• 06 •

EVA.

"Is it just me or has Eva been sneaking glances at Axel? "

My eyes flew to the curly-haired girl's on hearing my name.

"What? "

She rolled her eyes, "Okay, fine. That might be downplaying it a little. You were definitely staring at him. "

Did I mention she had a slight accent? A British one to be precise.

"No, I wasn't. " I argued.

Abi, who had barely said a word ever since, merely looked between us, then continued eating.

How a girl like Laura had become friends with Abi was still, and would probably always be a mystery to me. The two were nothing alike, the only thing they had in common being that they both breathed in oxygen, oh, and drank water, and did basically everything the average human did —but even that was debatable.

The exotically pretty, light-skinned girl fixed me with a 'really?' look, the enviable mass of jet black curls framing her oval face, dancing softly as she tilted her head.

"Of course you were. " she leaned back, draping her hand along the top of the bench she and Abi shared, "You were trying to be discreet, but that drool gave you away. "

Automatically, my hand flew to my chin to check for said drool and she laughed.

"Ha. Got you. "

I frowned. She smiled.

Well, she was right though. I had been sneaking glances at Axel. The guy I met at the boutique restroom, then met in the janitor's closet. Yes, I knew his name now. I heard someone call him that some days ago and it had stuck to my brain ever since. It was a very pretty name and it fit the bearer too.

We were seated at the cafeteria, Abi, Laura and I when I saw he occupied one of the tables with  three other guys —Pretty Face included, whom I got to find out his name was Ivan— and I had been successfully distracted since. My eyes found their way to his table every time I shoved a spoon into my mouth. But I guess it was his fault for being that good-looking and compelling.

He had his back to me, which was why he hadn't seen me yet, but if he did a complete 180, then I would perfectly be in his line of sight.

"Look, she's staring again. "

"Please, leave her alone. " Abi sighed.

I dropped my eyes, focusing on my food, but not before glaring at Laura for being such a poke noser. She all but grinned. It was almost impossible to get her in a bad mood as her anger tended not to last a long time. She took whatever jabs came at her in stride, smiled, then gave as good as she got. It was an admirable trait and I envied her. The extent of my power  was acting like the jabs and taunts didn't get to me and all the while, dying inside.

"Guys, " she piped up. Of course, staying silent for a whole minute would be too much to ask of Laura. "Guess where we're going for our field trip?"

Abi side-eyed her, "How do you know? It's not even been announced yet. "

She took several sips of water from her can. "I walked in on the VP talking about it with Mrs. Agu. "

I shoved a spoon of rice into my mouth, trying to recall who Mrs. Agu was. Her image formed in my head; thick, energetic and of average height. She was the Catering and Crafts Practice teacher. A subject that had been made compulsory for study for both Arts and Sciences.

"Where? "

"In the VP's office. "

Abi shook her head. "No, I mean where are we going? "

"The US. " Laura grinned excitedly.

The water I'd been about to swallow, came back out of my mouth and landed on both of their faces and tops.

"Jeez. Eva! " Laura sputtered, grabbing some serviettes from the table to dab at her face.

"Are you okay? " Abi asked before taking some too.

I managed a nod, hitting my chest lightly before attempting to speak, but it was more of a squeak. "The US?! "

"Was that why you bathed me in saliva and water? " Laura's eyes narrowed, "Because I will hit you on the head with my can of water. "

I didn't take her threat seriously. There was not a single doubt that she could do it, but what was a hit on the head compared to what she'd just said? We were going to the US?

"Once in a while, we go on field trips to countries outside Nigeria. " Abi, the ever patient one explained, "We've gone to Egypt and the UK and if Laura's right, then we are going to the United States next. "

"Of course I'm right. " Laura glared at her, dumping the used serviettes on top her empty Tupperware. "Have you never been on one? " she directed at me.

"No, not really. "

There was a pause. Then, "Not really as in you've never been on a field trip outside the country or as in you've never been on one at all? "

"Not really as in I've never been on one. "

Most of us at my old school had barely been able to afford good feeding. It goes without saying that the school wouldn't want to pressure us with unnecessary bills for extracurricular activities.

An awkward silence hung over the table. Why had I even bothered opening my mouth in the first place?

"I mean, it's okay. " Abi finally spoke, "There's nothing wrong with that. "

"Of course. " Laura quickly agreed, "There's a first time for everything, right? And you're definitely going to have so much fun at this one. "

Relief washed over me instantly. Eva Otasowie, stepping out of Nigeria? What was there not to be excited about?

I smiled. "I think I will. "

"You are going to have fun. Period. " Laura stretched her hand across the table to place it atop mine, "Just leave it to me. "

Feminine laughter drew my eyes to Axel's table. There was an addition to the table. A girl sat beside him on his right side, pushing him to the middle  and he had his arm around her. There was a smile on her face as she looked up at him, but he seemed to be listening to something his friend said.

I couldn't see her face yet I knew that she was pretty and classy. She'd done her nails —another thing the school allowed. He shook his head playfully at something his friend said then picked up something from his plate and fed to her.

I felt.... nothing. Of course I'd known he was a manwhore —evidences of that pointing to the first time we met. And there was absolutely no reason for me to feel anything because I had no business with him.

I picked at my food, my appetite nowhere to be found.

"Pretty boys. " Laura sighed with a knowing look on her face, "All we do is admire them and take what we want from them. "—she glanced at Abi—"If we want to. But apart from that, they're completely useless. "

Abi shook her head. "Not all guys are useless, Laura. "

"I said the pretty ones. "

"Not all pretty guys are useless either. " Abi argued.

Laura rolled her eyes again. "Right. The majority. " she conceded defeat, "Were you being specific, Abi? "

A blush found it's way to Abi's cheeks and her mouth fell open. "What? "

She was cute, I felt myself smiling.

"I did not stutter. " Laura said in the same tone.

"No, of course I wasn't. I was just saying. "

I burst out laughing. To the onlooker, one would think Laura bullied Abi because of her calm nature, little did they know that Abi held her own well.

"Point is, " Laura continued, "Guys like Axel are like pretty clothes at the mall. You admire them, sometimes try them out, but you don't really buy them. "

"Why do you see guys like that? " I wondered out loud. She did not think highly of them at all.

"It's the truth. I mean, it's obvious you have a crush on him and I probably had a crush on him one time too, but the good thing about crushes? " she smiled, "They pass. And yours is going to too. So as the good friend that I am, I'm going to advice you not to act on it. "

I was going to argue and say that I didn't have a crush on him, but knowing Laura, I wouldn't win that argument.

"I wasn't going to act on it. " I said instead.

"Good. Because if you do, the drama that comes with dating Axel isn't really worth it when you find out he's dating three other girls too. "

I nodded, absorbing all what she'd said. He just had to be the cliche, handsome, popular, player at school.

Two more girls had joined Axel's table by the time I looked again. His table was now officially the most crowded in the cafeteria. One sat between Ivan and a guy I didn't know while the other one sat beside said guy. Basically, there was only one guy at the table that wasn't sitting with a girl and he didn't even look that into the conversation they were having.

All of a sudden, silence settled over the cafeteria, slowly and wholly, and the only sound one could hear, came from Axel and his friends.

Zoe walked in, poised, head held high, and like the goddess that she was, she drew the gaze of every single person sitting in the cafeteria, both male and female. We were helpless not to stare, really. There was just something about her that made you abandon whatever you'd been doing and stare. She demanded attention.

She walked straight down the hall, not even sparing a glance at anyone. I was pretty sure she knew Abi and I were sitting here, but she made no move to acknowledge us. Had I expected something different from her?

Avoiding her had become as mandatory as brushing my teeth each morning and going home without her had become a normalcy. I had no idea how she got home everyday, but she always did, sometimes, even earlier than us.

As she waited for her order, her eyes slowly flitted over the room. Slowly, they came to land on us, but they didn't stay, they continued the journey round the hall and just when I thought she was done, her eyes stopped on Axel's table. She seemed to freeze altogether as the soft lines of her body tensed.

Zoe Lawson was staring and it wasn't to glare at someone, no, she looked.... shocked. The same person who'd told me on the first day of school, not to stare at anyone cause it gave them the illusion of power was staring at a person now. I followed her line of sight and found Ivan staring straight at her. Their gazes met and tangled in a fit of will and power. Who would look away first?

Scorching heat emanated from their gazes and I thought I could get third degree burns just from watching them alone. What was it with them? Perhaps it was because she'd caught the both of us outside the library that day? But I felt there could be more.

Her eyes shifted to the girl who sat beside him, paused, then finally, she turned around, collected her order from the lady who had been trying to get her attention for a while now, then left.

And everyone could breathe again.

"So her paper bag didn't come with her today? " Laura hissed, not caring that Zoe was probably still within hearing distance.

Paper bag?

The confusion must have shown on my face because she clarified, with a sardonic twist of her mouth.

"Her boyfriend. Dexter. "

Dexter had surprised me by not making any move towards me. In fact, he stayed completely off my path. He'd seen me in the hallway two days ago and it had been just the both of us there. I had been scared for my life thinking that he had finally gotten the opportunity he wanted but then he just looked away like he didn't even see me and continued walking. I briefly wondered if he had multiple personality disorder.

I tried to suppress the laughter bubbling up my throat, but a snort escaped. Only Laura would call a someone a paper bag.

"Laura, be nice. " Abi sighed.

"Please. And no offense to your sister, but she's been walking around with an extra long stick up her ass. What's up with that? "

"Maybe she's having her period. "  Abi shrugged but I could tell she didn't believe it. Periods didn't make someone spend as much time as possible they could in their room to avoid meeting everyone else. Periods didn't make a person reject a luxurious car ride and pick a less comfortable one instead.

I was the cause and I knew Abi had to suspect that too. When she glanced at me unsurely before looking away, I knew she did. She just didn't know how.

"Period—"

"Okay, Laura. " Abi cut her off, "You've exceeded your daily badmouthing and advising limit for today. Now, all you're allowed to do, is give opinions here and there when we want you too. Okay? "

"Whatever. "

I found myself smiling again. What a pair these two were.

Abi glanced at her watch, "I should get going. Class starts soon. "

She got up, taking the book she'd brought with her. Laura did too and I got up alongside them, not wanting to be left alone. "I should get to class too. "

They waved as they walked away, Laura making inappropriate gestures with her hand. I shook my head, laughing.

I walked out of the hall. Thankfully, the entrance door wasn't that far from our table and I didn't necessarily have to walk past Axel to get to it.

Coco, my seat mate, occupied one of the tables at the cafeteria, right by the door. Perfect for monitoring everyone coming in and going out. Did she ever do anything other than monitor and gossip?

She waved me over when she saw me, but I smiled and declined politely. I didn't like being in her company, so as long as I wasn't in class, there was no need to spend unwanted time with her.

I walked out and right into Mr Utoh Hope, Vice Principal, who had just been about to come in. I opened my mouth to apologize and move out of his way but he held me still.

"Oh. Just the person I'm looking for. " he exclaimed when he saw my face.

I frowned. "Me? "

"Yes. " he nodded, an absent look on his face. "Come with me. "

What in heaven's name did the VP want with me? As I walked behind him, I kept thinking of all the possible reasons he could be summoning me to his office. Was I about to get another speech on how I needed to sit up as long as I was in this school? I'd heard enough of those to last me a lifetime already. Almost every teacher —and some students— seemed to think that I would do poorly just because I'd transferred in the last year. I wanted nothing more than to prove them wrong.

My heart jolted as a thought occurred to me. Had Zoe reported me to the school authorities? Was that why she hadn't told anyone back at home? Because she'd been waiting for the school to carry out action? Surely, she wouldn't. She couldn't have taken it that far.

I didn't want to believe she had, but at the same time, I didn't know for sure. My heart beat faster as we neared the building housing the teacher's, Principal, Vice Principal, and Director's office. This was a new school, also a highly reputed one. It was way too early to get a bad record. But if I got one, it was no one's fault but mine. It would teach me to stick my nose in people's businesses.

We walked past the Vice Principal's office and I stared at the back of his head in confusion. Where were we going?

He eventually stopped in front of the Principal's office, knocked twice on the plain brown door before throwing it open and barging in.

Okay, then.

I went in after him. I had never, before today, stepped into the Principal's office and now that I did, I took it all in. The walls were painted a light green, there were shelves on either sides of the room with numerous files on them and a two seater couch just right of the door. She sat on a black office chair with a brown mahogany table in front of her and two more chairs in front of the table.

The whole place, taken together with the small smile on her face, radiated school and welcoming vibes.

"Eva Lawson, is it? " she asked.

"Eva Otasowie. " I corrected robotically.

The Lawsons' hadn't changed my name when they'd adopted me. I assumed they were okay with me going by my original name so I hadn't bothered to bring that uncomfortable topic up.

I'd like to think that was the only reason I hadn't bothered bringing it up but I would be lying to myself. I felt a childish sentimental attachment to the name. I hate my parents for what they did but that was the only thing I had of them. The only possession they'd left behind for me. Their last name.

"Miss Otasowie, sit down please." she gestured to the empty chair since Mr Utoh was already sitting on the second one and I did, placing my hands on my thighs.

Her name tag read Oguemuno Philomena.

She took her glasses off, resting her elbows on her desk and placing her chin on her laced fingers. "Not to waste any more of your time since classes start soon, I'll get straight to the point. "

My heart threatened to make an appearance on the clean table.

Zoe Lawson has made a complaint to us—

"Yearly, the school's technical team make advertisements that we send on different platforms to gather larger audience, parents that might be searching for good schools for their kids and probably haven't heard of us yet. You know what I mean?  "

I nodded, thrown by the topic.

"Good. " her smile was still intact, "Now, as to why you're here, the school board has decided that you're going to be the ad girl this year. "

My jaw hit the floor. "What? "

"Congratulations. " Mr Utoh and Mrs Oguemuno spoke at the same time.