CHAPTER 5: CARL

CHAPTER 5: CARL

‘Oh Lord, what have I done this time around?’

Ayo asked herself as she slowly stood up, looked at both her friends and walked towards Miss Jenny.

“Hi, Miss Jenny”, She said nervously not sure of her crime.

“Hello Ayo” Miss Jenny said.

Although Miss Jenny is a very kind woman, one can never be too sure, just look at what happened this morning with the headmistress.

“So, a little birdie told me it's your birthday today, happy birthday”

“Oh- oh right, haa- uhm ye- yeah, it is”, Ayo replied timidly and also relieved she was not in trouble.

“I'm just kidding, no one told me, I knew all along. Happy birthday, Ayo”, Miss Jenny said with a smile on her lips.

“Thank you Miss Jenny, that means a lot” Ayo replied.

“Okay now class, sing the happy birthday song for Ayo” Miss Jenny instructed the class and Ayo's eyes grew wide open as she stared at Miss Jenny with surprise or maybe shock. Ayo hates being the center of attention, she isn't one of the popular girls in school, she's a nerd who loves school, reading books and winning awards. This was too hard for her to accept.

The class sang the song for her with her friends being the most excited ones.

“Uh- Thanks everyone, I- I really appreciate it” Ayo responded feeling grateful to them.

“Okay, you can now take your seats as we begin today's lesson” Miss Jenny said noticing Ayo being uncomfortable. Ayo walked back to her sit with her head low. She stopped midway when a foot was blocking her path.

“Loser”, She heard someone whispered and she raised her head to see it came from Ola, The popular girl in class and in school, who was smiling at her but not in a pleasing way. She ignored her and went to her seat.

“What did Ola say to you” Chisom asked looking at Ola ready to rip her throat out.

“Yea, what happened”, Joy asked from behind.

“Nothing”, Ayo said. Chisom looked at Joy and they both shaked their head.

“Didn't seem like nothing to me” Chisom said.

“Chi, it's fine, I'm fine, okay” Ayo reassured her friends.

“Well, if you say so”, Joy said letting go of the subject.

They both know Ayo isn't the touchy feely type. She doesn't share what bothers her in fear that she might be bothering them and She has been like that since they were little. They stopped talking and payed attention to their teacher.

“Okay class, today's topic is ‘Thesis statement’, who knows what the word Thesis mean?, anyone?” Miss Jenny asked no one in particular.

***

English was quick to finish as the bell rang for lunch break. Ayo and her friends were getting ready to go to the cafeteria.

“I think I'm gonna get just a hamburger, I'm not that hungry” Joy said.

“You didn't bring lunch?”, Chisom asked her.

“Uh-hu, I just didn't like what mom made today”, Joy responded.

“There's no need for that, Nanny Ti packed alot for me to share with you guys”, Ayo said.

“Really, thank goodness!” Joy exclaimed in excitement.

“Wow, slow down, you just said you weren't even hungry” Chisom said to Joy.

“I can't help it, I get excited over free food”

“For someone rich, someone might think you are starving and haven't eaten in days, crazy glutton”, Chisom said to her friend.

“Whatever!”, Joy didn't seem offended at all.

“Hahaha, it's okay, the food is for all of us, alright?” Ayo replied her friends.

They could be cats and dogs sometimes.

“Let's get goi-” Ayo turned already to start heading to the door when she bumped into something or someone.

“Ouch!”, Ayo shrieked in pain while massaging her forehead.

“My bad, I'm sorry”, The voice apologized trying to hold Ayo's hand.

“It's fine”, Ayo gently avoided the person's hand, she opened her eyes to see it was Carl. She was frozen.

“You idiot, see what you've done!” Chisom reprimanded her cousin.

“It was an accident, you don't have to be bitchy about it coz”, Carl replied Chisom with his hands inside his pockets.

Chisom gasped in shock, “How dare you call me that?!”

“What would you do? tell Aunty about it?” Carl said while smiling enjoying the look on his cousin's face.

Well, that's what Chisom was planning on doing. Chisom's mom and Carl's mother are siblings.

“It's okay Chi, I'm good, it was an accident”, Ayo said trying to remedy the situation.

“Calm down Chi”, Joy was patting the puffing Chisom.

Ayo turned to Carl and asked “What do you want?”

“I just came to wish you a happy birthday, Happy birthday Ayo”, Carl said to Ayo with one said of his lips raised showing his ever beautiful dimples.

Ayo just stood there in shock, ‘What just happened?!’ she asked herself.

“Aww, that's sweet of you Carl”, Joy responded for Ayo who didn't even know how to respond.

He is their classmate and also Chisom's cousin, but what's strange is that he never speaks to her, this isn't her first birthday, they all knew themselves right from kindergarten.

“Of course you'll find this sweet, it's disgusting”, Chisom replied Joy while pretending to throw up.

“Eh- uhh... thank you Carl”, Ayo said blushing a bit. Carl looked at her and said, “You're welcome, invite me if there's a party okay?”

“No way!!” “Yea, sure” Chisom and Ayo chorused, Joy silently stifled a laugh.

“Cool”, Carl said.

He started for the door before turning around and telling Ayo and Joy ‘bye’, he looked at his cousin and said to her “Bye cheese ball”.

“NO HE DIDN'T!!”, Chisom shouted in disbelief, Carl gave her that name when she was eight years old, she asked why even when she doesn't eat cheese balls and his responds was ‘Because it kinda rhymes with your name, ‘Chisom Cheese ball’, no difference’ and ever since then the name has stuck like a glue.

Chisom huff and puff in anger, Ayo sighed and patted her shoulder.

“Let's go before lunch break is over” Ayo said and they all headed to the school cafeteria.