Yobanna

I was still angry even as I walked back to the room I had booked in the university,some place called Nicole's palace, it was a pretty nice hotel in the school.

Dozie barged into my room an hour later.

"The bastard is now cooling in some police cell" He told me and sat beside me on the bed

"I'll be sure he gets the punishment he deserves"He added.

Dozie was particular about this case because his sister was also raped in her university.  So I knew how personal it was for him.

But I didn't say anything, I watched him tie his hand with a bandage, he had some brusies around his knuckles, mine still hurt but I was too tired to bandage my hand.

"How is she?"

I thought of Selena,the fear in her eyes,how she had cried, blaming herself and I found myself being angry again, taking two deep breathes to control myself. I was still furious.

"She's fine I guess"

And then I thought of the possibility of her being raped,the thought that probably if I had come one minute later,he would have had his way made my blood boil.

"Chill"I heard Dozie mutter beside me

"I swear I would have killed that bastard,I would have castrated that bastard if he had,if he had touched her"My body was trembling in anger.

He held my hand to stop  me from shaking too much.

"Guy chill,chill" He was telling me, repeating it over and over.

I soon got calm. Dozie allowed me get myself together and then he laid on my bed. I didn't know how many minutes it was though,but we were both quiet.

"It's good to see you liking someone. You like her, don't you?"

" Who?"I acted as though I didn't know what he was saying.

"Act all you want, but it's good to see you actually care, see some other emotions coming from you rather than a frown because of someone"

"I.. don't know what I feel for her,I'm confused"

" I thought you didn't know who I was talking about?"Dozie sassed and I eyed him, hitting his head with a pillow.

"Get out."

He laughed.

"You are just fighting it Yobanna,let it out, I know you are scared of the vulnerability that comes with liking someone"

" I hate it"

" But it shows you are human"Dozie countered.

He stood up from the bed and made his way to the door.

"Just start from somewhere guy, don't be acting quiet o, Zion has his eyes on that girl I'm sure, I want to goan study for tomorrow"

" What do you mean by Zion has his eyes on her?" My eyes ticked at that information

" I've told you all I can,I'm off" And like that he was gone and I felt like actually going after him and getting everything

I tried not to allow the piece of information unsettle me.

I picked my phone and sent hi to her,I have never texted her before partly because I didn't know what to say most times.

She was online and she had read my message and it seemed as though she tapped on the message almost immediately and soon I saw the tiny bubbles that indicated she was typing.

Selena
Hello,who is this?

Yobanna
Yobanna 🙂

Selena
Oh..

Yobanna
How are you feeling now?

Selena
Fine. Better even

Yobanna
Studying?

Selena
Yeah, studying.
Economics is a bitch

Yobanna
😅
Didn't know you cuss but it's cute
I actually prefer it to Government

Selena
🙄🙄
How is that possible?

Yobanna
I'm honest
Government is like my weakest subject though I will still smash it any day and time.

Selena
Cocky much 😒

Yobanna
I'm just being honest na😂

***
Myself and Selena probably chatted for more than two hours before she had to actually study and I also did.

The large hall was filled up with students all in their uniforms. Dressed prim and proper.

The first stage of the competition was on a computer, there were a lot of schools I guess,so we had to go through screening to eliminate students.

The questions weren't hard if I said so myself and within 20 minutes the scripts were marked and names of qualified students appeared on a projector, myself and Selena scaled through,Dozie too but his partner didn't but I wasn't scared,Dozie was a one man army.

The judges stood at the podium and I sat beside Selena watching Dozie get every single question that was thrown at him.

"What are catalyst?"

"They are chemical element that speed up chemical reaction"

I wasn't even scared of us losing, Dozie was a genius and he never failed,so when he was actually leading by 17 points,I was not surprised.

"Newton's first law of motion is other wise known as ?"

" Law of inertia"He answered.

He was thrown all the mathematics question and he didn't even pause to calculate or stuff, Dozie wasn't human trust me.

The judge asked him his last question.

"What are Biomes?"

"Biomes are large natural terrestrial ecosystems. We identify a biome by it's vegetation. This is because plants form the bulk of the community in any ecosystem"

Cheers came from where we sat, Dozie was declared winner and man didn't even miss a single question.

It was the spelling bee period and it was left for Ss2 and they came third place but if it was to make noise and disturb the whole school,they were always first.

Myself and Selena were called up and guy,this girl was literally shaking,I felt like grabbing her hands and reassuring her there was absolutely nobody killing her.

Ten questions in total,three from government,three from economics and four from literature

"What year did the apportioning of Africa into colonies happen and where did it happen?"

"Berlin,1884"Selena answered

" What's the major difference between a socialist government and a communist government"

" In a communist government,most properties and economic resources are owned and controlled by the state,under socialism,all citizens share equally in economic resources as allocated by a democratically elected government"

" Correct"

She answered one and I did the other.

Economics was the next and I reassured her nothing was going wrong.

"What is another name for opportunity cost?"

I smiled,that stuff was easy.

"Alternative forgone "I answered

"Is Economics an art or a science?"

"Economics is both an art and a science,an art because it is the economy or the market forces that turn the various models and theories into reality and a science because it creates models and theories and try to apply it in real life phenomena"

And like that,we were done with Economics.

But then we missed a question in literature,we had missed a question on the novel,Othello. I never really liked that book though.

Then there was a tie because the other school has missed a question too.

"Pick a person between both of you,only one representative is allowed"

" Selena you'll have to represent us" I told her and I watched her face fall

"I can't do this"Selena mumbled in fear,she was scared and then I held her shoulder.

"You are the most brilliant in our class Selena,I believe you. I really do,plus what's the worse that can happen,we will still come second place "I was sincere. Selena was really brilliant but she liked hiding it.

"First person to answer this question becomes the winner" the strict looking judge announced

The hall was really quiet,if we won this category,then St Louis were coming overall first place.

"In what year did Abuja become the federal capital?"

The other school were lost,no one saw it coming,it was current affairs after all. I wasn't sure Selena knew it because her face wasn't giving out anything. Both Selena and the other girl were quiet for a while.

"15th February,1992"

The whole hall was dead drop silent

"Wrong" The judge's announced

" 12th December,1991" I heard Selena say quietly.

Another silence for a whole minute

" Correct!"

Omo!

A loud cheer erupted in the hall, Selena was really dazed and somehow I found myself hugging her. She was happy, really happy.

Everyone was clapping and cheering and hooting.

**

When we were in the bus, going back to school, myself and Selena sat on the same seat,the driver blasting some Olamide songs.

"I'm proud of you" I told her.

She was grinning at me and it melted my heart. I found myself committing her face to my memory, every single detail.The way her lips curled and how her eyes glowed. Her cornrows, down to her lips, my breath hitched and I swallowed nervously.

I was nervous,I was nervous, because of her.

That was definitely not normal. I turned away from her. She was doing something to me and it was not normal.

"I thought I was going to lose,that girl looked intimidating"She told me and I chuckled.

" You are also brilliant Selena, sometimes I really want you to see it"I told her.

" Sometimes I don't see myself as brilliant,just someone who tries hard to read,read and read"

"That's a thing with intelligent people,they think they don't know anything and then the dumbass think they are way too intelligent"

"But you don't have to be too modest"I added.

Holiday by Adekunle Gold started playing from the car stereo and she sang word to word.

"I actually didn't like this guy before" I told her

"Adekunle?"

"Yes, his songs were majorly boring, like I didn't just vibe with his songs at all"

"Then suddenly he married Simi, changed to AG baby and started dropping bars abi?"she chuckled and I joined her.

"I like your vibes when we were chatting" I told her and she laughed, within that short period,I had discovered a lot and also told her a lot ,told her I liked Messi more than Ronaldo,told her about Mattew and she told me her favorite song forever was every of Wizkids song.

"Gimme one reason why you even like that Wizkid so much?" I asked

" His cute na and he can sing,if you listen to his Made in Lagos album,you'll understand"

"All these love for someone that's not even tall"I teased and she pushed my arm slightly. Me laughing and she trying hard not to laugh.

"His not short" She pouted.

She turned away from my gaze and turned her attention to her phone that has just pinged,she read whatever it was and returned the phone back to her phone.

Somehow I found myself wondering if it was Zion and that made me angry

"You are still coming to the party right?" I asked instead.

She nodded.

"I actually don't like long rides,we could have just taken a plane but your school insisted on this" I told her, St Louis and always coming up with annoying ideas

"I like it,but I spend most of the time sleeping plus it's all part of experience" She was grinning widely.

" We could actually watch a movie, No time to die" I suggested and I saw how her eyes grew large as saucers.

"The James bond movie?"

I nodded, seeing such reaction from her was priceless,like the pure joy from her.

I turned on my phone and half way into the movie,she was leaning against me, soft purrs from her, she was actually falling asleep until she jerked up as though she realized she shouldn't be so close to me.

"You can actually lean on my shoulder" I whispered, trying not to read meaning into her shifting away from me like that.

"I'm fine,I just want to be alone"

"Did I say something wrong?" Heck!I've never wanted to be on someone's good books like hers,I craved to be on her good side and somehow her attitude wasn't even helping matters.

"I...Why are you talking to me? Aren't you supposed to be talking to some teen model and rich humans like you, what exactly do you want from me?"She asked, eyeing me suspiciously and I rubbed my hand over my head in frustration.

Who the fuck was putting stupid ideas in her head?

"So you are actually letting someone get into your head?"I asked her and she didn't respond. She had this soft looks now,like she was really confused, conflicted and tired.

"You live in Africa's finest home..." She trailed and went quiet,met my stare and then looked down, finding  her fingers more attractive

" And?" My hands were crossed across my chest.

" You shouldn't be talking to me?"

"Because?"

" Because that's what everyone thinks" She mumbled under her breathe.

"Then fuck everyone Selena,no one's opinion matter, none. "

There was so much conviction in my voice and when I actually  drew her into my arms, she was actually not protesting. She fitted perfectly in like she was meant for my arms.

Soon she was actually sleeping,her soft purrs so cute and her eyebrows knitted like that.

If she looked beautiful while awake, then she actually looked better asleep, peaceful and her thick eyebrows on display and somehow I found my heart racing again, way too fast than normal.

And somehow I discovered something I was fighting against,the fact that I was actually smitten by her.

****
Omo,me I don't have baby and I'm writing all these things 😩😩
It's doing me somehow 😂😂