Falling For The Playboy

Dexter had surprised me by not making any move towards me. In fact, he stayed completely off my path. He’d seen me in the hallway two days ago and it had been just the both of us there. I had been scared for my life thinking that he had finally gotten the opportunity he wanted but then he just looked away like he didn’t even see me and continued walking. I briefly wondered if he had multiple personality disorder.

I tried to suppress the laughter bubbling up my throat, but a snort escaped. Only Laura would call a someone a paper bag.

“Laura, be nice. ” Abi sighed.

“Please. And no offense to your sister, but she’s been walking around with an extra long stick up her ass. What’s up with that? ”

“Maybe she’s having her period. ”  Abi shrugged but I could tell she didn’t believe it. Periods didn’t make someone spend as much time as possible they could in their room to avoid meeting everyone else. Periods didn’t make a person reject a luxurious car ride and pick a less comfortable one instead.

I was the cause and I knew Abi had to suspect that too. When she glanced at me unsurely before looking away, I knew she did. She just didn’t know how.

“Period-”

“Okay, Laura. ” Abi cut her off, “You’ve exceeded your daily badmouthing and advising limit for today. Now, all you’re allowed to do, is give opinions here and there when we want you too. Okay? ”

“Whatever. ”

I found myself smiling again. What a pair these two were.

Abi glanced at her watch, “I should get going. Class starts soon. ”

She got up, taking the book she’d brought with her. Laura did too and I got up alongside them, not wanting to be left alone. “I should get to class too. ”

They waved as they walked away, Laura making inappropriate gestures with her hand. I shook my head, laughing.

I walked out of the hall. Thankfully, the entrance door wasn’t that far from our table and I didn’t necessarily have to walk past Axel to get to it.

Coco, my seat mate, occupied one of the tables at the cafeteria, right by the door. Perfect for monitoring everyone coming in and going out. Did she ever do anything other than monitor and gossip?

She waved me over when she saw me, but I smiled and declined politely. I didn’t like being in her company, so as long as I wasn’t in class, there was no need to spend unwanted time with her.

I walked out and right into Mr Utoh Hope, Vice Principal, who had just been about to come in. I opened my mouth to apologize and move out of his way but he held me still.

“Oh. Just the person I’m looking for. ” he exclaimed when he saw my face.

I frowned. “Me? ”

“Yes. ” he nodded, an absent look on his face. “Come with me. ”

What in heaven’s name did the VP want with me? As I walked behind him, I kept thinking of all the possible reasons he could be summoning me to his office. Was I about to get another speech on how I needed to sit up as long as I was in this school? I’d heard enough of those to last me a lifetime already. Almost every teacher -and some students- seemed to think that I would do poorly just because I’d transferred in the last year. I wanted nothing more than to prove them wrong.

My heart jolted as a thought occurred to me. Had Zoe reported me to the school authorities? Was that why she hadn’t told anyone back at home? Because she’d been waiting for the school to carry out action? Surely, she wouldn’t. She couldn’t have taken it that far.

I didn’t want to believe she had, but at the same time, I didn’t know for sure. My heart beat faster as we neared the building housing the teacher’s, Principal, Vice Principal, and Director’s office. This was a new school, also a highly reputed one. It was way too early to get a bad record. But if I got one, it was no one’s fault but mine. It would teach me to stick my nose in people’s businesses.

We walked past the Vice Principal’s office and I stared at the back of his head in confusion. Where were we going?

He eventually stopped in front of the Principal’s office, knocked twice on the plain brown door before throwing it open and barging in.

Okay, then.

I went in after him. I had never, before today, stepped into the Principal’s office and now that I did, I took it all in. The walls were painted a light green, there were shelves on either sides of the room with numerous files on them and a two seater couch just right of the door. She sat on a black office chair with a brown mahogany table in front of her and two more chairs in front of the table.

The whole place, taken together with the small smile on her face, radiated school and welcoming vibes.

“Eva Lawson, is it? ” she asked.

“Eva Otasowie. ” I corrected robotically.

The Lawsons’ hadn’t changed my name when they’d adopted me. I assumed they were okay with me going by my original name so I hadn’t bothered to bring that uncomfortable topic up.

I’d like to think that was the only reason I hadn’t bothered bringing it up but I would be lying to myself. I felt a childish sentimental attachment to the name. I hate my parents for what they did but that was the only thing I had of them. The only possession they’d left behind for me. Their last name.

“Miss Otasowie, sit down please.” she gestured to the empty chair since Mr Utoh was already sitting on the second one and I did, placing my hands on my thighs.

Her name tag read Oguemuno Philomena.

She took her glasses off, resting her elbows on her desk and placing her chin on her laced fingers. “Not to waste any more of your time since classes start soon, I’ll get straight to the point. ”

My heart threatened to make an appearance on the clean table.

Zoe Lawson has made a complaint to us-

“Yearly, the school’s technical team make advertisements that we send on different platforms to gather larger audience, parents that might be searching for good schools for their kids and probably haven’t heard of us yet. You know what I mean?  ”

I nodded, thrown by the topic.

“Good. ” her smile was still intact, “Now, as to why you’re here, the school board has decided that you’re going to be the ad girl this year. ”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

My jaw hit the floor. “What? ”

“Congratulations. ” Mr Utoh and Mrs Oguemuno spoke at the same time.