Chapter 2

We are the

She placed a faux smile on her face, while the entire school staff came to congratulate her on her so called 'achievement'

Humans were scam.

They'd flaunt their faux feelings to you once you are a made man. Nobody wanted to loose, any little chance they got at finding favours, their hands were always quick to grab.

Chimdi knew all the smiles, pats and hugs she received were all fake. Some of them had their own share of judging her. But she smiled anyway.

She adjusted her blazer and pulled up her socks, as she made her way out of the staffroom.

The violent harmattan breeze hadn't calmed a bit. Nigerian weather was like that, whenever you need it, it becomes scarce.

Her black shoe was dusty and she bent to clean them, before retracting her hands, knowing fully well that,walking a little distance would still make them dusty.

Curse Harmattan.

She tugged again at her stockings when the breeze became more violent and kept walking.

She reached where Nene and Lara promised to wait for her, just to see additional company.

Elo was in his usual happy mood, unlike Jiki who constantly rolled his eyes at whatever the shorter guy said. She smiled when she finally reached them.

That was when she noticed a new face, the boy was dark skinned yet, his skin was clearer than theirs and his hair, a mop of thick black curls, cut low enough to look clean.

She felt his eyes on her as she gave in to Jiki's embrace.

To outsiders, Jiki was the overprotective boyfriend who wouldn't let the other guys get to chimdi. While in reality, he filled in the big brother role, shielding out the hormone crazed boys.

"Oshey Modella." Elo said, clearing an imaginary road for her. The rest cracked up.

She played along, sashaying to where he stood.

"Drumrolls please, Elo you're such a fool!"

The shorter boy rolled his eyes before enveloping her in a hug.

He sniffed her hair. "You are still using that Sheabutter nonsense." his nose scrunched in detest for the hair cream.

"Brand influencer duties." she said in a sarcastic tone.

The boy rolled his eyes, using his fingers to play with the curly ringlets of her luxuriant fro. "Still, that doesn't mean you should use it."

She mock gasped, feigning a broken heart.

While T.J was lost in the discussion, he felt he knew the girl they were showing so much love to. He watched the shorter Nene girl swat Elo's hands away.

The both couldn't stand each other, but couldn't still stay without each other.

"Dee, did you grow taller?" Jiki teased, using his hands to check her height.

Truly her Short plaid skirt and  legs for days, made her look taller.

"Of course, I'd do anything to be same height with some people." she replied, not looking at anyone.

"Awwwn, for me?" Elo crooned, draping his hands around her. But Nene was quick to swat them.

"Hmmn, awon brostitute. You have started again this year." Nene scolded, giving him the stink eye, making them to crack up again.

They were the comic relief of the little squad. A day would never go by without a fight.

"Awww Nens, I know you missed this hottie here. Girl, don't deny it. Bring it in." Spreading his hands to envelope Nene in a hug, to be shunned by a disgusted Nene, she shifted further to where Lara stood.

"Omg! Jesus you don blow girl." Elo continued, dragging Nene's chubby cheeks.

"Ogbeni leave me jhare." swatting his hands off again, but was too short to aim for his head.

But the boy wasn't done.

"Babes, no enter dining this week. En get why." that did it. Nene provoked by this, removed her shoes and aimed it at him. Causing them to crack up more.

The duo never seemed to stop amazing them.

The Clique clicked so well.

Jiki exhibiting his mean aura, when behind the light skinned, tall swim captain, layed a very big teddy bear with a smile, bright enough to brighten the dark night, which he only showed to the people in his circle and on set, doing what he loved.

Elo went all out. Once he is sighted, one can tell what he is capable of.

The average height, black child with dreadlocks, Pal never stopped frowning at. His bubbly personality could rub off on anybody. Except you'll totally scram when you meet an Angry Elo.

Lara was the exact definition of 'you don't judge a book by its cover'. Her bad ass dress sense and bubbly personality, concealed the soft spoken Yoruba lowkey nerd. And Nene, who just like Elo came all out. The brain of the clique and Elo's nemesis. The ebony beauty uses her tongue and brain as a weapon of mass destruction. Except it was only aimed at bursting Elo's already deflated ego.

Chimdi to all was a vibrant teen star, who out shone her friends. And that was all. She was a closed book, people painted her in a different light. Nobody knew there was more to the teen star.

Well, T.J. Was just good ol' T.J.

Chimdi still felt the new guy's eyes on her. She turned and he looked away.

"Guys, Oh I forgot. This na my gee, he just came in from the states. No jokes here though." Elo after his rat race with Nene, introduced T.J who shyly smiled, all eyes were on him. Including Jiki's judgemental ones.

"You people need to hear him speak." Abike butted in from nowhere.

Making her twin brother groan.

Abike, Elo's twin who always claimed to be older, just because she was taller and Chimdi's frenemy. And not really a full time clique member. Butted in whenever she liked.

The dark skinned girl never tried to conceal her true feelings towards Chimdi. And the clique couldn't put a ring to it.

"Aunty stop doing that nah." He whined.

"Doing what." Abike went in to lean on T.J.

T.J knew she had a crush on him, from the moment her mother mentioned how they played with tiny sunflowers and turning them into crowns, which T.J gifted her when they were kids.

Though none of them could recollect, Abike clung to that.

"What happened to his accent?" Lara took the moment to speak up.

"His accent is peng." The twin giggled, earning a grunt from her brother.

This made them look at T.J, waiting for him to speak up. This action made the boy uncomfortable.

"I'm nuh gonna talk, you know." T.J said, clamping his mouth when he realized he actually talked, earned a crack up from the clique. Even the stone cold Jiki Laughed.

"Dude, that was Epic." Nene hiccupped. Cupping her tummy and unaware she was leaning on Elo.

"Hmmn. But nothing I say is epic baa." Elo said feigning a broken heart, earning a hiss from Nene, who retracted her hands immediately like it was never there.

"I don't know, you guys talk so normal It's beautiful." T.J confessed. In the African movies he'd seen, Africans spoke in a particular way that was stereotyped. What he got back in Nigeria was a different thing all together, starting from the woman who sat beside him on the airplane.

"No way, the way you speak is cool too. You know, like those__ what do they call it again," Lara tried to put a name to it.

"Afro Americans?" Nene to the rescue.

"Yeah. Exactly."

"So you really came from the states?" Chimdi decided to speak up. Which got T.J's attention.

So she was listening all these while.

"Yeah__"Abike faced her,

"__before,you thought El was bluffing?"

The bell rang for lessons to commence. And with a groan, they all dispersed to their various classrooms.

>>

"Get ready to explore cinematography Ss3. I am corper Morris Ofose." An overly cheerful man in his mid twenties addressed the class.

The students interests were piqued Immediately. Mostly because he was a corper and Cinematography wasn't a course practiced in the lower academic section in Nigeria.

T.J looked around to see different shades of excited faces. Looking like they just got served a five star meal. He sighed. Been there, done that.

"I need a comprehensive list of the class." The young corper said, rocking on his heels.

No answer.

"Class captain?" a brow raised.

"We have none sir." Came the loud voice of 45 eager students.

Oshey modella - relating to a model

Awon brostitute - A man whore

Jhare - exclamation used defensively esp at the end of a sentence.

You don blow -You are now fat /Chubby

En get why - "There is a reason

This na my gee - This is my friend (esp used for males)

Kwo - Also used at the end of sentences to lay emphasis.

Okay lovelies.