chapter 7

*

A few days had gone by after Derek and Janet's little hangout, she still cheesed at how he reacted to her flirty attempts which were definitely not in vain. After they had gone back to Shalom and Sammy, Janet had to run back home because it was already getting late and her mom kept calling her.

A whole week had gone by after that, Derek and Janet had chances to talk but guess who came in to ruin it...

You guessed it, Dotun.

But it want only Dotun, Jagun came to join the bandwagon.

Fate might have had it in for her, even though she was now friends with Derek— or acquaintances? Janet still hadn't stopped her often gazes at him during class, in fact; it had increased.

Not that she was a stalker or whatever. 

He was just interesting to observe.

Some people had decided to grow a pair and actually talk with him, people like Subomi.

Before she knew it, her dreaded week came; no not her period, rather it was the week of inter house sport practice. Their school happened to take sports quite seriously, so for the whole week, their classes were chopped in half. The school even rented a nearby park for practice.

Janet and Ada reached the school bell, Ada going on about how she'd lost interest in Subomi and how one of Derek's friends kept glancing her way.

Right?

One of Derek's friends, if Janet remembered properly; she said that it had been Ope. The hothead. When Janet heard this, she couldn't stop laughing.

She told her about how she went to his class to meet one of her boys and when they were talking, the boy said that Ope was looking at her and when she turned, he didn't even look away.

He just continued to glare, she didn't know if it was at her or the boy, which she kept complaining about. 

"Shut up Jare." Ada mumbled as she pressed the bell, they were in their sport wear and it was time for the inter house sports practice.

After they rang the bell, Janet quickly ran to her bag and brought out her bottle; knowing how savage they could be when it came to handling the dispenser.

"Go and talk to him, nah." Janet shrugged at Ada who was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. She had gotten her ears pierced a second time over the weekend, so she wore a glittering stud over the second hole.

"Talk what? Abeg o. It must be because you and Derek have been talking more."

"Ahan..." Janet called out, rolling her eyes as she covered her bottle, looking up at a smirking Ada. "Oya deny." She challenged, Janet just rolled her eyes; not helping the heat that rose to her cheeks. 

"Not that much." Janet confessed with a sigh. Ada looked over at Janet suspiciously, before shaking her head at the smitten girl. They had reached their class in no time, packing up their bag and shoving it into their locker.

"I'll see you later." Ada waved before skipping out of the class, Janet had to escort the junior classes out with Dotun, because she happened to be the sports prefect. 

Apart from Dotun's constant attempt to stop Derek and Janet from talking, she hadn't uttered a word to Janet. Just stank looks and hisses, which in her opinion was quite childish.

She saw Dotun in her class, talking quite angrily to Obinna, she had her hands crossed and legs open. Obinna on the other hand sat on one of the tables, holding his glasses in on hand as he doubled over, cackling at whatever she said.

Here we go. Janet thought to herself.

Before she made it to where they were sitting, Obinna had already spotted her and with a smile, he stood to his feet and jogged over to her.

"Head girl!" He outed his usual remarks as he patted her head, what did she look like, a dog? Just because he towered over her. "Hi." She snorted at him, before arranging her pick and drop fringes. Dotun looked over at her and boldly let a hiss out before crossing her thick thighs.

Obinna had a knowing smile on his face, he turned over towards Janet again before nudging her shoulders, "Don't worry, she's just jealous." He whispered in her ear before laughing. 

Jealous of what?

With that, Obinna left the class, leaving her to talk to Dotun in private; she quickly made her way towards her. After the stunt she had pulled in the bathroom, Janet had decided not to believe anything she had to say.

"What do you want?" Dotun snapped, the venom quite audibly in her tone, Janet almost flinched at the tone, but quickly regained herself.

"Let's go and take the juniors to the park." Janet was curt with her reply, Dotun looked at her for a long time, as if she was trying to read her. After a few minutes of Janet awkwardly standing there, Dotun stood with a scoff.

"You cannot do it yourself?" She muttered but obliged with Janet as they made it to the juniors classes. Why did she had to be so bitter all the time?

-

"Oya, yellow house come here!" Mr Bamisole yelled out in the air, clapping his large hands as people scurried around to their various houses. By houses, she meant the clubs for the sport team which were divided into four colors.

Red.

Yellow.

Blue.

Green.

Unfortunately, Janet was in yellow and Ada was in Red; as for Derek, he was in green. He hardly did any sport, just sat sexily against the tree with Ope, who was in the same house as him. No one really bothered him, except for Mr Wesley.

"The relay will soon start, Janet and Genevieve; let's see who's faster."

Mr Bamisole arranged.

Yes, the same Genevieve and Mr Bamisole that Derek and Janet had caught doing the dirty over the fence. Genevieve was also in her house and what were the odds that he was the captain of the their team.

Cringe, right?

The race was between senior girls to see who'd participate in the relay for their team, when Janet saw Genevieve shyly sashay into the lane; she could help but snicker.

Janet could spot a hickey at the side of the girls' cheek, no doubt that it was from the one and only Mr Bamisole. When she looked back, she caught him sneaking glances at Genevieve's butt, which looked quite pronounced in her slim fitted shorts.

"On your marks!" He called out as Janet gave the girl a smirk, in which she just grinned too. 

"Set!"

He continued.

"May the best win." Janet said to her as she nodded her head, both of them looked ahead. At the end of the lane, she could spot Derek and Ope; he was slouched against the tree with his legs parted open.

Again with that dominant aura.

"Go!"

Oh yeah, she was in a race right now.

Looking away from him, she let her legs take over, tearing through the breeze in record time, she tried to steady her breathing but it was impossible; her legs almost reaching her back as she ran past Genevieve. With a glance at her opponent, she smirked, knowing that she had the race in the bag.

When Janet reached the finish line, she tried to control her legs as they jogged farther from the lane, almost slamming herself unto the very same tree.

"Yé!" Ope yelled out in shock as he flinched at the sight of an out of breath Janet, who reached for her knees as she took deep breaths.

"Sorry." She said between her breaths, unconsciously looking over at Janet with his lips tilted upwards. Like she wasn't already weak to the knees, he just had to smirk at her.

"Looks like you won." He said.

Janet just gave him a Tootsy smile.

Running back to her team, she smirked at Mr Bamisole who just nodded his head over at her. "Janet, you're in." He congratulated, giving Genevieve an apologetic look.

The races continued and more people joined Janet on the field, after several minutes of standing in the hot sun, the relay had finally began.

She happened to be on the last lane, Ada was on the first, along with Yinka and Shalom. While on Janet's lane was Gary; yes, he ran. Who would have thought? Next to Gary was Demilade. One of the boys in SS3B, tall, dark and handsome. She just so happened to be the only girl in her lane. The relay race wasn't divided by sexes. They just put the best runners, boy or girl.

"Don't you think you should join the next race?" A bitter voice spat at Janet, with a raised brown, she turned to her left, only to see Jagun.

So he was the last competitor on her lane. Janet knew Jagun ran, but he never really volunteered until now.

"Why's that?" Janet asked, referring to his remark. "You'll lose." He simply shrugged, stretching out his body with a taunting smirk. He thought she'd lose? Challenge accepted.

She stared at him with a smirk of her own, copying his moves as she stretched out as well. "Who's this one smiling at?" Jagun scoffed before looking away.

What on earth was wrong with him?

Deciding to ignore him, she turned around; observing as the runners went to their lane, she saw Ada, who happened to be giving an attitude to Yinka. This made her chuckle, they were never the best of friends.

What captured her attention was that Mr Wesley went towards the tree where Derek and Ope were sitting under, pulling them up by their hands. She couldn't figure out what they were saying, obviously; but after a while, she saw Derek walk to the lane.

He was running?

He groggily made his way to the first lane before stretching out.

He was going to be starting the race!

She just observed him, before she knew it, a smile was itching up her face. Even from afar she could recognize him, when she was about to look away, a chuckle brought back her attention, the chuckle was from Jagun.

"Keep stalking, he might just notice you." He said to her, his head tilted her way. "Ehn? Who am I stalking? Abeg oh." Janet hissed defensively, turning her head from his as she crossed her arms.

"He hates clingy girls." Jagun let out, looking at her until she turned and faced him, her expression resembled confusion.

"What are you trying to say?" Janet challenged, folding her arms in annoyance as she glared at him. She wasn't clingy, was she? Besides what gave Jagun the idea that she'd care about what he hated or not.

"That you're clinging to him, so piss off, okay?"

Woah.

Where did that come from?

Janet's mouth slacked open at how rude he was, again, she asked herself: what the heck was wrong with him? Did Dotun fill his head was nonsense or what?

"I'm not."

Janet spat back in annoyance, eyeing him before she heard the whistle blow, the race had began.

Once the whistle blew, her head snapped back as she got into position, her mouth slacking even more as she saw how fast Derek was when he started. 

The way his legs moved were so vigorous, his head constantly bobbing with each step he took. Here she thought that he wouldn't take the race seriously.

He probably just hated losing.

Derek had given them a large gap, running to the next person on his lane; his face looking stern and his hands speedily going back and forth. She never knew he could run so fast. 

"Better concentrate." Jagun chuckled, she groaned, glaring at him again. "What's your deal with me? Fimisilé!" She yelled at him in exasperation, he just cackled at her reaction; looking back often as he took steps forward; getting ready to take the baton.

"Well..." He yelled back, since the students' cheers got louder on the field; Janet looked back to see that Jeremiah was inching closer to her. The one who'd give her the baton, so she took steps forward stretching out her hand. The adrenaline in her increasing as he got closer, her whole body heating up.

It was up to her to win the race.

Seconds before the baton touched her fingers, she heard Jagun yell out something to her, his eyes looking behind him with a stretched hand as well.

"Maybe I just want you all to myself."

That was enough for her to drop her baton in shock.