Being the total clumsy zombie I was, I started rushing towards those familiar eyes with glee, not taking note of my surroundings. You can guess what happened next.

Tripping over a pair of outstretched legs, I tumbled forward and landed face first on some really strong pair of legs, thereby bruising my nose. Instinctively, I cried out in pain, sitting on the floor and cradling my nose and ego. I could hear Dami and Chika chuckling in the background.

The cause of my fall skipped over, not even bothering to hide her amusement. "Sorry sis." She chuckled. It was my friend, Faith.

She looked over my head and her eyes went wide. I followed her gaze and felt my throat go dry.

Same year as me, although in a different department, Isaac Otedola was unarguably one of the most attractive students in the school. Tall, dark, and handsome, he was every girl's dream.

He was also staring at me in amusement. That was when I realised that I actually face-planted myself into this guy's 'area'.

It wouldn't be a bad idea if the ground decides to open up and swallow me now.

"What an interesting way to make a first impression." Isaac said, smiling at me. He had this mischievous twinkle in his eyes that made it seem as though he was aware of a joke that no one else knew.

His skin was the colour of raw, unadulterated cocoa. Dark brown, rich and beautiful. He towered over me, despite the fact that I wasn't necessarily short. His eyes were a lighter shade of brown than most people, almost golden. The mischievous twinkle made them seem even lighter. His hair was styled in an elegant afro, it looked so soft and shiny, I just wanted to reach out and touch it.

"Hi, I'm Mavis." I said, baring my teeth in what I hoped looked like a charming smile.

"So I heard. I'm Isaac, I'm in arts. You're a year below me, right?" He asked, still smiling.

"Uh, no. I'm also in SS3. But I'm in the science department." I corrected, finding my voice shake a little.

"Oh! That explains why I've never had any class with you before." He said, nodding in understanding.

I shuffled my feet awkwardly, hoping he'd say something before I decided to open my mouth and embarrass myself.

"So my friends and I are going to see the new marvel movie that just came out, Black Panther. That's on Saturday. Supporting the culture and all. Would you like to join us?" He asked, staring straight into my eyes.

"Yes! I mean, sure why not. I'd love to." I blabbered, cursing myself internally. He ignored my word vomit, chuckling lowly.

"You can bring friends. The more the merrier. Well I have music class in a bit. See you around, Mavis." He said, getting up and walking away.

I released a breath I didn't know I'd been holding.

"What were you discussing with Isaac?" A voice asked, causing me to jump in surprise, which in turn led to me slipping and hitting my head on the table Isaac just left.

Dami snorted, "Idiot. So what's up with you and Isaac?"

"Nothing. He just asked me to see the movie with him. Black panther." I replied, rubbing my head.

Dami squealed in delight and held her hand open to faith who begrudgingly put a five hundred naira note in her open palm.

"What's this about?" I queried, furrowing my brows.

"Well, Isaac has been asking about you since you got to this school. Faith and I bet that he would ask you on a date. I bet that he would take you to see black panther, she bet he would ask you to go to pleasure park to watch Davido's performance." Dami explained, looking smug.

"Oh." I said, blushing slightly.

"So when are you guys going?" Faith asked, apparently getting over her loss.

"He said Saturday. Today is Thursday." I responded, looking panicked. "What do I wear?"

"That's not a problem. We'll go shopping after school tomorrow. Then you can get an Ankara turban and get your nails done. For the culture." Dami said, looking excited.

"You seem to have it all figured out." I grumbled.

"Yes baby." She replied, winking at me. The bell then rang and we hurried to our next class.

---

After my run-in, quite literally, with Isaac, I spent the rest of the day dreaming about him and worrying about my date with him. If I could even call it that.

Technically it wasn't a date, because his friends would be there, or was it? I don't really know. It was the first time any guy ever asked me to accompany him and his friends to see a movie. I was clueless as to the mechanics of such situations.

Thursday came and went, soon we were done with Friday's lectures and everyone gathered at the school gate to take me shopping. By everyone I was referring to Dami, Chika, Faith and one other of our friends, a guy, called Caleb.

We decided to go in my car -my dad assigned a personal driver for me to take me wherever I wanted to go- and after the trip we'd all go back to my house and their drivers would pick them up from there.

The driver dropped us at the plaza Dami directed him to and the five of us trotted in like we owned the place. Except me- I would need about eight lifetimes to master the art of walking and gliding with the grace my friends exhibited on a regular.

We went into the first boutique and immediately were blasted by cool air emanating from the ACs positioned strategically around the place.

A sharp looking lady in a pantsuit came toward us with a condescending gaze.

It wasn't until she noticed our uniforms and the black jeep with a dapper-looking chauffeur outside that she readjusted her facial expression.

"How may I help you, kids?" She said sweetly.

"Shoes." Dami said, looking at her in amusement.

"This way, please." She said, gesturing in a direction. We followed her obediently.

I ended up buying two pairs of heeled boots, flat boots, a pair of gladiator sandals, some sneakers and fancy flip flops.

In the clothes section, we got some jackets and shorts, Dami selected some beautiful headwraps made from African prints which were so colourful and bold. She also made me get some skirts and dresses.

We had Mani-Pedis at a beauty parlour in the same plaza and my hair was washed and blow-dried. I got facials and waxed my legs. I felt amazing.

"That was so amazing." Caleb said. It was on our second meeting that I found out that he wasn't actually a Nigerian, but he was from Ghana. He didn't look any different though.

Caleb was the kind of guy to put great care into his appearance. He was always so neat and put together. Not to mention his skin was clearer and softer than mine would ever be.

Dami also made me get makeup products for myself since I had none. It was a challenge finding my skin tone because majority of their foundations were in different shades of brown.

Luckily, a shop had gotten a wrong order because apparently a clerk entered the wrong skin tone, so they had mine. I felt very grateful.

By the time I got home, it was almost 6 and I felt both tired and fulfilled.

One by one, my friends left till it was just me and Dami.

"I had fun today." I told her.

"Me too." She replied. We were both lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Wanna watch movies?" I asked. "My dad will probably be out till eleven."

"Sure. Which ones do you have?" She said, getting up. I admired the curve of her behind like a pervert for a few seconds.

"Clueless, fifty first dates and Endless love are on a disk I have somewhere. We could just watch them in succession." I replied.

"Sounds good. I'll get some drinks and snacks from the kitchen." Dami said.

"There's a box of pizza my dad ordered in the fridge, I haven't eaten it yet. Could you heat that up too?" I asked, rummaging my desk for the CD.

"Sure thing." She replied, bouncing away.

I finally found the disk and slipped my legs into a pair of bunny house slippers. I was wearing pajama shorts and a tank top that read, fight me. I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror while passing.

Tall, tiny breasts, a not-so-flat stomach, wide hips and full bottom. I sighed. I sometimes wished I was as confident and pretty as my friends. I found myself envying their brown skin. Although I was a bit tan, I was no wear near their complexion and I hated sticking out because attention was drawn to my less-than-stellar looks.

Chapped lips and hazel eyes, my face wasn't all that special. I did like my hair, though. It was long, curly and black as night, showcasing my Mexican heritage. I loved it, actually.

Sighing at my reflection, I walked past.

Movies and food first, miserable reflection about your ugliness tomorrow.

In all, it was a good day.

---

A/N
And so the learning begins. Tell me what you think😊

Ideas for casting, anyone?