Chapter 2

TEN YEARS AGO.

Jewel looked through the window of her mum's car as  they drive into the new school. Her eyes widened as saucers, marveling at the amazing structures of the school, some of which we were not in her other school. She was resuming at Elite's academy for her senior school education. Her elder sister, Pearl was also a student of the school, in her senior year. Pearl scoffed has she watched Jewel practically ogling the school and drooling.

"Stop drooling." Pearl snapped at Jewel who in turn touched the side of her lips to see if her sister was right.

"It would destroy my reputation if people saw you." Pearl looked away nonchalantly. Jewel eyed and kissed her teeth at her sister.

"You don't have to be so mean, you know." Jewel replied, as their mum moved towards the parking lot where numerous cars were already parked in an arranged order.

"You coming to this school alone is destroying my reputation." Pearl stated, rolling her eyes. "I can't be the sister of the new kid. It doesn't work that way."

"But now, you have succeeded in getting into my school. I'll have to put up with you." Pearl hissed disdainfully, looking back to her phone. Jewel grimaced, insulted by her sister's attitude.

"Pearl, don't be like that.  She is your sister." Their mum, Mrs Demilade chided Pearl who in turn rolled her eyes at her. Jewel looked out of the window as Mrs Demilade parked her car.

"Mum, I know why I said you and dad should not allow Jewel to come to this school. I have my reasons." Pearl stated emphatically and Jewel looked at her.

Pearl has been do adamant on letting Jewel come to the school and that did not go unnoticed to Jewel. It was like her elder sister was trying to hide something or was trying to hide her away from something. It was very complicated and annoying.

"And you have refused to tell me those reasons, Pearl." Mrs Demilade's voice jerked Jewel out of her reverie. "There is no going back now because Jewel is already here and she is not going back." Mrs Demilade concluded and Pearl huffed. Jewel smirked in return, loving how her mum had handled it.

Pearl was an eighteen years old final year student of Elites Academy. She was one of the most loved student in her set and the Female Sport Prefect because of her athletic prowess and what not. Jewel was a sixteen years old girl which a very great imagination and an adventurous behavior. Unlike her sister, she wasn't into much athletics but was very good at high jump. She also had a very sharp tongue.

Soon the trio got to the reception where new students were supposed to collect their uniforms which comprised of a two set school Uniform, an house wear shirt with jeans from home, a Sunday wear for church and a sport gear. Jewel did all the necessary registration and medical check ups before Mrs Demilade drove all of them to the Female hostel.

When Pearl and Jewel highlighted from the car, most of pearl's friends rushed over to greet her and welcome her back to school. They also greeted Mrs Demilade when one of them noticed Jewel as she stood awkward at a corner, watching the display.

"Pearl, is this your sister?" The girl, Seun, asked. Jewel watched in silence at the exchange.

"Yes." Pearl replied, putting on a smile. Jewel rolled her eyes at her sister's antics, seeing right through that smile. She heard the rest of Pearl's friends gasp and rush over to her.

"Gosh!" Mia exclaimed dramatically. "She's so pretty. Boys of this school are in so much trouble. Mehn, see packaging." Mia blabbered while Jewel frowned. She resolved within her that she did not like Mia who was too loud and didn't have a filter. She hated the attention being on herself anyway.

"Abeg oh!" Pearl exclaimed, silencing loud mouth Mia. "Don't corrupt her young mind for me abeg." She added, giving Mia a stink eye.

"Yes o. Boys should stay away from her." Another girl, Tosin stated and Mia laughed sarcastically.

"Come on! Let your sister have a little fun abeg." Mia said and Jewel's frown deepened. She looked around to see that her mum was talking to one of the porters.

"She has not even hugged a guy before sef. She doesn't know anything." Pearl chirped and they all laughed. Jewel hissed and walked away from where they were.

She didn't like the fact that her sister was talking about her to her own friends  as if she wasn't standing right there.Right there and then, Jewel made up her mind to show her sister that she was a "Big Girl."

****

Jewel was arranging her things in her wardrobe in side her room when two girls came in, grinning at her. Jewel looked up and flashed a good natured smile at them.

"Hello." She said quietly, going back to arrange her things.

"Hi!" The lighter girl chirped with so much excitement."

I'm Henrietta. We are going to be class mates." She said, jumping with excitement. Jewel smiled at her.

"Wow, that's nice. It's very nice to meet you." She said. The darker girl came forward.

"I'm Omolewa. I am your sister's school daughter. We can be best friends." The girl said and Jewel looked at her, trying not to be rude.

"Well, we'll see." She resulted in saying that instead of an outright "No". She'd prefer if Henrietta is her best friend. The girl seemed more fun than Omolewa.

"Let's help you to arrange your things." Henrietta said, crouching to help Jewel. Omolewa also joined and Jewel smiled.

"Thank you. That is very nice of you guys." Jewel said and the trio began to arrange, making small talks in between.

Jewel was so glad she was able to make friends on just her first hour of being in a new school. Maybe those her the perks of actually being the sister of one of the most popular seniors in school. It wasn't so bad.

Popularity is the in thing right now and she was going to get the the top of that popularity ladder at whatever it takes.

She resolved that in her heart without any hesitation.

******

At about six thirty in the evening, all the female students were on a queue to go to the dining hall for dinner. All of them were claded in their house wear shirt, which was the colour of their assigned houses at resumption. Jewel worse the color purple shirt which was her house colour and a jeans pants that fitted her body so well.

"We need to leave the hostel now because the disciplinary prefect comes to get us and punish us." Henrietta said in one breath and Jewel's eyes widened in fear. She did not want to be punished on her first day. That would destroy her reputation.

She and Henrietta made their way outside the hostel in quick and careful steps. The senior prefect ordered everyone to file on a queue in an orderly fashion and together, they moved towards the dining hall that wasn't to far away from the female hostel. Soon, they were seated and waiting for the boys.

Jewel met some other girls in their class. Some were really welcoming while the others were not. A girl called Motunrayo actually snubbed her when she greeted her.

It's because I'm giving her face, that's why she's rude. Jewel thought disdainfully.

Soon, the boys started trooping in from different angles of the hall, calling attention to themselves as always. The Junior class boys were very noisy. The senior class boys trooped into the hall in their cliques and groups, swaggering towards their table. New boys were sighted and the girls began to rate them.

"I like that guy." One of the girls Jewel learnt to be Teni

said.

"Which one? The one with albinism?" Another girl asked.

"He looked pretty hot though." Henrietta chirped in and Jewel turned to look at who they were talking about. The dude was fine alright but be wasn't her type.

"Hey! Here comes our boys o." Teni hollered in excitement. Everyone followed her gaze and began to pass comments about how the boys had gotten fine during the long vacation. Jewel looked as well and saw what they were saying.

Hot boys!

"That's Kayode, Clinton, Temi, Adewale, Adesola, Ayomide, Busayo, and my twin brother, Henry." Henrietta listed and Jewel followed her finger as they pointed to everyone of them. Jewel's eyes rested on Henrietta's twin brother and she was awestruck.

"Wow!" Was all she could say. Soon, the boys made it to their table and settled down. They began to get to know each other. Henry settled beside Jewel and Jewel began to hyperventilate, especially when he winked at her.

Oh my ovaries!

"Please who are you and what are you doing on this table!" Someone suddenly snapped and Jewel's head jerked up as she looked around. It took her a minute to know that the tall guy was actually taking to her.

"Excuse me?" She asked, frowning. She could feel everyone on the table, looking at her including Henry.

"Excuse you!" The tall guy snapped back and Jewel was more than dumbfounded. She didn't know the guy from anywhere and the asshole was just being rude to her for no reason. She wasn't going to take it lightly.

"Don't talk to me like I'm your junior guy." I started calmly. "I'm your fucking mate, so don't you ever snap at me like a dog with rabbis." A sound of awe rang on the table and even the tall guy looked shocked.

"Whatever I'm doing on this table is none of your concern. My class mates are here so piss off. If at all you want to ask me anything, ask with respect and common sense." She concluded, leaning back on the chair.

"Jesus!" Someone screamed.

"Clinton, you have met your match o." Another person said, laughter laced in his voice.

"Clinton, abeg sit down. You have lost this round." Henry's deep voice came behind me and Jewel smirked, glad that she had impressed him. Clinton looked embarrassed and sat down on his seat, not saying anything through out.

"Nice one new girl." Henry said beside Jewel and she turned to look at him, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Thanks. And it's Jewel actually. That's my name." She introduced herself. Henry smiled, nodding.

"Beautiful name. I'm Henry." He said.

"I know." She replied with a sassy smile and looked away. Henry nodded again, impressed at the sassy sharp mouthed girl beside him. Jewel didn't fail to notice the stink eye Motunrayo was giving her and she smirked.

Jackpot.

****

Henry could not take his eyes off that sharp mouthed beauty beside him. She was so pretty and has a very amazing and fun aura around her. He stood up, dragging his twin sister from the table and took her out of the dinning hall.

"You could have just told me to follow you like a normal person you know?" Henrietta chided her brother as soon as they got out of the hall but Henry ignored her statement.

"Who is that girl? Jewel." He asked her. Henrietta laughed and the tone of her laughter was mocking him.

"You are smitten by Jewel?" She asked and he scoffed.

"I didn't say that." He replied her, lying.

"Well, you had better not be. Because, she's senior Pearl's sister." Henry's eyes widened at the revelation. "Which means you have to lay off." Henrietta warned. Henry sighed.

He and Pearl were in a relationship for two academic sessions even though she was his two years senior, no one really bothered about the class and age difference between them. They ended things on a pretty bad note and Pearl loathed him.

"Pearl's sister? She's very pretty though." Henry said, causing his twin sister to roll her eyes at her brother's stupidity.

"Stop dreaming princess. Get your head off the cloud. Pearl will kill you if she sees you anywhere there her sister. She already hates your guts as it is." Henrietta concluded and walked in. Henry smirked, hatching a plan in his head.

I know what I'm going to do. He thought.

*****

Jewel volunteered to get jugs of water for her table. She went and got two jugs and was walking right back to the table when she bumped into someone. She looked up and saw that it was Henry.

"Oh I'm so sorry." She quickly apologized, trying not to blush from embarrassment. Henry flashed her his famous girl magnet smile, charming her right into his wits.

"No, it's okay. I should be sorry." He replied, winking at her. She giggled, loomed away from his intense gaze. Henry smirked, knowing that his charm was walking on her.

"It's alright." She replied, walking past him. He turned around and caught up with her, falling into steps with her.

"I'm sorry about the douche bag, Clinton." He started again and she looked at him. "He can be a pain in the ass." He added. Jewel shrugged, trying to act nonchalant about the whole thing.

"It's cool. He's quite funny anyway." Jewel chirped and Henry chuckled.

"Yeah, he is. That's Clinton for you." He said and she giggled back. Then he reached over to collect the jugs from her. "Let me help you with these." He said.

"You don't have to Henry." The way she said his name send shiver running down his spine.

Wow!

"It's okay. I insist." He winked at her again and he laughed, allowing him. Together, they walked back to the table. Henry went back back to get spoons for the table when he almost bumped into Pearl. She was right in front of him, shooting lasers at him. Henry gulped.

"I dont know what you are trying to do Henry, but you should stay away from my sister." She stated immediately, not beating around the bush.

"I'm just trying to be friendly." He tried to cover up with his usual charming smirk playing on his lips. Pearl snorted at his excuse of an excuse.

"Friendly my foot. I know you Henry and I know what you are capable of. I dont want you breaking my sister's heart so stay the hell away from her. I mean it." She growled out, flashing Henry one last deadly stare before she walked away. Henry sighed and walked away.

The last thing he wanted was a rift between two sisters. So, he was going to do what Pearl asked. He'd stay away from Jewel.

Except she comes on to him.