Dad worked as a neurosurgeon and got transferred here to work as a specialist. He was the reason why we came down to Florida . Mom was a fashion guru widely known but that didn't mean I had a fashion sense. I was a complete wacko when it came to dressing. Give me crazy Jean anytime, anyday and I'd be the love of your life. Mum had tried several times to get me to dress like a lady and it didn't turn out well. I had my wardrobe as proof.
I was miserable, when it came to dressing, but hey, who needed to dress like Cinderella to get noticed?
"Emmy!" My mum's shrill voice cut into my wandering though from below,"
Get your acts together and meet me in the kitchen in five."
"Aaaaaarrrrgggh." I murmured," this was the disadvantage in being an only child. I got to do the dishes and other house chores. Why they refused to get an help I'd never know. Scampering from my bed, I ran my hand through my hair and found my way down the stair," good morning mum."
"Morning." Came her Curt reply,"why you sleep early and wake up late is what I'd never understand. I expect that by now you've gotten use to the idea that as a girl you have to wake up early and perform your chores. Who do you think would do the dishes for you in your husband's house. You'd get married one day Emmy."
You see the disadvantage of having a Nigerian mum? For the love of gawd, I was just sixteen!! And who even set up those stupid rules anyway? Staying in this house, you could actually do a months job under a day.
"I'm sorry mum. I guess yesterday's stress of loading and offloading took a toil on me." Well that was a blatant lie,I was immersed in thoughts.
My parents where loving, caring and strict. Majority of times, they where overbearing but I guess it was for my own good.
"How was your night?" she asked smacking herself in the head as though she just remembered to ask,"you slept well?"
I shrugged.
"I guess I did."
"What's wrong?" She asked worry etching across her beautiful face.
"I'm just worried. Starting life anew down here just feels like something I can't describe." I said grabbing a ceramic from the kitchen sink,"what if I don't fit in? What if the people here don't like me?"
"Oh darling!" She enveloped me in a bear hug," you gonna do just fine. Just give yourself that positive feeling and vibe."
"You think so mum?"
" I know so Emmy, I don't think."
I smiled.
"Thank you mum. What would I ever do without you?" It was true. My mum has always had my back, for as long as I could remember now." Dad's left for work?"
"Yes. Over an hour now. He asked me to give you this." She dropped a kiss on my forehead .
"Ow mum, he always gives me that," I giggled,"but you should know I am sixteen now and no longer a kid. You know how much I hate PDA and those sloppy kisses."
She clutched her chest and feinged being in pains."oh my baby's all grown now and she's forgotten that even at eighty she'd still be my baby." That said she began dropping kisses all over my face again making me giggle .
"You're annoying when you want to be."
"Only for you my baby. Only for you."
The doorbell rang disrupting our little mummy and daughter time together. Exchanging looks between ourselves , my mum half whisphered " who could that be. You made any friends already?"
"None that I can think of." I replied waving away the question.
"I'd get the door. Try and set the kitchen in array."
She turned open the door making me stop in my track. "Good morning ma'am." I knew that voice. And who it belonged to.
But what had he come to do here? Did it come to tell my mum that walking around in just bra and panties was a sin. Of course I wasn't walking around naked! I was just taking a swim. Was it because I'd walked out on him? Was walking out on people in America a sin? Oh, dang it!
"I thought bringing you cookies was the perfect way to welcome our new neighbors." He shrugge stretching out his hands with a plate of cookies,"it's more like a tradion here and mum makes sure we do it anyways."
He sounded bored.
"Oh!" My mum said surprised,"thanks so much. Where's your mum? What's your name?"
"She did have an appointment with her doctor this morning. I am Alain Greenbolt."
Mum was finding it hard to hold in a smile. She was definitely surprised. Like, who in Nigeria and in their right senses would bring you cookies. Werey wey dey disguise. It's either you're a witch or you're a stranger. And even though you brought cookies, no one was going to collect.
Reasons why you hear little children say,"thank you" when you offer them something without taking what you brought them.
Once, mum had beaten me for getting gifts from a stranger. She said it wasn't advisable that I could eat witch in the process. So you could imagine how surprised I was when she welcomed Alain with wide arms.
"Do come in please." She said stepping aside so he could pass through,"My daughter and I we're about having breakfast. Would you care to join us?"
What?! That guy had literally seen me naked. She should just get the cookies and jam the door in his face. Why was she inviting him in?
"I wouldn't mind. I have not had breakfast myself."
Before I could stop myself, I'd already blurted ,"didn't your mum teach you not to take food from strangers?!" I half yelled.
Four set of eyes turned to me. Oh dear!
"That's no way to talk to your visitor Emmy." Mumsaid with eyes that warned me to behave.
"Well ,well, well," Alain turned giving me the once-over. His eyes raked my body,zoomed in on my chest and finally settled on my lips "a little feisty are we?"
"Not feisty," I said,"do you take it as a job to encroach in people's personal space?"
"Your mum invited me for breakfast." He said calmly.
"Underline that word 'breakfast' " I said,"she invited you for breakfast not to eat me. Why then are you checking me out?" I raised a brow.
"You wouldn't be in my top ten list of favorite dishes." He retorted,"I like them hot."
My mum gagged.
I boiled.
"Coming from someone who has a bad taste I wonder what you mean by hot? Last I checked you suffered a deficiency in that area." I folded my hands under my chest exposing more cleavages than I wanted.
"Trying to seduce me, Em? Don't worry, you still wouldn't be among my list of first twenty. Maybe hundreth." He smirked, " I love e'm busty."
In that moment I swear my mum's eyes almost bulged out.
The nerve of this guy.
"Trust me, if I wanted to seduce, you wouldn't come anywhere close. And for the record my name is Emmy not Em."
"Who cares?" He replied obviously bored by our little outburst.
"That's not how to treat a gentleman man." My mum trying hard not to laugh and she was failing miserable at it.
"You're unbelievable mum, you just saw him check me out."
"Set the table,Emmy. Alain was just being playful." Even she doubted herself. "So what school do you go?" She asked finally offering him a seat on the dining table.
"Greenville high." He replied, pride dripping off his words,"one of it kind and best in Malibu drive."
"Really? We had Emmy registered there right before we moved down." I'd be right back she said walking off to the kitchen.
The silence my mum left was deafening and I loved it but mister talkative had a different idea.
"You know I wasn't checking you out , but if you want , we could go somewhere and see how those perky boobs fit in my palms."
Jeezu!!
I choked on the water I'd just put in my mouth. I spewed it all over his face on purpose. "You're as dumb as you look. Pity , you have a fine face."
"You wouldn't know the kind of wonders my pretty face does," I have agirlfriend and you're not even my spec." That last part seemed like a bomb.
"Good. Now you just have to stay out of my way and stop imagining things in your head. Things that would never be even in your wildest dreams."
"Not if I wanted them. Nice pair of undies you had on the other day. I never got to say ."
"You pervert!" I shrieked. "Leave my house."
He raised a finger waving it in the air, "point of correction, your parents house."
"I'd kill you."
"Tea please," he yelled turning to face the kitchen,"my throat's patched."
"Werey." I mumbled.
"You said something?"
"Trust me, you don't want to know what that means."
"You bet." He said rolling his eyes.
This guy was overly pompous.
Monday morning came sooner than I'd expected. Dad dropped me off at my new school, note the sarcasm, and eyed me curiously as I tip toed towards the school's building. I don't blame him though, cause I'd caught myself eyeing me. I mean, who goes to school in baggy sweatshirt and crazy Jean? Me. Why? Because I intended to remain invisible to the human eye. That's weird right? I know, but I couldn't help myself.It was my first day in a new school and I'd not even met anyone yet I felt like peeing in my pants.The school was magnificent.I forced myself to move towards the hallway wishing in my heart of heart that I had worn something else. Fadalawd I was looking so underdressed. I glanced around to find solace in other students dressed like me but I couldn't see none. If it helps, I noticed other girls where dressed fashionably in tank tops, skirts and trousers. I was the weirdo.Finally, I found my w
"I'll see you tomorrow in class." Mrs Dubowitz announced as we exited history class around nine in the morning. It took every ounce of my will power not to March down to the principal's office and demand a new schedule. One that didn't involve history at 8am every day.Carting my new history textbook back to my locker, I marvelled at it newness. "How was class?" Foluke asked when I reached my locker besides each other's.It made my heart warm up that Foluke was still willing to be my friend even after all that had transpired between I and Alain."I had Mrs Dubowitz." I thought that was all the explanation I needed.Foluke burst out laughing."That bitchy old which! I bet you had fun?""Yeah, i did.""You know some students actually think she's a real witch." Foluke whispered as she closed her locker with her new book inside.I did the same
The only reason I was back in this hell hole was because my mother thought it logical and wise. I arrived home a mess after the girls had salvaged what they could out of my dress. I told her about the scenario in school and the only thing she did was smile and say," it's only normal Emmy. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Tomorrow would be better."There, that was the end of the discussion."You won't believe who made the headlines." Foluke said making herself comfortable on the chair next to mine.Curiously, I raised a brow and watched Bisola grab a copy of what seemed to be a magazine.I shrugged nonchalantly," what's so special about being in a magazine?""Firstly," Meredith cleared me, "this is no ordinary magazine, this is the Greenville High gossip review. It carries the latest news of who is cheating on who, who's dating who and recent breakups. And though, I'm not
I let my shoulders drop as I stepped out of the hallway and found my way to the car park.It's not even been upto a week and I had a guy messing with my head. The girlfriend had humiliated me on my first in school and now I had my name on the front page of a stupid school gossip magazine.I let my mind drift off to the conversation I had with the girls. I could picture Meredith now as she said, "But he is so cute. How did he end up with a witch for a girlfriend?" With a dreamy look in her eyes."If you ask us, who do we ask?" Bisola said smirking."isn't that why we have google? Google knows everything. So that should be where u direct your rhetorical questions to next time." Foluke summed.And In that moment I thought how google wouldn't want to have anything to do with her."Watch where you going, will ya?" A voice said drawing me out of my trance. For the first time, I noticed how crowded the lot was. I turned around and caught Alain staring at me, drawing clos
It took us barely two minutes to reach Mitchel's house. Her house was a big white neat house just like the others in Malibu drive which from what I've noticed so far is the lane where all the people who had snobbish attitude and deep pockets stayed. It was a lane for the rich."Are you ready for our first high school party?" Foluke asked as we made our way through the maze of cars."Your first? How come?" I asked, " I thought you guys have been here for like forever?" I looked from her to Simi."Well, before you came, Mitchel had banned us from attending any school party." Bisola said and shrugged, " you can understand now why we desperately wanted to come. Sorry for dragging you into all of this."I was dumbfounded.How could one lean girl be so mean and nonchalant. What was she? A god? For the life of me, I'll never understand how this school operates."It's fine." I said, " at least we're attending one now. Doesn't matter, does it?" I tried to take away th
Immediately I got home, I caught my parents sharing a cup of hot coffee in the living area. "What are you guy's doing up by this time?" I asked."Evening to you too." My replied with sarcasm laced in her voice. "How did it go?""Pretty cool.""Pretty cool? That's it?" She said turning to give me a long good look."Mum, if you're looking for details, I'm the wrong person you should ask." I walked into the kitchen with my mother trailing behind me."Glad you're finally getting to relate." My dad called from behind.I tried not to roll my eyes. If relating meant being locked up in a cupboard then I didn't want to.I entered my room and shut the curtains. The last thing I wanted to see was anything related to the house Nextdoor. As I collapsed on my bed, my eyes caught a simple lemon stick on notes plastered on my window. Curiously, I tiptoed to the window and peeled it off. Instinctively, I raised my eyes to the room opposite mine and saw someone looking at
For the rest of the the day, I spent it indoors counting the ceiling. The only time I went downstairs was when Meredith, Bisola and Foluke showed up. The moment they stepped foot in my room, foluke dramatically went to door and shut it. "Oya, spill." She said."What?" I shrugged pretending not to understand what she was on about.Meredith gave me an all knowing look, "oh please. You can tell us anything. That's why we're friends right.""Juicy, juicy secret. Pretty please tell!" Bisola jumped up and down on the bed."But it's nothing. Why act like I won a trophy or something?""Pretty, please tell!!""Pretty, please tell!!""Pretty, please tell!!" They ganged up and said in unison.I shut my ears with my hands, not wanting to hear anymore of their chanting. Out of nowhere, I felt them tackle me to the ground and began to tickle me.I wriggled and wriggled on the floor untill I could bear it no longer and started laughing. I laughed until I felt li
"OMG!! I can't believe I forgot my trigonometry textbook at home!" I said."No worries, we can share." Foluke said heaping textbooks in her arm, "how was practice?"After a week of attending trigonometry class, I was yet to come to terms with the fact that I was a trigonometry student. I avoided that subject like it was a highly communicable contagious disease. And I've got goodnews too, guess?! I've been accepted into the female baseball team!! Bad news is, I've never been stressed out this much in my entire life.As I walk with foluke to her house, I managed to walk with bones which where all in wreck."It was pretty good. The team has started talking to me more." When I told the news to my mum she had screamed and given me a big hug, "got my uniforms too and I'm starting to learn names slowly but surely.""Honestly, I don't know a lot of girls on the team. They're kind of weird."My curiosity was aroused, "how do you mean?""They never mingle with the