CHAPTER TWENTY: A LITTLE CHIT CHAT WITH MY FRIENDS
"Yeah, we are closer… No worries, I will tell him about your crush for him," I teased Victoria as we walked out of class together, swinging my bag lightly.
"Stop that," she hissed, though her cheeks were red, her blush almost glowing against her dark skin. "I want him to notice me by himself and not through your help." She kept her eyes fixed ahead, as though embarrassed to even look at me.
"Love is truly blind," Morayo muttered with a smirk. She side–eyed Victoria and then turned her gaze to me. "I honestly don't know what you both see in that cold, quiet guy."
"Morayo, just keep quiet," I shot back sharply. "Don't bad-mouth the guy. He has his reasons for being the way he is." I didn't want to admit it, but John's confession still echoed in my head. His silence wasn't arrogance—it was a shield.
"Morayo," Victoria added softly, "I don't know, but I guess people just have their own opinions about his behavior."
We walked down the dim path toward the dining hall, the last streaks of evening light falling behind the tall school buildings. The sound of footsteps and student chatter filled the air—everyone was heading the same way since it was mandatory to attend dinner after prep.
"Yes, Victoria is right," I agreed, nodding firmly.
"Whatever you say." Morayo shrugged, brushing a branch aside as we passed beneath the tall trees near the dining block. "But every time I see that guy, he just looks like bad news to me."
"Morayo," I called, my voice holding warning. Her words stung, and I didn't like how quickly she judged him.
"What?" she asked, lifting her hands in mock innocence. "Isn't it my opinion I'm just saying?" Her wide-eyed look made me sigh.
Victoria suddenly turned to me, lowering her voice. "By the way, what were you saying to John before prep ended?"
I blinked, caught off guard by her curiosity. As we entered the noisy dining hall, I leaned closer to answer. "I just noticed a scar on his arm, and I asked about it. At first, he brushed me off, saying he doesn't like talking to people he just met. But before I knew it, he started telling me the reason behind it."
"Wow," Victoria's eyes widened as we sat down on one of the long wooden benches. "He actually told you? He got a scar?"
"Yeah," I said, pulling my bag onto my lap. "He said seniors beat him."
Victoria shook her head. "Everything in this school is just about seniors. The senior boys are way more wicked than the senior girls. Some of them even flirt shamelessly with the junior girls."
"Disgusting," I muttered as I watched one of the prefects counting students on our table before going to collect the giant cooler of food. "If they continue like that, people will one day call them women beaters."
"Do you know," Victoria replied, tilting her head, "they might not even end up becoming that. But still, the cruelty is too much."
I nodded in agreement.
"Well," she said with a sly smile, "I just thought the both of you looked very close today."
I raised an eyebrow, pretending not to understand. "Can I ask why you like him?" I asked carefully, not specifying his name. The girl sitting opposite Victoria had been eyeing us suspiciously since we sat down, and I didn't want to feed her curiosity.
Victoria's face softened, and she lowered her eyes. "When I first saw him, I found him attractive. Later, I noticed his calmness and quietness. Somehow, that made him cuter to me." She bit her lip shyly.
I frowned slightly. "But what about that girl he called his girlfriend? You know who I mean."
"That girl?" Victoria echoed, deliberately vague as well. She gave a little sigh. "I didn't even meet her in the first month of school. When she finally came, the two of them became really close. It annoyed me, honestly. But I guess I'm bearing it. If he doesn't notice me at all, I'll try moving on."
"If it were me," I admitted, "I'd feel the pain of being ignored by my crush too."
Our food arrived just then—watery beans again, slopped carelessly into our plates. I poked at mine with a spoon.
"Jeez… beans," Morayo groaned. "Always their watery beans on Monday evenings. One reason I hate Mondays—this food and the boring subjects of the day." She tilted her plate, grimacing at the runny mess.
"I brought garri, don't worry," Victoria said. She slipped her bag off her back, placed it on her lap, and unzipped it. From inside, she pulled out a small black nylon bag. Carefully, she untied it and sprinkled some garri into Morayo's plate, then mine, then hers.
"Thanks," Morayo and I chorused together.
"Can I have some too?" the girl sitting opposite Victoria asked suddenly. The same girl who had been eavesdropping since we sat down.
Victoria hesitated only a moment before nodding. "Okay." She handed the nylon to her.
"Everything?" the girl asked, almost too eagerly.
"Yes," Victoria replied, mixing her own plate of beans and garri until it thickened.
"Thank you," the girl said, grinning. "My name is Vanessa. I'm a new student. I resumed yesterday." She looked directly at Victoria.
Straightforward much? I thought. Did Victoria even ask for her name?
"Okay, I'm Victoria," my friend replied casually, not looking too impressed. "And I'm not a new student."
I had to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing, but Morayo wasn't as kind—she burst out laughing right there. Heads turned briefly in our direction.
"Okay, nice meeting you," Vanessa said, either oblivious to the reason behind Morayo's laughter or too bold to care.
I knew it was rude, but something about Vanessa rubbed me the wrong way. Too forward, too quick, too eager. But maybe she was just lonely, trying to find friends in a strange place.
"I'm Floral," I said finally, deciding to be polite.
She turned to me and smiled warmly. "Nice meeting you as well."
We ate quickly, chatting in between about random things. The noise of the dining hall rose around us—plates clattering, spoons scraping, students laughing, prefects shouting for order. By the time we were done, the air was thick with the smell of beans and garri, and I couldn't wait to step outside for some fresh air.
We pushed our plates away, stood up, and began to make our way out of the dining hall. That was when I noticed Vanessa…
She was standing just a little distance from the exit, her tray in hand, but her eyes weren't on us. They were fixed on someone across the hall, her gaze intense, almost too intense for a girl who claimed she had only resumed yesterday.
I slowed my steps, narrowing my eyes.
"Floral, what's wrong?" Morayo asked behind me.
I didn't answer. My eyes stayed on Vanessa. Something about the way she looked, the way her lips curved in a knowing smile—it didn't match her innocent, forward introduction at all.
And in that moment, I felt it—Vanessa wasn't here just to make friends.