BEING A TEEN SERIES: CLOCKING SIXTEEN.

SEVEN

Donald burst into laughter at my question. He looked at me like I grew too horns on my head. He looked extremely cute and adorable while laughing and couldn't help but stare at him.

"Who said that?" Donald asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Gani" I replied as I sipped down on my fruit mix.

"Oh! Her" Donald said.

"You believe her?" He asked as I looked at him in surprise.

"You don't believe your friends?" I retorted.

"Are they your friends? They aren't good people" Donald asked his face suddenly serious and I frowned at him.

"Really? Who are they then? I guess Gani was right" I said as I retrieved my school bag and walked out of Dallas. I felt my chest ache when I noticed he didn't even try to chase me or apologise.

I had barely waited for two minuted when the driver pulled up in front of me anf I got in. I was in a foul mood and I didn't say anything till I got home.

Donald's questions were bothering me. Why would he ask if I believed my own friends? Even asking me if they were trying my friends and that they didn't seem like good people?.

I scoffed as I removed my clothes. I shouldn't have even trusted him at all. I developed an headache remembering I was to share Kunmi's invitations to her birthday party. I made little or no contact with people, how was I supposed to share it.

I fell on the bed and grunted. Why was life so hard before Sixteen?

I waited for my parents to come back and I thought of consulting them.

"Dad, what do you want to give me for my birthday?" I asked.

"I'll get you the latest version of iPhone" my dad replied as my eyes widened.

"Really?" I asked in happiness.

" Yeah" my dad nodded looking at me weirdly.

I jumped up and started running around the room in excitement. Finally! Besides clocking sixteen, if I also had an iPhone, the girls would respect me more and treat me better.

I smiled in happiness; finally everything was falling into place. My academics still gave me an headache though.

"What are you yelling for?" My mom asked.

"If you wanted one, you should have just asked" My mom added surprised at my reaction.

"But I have an assignment for you" my dad said as I turned to him.

"An assignment? That's new. I'm listening'' I said looking at my dad with rapt attention.

"On your birthday; you have to tell me who you are" my dad said as I frowned.

"Who I am?" I asked with an eyebrow raised as my dad nodded.

"I'm your daughter Mr Dare Olumayede" I replied as my parents burst into laughter.

"I'm your daughter nah" I said as my dad nodded.

"Of course you are my daughter. What I meant was that you should discover yourself" My dad said as I laughed.

"Discover myself?" I asked and my dad nodded.

"That's funny" I said as my mum smiled and rubbed my back smoothly.

I looked between both of them and was startled to see they were serious.

"You serious?" I asked puzzled.

"Yeah. You finish the assignment, the iPhone is yours" my dad replied as I laughed.

"Why are you giving me such a simple assignment?" I asked as I stood up and walked to my room. I went to the small shelf in the room and pulled out a small jotter.

I sat down as I picked up my pen and opened the new jotter. I wrote self discovery and who am I on the first page. I proceeded to continue writing and I was startled. I didn't know what to write next.

I rolled my eyes and closed the jotter and climbed into my bed with my laptop on her laps. Watching animes should help ease her burden.

My WhatsApp chats were filled with new month messages when I woke up the next morning. I had very few contacts in my WhatsApp list excluding my aunties and uncles. My contacts weren't up to 20.

I texted the girls happy birthday and wished Kunmi happy birthday in advance. They didn't reply my message and they continued chatting amongst themselves as if I wasn't online.

I wasn't in the least troubled. In two weeks, I was going to be sixteen and everything would change too. I just needed to finish dad's assignment.

I felt an headache immediately. I had woken up in the midnight to write something and weirdly, I couldn't write a word.

I quickly freshened up and walked downstairs. My mom had made Beans cake and pap.

"Good morning ma, good morning sir" I greeted with a small smile.

"Good morning Rachel" My dad replied as I sat down to eat.

"How was your night?" My mom asked.

"Fine" I replied as I turned to my dad.

"Dad, about your assignment; I don't understand it at all" I grumbled.

"I thought you said it wad simple" My dad teased as I rolled my eyes at him.

"I take it back. Its not. What is it supposed to be about?" I asked carefully.

"If someone asked you, who are you? What would you say?" My mom asked.

I bit into my Beans cake before replying "Olumayede Rachel" I replied.

"And?" My dad asked and I frowned.

"That's who I am" I replied and my dad smiled as he stared at me.

"Who is Olumayede Rachel?" He asked as I looked on stunned.

I couldn't answer his question as it kept reverberating in my ears. Who is Olumayede Rachel? It sounded like a simple question and yet I had no answer.

My dad rubbed my hair "Take it slow, you have two weeks" He said as I nodded deep in thoughts.

I spent the whole afternoon trying to write something in my jotter but not one word could I write. I didn't dare ask the girls fearing that they would laugh at me.

I had no friends so there was no one I could ask. I spent the rest of the day trying to answer my dad's question and trying to write something but I failed.

I couldn't answer the question. Neither could I write anything down. I was getting frustrated.

What kind of assignment was this?

I wanted to give up but thinking about the iPhone and the way the girls would start treating me well made me continue to come up with nothing.

I stared at the ceiling my head blank. I am Olumayede Rachel but who is Olumayede Rachel?

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully and wriggled angrily on the bed after I didn't come up with anything. I hissed silently as I remembered that I still haf two weeks before my birthday. There was still I lot of time, I told myself.

I walked to my table and tore a sheet of the jotter as I started scribbling things I wanted to do during my birthday party. I was okay to start planning in advance.

I was going to have a huge cake,  maybe wear a Cinderella ball gown. I decided against the idea because Gani might call me an old fashioned woman who got sent into the future.

I sighed again remembering about Kunmi's invitation card. I wondered how I was going to share it and I sighed again helplessly. I wanted to be sixteen already.