Chapter 6- The clash.

"Baba, don't lie to me. I know you weren't studying. Gist me. What were you doing?" Harrison lowers his voice into a whisper.

It's prep time. Every Tuesday and Thursday, we have a two hour prep session from 03:00 to 04:30PM prompt. Today, everywhere is unusually quiet.

Normally, most of us use the book as a camouflage, in order to trick the prefects into believing we are reading, where as, we are talking. We've all cultivated the habit of whispering to the lowest minimum and if we are under high surveillance, we use hand gestures to communicate. I know you are surprised. Students will always be students. But today, everyone except Harrison, of course seems to be concentrated on their books.

"well, I know what you and Bolaji did," I say.

"What did we do?" Harrison asks.

"Harrison and Timmy! Well done. If I catch you there!" Sen. Emmanuel yells, pointing his Cain at me. I can tell by his reaction, his discussion with the VP wasn't good at all.

"Guy, talk na. Don't mind him.". Harrison gives me a light punch on my shoulder.

"You can see he is watching closely. I don't want trouble o." I bury my head in my book.

"Emmanuel has his eyes on me. Any mistake and he will pounce on me." I continue. 

"Guy, you too dey fear. If he catches you, what will he do? Will he kill you? Chicken!" 

Harrison has always had this strong will right from our primary school days. When we were in primary 4, he failed an equation he was asked to solve by the mathematics teacher, Mr. Bami. The teacher got infuriated and started raining curses on him. Harrison just put his head down and smiled. Until the teacher gave the final blow,

"Well, I don't blame you, I blame your parents for their bad parenting." The teacher said, knowing fully well his parents were deceased. They died in a motor crash when he was seven. Sen. Cynthia and Harrison became a part of Amanda's family ever since. Harrison raised his head. I can still remember how red his eyes were. He walked to the teacher, looked at him straight in the eye and waltzed outside.

Harrison was almost the same height with teacher due to his rapid growth. The teacher continued his lecture, unbothered by Harrison's strange behavior. 

Harrison emerged with a big stick he cut from the school's mango tree. Before the teacher could look back, Harrison had already struck him hard on his head, causing the teacher to faint. Since then, he has gained utmost respect and admiration from most of the students in St. Peter's High. Harrison was given a four week suspension that term.

"Baba, are you listening to what I'm saying. Eh!" Harrison punches me on my shoulder. Apparently, he has been talking all along.

"Hey you! Last warning!" Emmanuel points the Cain at me. As if I was the one talking. I am sure he is on the watch, waiting for me to fall into his trap.

"Guy, if you don't want to get into trouble, just shut up. I still have detention to face after school hours. I don't want to add more." I whisper. 

"Okay bro. We will talk later then. Chicken!" Harrison puts his hand in his pocket and brings out his phone. He uses his book as a camouflage by placing the phone inside the book. Typical Harrison. He will never change. I shake my head as I continue reading.

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"Guy, I was surprised o. You, Timmy, dozing off in class?  Mba nu, *no*," Harrison says. Bolaji nods his head in agreement. 

I slept through the rest of the prep session. I had a day dream about Bimbo coming to school here in St. Peter's High. Oh God! It was more of a night mare than a dream. I think that's the reason for this splitting headache. Bolaji and Harrison have been bombarding me with questions since we finished the prep.

"Harrison," Bolaji says.

"Yes, Nwanne *brother*." Harrison replied with an igbo accent. 

"I don't think its a coincidence o. Timmy and Amanda, sleeping in class the same day? There's more to this..."

Now fully regaining my consciousness, I strike back.

"You guys are something else o." I interrupt.

"You think you can play me into believing it wasn't you I was chatting with? It will not work."

Harrison and Bolaji burst into laughter.

"Timmy, Timmy, Timmy, you are really something. So you think me and Bolaji really did it?" Harrison and Bolaji burst into another round of laughter.

"Love has blinded your brain o. You can't think straight anymore." Bolaji rolls his eyes. 

"Did you bother to check the number if it was mine or Bolaji's? No, of course not. You just assumed it was us." Harrison looks at Bolaji and they burst into a third round of laughter. Bolaji's eyes are now soaked wet.

"Timmy, go for your detention. You really need it o." They both chuckle as they head to their hostel talking. I can still hear Bolaji's loud mocking laughter. Those crooks. I shake my head as I walk to the library where I have my detention.

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"Oh, Timmy, welcome. We've been waiting for you," Mr. Daniel says. 

He is seated in a plastic chair in front of the library, while Amanda is in the front seat with her English textbook in front of her. 

"I am so sorry for coming late, sir." 

"No, you are not late, Timmy. In fact, you are early. Go and have your sit." Mr. Daniel gestures to the chair where Amanda is sitted.

This is confusing. Why is he being so nice to me?

I walk towards Amanda without looking at her. I still don't have the courage to look at her at when I know she is staring back at me. I walk past her and I settle behind her.

"No, Timmy, stay beside her. You guys should sit together." Mr. Daniel walks to the board and writes detention boldly in capital letters. He turns back.

"Timmy, I said sit with Amanda. Is anything wrong with that?" Mr. Daniel's calm look becomes firm. 

"N-no S-sir. Not at all." I stutter.

Come on Timmy. Stop acting like a child!

I grab my things and walk towards Amanda. She looks at me and for the first time, our eyes meet. Her large beautiful eyes, staring at me. Everything seems to be on slow motion like in the movies. She slowly blinks and smiles at me. Oh God!She is so beautiful. She is so-

"Timmy, sit, for Christ's sake!" Mr. Daniel yells, ruining the moment. Amanda giggles, using her hand to partially cover her mouth.

"Oh. Yes sir. Sorry sir." I sit beside her.

I can still feel her eyes on me. I put my things on the table and I clear my throat loudly.

Why the hell did I do that so loudly!? 

She turns and faces Mr. Daniel who is smiling broadly at us. Oh God! I hope she is not pissed.

"You two are a funny pair. The real reason why both of you are here is because I want you to represent the school in an Inter school debate competition popularly known as 'Future Generational Champions '. I am sure you must have heard of it." 

Amanda nods her head with a smile. Wow! This is a real shocker. I can't possibly do it, knowing fully well my last experience on stage. 

"How about you, Timmy? Have you heard of it? You seem to be deep in thoughts."

"oh. me? No...I mean, yes, I have heard of it. But sir, I don't think I am the right candidate for something like this," I say, totally avoiding his eyes.

"Why, Timmy?" His inquisitive four eyes, staring at me.

Why does he keep calling my name every time he talks to me. It kinda creeps me out.

"Nothing really, sir." I pause, taking a deep breath. 

"I have stage fright and I don't want to let the school down." I confess.

"All things are possible to them that believe, Timmy."

Again with the Timmy! 

He continues, 

"You have to choose whether to overcome this fear or live to be its slave for the rest of your life. I will need a reply on or before Monday. I suppose by then your mind must have been made?"

"Yes sir. Thank you sir." I respond.

"I am sure my amazon is up to the task, right?" 

He looks at Amanda like a proud father expecting an answer he already knows but still asks in order to prove a point.

"Yes sir." She replies affirmatively.

Now I feel bad. He just made me look like a complete chicken. I am sure he did it on purpose. I have to prove to him I am not a chicken. I am a man! 

"I will do it! I am in." I say, looking at him straight in the eye.

"Good. Very good. I knew you'd come around. You guys should try to get to know each other. Consider this place a training ground not a detention center, library or whatever, okay? I'll take my leave. You can leave when its 05:00 sharp." He heads to the door and leaves.

Now regretting why I agreed to join the competition, I place my hands on my head in exasperation.

"Oh my God. I am such a fool!" I bang my hands hard on the table.

Amanda jolts and looks at me, obviously waiting for an explanation. Oh shit! I totally forgot she was still here. 

"I'm sorry, Amanda. I didn't mean to scare you." I can't even look her in the eye.

"Its okay, Tim. Why did you hit the table like that. Are you angry at something or someone?"

"No, I am not angry. Its just, I am regretting why I agreed to participate in the competition."

She smiles. 

"I know Mr. Daniel literally compelled you to do it. He often says you remind him of his younger self." She pauses for a while.

"Oh my God. I shouldn't have said that." She puts her hands on her face and giggles.

"yeah, its cool. Why do u regret saying that?" I ask.

"Mr. Daniel doesn't like people disclosing his personal details. He really detests it." She mutters. 

"Wow. You and Mr. Daniel really seem close." 

She looks at me and smiles.

"Of course, we are very close. I really love him, you know?" She stares at me for a while. Seeing my reaction, she bursts into laughter, covering her face with her hands.

Jeez! I can't believe my ears. She is in love with Mr. Daniel!? That's insane!

She tries so hard to control her laughter.

"You need to have seen your face, Tim!" She is obviously doing a bad job trying to control her laughter. I can't take this anymore! 

"I can't believe you are in love with Mr. Daniel." I mutter. She looks at me and chuckles. Thank God she did not laugh. I would have broken down into tears.

"I never said I was in love with Mr. Dan. I said I love him." She smiles. 

What's the difference for Christ's sake! This is a bad dream. This is a night mare!

"Mr. Dan is a relative. He is my cousin. My Mother's elder brother's son." She pauses. 

"So what do you have to say to that?" She looks at me, waiting for an explanation. I let out a deep breath. Now, what am I supposed to say. 

"Well, I-" 

"You what?" She replies sharply. 

"I-" I clear my throat. She giggles. 

"Wow. What goes on here!?" Sen. Cynthia emerges. Always at the right place and time. She is like my guardian angel. No, she is more like my lord and personal Saviour. I smile. 

"Chinenye, what are you doing here?" Amanda snaps at her.

Woah! I didn't know Sen. Cynthia's name was Chinenye. Sen. Cynthia ignores her as she walks so graciously to my direction. God! Beauty must run in their family's genetics. She finally stops beside me.

"How are you, Tim? what's up?" She touches me on my shoulder. My heart is beating uncontrollably for no reason. Damn this stupid heart! 

"I'm...I'm fine. Thanks for the other day. I'm sorry I haven't been able to thank you since then," I say, staring at my note book.

"It's okay Tim. I couldn't just let a tyrant like Ade bully my favourite ss2 student." She advances from my shoulder to my left cheek. She caresses my cheek softly. Her hands her so soft. Wow! Favourite ss2 student? I like the way this is going.

"Cousin, we are busy as you can see. If you don't leave, I will report you to-" Amanda really seems pissed. She frowns at Sen. Cynthia. Her face is still as cute as a baby angel.

"Who? Bro. Dan?" Sen. Cynthia scoffs. 

"Go ahead and report me. I'll only go if Tim asks me to." Sen. Cynthia says. She sits on the table and places her full arm on my shoulder.

"Tim, should I go?" She stares at me with those beautiful puppy eyes.

Amanda turns to look at me with fury in her eyes. What am I supposed to say? I can't possibly tell her to stay. It would annoy Amanda and I can't tell Sen. Cynthia to go, it would annoy her as well. In situations like this, I ask myself; What would Dave do? What would Dave do? What would Dave do? I can feel some sweat beads rolling down my fore head.

"Please, don't involve me in your feud, Sen. Cynthia." I avert my eyes from Sen. Cynthia who is staring directly at me.

"Okay, Tim. You are right. I shouldn't have involved you. I'll be on my way, Amanda!" She stands up, walks to the door and looks back at me.

"And please, don't call me Sen. Cynthia. You can call me Cindy. At least when we are alone, be less formal, okay?" She winks at me and goes out, making everything obviously weird.

What do I say to Amanda who is flipping through her literature textbook aggressively. She still has that angry look in her eyes.

I clear my throat.

"So......I never knew Sen. Cynthia's name was Chinenye. Wow. So what's yours?" She stops flipping and stares at her textbook.

"Tim,I will be back." She heads to the door with such swiftness.

"But where are you-" She exits before I could finish up my sentence. Oh God! I hit my fore head with my palm. What a stupid way to start a conversation. 

Now, I am all alone. Sen. Cynthia really made Amanda pissed. Her face was literally turning red. Sen. Cynthia and Amanda could cope with each other back in the days. They would walk round the school holding hands, turning the head of any guy they passed by. I don't know how they could have possibly drifted so far apart from each other. What's keeping Amanda so long. 

"Hey, we can go now. Its 05:00 already." Amanda gently taps me on my shoulder. I fell asleep but this time, it was a very light one because I could faintly hear the pages of her textbook flipping. In a blink of an eye, she puts her books in her bag and heads for the door.

"Okay. Bye Amanda. I'll see you tomorrow," I mutter, totally disappointed at the turn out of our first conversation with each other.

"And I'll see you online. Don't worry. We won't chat till 2:00A.M today. I can't afford another mistake like that. Bye." She smiles as she exits the library.

I place my hands on my head.

Oh my God! I can't believe this! So I was chatting with Amanda all along! This is amazing. No wonder Harrison and Bolaji were laughing at me when I confronted them about Amanda.

I pack my things and I exit the library.