My High School Life

Chapter Twelve

Jerome

   I was walking to school on Monday morning with Bayo and Clinton since we lived in the same estate. As big boys, we were walking in the middle of the road of the estate....because there were no cars on the road.

  I looked very neat and presentable, we had to be since it was Monday, but at all times, I always looked neat.

"This one that Jerome is smiling anyhow, hmmmm," Clinton commented as he adjusted his recommended glasses. He just started using them though.

Was I smiling? I didn't realize.

"Who's smiling? Me? When I'm not mad," I said.

"Hmm...hmm...you think we don't know? You were chatting with Jumoke on Saturday and when we asked you, you said you were doing something on your phone," Bayo said as he laughed.

"Hey, I wasn't chatting with Jumoke. Why will I be chatting with her?" I asked foolishly.

"That girl has made him become a softie, don't you think so Bayo?" Clinton asked, hitting Bayo's shoulder, smiling.

VI'm not a softie and will not become one because of a girl.

"As in ehn....this is not the Jerome we know o, that girl just changed him all of a sudden... Hmm, Clinton are you think what I'm thinking?"

This guys were beginning to annoy me.

"I can't be sure if I'm thinking what you're thinking cos your thoughts are sometimes foolish and besides, you're always thinking of girls,"  Clinton replied, Bayo slapped the back of his head making me and Clinton to laugh.

"Speak of the devil," Bayo started,"look at her over there," he pointed across the road.

  We had already trekked out of the estate's vicinity and we were close to the school.

  Jumoke was across the road with her brother, they were about to cross to the other part of the road, where we were, because the school was on this side of the road, but a bit farther from this spot.

  We stood there and waited for them to cross. She noticed us and gave us a warm smile. "Good morning,"

Her brother just glared at me.

"Good morning," we said at the same time.

"Jummy, meet me in school. Don't come late because you were chatting with this guy," he said coldly as he walked past us. But he didn't go far, he was still  around, talking to his friends and constantly looking back,glaring at me.

"Don't mind my brother, he woke up on the wrong side of the bed." She said.

Me too.

"No problem," I simply said. "How was your night?"

"It was good. Yours?"

"Fine."

"We are here too oh, in case you didn't notice," Clinton said jokingly.

"I greeted you guys na," she said laughing lightly.

  Together we walked to school. I didn't talk much because my annoying friends didn't give me a chance and they were doing it purposely to annoy him. Anytime I was about to say something, they interrupted and brought up an interesting topic for girls making her divert her attention to them......assholes. I was annoyed she didn't pay attention to ME.

  The whole time, I watched her laugh to their jokes. I was enthralled by her laughter, the way she laughed, the sound of her laughter, the way her eyes sparkled when she laugh left me utterly breathless.