SWITCHED: Walking in another Girl's Shoes

•One

Giwa's Pov

"I'm tired!" I wailed as I plopped on my hard bed, wincing a little as my ribs came in contact with the pako. Janet, my best friend who was operating her phone, sat beside me.

"Of what?" She asked nonchalantly, her eyes still on the phone.

"Of everything! School, work, house, Mushin, Poverty. Especially poverty" I replied in a low voice and sighed. Janet didn't say anything, rather her concentration was on the phone.

Annoyed that she wasn't paying attention to what I was saying, I got up and grabbed the phone from her hand, she yelled and glared at me.

"What was that for na?" She questioned.

"I dey talk to you" I said, poking my chest for dramatisation. "Your best friend dey unburden her heart to you and you dey their dey press phone."  After that, I eyed her and hissed, a way to show my disapproval.

"Oya sorry na. Okay sit down, make we talk" she replied and patted the bed. I grumbled and did small iyanga before I finally sat on the bed. She looked at me for a while, a small smile on her mouth.

"Oya talk" she said.

I took a deep breath and started speaking.

"I nor like this kind of life Janet. Dad's trying, he's trying so hard, I fear he will kill himself with work. Mom's doing her own part but nothing seems to be changing. See my uniform, tear tear and patch patch. The last time I changed my school shoe was in Ss1 and now am in Ss3. Shey this is how I am going to live life ni?"

Janet sighed. This wasn't the first time I was complaining. And I was sure she was going to launch into her 'every thing will soon be better speech'.

"Giwa" she called softly. I looked at her trying to read her expression. It was serious. Seriously serious.

"Yes?" I replied

"I understand you because I dey the same level with you. I don suffer wetin you don suffer. The only difference between us is that I looked for a fast solution to my problem"

Janet was as poor as me. It was through luck we are still going to school in our area. When she was fed up with the poor life she was living, she, in her own words used 'what she had to get what she wants'. Translation: she got herself involved with rich boyfriends and sugar daddies that were thrice her age.

"Are you trying to say I should also look for a fast method?" I asked, a bit skeptical.

"No. What I'm trying to say is that some people stress themselves to look for solutions to their problems. For others...." She trailed off.

"What?" I asked, curious.

"For others, solution looks for them"

A faraway look was in her eyes.

_______________________________

"Abeg make all of una shut the fuck up na! You know say people dey read for yer!" I chuckled softly at the raw anger and desperation in the class prefect's voice. The class had been busy because we had free period. We always had free periods because sometimes teachers never come to the class.  To the lazy ones, this school was a haven, for we the serious ones, we didn't like it.

But who nor like free period? My subconscious objected.

"You people should shut up nau, abi una wan collect?" I yelled above the uproar of the class noise. Some boys, silly boys at the back started hooting with their extremely deep voices.

"Collect wetin? With that bone you call hand?" Soma, one of the jokers in the class said, eliciting some laughter from the class. I glared at him but a small smile was on my lips.

"This bone, Soma, can deafen that your antenna ear if I slap you" I retorted back. The boys shouted and hailed me for that smart comeback.

"Taaa! Your slap no go enter. The only thing wey go enter is if you come here and lap dance me" Chidubem, one of the finest boys in class stated. The boys ohhhed and ahhed and slapped him on the back, hailing him.

I couldn't think of a retort to give him, so I kept quiet and searched my brain memory cards for insults I knew. I looked at his face, he smiled and wiggled his brows at me. I frowned and hissed at him.

Then an idea clicked in my brain.

I smiled sweetly and sashayed towards him, the boys made noise with every step I took. I stood in front of him, still smiling.

"Aww sorry sweetheart" I drawled sweetly. "This ass no go touch your laps so keep on dreaming okay?" Everyone exploded with that and I felt satisfied when the smirk on Chidubem's face wiped off, I thought I heard him mutter 'damn' under his breath.

"Babe ehn, you are too sassy. Abeg gimme high five joor" Janet said and raised her hand for a high five. I high fived her, grinning.

"Thank you oo my sister. He will think twice before looking for my trouble again" I replied back in the same jovial tone. She looked back and then focused on her book again.

"I think he likes you sha"  she said. The spit in my mouth stuck in my throat and I coughed endlessly, trying to breath.

E choke!

"See babe, no talk that kind thing again abeg" I croaked, trying to get the lump in my throat out.

"Sorry oo! Me I just dey talk my mind sha.  Na wetin I observe I tell you" she said and raised her hand up in surrender. Out of curiosity, I looked back to see him reading

So he's serious sef... My subconscious mocked.

He stopped reading and looked up, meeting my eyes, then he focused back on his reading. I faced front and tried to imagine Chidubem liking me. To me, he was a playboy and a flirt. He was very handsome though, but  I didn't see him more than a classmate. I left the falling in love to the other girls.

"Ya thinking of him abi?" Janet asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Eew! Why would I be thinking about him?" I asked in a scornful manner.

"You think I didn't see when you look back ? Or when you were pretending to be reading ba??" She asked, still having that I-caught-you look.

"Hei girl, no make i catch you oo" I threatened, getting my legs ready.

"Catch who? Una fit sef. Chidubem plus Giwa equals Chiwa!" She shouted and started running.

"You run abi? Make i catch you, mumu girl" I shouted and immediately ran after her, shouting on top of my voice.

_______

Hmm that's chapter one people.

How was it??

I love Giwa, that babe get vibe. I also like Janet, she's a good friend but she chose a wrong solution to her prob sha😊

Poverty no go kee person😅

Fill me up with comments guys!!!!

Ciao

Danielle ©