Something Beautiful

CHAPTER ONE

I wondered why it always ended up like this.

I'd be wide awake before 6 am on a morning when I won't get penalized for waking up late and on mornings when I needed to wake up early, sleep would decide to intoxicate me.

Like this morning.

I've been drifting in and out of consciousness since my alarm sounded for almost 30 minutes while I kept muttering to myself; 5 more minutes, just five more minutes.

Well, that's how you'd oversleep

I groaned, my eyes still closed and I brought my hand up to rub sleep off my face. I could already feel the morning air, chilly air and for a moment, I allowed it to lull me back to sleep and I drew my comforter to my chin again, knees pressed together so I'd be able to get into a more comfortable position.

What's so important about this morning again?

I asked myself before I could allow the chilly air to lull me back to sleep.

It's resumption morning, you idiot.

My subconscious answered and that woke me up instantly. I sat up with a start, my eyes opening hurriedly and I had to close them because of the impact of the too-bright sunlight streaming in.

Oh, fuck! I must have overslept.

I reached for my phone on my bedside table and a small gasp escaped my lips when I saw the time. 6:30 am. Fuck! On a normal day, I'd already be on my way to school now? Why did nobody wake me up?

I hurriedly got up from the bed, shrugging my nightgown off and throwing it away. I was about to enter my bathroom when someone knocked and they opened the door before I could say whim and I started to reach for my comforter to cover myself but it was only mom.

"Tola, you're not yet dressed for school?"

Mom asked as she took in my appearance, making me feel a tad bit self-conscious even though she was my mother.

"Yes, mom. Good morning. I'll have my bath now."

I answered her, all in one breath and I did not wait for her reply before I entered the bedroom. T The first day of SS3 and only a miracle would save me from being late.

**********

I was late for school.

Well, almost late.

That would have been a very big slap on my face because I was the labor prefect. The driver drove onto the school's premises just 5 minutes before the assembly and I dashed out of the car before he even packed properly and ran as if I was been chased to the hall. I got to the hall the very minute the bell went off and I paused at the entrance, holding on to the doorframe as I panted heavily.

Oh My God! What a dramatic first day in school.

The students started filing into the hall and some paused to look at me, eyebrows raised and some even asked me what was wrong with me.

What's wrong with me?

I asked myself and I fished out my phone from my bag and my mouth dropped open at the girl that stared back from my phone's screen.

I looked like a mad woman.

My hair was in disarray, most of it had not left the bun, and my face, oh God! This couldn't be my face. There were sweets everywhere, on my forehead, on my nose, on my chin.

No wonder the student was looking at me like I had grown two horns. I fetched out my face towel and I started dabbing it on my face to get rid of the sweat.

"Where were you?"

Someone asked me plainly and I looked up to see David staring down at me, a bored expression on his face as if he'd rather be looking at a piece of shit than at me.

Well, I felt the same way.

"And why do you care?"

I retorted and I watched as his lips twitched up in disgust.

"Of course, I don't. Our physics teacher gave us a project to work on and he wanted to explain the details of the project to us together but you were nowhere to be found."

Oh, that was it. You know that cliche thing that happens when life seems to always pair you up with the person you dislike the most. Well, that's exactly what's happening with me and David. We've always managed to represent our schools together in science competitions and now, we were both selected as the labor prefects and I'd have to put up with him for the rest of my secondary school days.

When they say life isn't fair, they were talking about this.

"Well, I'll find a way to brief you about the project. Jayden, let's go."

He said and gestured for someone that was beside him to follow him. I looked at the space beside him and it was then, that I noticed that someone was really beside him. He was a tall guy for him to almost be of the same height as Dave whose pride was his height and broad shoulders and then, his face. The face that had rendered most girls stupid and senseless.

This new guy was also fine, almost as fine as Dave, and his skin color, well, brown never looked so good on a guy.

He met my eyes as he walked away with Dave and his lips stretched into a thin line.

Wait? Did he just smile at me?

I rolled my eyes at his retreating back and I tried to control my breathing.

Our morning devotion followed the regular pattern, songs, the national anthem, and then, the announcements. The school's principal, Mr. Alabi, a large man climbed the podium in huge steps and when he got to the front of the microphone, he breathed deeply making the giving sound of the microphone echo loudly in the hall. My ears were momentarily deafened and I had to cover them with my hand.

God. This man.

"Good Morning, Great Students of Royals Academy. I welcome you all to a new academic year."

He spoke slowly as if he had to swallow a lodge in his throat every time he pronounced a word and well, I just had to brace myself for a very long speech to come.

30 minutes later, he was still talking.

I shifted my weight from one foot to another, obviously bored by all his long talks. I wasn't the only one though. Lots of students were mimicking my posture and even the teachers couldn't hide their displeasure by the looks on their faces.

The worst thing was the fact that he was repeating the same he used to say every other year. Like God! Can't they just change this man already?

"And finally, the SS3 students...."

He turned to look at us, at the only line and we all straightened, throwing off our once dejected postures. Nobody wants to get into that man's bad record.

"It's always about SS3 every year, always about SS3. It's your most important year because what you do this year would make or mar you for the rest of your lives. Your WAEC, NECO, and JAMB would go a long way in determining how the rest of your lives would turn out to be."

"Say that to Wizkid."

Dave murmured, more to himself but the whole SS3 heard him anyway and we burst into laughter before we can stop ourselves.

"SS3 students!"

The man bellowed and our laughter died immediately.

"You see, this is the lackadaisical behavior that I was talking about. Zero regards for constituted authorities. Do you think the Royals have been grooming you all these years for you to start acting like nuisances? Ehn?"

His voice kept rising as he spoke and even though Dave murmured a long story, we had to stifle our laughter. Dave is the school's golden boy, the perfect student, the one everybody adored, teachers and students alike, every girl's dream, the straight-A student but he was also the trouble maker, the cause of trouble.

He was that one person that could get the whole SS3 students into trouble while he'd scale through.

Beware of that boy with the golden smile.

"That'd be all for today, you can go back to your various classes."

Mr. Adisa finally announced and we all mumbled inaudible sounds of relief before we started walking to our classes.

The SS3 block was on the third floor and we occupied the whole floor with three classes, SS3a, SS3b, and SS3c. There were two other empty rooms on the floor, smaller, compared to the main classes, one was majorly used as a storage room and the other was Dave's hangout with his geng. Big boys' flex or whatever it was they decided to call themselves.

~Tola~

The new guy, Jaden ended up becoming my seat partner. That seat was supposed to be my friend's but now that she was gone, I guess anyone else was free to just sit there. Jaden had tried to make small conversations at first but after he returned from wherever he went with Dave, his mood changed, his face blank and expressionless as he stared right ahead at the board but I was sure that he could neither see anything on the board nor hear anything our Economics teacher was saying.

Not my business to worry about him, not my business to think about what had happened to him but I found myself doing just that and I occasionally turned sideways to look at him, his face becoming brooder and brooder by his passing second.

"I'd start to think you're infatuated with my face."

He muttered and he turned to look at me suddenly, shocking, especially because he was even smiling.

And what? Infatuated with what?

My mouth dropped open and I had to close it when no words came out.

"Of course not. Do I even know you?"

I finally managed to whisper back and he only chuckled, leaning even closer to my ears.

"You staring at my face since the class started says otherwise."

He whispered back and I rolled my eyes. Fine boys and all these their overconfidence ehn.

"Well, sorry to disappoint you but I wasn't staring at your face, hmm?"

He chuckled, the sound resounding deep in my ears and I frowned, wondering what this new boy's deal was. Someone cleared their throat directly in front of the classroom and I looked up to see our Economics teacher popularly called Sir Folarin staring quizzically at us. The whole class was quiet and from the looks of things, they'd probably heard everything.

"So, if you weren't staring at his face, you should at least listen to what I'm teaching you guys."

God!

I sank lower unto my chair, feeling utterly embarrassed. The cause of my misery just chuckled to himself and I couldn't even glare at him. And to think, this was just the first day of the session. What is a way to start the session?

************

I felt the sharpest impact of my best friend's absence when it was lunch break and I saw my mates, even Juniors walking hands in hands with their loved ones to the cafeteria, forming twos and threes in class and talking in excited and loud whispers. I can't even start to think of how the rest of my last days at high school was going to be without her. I never saw it coming, my best friend transferring schools. I remained on my seat, my eyes fixed on my chemistry textbook, a packet of popcorn on my lap, and a diet coke on the space on my desk beside my textbook.

I blocked out the background noise with my earpiece and I was just getting into the topic I was reading when someone closed the textbook with a loud thud and the person removed my earpiece from my ears. I looked up with a scowl on my face but the scowl dissolved into a smile when I saw who it was.

Sam.

One of the guys who I always find it effortless to talk to and ironically, Dave's best friend. Sam was a typical man whore who has no off-limit, he chased all girls and he was always talking with me.

"Babe, it's the first day of the term, it's still too early to bury your head in a book. Hmm?"

I smiled at him before I attempted to open the textbook again but his large palm was on the back of the textbook, making it impossible for my tiny hand to open it.

"Just free me, abeg. Before you know it, it's the fourth week and we're doing tests already."

"And I'm pretty sure you're going to ace all of them even without reading."

I burst into laughter before I could stop myself. These people think that I can pass exams without reading.

"So, you think I can pass my exams without reading?"

"I don't think, I know. You are guru na."

He did a thumbs up and I was laughing again. That's Sam for you, always managing to crack people up.

"I'm not a guru oo and I have to read before I can pass my exams."

"Well, at least, you're humble, you're not like Dave. I've never seen that dude read and he's always flaunting that fact."

"If you're done talking about me to a third party, you should stand up so we'd go to the cafeteria already."

Talk about the devil and he shall appear. I looked up to see Dave behind Sam and it almost looked like he was glaring at him. His queen bee was beside him, chewing gum loudly and shooting daggers at me. I had nothing against Tricia but I must have offended her in her past life because that girl loathed me.

No doubt.

She was always looking at me as if she'd rather have me buried six feet underground. Maybe it was Dave's enmity rubbing off her but then, Dave never looked at me with that much hatred.

"Do you want to join us?"

Sam asked me and I just had to widen my eyes. Join them? With Dave and Tricia? They would probably plan my funeral.

"No way, I'd rather remain here."

"No one wants you there in the first place."

I paused, stilling myself and reminding myself not to answer Tricia. She isn't worth it. At all.

"Are you sure?"

Sam pressed again and forced me to only nod, even though I was starting to get inked up. I just wanted Dave and his geng to leave me alone. Not fair to Sam though.

"You guys should go then. I'd just skip lunch today."

Hmm?

While Dave's face remained impassive, Tricia's mouth dropped open and she looked at Sam as if he had grown two heads.

"Well, suit yourself."

He finally said before he walked out, Nah, he strolled out as if he owned the damned building. Tricia looked at me scornfully but not before muttering "Shouldn't Sam at least have class? Chasing anything that walks around in a skirt."

Well, I take not having anything against her back. That babe is an idiot and I'm so not a fan of her.

"Don't mind Tricia ehn. She's just really jealous of you."

My left brow raises by itself.

"Tricia? Jealous of me? How? Why?"

I asked, pointing an index finger to myself because it's impossible for Tricia to be jealous of me. She hated me, no doubt but jealousy? no way.

"Ohhh, there is a lot you have no idea of but don't worry."

My frown deepened. Was Sam yapping rubbish now?

"Like what?"

I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me and he only shrugged he picked my diet coke and he started drinking without my permission.

"Do you realize that's my drink?"

"Of course, you have to feed me. I skipped lunch because of you."

"I don't remember asking you."

"You don't have to. I'd rather sit with a pretty girl than eat lunch."

My lips stretched into a smile and I made a tsk tsk sound with my mouth.

"That's a very lame attempt at flirting."

"I can even become lamer just for you."

"Eeeww."

I scrunched my nose together while still laughing.

*******

The following days were uneventful, just the normal hustle and bustle that came with the first week of resumption. My seat partner suddenly became quiet after our little encounter on Monday, Dave was still being Dave, he still hasn't briefed me about our project and it's either he ignores me whenever I ask him about it or he simply tells me we'd talk about it later and now, it's Friday and we are supposed to start working on the project next week. Good!

It was the period before L and D and our teacher wasn't around. The class quickly found itself in groups of three and four with my classmates chatting animatedly. I tried to concentrate on reading my physics textbook but I just couldn't, the noise was just too much, and luckily enough for me, I just happened not to bring my phone to school today.

A girl shrieked from somewhere in the classroom and I hissed under my breath.

"If it's that uncomfortable, you should just go and read in the library."

I looked up at Jaden's words and he was looking at me, headphones on. Was he talking to me now? Who was the one that refused to talk to me for the better part of the week? The one that ignored me?

"You're staring again."

I hissed under my breath before I looked away from him, my eyes trying to focus on the words in my textbook but I failed miserably of the intense way he was looking at me. I looked up at him suddenly again and my breath hitched in my throat when I realized that our faces were just inches apart.

"You should go to the library."

He repeated, his voice neutral and impassive and I swallowed a lump before looking away. The library was far from the academic block and I can't imagine walking there, then walking back for L and D just within 45 minutes.

"There's a reason I can't go to the library."

God! What's that my voice? What on earth is going on with me?

"Listen to music then. I can allow you to listen to my playlist if you don't mind."

He fished out his phone from his back pad and I him plug in his earpiece before he handed it over to me. I took it from him wordlessly and my breath hitched, even more, when I started to listen to the song in his playlist, a combination of Riri's, Ariana, Hailey, Asia, Khalid, and Zayn's songs. The songs were supposed to help me block out the background noise and help me focus on the words in my textbook but I just couldn't read nada, I was lost in the euphoria of listening to the music and it got to a point that I had to pause one of the songs.

"Guy, you have a good taste in music. This is so dope."

I said to him, a little smile on my lips and he smiled back.

"Well, I'm glad you think so. Someone created the playlist for me tho."

I nodded slowly, the smile disappearing at his somewhat sad tone.

"Whoever the person is, she must have a very good taste in music."

He chuckled, his teeth showing.

"Why would you assume the person is a girl?"

"Well, I don't think a boy would be creating a playlist for another boy."

"That's sexism at its peak."

He replied in between laughter and I kept looking at him till his laughter trailed off.

"I think we started on a very wrong foot. Let's start all over again. I'm Jaden and you'd probably be smitten by me before a month."

I burst into laughter again, my shoulders quaking and my ribs cracking. God! What's this boy's deal?

"Okay, I'm Tolani." I finally managed to voice out while demonstrating with my hands. "and you'd probably fall for this face before next week."

He chuckled again before he replied.

"What if I've fallen already?"

I was about to reply when I noticed a figure looming over us. I looked up to see Dave looking down at us, face impassive and it almost looked like he was gritting his teeth together.

"Let's talk about the project now."

That was the only thing he said before he started to walk out of the classroom. I rolled my eyes and I played the music I had initially paused with my eyes lingering on the textbook. Who on earth does David think he is? No one orders me around!

"Tolani, I believed I just said something to you."

I ignored him.

I could hear my classmates muttering between themselves and I could feel Jaden looking at me, then at Dave.

"Tolani, the project is next week, it's either we talk about it now or never."

He was in front of me again and I still ignored him. Let him have a taste of his own medicine. He had ignored me for the whole week. Let him know what it feels like now.

"Well, I hope you tell our Mister Adewuyi that you acted like this when we were supposed to discuss the project."

This was where I yell at him and remind him that he was the one that ignored me for the better part of the week but I forced myself to say nothing. I knew ignoring hurt more spiteful replies. Eventually, he stormed out of the classroom and I heaved a sigh.

"Wow, you guys look like you have a lot going on."

"No, we don't have a lot going on, we have just one and it's enmity. I thought it was going to get better this session but looks like, it can only get worse ni."

Or so I thought.

~Tola~

The new guy, Jaden ended up becoming my seat partner. That seat was supposed to be my friend's but now that she was gone, I guess anyone else was free to just sit there. Jaden had tried to make small conversations at first but after he returned from wherever he went with Dave, his mood changed, his face blank and expressionless as he stared right ahead at the board but I was sure that he could neither see anything on the board nor hear anything our Economics teacher was saying.

Not my business to worry about him, not my business to think about what had happened to him but I found myself doing just that and I occasionally turned sideways to look at him, his face becoming brooder and brooder by his passing second.

"I'd start to think you're infatuated with my face."

He muttered and he turned to look at me suddenly, shocking, especially because he was even smiling.

And what? Infatuated with what?

My mouth dropped open and I had to close it when no words came out.

"Of course not. Do I even know you?"

I finally managed to whisper back and he only chuckled, leaning even closer to my ears.

"You staring at my face since the class started says otherwise."

He whispered back and I rolled my eyes. Fine boys and all these their overconfidence ehn.

"Well, sorry to disappoint you but I wasn't staring at your face, hmm?"

He chuckled, the sound resounding deep in my ears and I frowned, wondering what this new boy's deal was. Someone cleared their throat directly in front of the classroom and I looked up to see our Economics teacher popularly called Sir Folarin staring quizzically at us. The whole class was quiet and from the looks of things, they'd probably heard everything.

"So, if you weren't staring at his face, you should at least listen to what I'm teaching you guys."

God!

I sank lower unto my chair, feeling utterly embarrassed. The cause of my misery just chuckled to himself and I couldn't even glare at him. And to think, this was just the first day of the session. What is a way to start the session?

************

I felt the sharpest impact of my best friend's absence when it was lunch break and I saw my mates, even Juniors walking hands in hands with their loved ones to the cafeteria, forming twos and threes in class and talking in excited and loud whispers. I can't even start to think of how the rest of my last days at high school was going to be without her. I never saw it coming, my best friend transferring schools. I remained on my seat, my eyes fixed on my chemistry textbook, a packet of popcorn on my lap, and a diet coke on the space on my desk beside my textbook.

I blocked out the background noise with my earpiece and I was just getting into the topic I was reading when someone closed the textbook with a loud thud and the person removed my earpiece from my ears. I looked up with a scowl on my face but the scowl dissolved into a smile when I saw who it was.

Sam.

One of the guys who I always find it effortless to talk to and ironically, Dave's best friend. Sam was a typical man whore who has no off-limit, he chased all girls and he was always talking with me.

"Babe, it's the first day of the term, it's still too early to bury your head in a book. Hmm?"

I smiled at him before I attempted to open the textbook again but his large palm was on the back of the textbook, making it impossible for my tiny hand to open it.

"Just free me, abeg. Before you know it, it's the fourth week and we're doing tests already."

"And I'm pretty sure you're going to ace all of them even without reading."

I burst into laughter before I could stop myself. These people think that I can pass

"So, you can pass my exams without reading?"

"I don't think, I know. You are guru na."

He did a thumbs up and I was laughing again. That's Sam for you, always managing to crack people up.

"I'm not a guru oo and I have to read before I can pass my exams."

"Well, at least, you're humble, you're not like Dave. I've never seen that dude read and he's always flaunting that fact."

"If you're done talking about me to a third party, you should stand up so we'd go to the cafeteria already."

Talk about the devil and he shall appear. I looked up to see Dave behind Sam and it almost looked like he was glaring at him. His queen bee was beside him, chewing gum loudly and shooting daggers at me. I had nothing against Tricia but I must have offended her in her past life because that girl loathed me.

No doubt.

She was always looking at me as if she'd rather have me buried six feet underground. Maybe it was Dave's enmity rubbing off her but then, Dave never looked at me with that much hatred.

"Do you want to join us?"

Sam asked me and I just had to widen my eyes. Join them? With Dave and Tricia? They would probably plan my funeral.

"No way, I'd rather remain here."

"No one wants you there in the first place."

I paused, stilling myself and reminding myself not to answer Tricia. She isn't worth it. At all.

"Are you sure?"

Sam pressed again and forced me to only nod, even though I was starting to get inked up. I just wanted Dave and his geng to leave me alone. Not fair to Sam though.

"You guys should go then. I'd just skip lunch today."

Hmm?

While Dave's face remained impassive, Tricia's mouth dropped open and she looked at Sam as if he had grown two heads.

"Well, suit yourself."

He finally said before he walked out, Nah, he strolled out as if he owned the damned building. Tricia looked at me scornfully but not before muttering "Shouldn't Sam at least have class? Chasing anything that walks around in a skirt."

Well, I take not having anything against her back. That babe is an idiot and I'm so not a fan of her.

"Don't mind Tricia ehn. She's just really jealous of you."

My left brow raises by itself.

"Tricia? Jealous of me? How? Why?"

I asked, pointing an index finger to myself because it's impossible for Tricia to be jealous of me. She hated me, no doubt but jealousy? no way.

"Ohhh, there is a lot you have no idea of but don't worry."

My frown deepened. Was Sam yapping rubbish now?

"Like what?"

I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me and he only shrugged picked coke and he started drinking without my permission.

"Do you realize that's my drink?"

"Of course, you have to feed me. I skipped lunch because of you."

"I don't remember asking you."

"You don't have to. I'd rather sit with a pretty girl than eat lunch."

My lips stretched into a smile and I made a tsk tsk sound with my mouth.

"That's a very lame attempt at flirting."

"I can even become lamer just for you."

"Eeeww."

I scrunched my nose together while still laughing.

*******

The following days were uneventful, just the normal hustle and bustle that came with the first week of resumption. My seat partner suddenly became quiet after our little encounter on Monday, Dave was still being Dave, he still hasn't briefed me about our project and it's either he ignore me whenever I ask him about it or he simply tells we'd talk about it later and now, it's Friday and we are supposed to start working on the project next week. Good!

It was the period before L and D and our teacher wasn't around. The class quickly found itself in groups of three and four with my classmates chatting animatedly. I tried to concentrate on reading my physics textbook but I just couldn't, the noise was just too much, and luckily enough for me, I just happened not to bring my phone to school today.

A girl shrieked from somewhere in the classroom and I hissed under my breath.

"If it's that uncomfortable, you should just go and read in the library."

I looked up at Jaden's words and he was looking at me, headphones on. Was he talking to me now? Who was the one that refused to talk to me for the better part of the week? The one that ignored me?

"You're staring again."

I hissed under my breath before I looked away from him, my eyes trying to focus on the words in my textbook but I failed miserably of the intense way he was looking at me. I looked up at him suddenly again and my breath hitched in my throat when I realized that our faces were just inches apart.

"You should go to the library."

He repeated, his voice neutral and impassive and I swallowed a lump before looking away. The library was far from the academic block and I can't imagine walking there, then walking back for L and D just within 45 minutes.

"There's a reason I can't go to the library."

God! What's that my voice? What on earth is going on with me?

"Listen to music then. I can allow you to listen to my playlist if you don't mind."

He fished out his phone from his back pad and I him plug in his earpiece before he handed it over to me. I took it from him wordlessly and my breath hitched, even more, when I started to listen to the song in his playlist, a combination of Riri's, Ariana, Hailey, Asia, Khalid, and Zayn's songs. The songs were supposed to help me block out the background noise and help me focus on the words in my textbook but I just couldn't read nada, I was lost in the euphoria of listening to the music and it got to a point that I really had to pause one of the songs.

"Guy, you have a good taste in music. This is so dope."

I said to him, a little smile on my lips and he smiled back.

"Well, I'm glad you think so. Someone created the playlist for me tho."

I nodded slowly, the smile disappearing at his somewhat sad tone.

"Whoever the person is, she must have a very good taste in music."

He chuckled, his teeth showing.

"Why would you assume the person is a girl?"

"Well, I don't think a boy would be creating a playlist for another boy."

"That's sexism at its peak."

He replied in between laughter and I kept looking at him till his laughter trailed off.

"I think we started on a very wrong foot. Let's start all over again. I'm Jaden and you'd probably be smitten by me before a month."

I burst into laughter again, my shoulders quaking and my ribs cracking. God! What's this boy's deal?

"Okay, I'm Tolani." I finally managed to voice out while demonstrating with my hands. "and you'd probably fall for this face before next week."

He chuckled again before he replied.

"What if I've fallen already?"

I was about to reply when I noticed a figure looming over us. I looked up to see Dave looking down at us, face impassive and it almost looked like he was gritting his teeth together.

"Let's talk about the project now."

That was the only thing he said before he started to walk out of the classroom. I rolled my eyes and I played the music I had initially paused with my eyes lingering on the textbook. Who on earth does David think he is? No one orders me around!

"Tolani, I believed I just said something to you."

I ignored him.

I could hear my classmates muttering between themselves and I could feel Jaden looking at me, then at Dave.

"Tolani, the project is next week, it's either we talk about it now or never."

He was in front of me again and I still ignored him. Let him have a taste of his own medicine. He had ignored me for the whole week. Let him know what it feels like now.

"Well, I hope you tell our Mister Adewuyi that you acted like this when we were supposed to discuss the project."

This was where I yell at him and remind him that he was the one that ignored me for the better part of the week but I forced myself to say nothing. I knew ignoring hurt more spiteful replies. Eventually, he stormed out of the classroom and I heaved a sigh.

"Wow, you guys look like you have a lot going on."

"No, we don't have a lot going on, we have just one and it's enmity. I thought it was going to get better this session but looks like, it can only get worse ni."

Or so I thought.