Chapter 1
If one day, you told her she would meet her familiar in a guy with stern face and paused lips, she would have argued vehemently.
Fate—they say—plays a lot of tricks on the unsuspecting.
And Fate played Eniife, as many times as she could count.
—
Eniife Olatide gasped as she reached the finish line, bringing out her handkerchief to wipe out the sweat from her face. Bloody P.E class trying to take her innocent life.
She spat, taking a sip of water from her ever present Stanley cup.
"You did well today, Eniife!" She heard Ms Abigail say from the forefront.
Eniife wanted to wring her hand towel on the woman's neck, because she could sure hear her sarcasm dripping from every word.
"At this point, she is after my life," she muttered, layering her words with whispered profanities.
Then loudly she replied her teacher; "thank you miss Abi! I'm learning from you!"
"If Ms Abigail knew how much you hate her, I doubt she would want to stay anywhere near you," a voice said beside her.
Eniife regarded the intruder with a sneer. It was her friend Toni, whose only mission in life was to prove everything she did wrong. "If no one tells her, she will survive," Eniife replied, smoothing her skirt and grabbing her glasses from Toni's hand, just as they both made their way back to class.
"You are evil, girl." Toni laughed, regarding her friend with amusing smiles. The two girls had been friends since they learned to walk. Toni's mother was a bubbly lady, and when she had moved to Eniife's family's street—she had inserted herself and her family into their lives, it was hard to cut them off.
"What class do we have next?" Eniife asked as the door step looked closer. Worry lines already creased her foreheads because of how much she detested her classes.
"Maths," Toni answered. "And it's Ms. Pat that is taking the class.
Eniife groaned. "She is the second on my list of teachers I dislike."
"Girl, you've got a lot of teachers on your list. How many now?"
Eniife paused, her lips pressed into a thin line. "You don't want to know."
"Speak now my friend, and let the devil be ashamed."
"Twenty-four," she said, her lips pouted. She was about saying something else when a figure walked past them. His cologne hit her nose like it always does, and she frowned, rolling her eyes.
Micaiah Bakare. Tall, dark, handsome, and the most unapproachable boy Eniife had ever met. Despite Micaiah being involved in all kinds of extracurricular activities —like being the class captain, the head boy, dorm prefect of Kainene Hall, and head of music club—he was still as aloof as Mr Darcy from pride and prejudice. Not to add that he was also a basketball player.
"I have a theory, that Micaiah never smiles because he secretly has a weird ass smile," Eniife spat, giving him the stink eye.
Toni raised her brows in disbelief. She knew how paranoid her friend could be, but some times she was still got off guard at what goes on in Eniife's head.
"I have a theory that you might have a weird ass obsession with his mystery smile," she deadpanned, sticking her tongue out at Eniife.
Eniife's face morphed into a frown. "God forbid! He looks like a kid whose chips were taken from him. How will I be obsessed with such a boy?!"
Toni nodded, yet again keeping her lips sealed on that matter. She had an anticipation though, one that could as well lead to a reality.
They entered the class, finding their way to their seats, which was at the far end of the class.
Despite Eniife's dislike or rather disinterest towards Micaiah, it didn't change the fact that he was her seat partner, and the girl wished she could do something about it.
She glanced at him. His head was buried in a book. Pride and prejudice. Just the perfect one for a Mr Darcy rip-off like him.
For the first time in three months since she had been in the same space as him, Eniife decided to speak. After all, she was always known for her obnoxious personality.
"Pray tell," she began, a mischievous smirk gracing her lips. "Who is your favourite character?"
Micaiah startled, surprised she was talking to him. His brow furrowed into a thin line if confusion. "What?"
Micaiah knew who Eniife was, alright. She was hard to miss. Though short, she never blended into a room. Her personality was way taller than she was—obnoxious and unapologetically loud. It amused him if anything, and many times than normal, he would catch himself smiling at her antics. Emphasis on catch himself. He would rather the ground open up to swallow him, than anyone ever finding out that his facial expressions could be versatile just like everyone else.
"So, won't you answer me?" Eniife's voice jerked him back to their conversation, or at least that's what it seemed like. She had a voice that sounded deep and sharp. Actually, she had a lot of voice variations he noticed. And now she was staring up at him like he had something she had to collect from him.
"What did you ask?" Micaiah spoke, gently like he was talking to a kid.
She frowned at him. "Do you have ear problems?"
"Be nice. Didn't you learn that while growing up?"
Eniife could only gasp at his words. The guy was really fishing for her hands, because she was ready to throw them with out cocky he was sounding. Heavens, he was asking for it.
"I asked an harmless question, if you didn't want to give a reply, you could have just said so!" She snapped, eyeing him with a snarky look.
"And I was trying to understand your question but then you are all up against me like I attacked you or something," he retorted, his faces still set in stone.
"You are impossible, dear lord!" She gasped. "I asked for your favourite character, bro!"
"There was no harm in repeating the question when I asked you to?" He pointed out. Eniife scoffed, folding her arms as her gaze raked him up and down.
"So would you answer me now?"
"Who is your favourite character?" He quizzed, leaving her in shock. She was not expecting him to ask her that question. In fact, she had not expected the conversation to be prolonged.
Eniife pursed her lips, and then adjusted her glasses. "I love Elizabeth Bennett," she pointed out.
Micaiah cocked his head at her, "and her love interest?"
Eniife was scoffing again. "I would tolerate Mr Darcy, but barely."
She noticed he was about to speak again, when the teacher walked into the class. Eniife leaned back against her chair. She had just spoken to him. How poetic. And then she realised, that he had not answered her question.
