7. Exposed

Ify😊: have you seen the video of that guy that proposed to his girlfriend in their class?

Amylolo: Omg I have...Gosh that guy is so fine!!😍😍

Anita: aswr...I've not seen someone as fine as that b4. God just carried three people's beauty and gave to one person😫

Damibambam: see them😂

It was a Saturday afternoon and Anita was sitting in the parlor watching Nickelodeon which she wasn't really watching because she was on WhatsApp chatting on her class group chat consisting of 6 girls; her, Amina, Dami and Ifechi who they added newly. The last two people were from the other arm and she didn't know them personally but they were Dami's close friends who were in arts. Their names were Josephine and her name sake Anita.

Anita: ehh Dami, u want to form strong girl now abi. Lie and say that guy is not fine now

Damibambam: Ok ok, he's fine o. But the way you guys are just hyping him, they're finer guys in our class na

Amylolo: taaaarhhh!!

Josephine: Na lie

Anita: don't even go there 

She laughed when we they responded at the same time. 

Ify😊: they're fine guys in our class sha..

Anita: yesso true but no one reach the guy o

Amylolo: Asin ehh, like have you seen his pictures on Instagram? That video sef didn't do enough justice to his beauty

Anita: maddo, please whats his username

Amylolo: I think it's Gerald_fineboi.xx

Damibambam: Omo c username na😂

Ify😊: aswr, he even added fine boy.. proud much😂

Josephine: oga knows he's fine sha

Anita: Asin eh, and he is kwa o, all I know there's no one finer than that guy that I've seen  face to face

She typed on my phone whilst sipping the chilled sprite. While laughing at how they were busy ogling a boy who probably didn't know of their existence, another WhatsApp notification popped on, it was a private message from Ifechi, she had replied her (Anita's) last message on the group privately

Ify😊: no one finer...even Damien 😉

Anita froze.

Her phone buzzed up again

Ify😊; e shock you say I know?😂 Come on na.. I've seen you staring at him when you're not doing anything... she was about to reply but saw that her friend was still typing so she waited

Ify😊: Even that day he came to my table to borrow note that you were looking at me as if you want to kee me😂, I told him to borrow from you...you should have seen your face that day, you were literally red all over

Ify😊: he's a fine boy sha, you have good eye😉 

She mentally face palmed herself. Was she that obvious. Anita remembered the day that it happened. Damien came over to Ifechi's seat and they sat there gisting for some time. She was surprised at first wondering when and how they became friends but ever since Ifechi scored perfectly in that math exam, she had gathered more friends than before. It seemed that people liked her better knowing she was smarter and to be honest Anita didn't think it was possible, she always thought very smart people ended up loners.

Wrong assumption.

Speak for Temi alone her inner voice mocked

She had tried to distract herself from looking at them but she couldn't help it. She felt a pang of envy and had to hold herself from doing something stupid.

Not that it was her friend's fault anyway

She also remembered when Ifechi caught her looking at them and then whispered something to Damien and next thing Anita knew he was coming to her seat

She remembered how her heart almost stopped!

"Hi" he said in his sweet deep voice that always put her stomach in knots

"Hello" she said trying to be as normal and cool as possible "what do you want?" She said rather too shyly unable to find my voice. He had that effect on her.

"Um...sorry you're Anita right?" He said and she almost wanted to scream. They had been in the same class for over 5 years with the exception of the final year and he was asking for her name!! Even she knew all the names of her classmates in his arm.

"Yes" she replied against my better judgement. A part of her wanted to ask him if he really didn't know her name or if he was just forming because she knew that she wasn't very social but come on...

Was she that invisible?

"No vex o, but Ifechi said I should borrow physics note from you.. I asked her but she said hers isn't complete so....." He said scratching his forehead

"Oh yeah sure" she said opening her locker "just make sure you return it in one piece" she said stretching out the book which he gladly collected

"Sure...thanks" he said with a small smile and walked off

Anita sent Ifechi a glare and she just mouthed a 'what did I do' to her and rolled her eyes

.....

Back to the present 

Anita: What are you talking about? She typed acting clueless

Ify😊: ahh, c question o, you want to lie that you don't like him ehh..Anita

She read the message and chuckled to myself. There was another popup notification from the girls chat so she went there but they had finished the guys gist. Josephine was currently gisting about what was happening in Twist of fate, one zee world series Anita didn't like so she went back to her conversation to Ifechi

Anita: I don't like him abeg, he's a fine guy no doubt but I don't see him as anything more than a friend

She replied knowing fully well that she was lying.

A friend kwa, do you even talk to him? Her conscience mocked,as if reading her mind Ifechi replied almost immediately

Ify😊: friend ko, friend ni, I've never seen you talking to him apart from when I sent him to you...which I did intentionally anyway😉

She rolled her eyes playfully, of course she suspected that her friend sent him on purpose. Ifechi's note were never incomplete. Coupled with her sheer attentiveness in all the classes and the way she wrote so fast like a typewriter, there was absolutely no reason for her notes to be incomplete. She also rarely missed school.

Anita: I know and I'm still angry at you for that o😏 

She joked and hit the send button when she was actually glad, at least she got to talk to him and hear his sweet voice even though their conversation barely lasted for 30 seconds.

Ify: Peele o, angry say na wetin happen. I know say 4 Ur mind you're actually happy and you're here forming😏

Anita smiled while reading the text mostly at her apt use of Pidgin language. After spending 4 weeks with Ifechi at school she could now conclude that the Igbo girl was a konk pidgin speaker. She spoke pidgin English just as fluently as she spoke normal english. 

And to think she was posh and all that she thought to herself laughing. She noticed that she spoke pidgin only to their classmates and to those she was close with and used her queen's English only for teachers and junior students

Anita: sha you're right m not angry and yes I really like him..he's been my crush for over 4 years.  she admitted on the phone

Ify😊: ehen...now that you're said it did you die?

Anita: no😂😂

Ify😊: u c?...now better go and start talking to him o, should I help you start?

Anita: ahh 4 what na? It was obvious Ifechi and Damien had hit it off well and they were friends but Anita didn't need her or anyone playing match maker for her

Ify😊: ah ah...don't you like him

Anita: ehen😏 does it mean I'll na throw myself on him

Ify😊; 🤦you're not throwing yourself on him na, na just talk...

Anita: one thing leads to another blushing at her naughty thoughts

Ify😊: which kin. it's to get to know him better. The first step to making someone fall in love with you is getting to know them..

She rolled her eyes 

Anita: who is talking about love now😂 ordinary crush o, it's just crush..it av not reach love abeg

..

She typed taking a sip of her sprite which was now half empty

Ify😊: in no concern me, my own is you people should do fast, I want to chop wedding rice 🚶🚶

Anita burst into laughter after reading the message....wedding rice ko wedding ni, this Ifechi girl will not ki mi  she said to herself still laughing

"Why is this one laughing now?" Someone said from behind the couch where she was sitted on and she turned to see her annoying elder brother Kola peeping at her phone.

Kola was the perfect definition of a pain in the ass and her days were blessed when he wasn't around. Unfortunately, he schooled in the same state and had the opportunity of coming back to the house every weekend which he misused despite living alone in a very comfortable lodge.

"Hey" she said moving her phone away from his view "don't you know the meaning of privacy??" She said glaring at him. He shifted from the couch and adjusted himself into his full height 

"See this small one o...." He chuckled pointing at her. Kola was way taller she was, he was a 6 feet 1 while Anita was just a small 5'6. Tall to some people but short compared to her big  bro.

"....busy asking for privacy, what are you hiding and what in that your phone that is making you to laugh like a mumu" he said snatching the remote from her side while coming round to settle on the couch. Anita stared at her brother, her eyes in slits.

"It's none of your business" she blurtted at him while thinking of a reply for Ifechi 

"Is it me you're talking to like this?...I'll just pick you up and flush you inside toilet" He said shifting closer his hands up in an attempt to slap her. Knowing he wouldn't do it, she rolled her eyes and shifted farther before replying

"Ok, it's a very funny sticker I saw" she lied smoothly

"Ok lemme see" 

"Why?"  

"Ah ah na. I want to see the funny sticker na, that is making you to laugh so hard"he said and reached for her phone but she moved it away from him

Her phone beeped with her notification sound

Ify😊: hey...are you still there?

"No!" Anita barked at her brother now typing on my phone in order to reply the message but kola reached for her phone too fast and snatched it out of her grip before she could retaliate.

"Kola!!" She screamed moving to grab her phone but he just chuckled and stood up and started running round with it

"Kola, stop na" she whined while chasing him. After she exhausted her strength, she settled on the couch and waited for him to get tired "when you're tired you'll give me my phone" she said glaring at him from her half lying position on the couch

"Lazy girl" he mocked"you can't even carry yourself, tufia" he said now peering into her phone

"Ohhhhh" he drawled and his sister looked away from the thundermans she was now watching and caught him scrolling down her chats

"You now have a boyfriend abi" he mocked. Knowing it's no use lying, Anita replied "it's not boyfriend, it's my crush you duck" she said glaring at him as he read her WhatsApp chat with no remorse "keep feeding your eyes o, when I'll do my own you'll hate me" she bickered

"Damien..." He laughed shaking his head "sounds like a clown" and she deepened her frown at him before scoffing "says someone who looks like the Joker himself" she said smiling satisfactory when she saw his expression go sour

Anita knew she was lying, Kola was her only sibling and out the two of, she knew he was the better looking one. He had that perfect look with chiseled jaw, full brows, pink lips and thick long lashes she envied so much. Coupled with his height and slightly muscular frame, she knew he was the girls heart throb. Afterall, She used to get gifts and receive a lot of special treatments from girls his age when he was in secondary school just so that she could give them his number.

"If I slap you ehh, who are calling joker" he said, his eyes throwing daggers at her, if looks could kill, she would have been completely decayed by now, ignoring him she replied

"Are you done reading my whole WhatsApp? Abeg give me my phone" to which he eyed her

"Take your stupid phone joor,it's even dry sef" he said stretching his right hand with her techno placed on his palm. She stood up and stretched her hand ready to collect it before he drew it back smirking

"Ooommmmm..Kola!!!" Anita screamed 

"Sshhh wait" he said waving her off with his hand while tapping on the screen again swiping his finger and going back to what she assumed was her WhatsApp. Anita scowled at him slightly cursing herself for not putting a pattern or password on her phone

"Omo see fine girl o" he drawled in the playful voice guys used when they were teasing.

"Who?" She asked moving closer and peeping in her phone. She frowned when she saw Ifechi's display picture on the center of the screen and snatched her phone away.

"Ah ah na" he whined.."lemme see that picture again chai" he begged, she rolled her eyes and turned to him

"No" 

"Please na"

"No"

"Pleaseeee"

"No"

"Pretty please with a cherry on top" he cooed and burst into laughter when she looked at him weirdly "isn't that what you girls say when you really want something" he teased

"No it's not and no" she said curtly snatching her now empty sprite bottle from the couch and heading to the kitchen

"At least tell me who she is" Kola said trailing behind his sister

"No o, so that you'll take her number and start flirting with her like you do all the time"  she murmured remembering all the times Kola had gotten a random girls number from her phone and chatted them up pretending to be some secret anonymous admirer. 

"Is she your classmate?" 

"Stop asking me rubbish questions Kola" she yelled and he frowned at her for a second before his face broke into a mischievous smirk

"I'll take that as a yes....she must be new though, never seen that contact" 

"Yes she's new now leave me joorh" she said now grabbing another bottle of soda from the fridge and started walking to the parlor cornering towards the stairs leading to her room

"No problem.." he said and she stopped surprised and turned to look at him. He smirked and she knew he was up to no good when he added "I'll take her number myself" he said and moved towards the couch plopping down and grabbing the remote

"Not this time.."Anita replied bluntly before continuing her way up the stairs making sure to put a password in her phone as she walked...