CHAPTER SEVENTY: AFTER CLASS HOURS
After class hours, it was time for lunch in the dining hall. I stood up after packing everything neatly into my bag. Samuel had already left—barely a minute after the class ended. Maybe he was in a hurry or something; I didn't know.
Daniel came over to accompany me as I walked toward my hostel.
"Thanks, by the way!" I said, finally finding a chance to appreciate him properly. I hadn't thanked him earlier, nor given him back the money he spent buying my food.
I handed him the cash. He collected it, then asked, "What should I buy for you?"
"What?!" I frowned, almost laughing. "That's the money I owe you! You helped me buy food, remember?"
"Oh!" he said, suddenly realising. "Sorry, I forgot!"
"No problem," I said with a small smile. "Thank you, by the way."
He nodded, slipping the money into his pocket.
"You and Joan are back together?" I asked as we walked past a noisy group of students arguing over anime characters.
He chuckled. "No, we weren't even really dating back then."
"Oh, please," I said sharply. "Don't say that near me—it irritates me."
"What?" he asked, genuinely confused.
"You said you weren't really dating. As how? We're not kids anymore—well, technically, we still are—but at least our brains have grown a little more mature."
He smiled faintly. "Okay, my bad. I shouldn't have said not really."
Still the same old Daniel. Sometimes I wonder what goes on in his mind. I'm sure he'll become a playboy when he grows older, because the kind of nonsense he says at just fourteen is already alarming.
"So… what was that about you and Samuel back in class?" he asked suddenly, giving me a side glance as we walked towards the dining hall. A teacher in charge stood nearby, holding a cane, ready to flog anyone who dared to walk towards the hostel instead of the dining room.
Junior school is quite different from senior school.
In junior school, we go to the hostel first to drop our bags before heading to the dining hall. In senior school, we go directly to the dining hall after classes. In junior school, after dining, we return to the hostel to change into our house wears and eat provisions before going for prep by four o'clock. In senior school, however, we go straight back to class after dining for prep—no time to visit the hostel. The matron never opens it anyway, following strict orders from the principal.
Prep is supposed to be a break, a leisure time to read or revise, but honestly, it feels more like an unending continuation of the school day.
"Samuel and me?" I asked, confused by Daniel's question.
"Yeah," he said, still walking. "It seemed like he said something to you that changed your expression during break time. You even said you didn't want to leave the class, but when I came back, you were gone. Wetin sup?"
(Wetin sup—meaning, what's up? what happened?)
"Oh… that's kind of personal," I replied, turning to look at him, cursing the sun under my breath because he was tall and blocking most of the shade. "And… I'm not ready to share it with you."
"Okay," he said quietly, and that was all he could say in that moment.
"I'm sorry that I can't tell you," I added sincerely.
"No problem," he replied with a smile. "I respect your decision."
We soon reached the dining hall and went our separate ways.
Inside the hall, the students were already seated—girls on one side, boys on the other. I spotted Victoria entering with John. John! The same John she had chosen over our friendship. My heart tightened a little.
I looked around for Morayo, hoping she'd walk in later, but I didn't see her anywhere. Maybe she was attending a different school for her senior years. Lucky her, I thought.
Then, Samuel walked in with Gift and a few of his friends, all of them laughing about something. He smiled and waved at Gift before taking his seat.
Okay, I told myself, don't even start drawing conclusions. Just leave it alone.
"Hey, can you let me in? I want to sit inside," Gift said, motioning towards the empty spot beside me.
I stood up so she could slide in.
Part of me wanted to ask her what was going on between her and Samuel, but another part told me to keep quiet. My curiosity was battling my pride, and honestly, pride was winning—for now.
I exhaled softly and decided to remain silent.
---
After lunch, I stood up to leave and began walking back to class alone. It was at that moment I realised how much I needed female friends—or even just one true friend who understood me.
As I walked, Daniel appeared from nowhere, resting his arm on my shoulder. I immediately rolled my eyes as the familiar scent of his perfume hit me.
"I thought you'd wait for me," he said casually.
"I thought you were still eating," I replied.
"You know I don't eat Monday food from the dining hall."
"I didn't know that—you never told me."
"I did. Just admit you forgot," he teased.
"Ugh! Don't you have other friends to be with?"
"Nah," he said, grinning. "I want to be with you."
I rolled my eyes again, pretending to be disgusted. "Whatever!"
Laughter echoed from behind us. When I turned, I saw Samuel and his group walking together, with Gift among them—this time, she was holding his hand.
My stomach twisted, but I tried not to show it.
"Who are you looking at?" Daniel asked, following my gaze. He immediately removed his arm from my shoulder, his tone shifting slightly. "By the way, do you like him?"
I turned to him almost instantly, my eyes wide.
"What makes you ask that?" I asked, trying to sound calm.
"Nothing," he said quickly, shrugging. "I'm just curious."
Curious? I repeated silently. Is that so, Daniel?
"Okay," I said, looking ahead as we walked.
He hesitated for a moment, then added, "If you're curious about Gift and Samuel, everyone in our set already knows that Samuel liked her since he joined the school."