Welcome to a new chapter, I declare this part OPENNNN
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And suddenly you know... It's time to trust the magic of new beginnings
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EDMOND'S POV
(Edmond Ehizojie Thompson)
I throw a three pointer into the hoop when I see the swim coach and the principal in a heated conversation. I've never liked that woman from the on set, she has the habit of throwing shades at every other member of staff including her fellow coaches.
Coach Adams even has a special loathing for her. But still, she has helped the school win gold medals four years in a row at junior Olympics so she is practically indispensable. Hold on to that thought, is she walking away? No the principal definitely did not dismiss her. I'd have tried to listen more to their conversation but Coach Adams already said I was slacking and I need to up my game if I want to get into anything 'NBA' this year. I even did a couple of airballs in the last game, really unlike me.
"NBA's finest" without turning I know who's voice that is. I give a dry chuckle as I turn to look at the twerp behind me
"Hi Espn" she stalks over to where I am gallantly
"May I ask why NBA's future isn't in class this morning?"
"I dropped geography, I'm not writing it in WAEC" she tries to take the ball from me as I duck her. I shoot the ball into the hoop again earning a cheer from her
"Seems like you're really stepping up your game this year, you're always practicing, don't tell me you want to take my place as King of basket ball" I pass the ball to her and she catches it, doing a between the leg dribble, a ball fake and finally shooting it into the hoop.
"I'm already the king of basketball" I retort with a chuckle
Espn is the only female basketball player in the whole of Sheffield high so she just trains with the boys mostly, I'm even sure the boys have even forgotten she's a girl. She has always said basketball is mainly a hobby and that she isn't ready to pursue a career in the game but has she seen herself on the court? She is a beast with the ball, she has a small stature compared to the boys but her blocking game is always on point.
The bell rings signifying the end of first period. Espn and I walk to our separate classes, she is in the art department while I'm in the technical department; the noisy department. I pause in my steps as I notice a pretty, dark skinned girl that doesn't seem too familiar sitting at the far end of the class, new student in SS3? I plop down on my sit as I search my bag for my drawing book.
AMANDA'S POV
(Amanda Aderinsola Akinde)
The feeling of the new school was so strange, I am used to having a squad. This is the first time in my 16 years of existence that I feel so odd. Everyone kept looking at me as I walked through the black gates of the school. Are they that few in this school, how does the whole school know I don't belong here? Well this is going to be the longest one year of my life.
I walk into the principal's office with my credentials in my arms. She called my mum to make sure I took my transcript along with me to complete my transfer process. I walk into the office then pause for some seconds when I notice the principal is in a tensed conversation with another person who appears to be a teacher. I knock slightly to pull their attention towards the door. Oh I shouldn't have done that, now they are both looking at me with horrified expressions worn on their faces. I swallow
"Good morning Ma and Sir, I was told to come here" they pause for a split second before the principal seems to comprehend and tells me to come in. The male teacher excuses us as I sit in front of the principal placing my documents on her desk. She opens my blue file to look through my records.
I can't bear to look at her face as she looks at my past results. I can't even be described as an average student following the results I have in the papers. I look anywhere but her face as it scrunches up in confusion. I look at the TV connected to the class CCTVs and focus my orbs on the screen that says SS3B, that will be my class, what a noisy lot. I can't hear any audio but the visual representation of my rascals of classmates is overwhelming
The noisy flipping of pages by my new principal brings me back to life. She scrutinizes the documents as she takes not too subtle glances in my direction. She finally gets to the last page, the one I'm proud of. She visibly relaxes as she looks at the papers contentedly. Her puffy cheekbones swell as her full lips curve into a smile at the list of my achievements. Suddenly she closes the documents and sighs before looking at me. Is she not content with what she is seeing? Am I not good enough for their school?
"Is swimming the only thing you do?" She asks in a calm, motherly voice. I would have taken this as an offensive question coming from other people trying to embarrass me for my lack of intellect but this woman doesn't seem like that, she seems quite gentle about the whole thing. I find my voice even though it only comes out as a whisper
"Yes ma, it's the only thing I do well" I clear my throat towards my last three words before I look down at my fingers entwined with one another on my lap. I hear the principal sigh and I see her remove her glasses. Is she about to tell me that is not enough? Oh God that's all I'm good at what if-
"Well you're in the right place, we appreciate every form of excellence" I smile as she says those words and look into her eyes to see if there is any hint of falseness but her orbs only hold sincerity.
"SS3B" I say to my self as I walk into the seniors block trying to locate my class. A slim looking girl of about my height almost bumps into me and my notebooks in front of SS3A.
"Oh sorry, I didn't see you. Are you new? Are you in SS3? Wow we usually don't get new students in SS3. I'm Nancy what's your name? What arm are you?"
Talkative much? Yes. What were those questions she asked again sef. Oh yeah
"Amanda Akinde, SS3B"
"Oh wow I can call you double A then dub?" She smiles broadly with her eyes beaming. Are they all this bubbly at Sheffield?
"Actually my middle name is also A so I go by Trip, thanks" I side step her to walk to my class as my books are already feeling too heavy from standing in one spot for long
"Bye Trip, see you around" she calls out as I walk. I turn to at least give her a smile so it won't feel like 'the new girl is a snub'. After plastering my fakest of smiles on my face I catch a glimpse of another girl, this one staring at me intently, as if trying to see through my blazers straight into my heart. I catch her staring but she doesn't budge one bit, I guess she is enjoying that I am feeling very uncomfortable. What a rude child! rude but very pretty child
3rd person's POV
The principal hangs her head in her palm as she takes in the situation of the school. She fired the swim teacher earlier that morning because of repeated insolence and the fact that she was deliberately stepping on every member of staff just because she felt she was irreplaceable. She may as well have been because no replacement has been found at this point. The principal thought she would just break it out to the students that swimming had to be cancelled till next year when they get a new coach but now the new student she just saw is going to be affected the most, her life is built on swimming. Not many schools would accept students in SS3 except in the case of exceptional academic prowess. This girl has nothing like that in her. She couldn't cancel the swim team this year. She just couldn't.
She taps on the buttons of the intercom
"Yeah please call the sports prefect, thank you" she drops the phone back and slouchs slightly in her chair looking at the ceiling. If anyone has good advice skills it is Eddy, he is the closest student to her heart and thinks like an adult.
EDMOND's POV
I walk down the quiet halls leading to the principal's office to see her. She requested for me, Mr Mark said 'sports prefect' it's probably about the basketball team or the inter house sport. She can't possibly be calling me to renounce my title as basketball team captain though, I haven't slacked that much. Or have I? Oh God Eddy you're starting to overthink again what's wrong with you!
"Good morning ma'am" I walk in and sit down when she gestures for me to.
"Your swim coach has left us"
"Or you fired her" I thought to myself
"Actually yes I fired her, she was getting too much"
Did I really ask my Principal that out loud? That was meant to be a 'me' thought. I should just keep quiet till she starts talking again
"I was thinking to cancel the swim team..."
Ehn? The swim team ke? What about the students on it?
"But I've changed my mind because of a particular new student in your class"
My mind goes to the petite looking girl I saw in class
"She's a swimmer?" Interesting
"And that's the only thing she does, that's basically what she has to offer. She seems not to be an academically inclined student at all"
I understood what the principal was saying the moment she said it. They need a new coach but they can't get one. She doesn't want to disappoint the new student by telling her that her sport is being cancelled. Swimmers like Toks would mind too but at least she is the best student in A class so she has a lot more to offer. I have good academic records too but if basketball were to be cancelled I'd just quit school altogether. How much more this girl...
"... I called you majorly to ask for your advice. Should we cancel the swim team since we have no coach and try to help this girl towards average at her final exams.."
"No! Let's get another coach, no matter how. We can get another one somehow. For the mean time, the very good ones like toks- Toke can coach the others, while we try to get a coach. In this process too, we can help her with coaching exercises towards her final exams but she'd be doing it along side what she loves doing"
I said sounding a little too personal about the whole scenario. Why am I this concerned though?
The principal sighs as she took of her glasses. She has been doing that many times nowadays
"Okay Edmond, thank you very much. I guess I just needed that much encouragement, you can go now."
She picks up her cell phone as I stand up from the chair to leave. As I get to the door I hear her talk to the phone receiver
"Good morning Dan, do you mind meeting later this week?"
I walk back to my class with many things on my mind. Lord let this work, don't let people's dreams be crushed
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