KIISHA

"Are you blind?" I screamed as I looked up and screwed my braids off my face.

I'd been staying at the edge of the stairs waiting for Kiiti and Aminat who wanted to pick their music note books from the locker when someone pushed me.

Thank goodness I only missed two stairs and didn't roll down the stairs, after gaining my stance, I looked up at the person angrily.

"I'm sorry," Kenneth begged and I glared at him.

"Sorry for yourself, if you know you can't see, just see an optician or better still an ophthalmologists instead of doing nonsense around, ignoramus," I ended it with a hiss and pushed him out of my way.

Kiiti and Aminat finally came out and noticed I was frowning.

"What's wrong again?" Aminat asked and I dashed her a glare.

She'd just been relieved of her punishment, I just can't believe she fought with Boluwatife over Jared. At the summoning of their parents, I can still recollected the look on Mrs Yusuf's face, she'd walked angrily into the class abashed and slapped Aminat twice before pulling on her ears and dragged her to the principal's office.

Later, they were told to wash the toilets for a week and dispose off the bins.

"Let's go," I said and we headed towards the music room.

"Hey pretty," Jared greeted as I sat by the piano forte, Aminat and Kiiti had gone to their place in the music class.

"Hi," I replied succinctly.

"You don't look good, is anything wrong?" Jared queried and I glared at him.

"I've told you countless times that you're stunning when you don't glare, don't you think smiling fits you better?"

I dropped my note and turned to him, "Just shut it!"

He opened his mouth to talk but the entrance of the teacher stopped him.

"So now the Christmas celebration is around the corner, we won't be having any class but practice, the other school choir members will be joining you, so Jared and Kiisha, you guys will do a duet for Silent Night"

"What?" I shouted and all eyes turned to me.

"I like your duet together so Kiisha is there any problem?"

"No, ma," I shook my head and turned to Jared who smiled broadly as his dimples appeared.

"Why're you smiling?"

"What's wrong with me smiling? You need to cultivate that habit, don't you know you're drop-dead gorgeous when you smile, your smile is beautiful," Jared said and the glare on my face disappeared to be replaced with a slow smile.

"Now you look ravishing," Jared complimented as he touched my braid.

"I never gave you the permission to touch my hair?"

"But it called me uncle," he said and I chuckled.

I've been so free with him ever since the mid-term break and I really loved his company, I'd never been free
with any guy but Jared seemed different to the extent of me almost forgetting we we're competitors. We shouldn't be friends but Jared seemed less concerned about the challenge.

"That fits you better," he said and I pushed his hand away from my hair.

"Kiisha and Jared!," the teacher called and we both swung our gaze to her, we'd actually forgotten we were in class and all eyes were plugged on us.

"You can do your love love outside my class," she said and I scoffed silently.

"Okay, ma," Jared said and the whole class erupted into laughter, I eyed him and he grinned.

Love love with who? It can never happen.

I opened the door slowly only to be met by a smiling Rihanna.

"What do you want?"

She didn't reply but walked into the room, I closed the door and pulled her back with the tape of her hostel wear.

Our hostel wear is a pink short gown with a white long tape.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Let go," Rihanna said with a scowl.

Kiishi looked up from the novel she was reading.

"Who are you looking for?" Kiishi asked and I let go of her tape, she eyed me and walked to Kiiti's side of the room.

Just then, Kiiti walked out of the toilet. I sat at my reading table.

"Why are you here?" Kiiti asked as she walked to her side and sat on her bed.

Rihanna brought out a book from her side and said, "I'm returning it, I couldn't finish it early because I was stuffed, anyway thanks, I love the book," she then sat on Kiiti's bed.

Abi something is wrong with this girl. Kiishi and I shared a look and Kiiti collected the book from her before placing it on the table.

"Do you have another one?" Rihanna asked with a smile, a crook smile at that.

"I heard we'll be starting our exams in two weeks, so what do you want to use a novel for?"

She smiled before looking at Kiishi, as if Kiishi noticed her look, she looked up from the novel and Rihanna pointed at her, "She's reading one now"

"You can't compare your brain with hers," I said and she glared at me. We glared at each other until Kiiti broke it.

"I don't have any novel but you can borrow from Kiishi"

Kiishi looked up at her and Rihanna eyed her.

"Don't worry, so about what I said about you joining our group, you've not given me your answer"

Kiishi quickly dropped the novel on her table and turned to them, I gave Kiiti a warning look and she nodded.

"I'm sorry but I see no need to join you"

I laughed out loudly and Rihanna stood up, apparently she was piqued but she tried covering it.

"See, it's advantageous for you to be with us, how can a whole governor's daughter be friends with this low-class.."

"Please, I hope you aren't referring to Kiishi and I," I placed my palm on my chest.

"Who else would it be?"

Instantly I stood up and walked to her, she moved back while I moved closer, I grabbed her tape and dragged her with it.

"You cross-eyed wench, if you ever come to our room again or approach Kiiti again, you'll get it from me," I opened the door, pushed her out and banged it in her face.

"You shouldn't have done that," Kiiti said.

"Don't worry," I said before the bell jingled.

We all sprawled to our feet and packed our notes and walked out of the room, it was time for prep so I had to study with Jared.

"Hi," I greeted as I sat by Jared. He had gotten there before us because our prep hall was closer to the boys hostel. The girls hostel was somehow far to the boys hostel, the only place we shared was the dining and prep hall aside classrooms.

Kiiti and Kiishi were sitting at the other row along with Joshua and Quadri.

"Hey pretty," Jared greeted with a wide smile, his face dimpled and I smiled.

" Wait, did you just hear that 'hey pretty' that you've been shouting everywhere since morning"

He shook his head.

"Do you like it?"

I rolled my eyes and made a gesture with my hand.

"It's not as if it's something special"

He chuckled softly.

"So you want me to call you something special right?"

I scoffed and dropped my books on the table.

"Do you like crazy or lioness or tigress?"

I turned to him and gave a tight- lipped smile.

"You sure are not okay"

"Yea, because of you, you make me lose my mind," he said sweetly but annoyance clouded my features.

"Are you trying to flirt with me?" I frowned, he shook his head and dashed me a cool smile.

"No dear, so do you prefer Melody or queen?"

"Just shut up," I flipped through the pages of my biology textbook, he didn't shut up but continued.

"I think I've found the perfect one"

I looked from the textbook and faced him, "So?" I asked curiously.

"Riff," he said with a suspicious smile.

"Riff?"

"Yeah, it's the short form of riff-raff," I frowned before picking up the textbook and hitting his head with it.

"Ouch," he shouted and all heads turned to us, the hostel mistress and master gave us a warning look and I gave them a reassuring smile.

"So, riff, we're only doing past questions right since we've finished the scheme of works"

It seems he didn't learn his lesson. I glared at him but he smiled and opened his textbook.

"Riff, stop looking at me, I know I'm breathtaking but you really need to focus, our exams is around the corner"

I rolled my eyes  and smiled sheepishly.

"Okay, jaguar"

He scrunched his eyebrows, "Jaguar?"

"Yeah, if you don't stop calling me riff then I'll not stop calling you jaguar, you look so much like it, of course"

He giggled and he flashed a grin at me.

"That's good, I love the way it rolled out of your tongue, so we'll go with it"

I went poker- faced and opened my mouth to talk but he shut me up before the words could come out.

"The hostel mistress eyes is already blazing so riff, let's start working"

I turned to the hostel mistress whose gaze was fixed on us, I smiled at her but the anger still reflected on her face. What's even wrong with her?

"Okay, Jaguar"