Listen To Me

Chapter 4

It was Monday morning and the classroom was rowdy as everyone received their test scores from the test they wrote on Friday. Hope stared at Damilare in anticipation as he passed the test sheets. Everyone gathered around him trying to spy on other people's scores and he was trying to prevent them from doing so. She was supposed to be assisting him as the assistant prefect but she did not care. He was the class Prefect after all, he could deal with it.

Hope detested working with Damilare. She did not want to be known as second best because that was what an assistant was. She especially did not want to work with someone like Damilare, someone she deemed beneath her.

Apparently, Damilare had ratted her out to his mother. Mama Ola had confronted her mother on Friday evening and inquired why she had refused to participate in the Youth program. Fortunately, her mother defended and supported her. If my daughter does not feel comfortable with it, then she should not do it. By the way, the youth program has nothing to do with her. Mama Unique had said. Hope was grateful for once to her mother for that.

"Hope," Damilare called, walking towards her with her test sheet. "Congratulations, You got a nine over ten." He said, handing it over to her.

She quickly seized it and inspected the test paper. She would have gotten a ten if she hadn't accidentally mix up the negative and positive signs in the last question. She smiled, Her score was still the highest so far. It would be alright if everyone else scored lower than her.

"Dami congrats, you got a ten." Hope's smile dropped instantly when she heard that. She snapped her neck in the direction of the voice. She saw Gladys patting Damilare on the back, everybody crowded around him examining his test paper, trying to know where they went wrong. Damilare felt her gaze. He turned and they locked eyes. Hope gave him the best fake smile she could muster. He smiled back before averting his gaze from hers.

She crumpled up her test paper and tossed it in her bag. If her mother heard of this, she would get an earful. Perhaps if she had had more time to study, she would not have made this rooky mistake. She kneaded her forehead in annoyance.

*****

The school bell rang indicating that it was closing time. Hope sighed in disappointment. Creative art class was the only class she enjoyed so she felt bleak when it was interrupted by the bell. Her Creative art teacher, Mr. Thomas, was an eccentric man who dedicated his life to art and was always seen with his paintbrush and canvas, painting off somewhere. He was in his early forties but still refused to get married, even though countless women were after him because of his good looks. He claimed he didn't want to be distracted.

Everyone packed their things and prepared to go home. Mr. Thomas had brought some canvas and paintbrushes to the class to illustrate something. The art room was a little bit far from the class and he did not want to stress the students by making them walk such a distance to attend class.

As he was packing up, his phone kept on buzzing with messages. When he read the messages, he then remembered that he had an urgent appointment and he was running late.

He stopped Kyla and Maris who were about to leave the classroom, "Please help me return this art equipment to the art room." He said in a rush, passing the keys to the art room and the equipment to them before running out of the class.

Kyla and Maris didn't have time to refuse or complain, "I cannot walk that far distance with this load ooo." Kyla complained. They were both reluctant to go.

By this time, the class was almost empty. Maris sighted Hope who was about to leave and an idea quickly came to her head. She casually blocked her path, "Hope, Mr. Thomas said you and Damilare should return these to the art room." She said, dumping the equipment on Hope who was forced to hold them.