Flashback Chapter

(TW: Locker Room!)

Rooney Edwin

My night wasn't going according to plan-not like I had any plans tonight.

But it practically didn't involve Arthur body shaming my former primary school classmate.

This was normal - body shaming girls in private, but it just didn't feel right listening to him taking about her like this...

It didn't feel right talking about her..

"Well, say something dude! " Arthur snapped at me, his fists were clenched at his sides.

I was sitting on my bunk in front of our locker and he was standing

Our dormitory was empty right now.

The guys were outside preparing to 'jump fence'... Sneak into girls hostel.

Arthur and I never engaged in something as dangerous as that.

It was plain stupid.

"Say what man? Blame Chidinma for forgetting your bag? I should fucking do what? Guy, when I say make you tell me watin' happen for chapel, I think say na quickie you go fuck girl, I no know say you go see Numb for chapel say she dey dance! Okay, I no even get why you dey diss am. Watin' she do you(Dude, when I said you should tell me what happened in the chapel, I thought you were gonna tell me about some quickie you had. I didn't know you saw Numb in there dancing! Okay, I don't even get why you're dissing the girl, what'd she do to you?)" I pursed my lips after my outburst.

Arthur shook his head repeatedly then walked a few steps to our shared yet demarcated locker.

"Guy, I don't know. Fashi am (Just forget about it.)" He shrugged, I nodded.

And laid my head on my pillow.

Whispering words in a volume I doubted he could hear. "I think she's cute."

I don't get why she was called 'Numb', sure she didn't have friends and didn't talk to anyone-To my knowledge.

But she wasn't like that four years ago, back in primary school she was friendly and everyone loved the smart girl.

She had four best friends who followed her everywhere she went, we were in the same class and she never came in any thing less than 2nd place or 3rd place after each term.

1st place was always my thing.

That's why we were archenemies.

The typical childish squabbles occurred every single morning and she always won.

She had backup that always yelled the same lines everyday in different scenarios;

'If she slap you eh, you'll fly to Jamaica. '

'You're a bombastic element! '

'Stop talking fast jor, are you from Russia?'

Thinking about it, I wondered how those lame childish insults always had a way of affecting me.

I had friends then, but I was always alone when I faced her every morning before assembly.

She wasn't good with competition, she hated me for always beating her.

And worst always came to worst on the assembly ground.

I was on the drumming team and she played the recorder, so we all stood in the same location during assembly adding tune to our national anthems.

But all that changed when we all got to Primary 4.

She still kept up with her position academically, but she dropped her friends.

Dropped the recorder playing, stopped talking loudly in class and joined the back benchers.

Stayed indoors during recess unlike before when she ran out to laugh at us boys playing football.

She didn't participate actively during P.H.E period, didn't play those primary school games with her friends that had them laughing and giggling loudly.

She wasn't NUMB then entirely, she replied people who spoke to her with a smile.

I never got to see that smile...

".. Think say they go catch them tonight (Do you think they'll be caught tonight?)" Arthur's voice sounded muffled no doubt he was eating.

No doubt he was eating cereal again.

"I no dey sure(I'm not sure.) If I want anyone to be caught I'll pick my brothers. " I licked my lips.

Arthur laughed.

I was serious.

"Them no go catch them. Your brothers be babas. Them no fit(They can't catch them. Your brothers are professionals. They can't.)" I shook my head at him even if he couldn't see me.

"Luck runs out. But the thing stupid, reason am. Just for fuck(But it's actually stupid, think about it. Just to fuck)-"

"-Comfortable fuck. " he said with a smug mocking tone in his voice.

"Still stupid. Sneaking out of hostel, with the kind house master we get(With the way our house master acts),jumping girls hostel railing, climbing stairs, 7th graders could see you, mark your face and report. "

"No one's caught them yet."

"One day for the owner. " I clicked my tongue against my teeth.

Arthur laughed.

Then laid on my bed besides me.

"Eew dude, get of. " I groaned at him.

"But you're so cute. " He giggled beside me and I shifted away so much I fell off.

... "Now that, my brother is how to chase you off your own bed. "

Scratching my head at him, I tried to understand how I'd just fell off.

The door violently slammed open and ended all thoughts.

Why were the goof balls back?

"What happened? " I asked tapping on the floor beside me.

"Darren them. We're not going now, around 12 to 2." Segun replied with a shrug.

I raised my eyebrows at them before jerking up.

"Why? " Arthur enquired.

"One snitch like that, something about blue house mistress being suspicious. Timing and stuff. " Nonso continued.

Kenelum walked to his locker and shuffled around till he brought out his phone.

-Contraband yes, but we knew how to smuggle things.

"Una stupid oh, dey risk your life for fuck una fit do for school(Y'all are stupid as fuck. Risking your safety just to fuck when you can just fuck in school.)"Arthur was interrupted.

"And una two be cowards. (And you're both cowards)" Dominique counterattacked.

I rolled my eyes and defended Arthur "Guy, fashi(forget) that thing. What's the fun in all that sneaking around just to go to Chiamaka's them room? Most times you guys don't even bang, just risk getting suspended for no reason." I said and clicked my tongue against my upper teeth again.

"Fear-Fear. Una two eh.(Cowards, you two eh.)" Kenelum looked up from his phone and I glared at him.

There was no point continuing this argument, so I walked outside and leaned against the railings.

What made Munachi turn into NUMB?

••

"Rooney." A girl called out my name and I turned my head back.

Brenda- A 9th grader who had a weird crush on her junior... Me.

What did she want?

We just finished assembly, Principal Lady made an appearance today, warning we boys about the dangers of 'flying fence'

That information didn't bother or surprise me.

I didn't care.

Every student in the auditorium/assembly hall now were on the somewhat sloppy hill descending down towards the school buildings.

SS3's were as usual in the front daring students in grades lower than them to walk in front of them.

Except some SS2's who were termed 'cool'.

Today I didn't feel like going to class early, so we just mixed into the crowd and walked toward the building slowly with our bags on our shoulders or shoulder or in front of us.. Worn backwards.

When Brenda suddenly called my name.

I slowed down for her to meet up with me and my guys continued in their pace until they were far ahead of me.

I normally wouldn't have done this, I didn't respect 9th graders, but Brenda was a nice girl.

Who didn't sleep around with most juniors like her friends, she was academically wise but naive in other ways.

In other words, I respected her.

And she didn't throw her self at me even with the obvious crush she had on me.

"Hey." She greeted and her friends giggled behind me.

"Hi." I smirked at her.

"Sorry for delaying you. But Mister George said I should tell you to meet him in his office before first period." She told me and I nodded.

George was our fine art teacher.

Generally he taught 7-9th grade fine art.

He was Head of department- H.O.D, of the art department so he didn't necessarily have to teach any of us, but still he taught us all at least once a week.

All H.O.D's had their personal office unlike teachers who shared staff rooms.

"Yeah.. " She smiled and a weird thick silence ensured.

"So Rooney how's your friend now? Arthur? " One of her friends asked behind me and I turned to look at her.

She had way too much bust and it disgusted me, she entirely disgusted me with her busty front and flat ass.

I couldn't see her ass but I knew this exact figure. She'd need a bigger ass to balance it up, but big ass was rare.

I scowled at her, crunching up my nose to send the proper signal.

She gasped and pushed past me walking away in fake or real anger-I didn't care enough to know which it was.

But I stared at her behind... Not like there was anything to stare at.

I was right.

Brenda giggled and I smiled at her.

"Rooney what's that? Just because she mentioned Arthur? You're finer than him now, she's just asking for a friend. " Another 'friend' said behind me.

Well, she pumped up my ego by saying I was finer. So hey,

Couldn't hurt being nice to her.

But then again... Who asked her?

"And you're finer than her. " And I wasn't just whyning her, she had moderate front and nice back.

I've seen her around.

She blushed and I smirked then increased my strides, couldn't keep George waiting.

••

"Rooney, your last exam you got a below average score. " George didn't waste time, I'd barely walked into his office that had lots of painting arranged on the walls before he attacked me.

Art done by students and him... We were creative.

He was referring to my last term overall result.

"But, you also did excellently well in the test practicals." George smiled at me and shifted his chair back then proceeded to bring out a long wooden board.

My art.

"You do need to focus on your theoretical art. The art within you." I rolled my eyes at him.

This bull was getting old, the art within me was getting stale.

He said that every time I got a '60 and below' in his subject.

Wasn't my fault I didn't like cramming art... Definition of drama, figures of speech and then literature summary.

Who the fuck loves reading books? And then explaining it with words?!

I was better at drawing and sketching and craft than at explaining.

"I focus on the art within me. There's the proof in your hands. " I smirked smugly at him.

"Yes Rooney. You're excellently great at craft. But terrible literally. " His sentence wiped away my smirk.

Way to stab my ego George!

"You need to improve Rooney, I can't keep helping you by taking in your crafts to increase your scores. You need to brace up and get better-"

"-But I am! "

"No you're not! You're dropping, I accept my blame. I should've let you fail, so then you would've seen a challenge and aimed towards improving. " I hung my head in shame subconsciously at him.

He was right.

"So, I'll give you a challenge. A one week challenge with a complex test guaranteed at the end." He paused again, retrieving two huge books from his locker desk.

Come on!!

"You're expected to read this two, before next week Monday.

The test will be in a question and answer sequence based on the two texts, a summary would also be required. So there you go. " He pushed the books towards me and I stomped my left foot and scratched my head quickly.

Why does the man hate me?

Just because you know my mother doesn't give you reason to over carry my matter.

"Take it Rooney. " He smiled at me and I groaned.

Glaring at him, I picked up the two books in separate hands and made for the door.

"Rooney. " I turned back, holding in the urge to hiss at him.

He dropped the wooden board and nodded his head at it.

I groaned slowly and walked back, placing the two literature texts on the craft before picking it up.

As much as I loved arts this was... Unbearable.

I walked slowly towards the door, turned different sides trying to figure out how to get this wood out that door without breaking it, till I could finally walk out the door.

There was no way I was going to read even one of these books, they looked like they were 200+ words in each of them.

100 was my limit. 79 pages and I'm already bored and uninterested.

I'll get someone to read it for me.

And then they'll explain it to me.

I had a busy schedule and fuck that George if he thought my social life was a screwed as his that I had nothing better to do..

No girl to do?

I wish I just failed all my subjects so I couldn't be labelled intelligent, so much work comes with being intell-

"-Fuck."

Smash,
Crash,
Slash.

Who'd just bumped into me?
See, George this is your fault!

Why was I on the floor?!
Why are you still on it?

Where were the books?
What should you care? Fuck the books self

Who was this blind fool who'd just fell me down.
Ding ding ding! Jackpot. Best question.

"What the fuck's your fucking proble-" My shouting toned down when my eyes met hers.

Universe??!

Well were the gods sending signals?

I'd listened to Arthur body shame her less than 12 hours ago.

And now this happens...

And I have all rights to say Arthur was fucking wrong.

Obviously!

Thin perfectly shaped brows, dark black orbs - so dark it burned into mine, long lashes that complimented those black eyes, she had a thin layer of darkness above the upper lashes line..but it didn't look like mascara or was it eyeliner?- she didn't look like someone who would apply such.

For a guy with older sisters, I'm clueless about a single thing concerning makeup... Light, moderate, heavy... Clueless!

Straight nose and small yet defined lips, she didn't have high cheek bones but they were noticeable... Contoured maybe? Or they were elevated 'cause she was thin?

I knew nothing about makeup words that could describe her cheeks.

But all in all, she was an epitome of beauty.

So why was Arthur dissing her?

Why were his words laced with venom?

I highly doubt I'll ever know.

She blinked at me from her position almost in slow motion that fascinated me, her lashes weren't actually that long, but they were thick.

Her hands were placed behind her on the floor supporting her from laying flat on the floor, a knee was up and the other was flat on the floor.

She didn't glare at me neither did she blush, she just stared blankly at me.

Blinking once every minute.

Those familiar eyes searched my soul so deeply that... I was captivated.

This scene was way too cliche ish.

But we weren't helping each other up nor was she picking up my books-Mister George's books.

Riight! His books.

I leaped up as quickly as I could while she did the same, her short leg that laid flat on the floor bent a bit as she pounced her self up with her palms.

The floor wasn't dusty, but neither was it clean.

Students had just walked past here anyways.

She turned and stared down and I guess she was searching for my books.

"I'm sorry. " She muttered handing me the wooden board and I smiled genuinely at her.

Hah! First time ever she's apologizing to me.

But, was she actually apologizing to me or apologizing to the fool who'd tripped her?

"It's okay. It's my fault, I didn't see you. " I told her and she nodded at me.

With nothing else to say, I stared at the light almost invincible whitish dust behind her legs.

She was still searching for those books.

Shouldn't you be doing that stupid?!

I placed the board against the wall and brought out the well ironed army style bandana from my left shorts pocket and walked towards her, not caring about my own dust.

She bent low when I stretched out my hand at her leg and I scratched my head behind her before stepping away, she adjusted her back and turned to hand me one of the books.

I smiled at her and told her, "Thank you. " She barely even nodded and I gulped.

She was staring again, her eyebrows were flat above her eyes but she had this amused look in her eyes.

She squinted at me... But it was easy to miss.

Was she communicating with her eyes?

She turned again and walked in the opposite direction while I awkwardly held the bandana.

In less than a minute she was in front of me with the other book.

She looked down at me and back at me.. And in a millisecond I understood what she didn't say.

You read novels?

"No! I... I... I mean yes. Bu...but against my will.. I mean... I don't want to but I have to..." I stuttered and again in her eyes I saw that amused look.

I stared down at her lips, she wasn't smiling but yet she sent off that signal that she was about to laugh at me.

What?!

I rolled my eyes at her, a hundred percent she knew who I was..

I was Rooney Edwin, Darrel and Darren's younger brother with a bad reputation, I just wasn't sure she knew who I was...

Then I proceeded to grab the book from her hand.

She glared at me... I was a thousand percent she did and I just wasn't feeling that glaring 'vibe'

"Thank you. " I told her and the glaring vibe was suddenly gone just as quick as it'd come, she nodded again and turned to leave when I sighted the dust on her legs again.

She was empty handed so I wondered what she was doing on this hallway, she wasn't even with a school bag.

"Munachi." She froze.

As in practically froze, her left leg stuck out and her right leg was still back.

She seemed to recover because she turned and stared at me.

And the vibe came again, she looked like she was asking and yet saying;

How do you know my name?

Only teachers called me by my name.

Maybe the last one was a stretch but I definitely heard the question in my head.

"Yeah, I know you. Munachi Odumba, remember? We attended the same primary school? " She didn't nod but squinted her eyes at me.

After two minutes of squinting at me she nodded.

And I smiled, then she nodded again, her eyes widening as she did and the vibe came;

Well, why did you call me??

"Um.. " I scratched my head again, feeling really nervous.

"Your leg's a bit dirty. " She didn't reply so I walked over to stand behind her, she didn't freeze up like girls normally would when I stood behind them.

She wasn't short, but she had this thinness about her that made a person naturally assume she was short.

I trailed my hand down her legs, still waiting for her body to react to my presence behind her.

But nothing came,

What did you expect?
Once a Muna, always a Muna.

She hates you.

I dusted her legs and she distanced her self immediately I was done.

So maybe, I had an effect?

Or she just doesn't want to stay near you, stupid!

"Thank you. " She told me and I bit my lips nervously.

Why was she making me act this way?! No one ever made me act like... this!

She nodded and walked away... And then something you don't see happening in cliche movies happened.

She turned her head back barely 6 feet's away from me and confused me with 10 words;

"I had a crush on you Rooney... Not you, Rooney. " Her tone changed twice when she called my name.

But I was still scratching my head as I watched her walk away.

What does she mean?!

( ͠° ͟ ͜ʖ ͡ ͠°)

"I just really wanna be the one that's on your mind, all the time, every night."