Chapter 2: Corridor Drama and Hot Takes

Olamide, basketball for hand, block me for corridor. Him fine face wey dey always sharp come dey look somehow shy.

My heart skip one beat, but I just bone face. Na play or na real? I dey reason am.

As e stand for corridor, you go think say na home movie scene. E even try raise shoulder small, like say him wan pose for Instagram, but the shyness no gree am shine. The way e dey grip that basketball, e resemble one person wey dey try hide him fear behind sports.

"Sade, I like you."

E voice just soft like agbalumo wey dey ripe, and if you see the way e swallow saliva before e talk ehn, you go pity am.

Na after PE class be this, so everywhere for corridor just dey jam with students.

You know how e be after PE for Naija school. Everywhere dey hot, people dey shout, some dey look for pure water to cool body. Girls dey adjust skirt, boys dey run upandan, even teacher dey warn say make dem no scatter everywhere. As Olamide drop those words, e be like person press pause for TV.

As Olamide drop those words, e be like stone wey dem throw for gutter—everywhere scatter, everybody dey talk.

The kind commotion wey burst na so e dey for school when two people wey dem never expect go do anything romantic just suddenly begin act film for front of everybody. I even see one junior student wey open mouth like fowl wey dey see tortoise for the first time.

[Popular school bad boy and cold-faced bookworm? Which kind childhood sweethearts Nollywood drama be this one?]

[You see am? I don dey suspect say wahala dey between Sade and Olamide since.]

As people dey whisper anyhow, my head come dey turn small.

Noise just dey fly left and right. The kind way girls dey look me with their "ehn ehn" eye, you go think say na me win jackpot. One girl for SS2 even dey point with her biro, dey gist her padi for Yoruba.

Wetin Olamide dey plan again this time?

Because, honestly, this guy sabi get wahala for body. If e no dey plan prank, e go dey set trap for maths teacher. So as e stand for there dey talk 'I like you,' I dey suspect e get another hidden plan.

No too long ago, na so e talk say e like that new transfer student, Halima Yusuf, say e wan go confess to am.

Halima just transfer come from Kaduna, her accent still dey fresh, and Olamide don rush go dey play 'good boy' for her side that time. But I no forget how e dey always like to dey test new water, e be like say e just dey find who go make him heart do kpim kpim.

Sweat just dey shine for Olamide forehead—na nervousness or another thing, I no sabi.

E use back of hand clean forehead, even rub the sweat for him short. The way e dey dodge my eye, I fit swear say Olamide dey fear as e talk this thing.

Before I fit even react, WhatsApp status updates don dey fly again.

As I dey try reason my response, my phone just dey vibrate—everybody dey post am. You go think say na National Assembly debate.

[Even as e dey confess give another person, e still dey peep the main babe?]

[Olamide, this your love strong o.]

[Main babe no cry. Olamide dey do all this just to help you carry first.]

As I follow Olamide eye waka, na so I see as small darkness flash for Halima Yusuf eyes. But as she see say I dey look am, she sharply put on that her gentle face again.

Na so Halima knack that her angelic smile. She adjust her hijab, fix her face sharp sharp, like Lagos conductor wey spot LASTMA. But the sharpness wey e take switch from frown to smile, only real Lagos babe dey do am. My spirit just know say wetin dey Halima mind no be wetin she dey show. I just dey wonder wetin she dey hide under that her 'good girl' face.

"Congrats o, you and Olamide fit well die."

Her voice just soft like person wey dey wish another person happy birthday, but my ear catch small pepper for her tone.

Me: "......"

I look am, look Olamide, look corridor again. No be only 'fit well', na super glue dem go use join us?

Which kind "fit well" be that one?

Sometimes, I wonder whether na sarcasm or na real wish. For Naija, if person dey wish you 'congrats' for something wey you no get, just know say wahala dey behind.

I move back two steps, dodge as Olamide try hold my hand.

If I no dodge, by now photo for dey WhatsApp everywhere. My enemies for school go use am do meme.

"Olamide."

I just sigh. "Instead of dey talk love, no be better make you focus on your WAEC first?"

Abeg, WAEC no dey wait for anybody. If you miss am, you go join people wey dey rewrite for Miracle Centre.

I waka pass am, go back to class. Olamide just stand there, e face be like big dog wey dem abandon.

E resemble person wey dem pour cold water for body. Even small pikin wey lose sweet no go look as pitiful.

WhatsApp group chat rush defend am again.

As if dem dey on standby. I wonder whether dem no dey ever off data.

[I know say this 'wicked' supporting babe get her own wahala. Abi she sef dey crush for Olamide?]

Some people for group chat even dey form psychologist. You go think say dem study Sadeology for university.