Because you all have waited for so long,I have updated up to chapter 26✨💓, so keep scrolling

Selena

I was chosen to represent St Louis in a quiz competition.

And it was going to be my second, the first time I had won, it was a debate competition but this time it was a quiz, like a national quiz and I was nervous as hell.

So myself, and some other people were currently in the room, watching the teacher explain things about the competition.

"It's a competition for majorly Ss3 students and St Louis has you all know it,has a record of being undefeated for the last three years,and we must maintain that record"

Scholars quiz. Definitely the biggest quiz competition in the country and I was chosen.

I was in the room, myself and others, two girls from my class and others from other classes but the one who stood out more was the boy in gold rimmed glasses, staying at the front of the class, listening attentively to the teacher.

Dozie.

When the teacher finished briefing us about the days for the competition,time and location,students began to fill out in twos and the room was almost empty and I was about walking out when someone stopped me.

"Hi"Dozie said to me,he was actually smiling, towering over me effortlessly, looking good,his eyes hidden behind his glasses.

I didn't respond,I just looked at him,was I in trouble?Like he has never spoken to me before so why was he talking to me.

Dozie had a reputation in this school,once a rumour had spread one term that he had scored a complete 100 in all his subjects,I thought it was actually rumours until I saw a copy for myself. The boy was too smart,way too smart and then the countless competitions both internationally and others. He didn't even have to come for training with the rest of us. Somehow I stood in awe of his intelligence.

"Hey" He waved over my face,the smile never leaving his face.

"Hi" I croaked in response, cursing my voice,why did it have to sound like that?

"You are Selena right?"
Some girls passed that instant, giving us the weird look,they were probably wondering what I was saying,trust me, Dozie had his own fanbase.

"Yes, how do you know my name?"

"I'm Dozie, Yobanna friend"

" You should be heading to class,let's go"

And I found myself trudging beside him.

"I don't bite I promise,I just wanted to know you and probably become friends with you, Yobanna's friend is actually my friend too"He was still grinning and it baffled me why,like there was a way it appeared,like we were close buddies.

"Oh,was just surprised" I mumbled and played with my bracelet for a while,the one I took from Kim's room.

"That I was speaking to you?'

"Yes"

"Why would you be? Now we get to talk enough since we are actually going for the same competition"

Was he really serious about this friendship something?

Now we both walking towards the other block and I felt more eyes on me than ever.

He looked at me and then at the book I had in my hand and turned away

"I always see you reading one book or the other,do you have a favorite author?"He asked me.

"Yeah, Chimamanda Adichie"

"Amanda is everyone's favorite author,who else?"

"Then Wolo Soyinka"

"You seem like someone who reads majorly African works"

"I guess"I added a shrug. I read foreign works but most times I didn't read from a particular author,I usually forget the name after reading most times.

He nodded.

There was a brief silence, probably a minute silence.

"I know about you and Yobanna"There was this glint in his eyes,like he knew something I didn't.

"Huh?,we aren't dating I swear"

"You both are going to date soon na or don't you want to,you like him, don't you?"He asked.

" I mean,you both seem to be exchanging not too subtle looks"He was smirking,his hands in his pocket and somehow I found myself going red.

"Ahh, look at her,was just asking a question Sha" he teased, wriggling his brows.

I smiled,tried hard not to grin.

Why the hell was people saying they were arrogant, Yobanna wasn't,just probably his brooding face,Dozie seemed more friendly and cool and Precious and Ken,I felt somehow they weren't so bad as they were painted.

More eyes were now on us and he didn't seem to notice or probably he was used to it.

"Don't worry Selena,your secret is safe with me and don't worry about the stares,no one is going to breathe nonsense close to you"He assured me,he sounded really mature and at the same time,like someone who meant his words.

"The competition is not hard by the way,you'll just have to improve on your economics"He told me.

We were now close to our passage and my head swiped at him,how did he know about it? infact how much does he know?

"Chill,I just stumbled across your records, I was part of the committee that handpicked students for this competition" he adjusted his glasses better.

"Ready for the passage?"

"You know I don't like walking along the passage?"

"I'm pretty observant you know, observant about people close to me or people close to the people I know"

" You think myself and Yobanna are close?" I found myself asking the boy who had one his hands in his pocket, the other on his tie.

"Yes" He faced me and gave a little smile.

" The passage is nothing"He added

"Am I that readable?" He wasn't meant to hear that.

"Yes but I'm observant,down to the tiny details"The way he spoke,too much confidence oozing from him. He was walking ahead of me on the passage, confidence in his walk steps, calculated steps and then I noticed Yobanna was actually taller than him.

His class was before mine and then he paused at his door and gave me a serious look.

"Selena"

I was surprised at the change of his voice,his smile was gone and now he looked serious.

"If whatever you guys have ever turns to a relationship. Don't hurt him, Yobanna is not really as tough as he appears."

I found myself nodding instead of telling him that nothing was ever going to happen between us but he was gone soon.

I was so lost in thoughts,about to enter my class.

"Now it's Dozie right?" I froze at the familiar face,the one that had sworn that this school would be hell for me. I took two steps backwards at the icy voice of Cynthia.

She was standing at the door of my class, boring deadly holes into me,the disgust in her eyes made me shudder,I found myself being intimidated by her looks, literally shaking.

"How much of a slut are you?" There was a way she asked me calmly that was deadly.

" First it was Yobanna, Zion and now Dozie"

I didn't know what to say,what was I to say.

"You know sometimes I wonder if you actually look at yourself in the mirror,like look at yourself critically,I know you sluts have no shame but look at you Selena, there's nothing attractive about you,so why are you so bent on disgracing yourself?"

Her words hit me hard and o blinked back the tears.

Nothing attractive about you

I looked at her in the really tight skirt that brought out her curves,she was curvy,with the hips and everything. Her long legs on display,her box braids which was touching her back and then I compared it to myself and I found out,she was actually saying the truth. There was nothing attractive about me.

"Selena" I didn't know when she was standing so close to me,her really expensive perfume clouding my thoughts.

She was batting her eyelids at me, smirking.

"You don't belong here."

"I don't know what you think you have with Yobanna but you know you are deceiving yourself right?"

She paused and raised my chin.

"Yobanna's dad is the number 4 on Forbes, he lives in Africa's finest homes, his a model, the lowest he gets per photoshoot is 10 million, his mum is a former beauty queen, who are you Selena? What  number is your dad on Forbes? Where do you live?"She asked and left me standing there.

I found myself breaking down once I got to my desk,my heart wrenching painfully and my eye lids heavy,I've never felt so pained,so useless,so hurt. I cried. Somehow I wanted to fight what I felt but her words were cutting deep. Hitting the right notes and messing with me.

"Selena?"

It was him and his hand was on my back tenderly and I quickly jerked away from his touch as though it was some hot food or water.

I have forgotten I was crying and probably I'd look like a mess looking at him like that, confusion all over his face,and some soft look too. I hated it,him looking at me like that.

"You are crying,why?" He asked and even when he sat on his seat,his eyes never leaving me,I made sure to move away. There was no expression to show if he found it weird,he just sat still.

"I'm fine" I responded and had my head back on my desk.

"You are not fine" He told me calmly.

"I said I'm fine!"I flared up. I hated how calm he seemed to look. " I said I'm fine"I said again calmly,I didn't have to look at his face but I heard him breathe out.

"People who are fine don't cry" He said again and I had it to my chest.

" Why? Why are you always acting nice,like why?is this some sort of plan?is this a ploy to make me miserable?"

" I...I don't understand"

I didn't say anything more,I simply fled away from him,far away from him and his looks and niceness.

***
I didn't see Yobanna till a week later,he skipped school throughout and myself and Zion were currently sitting at the library,a pen in his hand scribbling some stuffs in his book and mine in front of me.

"Why are you nice to me?" I suddenly asked him.

His eyebrows forrowed in confusion,and then he scratched the top of his nose.

"I don't understand" He told me.

"I mean" I paused, thinking of the right words to use "You,you are popular and everything,why are you talking to me?" I asked him and he scoffed and tapped his pen repeatedly on the desk.

"And why shouldn't I talk to you, aren't you human?" He asked me.

"You are..."

" It's somebody right, someone told you,you shouldn't be hanging out with me abi, that you aren't worthy and shit."

I didn't respond and my silence confirmed his fears.

"Selena,you are human,you are beautiful,you are cool and intelligent. Humans,they create some social structures to shut out people and marginalize others but I'm not like that,I don't believe in that shit and you shouldn't"

" You shouldn't allow someone tell you,you are worth nothing and then you begin to sulk over it and feel bad. They don't know you Selena,how beautiful you are,how much more you are worth"

I didn't know what to make of it yet.

" How come they aren't seeing it?" I bent my head.

"Because they are insecure and they want everyone feeling the same way"

" People often see through you and know when you have a low esteem and then they work on it, try to make you feel terrible using your weakness"

I was still quiet.

"Everyone has a weakness, everyone feels terrible about something about themselves,but that's God's plan, that no one should be perfect,so that we remember that we are humans"

" But you Selena,you are amazing,you are beautiful and anyone who tries to make you feel terrible about yourself is only jealous"

I chuckled.

"Jealous of what?I don't have money,I'm even skinny,I'm just some plain..."

His finger was across my lips and it felt warm,how his eyes held my gaze. It was strange how I felt warm somewhere at the pit of my stomach. Weird.

"Shush, that's it, that's your insecurity speaking. Society has made some social standards on how people should look,live and everything. Selena, society has defined a lot of things. In Nigeria, plumpy girls are marginalized and in some other cultures outside,they are the most beautiful. In this same Nigeria,skinny girls are taunted none stop,but in some cultures they are the best. Bottom line is,you can never make society happy"

"And, nobody's opinion should matter"

He was giving me a warm smile,his back totally relaxed on the chair,hands folded across his chest in a way that made his arm muscles more pronounced.

"And who cares how much you have,I don't personally,I like you the way you are and according to my dad, what's a success story without some stormy days"

I bit my lips from smiling.

" So are you ready to win this competition or should I beat book into your head"he was chuckling

"Give me my book jare"

**

Zion
I really hate Nigerian movies,like how can people seat down and watch something like that when there's fast and furious to watch

Selena
Abegi, what are you feeling like,if you watch Kambili eh, you will change your mind. Moreover the storylines of this new Nigerian movies are mad

Zion
Still not interested 😒

Selena
That's your cup of tea 🙄

Zion
I don't take tea😂

Selena
Is it not you again, abnormal boy😂💔

Zion
As if you don't like me like that.

Selena
What's this one saying?🙄

Zion
Witch. Hope you aren't feeling too nervous sha?

Selena
I am 😩, big schools are coming,the names alone are scaring me

Zion
Meaning 😒,do you know how big St Louis is,be calming down o before thunder start striking

Selena
Oh please,you know what I mean,I'm not scared because Dozie will surely win but me,😟

Zion
I feel like knocking you,you are also intelligent this girl,you can smash this thing,no biggy. I trust you.

"You and Zion are buddies?" Someone asked and I took my eyes off my phone.

"I wasn't pepping I promise,I just happened to see his name pop up on your screen" Dozie took his seat beside me.

We were currently in the bus, about to head to the venue of the quiz. Where I had to face other schools and I was still scared.

"We are friends" I replied and he nodded. I noticed he looked as neat as he always was,his expensive looking watch on his wrist as he tugged at his tie, probably to adjust it.

He noticed my gaze on him and he raised his head to look at me critically.

"You are nervous" He said casually,like he was reading a sign post.

"I am" I confessed.

"You'll be fine,you'll smash,I know you will" There was this reassurance in his voice.

I took a swipe around the bus, someone was missing.

"Adenike is not in this bus" I told Dozie

"Yeah,she fell ill,but someone else is replacing her"

" Who?"

And then Dozie didn't have to answer my question because Yobanna walked into the bus casually with all the swagger in the world. His eyes sweeping around the bus and when his gaze fell on me,he simply took his eyes away, he walked past myself and Dozie and sat the extreme end of the bus, his head phones immediately over his head, him looking outside the window.

"His the third best student in your class" Dozie told me referring to Yobanna.

He opened his Christian Dior bag and brought out a notebook that contained lots of calculations when he swiped it open.

"Do you think his fine?" I found myself asking Dozie,I took a look at Yobanna.

"I guess" He replied non chalant.

I didn't say anything more,the bus was kicked start and the journey started,there was no music playing except for the chatters from the students and before long I found myself falling asleep.

**

We spent more than four hours to get to the university where the event was taking place. University of Nigeria. I had heard a lot about the university even though I had never visited. The first sight that greeted us was the sign post that read University of Nigeria and then the stature of Lions around. Heard the university was called the Lions den.

The university was large I had to admit, we passed the library painted blue and yellow, Nnamdi Azikwe Library it read, wow, how could it be so large?

The roads were tarred in the school and the bus stopped at somewhere I  heard someone calling PPA hall,painted white and I guessed that was where the competition was going to take place.

I tried hard not to fall asleep at then long speech that the man was giving explaining to us about the competition and what it entails. Dozie was still sitting beside me and unlike me,he was paying rapt attention to what the man was saying.

And then we were shared into groups and assigned hostels. Somehow I found myself alone in the midst of other girls from other schools and damn they were loud, playing music and twerking to some thing I didn't know.

I opened my economics textbook and tried to focus,I had to win this competition at all cost, my sanity was at stake here but these girls were more interested in talking about models.

"I swear down Yobanna is the finest teen model"

"When I saw him,I fainted twice, how come his here?"

"He attends St Louis na, have you forgotten?"

"That ajebo school"

One of them laughed.

"As if you don't wish you were attending the school,they are brilliant,I'm even feeling bad for Stephanie,the boy in the science category is too good"

"But Stephanie is the best in our set na,best in the whole of R.M.A"

"And so, I'm talking about Dozie Agu here o,see his pictures na"

They all clumped together to have a look at the pictures on the girl's phone

"Omo,and the boy is fine Sha"

"His fine o but Yobanna, God,I thought he was fine in his pictures till I saw him at the hall"

" I need someone that will connect me to that boy"

"Ashawo kobo kobo"

" See who is talking,that your ugly boyfriend will do nonsense with you and his still broke"

" Leave him like that,he loves him and I love him too"

" They never break this one heart"

And they all laughed, mocking the girl who was soon on her feet and out of the room.

"No come back na,ode"

They all went after her and soon I found myself alone in the room, or not, actually there was another girl in the room, her head bent over a book and it seemed she noticed my gaze and she lifted her head.

She was light skinned,oval face and probably tall,with the way her leg was touching the end of her bed. Her hair was just simple cornrows but she still looked beautiful.

"Hey" She waved to me,a smile on her face that revealed her dimple and I smiled in response.

"Those girls are so noisy,I'm glad they are out" She sighed and I chuckled in response.

" I was this close to slapping them" She added

"You attend St Louis right?" She asked.

" Yes and you?"

" R.M.A, those girls are actually my classmates but they make me sick"

" They are actually loud though" I agreed and she was soon sitting up on her bed.

"I'm Mmesoma, you can call me Soma, you can call me Meso, even Sosomama"

I laughed. The last name was actually funny

" That's too much name for one person"

"Leave it to Nigerians to always look for short cuts"She sassed.

" I'm Selena Munachi"

" Beautiful name,you are so beautiful"She complimented and I smiled,like actually smiled.

"Art category right?"

"Yeah"

I took a swipe at her textbooks and found an accounting textbook among them.

"Commercial?"

"Yes,do you want to take a tour of this place,heard there is a spot close by" she suggested, already on her feet and I was right,she was tall.

I thought about it for a while,the next day was the quiz and my economics was my main focus

"You don't need to be scared,we will be back soon"  she seemed to read my mind.

I shrugged. I was already wearing a pair of jeans and black shirt ready to go. I followed her, making my way out of the hostel.

"This hostel is called Mary Slessor,it's a female hostel,the students are on break"She told me and I was just nodding at the information she was giving me.

We took a short route and soon we were at the said 'spot'

"This place is called SUB,I don't know why but it's the most popular spot in this school"

SUB was just a land with lots of shops and canopies,light from every corner,an ice cream spot playing Work by Rihanna and Drake,the suya guys at their own places,over the fire roasting some stuffs,a lot of students milling around at different corners.

I liked the life of the place.

"How come you know so much about this school?" I asked Meso who was still leading me, probably to get ice cream

"My boyfriend attends this school,his in 1st year studying Engineering but we've grown apart in the last two months,guess he can't do the relationship stuff"There was a glint of sadness for a while but it disappeared real quick.

"I'm sorry"

There were other shops that sold food, some selling some bread and egg stuff that Sochima called maishai.

"Let's grab ice cream and suya"She told me

A lot of students were milling around the ice cream dude, Sochi bought two cones,each 500 but a dude was quick to pay for both.

The equally tall boy wanted to have a word with her and I had to leave them both. They both left and I moved away from the ice cream spot trying to find my way to the hostel since I wasn't sure when they were coming back.

Well,not until I  was stopped by some boy. I couldn't make out his face in the dark. But his stature and the way he stood before sent jitters around my body. I was scared,it was definitely not a good idea,I shouldn't have left Sochi

"Babe"

"What do you want?" I took two steps backwards,who the hell calls someone babe, someone they didn't know

"No need to be scared na, I know your type, acting scared and shy, allow me talk first"

" I don't want to listen to you" I told him but his hands folded across his chest said it all,he was definitely not letting me go.

"So because I dey follow you talk small small, you just dey misyarn" He grabbed my hands and pushed me to the floor,to the muddy floor. I winced at the impact of the push

"What are you doing?let me go!" I tried shouting but I found it was useless,I was far away from SUB and then the loud music could be heard.

"If you like shout, by the time I finish with you,you will have respect by force"

He had me pinned on the floor and I tried hard to push him away from me,tried hard to beat him and everything. It was useless. This boy was thrice bigger than me. He was smirking I could see him,his trouser already down from his waist. He pinned me on the ground and forcefully pulled at my trouser. I was crying,was this my fate?

I found more tears polling at my eyes as he had lowered himself down at me,there was no use fighting anymore.

I was going to pass out from crying until I felt his weight suddenly pushed away from my body,it felt like Deja vu again,me under CJ and now under this stranger.

I was crying, feeling totally stripped,there was a figure of two boys beating up the boy who was grunting and shouting.

I had never seen Yobanna displaying emotions,it was rare,he was always frowning, sometimes smiling majorly in the company of his friends but this one was way too angry and then was the other boy Dozie, both focused on killing the boy on the ground. If the boy wasn't half dead, then he was already dead.

"Bastard" I heard Dozie grunting,I had never seen him like that too,he was too furious,way too furious.

He was the first to stop beating the dude and then he held Yobanna back.

"Guy leave him,just leave him,if we continue,we might kill him"

"The bastard doesn't deserve to live normal normal"he added and Yobanna left him,his breathe unsteady,like he wasn't done .

All these while I was in the muddy floor,too tired. Way too weak.

"Just go and take care of her,I'll handle the bastard" I heard Dozie telling Yobanna.

I felt like hiding when Yobanna's gaze fell on me,he observed me for a while and then picked me up, carried me bridal style. He wasn't saying anything. He didn't even seem to find me heavy,he carried me and somehow I found myself in front of Mary Slessor,up to my room.

He laid me on the bed and I observed how quiet he was. How he was trying to avoid my gaze.

"Selena" His voice was breaking. He looked tired.

"How do you feel?" He asked quietly and lots of minutes passed.

I didn't say anything,I started sobbing and he actually held me,held me with my muddy body,me crying and him just patting me quietly.

"You'll be fine"

"It's all my fault,maybe i shouldn't have followed there,maybe..."

"It was never your fault Selena,thats a fucking theory,the bastard is mad that's all"

His body was trembling in anger,like he wanted to sniff life out of the boy if he found him.

"I'm sorry Selena,I'm sorry"
He kept patting me, holding me in his hands tenderly.

I went quiet for a while.

"You don't have to participate tomorrow, we can leave tomorrow if you like"

"I'm fine,I can do it"

"Are you sure?"

I nodded.

"You didn't come to school last week" I suddenly said

"Work. Moreover you didn't tell me why you crying last week"

He raised my chin.

"Selena,tell me things,I want to know why you cry,why you are sad,I want to know stuffs about you" He told me,he was sincere I could tell ,his face inches from mine,him looking cute and my heart started racing rapidly. What was happening?

"Babe!" The door went ajar and Meso was standing at the door. Her hands filled with stuffs. She closed the door gently behind her, throwing glances between me and Yobanna.

"I'll be taking my leave now" He told me and gave me a last look,one I couldn't explain.

"And change into something else,I'll text you"

He walked out of the door after waving at the dumbstruck Meso. Immediatly she walked out of the door,she screamed and jumped on my bed.

"You are dating Yobanna?" She asked me. Her eyes large as saucers

"No," I paused "something  just went wrong,I got nearly rapped" I whispered.

Meso had her hands over her mouth and soon she was in the bed holding me against her tightly, making me inhale her carrot cream.

"I'm so sorry baby girl,I shouldn't have left you there,I'm sorry"She kept comforting me.

" I'm fine,I'm better" I tried to convince myself more than her and then gently eased out of her hug

I went to my little bag and took out another clothe and changed into something else.

"You can always talk to me,you know right?"

" I know" I replied,I ignored her pitiful stares and took out my notebook until my phone pinged with a message.

+234-678997899
You awake?

****

So I took you on a tour around some places in University of Nigeria,all places mentioned are real

And rape,a very sensitive topic,guy,1 in 3 girls have faced some kind of harassment. From tapping a girl's ass indiscriminately to touching of boobs and shit,I fucking hate it and no one should be blamed for it too, no one deserves it.