The ORION Project | ✔

chapter 38

"Hey, you."

Grace looked up from the textbook, she forced a frown on her face but it soon broke into a smile. She'd spent most of the hour going over notes she'd missed due to Remilekun Phillips impromptu invitation to Abuja, exams were soon — earlier than the normal timetable for degree students — and she didn't have the comfort of ORION boosting her grade point anymore.

Tope was standing in front of her, blocking the sun, dressed in her football jersey and shorts, her wig was gone and her afro was held back with a yellow band. Her jersey was a Real Madrid tee since the school didn't have a custom shirt and her shorts were matched the top.

"Why aren't you playing ball?" Grace teased when she saw a pout form on Tope's lips. Apparently the school football team from a private university called Freeman University were having a friendly match with the Lagos State University's own football team. There was supposed to be a match between the female team before the males and Tope was one of the best football players the school had on its team, although the female team was just barely starting out.

"Habibat bailed out, said she had an important doctor's appointment." Tope said. She took the concrete bench under the tree besides Grace and leaned closer with a glint in her eyes.

Grace instinctively flinched back. Tope pretended not to see.

"I have a spare kit." Tope offered. Grace burst into laughter despite her will.

"I'm not playing," Grace answered quickly. Sometimes she thought it a damn shame that her anxiety never let her play the sports she loved to play with a crowd present.

"Please, I'll buy you shawarma." Tope said.

Grace raised her eyebrows and closed the textbook resting on her lap.

"You forget that I am now one of the richest people in the country, I can afford to buy a thousand shawarma." She said.

Tope sighed dramatically and brought herself to her knees.

"Please, Grace, I swear you're my last option, I haven't found anyone to replace Habibat and I really want to beat those Freeman slayqueens."

Grace laughed again, Tope did hate the student population of Freeman University, the private institution was probably one of the most prestigious in the country and also with one of the most expensive tuitions, but Tope's reason for her hate was that one of her ex boyfriends had cheated on her with a Freeman girl.

A thought occurred to her suddenly, it should have been the first thing she should have thought once she heard the news of the football match.

"Wait, the male team are playing right?" Grace asked, sitting up quick. The thought of playing still made her chest tighten and her palms clammy but she was willing to risk it.

"Yeah," Tope said, casting her a strange look. "You are dating Kendrick, right? Why are you suddenly interested in checking out Freeman boys?"

"I am not dating Kendrick." Grace bit out. She didn't know what they were, she was afraid to define it even. For now, they were just friends who kissed each other an awful lot.

Tope raised an eyebrow at that, but thankfully, she said nothing.

"Firepemi might be there, he's captain of the team." Grace added.

Tope's eyes widened in realization. "You want to corner him and talk, in an open space, what if one of ORION'S spies sees you?"

"There'll be a damn crowd, Tope." Grace argued. "I can handle Firepemi."

"It sounds like a good plan, everyone knows Fire has a knee injury, I doubt he'll play but he'll definitely show up as captain, might even do a little coaching." said Tope. "So you're playing?"