PANTY RAID

7| P.S I hate you

THE LECTURE ROOM was filled with multiple sources of noise. Students were shouting, various ringing tone popped from each corner , doors slamming as people came in and out of the class.

Snack wrappers, rotten corn cobs, and fresh orange peels lay strewn about like dead leaves. A cloud of flies gathered around the filthy crumbs of leftover puff-puff. The squeaking ceiling fan circled lazily and stirred the putrid smell across the congested room.

There was a dustbin right by the entrance of the class and Eniola wondered why her classmates prefer to liter the floor. Not even a tinge of pity on their faces as the old mama cleaner bent her unyielding back to clean their mess.

The class rep, Esohe, was reading something out to the class from the freshly printed paper in her hands. Her tiny voice drowned by the loud chatter that traveled around the 200seater lecture room. It's just a battle of words, nobody listening - everyone talking. The noise was ear-crippling that Eniola almost couldn't hear herself think.

Prof. Ajayi had just finished his lecture and left the class. Eniola had sat in the front during the lecture, since her father thinks that only the 'unserious fellows' sits at the far end of the class. No questions directed at the whole class was left unanswered even if no one knew the answer, Eniola had become the sacrificial lamb as her father kept calling her name to answer them. It was torture!

He had left the list of names for the new project pairing with Esohe, who was calling out the names.

"LIT/2018/198?" Esohe called.

"Yes?" Eniola moved to the edge of her seat, hoping that she had been paired with Onome.

"Your partner is LIT/2018/O54," she said, flipping the page of the list.

"That's Dayo's matric number," Onome exclaimed. Say what?

Eniola's knees buckled. "How could he do this to me? One would think that I was adopted or something," she said, referring to her father.

Onome rolled her eyes. "C'mon, he's one of the best student in this literature department."

Eniola gnashed her teeth. "I don't care if he's the best in the whole damn faculty. I just don't want him as my partner."

"You don't seem to like him that much."

"Abeg joor, what's there to like about him?"

"What's there not to? I'd love to trade partners with you but your dad will have my head, so deal with it." Onome laughed.

Eniola groaned and weaved her way between the rows of seats. Girls flocked around Dayo and his friends like covetous moths drawn to a flame. He was sitting on the wooden desk, bragging about scoring a girl.

The girls giggled at everything he said, trying to catch his eyes. Fuckery!

Eniola said hi to few of her friends before stopping right in front of him.

He paused and stared at her with a cocky grin. "Can I talk to you real quick?" she asked.

Eniola knew that his friends were sizing her up and awkwardly raised a hand in greeting.

Dayo excused himself from his friends. "At your service. Doll face."

Eniola was tempted to roll her eyes. "Don't call me that," she warned.

He flashed a smile, revealing his perfect dentition. "I knew you'd come around soon, they always do. I just didn't think it'd be this soon."

Cocky bastard! What does he think of himself? Ryan fucking Gosling?

Eniola faked a smile. "This is very unfortunate. But it appears that you are my partner for LIT 205."

The corner of his mouth quirked up. "I'm starting to think that fate has something in store for both of us, doll face."

"If you call me 'doll face' one more time, I'm going to strangle you."

Dayo chuckled softly. "Mmm...I like them feisty. If you don't like 'doll face', would you prefer angel eyes or sugar lips, or baby doll..."

"Go to hell." Eniola gritted her teeth and turned to leave.

He smirked. "I'm afraid that's where I'm headed."

Eniola raised her middle finger over her shoulder and walked away.

I hate that guy! she thought.