You stick out
of the crowd,
baby,
it's an no-brainer...
__
The smile wouldn't leave TJ's lips.
He walked with the bubbly strides of a man in love, his hand fondly patting the bulge at the left side of his brown leather jacket.
The black hightops on his feet kept urging him to move forward. He bounced, practically skipped to the classroom, looking every bit like the street's elegant fashion king, on his all black attire topped with a leather jacket.
Truly, he was in a bubbly mood and even the cool evening air seemed to agree with him. They hovered around him, whispering mother nature's good wishes to his ears.
Finally, he thought, as he entered the empty classroom. Students were already at the hall. His package arrived safely, and on time too. He'd anticipated a little setback, but got none. Infact, Nigeria had been hitting him with surprises at intervals.
He propped on the desk and pulled out the little black rectangular box. He'd purposely chosen a rectangular box. He didn't want to scare her off, he thought as he stared at it's lid for a good second. Inside the box laid his present, one he'd instructed and paid a shit load to be made for her. Only her.
He pulled open the black lid, the masterpiece winked at him as the sun too caught a look.
It was as he'd seen it at the site. They'd added all that he'd described too. The jewelry was to be simply put as perfect. He stared at it, clips of how it would look on her played in his mind.
He just had to make his next move, which was the hardest.
Would you be the Bonnie to my Clyde?
He shook his head, cringing at the way it sounded.
How the hell do you ask a girl out in a spectacular way without looking like an idiot? He mussed, his earlier thought paralyzing his brains.
She wasn't just any girl, who'd claim a title without him working his ass off. She was Chimdi -- his sunshine and thoughts of asking her out had his nerve going haywire.
How about--
"Nice piece of jewelry."
TJÂ whipped his head around to see his cinematography teacher, standing by the open window, looking all cool and dapper on a dress shirt, neatly tucked into a blue denim, topped with a black velvet jacket. The first two buttons of his shirt were undone and TJ thought he looked too young to be a teacher. But then again, he remembered he was a youth Corp.
"Hey Mr Ofose, good evening." He greeted, shutting close the box and shoving it back into his pocket.
Corp Ofose smiled, his brow furrowing in mock thoughtfulness. "You know, school hours are over. Call me Morris. The real Mr Ofose is probably somewhere at Calabar, having an old fashioned kind of fun." The young teacher shuddered in mock horror.
TJ laughed, the statement loosening him up a bit. By the way, the teacher wasn't in anyway threatening. He was a jolly good fellow and treated his students with great respect that got reciprocated.
He shrugged. "Sure, why not."
The young Corp leaned against the open window. "So who's the lucky girl?" Seeing the look of utter mortification on the boy's face, he raised his hand up in mock surrender. "Mind if I stick my nose? And don't ask me how I know-- you've got this lovestruck look going on,"
TJ was fighting back a damn embarrassing smile.
Ride on man, you just have to be a wuss.
He cleared his throat. "Someone." He answered discreetly. Corp Ofose chose to let it be.
"Does she know how you feel?"
"Umm...not really." He shoved his hands inside the silk pockets of his jacket.
"I guess that's a no."
The young Corp stood from the low cut window, dusting invincible dirt off his ass. "You should act fast before someone goes for the catch first. High school love stories are that shitty."
TJ could almost see nothing but crimson. He'd never thought of a third party-- didn't want to think of one. He too stood up, getting ready to go search for her and pop the damn question.
"Easy boy," Corp Ofose smirked, patting his shoulder fondly. "I hope she's worth it."
He left TJÂ standing there, thinking and believing with great certainty that she was worth everything.
__
"I think the red is too bold Nene, I look like a bloodsucking demon!" Chimdi whined, using her cellphone to check her reflection.
Perfectly made up face and structured cheek bones greeted her -- then there was her lips, full and pouty with the daring colour teasing her to say a word.
"Bitch shut up and put down the damn phone," Nene snatched the device from her. "The only thing you're sucking this night, is that pretty boy's lips!"
Chimdi cringed.
"Ewww Nens, filters please?" Lara shouted, looking all flustered.
The darker girl glared at her. "Don't even utter a word. You ruined their chance of kissing last night."
Chimdi went beetroot. "There was no kissing about to happen. Jesus!"
"Hmmn, kissing I'd love to try with you," A male classmate teased, breezing past.
"You'll have nothing but my fist asshole!" Nene called back, before facing her roommates. "Seriously, these boys are disgusting."
Lara checked her cellphone, the content causing a smile on her face.
"You care to share what's tickling your fancy?" Chimdi asked. She was wearing a body hugging red gown, which stopped right on her mid thigh. The off-the-shoulder neckline gave way to a full tulip styled hand. Her endless legs were slipped into a transparent slipper heel.
Lara snapped her eyes off her phone, blushing furiously. "It's nothing," she said quickly. "It's just a book meme." The white cold shoulder crop top hung on her abdomen, her thighs held together with a green bandage skirt. On her feet were black strap heels.
Nene narrowed her eyes at her. "The same meme has got you blushing like Ms Bloomingdale?"
A red leather playsuit clung to the melanin bombshell's curvy body, stopping right at her thick thighs. On her feet were black OTK leather boots.
The school auditorium was packed, the red, gold, white and green decorations screamed Xmas parte! Chairs were set round single tables with drinks of the non-alcoholic kind.
The DJ brought life to the hall as he mixed afrobeat with BonnyM's Christmas number. Students all dolled up and geared up for the party of the year, bobbed their heads to the beat.
But still, the guys were absent.
"Do they have to be late every goddamn time?" Nene asked, looking around the big hall. "This fashionably late thingy is for girls and girls alone."
Chimdi was a nervous wreck. She still hadn't gathered the guts to face him after last night. She'd thought that after speaking to him and having the cutest video call of her life last night, that she'd feel less nervous.
But boy, was she wrong.
Every nerve in her body was excited at the idea of seeing him, so bad that they couldn't calm down for a second. Last night had taken down the barrier between them. She couldn't explain it, but she still sought the answers.
And no, it wasn't if he reciprocated the feelings. She just needed an answer to an unasked question which kept lingering in her mind. Couldn't morph into a question worth understanding. But she knew that if the answer came, she'd know.
"There they are. Finally!" Lara said with a sigh and Chimdi felt the staccato beat of her heart.
They pounded like festive hula drums, excited yet nervous. The feelings were so overwhelming that she felt like slapping a good self control into her damn body.
But when she turned, he wasn't present.
She didn't know if she felt relieved or disappointed.
"Where's TJ?" The question flew out of her mouth without permission, as the guys approached them.
Urrrgh! You stupid mind.
Nene and Lara gave her knowing looks, which she ignored.
"He went to get something," Jiki answered, distracted and checking the black leather timepiece on his wrist.
All the while, looking like an angel which he certainly was far from -- on a white turtleneck and skinny jeans. A long black jacket hung on his shoulder, the white Jordans on his feet made his legs look skinny.
He raised an amused brow at Chimdi, before giving her a side hug. "Damn Dee, who you out to seduce tonight?"
"More like who they want to kill tonight." Elo muttered, staring with mouth open and not in anyway bothered if he had drools dropping, as he stared at his girlfriend.
"You should shut your mouth babe," the darker girl said with a smirk. Snapping her fingers at her boyfriend's face. "If you get a fly into it, I'm not letting you kiss me."
Elo nodded, still in a daze, with mouth still agape, causing them to laugh.
He was wearing a dark green hoodie under a Kanye inspired black denim and black skinny jeans. On his feet were black hightop.
Chimdi looked around, discreetly though, waiting for the 21st century Romeo to pop out of anywhere. She just wanted to see his face, his smile...
I think I've officially gone beserk!
"He hasn't disappeared into thin air. Chill." Jiki whispered into her ears as they stood around, with Lara and Nene ceaselessly teasing the light out of Elo.
Chimdi glared at him, he had that smug look on his face, one that usually irked her.
She was about to ask him what he was on about before she noticed the soft and brilliant material he had on. She wasn't greedy, she just loved to appreciate man's aesthetic skills and maybe, get her hands on them too.
Jiki, noticing where her gaze was fixed on narrowed his eyes at her, before shaking his no.
"Nuh uh. Rewind and erase Dee, you're not getting those skinny hands on this one too."
He'd lost more than, a score of his clothes to her, but he knew better. She wasn't going to go easy on him.
She pouted, her blood red lips sending several images of a cloth tasty vampire to his head. "This will be the last," he lifted a brow. "I promise."
"And so she says. Nice try Dee, I'm not falling prey this time."
His gaze shifted, narrowing at the entrance. He checked his wrist watch again. "What's keeping him? Dr Addy will arrive soon."
Chimdi followed his gaze, silently searching for TJ. She felt the fear crawling back, the same she felt at Antni's office. Restless, she decided to go search for him, herself.
"Where are you going?" The fairer boy asked.
While Nene, Elo and Lara had gone to search for a good sitting spot.
"Outside, I need fresh air." She replied hastily, while he stared, confused. His eyes darting to the lined air conditioners at both sides of the hall.
She waved her hand in annoyance at her own fumbling attempt to explain. "I need real air before the event begins. Here's kinda stuffy."
Not wanting to be at the receiving end of his scrutinizing gaze, she scrammed outside.
She saw him first, after a few seconds of being outside. Orange and yellow hues covered the cloud like a light curtain, as the sun set. The brown of the sand, of the differing shades of skin and the aging but yet, strong rooftop took its share of the natural phenomenon, which casted a glow so surreal that one wouldn't help but stare in awe.
She felt the warmth in her heart, the quick jerk in her stomach as her gaze rested on him. He looked so damn gorgeous was all her mind registered, on a plain black spandex shirt that hugged his upper region. Tucked into a black skinny jeans with a black belt that looked like it was made from the finest leather.
What got her eyes and heart sighing out in utter bliss was the brown leather jacket that made him look like, he belonged inside the glossy pages of a Playboy magazine. She took him in, eyes and brain putting every detail to memory. From his shiny black fade cut to the hightops at his feet.
And when his eyes found her -- held her gaze, flashing her that gravity defying smile, her heart stumbled and rolled right to his feet.
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