1:CRUSHES AND LETTERS

We were walking back to class from the canteen, her hand was in mine as she went on and on about how Deinma likes me and how I had to give him a chance because I'm always so uptight and she just wanted me to breathe a little.

"I'm sure he likes you", she said

I laughed, clapping my hands out of habit, not necessity. "He doesn't and if he does? then he better not. Not in the mood to have anyone like me". I said.

"Always so uptight, Siya Ogan".

"He offered to buy you food and that day he wanted to help you carry your bag".

I rolled my eyes. "I look like I'm hungry, shey? Or that my hands have lost their purpose. He is simply doing all that to impress his little squad of friends. Can't catch me dead dating or even entertaining that boy". I said to her which rewarded me with a long sharp nauseating hiss.

"Who cares? By the time Timi sees Deinma's hands close to your big Rivers woman buttocks, I'm sure she'll commit suicide". Ifunanya never hid her hatred for Timi and her three best friends; Lolia, Angie and Pelumi.

"So that another reason, I will never date Timi because I don't want Timi to commit suicide". We settled in our seats and started with our canteen-bought foods. It had become a tradition to meet up and eat in class during lunch break instead of the cafeteria since she was in science class and I was in Arts, it made our talk time limited.

"At least consider the benefits. I mean, Deinma will gladly beat any SS3 boy that tries you and he is very handsome and rich and tal-"

"I have a friend who is handsome, rich, tall and... will beat anyone who tries me thank you and just so you know I'm talking about David not you Madame", I said before putting a large forkful of spaghetti in my mouth and then took a gulp of my lacasera.

Ifunanya was obsessed with her weight being just ideal so she was eating a large bowl of vegetable sauce and boiled eggs with teem soda. On the other hand, I was not slim or fat per say, my stomach wasn't flat and my thighs were touching so I considered myself plus size and I was comfortable with myself.

The matter on Deinma suddenly switched and she was telling me about how she caught her boyfriend kissing Timi in the library yesterday, she said it with excitement and her lips were pulled in a smile, I was beyond confused but you never really know with Ify. Her eyes lit up as she said she had stood there till they finished kissing so when they were done they would see her and then she walked away.

"And as expected, he followed me to beg me, yapping nonsensically about how he wasn't the one who kissed her but she's the one who kissed him blah blah blah blah", she sighed. "Felt so good when he knelt down, I felt like some kind of goddess".

"Is that toxic?", I said and she laughed, clapping her hands and then kissed her teeth.

"Couldn't care less, if it is. The sex is good and he's really handsome. Best accessory a girl could have, my darling friend". I shook my head and laughed along with her.

"Just sha be careful". I said taking the last fork of my spaghetti, I drank my lacasera so slowly and watched her eat.

"Abeg". she said and paused. "That's the deal, the risk my mother says it prepares you for the future and omalicha like me", she laughed and stood to her feet swaying her small hips left and right, I couldn't help but laugh. "omalicha like me", she continued. "I'm sure Timi would be jealous, I've got myself some good ol' dick and she's still there trying to get the attention of the boy that has his eyes fixated on you, she's mad".

God, this girl..

After classes, the day students left for home while the boarders retired to the hostels. Ify was a day student and a boarder; she boarded on Wednesdays and Fridays. I was a full boarder. I walked her to the gate where her driver was waiting in their black G-wagon before going back to the refectory. SS2 tables were just beside SS3 luckily my table was far from the SS3s and closer to SS1 so my table members and I were able to be excluded from the errand sprees that SS3s sent people. "Hey, call an Ss1 student", "Get water", "Clean this table". Sickening like we were their maids.

Aye was one of my low-level friends, you know those ones you could speak with for a whole week straight and then go the next week without having a conversation longer than ten seconds? Yes, exactly that.

"Deinma said I should give you this", she said and on impulse I rolled my eyes.

"Doesn't he give up". I said taking the piece of paper from her. My eyes scanned the content and then I lifted my eyes to where he usually sat and he smiled at me. I took the paper in my hand high enough for him to see as I squeezed it in a ball and threw it on the table. Aye stifled a chuckle and his lips turned up in a smile.

"If someone offered to buy me food, I would take it ", she said and I laughed.

"He should shift with his food. Like that's the best he can do, ask me if I want to eat lunch with him". Aye laughed.

"How far sha?", she said and I replied to her. We started talking about nothing in particular when a shriek from the other side of the hall caught our attention. It was Timi. Timi was light skinned like Aye but her eyes were dark, beautiful orbs while Aye's eyes equally as beautiful were light like caramel. Her friends were equally very beautiful, you know perfectly fitting into the spectrum of the beauty standard, slim, long hair, curves in the right places and all that just like Ify. I remember someone had called me wide and fat in Jss3 and that was the first time I realised that I wasn't like Timi with a slim waist, flat stomach and breasts that were perky, even if she hardly had breast at the time while I was already months into my trainer bras and she was still with singlets.

Angie was the most beautiful, not necessarily because she was so god-like looking but because she knew she was good-looking and she was confident in it. Her skin was white, her was golden and her eyes were a pale hazel colour, those eyes ever vibrating in their sockets, she thrived in her albinism and I loved it, it was the only thing I like about her, that she took what people used to make fun of her with and turned it to her power. In some ways, I wanted to learn from her, to be her. She never plaited her hair in cornrows or braids; they were always up in straightened ponytails or they were down, she feigned a british accent sometimes and had grown perfect over the years. She used her accents with teachers and when she wanted to intimidate a junior student. No one had ever dated her, ever.

"I'm not a Lesbian", she said one time to dismiss the rumours "I just don't see these boys to be my type". In summary, Angie was beautiful, powerful and regal. But she always cowered for Timi who was in many ways less power demanding than she was and I didn't get that aspect of the transaction.

I was eating my lunch, when David Emmanuels sat down beside me. He was smiling as always, in all perfection.

"Food monger", he joked and I swallowed my garri.

"You'll just be eating and sending all the food to that place", I slapped him on his arm and he laughed.

"You're talking about her ass, shey? This boy", Aye said and he smiled at her.

"So Aye, have you considered my offer".

"NO!, I am not interested in dating you", she replied. He shrugged and turned to Naomi who was peacefully eating her own food.

"Naomi, make me the happiest boy on earth and be my girlfriend". She eyed him and looked away and we all laughed.

"Always so thick, this is your skull". I said and drank out of my cup. David was brown skinned, the colour of groundnut paste, his skin texture looked to be just as smooth as paste as well. He had very handsome features; large doe-like eyes, they were so vibrant and brown those things that you would forget all your problems just staring at them and God was very happy when he was making David because he gave him all the perfect features but football dented David's perfection when he chipped his two lower teeth.

Ify moved him from first place to second place on her FBI list when she started dating Chris and when he dented his teeth, they happened on the same days so... she said the universe was sending her a message.

"Fine Boy Institute, Member 2 rank 2, David Emmanuels". Then she would nudge me and smile. Always trying to set me up, that girl.

"Oya let's go, '' he said and we walked out the refectory.

"see how all these girls are jealous of you", he said as we walked past a group of SS1 girls . I paused.

"Why have you now said this one, Oga".

"Do you think it's easy to walk with David Emmanuels?", he had a smug look on his face. "Fine boy like me"

I scoffed. "I like your confidence". I said and he frowned.

"What does that mean? That I'm not fine?"

"I didn't say that, you did". I said and he started squeezing my hand in his large one, I winced and struggled to get my hand out of his but I couldn't, he finally let go.

"Ohhhh... you've broken my hand, this boy!", I said looking at my fingers.

"That's what you get for lying".

"How did I lie?".

"You said I'm not fine".

"No, I didn't". I paused looking at him crossed. "You didn't!".

"Well, you implied. You're lucky I like you or else", he hummed as a warning and we ended up in a fit of laughter.