My Arrogant Course Rep Want Me

EPISODE 1: THE WATER WAR Esther James had two problems that morning. One, her alarm did not ring because her cracked Tecno phone died in the night. No light in Moremi Hall. Two, Business Law test was by 8am, and Barrister Bello, the lecturer who hates latecomers, said if you come late, you score zero. Esther jumped from her bunk, the third bunk from the window in room of eight girls. She tied her wrapper, brushed her teeth with speed, poured small water on her face, wore her black gown that she ironed two weeks ago, carried her old Ghana-must-go bag that she uses as school bag, and ran. She did not even eat. No garri. No bread. She ran from Moremi Hall to Faculty of Management Sciences, her slippers making kpa-kpa-kpa sound. By the time she reached MBA 201, sweat had finished her whole face and back. Her gown was sticking to her body. "Sorry! Sorry! I dey come!" she shouted, pushing the door. Everybody turned and looked at her. At the front of the class, standing with marker like he owned UNILAG, was Jaden Cole. Jaden Cole. Final year Law. Course Rep. Rich boy. Fine boy that knows he is fine. Son of a SAN. Drives Benz to school. Lives in big lodge in Akoka with AC and fridge. And the most arrogant boy Esther has ever seen. He looked at Esther and smiled that wicked smile. "Ah, look who decided to join us. Esther James, the CEO of African Time. You came with your Ghana-must-go again?" The whole class laughed. Chioma, her roommate, covered her face. Esther was angry. "Jaden, abeg shift make I pass. I no get strength for your nonsense this morning." "No," Jaden said, blocking the door. "Barrister Bello said no latecomers. As Course Rep, I am enforcing it. You are late, so you go back." "You are not lecturer! You are just Course Rep! You like power too much!" Esther shouted. Jaden laughed and looked at her bag and her phone. Esther was holding her Tecno phone with cellotape on the screen. "Wait, is this your school bag or you just came from Yaba market? And this phone... Esther, is this phone still alive? You need GoFundMe. Or you need a boyfriend that will buy you iPhone." That was too much. The class burst into laughter. Somebody shouted, "Omo! Savage!" Esther's eyes filled with tears, but it was not tears of sadness, it was tears of anger. She was broke, yes. Her mother sells fish in Ikorodu to pay her school fees. She knows she is broke. But she hates when rich boys use it to insult her. Before she could think, she carried her Eva water bottle — the bottle she fetched water from hostel tap that morning — and she poured it on Jaden's white shirt. Shhhhhh! Water poured from his head to his chest. His white shirt became transparent. His trouser wet. Silence. Dead silence in MBA 201. Nobody breathed. Jaden looked down at his shirt, water dripping to his expensive shoes. Then he looked at Esther. His jaw tight. His eyes cold. No more smile. "You... you poured water on me?" he whispered, voice low. "You insulted me first!" Esther shouted, but her hand was shaking. She knew she had done something big. Jaden moved closer. He was so close she could smell his perfume mixed with water. "Esther James, you just made the biggest mistake of your life. That group project? The one that is 30% of our CA? I am the one collating the scores. I will give you 2 over 20. You will fail Business Law. You will carry over." Esther's heart fell. "You cannot do that! You are not lecturer!" "I am Course Rep. I can lose your sheet. I can say you did not contribute. Try me." He pushed past her and left the class, his wet shirt sticking to his body, water dripping on the floor, leaving Esther standing at the door with empty bottle. Barrister Bello entered two minutes later. "Where is Jaden? Why is the floor wet?" "Esther poured water on him, sir," one girl said. Everybody looked at Esther. That day, Esther wrote nothing in the test. Her hand was shaking. After class, Chioma dragged her outside under the mango tree. "Esther! Are you mad? That is Jaden Cole! His father is SAN! He can make you repeat final year! You know how many girls he has failed because they refused to date him? Why you go pour water on am?" "He insulted my phone! He insulted my bag! I'm tired of him!" Esther cried. Chioma hissed. "Now you will go and beg him. Tonight. In his lodge. If not, you will fail. Your mama for Ikorodu dey sell fish for sun to pay your school fees. You want make she hear say you fail because of pride?" Esther kept quiet. Her mother. That evening, by 7pm, Esther stood in front of Jaden's lodge in Akoka. The lodge was big, painted white, with AC outside, and black Benz parked in front. Music was playing inside. Smell of indomie and egg was coming out. She knocked, heart beating. Jaden opened the door. He had changed. He was now wearing black singlet, showing his chest and muscles, his hair wet, holding a towel. He had just bathed. He saw Esther and smiled. That wicked, fine boy smile. "Ah, my water girl. You came to pour me water again? Or you came to beg?" Esther swallowed her pride. Tears in her eyes. "Jaden, abeg. I'm sorry for this morning. I was rude. Please, don't fail me. Please, that project is all I have." Jaden leaned on the door, looking at her from head to toe. "Sorry is not enough, Esther." "Then what do you want?" she asked. "Be my girlfriend," he said. Esther's eyes widened. "WHAT? Are you mad? God forbid!" Jaden laughed. "Fake girlfriend. For one month only. My ex, Amanda, just returned from UK. She left me for a UK boy, now she is back and wants me again. I want to pepper her. I want to show her I have moved on. You will follow me to parties, hold my hand, act like you love me. In return, I give you 18 over 20 in project, and I will personally tutor you for Business Law exam so you will pass." Esther was confused. "Fake? You want me to lie?" "Yes. One month. No real kiss, unless you want. After one month, you are free." "And if I say no?" "Then you fail. And you repeat final year." Esther bit her lip. One month as fake girlfriend to the most arrogant Course Rep in UNILAG? The whole school will gossip. Hostel girls will hate her. Amanda will attack her. But failing? Her mother would cry. Her mother who sells fish in cold morning. She closed her eyes. "One month only? No touching?" "No touching unless you beg me to," Jaden smirked. "You are very stupid." "And you are very broke and you need me. So, deal?" Esther stretched her shaking hand. "Deal." Jaden held her hand. His hand was warm, big, soft. As she touched him, current passed through her body like electric. She quickly pulled her hand back. Jaden laughed. "Welcome to my life, fake girlfriend. This one month will be very interesting. Come inside, let me teach you how to be my babe." Esther entered the lodge, and that night, everything changed.