The sun has been unforgiving, the bare ground hitting our shoes until they became heat conductors. It had been three months and a few days into our first semester in school. Today had been stressful, moving from one tutorial class to another in preparation for the semester exams. Gracie had contracted me to teach her boyfriend Danny. Honestly I have never taught a more difficult person in my life, how he got admission I still don’t know. Only chose to do it because of Gracie.
Danny though was a free spirit and related well,so it was not hard for anyone to take a liking to him but I don’t, neither do I hate him anyway. He was dating the perfect girl, while he is in no way near perfect. Danny had tried all within his power to buy my affection but to no avail, my only connection with him was Gracie.
Exam periods are the most hectic times in a student’s life. Jude anytime he tried memorizing the first twenty amino acids and their structures,always got frustrated, walks all the way from the library to my room in the hostel. “Frank, did I ever tell you that school is very sweet. But the only bad thing about it is exams”. He always kept a straight face whenever he said this to me. Which by the way is the one hundredth time he has told me same. “You know Jude,if you slow down a little and rest maybe you would finally get around this first twenty amino acids.” I admonished him. He quietly and slowly sat on my bunk.”Dude how did you know I was trying to memorize the amino acids? ” He said in astonishment. I stood transfixed in shock too. I felt his temperature, he felt normal, his eyes are bright. “Bro, this is more or less the one hundredth time you made that statement and it had to do with amino acids. I guess today is no different.” I tried to take him down Memory Lane.
Sheepishly he smiled, fell on my bunk and slept off. Since becoming friends with Jude, I have had no peace. It’s been either I am settling a fight or busy cracking my head where to best hide my noodles from him. Most other times it’s first twenty amino acids which kept me asking if that’s the only thing he studied.
After our first examination paper, Biology111,we gathered at the school canteen. As always I sat near Gracie, discussing on possible grades we had in mind for the just written exam. All of a sudden we decided to to play a game, the honesty game.
When the game had gone round and finally got to my turn, I was asked who I would rather have as a girlfriend if I must choose between Gracie and Dinma. The words slipped out of my mouth even before I thought about it. Up till this moment I still don’t know how on earth I answered and chose Dinma. There was silence, many could not believe their ears. Dinma is beautiful but she is not Gracie. My fear of admitting how I really felt about Gracie made me choose an answer I might regret surely. Gracie too could not believe it,she had expected to hear her name I guess. I noticed her move away from me a little. She was disappointed. “Frank is a complicated being. Behaves as though he likes one person but then he is crushing on another.” Jude foolishly spoke. I was never in much talking terms with Dinma but Jude always told me the girl liked me. Gracie loved the attention I gave her, I just shattered her world. Well I shattered mine too because I cannot stand not talking with her. As we stepped out of the canteen, I could feel Dinma smiling at me but I avoided her gaze. I also tried to get a glimpse of Gracie, all was not well even though we still talked but the communication was now different. I wondered could it be that she liked me or that she felt threatened by the other girl. But why?
When I got to the hostel, I received a text message and it was from Gracie and it read, “Did you actually mean what you said today?” I kept starring at my phone lost in thoughts.

t starring at my phone lost in thoughts. I had no right words to explain to her or why I said what I said. Of course I did not mean it. I immediately headed for Judes room to teach him a lesson and warn him not to ever open that his careless wide mouth and utter words recklessly. Fortunately for him I could not find him.
Alot of times I have done funny things and said things I planned not to say. The school canteen drama was no different. But then, I deleted the text from Gracie and focused on the next days paper.
For the first time in three months, I did not exchange text messages with Gracie. Definitely it was a gloomy morning. I had papers to write, I woke up late, I have a love interest who is mad at me. I thought how sure am I to pass the days examination. We had physical chemistry and introduction to peace and conflict, my worst courses so far. Bad lecturers, hard subjects to understand, bad blood between me and Gracie. How good could the day get for me?
After four hours in the examination hall, the four of us went our different ways except for Dinma who ran up to me. It was supposed to be a friendly game,everybody chose theirs peacefully. Grace did not even choose me,she chose Fresh Danny her boyfriend. But my choice now the bone of contention. “Hello, Frank!”. I heard from behind and turned to find Dinma. “Hey, where are the other guys? Could not find them.” She enquired. “I really don’t know. So how was the paper?” Dinma and I strolled alone to the canteen. We sat and ate our food like some one had died. It was awkward hanging out alone with Dinma. But after a while, we started off talking and Dinma might not be as lively as Gracie but she was definitely fun to be around. “You know,around you I just break away from my shell.” She said trying to make eye contact with me. I smelt trouble, I don’t know why but I did. Though to be honest,I was quite free and outspoken around her than with Gracie. Guess that was why Gracie was the crush.

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