I Did Not Want To Fall For You

11: First fight

"Daniel, no. It's the other way round," Kamsi sighed, smacking Daniel's forehead. He grimaced, rubbing the spot. He dropped his head to the ground after she told him he was wrong for the fourth time.
"It's too hard!" He cried, pouting.
"No, it's not. You just have to concentrate" She dragged his head up by the scruff of his green collar. He and Nonso were in the same hostel, Kwaiki, with the color green; Kehinde B was in Atlantica with orange house wear; Toyosi in Dimilang with blue house wear; Kaito in Kumari with purple house wear; and Michael in Sankwala with yellow house wear.
They were all either sitting or lying on their stomachs on the big field close to the stadium, under the hot Saturday sun, reading. There was an addition, Debola, who was, as expected, sitting close to Nonso. Nonso was acting normal like he didn't notice the glances she, Toyosi, and Kehinde B threw him from time to time.
He was the one who had introduced the reading spree then Daniel requested she tutor him since he obviously needed it. She was trying hard not to decapitate him.
"Check out this one" He handed his book over to her. She smiled after going through it and finding it correct.
"Your head is there" She nodded, "next one..."
Daniel immediately got up.
"No next one, ejò," he said quickly, "who is hungry here?"
Everybody's hands, except hers, went up.
"You're not getting away from me." She glared at him.
"I know, I know," He waved her off.
"Tochukwu, sponsor me. I'm not with any cash," Nonso spoke up. He was lying on his back, his textbook his pillow.
"Me too." Debola pleaded, her nose buried in her literature note.
"Unfortunately, I'm also not with cash," Kaito replied them. He was sitting with his legs stretched out, the recommended Jamb novel, Sweet Sixteen, on his lap.
"Same with me." Kehinde B announced.
"So who's with money here? I'm with just fifty naira," Daniel asked with a grimace.
"Am I with money?" Toyosi thought out loud, searching her bag.
"I'm also not with money. We'll just die of hunger," Michael shrugged.
"Oops. Just twenty naira," Toyosi raised the single note she found in her bag.
"Why's everyone looking at me?" Kamsi smirked.
"Last man standing. How much are you with?" Michael demanded.
She shut her eyes, pretending to think.
"Kamsi, just answer and stop wasting our time." Nonso rolled his eyes.
She opened her eyes to glare at him, "Hundred naira."
"One hundred and seventy naira. What can that buy?"
"Enough for me," was Daniel's answer.
"Buy popcorn, that's better," Toyosi suggested.
"I'm with swaqs, a lot," Kehinde B announced. Swaqs was slang for Garri, Cornflakes, Coco pops, and other easily prepared edibles.
"Garri?" Debola wrinkled her nose. Nonso raised a brow.
"Yep, and sugar and milk and groundnut and peanut," Kehinde answered.
"Oya, buy bread," Michael concluded.
"Bread? Does Garri go with bread?" Toyosi queried, bewildered.
"Bread is a universal accompaniment," Michael stated.
"Will three tiny loaves go round?" Nonso quizzed.
"I'll pass," Kamsi said quietly, still affected by Nonso's rebuff.
"I'll just buy those twenty naira biscuits," Daniel decided, giving her a look.
"Okay."
"Be fast, I'm hungry."
"Come back before I die."
"And you go to hell."
Were the responses that followed his departure.
Afterward, they soaked Kehinde B's swaqs and passed it round, munching on the biscuits along with it.
"What's another word for cry?" Kaito asked after.
"Weep," Debola answered.
"Is weep not sadder than cry?" Nonso asked.
"How?" Debola queried.
"Weeping is for women who lost their child or husband," He answered.
"Are you kidding me?" Kamsi scoffed. She was lying on the grass, her eyes already drooping.
"That's the word they mostly use in those situations" He shrugged.
"Never mind my question. I just wanted to break the silence," Kaito said.
"Why do you people take reading that stuff seriously?" She asked, gesturing to the book 'Sweet Sixteen' that was formerly on Kaito's lap but now on the grass.
"I'm reading it for the first time," he said to her.
"It's important" Daniel answered. He was also reading the book.
"Like you guys read it like you're reading your note or textbook. I don't know how to read a novel like that." She expatiated.
"If you read it for leisure, how are you supposed to learn the important stuff that comes out in the exam?" Debola asked.
"They just stick," She yawned, shutting her eyes.
"Well, they don't just stick for me."
She barely heard Daniel's words before drifting off into a slumber.
★
"Hey, Kamsi, wake up."
She stirred, turning onto her other side, pulling down her house wear she felt rising.
"Kamsi" She heard the soft voice call again then she felt someone pulling her up. Her eyes fluttered open as she yawned, her head on someone's shoulder.
"What?" She muttered, feeling weirdly tired.
"It's time to go."
"Go where?"
She turned to whomever she was conversing with, only then realizing she was leaning on Kaito's shoulder and that the rest of their friends were gone.
She moved away, making to pack her books and realizing it wasn't there.
"Daniel sent someone to drop it in your room. Toyosi, Michael, and Kehinde B went to the protestant Chapel, Daniel went to the blocks, and Nonso and Debola left to an unknown place," He informed her before she could ask.
"And nobody woke me up?" She frowned.
"Daniel did. You didn't shake."
She blushed in embarrassment, shooting him a glare.
"And since I left some time in-between to see the labor master, I decided to stay a little longer so they asked me to wake you when I was done." He finished.
"Thanks."
She looked around, noticing it was starting to get dark. She rose as did Kaito, dipping her hand into her pocket out of habit.
"I'm going to..." She paused, bringing out a strange paper. She smiled upon seeing its content. It was another of Daniel's drawings. It was a sketch of her sleeping face.
"What's that?" Kaito asked curiously, stretching his neck to see. She folded it quickly and slipped it back into her pocket.
"Nothing. I'm going to the refectory."
"I sent my H&F to runz your food and mine," He informed her, already walking away. Runz was slang for sneak out. She followed him, noticing he wasn't with his bag. He must have also given it to his H&F.
"Why?" She questioned though she was grateful.
"So we can continue the film."
"Oh" she nodded then frowned, "hope you haven't betrayed me?"
He smiled, shooting her a glance, "No."
They walked on in silence till they got to his class. She sat in his seat, greeting the few people in the class she was familiar with while he strolled to the back of the class to unplug his laptop. His seat was in the middle, by the window. She wondered why most of the window seats were occupied by the boys.
"A teacher could have entered and seized it, you know," She said to him when he came back to her, sitting on his seatmate's chair.
"I left it in someone's care." He answered.
"You should be more careful" she scolded and he chuckled.
"For your benefit or mine?"
"Both" She answered cheekily and his chuckle increased. He brought out a phone from his laptop bag and she raised a surprised brow.
"You have a phone too," She spoke, stating the obvious. He nodded, preoccupied with the phone. She noticed the sticker at the back of his phone's pouch. It was a sticker of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
She looked around, tapping her fingers on her lap and shaking her leg. It was a bad habit she formed when she was restless, uncomfortable, impatient, or bored.
"Are you uncomfortable?" He asked, his eyes now on her. She looked at him to see the laptop now booting.
"We can go to your class if you like." He offered.
"I'm okay here," She reassured him. She watched him input his password.
"Who is Chikamso?" She asked.
"My mum" He answered, his cheek tugging up a little. She nodded.
"You know I can use it against you. Do you always input your password in the presence of strangers?"
"No, and I know you won't."
"So confident" She muttered, "I'm guessing that's also your phone's password?"
He nodded.
She smirked, "Good."
"Good?"
"Good."
He played the movie. Twenty minutes later and already in-depth into the series, someone cleared their throat. They both looked up to see a junior boy. She recognized him as Kaito's hand and foot from when she had seen him last at Church.
"Good evening, seniors" he greeted, handing a plate wrapped in a polythene bag to Kaito.
"Why is there only one?" Kaito asked with a stern look while she returned the greeting. She paused the film.
"I cou... couldn't... fi... find another plate," The boy stammered, his face an epitome of fear. Kaito narrowed his eyes at him.
"And the drinks?"
"I... I... I for... forgot them but I can bring it now, I can bring it now." He rushed out.
Kaito turned his eyes away in annoyance.
"Get out."
"Sir?"
"Get out of my class."
The boy walked out hurriedly, almost on the brink of tears. She watched him turn the corner. He was badly weeping.
"You're too harsh on him," She muttered, turning to look at Kaito who avoided her eyes. He dropped the plate and a spoon on her lap.
"You're too harsh on him" she repeated, keeping her gaze on him persistently till he sighed, meeting her eyes.
"Am I supposed to pet him?" He asked with a sarcastic roll of his eyes.
"He cried. I'm guessing you make him cry a lot."
"And?"
"He's just in Jss2."
"Which means he should have some backbone by now."
"Doesn't excuse you treating him like shit."
"They did worse to me when I was a junior."
"Is that what this is? A warped sense of revenge?"
"Does it matter?"
"Really?"
"It just comes out. I can't help it."
"Yes, you can. You're making boarding school life hell for him. What does he even do for you?"
"What I want him to do." He had an annoyed look on his face.
"So he washes your clothes and bathes you?"
"Are you serious?" He scoffed.
"Just take it easy on him. He..."
"And just mind your business and stop poking your nose in matters that don't concern you." He snapped.
She blinked, shutting up and playing the film. She blinked again, trying to force back the tears that sprang up. This was something she hated, she hated people seeing her cry, especially in compromising situations. She disliked being reprimanded in not-so-nice ways and she disliked being shunned like Kaito just did. It made her feel small and unimportant. She had a lot of insecurities. It was in situations like this that she mist times ended up having a battle with her tear glands.
She stared hard at the screen, fighting back the tears, not hearing or seeing what was playing out. She didn't want to wipe her eyes so as not to raise suspicion and she didn't want to leave because she didn't want him knowing he had gotten to her.
"Kamsi!"
She raised her head, not seeing her savior but recognizing Kehinde B's voice.
"Tochukwu, excuse her. Kamsi, come!"
She sighed mentally in relief, immediately getting up and walking out, stylishly cleaning her tears along the way.
"I'll wait for you," He called out but she never came back.