chapter 7

You know that feeling when you're meant to stop someone from punching a person that clearly deserves it? Then you wait for just a minute so they'd feel the pain.

That was the spot Janet was in.

She waited, letting Derek punch Kareem. Over and over, to her; it was one of the most exciting things to see; it definitely topped any film trick action movie she had watched in the cinema.

After a while, she decided to speak up, well that was what she had said to herself but she knew it was because people were beginning to gather near the tree. All thanks to the screams of Kareem.

What a wimp.

"Derek stop!" Janet finally spoke up, after Kareem stopped screaming. Whispers surrounded them, students watched in horror. 

"Heh!! Damilayo, you want to kill him?!" Mr Wesley yelled dramatically as Obinna ran and pulled a fuming Derek off Kareem. The boys seemed unfazed by his behavior, like it happened often. 

"Guy, haba now." Ope said through gritted teeth, pulling Derek to the side as they gathered him. Finally, Mr Wesley helped up Kareem.

He was bruised up bad.

Bursted eye, swollen lip bad.

Dang, now Janet felt had. "He has such a temper." Someone said, staring in disgust at the sight. Ada walked up to Janet who was frozen on the spot, trying to stop herself from smiling. 

She wasn't weird okay?

She was just impressed at how strong he was. "Janet, what the heck?" Ada asked, grabbing her hand but was interrupted by a loud gasp, followed by a cry. Which came from the one and only Adebola. She had tears in her eyes, but she made no move to approach him.

"You!" 

Adebola spat, pushing Janet's already aching shoulders making her stumble back. "Una wan fight again?" Mr Wesley groaned, rolling his eyes probably thinking the girl fight wouldn't be a big deal.

 To Janet's surprise, Adebola sat on top of her and pulled on her hair. This made her shriek. She loved her hair! No one had the permission to just rough handle her hair. But before Janet could fight back, Ada pulled the skinny girl off her, pinning her to the ground.

"What is this babes problem?" Ada scoffed, still holding her shoulders to the ground, the annoyance evident in her eyes. "Why did you make him do that?!" Adebola just cried out, putting her head on the grass in defeat. Did she think that she made Derek hit him? That was just ridiculous.

"Oya all of you disappear! Derek hold on, Janet why are you holding your shoulder?" 

Mr Wesley said, looking at her in confusion. "Ewo! Have they commot your shoulder from the socket?" He exaggerated, quickly running over to the ever beloved head girl, leaving Kareem to support himself against the tree. The same tree he was meant to be getting some action against.

"Ah!" Janet hissed when she felt a touch on her shoulder? Had she dislocated it? No, it was probably just a bruise. Ada as well as the boys had unwillingly cleared the area, leaving just Janet, Derek and a bruised up Kareem. 

"Derek, Derek, how many times have I called your name? I will not even talk again. It's your own cup of tea." With that, Mr Wesley escorted Kareem away from the field. "You, better find a way to adjust her shoulder and clean up your hand." Were his final words to Derek before he disappeared, leaving them alone.

The adrenaline still pumping through her veins, she burst out laughing, not even realizing how serious the situation was, when she was finally done laughing, she turned towards a rather confused Derek, still giggling. "You like drama." Derek concluded, before making his way out of the field and into the infirmary, with Janet trailing at his back sheepishly.

"Is that a crime?" She asked under her breath, which unknown to her earned a chuckle from him as he shook his head at the girl. The walk back to class was silent, people in their classes stared at them through the window. More specifically, they stared at him. In both fear and disgust.

Whispers sounded all over, talking about how Derek beat the living daylights out of Kareem, Janet was sure that by the end of the day, different rumors would have emerged.

But of course, Derek paid no mind to them.

They had finally reached the nurses office, the office was large, about three to four beds and one assistant. The two nurses were attending to Kareem, leaving them to tend to themselves. Since Janet was the head girl, they just nodded at her, giving her the permission.

"I'll help." Janet said, getting the things she needed, not looking over to Derek. She had never really tended to anyone's wound's before; in fact, she feared the sight of blood.

The bed sunk in as Derek sat down, Janet sitting at the edge of the table. Except for the scolds of the nurses, the office was rather quiet. She wanted to ask why he had hit him, but she knew it wasn't her place.

"It might hurt." She explained, this made him chuckle. Oh? 

To be honest, Janet used the excuse to take a hold of his large hands, involuntarily brushing her fingers against his. Don't judge her! Who knew when she'd be able to do this again?

Her nose scrunched up at the sight of the blood on his knuckles.

"Do they hurt?"

"Ehn?" Derek asked, confused because she hadn't applied anything. But that wasn't what she referred to.

"When you punch someone, so they hurt? I mean I've always wanted to try it, but then I-" She quickly bit her lips, realizing that she had began to ramble. Again.

"You want to punch someone? Who's the unlucky person?" 

Janet giggled.

She did want to punch people, on different occasions, but she didn't even know if she had the guts too.

"Plenty." She just shrugged, then began applying the spirit, this made him grunt.

What an attractive grunt that was. No, focus Janet. She scolded herself.

"Mhm, you can't even stand the sight of blood and you want to hit?" Derek chuckled again, shaking his head. How on earth did he know that?

"Who told you that one?" She voiced out her thoughts.

"The way you've been staring at the blood." Derek simply shrugged, oh he was observant as well. Who didn't like an observant guy? "Like how?" She teased, quickly swiping the damp cotton on the wound, whimpering like she was the one in pain.

"Like this." Derek said then tried to copy the look on her face. Scrunching up his nose, knitting his eyebrows and putting a frown on his lips. Janet scoffed. "Whatever." She tried to mask the heat rising on her cheeks by just rolling her eyes.

Talking to him felt so easy.

"Since you seem to know about me, can I do the same?" 

Janet said, beating around the bush. He just kept quiet, shrugging his shoulders. It seemed like this wasn't his favorite topic. But she wanted to know him beyond the rumors.

Beyond the hard guy facade.

"Okay, um..."

She had to close her words carefully, she didn't want to ask a personal question and ruin everything like she had done before.

So she asked the most cliché question.

"What's your favorite colour?" 

He looked up from his hands, giving her the really look, "Start small nah." She defended, looking away from him. She felt shy under his gaze.

"Orange."

Oh?

Orange?

Did that have a double meaning to it?

"Nice, well mine is yellow." Yellow, the color always contrasted with her dark skin, making her shine whenever she wore it. She had her first kiss in a yellow dress.

"Siblings?" She continued.

"Dead."

Ehn? 

Dang, it was like she had just stepped on a land mile, why didn't she just ask his favorite food or even if he was a freaking virgin! Now she had to go through with it. She didn't know whether to apologize or not, so she just sighed; giving him a longing stare.

"Yeah...I didn't mean to make things weird. It's no big deal, that was years ago."

He chuckled, using his free hand to rub against his neck, if she didn't know any better she'd say that he was nervous. He was probably just trying to lighten up the mood.

"Are you a virgin?"

WHAT?

Did she blurt that out? Like right now? 

Derek let out a hearty laugh, showing his perfect set of teeth, he threw his head back before giving her a grin.

No, no.

Why did she ask that!?

She really didn't tell her stupid tongue to blurt that out, just when one mess was cleaned up; she threw another.

"Are you?" He bit back.

Okay, he'll bite.

Of course she was! Janet knew a lot of things and had also seen a lot too; but she wasn't one to ever put them to play in reality. Not because she couldn't, but because she didn't find an ideal person to do it with.

No, not sex.

Other things...

"I asked first." 

Were they flirting or just refusing to answer the question? Janet needed to be clear, the butterflies in her tummy was doing summersaults, splits, flips and all of that. It'd be a shame if they weren't flirting.

"What about you, any siblings?"

Janet scoffed.

He dodged the question. Did that mean he wasn't? Maybe he just found it satisfactory to leave her hanging. Noticing her reaction, he narrowed his eyes with a ghost smoke on his lips.

"No." Janet answered nevertheless.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. Omo pastor's only pikin, abi?"

Derek teased.

They all knew she was a pastors child because of the day her dad was called as a guest speaker. Preaching for over two hours straight, the next day they wouldn't let her hear word. 

"Yé!" Derek hissed when Janet pressed against the wound, which was rather intentional. That was the only way she thought if making him pay for teasing her.

"Oops." She shrugged, feigning innocence.

"You dodged my question but okay." Janet sheepishly let out. "You dodged mine too, but okay." Derek mocked. 

So, Derek had a funny bone in him.

"What's up with the beef between you and Kareem?" Janet asked.

Oh how the question jumped from favorite color to being a virgin and now personal questions.

She never really did like taking things too slow.

"You too nko? Why is he angry with you?" He said back. Okay, this was getting annoying, why wouldn't he just answer her question? Why did he reply with a question for her as well? 

"I guess I spoilt show for him and Adebola."

Janet explained.

"He's a prick, I don't like pricks." Derek simply stated, like it was a rule in his book or something. She was more detailed than that!

"Hey, no fair nah. I gave you more than that."

"You gave me?" Derek asked with a smirk.

Huh? What did he mean? Oh!

So he had a bad mind as well, of course he did. She just blushed, trying to cover it up with a scoff. "Ew." 

Laugh out loud.

If there was anything beyond that she'd do that as well, how could she say ew? The last thing that'd come to her mind at the thought of giving Derek...Derek! Would never be ew.

She could just imagine it.

Both of them, alone in the room. They air would be hot because of all the tension rising in the space between them. Would it be rushed or slow and affectionate? She could only wonder. The thought only made her get hotter because of the fact that she still had his hand in hers.

Janet! Get your mind out of the gutter!

In her defense, Derek put it there.

"Mhm, too boujee for us." He wooed.

"Just tell me small now, I promise I'll keep it a secret." With that, Janet got up from the table and sat in the bed, next to him. Since she wore shorts, she rose her legs up as if to cuddle it.

"She as she's getting ready for gist?" Derek grinned at her actions.

"Yes oh, don't disappoint." She played along, unknown to her that Derek found it quite hard to look at her because his eyes would trail straight done to her inner thighs which she practically showed to him on a platter.

Her bottoms were already so short.

So as she rose her legs to her chest...

One could only imagine.

Was she so naive?

"Hm, okay oh. Well..."

"Derek! Are you okay?" 

A squealing voice interrupted. Janet's lips folding into a thin line as she instantly recognized the voice.

What a great, unbelievably, freaking perfect timing you potato!

Just as she had guess, the person ran over to the side of the bed, enclosing him into a hug.

The person with the name of the one and only...

Dotun.

Ugh, right?