~Moji~
I wasn't dreaming.
I was about to kiss Neymar, my crush.
It felt too good to be true but that's exactly what's about to happen and the good thing was that it wasn't a dream.
I closed my eyes in anticipation of his lips closing in around mine. I could feel his hot breath on my face already.
"MOJI!!!"
The intensity of the voice that called my name was so high that my eyes opened instantly. It was eerily quiet in my room and I looked around, still not sitting up. My eyelids were starting to flutter close again when I heard my name again. It was louder than usual now and it went straight to my brain. I sat up, feeling the start of an headache. I specifically showed mom the meme that was made because of the fact that African parents shouting their kid's name to wake them up could lead to brain damage but it seems like mom forgot or she simply did not care because that must be the only reason why she was shouting my name like this.
"Moji, can't you see the time? Abi you want to be late to school on your first day?"
That woke me up instantly.
What?
I glanced at my bedside clock. The time was 7:15am and I had less than 30 minutes to be at school. It was with a great lightening speed that I shrugged my nightgown and entered the bedroom. It was more like a rub and shine because I spent less than 5 minutes in the bathroom when on a normal day, I'd have spent more than 15 minutes.
I wore my underwears hurriedly and it was only when I was doing the buttons of my shirt that I went to stand in front of the mirror. My mouth dropped open at the thin but yet, visible lines on my face. I stared at the lines, my brain still not comprehending what had happened.
Then it slowly dawned on me and I couldn't stop the loud yell that escaped my lips.
*********
Mom and my two younger siblings were sitted at the dinning when I got downstairs. My two siblings were drinking their cereal gently as if they were the perfect angels. I felt like smacking the back of the head but then, I had to restrain myself. I'd never hit them, not for anything in this world.
"Moji, must you always oversleep....."
Mom trailed off when she saw my face. She stared at it intently for a minute or two before her gaze zeroed in on the two devils sitting in front of her.
"Taiwo, Kenny, did you guys do that to Moji's face?"
I walked from behind them to sit on the chair opposite them so I'd see their faces. They were trying to keep a straight faces but I could make out the grins on their faces. See these set of troubles oo.
"It was Taiwo."
"It was Kenny."
I rolled my eyes as I picked a cup and a spoon and I mixed the cereal with milk. I don't know how I was supposed to show up at school with lines made with markers on my face. And I just couldn't wash it off, No matter how hard I try.
"Guys, let this be the last time something like this would happen. You can't go around writing on your sister's face."
Mom's voice was stern and the twins sat up soberly.
"Okay Ma."
"Now, apologize to your sister."
"Moji, We're sorry."
I glared at them and they both recoiled in their seat. I knew it was all an act. Those two little things were so full of mischief and they weren't sorry at all. If I gave them the chance self, they'd marr the rest of my body too.
"And you should try to not sleep heavily again. How you slept through them writing lines on your face is what I don't understand."
I heaved a sigh. So it wasn't Neymar's breath that I was feeling on my face. It was my siblings. I groaned and I facepalmed myself. I've really suffered in this world. My brother walked into the dinning room, then. Eyes fixed on the phone he was pressing with his left hand. He was always pressing his phone. No doubt talking to his girlfriend. I've never seen someone more lovestruck that him. How he even managed to be in a relationship with his too demanding course was what I don't understand.
"Mom, good morning."
He looked up briefly from his phone to greet mom and she replied with a smile in her voice. Their relationship had blossomed over the years. Infact, now I was starting to feel jealous that they were getting closer.
He took his seat beside me, his eyes still fixed on his phone. I hissed underneath my breath.
"Maybe you should just spare a minute to greet your siblings, Sir."
He looked up the and he did a double take at my face. Then he glanced briefly at the twins sitting solemnly opposite us. He returned his gaze back to me with a smile on his face.
"Wow, Karma is really a bitch though. Who would have thought you were going to get paid for all you put me through?"
I rolled my eyes at his words before I focused my attention back on my food. He resumed pressing his phone.
"I did not even do half of what this bunch of trouble are doing."
He shrugged, his attention still on his phone.
"Exactly why Karma isn't fair."
He still did not look up from his phone and I felt like snatching it away from him.
"You should give Sister Jade a breathing space na. Haba! At least you have to eat."
He looked up at my words with a smile on his face.
"Who told you I was chatting with Jade?"
"It's pretty obvious. You never smile that way with any other person."
His smile brightened and I rolled my eyes again. They've been together for more than 5 years and if anything, they seems to be falling in love more and more everyday. I was about to say something else but his attention was on his phone once again. I shook my head. Talk about being hopeless.
"But you look beautiful."
Taiwo, the male one said and Kenny nodded gingerly.
"You look like a character out of a Disney movie."
Then the two of them burst into laughter. My five year old twins siblings were trouble itself. And to actually think I was happy when I discovered mom was pregnant, my happiness tripled when she gave birth to twins but the happiness started to dwindle when right from when they started to crawl, they've made my life a living hell.
********
"Mojisola Gbadamosi as the Social prefect."
I beamed as I climbed onto the podium. This was why I couldn't avoid to stay away from school today. We were all under probation in my set. One of the major reasons why senior prefect weren't chosen when we were in SS2. I've always known that I was going to be the social prefect and I was not going to allow my minute of glory to pass because of some lines on my face.
The students were staring at me in an extremely odd way but I could care less as I took my position beside the Social prefect boy who happened to be no one else but Tobi.
"See, I told you. We're a match made in heaven. Social prefect boy and social prefect girl. Please what other signs do you need?"
I smiled but I hide it quickly. I wasn't going to let him see that.
"Tobi, keep quiet and concentrate. You don't want us to be stripped off our role before we even get to start."
I heard the deep chuckle from him and he moved closer to me.
"You look pretty though, even with all the hideous lines on your face."
I smiled tightly. I'd have so much loved to smack the back of his head but I refrained from doing that. We were after all, standing right beside the principal of Lakeview High.
*********
The first period was free and the prefects were to overlook the Juniors as they arrange the chairs and tables in the classes and all that. That was only an excuse though, the chairs and tables had all been neatly during the holidays so we all just loitered around in our classes while waiting for the teachers to finish their meeting so we'd get the day started with.
"Social girl. How does it feel to be prefect?"
I rolled my eyes at Tobi's words. I actually don't think this boy would ever grow. The Tobi I met when we were in JSS1 and the Tobi before me now were totally the same person, no additional sense.
Except his voice grew deeper, he now has broader shoulders, he is now finer and all that.
"Tobi, have small sense na. Ain't you supposed to have changed over the holidays?"
"Oh come on, Moji. Who'd crack you up then? I live for putting a smile on your face."
I rolled my eyes but I still couldn't help the small smile that's found it way to my lips.
"But how come? Why did your siblings do this to you this time around?"
I heaved a sigh as I started to tell him how it all happened. He burst into laughter when I got to the part where I said I thought it was Neymar's breath on my face whereas it was the twins. He laughed so hard that he almost fell off the table.
"Moji oo. Swears, they fit use Neymar to kidnap you. But your siblings no try sha, they should have used red marker instead of black, this one is already fading with your color."
I smacked the back of his head before I could stop myself and he yelped, jumping off from the table. It was at that same time that our class teacher entered the class with a girl behind her. The class fell into a huge silence before they started talking in loud whispers again.
It wasn't because of the teacher.
It was because of the girl that entered with her.
It was because of the real scars on her face and neck.
Without meaning too, I started tracing my right hand over the lines on my face.
I looked up to see the girl's eyes on me.
I looked away immediately, feeling instant guilt raise up in the pit of my stomach.
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~Fola~
~Fola~I sat rigidly at the dinning table, the food tasting like bile in my throat. I'd have preferred to eat alone in my room or not eat at all. I'd have preferred to sleep. I felt bad for getting unnecessarily mad at Moji.And for unnecessarily feeling bad at Tobi's words. It was just a very honest gesture, he was just being nice and friendly. At least I wasn't mad at him. I was just feeling bad for all the things that could be but was not.For all the things I'd never be able to be or do."Fola, why are you not eating?"I looked up to see mom and David staring qu
~Fola~Preparations for the ECOWAS Oratory Contest started in full force. There were lots of articles to read, lot of things to do. It was rigorous. Lakeview did not even give us a breathing space. It was Tutorials and tutorials and tutorials.The five of us were overstucked with work and in all sincerity, I was starting to get frustrated. I've never been overworked in my entire life. And Peju acting like she already won and the rest of us were just wasting our time wasn't helping matters.It was exactly a week to the Dday and I was already tired. If not for Tobi's constant support, Moji cheering me up and Leke's silent support was all I needed. Even Peju has got nothing on me with this geng constantly supporting me.I knocked on the Gate the Gateman opened the gate. I was in Moji's house. I was meeting her bro
~Fola~Preparations for the ECOWAS Oratory Contest started in full force. There were lots of articles to read, lot of things to do. It was rigorous. Lakeview did not even give us a breathing space. It was Tutorials and tutorials and tutorials.The five of us were overstucked with work and in all sincerity, I was starting to get frustrated. I've never been overworked in my entire life. And Peju acting like she already won and the rest of us were just wasting our time wasn't helping matters.It was exactly a week to the Dday and I was already tired. If not for Tobi's constant support, Moji cheering me up and Leke's silent support was all I needed. Even Peju has got nothing on me with this geng constantly supporting me.
~Fola~The top five contenders names for ECOWAS oratory Contest was posted on the school's newsboard and as I walked towards where it was with Moji, my heart was literally in my throat because I did not want to expect.I don't know if I'd be able to handle it if I did not make it.I sincerely don't know how I'd feel self.Lots of students were gathered in front of the board, checking for their names or for their friends and while some started crying openly, some would shriek loudly and it was so obvious that making this list was such a big deal.We pushed our way to the front and my
~Moji~Leke did not show up in school the next day.And the day after that.Looking into their compound was always futile because there was basically no life there.No laughter, no nothing. He seems to always be the only one at home and that even confirmed the fact that he must be very lonely.And yet, he was always smiling. He never showed anybody a glimpse into his soul and now I was feeling so bad because I knew so little about him.I pressed the doorbell again.
~Leke~Frustrated wasn't the word. I was beyond frustrated. I really don't know any word that would describe what I was feeling. The fact that she was pretending nothing had happened. The fact that she was smiling, talking to me and ignoring me at the same time was baffling. And it was killing me. Because I knew it was all a mask and that she was hurt and that was hurting me too.A whole lot.I'd attempted to corner her and to talk to her but she'd just tell me off plainly. It's like we never existed. I don't know if we ever existed self. I wasn't even sure what the meaning of we was.I was in my room, staring out of the window and staring at her room. The curtains were drawn and once or twice, I'd catch a figure in the room. I knew it was her. I don't know how long I stood there but the next thing I knew was that I was climbing the stairs to her room. It was only when I got to the front of her door, hands poised in the air to knock that I stopped. What was I doing here?Wha
~Fola~We were in the conference room.By we, I mean, the students that showed interest in participating in the intra school competition for ECOWAS oratory Contest. One of the school's administrators and a speech instructor were with us. We were 12 students and it was a question and answer session so they'd lay 7 people off, then the last five would climb the stage next Friday and the final winner would be chosen.I released a shaky breath as I felt like sinking more into my seat. Peju was sitting in front me, pretty in all her glory, eyes blaring and shooting daggers at me. It was hard to maintain my stance under her scrutinizing gaze but I folded my hands over my chest and I matched her gaze
~Leke~Screwed doesn't quite describe what I was going through.Messed up.Fucked up.I've done absolutely nothing since the moment she walked in on us than go think about her expression, the surprise and hurt and disgust and repulsion.I've successfully ruined whatever it was between us. I've successfully hurt the feelings of a girl that genuinely care about me. I've successfully ruined everything.I kept staring at my phone, torn between calling her, then dismissing that thought because I have absolutely nothing to say to h
~Moji~It took me just a few seconds to put everything that was in front of me. Leke with his back to the table, Peju kneeling in front of him, hands inside his trouser.I stared at them in disbelief, intense anger shaking me.For a moment, I was too stunned and too stupefied to move. It was only when Leke jerked away from Peju that I was to blink back into reality and I turned back.It was almost closing hours anyway so I walked to the garage, my foot barely touching the ground until I got to the garage. The driver was already around do I just entered the car, biting the insides of my cheeks to keep myself from crying.
~Fola~I was at the park with Tobi, talking about random things. We were doing that more often these days, talking about everything and nothing. Sometimes, enjoying the absolute silence, our souls talking more in the moment than our mouths.And he'd use that time to probably kiss my neck or even my lips. He was always looking forward to us being alone."Stop it."I mouthed cheekily and I attempted to move away from him but his hand on my waist kept me close, nudging me even closer as he continued kissing my neck, my earlobes and I shuddered involuntarily.Who'