Love passed by

Chapter 3

Mr Stan walked into our class the next day after the assembly as we settled down in our seats, the once noisy class quieting down.

He was our form teacher and came every morning for roll call before classes started. He was a tall lanky man probably in his early twenties who had just finished university, did his NYSC program in our school and then got retained.

Everyone loved him since he was friendly and closer to our age grade than other teachers.

We all greeted him in unison as we sat looking at him while he scanned the class to make sure we were all dressed in our Tuesday uniform dresscode; long-sleeved shirt to be precise.

"Good morning class", he voiced opening his attendance book. "Is anyone absent today?"

"No". We chorused back at him.

"Sir we love your shirt!" Oliver squealed making the class laugh while Tolu smacked the back of his head.

"Shut up noise maker", She shushed making him smile at her again.

"You'll break Oliver's head one day," Vicky warned shaking her head at them.

Mr Stan beamed at Oliver. "Thank you, I'll gift you one on your birthday,"

The whole class got noisy again grumbling and nagging at Mr Stan asking for theirs which made him laugh and promise he was going to get them one also.

After that, he got the attendance taken, gave some peptalk as well as reminded us about our forthcoming mid- term tests which we should have started preparing for.

Then left.

After the whole school hour filled with classes after classes, assignment submissions, the break period, more take home assignments and me constantly checking the time, the last bell for the day finally rang.

The dismissal bell.

I closed my books and shoved them carelessly into my bag not caring if they were going to get rumpled later on.

The class quickly got empty as almost everyone followed the teacher directly behind immediately he left the class. It seemed they had been waiting for the class to end as well.

Soon the corridor was filled with a mixture of white and ash as it got crowded with students who were rushing home as well or had other places to go.

Sinking into my seat, I stretched my arms making the lower part of my shirt to become untucked and my short skirt coming up to my upper thighs as I did so. I stretched out my legs also which seemed to have fallen asleep from me sitting down for so long.

"Let's go Adah", Vicky said gently standing up almost the same time as Tolu.

I grabbed my bag and hung it on one arm while tucking in my shirt with the other.

The staffroom building was just a two storey building painted white on the walls and ash on the supporting pillars just like the colour of every other building in our school, which made almost all buildings in our school identical and matching our uniforms too. The building had the staffrooms on the down floor; and then the staffs' canteen, staffs' library and a meeting hall that was used whenever there was a general meeting with the staffs on the top floor.

The down floor was then divided into five spacious rooms, the first four being the staffroom itself which accommodated fifteen teachers each in them while the fifth one was the staff convinence.

We stopped in front of the third one.

"I'll be coming from time to time to peek at Isaac", Tolu said smiling from ear to ear.

"You won't need to, this handsome face will be right next to you," Oliver told her patting his cheeks gently.

And it was not until then that I observed he had been following us all along.

Tolu rolled her eyes at him, then smiled at me and starting walking to the first staffroom with Oliver following her.

"If Isaac starts being mean to you, just shout and I'll come and knock him on his head," Vicky told me making me laugh before joining Tolu and Oliver which I agreed to.

I walked into the third one and dropped my bag on one of the tables there. Isaac wasn't there yet. I placed my arms on my waist studying the room trying to figure out what to do first.

Soon, I heard footsteps behind me, thinking it was Isaac, I turned around only to be greeted by Jemute and her friends.

Good lord save me.

I looked in surprise as they walked into the staffroom, Jemute leading the way like the queenbee she was and her friends following closely with arms folded. A scowl expression plastered on Jemute's face as she didn't look too happy to see me.

"Is she the one?" One of Jemute's friends who had golden braids asked examining me from head to toe as they reached where I was.

"Yes nah, I told you. All these Ss1s have no respect these days," Jemute hissed eyeing me.

I tried to recall if at all I had encountered any problem with them the previous week knowing how I did my very best to avoid them at all cost. Fighting with seniors was one thing I usually avoided cause once you got noticed by one, you'd definitely get noticed by the rest.

And then it hit me.

Of course she was Isaac's girlfriend and Isaac probably told them I was doing punishment with him.

They came to stand where I was and Jemute stepped forward making me to take a step backwards.

Were they trying to beat the s**t out of me? I mean I didn't even do anything. And even if they were, I could handle each of them alone. But together? Nah, I was a piece of dead meat.

I was the same height with Jemute and as she came stood in front of me, I met her pearl shaped eyes. Her lips curved up into a wicked smile and she touched my hair gently. "How are you Adah?" She asked

I maintained the eye contact agreeing not to let them intimidate me and folded my arms. "I'm fine".

Just then, from behind Jemute and her friends, a familiar tall build with broad shoulders came into view stopping at the staffroom door.

It was Isaac.

His long sleeved shirt were rolled upwards to his forearms and his shirt were untucked, giving a loose fitting to his broad shoulders and torso in general.

He had his hands in his pocket as he observed what was going on trying to understand the situation. I wasn't sure Jemute and her friends had noticed him cause they were still focused on me with Jemute saying things I couldn't particularly hear at the moment.

"What's going on here?" Isaac finally asked strutting to where we were.

Jemute and her friends turned to look at him, the scowl expression they previously had on their faces disappearing in an instant.

Putting on an act I see.

Jemute smiled at him. "Nothing really, we're just getting to know her. Is that bad?" She asked moving closer to him and placing a hand on his chest.

Maybe their dating rumour was true afterall. I thought to myself watching Isaac keenly

Isaac pulled her hand away with a displeased look making her roll her eyes at him.

Or maybe it... wasn't?

I felt my palms getting sweaty again making me wipe them on my skirt while my heart rate increased faster.

"I'd get going now," Jemute smiled at him and then turned back to me. "See you later Adah," She said giving me a devious look.

With that she beckoned on her friends to go and they left, each of them giving me their own share of dirty looks before walking out.

After they left, I immediately went to the back of the room to start working not glancing at Isaac for a second time or saying anything to him. He didn't say anything either and from the corner of my eyes, I saw him settle down on one of the teacher's desks.

I dusted the tables for the first row, arranged the shelf which was at the back of the room and was about to start sweeping when I looked up at Isaac to see him still sitted on the seat.

His long legs were crossed together on the table making his trousers to push backwards revealing more of the white socks he wore. His leaned backwards into the chair, rocking it partially, supporting his neck and head with his two hands behind them.

What in the world was he doing?

Wasn't he supposed to be working?

Did he think he was a king and this was his Palace?

I walked to where he was, the nervousness I'd been feeling all along disappearing immediately.

I stood in front of him, my eyes meeting his perfectly two toned lips and seeing he had his eyes closed, I knocked on the table beside him.

He acted like he didn't hear me making me to knock a second time. The knock echoing in the empty room.

He took a deep breath like I was disturbing his perfect little 'king time'. "What?" He asked not opening his eyes.

"What?" I scoffed folding my arms. "You're supposed to be working Isaac," I said studying as he adjusted his posture to occupy more space on the seat.

"Why?" He asked again.

"Why? Uhm.. If I remember correctly, the punishment was supposed to be done by two of us," I told him.

His eyes opened finally and he shot me a look making me avert my gaze to somewhere else, my arms slowly dropping beside me.

"You weren't really expecting me to do it, were you?" He asked.

I looked back at him to see him c*****g up an eyebrow. "Well you should have told Mr Eze back at his office that you weren't going to".

He watched me for some few seconds before shutting his eyes again. "Well, I'm not doing it," He replied flatly.

Now what was wrong with this dude.

And why the hell was he starting to annoy me?

"You've got to be joking," I fleered at him folding my arms again. "I'm not doing it then if you're not doing it."

"Fine," He responded chuckling under his breathe.

That was the first time I was seeing him do that. Usually if it wasn't an expressionless face, it was a frown or an expression that made it look like he was shooting daggers from his eyes.

But then it made me annoyed all the more because why would he act all arrogant, sitting in his chair looking all "kinglike" and expect me to do the whole work.

I examined him for a bit and without thinking, I pushed his legs off the table making the rocking Chair come forward and hit the floor loudly. He shot his eyes open and held the table for support then looked at me.

"What was that for?"

"Let's work now," I told him giving him an evil smile then going to start arranging the second shelf which was at the corner.

I heard some footsteps behind me and I turned to see Isaac there towering over me. He didn't say a word as he just kept taking more steps closer to me.

I turned sideways moving backwards in order to give a space between us.

What was going on?

My sweaty palms were back and this was starting to remind me of the supermarket.

What was he trying to do and why the hell was he this close to me.

I made to take a step backwards again but instead my back hugged the wall behind me. My afro bun sticking into it as well.

Tough luck Adah, tough luck.

Isaac still hadn't said a word as he just leaned down at me observing my face and hair, his face so close to mine I could almost feel his breath on my face.

Right now, I wasn't thinking. Honestly. All I could say was my heart was racing extremely fast and my cheeks were starting to hit up.

Was he about to ki...kiss me?

Kiss me? I thought as I looked up at him.

My heart raced faster than ever and before I knew it, I tiptoed and flung my head at him headbutting him in the face.

He staggered backwards crashing into the first desk that was behind him while covering his nose and mouth with his hands.

"There's an insect in your hair you f*****g psycho!!" He screamed. "What the hell!" He screeched in pain as his light coloured face turned a bright shade of pink.

More than half of the previously piled up books that were on the table were now scattered on the ground, some files also and the pen rack that were on the table few seconds ago were all on the floor.

I gasped looking at what I'd done. What was I thinking? Of course he wasn't about to kiss me.

Adah? Seriously? A kiss? Your imaginations sure is very wild.

"Then why didn't you say that since?!" I shouted back at him.

But then an insect? How did an insect get into my hair? I asked no one in particular touching my hair and from it, a brown coloured moth came flying out of it.

Oh good gracious.

My eyes widened as I looked back at Isaac to see him touching his nostril with his thumb. He looked back at it to see a red stain staring back at him.

Blood.

Blood??!!

I panicked stepping backwards making me come in contact with the walls again, my hands clutching to my skirt while fidgeting uncontrollably.

Isaac was having a nose bleed. And it was all my fault.

He looked up at me angrily shooting a glare. I was sure if at all I was able to see invisible objects, I'd see the knives been thrown at my direction that instant.

The blood was dripping down his nostrils which made him look upwards to the ceiling in an attempt to reduce the flow.

"What in the world were you thinking?" He hissed at me wiping his thumb on his ash trousers still not looking down. He wiped the space between his nose and mouth and rubbed it once more on his trousers, leaving red stains all over it.

Without thinking, I started moving towards the door quietly. I didn't know what was happening, if it was the fear of seeing someone bleed or the fear of seeing someone bleed because of me or the fear of making Isaac bleed that lead me. All I knew was that at that instant, I felt my legs making the move and it was probably guided by fear.

I aimed at my bag which I had dropped earlier on the first table beside the door and made my way towards it making sure to avoid stepping on the scattered pens on the ground so as not to make a sound.

I wasn't sure Isaac had his attention on me because he looked too busy wiping his nose and stopping his nose bleed than to look to see what was going on.

When I reached the table, I grabbed my bag and scurried out of the room leaving him there.