Nimi

I walk into The Food Hut to get my Delly Meal and see the last person I expected to run into at this joint.

Demilade.

Hoping he wouldn't notice me I cock my head to the side and hobble to the counter. The employee takes my order and I almost believe I made it out unscathed till I hear a voice call me.

Immediately I stop in my tracks, tightening my grip on my nylon bag while Victoria who had been preoccupied with her phone looks in his direction.

"Oh, hi Demilade," I say in response.

He's right by my side in an instant and I wonder what on earth I had done to merit the attention of the most popular boy at my school. "Funny seeing you here."

"Ditto," I comment in a much more quiet voice.

"Anyways, would you and Victoria like to sit with me and my friends? We're just hanging out here for the next hour," he asks brows all furrowed and cute.

Like the novice at social interactions I was, I accidentally speak my thoughts out loud. How on earth did I even score Isren's number again?

"Sorry what?" Demilade asks, eyes sparkling with amusement, confirming yet again my desire for the ground to eat me alive.

I turn to Victoria only to receive a noncommittal shrug. I was on my own this time.

I take a glance at his table, to see the ever malicious Patricia rumored to be his girlfriend sitting cross-legged by his now vacant seat; Brian his fellow track athlete lounging opposite his chair; and the only two seats left wedged between him and Sophia who I was certain had a diamond-encrusted stick shoveled up her anus. Turning back to him I fake a disappointed smile.

"Nothing and I would have loved to join you and your...friends, but I ordered a take out and now all that's left for me to do is 'out', do have a nice time though. Bye Demilade," I say still glued in my spot.

"Well maybe next time..." his smile falters for a second before he gives me a reassuring grin once more, "...have a good evening Nimi, I'll text you later today for the Book Day Presentation follow-up," he says and walks away.

My conscience is suppressed by my relief and I hurry out the door almost forgetting to pull rather than push on my way out.

"Thank you so much for being of help Vic," I say once we're a few feet away from the fast-food joint.

"I was only observing but you seemed to have it handled," she says shooting me a knowing grin.

Not ready to argue I sigh and increase my footpace, she could sing the wedding march song behind me for all I cared.

...........

I jiggle my keys into the door praying Mummy had decided to skip Nollywood binge-watching today and was still at the fellowship. Otherwise, I would not hear the end of me getting how five minutes past seven.

God must have shown me mercy today because the living room is empty and the curtains pulled back. All that could be heard was the comforting sounds of cricket who had come out to play in the neighborhood till my Dad broke it.

"Oluwalonimi!" he calls from upstairs.

I drop my purse on the couch and rush to his study. "Yes, Daddy!"

I unhinge the doorknob and the familiar scent of men's cologne and peppermint greets me. In his study, the walls were painted a cream shade with a mahogany shelf twice my size spanning half the wall adjacent to his desk. On his table various documents littered the space, an iron metal stationery holder rested by the foremost left corner and his laptop sat directly in front of him.

It cast a luminescent white glow on his large forehead that was now creased with all sorts of wrinkles from stress, old age, and sour looks during football matches.

"You called me sir?" I say curtseying slightly as a show of respect.

He looks up from his thin-rimmed rectangular reading glasses and parts his lips. "Er, yes please go and get me a glass of cold water from the dispenser."

I do my best to hide my annoyance at him for calling me upstairs only to send me all the way down and back again. "Okay Daddy, would you like anything to eat too?" I inquire.

"No, your Mother made some food before she left that I have microwaved. Just get me some water I am parched. See the glass cup over there." he says pointing to an empty cup a few centimeters from his laptop.

I grab it and leave, mumbling an okay before my exit.

...............

Tired from the day's affairs I ease into my bed adjusting my pillow just the way I liked it when relaxing.

I then grab my phone from the charging port and see the promised text from Demilade. Most girls would have been excited about his newfound interest in them but I learned to be wary of boys who were clearly out of my league that approached me.

I ignore the voice telling me that I made an exception for Mr. I'm-so-hot-and-rich going on to myself about how Demilade's own was different.

I mean he had known I existed for the past five years but only decided to reach out to me in our final year? I wasn't the hottest girl at school and all I had going for me was a stick figure and a pretty face. I couldn't do any sports without eating grass and I averaged on a B+ grade scale save for my stellar scores in English. He was a science student and I was an art student, oh need I say more?

I had every right to believe something was sus about that guy.

Ping.

My phone goes off again alerting me I had another message from Demilade.

"Okay okay, I'm coming"

Demilade, 7.01 pm: Hi Nimi, were you able to reach the juniors on how much time they'll need for their poetry presentation.

Demilade, 7.33 pm: Kindly get back to me ASAP, the Social Prefect is hounding me for the time stamps for the order of events, thank you.

I type a response on how the students had bailed, complaining they were too shy to perform to the whole school.

Immediately my text ticks blue I get an incoming call from him.

If I decline he'll know I cut it, but the time frame is too short to claim I wasn't around when he called so I can't let it ring out.

Swallowing my phobia of talking to him on phone I pick his call. "Hello." I squeak out.

"Sorry to disturb you." echoes his deep voice on the line.

My eyes widen not expecting the baritone I received and I check my phone clock once more to be sure it's not midnight because his voice sounded unusually husky.

"No problem, why did you call," I ask sounding a bit more girly than I would like.

"Because if we don't figure out a way to get those two students back we're in big trouble," he says and my eyes widen.

"What? Why? I mean it's just one performance." I say trying to make sense of what was going on.

I hear him sigh on the other side before he continues speaking. "I already gave the Vice Principal the order of events without the time stuff. He got back to me saying the Principal would be especially looking forward to the one poetry performance we have on our itinerary for World Book Day. If I show up without two performers I'll have a lot of answering to do and as the assistant library prefect you'll get roped in too."

My frown deepens as I take in all that he says. " Why should I be the one to blame, I mean where is Rotimi the actual library prefect in all of this?" I ask.

"Homesick he just got out of the hospital from having a serious case of Typhoid and won't be available till another week," Demilade says.

My shoulders sag and I feel even ashamed for not knowing my head prefect was indisposed. "Okay...then just tell the Vice Principal there's been a change of plans."

"The event is on Wednesday and I'd have to pass the revision through all the authorities before it gets to the Principal again. There's not enough time anymore," he responds sounding like he was trying to keep his cool as well.

My head slumps against my bedpost as the realization sinks in that we were in big trouble if we didn't get those girls to perform. Both of us don't say anything on the line again and instead try to come up with a solution.

I am the first to break the silence after much dragging. "So I have an idea and it just might be crazy enough to work."

Author's Note

If you've made it this far thank you for reading my book! I appreciate every single one of you so much❤️. Please remember to leave a vote if you enjoyed reading it as this really helps my books. Feel free to leave a comment to say hi! Or let me know your thoughts as you read. And share this book with a friend you think would like it.

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