The Average African Teen Experience.

Is love not a game?

The first time I saw that phrase was when Nachy Inks (an online writing club I joined in 2019) was on a weekly challenge. The phrase happened to be one the themes we were to write on. I was able to make a poem on the theme. The phrase can also be linked to the story to be told in this very episode.

In the previous episodes, we learnt about various experiences I had as a senior student. This episode is a continuation of what you have read in the previous episodes. Regina Caeli High School being the school I was attending at the time, became very conversant with the name Faith Benjamin. I became so popular after my Ballet club came into existence. Everybody wanted to be the friend of the ballet girl. I enjoyed some part of the fame. Especially the parts where I would walk into a classroom and see how interested everybody was in getting to know what I had to say. Of course there was jealousy and bad rumors spreading around by my envious classmates all to spoil my image. In as much as I was really hurt by the things that I heard, I tried as much as possible not to show that I cared about what they said behind me.

All the boys in Ss2 class wanted to date me. I kept turning down all the request I got while I enjoyed the fame. "What's there not to like?" I thought.

It's second term already. We had a new male student in Ss2 class. His name is Victor. He's a science student. A tall, light skinned, handsome and weird looking gentleman. His presence in the class got everybody talking especially the ladies. No lies, he's quite attractive but I didn't show any interest. I pretended like I didn't care all along.

Another interesting thing about this fellow is that he's brilliant. He scores higher than me in general subjects like Mathematics. I happened to be best in Mathematics in arts department all through Ss2 but the fact that there's a newbie trying to take over was not satisfactory at all.

Victor and I never really talked. I couldn't risk letting him know that I was interested in knowing him and I guessed he didn't want the same thing.

Whatever was going on between Victor and I continued like that until third term. We were preparing for our unified exams. One of those days, I received an text on f*******: from an unknown friend.

This unknown friend of mine introduces himself to be Victor. I was a bit shocked. We had a brief conversation and I agreed to say hi to him when we meet in school. I was elated for some funny reasons. It felt a dream come true kinda feeling. That was when I realized that I had a crush on Victor.

Our exams had commenced and we met one of those days while the exams were going on. I was shy to speak for some funny reasons. A whole Faith. Confident Faith. Shy to speak? That was new. We had a brief conversation and that was it. I was actually expecting more but that was it.

Our exams were over and we had about one week to stay at home before collecting our results and that was enough time for Victor and I to get to know each other better on f*******:. He was indeed an interesting fellow. We both looked forward to the day we would collect out results.

That day finally came and we met in school. I also received a gift from Victor that day. It was something close to romantic. Not that I didn't want it. I just wished it was faster. I know what I wanted from Victor. Victor is very intelligent and they say if you hang around intelligent people, they're good chances of you being intelligent because their intelligence is likely to rub off on you. So the role I was set to play is what I will call the role of Delilah. It's not really as evil as it sounds. I just wanted to know how he managed to be that good in Mathematics and maybe borrow some wise tactics and that I wouldn't achieve if I don't get close to him.

We had already collected out results. I spent some time talking with Victor before I went home. I could see the way some girls from his class were staring at me. They were already giving me that, "get away from there" kind of look. I almost laughed out loud as I gave them that, "there's nothing you can do about what you're seeing" kind of look. It was more of an eye battle. Victor didn't notice what was going on and that made the whole thing more interesting.

It's August and the holiday was going to last for the whole month. Victor had invited me to his place. I was a bit terrified but I accepted the invitation. I came over to his place. I met his elder sister first who told me that Victor had just stepped out. I was offered a sit to wait for Victor.

In a short while, he came around. I saw what could be explained to be happiness on his face. He introduced me to his sister and we started talking. It was a wonderful moment with both of them. Everything was going fine until Victor asked me to be his girlfriend. I never really saw that coming.

My brain started racing. His girlfriend? Is this what I really want. I thought about my aim of getting close to this nigga again. I decided to accept it. "Maybe everything will work better that way", I thought. I accepted his request stating clearly to him that it was not a platonic relationship and he agreed. I wasn't really happy about the idea but I just had to pretend and put up a fake smile.

Our little relationship grew and days turned into weeks. Our most used medium of communication was f*******:. No lies, Victor was a really faithful partner but as time went on, I realised that the relationship was not moving in accordance to what I wanted earlier. The whole aim of dating Victor was to be as good as he was in Mathematics and I had not achieved even one percent of that goal. I couldn't even see chances of achieving that goal if we continued the way we were going.

I started thinking of a way to break up with him. I would intentionally get angry over little issues. That plan didn't work because Victor would always look for a sweet way to appease me. I was really touched by how sweet he was but that was not what I wanted.

I already joined City Girls Secondary School in the next session but our communication increased.

It was Valentine's day the following year and I had just received a lovely text from Victor that morning. It was lovely but i replied with a break up message. Who sends a break up message on Valentine's day? I could imagine how painful it could be for him to take in. He kept calling and calling all through the day. So did his sister. I didn't pick any of the calls. I was bent on breaking up and nothing was going to make me change my mind.

Our communication seized from that day till some months later. He chatted me up with another account. I didn't know he was the one until he introduced himself. He wanted to know his offence. "Poor Victor" I thought. He tried to get us back together but that didn't work. I couldn't allow that happen. He got tired of the reply I was giving him and stopped texting me.

Some months later, he tried to ask me out on a date and I turned him down again.

This particular experience was terrifying altogether. I took love to be a game. That was teenage love and I felt that it was more of infatuation compared to love.

My advice to teens out there? Don't ever take love to be a game.

Hope you enjoyed this story. Stay tuned for more exciting episodes. Peace.