When it neared detention, Itohan groaned again. She didn't trust her sanity to remain with her if she went there again, and the last things she wanted was to rub Father Ekene's secret on his face. At least not now.
She thought of asking Father Chibuike to help him talk to his attitude brother but she doubted it would yield any good result, it wasn't like Father Chibuike was any better after all.
So she walked into the boy's dorm, hoping to talk and get on JohnMary's good side.
She noticed the stares at her, the soft whispers. Of course, Ivie was who all the boys liked and who all the boys feared, and now she was Ivie. She walked with confidence, with a pride that intimidated others.
Itohan had never been to JohnMary's room, she wasn't sure Ivie had either and she didn't know if he shared a room with other students. Of course he would, Ivie was the only person who didn't share a room, the nerve.
She knocked on his door hoping that he would be in and he would be then one to open up.
He was in. He opened up.
"What is it?" His voice sounded hoarse.
"Were you sleeping?" She looked at his dropping eyes.
"Was about to."
Some of his dorm mates had come out of their room pretending to do something while in reality they were watching, listening.
"Are you not going to invite me in?"
He raised his head, surprised. "You want to come in?"
"Yes."
"That's a first." But he stepped aside for her to enter.
The room was like every other room, occupied by three students. Thankfully, they were out.
"So what brings you here?" He was sitting on his bed, his arm folded across his chest, wearing that expression Itohan always liked.
She had always thought he was handsome, she wondered why Ivie didn't see it. She wondered why Ivie didn't see that her friend, Gaga, was tripping over the boy who was tripping over her, who she didn't even acknowledge. She wondered why Ivie did not see anything.
"What brings you here?" He asked again, pulling her from her thoughts.
"Oh." She brought out a clean sheet of paper. "Help me with the Rubix's cube, please."
He set his stubborn jaw firm. "Do it yourself."
"Please, Johnny, please. I may decide to kill Father Ekene if I go back there to have him discard my work again."
"The kill him. I thought you were Father Chibuike's sweetheart, why worry about something as silly as the punishment? Just ditch it and have Father Chibuike cover up for you."
"Are you still upset about that? It doesn't mean anything."
"It does, okay? Plenty." He stood up and went to draw out the curtain from his window.
"So you're not going to help me?"
"No," he deadpanned.
A smiled tugged at her lips, she found his stubbornness cute. She placed the sheet aside. "What if I become your sweetheart instead?"
"Ehn?" He turned sharply.
"You heard me. Will you go out with me?" After all he liked Ivie, Itohan should use it to her advantage.
A hard frown furrowed between his brows. "You're saying that just because you want me to help you."
Oh, he was smart. But Itohan was on another level. "How you see it is your business. If you don't want to then I'm going to have to talk to my other sweethearts." She picked up the paper and made for the door.
He held her arm. "Wait, Ivie, are you sure?"
"Don't you like me?" She tilted her head to the side.
"I…do. I do for a very long time now," he was fidgety.
"Then you have nothing to worry about."
"Don't joke with me," he warned.
She turned around fully and cupped his face. "My sweet boy, I've never been more serious my entire life." Then she kissed him.
He backed out. "Ivie, Christ, stop! What are you doing?" He pulled away from her.
"Kissing you, isn't that what couples do? Come here."
"Wait, this is not—"
Itohan sealed his lips with another kiss, enjoying how much he quivered in resistance.
"Ivie, are you he—" the door to the room flew open and the person who entered halted her steps.
It was Gaga.
She had waited for Ivie so they could go to detention together but Ivie seemed to be taking forever. When she checked her room, she wasn't there. She wondered if she had gone to the detention herself which was very unlikely.
She asked Aisosa and she said she saw here entering the boys dorm, maybe to ask JohnMary for his help. Gaga had expected to see her begging him, not them kissing.
"What are you both doing?"
Itohan pulled away first. She was breaking Ivie's friend's heart, poor Gaga. "John and I are a couple."
"What does that even mean?" She asked, her eyes not leaving JohnMary.
"You don't know what a couple means, Gaga?"
"Not in this context."
JohnMary spoke up, feeling the heat from her gaze. "We decided to go out."
"You shut up before I shove your bed down your throat and watch you choke."
"But we—"
"I said shut up!"
Internally, Itohan grinned, fancy seeing Gaga like that.
"Do you even like him, Ivie?" She looked at her friend, not believing the turn of event.
"Why, John is a lovable soul, I'll learn."
"You'll learn?" She scoffed.
"What's wrong Gaga, you're supposed to be happy for me?"
"I'm not and I can't pretend to be." Her eyes became hot and she wondered if it was because the room had no ventilation or because of the striking pain in her chest.
"Why?" Itohan put on Ivie's fake face.
"Say, Ivie, you never knew about my…" she let her voice trail off, not trusting it to not betray her.
"Your what?"
Gaga blinked. Once. Twice. Enough time to clear her eyes. "I suppose your fancy boyfriend is going to have the Rubix's cube done for you, we don't have to go to the detention together anymore."
"I could help you with yours," JohnMary offered.
"One more word. Just one more word from you," Gaga dared, her eyes flickering as she eyed him thoroughly before leaving the room and shutting the door with a loud bang that threatened to pull the hinges from the door.
Gaga couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal. Despite that they never talked about it, she felt like Ivie had known, Ivie knew of her feelings for JohnMary. How could she?
Ivie never liked John, it was impossible that Ivie would like him now.
It was her fault too, she should have told him. She shouldn't have waited until she had a chance, she should have created one for herself.
She didn't know where she was going until her feet stopped in front of Father Chibuike's office.
Without stopping herself, she opened the door.
Father Chibuike who already knew he was going to have company had his eyes fixed on the door.
"You look so ugly right now," he said. "What kind of ghost frightened you into looking like that? Wait, why are you locking the door?"
"I can't risk anybody seeing what I'm about to do now."
He leaned back into his chair. "Which is."
Gaga walked to him and casually sat at the edge of his desk, her eyes on him, swelling with unshed tears.
"I know I'm much of a looker, but it's a sin to admire this much." He thumbed her tears away as a lone one rolled down her cheek, but he didn't comment on it.
"It's a sin to be his handsome," she retorted and then leaned into him and planted her lips on his.