Three

                        

                            ~Kunmi~

Sometimes, you've had that particular dream over and over again that it had become hard to separate from reality. It could as well be real. You might have experienced that dream.

My alarm woke me up when my dream was exactly where it always stopped. I opened my ears and rubbed the sleep from my face. It was 6:35 am. I said a quick prayer before I stood up to prepare for school.

During the drive to school, I remembered I still haven't selected all the subjects I was to offer. I still haven't selected one from Music and Virtual Arts. The Arts department's Secretary had told me that today was the final day for submission. I was supposed to fill the form and submit it immediately but I had spent more than a week perambulating.

I heaved a sigh as we drove into Crescent High. I got down and said bye-bye to the driver. When I got to the class, only three of my classmates were in class. I sat on my seat and brought out the form. It was neatly folded between my Mathematics textbook. I opened it and peered at the words again

Music or Virtual Arts.

I heaved a sigh.

Maybe this is when I finally face my demons.

What demons?

We all have demons, don't we?

I don't have any Demon.

I closed my eyes and blanked out all of my thoughts.

I picked my pen and finally made my choice.

I picked music.

Again.

**********

It's been a week. An uneventful week at that. I've managed to keep my head above the water. Keeping my head above the water meant I survived all unnecessary drama. I kept to myself in class, avoided talking unless talked to and I've never stepped into the school's cafeteria. That would be the worst one. If you think you're lonely in class, trust me, you'll be the loneliest in the cafeteria. That's the place where friends talk the loudest, where they gist the loudest, where they laugh the loudest. Imagine being ostracized from that much fun because you don't have friends. I'd rather just remain in class and read something. Anything.

It was Tuesday and it was a free period. I was reading, Nah, I was flipping through a book because I couldn't concentrate. The noise was too much. Everybody was talking in animated voices. I guess it was majorly from the excitement of the next Biology class topic- Reproductive systems. Our Biology teacher, Mr. Amadi had told us that that was the next topic.

The girl beside me, the one who was already reading a magazine, glamor magazines, fashion magazines, lifestyle magazines. She was currently reading a Genevieve Magazine and a boy was disturbing her.

"Kunle, for the last time, stop disturbing me. Go and look for someone else to disturb na. There's Adam and there's Aminah."

The boy- Kunle snatched the magazine from her.

"Don't you get tired of reading this thing? There's nothing here other than fine faces, half-naked bodies, and sexy bodies."

He said the last part with a smug look and a sly voice and the girl, whose name I've come to realize was Sophia rolled her eyes.

"Yeah. Because that's all your brain can comprehend there. Sha gives me my magazine and gets out."

She said with laughter in her voice and I smiled. The rest of their conversation blurred out when someone tapped on my desk. I looked up. It was a tall fair boy I've not seen in class before and I've already memorized the faces of all my classmates. All 20 of them.

Including that one, I nearly bumped into.

The boy flipped an empty chair to my front and he sat down.

"Hey, new girl. I'm Ezekiel, the clown of the class."

I stared blankly at him. Who introduces themselves as a clown?

"Don't worry, you'll get to know me as time goes on. I would have probably initiated you into our class but sadly, I was not around then."

Then, he moved closer like we're in some sort of conspiracy.

"I'm sure my classmates did not welcome you properly. Don't mind them, they're nicer than that."

Then, he moved back and smiled at his idea of a joke or what? But at least, he was being nice. Not like the other 20 who kept to themselves. Especially the idiot behind me.

You are keeping to yourself too na. You can't blame them.

"Tuna is coming. Tuna is coming."

Someone shouted from the corridor and Pimm, everywhere became quiet. Even quieter than a graveyard.

One minute, Ezekiel was in front of me, and the next minute, he had disappeared.

I knew who Tuna was. He was Uncle Tunde, the most talked about and the most feared person in Cresent High. He was the school's director who have zero tolerance for frivolities and tardiness. He commanded so much respect.

Minute's lather everywhere was still quiet and Tuna was not forthcoming. Then someone burst into laughter shouting

"Na prank oo. It was a prank oo."

There were loud hisses, then laughter and noises filled the class again.

I so badly wanted to merge into the laughter and noise.

You can do it.

You should do it.

The bell went off and we all became quiet. Because it was Economics and the teacher was a no-nonsense man.

Hours later, I went to submit my selected subjects to the Arts Department. I was on my way back when I bumped into someone.

I moved back immediately.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I wasn't looking at where I was going."

The boy I bumped to said, I looked up. It was the boy I saw on the first day of resumption. The one that spoke to me after I got down from the car. The one that asked me if I was mesmerized by Cresent High. I saw his eyes lit up in recognition. He pointed to me.

"You are the girl I saw the other time, right?"

I nodded.

"Oh, are you fine?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "Hope you're enjoying our school?"

I cleared my throat. "I'm fine."

He nodded immediately, "Of course you're fine. There's no way you won't be fine in this school."

You say what?

"Anyway, I'm Junior, they call me Senior Junior."

I burst into laughter before I could stop myself.

Senior Junior?

"Now, I get that every time I tell juniors my name."

"How did you know I'm a junior?"

He shrugged. "I'm in SS3 and I've not seen you around, so that means you're my junior."

I nodded slowly and inched my head towards my classroom. I could see the English teacher entering.

"I have to go. My teacher is already in class."

He nodded and I started to walk away.

He did not even ask for my name.

Well, you did not volunteer to tell him.

I shook my head as I entered my classroom. The teacher had to get back to the class so she did not see me come in. The guy behind had a grim expression behind him as I sat down.

Whatever.

                               *********

                                 Adam

I did not pick Charles to call even after calling for a week straight. I ignored it. He was probably going to tell me to borrow him some cash. Nah, he was calling me to borrow money. Charles never called to exchange pleasantries with me. As I have money.

Besides, who was supposed to have money between the both of us? He, a Nineteen-year-old adult, or I, a high schooler still collecting pocket money from my parents. Well, we wore both collecting pocket money but at least, he was older but then, Charles has no shame.

"Are you even listening to what we're saying at all?"

Someone said, waving their hands in my front. I was momentarily startled but it was only Aminah.

I had zoned out again. We were in the cafeteria, sitting at a table of four with Sophia and Kunle too.

"Sorry. I zoned out. What were you saying?"

I saw Kunle shake his head. He was sitting beside Aminah. Sophia who was sitting beside me was so quiet that I almost forgot that she was there. I turned to look at her. She was eating so quietly.

"You and zoning out like 5 and 6."

Kunle replied and picked a plantain from Aminah's plate. When he attempted to pick another one, she slapped his hand away before looking up with a smile

"I just invited you guys to my parent's anniversary. It's in two weeks. I'm telling you guys now so there wouldn't be any excuse, like any impromptu anything."

She said the last part with her eyes fixed on Sophia. Sophia did not lookup. She just kept eating.

"Sophia, you have to attend this. I know you don't have any shoot on that day."

Sophia swallowed what was in her mouth slowly before looking up. She shrugged.

"I might have an impromptu shoot on that day. You can never tell."

"That's why I'm telling you now. Plan your day around it."

Sophia nodded slowly, without saying anything. Aminah turned to me.

"And Adam, you're coming oo. You have to come ni. The both of you...' She wagged her finger between me and Sophia. 'You guys have to come. I wonder what makes us friends if you guys ain't there for me."

Friends? What friends? The only reason why you're here is that you're dating Kunle. We don't even talk until they both started to date.

Sophia coughed briefly and Kunle was quick in handling his bottled water.

"Are you alright? You should eat more slowly."

At least, Sophia already said she might have an impromptu on that day. Deep inside me, I knew I was going to have an impromptu headache on that day.

So help me God.

                               **********

                                   ~Kunmi~

When I got home in the evening, I was momentarily surprised by the chairs arranged around a long table in our garden.

My bad.

I had forgotten that it was my sister's set forth dinner party. She was leaving for the States in five days to study at LIM College, a world-renowned fashion school in New York.

I got down from the car, mumbled greetings to the maids working in the garden before I walked into the main house. Nobody was in the sitting room. I escaped to my room and the first thing I noticed was that my piano was not in the room. Just when I was about to storm downstairs and inquire from the maids about what happened to it. My sister knocked on my door and entered.

"Oh. Welcome. How was school? I had the maid move your piano downstairs' She said, gesturing to where my piano was. 'I'm just borrowing it for the dinner though."

I nodded slowly, then turned back to undo my buttons. Maybe one of her friends knows how to play because Mayowa doesn't play the piano. She must have a person in mind.

"Do you mind playing for us?"

My fingers stopped moving for the briefest seconds before they continued working again. I pretended not to hear her.

"I just asked you a question, Bukunmi. Do you mind playing the piano?"

She entered my room fully now. She had been peeping from behind the door since she got here.

"No' I finally replied to her. 'I'm not even sure I'm coming downstairs for the dinner. I have a headache and I only want to sleep."

Mayowa moved to my front, her arms crossed over her chest.

"No, you don't have any headache. You just don't want to come downstairs."

I ignored her but she maintained her stance.

"Come on Sis, we won't see each other till Christmas or probably later than that, the least you can do is to attend that dinner."

She said pointing out of my window to the chairs outside. Good of her to play this card.

I nodded.

'Alright, I'm coming but I'm not playing anything."

She looked at me with an expression I couldn't fathom before hugging me. A small hug that ended as soon as it started.

"Thank you. Now, I have to go and finish my makeup." She said and left and I was all alone with the panic attack that was legit building more and more.

I swallowed and turned to watch the maids set the table.

An hour later, I was still watching them set the table but I was already dressed for dinner. I was dressed in a short free gown and I had packed my hair in a bun. I had no make upon. I would have loved to use it because I always feel more confident about my looks whenever I was on makeup but I don't even know how to apply it. So I just settled on using powder and a little lip gloss.

I was contemplating about not going. Mayowa would be angry but she'd get over it.

Some of her friends were already around. One of them, a guy that just moved with his family to the house beside ours was hugging her, his hands on her lower bank. He pressed her body firmly to it. I did not even know how they became friends that quickly and she allowed a leach like him to become that close to her.

I closed my eyes and walked out of my room.

*************

An hour later, I was sitting beside a guy, one of her friends whom I've never seen before and even though he was sitting beside me and not in front of me, his whole attention was on me. It took me a while to realize what he was staring at.

My cleavage.

I swallowed and used my hand to cover the small opening on my chest. He noticed because he brought his eyes to my face. I looked away.

"So you're Mayowa's sister, right?"

I did not reply.

"Surprising! You guys don't look alike at all. You look so different."

I ignored him as I used my fork to toy with the promo on my plate. I wanted to go to my room. I was repulsed by the way he was looking at me, by how he not so casually brushed his hands across my thighs. Then he muttered sorry but I knew he wasn't sorry at all.

I looked at Mayowa. She was standing beside the piano and I was even momentarily surprised by how pretty she looked. Tall with a very slim body, curves that'd show no matter how baggy what she wore was, black skin that glistened even in a very dark room, thin lips with a fuller upper one. She always looked like someone that just walked out of a fashion magazine.

That's my sister for you.

She was saying something, thanking the people for attending her dinner party. Then she said she has a little surprise for me.

"I'd like to call on my sister to play my favorite piece on the piano for us."

I stared at her, not believing what I just heard but her friends were already looking at me and clapping.

My palms were sweaty and I clamped them together. I was expecting Mayowa to do this. She should know better than to do this. I looked at her, she was looking at me with a smile on her pretty face.

I swallowed, stood up, and

Walked into the main house.