Behind The Gate of Lakeview

~Six~

                                ~Jade~

This morning like most mornings, I ate alone in the big dining room I saw no reason my parents should have built for a family of five. A family of five that rarely eats together at that. My dad had an impromptu surgery during the night and he had rushed to the hospital with Saheed. Mom already left even before I woke up to deliver their breakfast to them. Now, I'm sitting at the dining table alone, listening to the clusters of cutleries on plates and listening to the echoes of my thoughts. Our debate on Sex Education was just two days away, today was Wednesday and on Friday, we'd climb the podium again except that this term, Lakeview had decided it wasn't going to be a debate-like but an argument sort of, like a panel discussion on Sex Education in front of the whole school. I was still busy with my thoughts when the house's phone rang. I stood up and I picked the call, expecting the person on the other line to talk but the person only remained quiet and I remained quiet too, thinking two can play the game. I was about to hang up, concluding it might be a spam call when the person spoke up

'Hello, Is this the Badmus' house'

The voice was distinctly an older Zainab's voice and it was barely above a whisper. Now my sister is prank calling our house. What won't she do now?

'Zee, you know you're crazy, abi? Now, you're modulating your voice to sound older to prank me, abi?

She hanged up abruptly, the sound clicking down my ears. I stared at the phone for a moment longer, a sense of foreboding rising in my heart. The wall clock chimed 7:15. It was time to leave for school. 

                                  *******

I was in the library, writing my points for the debate when I felt a figure looming over me. It was Uthman and he was reading my points. I closed the other.

'What do you want now?'

He shrugged and say down beside me, pulling the chair closer to me. I ignored him and continued writing in my other.

'Jade, are you seriously going to argue about Sex Organs with me? In front of the whole school?'

I turned to look at him. His usual smirk was on his face or should I say the smirk he always has whenever he was with me was on his face.

'Seriously, you're asking me that? I guess you will get your answer when I win on Friday.'

'You can win that. The only thing I'm interested in winning now is ECOWAS Debate.'

'Oh really? Have you forgotten the person in front of you won over you last year to represent Lakeview'

'I get am before no be property.'

I stood up and packed my books.

'I guess I have to show you again, then.'

I started walking away but he grabbed my hand. I stopped, looked at our almost intertwined hands before we both pulled away. He smiled.

'it's just like three months to go. We'll see then, who the winner will be.'

He said, stoop up, and left. I stayed for minutes longer. Staring at nothing, my mind blank. Hana was talking with Akin in front of our class when I got to class. She immediately came over.

'Jade, I was just going to get you. You stayed longer in the library.'

'Yeah. Had other things to do.'

'Do you think Keji slept with Caleb?'

What!!

Fine, rumors were flying all around about Keji. She had caused a whole lot of senseless commotion in the few days she has spent on school. She kept making moves on Uthman and she was probably with Caleb. In short, she was bad news for Lakeview. I still haven't seen why Lakeview will admit someone like her.