Margins of change

Unexpexted Encounters

Into the second week of school, I was getting a little more comfortable with this brand-new situation. The preliminary nerves were being replaced with a feeling of familiarity as I started to fall into the routine at Future Jewels High. Enny was becoming a friend, and Bola and Chioma were always there to help me feel comfortable. Compared to the previous one, this new school was larger than life, and adjusting to that dynamic would take time. But the students, camaraderie, and small-town feel of things made me more comfortable over time and I was starting to get it.

Tuesday was no different, and I could tell as soon as I walked into the room that morning. The students were talking and whispering among themselves in clearly excited tones. I found Enny already seated at her desk, knitting a scarf. I've only known her for a week, but her knitting skills are no joke. I saw her knit quite a few times last week and she also showed me some of the bags she knitted for Bola. She's very skilled and I wish to learn from her one day.

"What happened?" I asked, sitting at my desk beside her.

She leaned closer to me and said dryly, " The notorious Olagunju Anthony is back."

"Olagunju Anthony?" I repeated, unfamiliar with the name.

Enny raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "You haven't heard about him yet? He's quite the bad boy around here. Top of the class but also one of the most troublesome students. He's been out for the first week because he doesn't believe the first week of resumption to be relevant enough for his mighty presence." she explained.

"Wow, sounds like he's got a bit of an ego" I chuckled. "Where is he now? Classes are about to start" I said while scanning the classroom in search of him.

Enny rolled her eyes and said "Don't get me started on how prideful and narcissistic he is. He's smart, like REALLY smart, and everybody finds him good-looking for a reason. I find him average-looking but the bad-boy image that has stuck with him has proven to be quite attractive to the ladies. He's probably downstairs with the ladies swarming around him or with his girlfriend in the senior class"

"Wait a minute, he has a girlfriend who's a senior??? But we just resumed last week and he wasn't even present. How come he has a girlfriend already?" I asked

"Back when we were in junior secondary, he and the boys usually come over to this school to play football because the football field is larger here. Fortunately for him, the seniors sometimes come to school on Saturdays for science practicals, so that's how he met her and they started dating. I was shocked at first that he was bold enough to date a senior, but then again, he's just being himself."

"Wow, that's wild!! Hmm, are you sure he's average-looking? Cause it seems like you just don't like the guy." I said honestly.

"Really? Is it that obvious?" she asked

"Yeah, very obvious," I replied. "Care to share why you don't like him?" I asked

"Well, he pretended to like Chioma last session. She and he were never really close, but he started showing interest in her last term. He helped her carry her school bag, he walked her home, bought her gifts, and sweet-talked her into dating him. At first, their relationship seemed too good to be true but Chioma assured me that he was treating her well." She said

"If he was treating her well, then what changed? What happened" I asked. My curiosity peaked.

"We later found out that he had been cheating on her with one of our seniors. She was heartbroken. Not only was he cheating on her, but he and his friends also had a secret group chat where he sent them screenshots of his messages with her while they all laughed and mocked how infatuated she was with him and his lies." she said and paused from her knitting

"Oh my God, I feel so sorry for her," I said with sympathy evident in my tone.

"Yeah, me too." She said in a sad tone. 'Ever since then, she has been very wary of boys. She was never really the outspoken type but the incident crushed her confidence and self-esteem." she explained and resumed knitting her scarf.

"I hope she has moved on and feels much better than before"

"Yes, she's better now. However, I would advise you to refrain from discussing anything related to him with her. We wouldn't want her to remember what he did to her. It took a lot of effort for her to get back on track.'' She said

"Ok, I understand. I'm happy she has a friend like you who cares about her" I said praising her

"Oh, it's nothing" she shrugged. "What are friends for? Besides, we girls need to stick together at all times and be there for each other."

" I agree," I said smiling. "You still haven't decided on when you're gonna start teaching me how to knit," I said changing the topic.

"Knitting is quite easy, I could teach you right now but the class will start soon and you know Mrs. Adenike never comes late to class," She said.

"How about during lunch break?" I asked

"Sure thing. You'll have to pay me though" she said jokingly

"Oh, really? How much does her majesty charge?" I replied matching her humor and we both laughed together.

As the bell rang for the start of the first period, our English teacher, Mrs. Adenike, walked in. The entire class stood up to greet and honor the teacher's presence. Arya quickly scrambled to pack all of her knitting equipment.

"What an interesting way to spend your free time, Eniola. It is always good to Sharpen your skills once in a while" Miss Adenike said complimenting Enny's work.

"Thank you ma, I always try my best to improve my skill," Enny said coyly.

The rest of the class settled down and the teacher started the lesson. A few minutes into the lesson, a tall and slim boy with a rich brown skin tone walked in. He has an athletic build, a sharp jawline, and intriguing brown eyes. He also has a bit of a mustache. A little murmur erupted among the classmates when he arrived. 'He must be the guy Enny told me about.' I thought.

Enny leaned closer to me and whispered, "There he is, Olagunju Anthony."

'Wow, he is not average-looking at all. He looked like he just came out of a romance fantasy novel' I thought.

"Really?? He looks the part though. Why is he just coming in?" I asked

"Well, We're about to find out'' She replied leaning back to her seat.

"What is your name, young man? and why are you just coming to my class? Who permitted you to come inside? " Miss Adenike bombarded him with questions but he didn't seem fazed by the confrontation. She took a look at her wristwatch and gave him a scolding look, "You are eleven minutes late to my class. Care to explain what held you up?" she asked

"My apologies for barging in ma'am. My name is Anthony... Olagunju Anthony. I'm sorry for coming late to your class ma'am, I promise you that it happened for a valid reason" He said in a pleading tone.

"What was your reason? And please make it quick because you're wasting my time" She said sternly

" I'm sorry, I ended up in the wrong building earlier so it took me a while to find our classroom" He explained in a sincere tone

"I guess that's what happens when you miss the first week of school," The teacher asked while raising an eyebrow at Anthony's flimsy excuse

"Ugh, there's no way he got lost in the school. He has been here countless times already" Enny whispered rolling her eyes.

"I don't know; maybe he got lost. I mean I also had difficulty finding my way on the first day. Maybe you should cut him some slack." I said in an attempt to reason with her. I don't know why it sounded like I was defending the guy. Or am I?

"If you say so. But I've known this guy since primary school and I'm very sure he's lying."

"You can have your seat. My name is Mrs. Adenike, Your English teacher and class teacher and this mistake better not repeat itself. I give you till Thursday morning to copy all the notes you missed being absent last week.If you fail to do so then you and I are going to have problems. Understood?" the teacher spoke sternly.

"Yes ma'am, I promise not to repeat the same mistake again" He said apologetically.

''Very good, let's continue the class, shall we?" Mrs. Adenike said and proceeded to write on the board.

I was about to continue copying the notes from the board when I noticed that Anthony was coming straight towards me. I was startled at first before realizing he was headed towards the empty seat behind me. 'Wait a minute, he's sitting behind me? Why does he smell so nice?' I thought.

"Hey, can I borrow your note after the class?" He said in the most mesmerizing voice I've ever heard and I agreed without even thinking it through.

"Sure"

If everything Enny said about this guy is true then I have to stay as far away from him as possible. But I can't seem to control my mouth or line of thought even though this is our first conversation ever. I don't even think this counts as a conversation.

4o