MALE FACTOR [BxB]

Chapter 21

The mid-term week had just begun, and Jason, Timi, and Zuriel were seated in the garden, engrossed in their studies for the upcoming mid-term exams. Like the rest of the students around them, they were dedicated to preparing for the assessments.

Zino walked past, staring at Jason. Jason met his eyes and instinctively began to rise, thinking he should excuse himself, but Zino gestured for him to stay seated. Jason complied, unsure of what Zino had in mind.

Zuriel paused reading, and caught the attention of Jason and Timi, pointing out the absence of Stephanie. They exchanged concerned glances, wondering where she could be.

"That's true, where is Stephanie?" Jason asked.

Zuriel speculated that Stephanie might be with Beamer, considering the amount of time they had been spending together recently.

"Wait when did Stephanie and Beamer start dating? How long has this been??" Timi asked, unaware.

"It's been since guy" Jason answered.

Timi had been preoccupied with his own drama, completely oblivious to the fact that his friends were dating.

Zuriel wearily set her book down on her lap, adjusting herself on the chair and letting out a deep sigh of exhaustion.

"On top 10 marks, we want to kill ourselves, I've tried, I can't keep reading, I'd hustle junior that'd pass me dubs... The two of you should keep reading incase the junior fuck up" Zuriel left.

Stephanie had been persistently urging Beamer to avoid her secluded spot at the abandoned building, but he stubbornly refused to listen. She was absolutely certain that they would run into Lekan there, and the mere thought of it sent shivers down her spine. She still carried the burden of guilt for what had transpired between her and Lekan, yet she couldn't gather the courage to confess it to Beamer.

As if on cue, Lekan materialized at the location, busying himself with stuffing his shoes with dubs. Stephanie's fears had come to fruition.

"Ahan Lekan, how far? What are you doing here?" Beamer asked as they got in.

"Ask Stephanie" Lekan pointed at Stephanie.

Stephanie felt her heart sink as she stared at Lekan, her mouth slightly agape. It took her a moment to compose herself before she finally responded, "He usually stabs class here. He's probably stabbing test here too."

Lekan hissed and eyed Stephanie before turning to leave. Beamer sensed that something was amiss between them, but at the same time, it felt like just another instance of their usual dynamic.

Once alone, Stephanie reached for her chemistry textbook in her cross bag, intending to open it and start revising. She hesitated and closed it back, holding the book in her hands instead. She decided to test her knowledge by recalling and reviewing the concepts she had studied without relying on the book.

"An electrolyte is a substance that conducts electric current as a result of a dissociation into....positively and negatively charged particles....called i-ion" Stephanie struggled to recall the definition.

"OK.... What is Boyle's law?" Beamer quizzed.

"That's simple.... Give me something else"

"Alright...What is Charles law?"

Stephanie looked at Beamer in silence, her mind racing to recall the information.

"Answer!! Since you know it"

"Charles law states that the volume of a given mass of gas is directly... or wait is it inversely...? " Stephanie hesitated, trying to recall the exact details. Beamer chuckled.

"But you remember every BTS member's name" Beamed joked.

Stephanie rolled her eyes, playfully annoyed by the remark.

"Charles law states that the volume of a given mass of gas is..." Beamer began to define, but he was abruptly cut off by a security guard who appeared and started chasing them away.

"What are the two of you doing there?" The security guard inquired, suspicion in his voice.

Stephanie and Beamer quickly gathered their bags and started walking away without uttering a word in response. They didn't want any trouble and decided it was best to comply with the security guard's orders without engaging in further conversation.

Malik grew increasingly impatient as he waited for Chika in the classroom, but there was no sign of him. Malik approached Tope's seat to find out about his whereabouts.

"I don't know for Chika, he better come cause test would soon start" Tope shrugged.

Feeling somewhat isolated after his fallout with Olamide, Malik realized that Chika was his only close friend. With no one else to turn to, he found himself seeking companionship with Tope. But, he wasn't sure how to initiate a conversation or build a friendship with Chika's best friend.

Inwardly, Malik had the desire to strike up a conversation with Tope, as he thought it could be enjoyable to be friends with Chika's closest companion. But he struggled to find the right approach or the right words to begin the interaction.

"How did you and Chika even meet? You guys are really close" Malik inquired curiously. 

Tope leaned back, reminiscing. "I think JSS1, I don't really remember how but I know it's through Zuriel... "

Malik chuckled, not surprised by the connection. His interest piqued, he continued the conversation with Tope, wanting to learn more about Chika.

"Have you guys ever fought before?"

"What's the maddest thing he has done?"

"Has he dated anyone before"

Malik continued to bombard Tope with questions about Chika.

Tope couldn't contain her excitement about sharing the news with Chika that Malik had been asking about him in his absence. She knew Chika would be thrilled and perhaps even a little flustered if he found out.

As their invigilator entered the classroom, Tope decided to seize the opportunity and stepped out to search for Chika. She wanted to find him quickly before her own exams began. Although, she had to be cautious and avoid running into her sister, which made her hesitant to check the SSS3 block first.

Tope swiftly made her way around her own block, scanning the familiar surroundings in search of Chika. Time was running out, and her concern for Chika grew with each passing moment. She hoped he hadn't found himself in any trouble during his absence.

Zuriel urgently intercepted Tope just before she headed back to her block, revealing her own state of hurry.

"Has your papers started?" Zuriel asked.

"Yes... That's where I'm going" replied Tope, her tone reflecting her urgency.

"Wait... Do you have any free period today?"

"No"

"What of Chika?"

"It's him I'm even looking for, I've not seen him at all today... I think he's not coming.... But he didn't tell me anything, why would he not come when we're having test?" Tope lamented, her worry deepening.

Sensing Tope's growing panic, Zuriel swiftly took charge. She instructed Tope to return to her class and advised her not to worry unnecessarily. Zuriel herself hoped that their invigilator wouldn't be too strict so that everything would go smoothly for her during the exams.