𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒: 𝐌𝐈𝐗 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐀𝐗 ✅

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I placed two different shades of purple dresses on my bed. One was flared with laces in front of flowers, and the other was skimpy. Mum had gotten both for me during her last shopping spree, with silver glass heels.

It's been a week since we wrote our last paper. The last few days were filled with Ss3 representatives choosing the theme for our graduation ceremony. The ladies were to wear purple, and the guys were to wear red tuxes. Materials were distributed to teachers to buy so they could be coordinated, and invitations were passed to guardians and important figures.

Knock, knock.

I turned to the door to see my mother poking her head in. "You aren't dressed. Good."

I was confused as my mother stepped into the room. She walked up to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "My baby's no longer a baby."

"I was no longer a baby for a while, Mum." She waved her hands at that.

"Wear something light and come downstairs; your makeup artist is here."

"You got me one?" I asked in disbelief.

"The best of the best," she responded proudly. "My baby's got to be the fairest of them all. I mean, I'm your mother; you've got to live up to my status."

"But—" I stopped, feeling a bit sad. "I won't get any best student titles like my friends. I wasn't good at the start."

Mother gave me a reassuring smile as she spun me to face my desk mirror. I looked at my mum standing behind me before focusing on my image.

"I'm proud of you, Nsikan, with or without your grades. Yes, I want the best for you, but not at the cost of anything. You've tried your best, and that's all that matters." Mother reassured me softly. "All you've got to do is leave the rest while believing in yourself. Okay?"

I exhaled deeply and nodded, "Yes, Mum."

My mother patted my shoulder and turned to my bed. "Which of these are you putting on?"

"Not sure." I was still in a dilemma. "Which do you think is better?"

"How about the flare? It's classier." I smiled; my mother knows best. I kept the flare aside, knowing I'd be going downstairs first for my makeup.

Mum and I eventually left my room and strolled down the stairs. Sitting on one of the couches in the living room, I was occupied by several unknown people. Stepping further, I could tell it was the makeup artist mother hired a few months ago for her 'made you look' challenge.

"You've spent a fortune again," I said to my mother, remembering how much she'd spent the last time she'd used the makeup artist service.

"The best of the best for my girl." However, I wanted to groan out loud because I'd remembered the amount she'd spent just for a TikTok challenge. Though I knew my mother spent a fortune on my graduation makeup, I still wanted to look good. This was my graduation ceremony. Though it was shared with other students in my set, I still wanted to be the main character.

I sat on the stool provided and raised my face with the support of the makeup artist's hands under my chin. She began cleaning my face with a face wipe, and at the same time, a knock came from the door. One of the maids rushed to check who the person behind the door was and opened it wide to reveal the gateman standing firmly on the ground. Mother motioned for him to come in, and he did.

"Madam, two people dey look for you outside." He explained, pointing at the door as if the person were present.

"And who are they?" Mother asked as she picked up her phone to make a video with me in it. She probably wanted to save every step of my makeup session while posting it on the internet to congratulate me.