C2 CHAPTER TWO

Rose picked up her back pack and flung it around her left shoulder. Standing up from her seat, she watched Sarah stood up sluggishly and flung her back pack over her right shoulder, and the both of them filed out of the class alongside other students.

They were heading to the school laboratory for their chemistry class. "I'm not feeling too well today, my head hurts." Rose heard Sarah say.

" Don't tell me you skipped breakfast again, Sarah!" Rose stopped on her track with a worried look.

Sarah has been her closest friend since she was enrolled into Golden Heights Academy, last month. Sarah was a short, slim, fair girl, with sea blue eyes. Rose had wondered why her eyes were sea blue, but later found out that she was an half-cast. Sarah has an American accent and a very tiny voice. Most times, Rose found it difficult to understand her when she talks very fast. Sarah's father was a Nigerian and her mother an American. They had sent her back to Nigeria to live with her father's elder sister to learn Yoruba, her native language. She had celebrated her fifteenth birthday last Thursday, in a grand style.

" Did you skip breakfast this morning, Sarah?" Rose asked again.

" No I didn't. I think am gonna be on soon," Sarah replied.

Rose weaved a sigh of relief and walked on. She was fond of Sarah very

much, and never liked seeing her in pains. Sarah cared about her too. Sarah started laughing very hard all of a sudden, leaving Rose in a confused state. Stopping on her track again with her arms folded across her chest, she gave Sarah a questionable look.

" What is amusing you, asshole?" Rose asked, raising an eye brow.

"I ju..s..t saw yo...ur crush." Sarah replied amidst laughter.

Rose frowned and looked towards the direction Sarah had looked, and there she found him. He was starring at her like she had suddenly grown two horns.

Mike Douglas was a class ahead of Rose and he was the school's

disciplinary prefect. He is dark in complexion, tall, slim and drop dead gorgeous. His small eyes, short pointed nose and full extremely red lips were perfectly fitted for his short oval shaped face. His uniform was very neat and well ironed, making him looked smart and breathe taking.

Rose wondered why he kept starring at her each time she came across him. She had never liked him from the first day she was enrolled into Golden Heights. He had called her an ugly monkey, an insult that had sent her running into the female rest room to cry her eyes out for close to an hour. She returned his stare with a defiant scowl that made him turn his gaze away from her for a moment. Looking at her all smiling friend, she tugged at her back pack with annoyance.

"What?" Sarah asked with a smirk.

" Forgotten you have chemistry class few minutes from now right?"

Rose replied.

"Of course I know" Sarah said.

"Oh! Really? You know indeed, and you are here smiling sheepishly."

" Why are you making it look like I'm the one at fault here, didn't stop us from attending class, Rose." Sarah defended.

"But you pointed out that asshole to me! You know how much i hate him, don't you? Why can't you pretend he doesn't exist? Why..."

"I'm not an asshole Rose, and no one can pretend i don't exist, not even you

dear." Mike replied calmly cutting her off.

Anger ceased Rose's breathe for some seconds. The fact that he was suddenly right in front of her telling her shits, made her want to poke his eyes out.

"Stay away from me you idot." Rose told him between clutched teeth.

She grabbed Sarah's hand and started towards the laboratory fuming with rage.

"I'm very sorry for what I said the other day, I know you're mad at me, please

forgive me." Mike said calmly.

Rose tripped and stopped on her track not believing her ears. She would have sworn to high heavens that she hadn't heard Mike say that. She would as well concluded she thought about that herself, yet it was all real. The almighty disciplinary prefect was going down on his knees already, looking remorseful. They had already become a centre of attraction and the way lots of "Awwn," " wow," " Gosh," and " Hm" expressions came from different angles of the school, said it all.

What was she supposed to do now, she thought. She felt the rage that had stirred inside her turn into something she couldn't actually tell. What was happening to her? She didn't want the hatred she felt for the annoying gorgeous disciplinary prefect in front of her, disappear into thin air. The more she thought, the more everything around her went calm and waited for her verdict.

" Rose am very sorry, please don't hate me much. I really don't know why I said that the other day, please forgive me."

Hearing him say these words in a smooth drawled voice that could capture any heart so easily, made her heart skip a thousand beats. She felt so vulnerable starring into the small bright eyes, that held her gaze with so much pains in it.

" Rose forgive him please, he is very sorry I see it. And I know he meant

every single thing he had said." Sarah whispered into her ears.

Tears came running down her cheeks uncontrollably. She couldn't tell why she was crying, but she had always cried whenever she was hurt, embarrassed or defeated.

"I forgive you." She muttered.

"Thank you very much Rosy." Mike said as he stood to his feet.

"Rosy?" No one calls her that aside her elder sister, Rose thought.

She watched Mike damped his handkerchief with her tears and an expression she couldn't figure out. She heard him say something that ceased her breath for seconds.

" I love you Rosy, grant me the favour of being your second best friend." Mike said, with his eyes on Sarah.

"Please." He pleaded looking into her eyes.

Chewing on her lower lips with her eyes on the ground, she felt Sarah tugged her hand quietly for her reply. Rose felt lost and simply on the fence. With a glance at his handsome face, she opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by the principal's high pitched voice.

****

Chris drove into his father's two storey building, sighted in Wuse II, Abuja. A place that had been his home since he was twenty. His parents had moved to Abuja after an incident he doesn't want to think about. His mom had been angry at his dad for asking her to quit her job as a lecturer in University of Lagos, and start up a business of her choice or rather become a house wife. His mom had started a jewelry business later, but didn't live long enough to continue, because she died in a plane crash on her way to South Africa to purchase some jewelries.

Chris wiped off few drops of tears that had found it's way down his cheeks. He was missing his mom so much and he needed to calm down. Stepping out of his black Jeep, he slammed the door and walked into the house sluggishly. He was exhausted and extremely hungry. Mary was setting the dinning table ready for dinner when he walked in, and in a flash he mounted the staircase, and walked towards his bedroom. Mary was his twenty-two year old cousin, who had recently graduated from the University of Abuja, she had studied law. His family seemed to be full of lawyers and barristers, a profession he adored so much. He walked straight into his bathroom,

headed for the bathroom, showered and went down stairs for dinner.

"When did you come in Chris?" Mary asked with a smile on seeing him.

"Few minutes ago, you were busy so i didn't want to bother you." He replied.

"How was work?" She asked, dishing a meal of hot spicy Jollof rice in front

of him.

" Was stressful and cool," He replied with a smile, and picked up his spoon to eat.

"Chika said she wouldn't be around tomorrow, she is ill and needed to look after herself." Mary told him.

Chika was their cleaner, she had been working for them for as long as he could remember. He had grown up under her very eyes and care.

" Are you alright?" Mary asked him.

"Yeah I am, just thinking," He replied.

Chris munched his meal slowly, pushing his mind away from his family. Annie's beautiful dark eyes popped into his mind, making him smile to himself. She had stood right in front of him that morning, gazing at him in the most lovely way ever. She had been the very person hunting his dreams for a week.

Annie lied on her bed tossing from one edge to the other. Sleep had eluded

her eyes, leaving her with the thought of Chris all night long. What was happening to her? Why the sudden strong feelings for her boss? What had come over her? She kept asking herself questions she couldn't tell it's answers either. She had starred into his eyes that morning, when she went

to thank him for standing up for her. At first she had thought he would snub her, instead he gave her a welcoming smile that stole every single word she had planned to say.

" Erm... I.... Erm." Annie flushed and covered her face with her hands, at the thought of this.

She had embarrassed herself that morning, but Chris' reassuring smile made her relax almost immediately. Her day at work had been horrible too. She had called Mr Johnson, a lawyer she was sharing an office with, Chris! She just couldn't forget the quizzical look she had received from Mr Johnson and his nasty comment too.

"He is really good on bed, right Annie? He got you screaming his name all through the night too, now everyone has suddenly started bearing his name, huh?"

Annie felt embarrassed. Chris had told her to address him with his name and not boss, and ever since he said that to her that morning she had been calling almost everyone Chris. The worst was that she had called Rosy that during dinner.

"Pass me the juice, Chris." She said.

"Huh? Sis is that new name you wanna call me or something?" Rose asked with a knowing look.

"Sorry bae, it was a slip." Annie had replied with a flush.

Annie sat on her bed and starred at her palms. She hadn't ever felt that way before, no guy had ever given her a sleepless night. Chris didn't even say he had any feelings for her, she just couldn't tell why she was going overboard with everything. She stood up and walked around her bedroom slowly, with her hands around her neck.

"God whats all these? Please take away this thought from my mind and let me sleep." She said in a whisper.

"He is sound asleep by now and here I am still awake by this time, thinking about him." She said to herself with a glance at her wall clock.

"1am, shit!" She exclaimed and sat on her bed again.

Her phone's ringtone made her straighten up, she reached for her phone wondering who would be calling her at that time of the day.

"Hello am I on to Annie Karl" Came the voice.

"Yeah, how can I be of help sir?" She asked.

"Its Chris Jackson, wanted to hear your voice." He said slowly.

On hearing this, Annie froze.