OGLING STARES

The sound of Jeremy's alarm clock instantly doused his slumber. He woke up hissing, massaging his temples.

He found the sound so irritating that he flung the clock to lord knows where and uttered a string of curse words. He tried falling back asleep but his attempts were terribly futile.

It was a Monday morning but he wasn't about ready to prepare for school. He kept on cursing as he got up from bed. His thoughts drifted back to his anger. He couldn't just understand why his father had brought him down to this godforsaken country.

Yup he was going to school and live in Nigeria and he wasn't happy about it.

His dad had called him one evening into his study and made the announcement.

"Son we're moving in two weeks to Nigeria get your things ready whatever you can't carry, we'll get over there"

Just like that without even giving him an opportunity to protest or even complain. His father didn't even bother with his opinion on the matter and just dumped it on his lap.

He thought of the weather, the stench of the people he'd met so far, the stares he received wherever he went "urrrgh" he grunted. He wasn't sure how long he might be able to survive in the country.

He had tried talking his father out of the entire thing, even to the point of wailing. Instead, his father was adamant about it and even tried using the fact that he would be attending one of the best schools in the country to cajole him. It further irritated him so here he was, in this damn country, three weeks later, about to resume school on a Monday morning in a country he detested.

His eyes went to the wall clock. It was 7:10am, meaning twenty more minutes till assembly begins. He hissed loudly and lay back in bed.

He intentionally wanted to show up late on his first day. He wanted to avoid the odd looks he was given wherever he went. 'Those ugly black girls' as he usually called the women, would definitely gobble him up.

Nope, he was definitely going late to avoid the dish of crap.

Jeremiah Brent, 17 years old was the only son of his parents.

His father, the only reason he was in this mess in the first instant, was a politician and a business man based mainly in America.

He had dual citizenship as his mother was American and his Father Nigerian. Since birth, he'd lived in the states and only visited Nigeria once in a blue moon but now, he would be living here till lord knows when.

A situation he didn't find one bit enjoyable. It wasn't damn funny.

He lay in bed till 8am and dragged himself to the bathroom. He had a supply of maids to attend to his every need in the huge mansion he lived. His father made sure he would never lack anything during his stay and stuffed his account with millions of naira.

Jeremy knew his father just wanted to appease him and he knew it but just played along.

He was here anyway...not like he could disappear and appear back home in the states, so he had to deal with it. After his bath, he went straight to the dining room where he already had his food waiting for him. After breakfast, he went upstairs to his room and gave his school uniform a long stare. It was a white long sleeved shirt and blue pants.

After dressing up, he stood in front of the mirror and admired his image, while brushing his hair. When he was through, he headed downstairs then he suddenly remembered his gold wrist watch which was a gift from his childhood friend Sophia.

They'd been friends from childhood, they'd played together, cried together, laughed together and she was the one person he could truly say he loved.

He had shed tears the night before his departure. It was a day he wouldn't forget in a hurry. They had clung together as a married couple would on their first night apart. The weeks before his departure, he'd done all he could to make her happy. Spoilt her with gifts, taken her shopping, taken her sight seeing and had done all those fancy things women definitely liked.

The night before he left? was even more epic.

He did more than he thought possible because he knew it might be the last time he would be seeing her. When next they would meet, she'd probably be with another guy, or even be married but he just couldn't get rid of her in his head and heart. He knew he was going to have some real difficulty in falling for another girl, if at all he would.

He turned and went back upstairs to put on the wrist watch which he had carefully placed in a special box which had her name written on it. As he did, he checked the time, 8:20am now he was really late. He dashed his way downstairs and jumped into the car already waiting for him.

He'd greeted his driver who he was sure was stuck in the age range of mid thirties .. well at least he did look young by Jeremy's standards.

Then he brought out his phone and busied himself with scrolling through his mobile phone and as usual, his gaze lingered on Sophia's photos. It didn't take long, they were at the school.

He was stunned by it's beauty. He never expected it to look this good.

His driver had the sense to maneuver the car close to the principal's office before he could alight. Good man he was. He was grateful he wouldn't have ogling eyes to deal with. The people around here tended to do that a lot.

Look at him as though he was a fucking alien.

They only knocked on the door once and they heard a voice from within say "come in"

The moment he entered the office, he was greeted with a bright blinding paparazzi smile from the principal.

"you're chief Desmond's son" the principal whose name plaque on her desk identified as Chidinma Nwosu said.

"yes" answered Jeremy though he found the question a bit irritating it wasn't like there were two of him and with the way he asked, it was as though he'd seen a photo of him or something then why ask him the question again. Jeremy mentally shook his head.

The principal gestured to one of the vacant seats.

"please have a seat" she said.

Jeremy sat down and just stared at the woman.

"you don't have to fill anything or register. Everything has been done in advance" the woman said, shuffling sheets of paper which had lord knows what, written on them, on her desk.

"let me call someone to take you to the classroom" the woman said finally, dropping the unimportant important papers she had been shuffling. The woman picked up the desk phone in her office and made a call. Few minutes later, a lady walked into the office.

She was dressed like one of those warrior nuns in movies. Her look would have made him think it was a Catholic school had he seen her first and not the students instead, especially the girls. They could have worn just bikinis and still comfortably walked to school with it.

The gown the lady wore was a shade of dark green, and even had a belt around the waist line.

"Good morning ma" she greeted the moment she stepped foot into the office. The principal just nodded and went straight to the point.

"Take him to his classroom, his seat number is written on this" the principal said, handing the lady a piece of paper.

The lady curtsied, bending her knees a little as she accepted the piece of paper from the principal "okay ma" she said.

She turned to Jeremy and he couldn't help but groan mentally.

Again...that fucking paparazzi smile. He had no idea what she was smiling at.

All of a sudden, he felt like wearing sunshades. He shook his head clear of his silly thoughts.

He stood up, hung his bagpack loosely on his shoulders and they both walked out of the office, leaving his driver behind with the principal.

As they walked, the lady appeared nervous. She didn't bother to hide the fact that she was stealing glances at him as she walked. Jeremy found it wierd and unnerving. It was beginning to piss him off and when he couldn't hold it in any longer, he stopped in his tracks.

"why are you smiling like that? are you a lunatic of some sort" he asked sneering, cocking his head to the side, his irritation clearly showing on his face.

His words stung the lady obviously as her smiling face dropped, her expression, replaced with an angry one. The lady increased her pace, Leaving a wide distance between them, which Jeremy had no intention of closing, as the space was what he longed for.