EMPIRE HIGH SCHOOL Episode 7 BY ADEMIDE
Joseph’s POV
“Oh boy! That girl bad!” Emeka said over the phone
“Wetin she do you Minister?”
I knew he was talking about Kate.
“I went to her this morning for a brief introduction.. Oh boy! You need
to see the way she behaved.. Simple greeting she no reply. I felt like
a fool this morning”
“Sorry Minister”
“Well it’s like she doesn’t know who I am. My father’s position in this country.. and I’ll still tell her.. “
“I’m not sure it’s going to work on Kate”
“Why? Oh boy She’ll fall for me if I tell her that My father is the
deputy Governor of our state. Will she say she doesn’t know Deputy
Governor Chika Chukwuma”
He said boastfully
And I laughed
I
knew his father’s title won’t freak Kate. Emeka always uses his father’s
political status to woo girls at school. Some actually fell for him.
“Well it obvious Kate doesn’t want to be friends with anyone at school”
He hissed
“I’m determined to be friendly. We’ll become friends… even more than just friends sef”
He stopped
I tried to think of what he just said. What does he mean?
“The girl is bad but don’t worry I’ll get her” Emeka Said
“Get her?” I repeated
“Yes she will end up with me” He said
Suddenly I felt the pang of jealousy rose within me at Emeka words. Get her? And she would end up with him?
I couldn’t hardly believe his words, so I laughed it off.
“Try your luck boy” I said with a fake chuckle.
Well let’s see how he’s going to make Kate end up with him.
“Thanks Friend” he said
“Yeah let’s talk later dude” I hang up before he could say goodbye.
Why am I so mad at him?! “Come on Joseph! Stop being jealous. Kate
isn’t your girlfriend!” A voice said at the back of my mind.
Maybe the voice was right but I don’t want Kate to be with Emeka.
“That’s none of your business” The voice countered
Of course! It’s my business! Emeka doesn’t deserve a girl like Kate. He’s a player!
“So you deserve Kate?” The voice asked
And then I found myself thinking deeply. That Angelic face blinded my mind’s eyes.
Oh my God! Kate’s so beautiful!
“This is wrong! What about Angella?!” The voice yelled and I snapped out of reverie.
Angella? Oh! That’s true!
I rubbed my palms together. I can’t be more than friends to Kate because I’m dating Angella.
Oh! Not so cool! I groaned and fell back on my bed. Do I want something else from Katherine? I thought deeply
“Do.. You.. Love.. Her?” The voice said in a tight whisper but it echoed in my head.
Do i love Kate?
Or
Am i falling for her?
My heartbeat accelerated
“Yes” I heard myself say to the voice.
What?! I love Kate! No it shouldn’t be..I’m in love with Angella too! I mean she’s my girlfriend!
But.. Wait –
I paused
Well it isn’t bad to stay away from Angella and be with Kate. I’m
better off than Emeka or any other guy at school. And I’m sure Kate
likes me too.. If not for feelings Like that but I know she wants too..
She’s just scared of Angella.
That crazy girl can destroy Kate if she see us together.
What do I do to win Kate? How do I make her become my friend before Emeka makes his move on her?
I thought deeply
“Think Joseph.. You’ve got the brains” I urged
Seconds clicked by and an idea struck my mind.
A good impression to know about Kate!
I just need to know more about Kate!
And the upcoming competition too! I’m a superstar, so me winning the highest point in the game will definitely impress her.
I know every girl likes a Sporty, Charming, filled with good looks and a nice guy..like me and not some dumbass like Emeka!
I stood up and rushed out of my room to our luxurious sitting room. My dad was watching TV alone.
“Hello Dad” I greeted as I sat adjacent to the couch he sat on.
“You’re still awake” He said
“Yes its just 7:30pm”
I pointed to the wall clock
“What do you want?”he asked
“Well.. Uhm.. I.. I.. ” I stuttered
What did I plan to say to him?
Kate! Yes!.. But I don’t want him to suspect anything.
“You need money?” He asked
“No I still have my allowance”
“You need my help with mathematics assignment?” He asked without looking away from the TV
“No” I said
Then he looked at me
“What is it?” He said sternly
“Well.. Can we talk? ” I asked
He nodded slowly
“Are you having problems at school?” He asked
“No Dad” I answered
He sat back and folded his arms
“Dad.. I’m just curious about the new girl at school”
He lifted his eyebrows at me
“New girl?”
I nodded
“Katherine Adebowale” I reminded
“Oh! Kate what’s wrong with her?”
“Nothing..”
“And just to let you know she isn’t a new girl at school anymore. Kate
is now a student and she’s doing fine with school works” He said
“Yes I know Dad”
“My teachers are impressed. They keep saying she’s good”
I nodded in agreement
He leaned forward on the couch
“Are you preparing for the test or the game?” He asked with a frown
“Ahmm both.. I’m working hard on test and the game”
We always have a social activity a day to mid term break.
“Well I think you should try to be friends with Kate so she could help
you with school works . Don’t get me wrong, I only said school works
and nothing more like what you share with Angella Benson” he pointed at
me
Ah! My dad knows Angella was my girlfriend. And many times he
has tried to tell me to break up with her to avoid distraction with
school works.
“Undivided attention, that’s all you need to be the best” he’d say to me
But there was no way I could break up with Angella.
“I want to be friends with Kate but she doesn’t want to friends with any guy at school” I said
To me, it seems Kate doesn’t like boys. But at the same time, on
several occasions I’ve caught her staring at “Ghost Man” in class.
And one day I saw them together in the hallway.. Just staring at each
other until Ghost man decided to walk away. He moves around alone with
an Earpiece plugged in his ear. And always wearing a sour expression on
his face ever since he enrolled into our school.
“Kate doesn’t want to get distracted by boys” My Dad said
“She’s at school to read, learn and make her WAEC papers. And that’s
what I want you to imitate and stop moving around with girls” he warned
I raised my hands in surrender
“Okay dad.. But can I atleast know why she left her previous school?”
“I can’t share that with you. It’s a long story”
“Can’t you make it brief dad?” I said
“No i don’t want to talk about it” He stood up
“I’m tired” he yawned loudly before moving towards his bedroom.
I was happy! Now my dad wants me to be friends with Kate!
Approved!
I stood up and danced happily.
Suggesting a reading group on weekends won’t be a bad idea! If she says yes then I’ll take things from there. Go Joseph!
I raced to my room happily and slept with a smile on my face.
?
Katherine POV
“So how well are you preparing for your tests?” My dad asked
I glanced up from my food
“I’m preparing fine Dad” I replied
He cleared his throat
“I want the best result in that test” He said
“I’ll try my best Dad” I said in a low tone. That’s all I could say to
him. Deep down my heart, I knew it won’t be easy to get the best result
in test with other brilliant students in class. The likes of Elena,
Jones, Temi, Jamal, Linda, Lawal the headboy.. And Angella?
No I could do better Angella! And Of course! I won’t forget the Starboy Joseph!
“In a class of 30 students I want to believe that you can get the best results in test, exams and WAEC too”
He said again before filling his mouth with food. I gave him a short
nod. Well I was the best student at Linda Girls College and that got me
into trouble with the school most popular girl “Cynthia”. She was
determined to be the best and also win the post of Headgirl for our set.
I wasn’t interested in titles, I just wanted to be a normal school girl
with good grades. Well I did achieved it until Cynthia ruined my
reputation. And it was beyond amendment. There was no way to defend
myself because I didn’t see it coming.. And it’d hit me straight in the
face. And the good girl became the bad one. Everyone hated me and
avoided me like a plague.. Senior Faith suffered worst fate than mine.
Now dad wants good grades, not bad but the problem was I don’t want the same incident to repeat itself.
I barely survived that shock!
Now with Angella Benson in the picture and Joseph trying to be friends
with me – The most popular Girl and the Starboy, that calls for trouble!
I can’t deny the fact that Angella has been sending me signals like..
“My eyes are on you”
” Don’t step on my toes”
“Stay away from my boyfriend!”
Yeah! I know those looks! And i won’t try to steal her boyfriend! I
don’t want to be called a “Boyfriend snatcher!” But Joseph was
determined. I could see it ckearly in his eyes that he wanted to be
friends with me. Elena and Temi said he’s nice and i shouldn’t avoid him
because he’s close to Angella!
That’s impossible! That girl eyes
won’t let me be at peace in class. And if eyes could kill, then I should
be long gone. Killed by Angella’s Glare!
I felt a touch on my skin which stunned me out of thought.
“Kate.. ” My mom called
And I looked at her
“I know you can always do better” She said
“Don’t feel too pressured about this whole thing.. I believe you’ll do
good in your test and exams just like you always do” She said softly
Her words melting my heart and taking away every doubt about myself. I
can be the best to make my parents proud again. To let dad know that
Kate was still the child he loved. If best results would make him treat
me the way he used to then I’m ready to study hard, beat EHS best and
emerge the best. I don’t care about the obstacles.
“Thanks mom” I said giving her a half smile.
“Eat up” She said
My gaze met dad’s but he looked away quickly.
?
Jeffrey’s POV
I sat at my reading desk to revise my notes before heading to school.
The upcoming week was mid term test week, so I needed to read ahead and
study. Well since I don’t belong to any sport team at school so I just
prepare for test unlike Joseph James the Starboy and other sport
players. They are all preparing for test and the competition between our
school and Kingsley Academy.
Everyone belived that with Joseph on
the team, our school will win. Well that’s true but there are other
students in hiding that can do better than Joseph. He hasn’t been
challenged by his team and I’m pretty sure they are scared of him. I
have watched him play and I know his tactics in playing basketball. And
to be honest, I know I can play better than him but I wasn’t interested
in challenge with him or becoming a basketball player at school. We’d
end up fighting if I join the team because I won’t let him boss me even
as a captain. And I’m sure Joseph won’t appreciate a guy like me going
against rules or taking away his fame. Everyone sees Joseph James as
the Brightest Star and all the girls are drawn to him except one.
The image of the girl who wasn’t fond or drawn to Joseph yet flashed my
mind. She was different. Normally, every new girl fell for Joseph but I
haven’t seen her around him like I expected. And I was even more
surprised the day I saw both of them. Joseph tried talking to her But
she walked off. And I guess she’s the only girl who thinks Joseph isn’t
the only special student.
Thinking again of the face of the
beautiful girl in our class. Katherine Adebowale, so fresh looking, neat
and Gorgeous. I must admit that she was beautiful, long thick lashes,
long hair and so shy you want to do her talking for her just to help her
ou.
or maybe am wrong?
But I’m only judging from the first
day she came to class. She couldn’t say her name properly until Mr
Daniel gave her time to relax. And she became confident and introduced
herself.. Like Kate was unbelievably shy!
Over times, I’ve heard
some boys talking about her. They said it wasn’t hard to talk to her but
its hard getting her to talk back. And Angella and her girls complained
that she was snobbish and unkind. You must be wondering how I get to
hear these things.
Well I am a Ghost!
No one regards my
presence in class so they just talk without minding what they say and I
on the other hand act as if I’m not listening to their conversation.
Whereas I know so many things going on in our class.
who is dating who? Who is the richest kid? The baddest boy/girl? and nasty things boys discuss about some girls in our class.
Lols! I sabi Everything!
And I think kate needs to be careful cause Angella and her girls are
planning something against her. I don’t know their plans but I can tell
that they are up to something. And whenever you see them glaring at a
student and whispering to each other ears just know something’s up for
such student. Those girls are really up to no good especially Angella
Benson. I can’t imagine myself falling for such a girl like her. So
mean, rude, arrogant and she has no regards for rules or anyone. She
behaves as if the world was created for only her.
I recalled my
first day at school, I went to the tuck shop to buy my favorite biscuit.
She bumped into me and spilled hollandia yogurt on my uniform. She
didn’t apologize to me instead she and her senseless friends laughed at
me. Angella dropped the carton infront of me and asked me to clean it up
before she walked off with her friends. I felt like a fool and at the
same time I was Angry at myself that a girl mocked me and treated me
like I wasn’t human. And I couldn’t do anything because my mom’s death
was still a sore in my heart, so I just let her go. But I promised to
never to be friends with her.
Fierce protectiveness welled up within me as I thought about Angella’s hidden plans for Kate.
What are they up to again?
The last time a girl on SS1 messed with Angella,they secretly locked
her up in the boys toilet. Some boys were mad at the girl when they saw
her. They reported that she was spying on them to see the sizes of
their dicks so she could tell her friends in class!
That was
absurd! And funny enough she couldn’t defend herself. I guess Angella
and her girls already threatened her life. They set her up and disgraced
her. She was embarassed.
The principal didn’t get to the truth of
the matter, he just asked her to do community service by cleaning the
staffs toilet for two weeks. And the girl didn’t return to school until
after a month when some teachers went to her home.
I don’t know
what had caused the whole drama or what happened after that it but all
I’m saying is that Angella is a bad girl. And she was ready to destroy
any girl that tried to steal Joseph from her. I’ve heard of Stories
about her punishing girls who wrote love letters to Joseph James. She
was ready to devour anybody for Joseph’s sake.
Is that what they call Love?
The sound of my alarm stunned me out of thought. I stood up from reading table and went for it. The time was 7:00am.
Time to go to school! I cleared up my books into my backpack and moved
out of the room. I won’t forget to find out about Angella’s plans.
And I have no idea why I was concerned about her plan?
Is it because Kate was involved?
“Jeff” A voice stopped me
I twisted to face him
“Good morning Sir”
“How was your night?” He asked
“Fine Sir” I responded
“I can see you are ready to leave for school” he said
And I nodded
“So why don’t you eat before leaving? Few slices of bread will give you
strength to drive to school and sustain you before lunch time” he said
Now he’s talking like he care about me.
I’m sure that sly reported that I refused to eat whatever she cooked.
Day and night. I can’t come and eat poison! And thank goodness I’m not
one of those Boys that can’t prepare anything. My mother had taught me
how to cook.
“I’m late Sir” I replied
He stared intensely at
intense. And then a frown crossed his face. I knew I had crossed the
line by rejecting food. He doesn’t like my attitude towards his wife.
Ah! So he expected me to accept her with open arms when she was the
reason why my mom died untimely.
Accept Fire and be consumed? God forbid!
“You can go ahead but we need to talk when you come back from school” he said with his arms folded
“Okay Sir” I bowed slightly before moving out of the house.
