This chapter is dedicated to fatimahoabioye

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The air was cooler than it was this morning. I sighed with both hands on my waist as I watched another set, Nerit and Ore, do a lap. We weren't the only ones practising; the Blossom High School girls' track team was also practising, though from a distance. Ivana, one of the team's runners, piqued my interest.

She was putting on their school's sportswear just as my team was putting on ours. That was obviously not their team's sports uniform, and they were only wearing it for practice.

I won't lie: Ivana was attractive. Her beauty could be likened to Toyosi. Her red house sportswear also accentuated her skin tone, making most boys in the region swoon.

I turned my focus away from her and onto the race between Nerit and Ore, watching in time as Ore passed the finish line established by the coach before Nerit.

"I guess my school's team need to worry," I jumped slightly, only to find Praise behind me. I couldn't get over how familiar he seemed as he smiled warmly at me. "Hi again."

"You startled me," I simply said, turning to face the two girls who will race in the following round.

"I'm sorry about that," he said, moving beside me and standing a foot taller. "How do you see Blossom High School?"

I stared at him with my peripheral vision, "I've only been here for a few hours."

"And so far?"

I let out a shrug, "Like every other school I guess."

Daniela and Chika, two best friends, were on the run. Their speed was similar, with Daniela somewhat faster.

"You toured the school earlier," Praise continued. "Did you see the love garden?"

Staring at him with furrowed brows and a curious gaze, I couldn't help but ask. "What's that?"

"The most popular spot at Blossom High School."

"I'm not interested." If I had money for how many times he'd said his school's name, I'd have been a billionaire.

"Life!" I looked forward and saw Ivana approaching us. I sighed and stared aside, bored. I wasn't in the mood for further drama. Of course, she had attracted the attention of everyone present due to her aura or just her loud voice. "You came to watch practice, right?"

Praise smiled sheepishly at her. "Kind of."

"Then come over," she said, nearly dragging him away. She must have felt she was saving someone she liked while also trying to get on my nerves, but she had no idea she was doing me a favour.

Ore was about to stroll by me, sipping from her water can when she stopped alongside me and murmured, "Stay away from Life."

I turned to face her, slightly taken aback by her statements, but she was already on her way to God knows where.

Does this school have an aura that drives people insane? I couldn't help but ponder as I went forward after the coach had instructed me to run with someone else.

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I laid on my bunk for hours on end, just like everyone else. Practice today was significantly more severe than I expected. I suppose seeing how good the opposition school was prompted our coach to improve his training methods.

"You simply are the best and our secret weapon," the coach had pulled me aside after practice to say. "Try not to over-practice and hurt yourself doing the game. You are already good. Instead, I'd like you to do a joint practice with Ore. I've been trying to point out her flaws a million times now, but she isn't improving. Maybe if someone her age could put her through, she'd learn faster."

If only he knew we weren't on the same page and did not see eye to eye.

"Okay coach," I'd responded, knowing there wasn't a way out of this.

Sitting straight and gazing at the far end, I noticed Ore wasn't in the room with everyone else. It was past six o'clock, and I wondered where she was, knowing that the school was nearly deserted except for us and a few security guards.

"Where are you going?" Daniela lowered her phone to look at me.

"Practice,"

"You no dey tire?" She questioned as I put on my trainers and stood up from my bed.

"I'll be back soon," I simply said, then walked towards the exit.

In comparison to the time, the day was not particularly dark.  I gently approached the track field, where I was confident I'd find Ore. I despised doing this, but I had given the coach my word and had to stick to it. As I drew closer to the field, I could see Ore more clearly. Despite being the team's captain, I could identify certain shortcomings in her.

"Ahhh!" I flinched at her thunderous screech, which was followed by her stomping her feet up in the air in despair. Angrily, she marched over to her phone, where she had most likely placed a stopwatch, and shut it off quickly.

"You are not consistent," I murmured, forcing her to turn her head my way. This was something the coach had told her at every practice, but she had not improved. "Aside from that, you are doing too much too soon and having bad upper body form."

"Excuse you?" She creased her brows in annoyance. "What are you? The assistant to the coach?"

"I might as well be," I whispered to myself.

"What did you say?"

Sighing and not wanting this to escalate, I decided to be the bigger person. "I'm sorry I slapped you the other day, though I don't regret it one bit."

"Get out,"

"This isn't your room,"

"Still, get out!"

Closing my eyes, I let out a breath while wondering how Krystian and Hymn kept up with someone like her all these years.

"Can we keep our differences aside and work together for the race? Our positions on the race are very important, you know. For two days let's try to tolerate each other, and let me help you."

"I don't need your help."

"You do!" I yelled, frustrated at her stubbornness.

"I swear if you shout at me again, eh?"

"What would you do?" I stretched my arms. The day was growing darker, and we hadn't done any effective training. "You get so excited and enthused about running that you do too much. When I mean too much, I mean too fast, too soon. Halfway through the race, you start to lose your energy and you start wondering why you aren't consistent. You assume that a longer stride will improve your speed or running efficiency, but that's not the case. You're just wasting energy since it means you're breaking with each foot strike. It could also lead to injuries such as shin splints, don't you know?"

Ore rolled her eyes and gazed elsewhere."Let me not get started with how you swing your arms side-to-side, which makes you more likely to slouch and not breathe as efficiently. You'll get more tired by holding your arms that way, and you'll start to feel tightness and tension in your shoulders and neck."

"Let's say I decide to let you help me," Ore began by folding her arms below her chest. "How sure am I that your help is going to be effective."

"Because this was my problem when I was a beginner, and my techniques helped me."

"Did you just indirectly insult me?" I shook my head, letting out a sigh. "Only for two days."

"And I'll be out of your hair." Ore let out a disgruntled groan before returning her attention to the race. I followed and watched as she prepared for another lap. She positioned her timer on the side to keep track of her speed.

"Though you need to be fast, do not use all your energy at once. Safe some and pick up speed later on." I announced to her as she readied herself for a run. "On your mark, get set, go!"

Ore began running, and I soon started noticing most of the flaws I'd earlier pointed out.

"Be more conservative!" I instructed, forcing Ore to reduce her speed at the earlier stage. "Pick up space now!" She was obedient and did exactly what I asked. I noted her poor body posture and considered how harmful it might be in the long term if she continued running in that manner.

"Try to keep your hands at waist level, right about where they might lightly brush your hip. Your arms should be at a ninety-degree angle, with your elbows at your sides. You should rotate your arms at the shoulder, not at the elbow, so they're swinging back and forth!" I ran closer to Ore as she kept running, so she could hear me. She took note of my instructions and kept mirroring my words. "Imagine a vertical line splitting your body in half—your hands should not cross it. Keep your posture straight and erect, Ore! Your head should be up, your back straight, and shoulders level!"

"I'm getting tired," she gasped for air when she was almost at the finish line. "That's common; just poke your chest out while you run. You're starting to overstride, Ore!"

"What?!"

"Don't lunge forward with your feet!" She did this just a few seconds before crossing the finish line. I stopped her phone's timer and saw her collapse on the floor before racing to her gym bag for her bottle of water. "Take, it's best you hydrate."

"Your technique is torture," she managed to breathe out after gulping down the water in her bottle.

"But did it help?" I said this while returning her phone to her. She looked at her stopwatch app in confusion before turning to face me.

"Did you tamper with my app?"

"Why would I?"

"My speed timing increased by sixty per cent. How's that possible?" She still stared, a bit confused.

"You are welcome,"

"I was never thanking you." Finding the urge not to roll my eyes, I decided to sit beside her. I knew her feet needed rest. "What are you doing?"

"Are you ready to walk to the dorm now?" I was met with silence. "I thought as much."

The environment was tranquil because our members were in the dorm and no Blossom High School students were in school. Speaking of Blossom High School, the head boy came to mind immediately.

"You know Praise?"

Ore stared at me for a few seconds before looking ahead. "Life, yes."

"How is he?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Because you asked me to stay away from him?"

"Just mind your business," she hissed before turning her head in the opposite direction.

Knowing I couldn't get the truth from her, I decided to use a different tactic. "Don't tell me you're having a crush on Praise."

"Are you serious?" She jumped up, glaring down at me with her nose flaring up. "Do I look like a prostitute to you? Why would I like two brothers?"

As her comments sank in, I watched her march up to her bag, grab it, and storm out of my presence. Liking two brothers? I couldn't help but furrow my brows, which was followed by loud gasps of realisation.

"Praise is Hymn's brother."

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Hi guys! Surprise right? So I was inspired to write today and did just that.

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