and somehow I had just advertised for their latest product that I couldn't even afford. Funny.

I saw the comments under, celebrities and many others like that. Kim also wanted to stalk him badly like I wanted and she clicked on his page

10 million followers

I looked further
He was following only 15 people, Jesus Christ!

"A for audacity,E for energy!" Kim laughed, omo!

She scrolled through his pictures, like all of them and I drank into his beauty, guy,he was beyond handsome,he didn't look like someone I could even see in this life not to talk more of standing next to him. And then suddenly it hit me hard,how different we were.

"Don't do that" Kim had suddenly told me.

I saw how intently she was watching me.

" Don't start berating yourself"How did she know

"You are so readable Munachi" She said again. I said nothing in response.

That was in the morning however,now I was in school, no one was bullying me,I had passed the passage way and they had looked at me differently,and I knew they had seen it,the picture.

But this was St Louis, they adored you only for a while and were soon to themselves and oh Yobanna wasn't joking when be said those girls were leaving cos they were actually expelled,I really underrate his influence in this school. These girls were super rich,well connected and all but I guess among the one percent there's also another one percent.

So when we had free period,I simply made my way to the library to read, I was yet to see that human.

I flipped through my notes while humming  songs by you know when his voice interrupted me.

"Must you sing?" He asked coming towards me with sleep laden eyes.

" And must you be grumpy" I found myself replying him.

He didn't respond,he slumped on the chair beside me.

I noticed his hair,he had braided it again and he looked really cute as usual. I didn't realize I was staring at him so shamelessly until he poked my forehead,a smile on his face.

"I really must be cute" He teased

"Proud much"I rolled my eyes at him trying hard not to stutter but he didn't care or simply didn't want to.

"Don't you read too much sometimes?" He suddenly asked.

"You can never read enough"

" Until you run mad" Yobanna chuckled and then I  glared at him.

"I wonder how you ace your exams, you are hardly stable in school"I told him, I always wanted to know.

" Well let's just say I'm pretty much above average and Dozie my friend is like the smartest nigga in this school,so he tutors me sometimes"He explained.

" Hmm"

" Where do you live?"He asked me and I tensed up,yes, everyone knew I was a scholarship student and I didn't have shitload of money but still they didn't exactly know everything about me. How was I expected to tell him?I felt so embarrassed.

"You can decide not to tell me" He reassured me softly,those brown eyes that emitted warmness.

We were silent for a while,the low hums from the AC filling the void and footsteps of some students too.

"I saw the pictures" I didn't know why I told him, he was scrolling through my books and then he paused and slowly, he lifted his head from the books

"Do you like them?" He asked slowly and then my mind went back to the previous day,how close we stood,How his breath was fanning on my face and his colonge attacking my nose fiercely.

He was thinking same. His eyes swimming with lots of emotions and it seemed we were both lost in another world.

"Should I show you more?" He snapped me out of my thoughts,I nodded.

He swiped out his phone and showed me the pictures,the ones on his phone were also beautiful,I noticed his fingers on my waist,I was surprised,I didn't know we stood so close,we looked intimate.

And then I handed it back to him.

"You look really cute in the pictures and reality" he said
Since yesterday,I couldn't count how many times he had complimented me and it got me really nervous, really really nervous.

"The lady on lowcut, she's really funny"I decided to tell him instead. She had introduced herself as Paris,she was sure a handful, really beautiful anyway I had to admit.

"Paris?what did she tell you?" He seemed really interested.

" Nothing much,just introduction and lots of questions" I chuckled in remembrance, she looked too sophisticated to act the way she does, really chatty,she could pass as a model too anywhere or even at athlete.

It seemed as though he exhaled at that point.

"She's quite hyperactive and she can talk" He had a fond smile on his face and I couldn't agree less.

" I really want to sleep again Selena" he whined again like a baby.

"You can place your head on the desk and continue" I encouraged. I wanted to see how he would look sleeping.

He did as told.

"I had a lot of work to do at night, assignment and all that and I slept really late and right now I'm tired"

I had never seen this side of him,he always appeared indifferent but this vulnerability was cute to me.

"Let me make it up to you Selena, tomorrow,let's go somewhere"he was saying,I didn't reply

" Selena?"

" Okay"

" What's the meaning of the M in your name? "

" Munachi"I replied

" Munachi"He smiled and repeated my name again and again and then he shut his eyes slowly.

So I spent the next hour trying hard to read my book instead of watching him sleep because yes,he looked damn good.

***
Close to 4,000 words,omo😂
Who noticed that Paris is a vibe when chatting?😂,S for sapa,I see you bro😂😂

And my two babies 💓💞😍🤩😘
I just love them scatter 💞