Twenty-one

💙Daniel💙

I walked out of the class and saw Unugwa approaching with her friends. She was looking angry. She's still angry with me

Me: Unugwa

Unugwa : not now Daniel

She entered the class and I stood at the door. She sat down and crossed her arms staring at her locker.

Her friends were standing behind me

Loretta : excuse us..

He patted my back. I looked at her and she moved back

Me: can you girls please give me a minute with her?

Loretta gawked at me

Claire: did you just speak politely?

I scratched my head

Loretta: okay bye

She held the other girl's hand and pulled her away. I faced Unugwa who was still staring at the desk

Me: UN

She looked at me and I smiled and walked to her

Me: I'm sorry... I didn't mean to be an asshole

She looked at her desk again. I lifted her face up

Me: I'm sorry. Stop being angry with me. I can't stand it

Unugwa : I'm not angry with you... Not anymore

Me: so I'm forgiven?

Unugwa : sure

Me: we're still gonna have lunch this weekend?

Unugwa : I don't know

She looked away and I smiled

Me: stop giving me that attitude. Makes you ugly

She glared at me

Me: sorry... I surrender

She chuckled

I looked at the back of her ear, it was seeping out blood

Me: why are you bleeding?

I touched the skin around the bruise

Unugwa : I am?

Me: yeah

She opened her back and brought out her phone. She slid down the cover and a mirror was there. She looked at the place

Unugwa : must be where I fell

Me: you fell

Unugwa : yeah. Your girlfriend pushed me down... To the ground

Me: girlfriend?

She opened her bag and dropped the phone

Unugwa : yeah. Agnes attacked me

Me: what??

My voice was so loud that she jerked back

Unugwa : hey don't yell. I'm not Agnes

Me: why the heck would she do that?

Unugwa : because she wants me to stay away from you

I bit my lower lip

Unugwa : I'm hungry. Recess should be over

Me: I wish she was a guy. I would have punched her

Unugwa : hey let it go. I slapped her already

I smirked

Me: was that enough? She's a bitch you know

She cracked and crossed her arms

Me: your hair has fallen out of it's bun

She sighed and brought out the phone again, using the mirror

Unugwa : the stupid girl pulled my hair

I stood up, reading to pull back Agnes hair from the roots but she held my hand

Unugwa : don't even try to kill anyone. Not today

I sat down

Me: maybe I should start following you around. Be your bodyguard and bounce off any body who's trying to intimidate you

Unugwa : nope. I'd get too used to you

I chuckled and watched her as she arranged her hair

Andy

The rest of the day, I was alone. Loretta and Claire kept going about together and Daniel wouldn't let Ugwa breath her own air. He was always breathing it with her.

I couldn't approach her to say hi. Or I'd go back to the hospital

One time, I saw her alone. The only thing I could do was to take her picture because I knew Daniel would burst out any moment

I took different shots of her and smiled at each. She looks so innocent

When I went home that day, I decided to print those pictures. She'd be surprised if she sees them

💙Unugwa 💙

The rest of the day was just Daniel and I. Loretta and Claire didn't come near us. I could see Andy from afar. I kept stealing glances at me and laughing within myself how Daniel hates him so much and how he equally dislikes Daniel

After school, Anibe came to pick me up. While I sat in the car, Agnes passed by it and entered hers

Anibe: whoa, who's the pretty face

Me: pretty face? More like pretty witch

Anibe: huh?

Me: she attacked me today

Anibe: attacked you?

Me: yeah. She hates me. Thinks I'm a threat. Standing in her way. Especially when it comes to Daniel

Anibe: wait forget about that first... The girl attacked you?

Me: yeah. Pulled me from the chair and pushed me to the floor. Pulled me up, pushed me to the wall and almost ripped off my hair.

Anibe: what? And you didn't do anything?

Me: only slapped her and told her to steer clear of me

He bounced his hands on the wheel

Anibe: damn! You could have painted her face red. Turn it into a work of art

I chuckled

Me: not everyone is a skilled artiste like you boo

Yeah, Anibe is like the best artiste ever. He can draw and paint. He even redrew the Mona Lisa and it was wow.

I tapped his cheek and he smiled

Anibe: do that again

I chuckled

Me: hell no. Start the car and let's go home

He started the car and drove into the street

Anibe: how's Andy

Me: he's fine. Buddy got into a fight today. Had his face bursted up

Anibe: what? That innocent face. Who did that? Wait, let me guess. Daniel

Me: you guessed right

Anibe: I knew that Daniel had a temper. Be careful around him bae

Me: Danny can't hit me. He's too sweet

He looked at me

Anibe: sweet? He's too sweet?

I groaned

Me: just face the road please

Anibe: speaking of sweet, grandma made some food.

Me: what food?

Anibe: I don't know the name. But I know it's Nigerian food

Me: how? We don't have any of the ingredients here

Anibe: Unugwa, this isn't the US. It's The Philippines. These guys farm and they have lots and divas vegetables. They certainly can grow what grows in Africa

Me: that's true. Can't wait to go home

Anibe: love me like you do. Love me love me like you do

Me: what's that?

Anibe : it's a song. I'm reading out the lyrics like it's words on a book

Me: you're weird. You're so weird

I went home. Couldn't believe my dad had bought about two bags of what he called Garri. He had ordered them from Nigeria and was shipped down here.

Mom and grandma had made wholesome meals from it and we were to eat it for dinner.

During dinner, dad was grinning from ear to ear

Saying he could relocate back to Nigeria because of this.

Anibe was acting like the locals. Chubi was just normal.

I was the only one who found the food weird. But I later joined in, seeing the look in their eyes like they were eating Heavenly food.

I admitted it was good. But I ended up feeling like I'm three in one.

After going upstairs, I retired for the day.

Andy called me

📲hello, Andy

📲uhm hi

📲how are you doing? How's your face?

I heard him chuckle

📲I'm fine. Thanks for today

📲my pleasure

📲well, I joined wanted to know how you were doing tonight. I hope you're fine

📲yeah I'm fine

📲did Daniel scold you?

📲not much. Just a little

📲don't let him intimidate you too much. He can be a butt pain

I chuckled.

📲I'll keep that in mind

📲okay, good night dear

📲good night

He hung up and I smiled and hugged my pillow

The next day at school, I didn't get to talk with Andy but I kept seeing him

I prayed Daniel wouldn't find out I was keeping tabs on his enemy.

Throughout that week I kept stealing looks at Andy. It got to a point it became a lifestyle, to always know where the heck he was.

I literally became obsessed with him. I just wanted to keep seeing him. I called him but he didn't pick it. I was downcast. I really wanted to hear his voice.

I almost cried when I called again and it wasn't even ringing. It was raining and the network was faulty

My grandma entered my room

Me: grandma

Grandma: why is my little angel still awake?

Me : nothing ma'am. I just trying to call my friend

She sat on the bed

Grandma : just a friend

Me: yes

I nodded and sat at her feet then rested my head on her laps

Grandma : why are you trying to call this friend now? Is it that urgent?

Me: no grandma. I just wanted to hear from him

Grandma: is he your school mate?

Me: yes ma'am.

Grandma : and why do you still want to call him, if you see him in school?

I didn't answer

Grandma : is he a cute boy?

Me: hahaha, grandma

Grandma : he's not cute?

Me: he is

Grandma: I remember when Grace began to make discreet calls. She would hide in her room just to call someone. Everything she thought about was about that someone

Me: really? Mom did that?

Grandma: yes. She was twenty-three then. I found out she was liking her school mate. That was in Nigeria

I smiled

Me: tell me more

Grandma: then I caught her looking at his picture. She was so surprised and thought I'd scold her. But I said it wasn't bad to like someone. I advised her to do something

I sat well and comfortably placed my hands on her laps as I stared into her face

Grandma : I told her to get a calender and on each page, she should write his name everyday for two weeks without calling him or seeing him. If at the end of two weeks without communication but just writing his name, she still likes him, then she's good to go

I smiled

Me: really? So did she do it?

Grandma: she did. And on the 15th day which was the day after the mark of the second week, she woke up and ran to his house. She asked him if she could take him out for lunch

Me: did he agree?

Grandma : I don't know... Go ask your daddy if he agreed or not

I smiled

She tapped me as she stood up from the bed

Grandma: I have to go and see Chubiyojo. Good night my love

I kissed her cheek then tug under my bed

Me: good night grandma

She smiled and left the room. I looked on my table and saw my calender. It was a monthly calender, with thirty pages. Each page was for each day of the month and it was medium sized, like a textbook.

I picked it up, checked my drawer and brought a maker pen. I looked at the date. It's 13th of June.

I smiled

I gently, boldly and neatly wrote ANDY in black ink just below the date