Chapter 49: Chapter 44

ERLING'S POV

(Erling Tobechukwu Kingston)

I slam the wooden door shut as I storm into the dimly lit empty room. The blood in my veins boil as the face of that idiot replays in my memory

I'm glad I hit the fool

I run my fingers through my hair, wishing they weren't braided at that point. I crack my knuckles in clenched fists as I try to calm down the furious tapping of my shoes on the tiles, a habit I have become accustomed to over the years

Punching that boy wasn't on the list of things I planned to do before leaving Lagos but putting him in his place was definitely something I bit my nails over. Who knew all I needed was a slight tip to the edge and I would send the buffoon straight to the hardwood floors of the arena?

All it took was for him to utter words from his stupid hole he called a mouth- even worse it wasn't me he insulted

I wasn't even thinking, the words had not even properly sunk in before I went red with rage and punched him square in the jaw, hoping to punch his mouth shut permanently- but I guess wishes aren't horses

I noticed how uncomfortable they made her feel right from the second we landed within the four walls of their school but I thought I didn't understand the kind of friendship they had. Even worse we weren't even on good terms for me to ask if everything was well from the welcome party at the diner that day and the little charade the stupid boy's girlfriend put up to welcome her 'long lost best friend'

The face of the person who has infiltrated my thoughts uninvitedly for the past two weeks barges through my mind and I can't help but visibly calm down. Had it been Toke or Idara in her position, I would have done the same or maybe even worse if it were Idara but something about how swift I was to act without thinking when it concerned her really unsettled me with the familiar cold feeling at the pit of my stomach.

The attitude her so called friend group put up against her proved my suspicion that what they had wasn't friendship- it was all too familiar

I saw that Kelly girl ignore her, I caught them sneak glances at her as they spoke about her below their breaths , I knew they were up to no good but insulting her like that in the open? I couldn't let it slide

The look on her face when we stepped outside was all I needed not to feel a single regret for what I did. While she acted appalled by the action and frightened by violence, I could see beneath all that- the satisfaction that she didn't leave the room embarrassed, that I had done something about it. The thought of it calmed me

I care about Amanda, perhaps too much- what's the use denying it?

I watch the door as sounds coming from the hallway filter in, expecting Chris or one of his henchmen to burst in but none of them do

Chickens

My lips curl at the thought- my life has been so boring lately that maybe, just maybe a fight may just spice things up. I am not one to fight, I prefer to talk things out like the calm, civil man that I am but what happened can't necessarily be termed a fight, just a little jab in the right direction

And no I don't go around punching people, this was just the second time ever. The first time was at Senior Erkee's party last year when one of his friends from a different school was trying to move funny with Idara and still insisted when she was obviously turning his advances down

We ended up being escorted out of the party before it even fully started- I hadn't even had a single drink

I scoot over to the edge of my bed, the part closest to the well so I could lie against it, unfolding my phone to its tablet size to play FIFA

Apple could never

****

I tug on my tie gently as the tight knot squeezes my trachea closed, embarrassing to say but I still don't know how to knot a tie properly so I try not to make a mess of the one Idara knotted yesterday night as I struggle to breathe at the same time- why did I pull it so tight?

"I'll just stand back as you people answer the Math questions" Espn says jokingly as we seat behind the table with the plastic tag 'Sheffield International High'

"Then you and Toks will help us finish them in grammar and vocabulary as my brother and I here stand back" Aidan says as he swings his arm over my shoulder, patting harshly

"You're the one that doesn't know English oh" I reply with an eye roll, untangling myself from his hold

We all speak good English to say the least- like civilised and well groomed children- but no doubt vocabulary in English isn't for the faint hearted. I for a fact hate languages, so bad that even when I picked Spanish over French in middle school- thinking I would naturally be good since my mum spoke Spanish- the teacher advised my dad to download duolingo because of how ironic my grades were

And now that it was just my dad who spoke English all the time, sometimes Yoruba too, Igbo only when he was around his family members- my Spanish and Catalan were completely zero beyond salvage

At least Idara does better, she communicates almost fluently in Catalan and understands Spanish because her mum hardly spoke English- and she lived longer than mine too so that counts

Students continue to filter in noisily as schools takes their seats in groups while the representing students come up stage. My eyes stay fixed on the door watching all designs of uniforms walk in one after the other. Other students from our school including Miss Ummi already had their seats three rows from the front, awaiting gingerly for the contest to begin. Justin meets my eyes before expressionlessly burying his head in phone as he walks in. I bite back the feeling that tries to surface- that feeling right from when we lost the swimming competition

Or days before that

I can't help but feel the immense need to apologise to him, to the whole team but my pride wouldn't let me. I failed each and every one of them, especially those who looked up to me- like Justin

I could tell that he still had hopes that I would change my decision last minute and join them to train so we could claim the victory like we always did but he didn't understand- it wasn't that easy. I knew weeks before that list was compiled what my decision was- what it had to be but I acted otherwise because I knew they would try to convince me, probably host a prayer session to deliver me of the 'evil spirit' that had possessed me. Everyone has gradually come to terms with the fact that I probably wouldn't be swimming again, except the one person that can actually do something about it- my dad

The hair on my skin immediately stands erect as the the thought pricks my mind- what would he do if he found out? The school would probably contact him anyway so there is no way I can hide it from him for too long but it will still be safer for him to hear it from me first. I have to tell him- but not now

The shiny tips of high soled boots causes my eyes to dart up and lock in a stare with huge brown eyes- her eyes

She freezes for a moment as our eyes meet then proceeds to fidget with her fingers as Idara pulls her into the hall by her elbow. She offers a tight smile as she breaks eye contact while my eyes trail after them to their seats. I feel my heart pick up its pace as I watch her- study her face. No doubt she has always looked beautiful but there is this recent glow I can't deny I've noticed these past few days. As if she senses she's being stared at, her gaze shoots up in my direction and this time it's my turn to break the eye contact- nerves are killing me and its certainly not because of the competition

What is this girl doing to me?

My attention is drawn back to the rest of the team, to the words coming out of Aidan and Espn's mouths but somehow their words don't make any sense. I can't seem to concentrate

"Did you hear what I said?" Toke's voice shakes me out of my reverie

Three pairs of eyes stare at me as I try to recall even though I wasn't listening to anything they said

"Yeah yeah I did" I lie, acting like we are on the same page

"What did I say?"

The silence is deafening as they all watch me come up with a reply, a small mocking smile dancing on Aidan's lips

"Uhm- you said something about- uh-" I swallow "sorry I wasn't listening, please come again"

"I didn't say anything, your mind wasn't here at all" she says with a small laugh

"Now pay attention"

"Yes ma'am" I nod, scooting closer to the edge of my seat paying full attention

***

Aidan writes scribbles noisily on the piece of paper in front of him, calculating our scores. We just completed the first Math round and we missed just a point so far, Savannah snatched the bonus point but altogether, we are in the lead

"Savannah has missed two questions but they got our bonus so that's like one point behind us" Aidan whispers shakily as he rules out straight lines on the now rough piece of paper

"I think we should stop calculating scores, it'll just make us unnecessarily anxious" Toke says with her arms crossed, looking the least nervous but the gentle tapping of her loafers on the tiles gives her away

"At least we're wiping the floor with this stupid Bolton" Espn mutters behind gritted teeth

The whole team looks at her with amused expressions worn on our faces- even you Espn?

"What?" She shrugs "I can't be the only one that hates them" she rolls her eyes

"General feeling guy, especially that Chris guy" Aidan says with a hiss

"That one that told me that if they win then I have to go out with him" Toke says with the most disgusted expression

My eyes widen in shock- the heck?

"He said that? I thought he was dating that girl beside him" Espns points but Toke instantly holds her finger back to caution her- she couldn't be more obvious

I chuckle mirthlessly- isn't this the same guy that was busy making passes at Amanda when we first got here? I'm sure the reason he said those things earlier is because she rejected him or something and the nigga can't seem to take the L

"The paper is completely used up oh, I don't know how this people gave us a single blank sheet to share in a Math competition haba!" Aidan says as he turns the paper around to check for any blank space left

"Relax, we don't need to write anything- is it not Math again?" I say

Writing on the paper was unnecessary and it only slowed us down, we all knew the reason we were using the paper was because others were and we wanted to look like we were doing a thorough job. They weren't questions that needed much solving with the kind of team we are- when we're not second graders

"Alright now, worst thing is that we'll write on their wooden desk if the need comes" Aidan says as he crumples the piece of paper and dumps it on the desk

"It's time" Espn says, sitting straight up in her chair

The organisers take their seats behind the microphone, discussing inaudibly with one another as they settle in for the next round

"Let's do this" Aidan says, adrenaline pumping through him

The Math round goes like a breeze, easier than the first round. It felt like those afternoon study sessions we usually have in school, Toke reading out the questions while Aidan, Amir, Edmond, Noel, Idara and I played with them. We got every question for the round right plus some bonus points from the teams that didn't get their questions. Without bothering to calculate we knew we were leading the others by a margin while Savannah came second with either Bolton or Middleton following closely after- just like last year

"We've come to the end of the second and final round of the Math contest"

The crowd erupts in cheers and applause, the loudest being from Sheffield students and staff

"Now we move to the next which is use of English"

"Great" Aidan mutters

"This better be good" Espn mutters

"A pack is to wolves as what is to flamingos"

My thoughts pause for a second, it's Emerald's turn to answer the question but even if it was ours I don't think I've ever heard the group name for flamingos- do they move in groups

'Flamboyance' Toke writes at the black tip of the paper, pointing at it with the cap of her blue pen

Ohhh- a Flamboyance of flamingos? So stupid

The Emerald team stays quiet till their time runs out, the question rolls over to us as a bonus

"Flamboyance" the entire team pauses to look at Kelly who just answered- isn't it our bonus since we're immediately after them?

"That is correct- bonus point for Bolton British Schools"

The shock from our team is audible as we exchange confused looks- what the?

"Next question, Sheffield International Schools please pick a question"

I slowly put my jaws back together as I avert my gaze from the Bolton team

"That bonus question was for us" Espn whispers for only us to hear

"Excuse me, the bonus question was meant to go to us" Toke says audibly to the organisers

The female organiser's gaze doesn't flicker, she stares at us without a word while the others exchange looks

"Bonus questions are for whichever school answers first"

What the-

"But that's how we've been doing it since" Aidan shoots in response

"Now you know, pick a question" the female says, looking slightly irritated

"25" Espn answers

"Question 25" the reader flips the page over

"In the book 'Wuthering Heights' what is the name of the servant who delivers messages between Cathy and Linton?"

"Nelly Dean" Espn replies in less than a breath

"That is correct"

The crowd applauds, they move to Middleton

"Is it just me or they bent the rule when it came to Bolton?" Espn whispers

"I swear! Why didn't they say before that anyone could answer bonuses, do you know how many we would have gotten?" Aidan responds

"We didn't try to before, maybe we would have gotten it" Toke says calmly

I let out a dissatisfied grunt, something fishy is definitely going on with these judges

"What is the name given to a group of zebras?"

What the

The four of us exchange looks, I direct my gaze straight at Espn who usually is our last option in questions like this but she shrugs- equally confused. The Middleton students whisper amongst themselves, they seem to not also have an idea

"Herd?" One of them says after they agree even though her voice gives away their unsureness

"That is incorrect, bonus question to the other schools"

"What the heck is a group of Ze-

"A dazzle" Kelly says eagerly from Bolton's table

"That is correct"

Each table appears stunned by their answer, most particularly our table- how the hell do they know weird shit like this? A dazzle of Zebras, seriously?

The crowd's applause dies down slowly and it is not until Chris looks in my direction that I notice I'm staring at them- I tear my gaze away immediately. My fists clench themselves as I think of wiping that smug look off his face. The questions go round and it is our turn again

"In the book 'good grapes, bad grapes' what does the author make reference to in the concluding sentence?"

We stare at each other again, the silence thicker than ever- I have never even heard of such a book in my life. The crowd is watching us and the time to answer is ticking away

"I don't know that book" Toke states

"Me neither, its not one of our recommended texts" Espn whispers in response "Oh God"

The tiny bell jingles

"Time up" says the timekeeper

"Bonus question"

"The blurring lines between good and bad people" The Muslim girl from Bolton prattled

"That is correct"

The crowd- Bolton's students- jeer and clap loudly

"What the heck is going on? How are they suddenly smart?" Aidan says a bit too loud, drawing the attention of those around us but not that of the team in question

"Maybe they are just good at Vocabulary and Literature or something" Toke comments, Espn looks at her irritatedly

"You've got to be kidding me Toks" she rolls her eyes "you of all people shouldn't believe this thing they're doing is fair and square without help"

Toke shrugs silently. Her countenance tells that she has a different thought on her mind so I wonder why she chooses to go with the least likely possibility

The round passes by slowly with Bolton getting all the bonuses plus their own questions right, we managed to score six out of the ten questions we were asked. The remaining questions had us staring cluelessly till our time was over. Middleton's team on the other hand have a general look of defeat and dejectedness. Savannah managed to score 7 points even with the way Bolton almost racked all the points to themselves

The next two rounds are even worse, it is a mix of stupid questions with far fetched answers but as usual- Bolton clenches all the bonuses

"Now something is not right with these people" Toke finally starts to click

"Welcome to 'train obvious' Captain" Espn says with an exasperated sigh

The Nigerian Geography and History rounds go well though, we answer almost all our questions right except one and Bolton- finally- have stopped stealing all the bonus points. We beat them in both rounds, hopefully that buffers up for the embarrassing margin in English

"Yooo" Aidan says as he scribbles on the wooden desk

"Bolton is leading us with 3 points" he buries his face in his palms

"Shit" Espn says

"I have been to two junior decathlons and three senior decathlons and Bolton has never been top two in the quiz competition" Toke says

"Guy do you get? They've only been good at sports and we've been better so what is this sudden geniusness that came over them?"

"Tahh which geniusness, there's nothing you want to tell me, they're working with the judges" Aidan spits in annoyance

"We have come to the conclusion of the quiz session, your scores will be displayed on the board shortly"

In less than a minute, our scores fade into the screen one after the other

Bolton British Schools 48

Sheffield International Schools 45

Savannah Springs Highschool 38

Middleton Highschool 35

We get up from our seats without exchanging much words with each other. We have one last speed round tomorrow that would determine the final winners of the quiz competition- we have to win

For some reason I'm more concerned about this than any other part of the competition, the thought of not winning alone is driving me crazy

"Hey" I feel a soft touch on my shoulder

"Hey" I respond to Toke

"Don't beat yourself up, we'll win"

"And if we don't?"

"You did your best, we did our best, whatever the outcome is shouldn't make you feel insufficient" she says calmly

"I can't help but feel that way to be honest" I let out a dry chuckle

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asks

I look straight into her eyes and I almost take up the offer but I just can't. I'm not ready to lay my heart out on a platter in front of anyone just yet

"Nahh" I drawl, swinging my arm over her shoulder playfully "thank you"

She smiles slightly as she releases herself from my hold, continuing our walk together in silence

I stay silent as we meet up with our other classmates discussing the just passed quiz. Toke gets into a full blown conversation with Amir as soon as we get down the stage while Edmond drags Espn off to God knows where. Amanda walks behind a limping Idara who is somehow walking faster even with her half leg

"You guys did so well, I am so proud of you all" she says as she gets to us, we say our thanks as she continues to sound like the proud mum of kids she sent off to school

I zone out of the conversation she's having with Aidan, Mirabelle, Jenny and the rest of the crowd gathered in front of the hall's exit

"Hey"

"Hey" I return with a small smile

"Are you- uh- okay?" She asks

I heave in a deep sigh

"Yes I am" I finally let out

"Then why aren't you walking with the others?"

"I'm walking with the others now" I say with laughter in my voice looking ahead to the others who are in fact about 2 meters away

"No you're not" she responds with a playful expression, flashing her dentition

"You're not walking with the others either" I raise an eyebrow with a smirk

"Just to make sure you don't get lost on the way" she shrugs

I laugh at her expression as we walk into step

"Thank you so much, without you I would have gone through the wrong exit" we both laugh then silence ensues

A nervous, electric hush filled with unspoken thoughts

I could feel my heart pick up its pace as the backs of our hands brush slightly. I'm usually not out of words- or out of breath- when we are together. It feels almost as if the silent acknowledgement of my feelings for her earlier only sucked away my bold front and replaced it with a timid, squirmish highschooler- oh boy

"So- uh- how are you?"

Shoot me, those were the only words that could come out? Seriously?

She looks up at me with big bright eyes- the prettiest brown eyes

"I'm good, just a little hungry" she finally responds

"Didn't you just eat?" I ask with amusement

"So? Are you judging me?" She shoots me a threatening look

"I wouldn't dare" I say with my palms up in the air in surrender

"Better" she crosses her arms with a pout

Her expression causes a small smile to find its way to my face- watching her can be so entertaining

Snap out of it mumu

"What are you doing after here?" I let out the words without thinking twice

"I have nothing planned yet, I'd probably get to the hostel and sleep- or do you need something?" She asks without looking into my eyes

"Not now, maybe later in the evening- I hear there's a tennis court in this school"

"Did you come with your racquet?" I shake my head "Then not an option"

"No free racquets for visitors?"

"Nope they're expensive and students don't take good care of them"

"What else do you suggest then?"

Her eyes dart to her entwined fingers in front of her

"Uhm- are you looking for a different sport to play or-

"I want to hang out with you" I say abruptly as we step in front of her hostel

She does a sharp intake of breath as the words come out

I can't help it, I'm a straight forward man

She shifts from foot to foot as her eyes roam everywhere but in my direction, fighting a blush that's already spread across both cheeks

"Uhm-" she clears her throat "kay- what do you wanna do?"

I stare at her silently for a moment until she finally looks up at me- immediately breaking contact as soon as our eyes meet

"We could play basketball?"

"I don't know how to play basketball"

"I could teach you"

"I don't want to learn" she mumbles

"Does it have to be a sport though?" She asks after a brief moment of silence

I shrug, waiting for her to come up with something

"I could show you the library, it's the coolest thing in this school"

"I've never heard someone describe a library as cool"

"I'm serious though, you'll understand when you see it"

"Okay then, time?" I ask as I fix my hands in my pocket

"Is 7pm cool?"

"Let's just head there from dinner" I suggest

"That's a good idea" she responds, nodding her head repeatedly

"Uhm so- see you around?" I say

"Yeah" she smiles tightly "see you later"

She gives me a slight wave, and I return the gesture briefly. As she takes a few steps backward, she spins on her heel and walks inside. My eyes remain fixed on her retreating figure for a moment before I snap myself out of it.

Gaddamn

****

AMANDA'S POV

(Amanda Aderinsola Akinde)

Lord have mercy

My palm flies up to calm my racing heart as soon as I get in through the hostel doors.

"What the heck was that" I say to myself

"All men do is lie"

My head snaps up at the sound of the voice ahead- did Espn see that?

"Uhm- it's not what you think"

"Ehen nau, I was born last night" she says with a sarcastic eye roll

"Sha be careful, its Erling we're talking about here" she turns to walk into my room

I drag myself after her slowly, pulling my tie out of its strong hold on my neck

"What do you mean by that? What kind of history does he have?" I ask cautiously as I walk further into the room closer to where she is standing in loose white shorts and a pink tank top

She shrugs, concealing the smile threatening to spread on her lips

"Tell meee" I hit her with a pillow

"Ow- you're harassing me" she laughs out loud

"Talk" I bark with a stiff expression

"Why do you want to know though? Do you like him or something?" She says with a mischievous glint in her eyes

I don't respond to her question, instead I look away- unable to say the words

"Ehen that's good now, there's nothing to worry about since you don't like him"

I hit her with the pillow again, this time straight at her face

"Do you want to blind me?" She glares at me

"Just tell meee" I say pleadingly this time

"Okay okay" she finally surrenders

"It's no big deal to be honest, there's nothing wrong with him. You should just know what comes with being involved with the most popular guy in school"

"Which is...?"

"You'd have unnecessary attention from everyone, both his enemies and his secret admirers will develop sudden interest in you which could be either good, bad or dangerous"

I stay quiet for a moment to digest what she just said, the thought of it unnerves me a bit but I don't think it's that serious- we're just hanging out and it doesn't mean it would eventually lead to anything

You hope it does though

"It's not that deep" I say as I shrug my clothes off and change into my towels to leave for the bathroom

I don't infact feel as if it's not that deep but I can at least fake the confidence until it comes. There's nothing going on between us, we're just hanging out

At the empty library

In the evening

Without adult supervision

Don't overthink it- it's no big deal

***

"Why are you breathing so loud" Toke says from her corner

"I'm breathing loud?" I stop breathing for a moment then try to continue the process which is now seeming excruciatingly painful

"Are you anxious about something?"  She asks with a look of irritation

"Nahh" I lie easily

"Are you done going through my jotter, I need it before we go back to school to start my revision"

My eyes expand in their sockets- what the heck?

I completely forgot we have tests as soon as we get back to school- do I even have the lecture plan?

"Uhm sure yeah, I'm done" I dig through my suitcase to pull the neatly kept jotter out

I took one look at the jotter and that was all, it's been almost a week now since I've had it in my possession

"Here it is" I stretch the wood coloured book towards her "um what day is it today sorry?"

She studies my expression briefly to see if I'm messing with her before collecting the book from me

"It's Friday, tomorrow's the last day of the competition"

"I feel like there's something I'm forgetti- oh shit" I spring up from the mattress, fixing my feet hurriedly into my slides

"Nana's debate is tomorrow" I sprint out of the room into the corridor, almost bumping into Muna on the way

"Hi Moon"

"Akinde" she acknowledges my presence briefly without pausing motion

I rush into Nana's room only to find her space empty and Denaya passed out on her bed

"Please does anyone know where Nancy is" I call out to the two Bolton students minding their businesses but none responds- not surprising

I tap gently on Denaya's shoulder but she doesn't budge

"Shit" I mutter as I feel my empty pockets- I didn't carry my phone

"Denny" I tap a little harsher "Denny"

"Hmmm?" She hums from sleep

"Where's Nancy?"

"I don't know" she shrugs then immediately falls back  asleep

I hurry out of the room, skid across the hall way then to my room at the other side of the floor

"Did you see my phone?" I say as I walk into an unusual situation

"Guard the door for me" Toke says in a low tone

Without much thinking, I walk over to the door and push it closed with my behind

"What's going on?" I whisper yell

She has her phone out, taking pictures of some pages in a book on Muna's desk

"These people had the questions from today, it's all written in this girl's note" she continues to flip and take pictures

"Woah" a wave of realisation washes over me "no wonderrrr Kelly said all the answers even before they finished reading them"

"I knew there was something weird going on I just didn't want to talk without proof"

Approaching footsteps grab my attention

"Are you done? Someone is coming" I say in an agitated whisper

"Yes" she slams the book shut while I move away from the door

I'm immediately met by Muna who seems to be coming back from the restroom. She exchanges glances with the both of us, obviously suspecting something is wrong but neither of us give it away

"Let's go" Toke says as she dips her phone in her pocket

We walk out of the room silently not to create further suspicion before dashing out through the hall way and to the reception

"What do you plan to do?" I ask as I scroll through the newly taken photos on her phone

"I don't know, I feel Aidan would make use of this better than I would"

I snap my fingers at the brilliant idea

"Good idea, very very good idea"

"I'll show him during dinner, let me text him to come" she taps Aidan's contact and starts to text

For some reason, I start to overthink the consequences of what we're doing- what if they're disqualified? How would Muna feel knowing it was HER notes we took pictures of?

"Uhm Toke- are you sure about this?" I say quietly

"What?" She pauses

"What if its not what it looks like? Are we sure they aren't just some random revision notes"

"It literally had 'quiz questions'as the heading what other proof do you need?"

"Oh" I sigh nervously

She continues to tap on her keys while my mind strays a little further

"Do we have to report though? Can't we just ignore? They won't be able to cheat their way through the speed test tomorrow"

She gives me a look of disappointment, shakes her head with a scoff then goes back to what she's doing

"And send" she finally says after minutes of furious typing

"I understand your bias because they're your former classmates, but this matters a lot to us who were on that stage today" she says calmly

I nod gently

"Yeah I get it, sorry"

She swings her arm over my shoulders

"Now let's go and eat"

"Yeah" we walk in sync towards the cafeteria, chattering briefly on random topics

"I've still not spoken to Nancy, her phone is switched off"

"Maybe she's with Aidan"

My eyes expand in shock

"How do you know everything?"

"Anyone with two eyes and a lick of sense would smell from a mile away that something is brewing between those two"

"Wow" I say, truly stunned by her wits

"They're keeping it a secret though, don't tell anyone "

"Pff that never ends well" She chuckles lightly "but I'm the last person to spread gist ever, my lips are sealed"

She drags an air key over her lips then throws the keys away which makes me chuckle a little bit

I stick my pasta filled fork into my mouth, savoring the sweet juicyness with my eyes closed- since when did Bolton learn how to make meals with such heavenly taste? I was literally here for 5 years and I skipped at least one meal a day

I look straight at the door with my spaghetti filled mouth and I immediately regret my choice to sit directly facing the door-

He has on a black ashluxe round-necked sleeveless top and black joggers with a silver cross pendant dangling below his neck. He walks in with Denola by his side, the latter's eyes fixed on his phone while his own hands are fixed in his pockets lazily

Blue eyes, sea blue eyes

We make eye contact as he steps in and I almost feel my chair swallow me, his lips tilt up in a lop sided smile as he walks in closer- not breaking eye contact for a moment

"Erling" both our heads dart towards the direction of the voice and its Mirabelle walking from the other end of the hall

He gives me a final lasting gaze before turning fully to the approaching girl carrying what seems to be his laptop in her hands

What's she doing with his laptop?

I observe their inaudible exchange for a brief moment- she chatters unending words to him while he has his arms folded across his chest as he listens to what seems like an interesting topic

First time I'm noticing his biceps

Okay maybe not the first time- there was that night at their house when he also had no sleeves on

At the kitchen..

I catch myself breaking into a blush the same time I notice his stare- shit

I gather the empty plate in front of me along with the tray and the empty bottle of water. I walk briskly to the disposal counter, aware there are eyes on me- don't miss your steps Aderin you can do this

"Would you like any other thing?" The woman behind the counter asks

"Yeah maybe a Chapman and doughnut for later"

Don't blame me, I can't live without a midnight snack

"Chapman and doughnut" she repeats quietly as she types it into the computer

"Seven fifty naira"

"Add a bottle of water please" She types it in

"One thousand naira"

I nod for her to proceed with the packing- which she does by the way- very slowly

I sight the shadow of a person as it emerges slowly behind me- I immediately know who it is

A whiff of colon plus some soapy scent hits my nostrils and immediately sends my common sense on vacation- I suddenly forget how to stand straight so I start shifting from foot to foot and tapping on the tiles

"Hi" his voice rumbles lowly

I do a quick whip around in faux surprise

"Hiii" my eyes settle on him, damn "What's up?"

"I'm good, how are you?" He replies with a small smile

"I'm okay" I return the smile

"Your order is ready"

I internally thank the woman for saving me from another round of awkward silences

"You've eaten already?" He asks with a raised eyebrow

"Yeah Toke and I came really early"

"Hm-mm" he nods "Where's Idara?"

"Uhhh- she's uh- coming- from the hostel- she'll soon be here" I lie pathetically

I have no idea where she is

"Oh" he says "maybe she was practising the debate with Noel, I can't find him either"

I nod my head repeatedly, trying not to look like the awkward liar that I am

"So uh- should we go now?" He asks

"Aren't you going to eat?" I point towards the food counter in confusion

"I'm actually not hungry, I only came here because I knew you'd be here" he says simply, shrugging his shoulders

I lower my gaze from his, nodding in understanding as I walk over to pick my purse and phone from the table.

Bear 🐻💕

If he asks tell him I stayed back at the hostel to prepare for the debate

6:12pm

Bear 🐻💕

I'm at the pool... with Aidan

Bear 🐻💕

And no we're not swimming, nothing sus

I'll come to your room before you sleep sha

My eyes widen as I read the messages sent 40 minutes ago- at the pool ke? This girl is going to kill me

I quickly turn my screen over in case Erling or any other person is watching but the former is simply standing a few feet behind going through his own phone

"Let's go" I finally say as I dip my phone into my pocket

I wave briefly at Jenny and the rest of the swim girls on their own table- which they all wave back by the way, absolutely love them. Toke already left about ten minutes ago to join her family video chat so I don't need to worry about leaving anyone behind

"You look good" he says as we step out of the building

"Thanks"

Of course I do- I didn't wear this white body suit, grey baggy joggers and my fresh spotless white crocs just to look 'good', I look amazing

"You look-

"I know I look good, I always look good" he interrupts, flashing a toothy grin

"Now that's the usual Erling" I say with a laugh "drop the cockyness for once will you?"

"Never, its my identity"

"Abegg" I say with loud laughter

"Why aren't you practicing for your speed test tomorrow?" I say as we walk towards the library

"Oh that- I'm not representing, Aidan is. He's the best at that thing, I'm not as fast"

"Oh yeah he's really fast" I nod- I've witnessed that wizard solve questions in  split seconds without picking up a pen

"Are you sure this place is even open?" He says with a look of doubt as we approach the entrance

"We're not going through here, there's a back door" I grin mischievously as I lead us to the less visible part of the library, slide the window open then pick a single key from the slid

"Is this even legal?" He whisper yells

"Nobody's gonna know" I twist the key in the hole then push the door open silently, luckily the lights were left on

"What the heck are you up to?" He asks with an amused expression worn on his face

"You coming?" I call as I walk further into the building, leaving him to close the door

He catches up quite easily, craning his head to look around, masking whatever thoughts he has with a stoic expression. I know this beat his expectations though, Bolton's library is the coolest place on earth

"I'm still surprised you find the library a fun place to be"

"Why not? I love reading" I shrug as we climb up the stairs

"That's even more surprising"

I shoot him a weird look, my eyebrows squinting themselves

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't mean it the wrong way but I never thought you liked reading"

"Just because I don't like reading school books doesn't mean I don't enjoy other books" I cross my arms to face him when I get to the top of the stairs

"My bad, I meant no offence" he puts both his palms up in surrender

"None taken" I turn around to continue walking

"And we're here" I finally say when we get to  our destination

Tucked away in the farthest corner of the school library, past the towering shelves of dusty reference books, there’s a place only a few students know about—The Nook. It’s not hidden behind a secret passage or locked behind a puzzle, but it feels like a world apart from the rest of the school.

"Woah"

"Welcome to The Nook"

"Woah" he repeats, taking in the entire view

The Nook is a small, cozy section of the library that most students overlook. It has mismatched armchairs that are way too comfortable for school furniture, a low wooden table covered in old notes and doodles from past visitors. The walls are lined with books that aren’t on the school’s official catalog—forgotten poetry collections, odd sci-fi novels, and classic literature with students’ handwritten notes scribbled in the margins.

What makes The Nook special isn’t just its quiet, hidden charm. It’s the things people have left behind over the years—notes tucked inside book pages and sketches in the corners of novels

"What's that?" He points to the old, all too familiar  paper back

"The wishing book" A smile forms on my lips as I take the book in, memories immediately flooding in

"What do they do there?"

"Students anonymously write their thoughts and confessions- the worst confessions" I tut

"I'm listening" he grins, pulling the book towards him while I still have my grip on it

"Chill let me see if there are new confessions" I pull it back towards me

He doesn't let the book go, instead he holds on to it as he keeps his eyes trained on mine, a smile tugging on his lips

"Fine fine fine, we'll look at them together" I drag the book out of his grip with a final pull, settling on the soft low cushions

He dips in beside me, tilting his head closer to read

"Mr Rowland is dating SS3B girls" we both read out

"Ahhhhh" the both of us exclaim in unison

"What the hell?" I say in shock as I examine the words again "this one looks recent oh, I think the person just wrote it"

"The Mr Rowland is a teacher here?" He asks with all the shock written on his face

"Yesss he's the vice principal" I say then tone down my voice "I never liked that man and his creepy smile"

"Are the things here true?" He asks

"Not entirely but as they say, there's usually no smoke without a fire"

"Hmm- are you sure that's how to use the quote?"

"You sha understand what I'm saying" I roll my eyes, he laughs at my expression

We scan through the pages, exclaiming where necessary while going through students' wildest thoughts

Chris is cheating on Kelly with Sarah and her bestie

My eyes widen in shock

"I believe this one like mad, shebi Sarah is the girl with ginger braids?"

"With braces yeah, she's my roommate"

"I saw them that night in class together, alone" he emphasises on 'alone'

"What night was that?"

"That night with- uh you and Edmond- uh I don't know" he rambles

"Oh"

That night couldn't have looked more wrong than it did

"It wasn't anything like it looked like" I state

"You don't have to explain to me" he laughs nervously "I wasn't jumping into any weird conclusions"

"Well just so you know, nothing of that sort is going on- can go on between the Eddy and I, it was just a funny looking situation"

"I understand, like I said I didn't think anything to it" he says, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips

You liar

"We better keep going, there's tons of confessions to read and I need to go through all of them this night" he says with a serious expression like it's his day-job or something

"Aye aye captain" I say jokingly as we go on with the reading

We go through a lot of confessions- A LOT- at the beginning with a lot of 'ohhhhhs' and 'ahhhhhs' till it became silent as we read through the not so interesting confessions

"Amanda"

"Hmm"

"Wake up"

I peel my eyes open to the blinding lights shining from the ceiling. I sit up, raising my head slowly from the armrest of the sofa I slept off on

"I slept off" I mutter

"Yeah me too" he rumbles beside me, the wishing book now closed on the wooden table in front

"It's 1am Jesus" I gasp as I check my phone

"Yeah" his voice says cracked

He pushes himself up from the couch, stretching his hand forward to help me up. I take it, accepting his help in pulling me up to stand

"Won't your hostel be locked?" He asks, his voice now sounding clear of sleep

"I don't think so, they've not been locking it since after the first day"

We walk in sync, enjoying the comfort of each other's silence

The night turned out much differently than I expected- to think I was nervous bringing him here because I thought he might not enjoy it

"I had a great time" he finally says as we get closer to the girls hostel

"Me too" I say genuinely

"Okayy I will see you in the morning" he says with a smirk

"Yeah, goodnight"

"Goodnight"

I wave briefly before walking into the hostel, signalling to him that the door is open before he turns to leave too.

A smile forms as I replay the events of the evening all over again- Erling isn't so bad after all

******

Olololooooo

Been a while 🌚 ki lon sup?

I love this chapter, like mad 🥹🫶

One because its almost the end of our Decathlon episodes (I've missed our home in Sheffield) and

Two because it has Erling and Amanda written all over it 😭💕 for some reason, I feel they might actually have a shot at something- they look so promising!!!

Aidan and Idara hmm-mm-mm (rubs palms evilly) 😙 there's a lot in store for everyone sha, good and bad

I'm done with exams, let's expect another chapter soon

Till then, ciao

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