Temilade pov
I was lying on my bed,a mattress in the room I share with my mom and two younger sisters. The room wasn't particularly big or small,it was just okay.
We had a ceiling fan, a wardrobe, a cupboard with some luggage, and a Ghana-must-go bag.
My laptop rested on my lap, and I was focused on it, surrounded by my textbooks on the bed. I’d just finished reading and thought it was time to post some gist on my blog that might attract followers. I was thinking of creating a general blog account where both students and outsiders could read my articles.
I’d heard about this blogging site that pays well if you have lots of followers and views. I just hoped I’d get to that level someday.
Time to start typing! But there wasn't any new update in school, so I'd have to create something. Hmm... What about Natasha and Benjamin? I’d been noticing them lately.
Those two spoiled brats
especially Benjamin. I couldn’t stand him. It would feel so good sharing some dirt on him.
Wait…
wasn't Benjamin in a relationship with Clara? Oh, I forgot. Clara hadn't resumed school early this term, so she probably knew nothing about Benjamin and Natasha.
Poor Clara.
I was just starting to type when the door to my room burst open. My heart skipped a beat, thinking it was my mom, but I calmed down when I saw my cousin, Gracious.
She shut the door, her eyes scanning the books on my bed and then the laptop in my hands. She clapped her hands and let out a short, mocking chuckle.
"Wahala for who no dey go big man school o," she said.
"So, is this how you're going to say hello?" I asked.
"Sorry, madam," she said, settling onto the bed.
"Temi, you’re trying to. How do you even manage to read?" she asked.
Gracious had asked me that countless times since I got the scholarship to Silverstone High School,a well-known school for the elite. The only way to keep my scholarship was to maintain good grades. There were so many smart students there and so much competition.
"Hmm… I see you’re writing another article," Gracious said, her eyes on my laptop, reading every word I had typed.
"Temilade," she called my full name.
"What?" I asked.
"How sure are you about this?" she asked, looking concerned.
"Isn't it obvious?" I replied.
I could sense the worry in her tone.
"There's no need to worry. I’m the one attending the school, and I know everything that happens," I said confidently.
Gracious was nice, caring, and thoughtful, unlike me. I'm kind, but I know I often act before thinking things through. Well, it’s not my fault I turned out this way.
Gracious came from an average family,her parents and four older siblings. She was the last child. Her two sisters and brother were already married, leaving only Femi, currently a 300-level medical student at the University of Ibadan, and Gracious still living with my uncle, my mom's older brother, and his wife.
Sometimes, I wished I had a life as stable as Gracious.
"Done," I said, finishing the article. I decided not to publish it yet; I'd wait until Monday, right before break time. I couldn't wait to see Natasha’s face,or maybe Benjamin's or Clara's when they see it. Natasha wouldn’t care if people talked about her and Benjamin infact, she wanted to be even more popular. I guessed Benjamin was her ladder.
"So, what did you bring?" I asked, closing my laptop and setting it aside.
"Suya," she said, pulling out a black nylon bag from her handbag. She opened it and placed it on the bed, and we began eating.
"What if the principal sees it?" Gracious asked.
"She’d never! And if she does, Benjamin and Natasha will be the ones in trouble, not me," I replied, focusing on my suya.