chapter 7

Janet let her eyes bulge out, her mouth practically dropped open at his confession. Was he pulling her leg? Was he serious? Janet had no idea, she just watched him, amazed at what he had said. After what seemed like minutes of watching his straight face, she looked down, her lips forming a thin line.

She was jealous.

She knew Kareem's sister, she was a year below them. How on earth did they interact well enough for them to do it?! Janet's mind was in a frenzy.

"Say something." He proceeded, letting go off his vape as he adjusted himself on the floor, placing his chin on one of his hands. He just stared at her, his eyes boring into hers.

What did he expect her to say?

"I, I don't know what to say..." Were the words she uttered from her mouth, her hands playing with the hem of her skirt. 

"Pfft." 

Janet looked up, confused. The sound came from Derek, his lips curling up into a grin, then he burst out laughing. His head went back, his set of 32 showing proudly. They were so white, even Janet was impressed.

"You actually believed that?" Derek snickered. Staring at her with a Cheshire grin, at the realization, she gasped. "Don't do that!" Janet groaned, she couldn't stop herself from lightly shoving his chest.

Her fingers quickly curling up into a ball when she felt how rock hard his chest was. "Why? Were you worried?" Oh, so they had reached the teasing stage already. Janet almost yelled that she was, of course she was! But instead, she just rolled her eyes, looking anywhere but at him.

"What's my own business?" 

The irony.

"Exactly, who knows. It might be true." Derek hummed, stealing glances at her, Janet just hissed, was he trying to mess with her delicate mind? 

"Whatever." She replied, her voice laced with a pang of jealousy. This made his brow arch before shaking his head at the girl.

"You're pretty chill." He concluded, standing to his feet as she followed. So, he did feel comfortable with her, this cause her heart to do a flip. Janet timidly bit her lip to stop her cheeks from heating up.

How his words had an effect on her, she really didn't understand.

"About Kareem, I messed up his business."

Derek opened up, the space between them was little, she had her back against the wall while he just stood in front of her, his hands in his pocket.

His business?

Kareem had a business?

Janet's face morphed into confusion as so many questions went through her mind, when Derek saw this, he chuckled. Not wanting to admit how cute she looked at the moment.

"No more questions." 

"But-"

"We agreed on one oh."

Janet sighed in defeat.

Just when the gist was getting sweet, so she'd have to complete the story in her own head. Perhaps she would ask Ada about it. "Don't tell anyone." He completed, as if he was reading her mind.

Again, she sighed in defeat.

"Fine."

Then came the silence, they just stared at each other, she could hear her heart beating and his breathing. The tension rose and it began to get really awkward. Especially how close they were. 

"Since when did Dotun smoke?" Janet asked, mainly to herself but of course the guy standing inches away heard her. Just to be clear, the guy was her crush.

"I don't know, she just came one day and asked to join us." To her surprise, he actually answered her question. This meant they were getting closer, right?

"That stuffs bad, you know?"

Janet muttered, not looking up at him.

"Yeah." He shrugged.

Then that forsaken awkward silence again.

"Let's go." Derek finally spoke up, backing away from her and making his way towards the fence. She thought he'd jump and leave her alone, but he just stood silently, folding his arms as he waited for her to come.

"Go now." She said.

"You go first."

"Oh? Gentleman things abi?" She teased, this made him roll his eyes, but he still stood in his spot, nudging his head towards the fence.

When she was about to climb, they heard whispers. It sounded like a man and a woman, Derek had a look of shock on his face while Janet was just confused.

"Want to take a look?" Derek proposed.

"Take a look? Heck no, let's be going abeg." Janet whispered back, about to climb the fence, but when she looked over her shoulder, she saw that Derek had already turned around, walking towards the whispers.

"Where are you going?!" Janet spat in a hushed tone, groaning when he just faced her and shrugged his shoulders. And here she thought that she was the curious one.

"No one comes here, at all." Derek said over to her when she had reached where he was.

"That's why we should go!" She whined. This made him snicker, practically mocking her. When they reached the wall, Derek was the first to pop his head to the other side.

Then Janet did as well.

Oh.

Wow.

She recognized those faces.

It was Mr. Bamisole and Genevieve. Genevieve was one of the girls that Janet had heard was going for the post of head girl! She was in SS2. They were practically squashing against each other, Mr Bamisole kissing against her neck hastily as she just wrapped her hands around his waist. Letting out those whispers that they heard.

What!?

Were they so engrossed that they hadn't heard Derek and Janet talking and laughing out loud? This must have been a hell of a make out. They didn't still look over, their sides facing a stunned Janet and Derek.

From what she remembered, the man was practically in his late thirties, but she knew Genevieve was almost 18, apparently she started school late and she was not so bright. But she had a way of getting things she wanted.

Exhibit A.

"Mad oh." Janet voiced out stupidly, her voice practically echoing this time around, when she did, their heads snapped over to them. But just in time, Derek ducked, pulling Janet with him as they made a run for it.

"Japa, Japa!" 

Derek warned in a sing song way, making his way to the other side of the wall.

With record speed, Janet climbed the fence, her skirt threatening to rip against her skin; while Derek practically flew it. Quite effortlessly might she add. When they landed on the ground, they ran out of the proximity. Making their way towards the hallway.

"That was close." Derek breathed out, backing against the wall and holding his knee as he let out deep breaths.

"And exciting." Janet called out, bursting into a fit of giggles. She had done more things than she'd ever done in a while. She had finally seen with her eyes a student and teacher kissings, as odd as it may had sounded, she'd always wanted to catch something like that in the act and she did!

She even took a sip out of a vape and also ran with Derek so they wouldn't get caught red handed. If they did, that would have ended badly. Mr Bamisole had quite a say in their school.

Call it little but to Janet, her day just got a whole lot better.

She'd even indirectly kissed him.

Perhaps that was her just overreacting.

"Derek! Since when, ahan!" 

Jagun called out, making his way to them before dropping his hands round his shoulder. "See how you guys are even laughing." Jagun pointed out with a grin, this made Derek roll his eyes before looking over at Janet. When Derek wasn't looking over at Jagun, the boy sucked his teeth, trying not to roll his eyes.

"I better go." Janet said.

"Yeah, you better." Spat Jagun.

Janet arched her brows at him, seeing how his eyes glinted of something she didn't recognize, she didn't know if she was hallucinating but she saw his lips turn to a scowl.

Okay...?

"Bye then." Janet ended, her voice low and hoarse. Did he not like her?

Not like she cared what he thought.

Then she made her way to class.

"Janet!" 

Ada called out, hugging her as soon as she entered the class. They were still on break, so the class was quite empty. "Don't act all shy now, after I saw you running in with the lost and found guy." Lost and found guy? Could she be any more original?

"Derek." Janet corrected, or more like spat.

"Whatever. Was he chasing you abi what?" Ada ignored her frown, asking her another absurd question.

"Chasing me for why?" Janet asked back.

"I don't know oh! Don't eat me. I was just saying." 

She called out, feigning innocence.

Ada was definitely not a fan of Derek.

"I'm not nah, I'm just asking. He's not that bad, he's really friendly, if you just get to know him." Janet blabbed, quickly biting her cheeks to stop her from talking. 

But it was too late.

Ada caught on fast, especially how the apples on her cheeks showed as she tried to hide her blush. 

"Ehn, you don't mean it. Which one is he's friendly now." Ada asked, her eyebrows arching in confusion to why her best friend spoke so highly of Derek.

"Abi, you like him? Please oh." 

What was so bad in liking him? Besides, it was a little to late for liking, after the time she had spent with him, she felt herself being smitten by the boy.

"I thought you were scared of him." Ada finished, walking over to her seat with Janet not too far from her. She sat down, opening her bottle and gulping down the wine she had poured into her bottle.

Janet knew this because Ada told her.

"What's there to be fearing?" Janet questioned, taking the bottle out of Ada's hands before taking a sip from it. They were that close.

"Guy, this thing is alcohol." Janet muttered bitterly, her face twisting at the taste. "Na me send you to drink am?" Ada scoffed, taking it from her before gulping it down.

So now, she had vaped and drank in the same day.

Talk about baby steps.

Janet didn't know whether to tell Ada what she saw when she climbed the fence. About how Dotun was smoking with Derek and his boys, but she knew that would lead to a whole new set of questions, so she decided to keep it to herself.

"Do you know Dotun smokes?" Janet asked, or not...she just couldn't help it!

"Ah, who told you that one?" Ada replied, sitting up from her seat curiously. Her ears practically perking up. "I saw it." Janet continued.

"With your kolo kolo eyes? Where abeg?"

"That one is private, I sha saw it." Janet said, avoiding her other questions. She really didn't want to expose Derek.

"Saw it how nah! Abi its when you went with Derek?" Ada said, laughing to herself. Dang it. Janet didn't want to reveal that as well.

"Na me mess up, I said it's private babe!" Janet groaned, folding her arms in annoyance at her curiosity.

"Okay, okay. Fine." Ada finally gave in with a sigh.

"Oh yeah! I forgot, Adebola said you should meet her in the toilet."

Say what?

Which one was to meet her in the toilet? Of all forsaken places? What was she planning to do? Talk? 

"Ahan." Janet exclaimed, clasping her hands together as she titled her hips.

"Na she sabi oh, I'm just delivering the message. She looked horrible. See how man has changed her." 

"Man ko, is it Kareem you're calling man?" 

With that, Janet walked out of the class and towards the toilet. Her mind still occupied, she was still getting off from the high. Not a literal high.

"I wonder what all this one is about." 

Janet wondered out loud, opening the toilet door and walking towards the bathroom. There she saw Adebola, sitting on the floor with a bag which just so happened to be Janet's!

Of course Janet knew her own bag, she had a panda keychain on one of the zippers.

What on earth?

"Um, Adebola what's happening...?" Janet asked lowly, the toilet walls echoing her words, she took small steps towards her, this was because of the way Adebola was staring at her, she was a bit freaked out by it.

"You just had to ruin it!" 

Adebola stood on her feet, stomping over towards Janet in anger as Janet just found herself cowering back in shock.

"The heck are you talking about?" Janet said but was cut off.

Slap!

Adebola had slapped her across the face.