ðUpdate time
It's been a while, I know and I've missed you people too
Dive innnnn
EDMOND'S POV
(Edmond E. Thompson)
"What's going on with you?"
I stare blankly into the brown orbs of my interrogator completely lost of words to answer such a simple question
"Ed" she calls for the fifth time, snapping her fingers in my face, a look of irritation worn on her features
"I'm here" I reply, gently shoving her hand away
"Then why do I feel ignored?" She crosses her arms, tilting her head to the side to keep her weaved hair out of her eyes
"I'm not ignoring you" I sigh
Calm down Edmond, she's not the enemy
"I'm just occupied with stuff" I break the eye contact, my eyes flying down to my shoes
I'm hiding so much from her I can't even bear to look into her eyes
"What stuff?" She bellows "stuff you can't tell your girlfriend about?"
"No its not that" I let out a sigh for the umpteenth time "there's nothing"
"But you'd tell Trip?"
What the-
"Your expression says it all" she says with a retreating sigh
"Espn-
She silences me with her palm in the air, giving a tight smirk before she speaks
"When you're ready to speak, I'll be here" she takes both my hands in hers, squeezing my fingers lightly
"Please don't shut me out" she adds softly, tracing her thumb over my cheek
I raise my hand to meet hers, holding it in place. My eyes instinctively close as her touch offers me comfort temporarily when my thoughts are quickly replaced by conflicting ones
She moves in to hug me, I welcome her a hundred percent
My head fits into the crook of her neck as I take her scent in with a deep breath. Growing up with her, the familiar scent of Asahd gave me comfort knowing that some things don't change and probably never would.
Her fingers run through my hair causing my eyelids to feel heavy as I struggle to keep them open under the mesmerizing touch of her fingertips
The thought of the position we're in causes my lips to break into a small smile. Given our height differences, she's standing in front of me while I'm sat on a chair in a closed classroom, yet we're almost the same height
I wrap my arms around her small middle, pulling her impossibly close as she wraps herself around me, emanating a welcoming heat
"Will you be okay to play tomorrow?" She whispers, breaking the long lasting silence
"Hmm-mm" I hum with my eyes closed, not feeling like spoiling the mood
"Then you have to practise with the team this evening" she says a little bit louder, rhythmical pats beating on my back
I let out a groan, not in the mood to do anything for the day
"Can't I just stay here? I don't want to see anybody"
She pulls back from the embrace but not completely as I still have my arms circled around her then looks at me square in the eye
"Tomorrow's the semis, you have to practice because we have to win" she cups my left cheek with her palm "I'll be there with you to keep you company and to drag you off as soon as you're done"
Her lips stretch into a smile I can't help but return
"Thank you" my eyes stay fixed on hers as she leans closer
The look on her face is enticing- not gonna lie- just a minute and I'm entranced
Her lips meet mine in a moment that feels like the world paused just for us. It's a gentle touch, yet electric, sending shivers down my spine and igniting a fire within me. The world feels faded away, leaving only the sweet taste of her kiss lingering on my lips, a silent promise of something more
"Let's go, they're waiting"
She leads me out of the classroom by the hand, walking few steps ahead of me to urge me to be faster. My lips break into a peaceful smile as I study her- from how she swings her braids over her shoulder to how she peaks back when I start to slow down- her dimpled smile crowns it all, everything about her is adorable
For the first time in a very long time, I feel like one lucky guy
***
AMANDA'S POV
(Amanda Aderinsola Akinde)
"A toast to the baddest swim team in the world" Denaya squeals as she raises a half full cup of wine
A loud chaos of laughter and cheer erupts from the innermost corner of the room
"Cheers to the most talented and of course" Nana pauses mid sentence with a glint in her eyes as she looks around then screams "sexiest sportswomen aliveeee"
The whole room reverberates with loud noise of plastic cups colliding with one another in the air, uncoordinated rambling and loud chewing of cheetos
Every girl in the room is either a swimmer or related to the swim team in a way. We decided to hold a little get together after our famous win and- not so surprisingly- our coach sponsored the snacks and drinks
My muscles still feel a little tired from the exercise earlier but I can't deny that the euphoria beats the fatigue at this moment. For the first time ever, it totally feels like I belong here, no reservations
I unscrew the cap of the sharpie I found on the a reading desk somewhere, using my other hand to prop myself closer to where Nancy's right leg is, my eyes set on the white cast wrapped around her ankle
"What are you doing?" She asks, causing me to freeze mid action
I grin mischievously, drawing myself closer to my target without breaking eye contact with my victim
"You don't know how to draw, don't do rubbish cos I'll have to wear it for a month at least"
I let out an exaggerated gasp, acting surprised by her choice of words
"I'm not that bad at drawing" I roll my eyes "you've just not seen me draw on my good days"
"Is today one of those days?" Her lips curl up into a smile as she watches me struggle to get my first petal right
I focus my energy and talent- which is really not a lot- on the black ink as I attempt to draw a four clover flower. I feel beads of sweat line up on my forehead as I wield my equipment like an expert
I lean backwards, look at my little animation from different angles then give a contented sigh, meeting Nana's gaze halfway
"It's not that bad is it?"
"It's terrible Trip, you suck at drawing" she says casually "-is what I would say if I wasn't a supportive best friend. You're getting good at this girlll, just keep practising- on places that don't involve my body parts- you'll be fine"
She struggles to get her foot out of my grasp as I scribble down my signature in two prominent places causing both of us to burst in a fit of giggles
"You better get well soon tho, I've had to walk slow for the past two days, that is so not me"
"Tripppppp" a euphonic voice drawls from the entrance of the room
My neck turns automatically to the sound to see an unusually chirpy Toke skipping speedwalking in our direction
"Hii" she flashes her pearly whites "Hi Nancy" she says, maintaining the mood
"Hi Toks" Nana says, returning her greeting with a toothy grin
I look between the both of them, I always forget they even know each other
"Miss Ummi needs help with uploading pictures on the drive so we can send it to the principal, I would have done it for her but she also needs someone to help with tomorrow's athlete's verification" she says in a breath
"Aiit, lemme grab my laptop" I fix my socks covered feet into my white slides simultaneously propping myself off the bed to leave
"Thank you, please be quick" she takes long strides towards the door and out of the room
"I'll bring it here so you don't die of loneliness" I direct at Nana
"There'll be no need for that, I have a place to be" she comments while her fingers play with the gold tips of her black braids, a coy smile dancing on her lips
My eyes widen in surprise, a dramatic gasp escaping me
"Nancy Idara Damijo!" I lean closer, lowering my voice "you want to go and see man!"
She giggles, her high cheek bones turning a light shade of pink
"Even with your broken leg you can't stay in one place" I tease, assisting her up by the hand
"Sprained ankle point of correction" she rolls her eyes "and that's why I have this" she signifies to her single crutch
I have a comment, a comment I've held back ever since I was informed of her development with Aidan but still I manage to muster a forced smile that looks as real as possible as I watch my bashful best friend blush and fidget as she escaped my eye contact
This is a different side of Nancy, it's only been a few days but there's been this undeniable glint in her eyes. I see her blushing to texts and taking almost silent night calls. As much as I try to be the 'common sense friend' this side is less worrisome- for me
Is that selfish?
We go our separate ways at the exit of the room, she goes on and out towards the hostel exit while I cross the threshold into my rather quiet room, over to my desk where my laptop lay closed. I lift the lid of the mac book, tap on the power button and wait for my Lionel Messi themed wallpaper to pop up
The sound from the door shutting alerts me, my gaze shifting to the source. Toke walks in clad in her grey fluffy bath robe with her skincare band holding her hair back from her face. From what it looks like, she's about to start her routine since her face and hands are dry
"Have you done the athlete verification with Miss Ummi?" I ask, my eyes travelling back to my computer to start work
She scoffs then dumps herself in the bean bag in the corner of the room
"You won't believe after I dragged myself to the cafeteria, Amir was already doing it and they said they didn't need an extra hand" she rolls her eyes
"Hmm-mm" I hum in response, tapping my keys
"Do you think the boys will win tomorrow?" She says, breaking the one minute silence that ensued
I let out a sigh, relaxing my moving fingers
As much as we all tried to ignore the subtle unease and silent apprehension regarding tomorrow's contest, deep down we knew the least certain victory would be the boy's swimming competition
"I honestly don't know, I've never seen them practice"
She lets outs another sigh
"But the coach says all four swimmers are shaky" I let out
She flashes me a look then shifts her gaze to the ground beneath me, probably contemplating on whether or not to let out her next words
"Out with it Toke" I face her completely, crossing my arms loosely over my chest "I know you want to say something"
I predicted right, her expression says it all
"What does the coach have against me?"
I wanted her to speak, without even knowing if I would have the answer to whatever she asked
I know she and the coach didn't always see eye to eye but I equally have no idea of what she's asking
"I don't think he has anything against you" I say unsuredly
She gives an unbelievable look, her nose flaring slightly
"Maybe he's just not used to you yet" I say as her eyes bore into me
"You say that like I'm some complicated person"
"Uhm- I didn't mean it that way" my voice comes out in a shaky breath
"How did you mean it then?" She tilts her head to the other side with her arms crossed in front of her
I pause a little, ordering my next choice of words in my head
"What I'm saying is, the only reason it might seem like the coach doesn't like you may be because he doesn't understand you yet" I say slowly "so yes, you're quite a complicated person"
There, I said it
Her eyes remain bulged for a moment, a look of shock plastered on her face. For the first time, the queen is speechless
She mouths a 'wow', nodding her head extra slowly as if to digest what I just said
None of us says anything but at the same time we both are somehow still in a silent conversation
"Even when I met you Toke, you weren't the most pleasant person to encounter" I comment lightheartedly, hoping to get a smile or at least an acknowledgement but I don't get any
I go on
"You were quite mean for no reason since we'd never met before" I kiss my teeth mid sentence "I guess that's how you just are to people you're not friends with"
The silence hangs in the air like a thick fog, suffocating and heavy, pressing down on the both of us
Her eyes widen slightly, reflecting a mix of shock and resignation as if she was stripped of all her defenses. A furrow forms on her eyebrow, like the weight of the realisation just set in with her lips pursed tightly- probably resisting the urge to respond
A sudden chill runs through me- what was I thinking?- I instinctively take a step back, distancing myself from the impact of my own statement. My lips open slightly to retract my words but no words come out. A wave of guilt washes over me as my heart simultaneously starts to pound
"No one, and I mean no one has ever told me that, or anything they felt was wrong with me" she says quietly
"Nothing is wrong with you I just-
"Thank you Trip" she looks straight at me, her eyes sad but sincere
Her tongue runs across her lips, wetting them slightly as they stretch into a smile
"Even my mum has never outrightly told me to fix something about myself"
I watch as she lets out a short sad laugh, the sound escaping her lips like a startled bird. It's quick and sharp almost jarring in the silence that surrounds us
Her mum has never never corrected her ke? I thought her mum was damn strict
While my mum makes it her job to find something wrong all the time
"Toke" I call for her to look me in the eye "I'm sorry"
She holds my gaze a little while, her eyes understanding
"It was very wrong of me to not have called when you didn't show up for Aidan's party. No matter how carried away I was I should have still been worried"
Her orbs remain trained on mine
"I also was unnecessarily rude to you regarding the whole swim team stuff and taking decisions without your permission"
She blinks quickly
"Really, what was that about?" She asks, genuinely wanting to find out why I was acting up
I heave a deep sigh, thinking of the right explanation to give- what was that really about?
It would be obvious to blame it on Eddy, it was after he made a shocking confession but that had nothing to do with Toke- so why was I directing that stupid attitude towards her?
"I honestly don't know too, a lot confusing stuff was going on with me during that period but it was terrible of me to act like you were the cause" I say in one breath
The truth is, at that point I just wanted ONE thing to be mine
A title, a responsibility, an office, a person- a boy
I clutched selfishly the one chance I had to own something- swim captain title
Turns out they didn't even like the way I did things
I get up from the seat I am on and in a split second I throw both my arms around her, pulling her impossibly close. Her response is expected-
She stays stiff for a few seconds, probably wondering what the hell is going on before returning the hug, a huge sigh escaping her
I don't know about her- but for me- this is something I've needed for a while now
We stay in the position quietly, my arms all around her neck and shoulders and hers on my back patting it slightly before pulling away
We spend the entire evening till late in the night with our backs on the bed and out legs hanging down the bedframe, talking and laughing
That's a first
***
Toke's light tapping wakes me up the next day. I open my eyes slowly expecting the usual flood of light but only the only light illuminating the room partially is the one escaping the slit of the narrowly opened door
"Morning" I mumble as I stretch
"Good morning" she responds, her eyes brighter than usual
I sit up and notice her eyes, her lenses are off and all she has on is her glasses
"You look good" I say with a smirk, actually meaning my words because her eyes do look good
"Thanks" she returns the smile "I checked it out in the mirror and I concluded its not bad enough to make myself blind over"
"Exactly" I chuckle in response
I peel the duvet off my body and connect my feet with the cold tiled floors, searching for my slippers with my naked toes
"Today's the day" she says with a shaky sigh
I slowly nod
Today is the day the boys swim
"It's either they're very good- which I doubt- or they're awful and completely flop"
"Let's pray against the last one, I doubt they'd be that bad if not they wouldn't be representing" i reply, tapping her right cheek lightly
"They're representing because they're all we have left and we have to present swimmers each year" she says with an air of sarcasm
"Didn't you guys win swimming last year? It can't be just because Erling was there" I roll my eyes, sorting through my toiletries
"You don't understand-" she whispers causing me to whip my head around and note that our roommates are still asleep
"- Erling has been the best school swimmer since 9th grade, he could only become captain in 11th grade but before then he was assisting captain.
In last year's competition, he and Nicholas literally carried the competition while Justin and Matthew just swam in the middle
And now Nicholas who was our senior, has graduated" she sticks her toothbrush in her mouth and starts to brush aggressively, moving towards the door while I move in similar motion
"Why don't we have more swimmers from our class though, why is it just him?"
"The last time we had another swimmer from our class was 10th grade and the person- Jordan- transferred" she pulls the door open with her free hand "but you don't get the point"
"I think I do" my voice sounds garbled because of the volume of toothpaste foam gathered in my mouth
We stay quiet as we make hurried steps to the bathroom and empty our mouths in the sink
"Erling is gifted- or should I say 'was' now- there has never been a second of doubt in any competition because he's always been around, almost like an assuring factor"
I watch her for a moment then break the eye contact, trying not to dwell on the subject too long
"Not gonna lie I honestly hoped you would be able to convince him to at least try and not leave the swim team stranded this year" she says on a concluding note and resumes to brushing
Her words cause me to spit out my mouth's content
"Why would you expect me to be able to convince him?" I ask in confusion, blinking my eyes rapidly
She laughs like I said something funny, watching me as if she expected me to join her
"What's funny?" I ask, even more confused
She continues to laugh, watching me but I don't budge
"Nah come on you can't be that clueless" she rinses her toothbrush and her mouth, gargling the water and spitting out, rinse and repeat
"Clueless about what?" I kind of know where she's going but I just have to ask because it's a far truth from reality
"That he likes you duh"
I almost choke on saliva
"What?"
She rolls her eyes playfully, crossing her arms
"Now I believe you're just acting" she smiles, staring at me squarely
"I believe you're just seeing things that aren't there" I reply, sounding more defensive than I should have
"Hmm-mm" she maintains the smile, putting me in a very uncomfortable stare lock
I look away shyly, at the lights at the sink at the fancy faucets
Did this place get hotter or is it just me?
"Well believe it or not, he likes you" she picks her stuff and prepares to leave "and from the look of things, the feeling is very mutual"
She says the last part in a sing song voice then strolls out of the bathroom laughing.
I stay there frozen in shock for a minute like a broken robot then get my legs to start walking fast after her
"How do you know he does?"
What? It still sounds verryy unrealistic to me
She chuckles lightly at my reaction
"Because I know him and because he hardly ever likes a girl" she continues to tread towards the room
Something clicks in my head at that moment- wait, could it be-
"Is he the former best friend who grew apart?" I whisper
"Yes" is all she answers as she enters the room, straight to her corner to sort her things out
Muna and Sarah are awake now, doing their usual stuff. The former waves at the both of us as we step in while the latter acts oblivious to both of our presence- like she's been doing for the past how many days, no big deal
My head processes Toke's words again and I shake it off almost immediately- literally shake my head
Erling cannot possibly like me, as friendly as he is- when he is- he's still way out of my league
I'm not even talking about the face card league- I don't do too bad there
But social league and we definitely do not roll academically
But don't you like him though? A tiny subconscious thought asks me
I evade the question, even when it's coming from me and start to prepare for the day- by picking up my phone and switching on the data of course
Notifications don't stop buzzing in- unusual because I never have that many messages
I check in to see that most are from the class group chat and they are surprisingly- positive
+234 789 *** ****
Guyyyy did you see Trip? @trip where did you learn how to swim like that abeg
+234 690 *** ****
As in eh ð my mouth was open in shock for like the entire time
+234 456 *** ****
Did someone record it? Please send it to the group chat for those that aren't in Lagos with you guys ð§ââï¸
+234 820 *** ****
So we're the leading school so far shebi?
Denaya Sheffield
Yes, yes we are ð
I scroll through the messages, my cheeks swelling in pride as I read them
A private message drops in too, 11:56pm yesternight
Eddy â¨ï¸ð
I'm ready to talk now, when can we speak?
11:56pm
He's ready to talk about it
God why wasn't I online yesterday night
I scroll down to older messages, my thumb hovers above a certain one. I don't need to click on it to see the "can we talk?" Sent 2 days ago, right before I saw him- he saw Eddy and I
Or wait
My mind trails back to that day- when Erling saw me coming out of the male restroom, with Eddy
For some reason he acted offended and for some reason I saw a need to defend myself- why?
Because you like him
"No I don't" I say aloud then archive his chat before I mistakenly open it
Or you could just switch your read receipts off like most people do
I give it a thought but then I stick to plan A, abandoning his chat in my archive bin
****
Toke, Nana and I walk into the basketball court and shuffle to sit where our school is seated far at the top.
The first game for the day is Bolton vs Middleton then after, Sheffield vs Emerald high
As good as Middleton is, I honestly hoped we would get paired with them for the semis because I'm even more scared of those ones we're playing against- those beasts
The clock is 30 minutes before playtime and the ballers start to file in
The crowd erupts in hoots and cheers, their schools getting up from their seats to support them by boosting their morale
Game on
The game kicks off with intense energy as the Boltons point guard Rukevwe showcases his exceptional ball handling skills by setting up plays for his teammates. On the other hand, the Middleton's shooting guard displays his deadly accuracy from beyond the arc sinking a three pointer effortlessly
The crowd goes wild for Middleton
This match is so intense and nail biting to say the least- they literally faced off in finals last year with Bolton beating them by only 4 points
As the game progresses, Bolton's powerful forward Alex dominates the game with his powerful presence grabbing rebounds and scoring crucial points in the key. Meanwhile, Middleton's rather small forward- not that small but in the midst of basket ball players, 5'10 is really small- showcases his speed and agility, driving to the basket with finesse
The tension escalates in the final quarter as the scores remain neck and neck. With only few seconds left on the clock, Rukevwe sinks a buzzer-beater three pointer putting them in the lead by one point
In a last ditch effort, Middleton's shooting guard attempts to score but Bolton's centre Adamu- tallest guy in the school- blocks the attempt, securing the victory of Bolton with a final score of 78-77
The crowd goes crazy, Bolton students storm the court in celebration, carrying each other and high fiving in celebration
I join in the applause, that indeed was a match to watch
The next couple of minutes pass by pretty fast
The moment of truth
The team walk in with Eddy in the lead then Amir, Nathan Denola, the Northern twins- Hassan and Hakeem- then the rest of the team
The Emerald high team Grimnites walk in as well, as sleek as ever. I recognise the sharp point shooter from last time or as I refer to him- 'the sniper'. It appears he's the captain for their team since he walks in front of the line
The game begins
Eddy dazzles the crowd -as usual- showcasing his mastery of the game weaving through the defense and scoring dunks. Kylian, living up to his nickname -the wall- stands firm, blocking shots and thwarting the Grimnites attempts to score
The Grimnites not to be outdone fight back with determination. The sniper displays exceptional playing skills as usual executing strategic skills and challenging Sheffield at every turn
Amir's sharpshooting is definitely a sight to behold- I've never seen anyone score that many three pointers. He's like the Stephen Curry but for the Vigers. Nathan orchestrates the team's offence with expertise, setting up scoring opportunities and dictating the pace of the game
This Jenny's babe can play oh
The game continues as tense as ever with Hassan's relentless defense keeping the Grimnites at bay while his twin was literally everything all at once, his versatility kinda makes the game more interesting to watch
As good as the Grimnites are, there's no denying that they are being outplayed by the Vigers
I watch Edmond intensely, searching for any hints of physical pain or discomfort in his demeanor but I don't find any
He never loses focus even once throughout the game
My eyes trail over the sidelines where I see Espn along with Miss Ummy, Erling and some other students seated while the coach paces
She watches the game with immense focus, obviously she understands it more than I do since she plays. I don't miss the eye contacts she makes with Eddy as he scores, cheering loudly for him and the entire team
Looks like they've settled
Sheffield wins the game, more easily than I initially pictured with a 68-78 on the score board
We swarm the court as usual, cheering and jumping in victory- unto the finals
Against Bolton
This victory will be very sweet
***
The three of us go to the cafeteria for the lunch break but neither of us can eat anything. Nana manages to order a fruit cake but doesn't even manage halfway before she drops it
"I'm scared" Toke finally says
"Guy I'm freaking nervous" Nana says sharply
"We are going to lose" Toke shakes her head, massaging her temple with her fingers
"Let's be positive-" I start to say but quickly shut up as they shoot me similar looks
"God we're going to stink so bad I would be embarrassed to show my face for the remaining days" Nana whines, covering her face with both palms
"I don't even feel like watching them, I might just cry" Toke says in an equally whiny tune
"We don't even have a choice, Miss Ummy says we have to be there so far our school is representing" Nana replies, her face looking like she's about to cry
"But the team can't be that bad" I roll my eyes
I've never seen them practise but they're probably exaggerating
"They're the worst I've seen guy, bunch of mids" Toke says with her voice raised "I wouldn't even be surprised to find them in this cafeteria eating lunch right before a competition"
She cranes her head but doesn't find any
"You're exaggerating Toke" I say, chuckling lightly
"What? You never know what those boys are capable of"
Well we'll find out soon
****
We lost, badly
And no we weren't 2nd or 3rd or 4th. We were 5th, out of 8 schools
Toke and Nana were not exaggerating, we stunk- like mad. They swam like children that were thrown into the water for the first time
You could see from how each of them swam that the problem wasn't with their skills, it was the lack of confidence and acceptance of defeat even before the whistle was blown
Like they already knew they would lose
Justin wasn't even as good as he should be, did a late dive and still didn't do his flip turn accurately and quickly enough
But if there were four Justins on that team, we would have come a close third at least
Bolton floored us- like mad
The result of the competition successfully boosted Chris' already swollen ego and he wasn't even subtle with how his aim was to win us in particular- imagine this boy pointing to the score board with his 5 fingers stretched?
It would have been funny if we weren't the ones he was shaming
Erling stormed out of the arena furiously, his pride wouldn't even let him stay while other schools jubilated in his face.
To other schools it might have looked like he was angry at the team for losing, but one look at him and I could tell he was angry at himself
It's still partly his fault though
He was the one who decided to leave the team so they should actually all share the shame
As much as I try not to feel bad for him- I just can't- I want to speak with him infact
He told you to back off the last time
The thought of the embarrassment and hurt his outburst brought alone quench the thought
He'll be fine
****
The closing program for the day is the first round of the quiz competition
Toke has since left Nana and I to join the other members of the team while the both of us finally get some food to eat
We're currently in the restroom in front of the spotless mirrors, adjusting our uniforms and faces. I do a final swipe of lipgloss before fixing the stick back into the tube and twisting it shot
"Great, we look perfect" she pats her cheeks "now let's go and watch our classmates as they show off"
We walk together, her hand holding on to my bent arm at the joint since she's okay to walk without her crutches but the bandage still wrapped around her ankle
We walk into the large auditorium already getting filled up by students dressed in different uniforms not seated in any particular order asides for each school's team sat together and discussing
I easily spot Toke, Aidan, Erling and Espn at a corner of the hall seated in rounded chairs. We wave at them as they look in our direction then I quickly peel my eyes off them then pull Nana to seat before the two empty spots in front of us are taken
I catch myself looking back at where they are, my eyes landing on Erling each time
The braids he has on are packed up, two strands falling on two sides of his face like he had the first day we came, his tie knotted tightly like the others and his blazer drooped over his shoulders
My God
I distract myself with other stuff like counting the number of schools present, noting any recognisable faces from Bolton's staff and students- whatever to stop me from looking back at them
At him
I look back one last time and this time I'm caught in a death stare by the one person I was stealing glances at- my God
Almost like his blue eyes entrance me, I maintain the eye contact for about three seconds before jolting back to reality, doing a quick whip of my head
This is bad
The first round goes by easily, each school is asked a single question from either Math, English, Geography or World history. If you get your question, you qualify for the next round and if you don't- well you don't
The questions are rather easy- for them at least- as most schools pass theirs
It's our turn
"What is the capital of Australia?"
They all share a look while Aidan casually steps up to the mic
"Canberra"
"That is correct"
The crowd applauds them
I laugh internally, thank God I'm not up there- I would have said Austria- Austria is a different country entirely!
Gosh I am so stupid- I laugh again, this time aloud
"What's funny?" Nana asks, wanting in on the joke
"I had no idea what the capital of Australia is" I let out a little laugh
"Guyyy, me too I thought it was Sydney" she lets out a long giggle "Sydney is just very popular, just as Lagos is for Nigeria"
At least she picked a city in the country
Many schools start to drop off in the next round, the questions have stepped up a notch with intensity
Our turn again
"What period did the second world war take place"
The hall goes silent except for the movement of the mic
I look directly at our team and they look like they know the answer- phew
Erling walks up to the mic
"1939 till 1945"
"That is correct"
Scattered applauses from around the hall erupt, most likely from where Sheffield students are seated. Like a robot with an on switch, my hands move to clap too, relieved we're scaling through
Two more rounds go by, a total of 10 schools are left, we're still in of course as we've gotten all our questions correctly but so have Bolton, Middleton, Savannah, Emerald, St Matthews and a couple of other schools
"We have come to the end of today's competition, congratulations to the schools that have emerged top 10"
Applause
"To the schools that didn't, well done to you all, you've put in your best and you must know that you are all winners as far as you came up on this stage"
Yinmu
Applause
"Let's go and meet them" Nancy says as they climb off the stage, the hall already getting rowdy as the organisers step out
We hurriedly walk towards them, our classmates join
"Hot girl" Amir says, referring to Toke as he pulls her cheek, she smacks his hand away
And yes she was hot, she answered the questions for the last two rounds effortlessly without consultation
"Best in books" Noel hails Erling who returns the greeting with a bro shake
I scoot closer to Toke as Nana joins the rest to have their loud discussion
"Scholar" I put both my hands in the air in a mock salute while she rolls her eyes playfully
"You didn't even allow the man finish reading the questions"
"They need to know I didn't come for play, I mean business"
"Hot kiddd" we burst into laughter as I continue to hype her
The hall begins to empty so we decide to exit as well. I watch Erling from the corner of my eyes, he appears still hung up on the earlier defeat
Gladly everyone is smart enough not to talk about it
***
The hours move by slowly, very slowly
I pick my phone up again to check the time- 7:16pm
Oh Godddd
I've not been able to properly function for about two hours since I got the text
Meet me at 8
Eddy finally wants to open up
My mind keeps going back to that night, to those injuries and ugly scars- oh God
I've made up so many scenarios in my head already- who could it be???
I plant my feet on the ground and shuffle my feet into my slides, there's no harm in being early
I march out into the hallways then out of the hostel, Toke just left for quiz practice so I don't bother giving the remaining room members details of my destination
The trip to the academic block is rather quick, I head past the junior classes. Unlike Sheffield, both junior and senior classes were in the same region
I walk fast, so fast that its too late to turn back when I notice him- Erling
He's dressed casually in grey joggers and a black tee, braids of hair falling over his face. He turns completely towards me then I notice he has his phone up to his ear receiving a call. I break eye contact and continue to walk, trying my best not to trip as I increase my speed
I stride swiftly behind him when my wrist is caught in motion, causing me to lose stability and almost slam my cheek against his shoulder
My eyes widen in shock as I gape at him while he continues to speak on the phone, staring right back
"Let me call you back" he ends the call, dipping the phone into his pocket then turning back to face me
He finally lets my wrist go
"Hi"
"Hi" I say without tone
"Um how are you?"
I consider not responding but instead, I do
"I'm okay" it comes out sharper than I intended
He appears at a loss for words to say further-
I crane my head around, away from his face to the things surrounding us
"We need to talk"
His words catch me off guard, I almost gasp aloud
I honestly thought I would have words to say whenever this conversation was going to come up. I planned to lay out how insulting his attitude towards me was and how it was my fault for trying to look out for him
But here I am- speechless
"About what?" I ask
He looks confused for a second
"About the past few days, last week"
I nod, slightly distracted by the mental reminder that I'm supposed to meet with Eddy in a few minutes
"Hey"
I snap my head back in his direction
"Hmm?"
"Did you hear me?"
"Yeah I did" I continue nodding like a broken robot
"Andd?"
I don't respond, instead I stare at him widely, not sure what he expects me to say
"You seem distracted, were you going somewhere?"
"Yes I'm supposed to meet someone actually"
His eyebrows furrow for a second
"Oh okay" he says quietly "but can we talk after?"
I swallow at the question, trying to form coherent words from my mouth.
I nod again, like a fool
"Alright then"
"Um- okay- bye"
I wave off then slowly turn around, walking becomes even harder as I feel his eyes boring right through me
I meet Eddy at the balcony upstairs, sat in a corner staring at a distance. I walk up to him, tapping on his shoulder gently to wake him out of his reverie
"Eddy"
"Trip"
He pulls me in slightly for a hug then lets me go, forcing a tight smile on his features. I offer him a tight smile that I hope offers reassurance and slight comfort
We stay quiet for a while, I patiently wait for him to start speaking since I was the one invited
"It's my dad"
Oh my God
"He hit me" he chuckles dryly "what am I saying sef, he hits me- constantly"
"For different reasons, especially when he's drunk or even slightly tipsy- he takes out all his frustration on me"
What's he frustrated about? Being a billionaire?
"He hates the fact that I play basketball and even more that I want to pursue a career in it-
That's what we fight the most about"
"My mum supports me, supports my dream basically and they are always at each other's necks for it"
What?
"Apparently he would prefer me to be more business minded and serious with my life, probably so I would take over everything he has"
"Playing basketball doesn't make you any less serious minded, in fact your focus and determination should prove that you're goal oriented enough to be trusted" my expression betrays the current distaste I feel for his father's attitude
He smiles sadly
"He hadn't hit in a very long time, I thought we had finally moved past that phase- I really thought it was a phase" he chuckles the last part to himself shaking his head
"Then I told him about the decathlon, then he asked
'Are you representing in the quiz or debate competition though' "
He stares into space
"I told him I wasn't, then he hit me"
I feel my heart physically sink
"He hit me over and over and over again with his hands and with whatever he could find, even used the metal part of his belt on me" he squeezes his eyes shut
"God I've never felt so hated in my life"
My eyes start to water as he goes on, reliving every detail. I scoot closer, tapping and rubbing his shoulder gently
His shoulders are slumped, his usual puffed out chest caved in, his breaths irregular and shaky as he wipes tears off his shut eyes, trying to maintain his posture
My arm goes around him, at least to the other side as I hold him slightly closer, trying to not let out tears of my own
We sit there silent for a very long time, I offer him comfort in silence as he continues to wipe his tears
He offers a tight smile
"Thank you Trip, for being here"
"There's no need to thank me" I return the smile, being as reassuring as possible
No one deserves to be treated that way especially by their parent
But howwww?? They look so perfect on the outside
We stay there for a little longer, till about 11 when I have to go because they lock the hostels by 12
"I'll leave right before they lock the hostel, go without me" he says as I get up ready to leave
"Okay, call me if you need to talk some more" I offer him a smile again
The walk out is not nearly as quick as the walk in. I take slow, slobby movements as I walk mindlessly away from the classrooms
Poor Eddy
No one is in sight so I pick up my pace a little bit just in case the hostel is about to be locked
"Amanda" I halt in my tracks
I turn around slowly to face the owner of the voice
"Erling"
"Can we talk now?"
I consider telling him I have to rush back to the hostel but to be very honest, I'm almost as eager to get this conversation over with as he is
So I nod
He walks towards the 'love garden' and takes a seat on one of the raffia seats
How coincidental that the last time we were at a similar structure, he was screaming his lungs at me
Perfect, I remember everything I want to say
I follow him like a puppy being led, sitting separately at the other end
"I'm sorry" he says almost in one breath
Wasn't expecting that
"For?"
"For everything"
"What everything?"
What? He has to say what he's sorry for to prove he's actually sorry
"For yelling at you and hurting you"
His words hit me in a way they shouldn't have
Although I wouldn't admit it but that day I wasn't just hurt because I was yelled at- but because he was the one doing the yelling
"I shouldn't have responded that way when you asked me those questions, it was disrespectful of me"
So you know
"Please forgive me"
I don't know which is more unbelievable, that Erling- Erling Kingston the greatest of the greatest with the biggest ego known to man- is apologising to me
Or the fact that after all the bathroom preps and fake scenarios of me screaming back at him and pouring out how I felt about his rude attitude- all I finally say is
"Apology accepted"
He also looks surprised by my response, like he expected me to throw a tantrum or something
Well I'm not going to give him that satisfaction
"That's all?" He asks in disbelief, his lips curling up lightly
"I didn't like how you spoke to me yes, but I'm over it now"
Very good Aderin, you're the bigger person
"So you forgive me?" He says with a toothy grin, flashing his white dentition
My cheeks betray my stoic expression by flushing, I press my lips together to prevent them from widening into a smile
I roll my eyes
"Yes I forgive you"
He places his hand on his chest in relief, letting out a deep breath
I can't help but release the grin I've been holding at his expression
"Can I go now? They'll soon lock my hostel" I say with an obviously playful tone
"Do you want me to walk you?" He asks with a glint in his eyes
He's back to being Erling
"I can walk myself, go to your hostel" I shoot at him as I get up while he raises his hands in mock surrender
He calls out to me as I reach the exit
"Amanda"
I look back at him
"Goodnight" he says with a smirk
My cheeks flush so bad that I lower my gaze, process my thoughts properly then offer a rather shy smile
"Goodnight"
Well that was something
****
I've missed you guysð longest time without an update and I won't lie it wasn't just my schedule
I faced terrible terrible writers block for monthsð
Wellð
I don't know if you do too but I see a spark ð like an actual spark different from what you people have been seeing since
But I won't talk too much
Aidan and Nana (Idara) have decided to kick it off too ð, make I no talk
Eddy and Espn are doing things their parents shouldn't know about
*sprinkles holy water on their foreheads
(You'll be seeing a lot more of them jsykð)
Eddy has opened up about his family to someone for the first timeð« God I felt so bad writing it
Poor Eddy
Well as I promised you all, Lagos equals drama ððand they're still in Lagos so expect drama till the end, we'll be here
Thank you guys for sticking this far ð¥¹I'm so proud of how far we've come
Vote and don't forget to leave comments
See you next time muahhh