₦airaland Forum

tonystark007:
I think I like this your idea 👍 thanks a lot

Yes it’s absolutely cool that’s how Casanova does it I’ve bought like 1 or 2 from him

tonystark007:
I wish so too 😂
But like they say, he who fights and run, will live to fight another day.

And this is just phrase 1 of the fight. So stay tuned

No oo...
He needs to fully stand up for himself..This is bullying in everyword

jupitre:
No oo...
He needs to fully stand up for himself..This is bullying in everyword

I’m pleased he actually ran away from those two hefty bully tho 😂
Another plot twist in this story will be Sarah falling in love with Alex.
Time will tell tho.

We need the PDF copy fast cos I really can’t wait to get to the ending of this story 🫩

tonystark007:
Thanks for your comment. It's really means a lot. I hope more ghost readers will emulate you 😎


Concerning the full book, I'm having issue publishing on some of these platform like selar or Amazon. it might take some time. But maybe, I will just create the pdf version for those who prefer it directly.

Create am, I will be first to buy... Thanks for the update man

YoungBruzzy:
I’m pleased he actually ran away from those two hefty bully tho 😂
Another plot twist in this story will be Sarah falling in love with Alex.
Time will tell tho.

We need the PDF copy fast cos I really can’t wait to get to the ending of this story 🫩

Somehow I believe sarah is going to fall for him..
And I believe one of the reason will be cos he stood up to her..

But Alex needs to do better sha

New Update:

Welcome back,

Just as always I will mention my people.

yungbanks, Jupitre, Ybbjune, panpan, repogirl, aurion1, Iseddy, DeltaBachelor, iamL, anjay1212, brightspecimen, Stephen0mozzy, pocohantas, OT2024, Divepen1, immanuelson, ifecodblissedboy, Echetex, nastynic, sal1974, Okeowonla, YoungBruzzy (this update is welcome special for you)

CHAPTER 17

Saturday — 2:27PM
*******

"Goal!!" Dominic cheered, dropping the wireless joystick onto the center table and raising his fist in triumph.

Kayode made a face, clearly unimpressed. "Oga, restart the game na. You’ve only scored two goals, and you’re acting like you won the World Cup." He took a slow sip from his chilled glass of fruit juice, placing it back on the table with exaggerated care.

Dominic chuckled. "And how many goals have you scored since we started? Oh right—zero."

Kayode hissed in annoyance. They were in the middle of an EA FIFA match on the PlayStation 5, and Dominic had crushed him in the first four rounds. Now, Kayode was getting another dose of humiliation.

Just then, Charming hurried out of the kitchen, wearing an apron and holding a cooking spoon like it was a weapon. He grinned as his eyes caught the score on the smart TV screen.

"So, you’re losing again?" he teased, raising an eyebrow at Kayode.

Kayode rolled his eyes dramatically. "I’m just warming up! When I’m finally ready, you’ll see," he said with mock determination.

Charming smirked and crossed his arms. "You’re using Real Madrid, and he’s using Fulham, but you’re still bragging? I hear you, Mr. ‘I’m ready.’" He shook his head. "I told you, you can’t beat Dominic at this game. I still haven’t seen anyone who can."

Dominic let out a proud laugh, leaning back in his chair.

Kayode sniffed the air suddenly, wrinkling his nose. "No be Indomie I dey smell so?"

Charming shot him a look of disdain. "Which Indomie? What’s wrong with this guy self? You’re in our house, sitting on our couch, drinking my juice, playing my game... and you’re even losing. And now you’re talking about Indomie?" He shook his head in disbelief. Then, turning to Dominic, he asked, "Where did you say this guy’s from again?"

Dominic snickered, shaking his head. "I don’t know. They just dropped him in my department."

Charming clicked his tongue, his face twisting in mock disapproval. "No be only Indomie?" He turned to head back into the kitchen, but a knock at the door stopped him in his tracks. He hurried to the door, his steps quickening as though he was expecting someone. His face lit up when he swung it open. There stood Bisi, along with a younger, petite girl whom she introduced as Sade, her younger sister and a fresher.

"Hey, come in!" Charming greeted them warmly, shaking Sade’s hand before ushering both women inside.

The two ladies exchanged pleasantries with Dominic and Kayode, who were still lounging in the living room, and took their seats on the sofa opposite the TV.

Charming excused himself, making his way toward the kitchen with a sense of urgency.

About a minute later, he returned, looking slightly flustered. Bisi noticed the change in his demeanor.

"What's the matter?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Charming put on a sheepish smile. "I’m having a little trouble with what I’m cooking," he confessed, his voice tinged with slight embarrassment.

Bisi’s expression softened as she smiled back at him. "I can help, if you want."

"Yeah, sure," Charming agreed, leading her into the kitchen.

A couple of minutes later, Charming returned to the living room, his face a bit more relaxed. He made eye contact with Dominic, who was mid-game but paused when he saw Charming walk in. Kayode grumbled under his breath, annoyed at the interruption.

Dominic stood up, following Charming as he made his way toward the dining area.

"What’s up?" Dominic asked, his eyebrows drawn in confusion.

Charming lowered his voice, his tone serious. "I need some privacy."

Dominic tilted his head, his expression skeptical. "If you need privacy, then go to your room."

Charming glanced around the living room, lowering his voice even more. "No, I need the whole house."

Dominic’s eyes widened slightly, his confusion deepening. "Wait—are you serious? Is this the first time you’re bringing a girl over while I’m here?"

Charming shot him an exasperated look, trying to suppress a grin. "Come on, bro, that’s not what I meant. I need you to help me with something."

Dominic’s suspicious gaze didn’t falter. "What exactly do you need?"

Charming leaned in close to Dominic, lowering his voice. "Bisi won't do anything with me while her sister is around. I need you to get her out of here." He shoved his ATM card into Dominic’s hand. "Take her out. Buy her ice cream, snacks... you know, the usual stuff girls like."

Dominic stared at the card for a moment, then chuckled. "So, you dey use me dey shadow the babe?"

"Bro, come on. You know I’ve got your back," Charming replied with a sly grin. "You can even start something with her sister if you want."

Dominic shook his head, uninterested. "I'll pass on that. But you owe me one." He held out his hand. "Where’s the car key?"

Charming grinned. "You’re the man, bro!" He slapped Dominic’s hand in a quick handshake and then added, "Just don’t spend more than 50 thousand naira, alright? And take that glutton of a friend of yours with you. The car key is on the TV cabinet."

Dominic chuckled softly. "He’s not my friend, just a course mate."

Charming grinned and was about to rush back into the kitchen when Dominic grabbed his arm, whispering urgently, "Make sure you use protection, alright?"

Charming raised an eyebrow, giving him a condescending look. "You think I don’t know that? I didn’t come to AUST to become someone’s baby daddy."

Dominic’s smile faltered, and his tone shifted to something more serious. "No, bro. I’m talking about STIs. You don’t want that, do you?"

Charming hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, yeah... I know," he muttered before quickly turning back toward the kitchen.

Dominic shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. He walked back to the sitting area, catching Sade’s eye. She had been glancing at them while they spoke in hushed tones.

He cleared his throat and flashed her a friendly smile. "You’re Sade, right?"

She nodded, offering him a shy smile.

Dominic relaxed, leaning against the back of the couch. "Well, I think it’s going to be a while before they’re done in the kitchen. How about we take a walk or drive around? Maybe grab some ice cream and snacks to kill some time?"

Sade thought for a moment, her gaze drifting to the kitchen door. She nodded slowly, a pretty smile spreading across her face. "That sounds nice."

"Great!" Dominic said, standing up. "You can go check with your sister and then we can head out."

Sade excused herself and moved toward the kitchen to ask Bisi for permission.

Dominic quickly turned to Kayode, who had been staring awkwardly at him. "Bro, get up. We’re going out," he whispered urgently.

"But our game isn’t over yet!" Kayode protested, his eyes still glued to the screen.

Dominic sighed, a little frustrated. "Oga, get up. We’ll continue next time. Let’s go."

Kayode paused, then asked, "What about the Indomie? Is the Indomie ready yet?" His eyes widened, clearly more interested in food than anything else.

Dominic’s patience snapped. "Indomie kill you there!" He said, pointing his wide open palm at Kayode's face, then snatched the joystick from his hands and placed it on the center table. "Abeg, get up. Let’s go!"

"Shey you go buy meat-pie for me na?" Kayode mumbled, not ready to give up so easily.

Dominic shot him an irritated glare, but didn’t respond. They waited for Sade to return before leaving the house.

Once Charming and Bisi finished their work in the kitchen, he gave her a quick tour of the house, showing her around before they returned to the living room.

"Thanks for helping me with the cooking earlier," Charming said, settling onto the couch. "I’m not much of a chef."

"It’s okay," Bisi replied, settling next to him. "I enjoyed it. I’m sure you learned something new today."

"Definitely," Charming said with a grin. They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment before he spoke again. "Wanna watch a movie?"

Bisi smiled, but her eyes held a glint of curiosity. "Sure, but I’d like to see your room first. You skipped that part when you were showing me around."

Charming flashed a playful smile. "I don’t think you’d want to see it. Any lady who enters my room never comes back the same again."

Bisi’s lips curved into a seductive grin, her tone teasing. "Well, we’ll see about that. I’m a different breed of lady."

Charming chuckled, impressed by her confidence. It seemed like he wasn’t the only one interested in making this move—she was definitely on the same page. He had planned to take things slow, but it appeared she was moving the pace up a notch. He stood up, ushering her to lead the way. "Let’s go then. Ladies first."

jupitre:
Somehow I believe sarah is going to fall for him..
And I believe one of the reason will be cos he stood up to her..

But Alex needs to do better sha

Alex needs to do better, how? 😭
Stand his ground against two hefty men or go on an all out war with a senate president’s daughter.
Bro, the best he could do is to just maintain his steeze and dey him lane.

Dammnnnn this episode is way too short 😔

Now what in gods name is Kayode doing?? Dude has got no OT at all😂😂 bro is still asking about Indomie 😭

About the new character you Wanna add, it’s cool so far it won’t derail the story one bit, na you dey run am.

And pls, the pdf is very important 🙏🤲



And yeah, you owe us a very long update on Tuesday.

Great job so far...
I was actually hoping for a longer episode today

tonystark007:
New Update:

Welcome back,

Just as always I will mention my people.

yungbanks, Jupitre, Ybbjune, panpan, repogirl, aurion1, Iseddy, DeltaBachelor, iamL, anjay1212, brightspecimen, Stephen0mozzy, pocohantas, OT2024, Divepen1, immanuelson, ifecodblissedboy, Echetex, nastynic, sal1974, Okeowonla, YoungBruzzy (this update is welcome special for you)

Nice. Keep it up

Let's go 😁😁

Iseddy:
Great job so far...
I was actually hoping for a longer episode today

No vex 🙏

YoungBruzzy:
Alex needs to do better, how? 😭
Stand his ground against two hefty men or go on an all out war with a senate president’s daughter.
Bro, the best he could do is to just maintain his steeze and dey him lane.

You are right. Normally that's how reality is. No matter how tough a person is, when you realize you are along in a situation against people who are the bigger than you, the first thing your mind tell you is to japa 😂😂

Except say you self guide

If it was actually just him and Sarah alone, maybe he wouldn't have run. He would have still be more careful because of who she is, but not running away

More 🖊️bro

Thank you for the update.
Why is Bisi so forward?
Does she have a secret mission?

panpan:
Thank you for the update.
Why is Bisi so forward?
Does she have a secret mission?

I like comments like this
As for Bisi, you will find out soon...

New Update:

Welcome back,

Just as always I will mention my people.

yungbanks, Jupitre, Ybbjune, panpan, repogirl, aurion1, Iseddy, DeltaBachelor, iamL, anjay1212, brightspecimen, Stephen0mozzy, pocohantas, OT2024, Divepen1, immanuelson, ifecodblissedboy, Echetex, nastynic, sal1974, Okeowonla, YoungBruzzy, truffle, alshalz

CHAPTER 18

Week 4: Monday — AUST Community Cup: Quarter Finals
8:40 PM
*******

Alex strode toward the lecture hall, his eyes scanning his surroundings carefully. He had spotted Sarah's SUV as he walked past the parking lot, which meant she was already in campus. He wasn't sure, but her bodyguards might be lurking nearby, waiting to attack. He hadn’t forgotten what had happened on Friday—he had confronted their boss, and they chased after him but were too slow to catch him.

Apart from the cyber work he was doing for Effiong, he’d spent most of his Saturday dragging the dismembered parts of his scooter home. His eyes suspiciously scanned every student who passed him. At the first sight of those men, he would skedaddle again, no doubt about it.

When he finally reached his lecture hall, he hurried up the aisle to his seat, throwing a glare at Sarah as he passed her. She was engrossed in her phone, with headphones on, completely unaware of his presence.

"Pale face," Alex muttered to himself, referring to her signature poker expression.

He greeted his peers—Kobiruo, Bayo, Sam, and Jimi—clapping palms with each one before sitting down.

"So, that witch has a parking spot," Alex said, his voice low, as he settled into his seat.

"Yeah," Jimi replied, leaning back in his chair. "It's on the left side of the carriageway, the median space." He raised an eyebrow, noticing Alex’s tone. "Why do you ask?" His voice took on a note of curiosity. Sam, who had been busy scribbling in his notebook, turned toward Alex, clearly intrigued by what he was about to say.

Alex paused for a moment, then spoke slowly, almost absent-mindedly. "Well, I kinda parked my bike there last week Friday."

"You what?!" Jimi shouted, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"Bike oti lor!" Sam exclaimed, bursting into laughter. "That bike is long gone, my guy!"

Kobiruo and Bayo turned backwards, drawn by the sound of Sam’s laughter. They both looked at him with curiosity in their eyes.

"Guy, wetin you talk just now?" Bayo asked, leaning back in his chair.

"He parked his bike on the Ice Queen's special spot," Sam replied, laughing again. Kobiruo and Bayo joined in, chuckling at the absurdity.

"That one is gone na," Kobiruo said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"It wasn’t actually gone," Alex said with a shrug. "I did see it there, but it had been damaged beyond repair. I don’t think that thing will ever be mobile again."

"Bro, I really feel for you," Bayo said sympathetically. "This is the second time you’ve fallen for that girl’s trap."

"Was it my fault?" Alex asked, his voice rising slightly. "How was I supposed to know the Witch had a parking spot? I didn’t even park fully in the space, I was just on the line."

"Sshhhh, lower your voice!" Jimi whispered urgently, glancing toward Sarah’s direction. "She’s sitting in this hall."

"Who cares?" Alex retorted, rolling his eyes.

Kobiruo added, "She can’t hear us from here. She’s like 15 seats away. Wetin she wan do self?"

"The annoying part is that I confronted her, and she even abused me," Alex said, his voice tinged with frustration.

The guys stared at him, wide-eyed, as though he had just announced he was from another planet.

"Guy, you’re joking, right? You confronted her?" Sam asked, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"Well, she actually rudely confronted me first," Alex explained, shrugging. "I couldn’t just stand there and let her insult me after what she did to my bike. So, I spoke rudely back to her, and then her bodyguards chased me. Too bad they were too slow to catch up."

The guys burst into laughter, including Alex. But Jimi remained quiet, his face serious. He didn’t find the situation funny at all. It was clear he harbored a deep dislike for Sarah. The other three guys, on the other hand, had never experienced anything like what Alex had gone through.

"This isn’t funny, guys," Jimi said, his voice low and serious. "This is clearly bullying. Alex, she could target you again. I can’t believe you’re laughing at your own misfortune."

"But, Guy, you really got guts," Sam said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You stood there and physically confronted that girl? I don’t think anyone has ever tried that before. How did you even manage it with those bouncers by her side?"

Alex leaned back in his chair, shrugging nonchalantly. "I plan on reporting her to the School Disciplinary Panel," he announced with a confident tone.

Kobiruo scoffed and shook his head mockingly at Alex. "See this guy? If you like, report her to the Dean of Student Affairs or even the VC. Nothing will happen."

Bayo, who had been quiet up until that point, added with a smirk, "It seems you’re forgetting who her father is. Her dad has contributed a lot to this school, right from the day she came here to write her POST-UTME. You think the school’s going to risk all that for one unknown student and his damaged bike? Think again. They’ll pretend to investigate it, just to fulfill some formality, but trust me, nothing will come of it. If it were some other rich kid, I’d probably stand behind you, but that girl? Bro, don’t even bother. Just forget about it."

Sam chimed in. "Alex, I think you should just cut your losses and move on. Try to avoid her as much as possible. You don't want her marking your face next time."

"I don’t care if her dad is the King of the world," Alex said firmly. "If she talks to me rudely again, I’ll talk back. Period."

Kobiruo raised an eyebrow. "This guy's got some serious guts!"

"Bro, you better calm down, or you’ll end up like Katherine," Sam warned.

"Yeah, even Katherine didn’t have the nerve to confront Sarah like that," Kobiruo added.

Alex raised an eyebrow, suddenly intrigued. "Who is Katherine?"

Alex raised an eyebrow, suddenly intrigued. "Who is Katherine?"

Jimi leaned back in his chair, clearly enjoying the opportunity to tell a story. "Katherine was this female student who thought she could compete with the Sarah," he began. "She was from the College of Technology, Petroleum Engineering, I think. Came from a really rich family, and she was the queen of her side of the school. But unlike Sarah, she wasn’t as popular here. Katherine was always trolling Sarah online, but they never actually crossed paths in real life. It was just online beef. Most people thought Katherine was just jealous."

Sam cut in, his voice thick with sarcasm. "She was bold though. Before Matriculation, the SUG announced that they planned to name Sarah as Miss Matriculation. Katherine flipped out, said it wasn’t fair, that other female students should be allowed to compete. So, the SUG opened up the spot for competition. Guess who entered? Katherine. She was the only one. All the other freshers at that time were too scared to go against Sarah."

Jimi picked up the story. "Yeah, she made a big fuss about it on the campus forum, saying she was gonna win, bragging that she would 'dethrone the Ice Queen', and even throwing direct insult at Sarah and her family. Sarah who had initially been quite, finally took her seriously, so they made a bet; Whoever losses the bet will leave the school. Everyone thought it was just a joke until the D-day. The winner was supposed to be announced two days after Matriculation Day. Well, we all know what happened—Katherine lost. She got expelled, and Sarah won… easily."

Alex frowned. "Wait, she lost? But why did she get expelled?"

Sam answered quickly, his tone growing more serious. "On Matriculation Day, at the after-party, Katherine and two other guys started acting out like they were high on something. They were all over the place, and then she collapsed. They rushed her to the hospital, and the doctors found tiny traces of Fentanyl chemical composition from a variet of the 'Ecstasy Bubble Bust'... an illegal substance, made in the form of chewing gum, in her system. She and the other two guys tested positive for it. All three of them got expelled."

Alex looked puzzled. "But how did that lead to her expulsion?"

"Well, here's the twist," Sam continued. "When she went before the School Senate, she claimed the drugs weren’t hers. She said someone had given it to her and the other guys, and they thought it was just chewing gum. She was totally drunk that night, so she couldn’t remember who gave it to them. Some of her friends online accused Sarah, but there was no evidence. As soon as Sarah was dragged into it, the whole thing became a major mess. News agencies and reporters took advantage of the incident to write negative stories surrounding the incidents. AUST was trending on all social media platforms. A lot of students were either arrested, questioned, or suspended, even the NDLEA got involved. It was a very big deal."

Alex was stunned. "So, what happened to this Katherine after that?"

Jimi leaned in, his voice lowering with a touch of awe. "She was lucky. Her father used his connections and hired top lawyers to get her and the other guys out. They all got off the hook. But to this day, no one knows who gave her the drugs. The mystery’s never been solved."

Sam shook his head slowly. "Katherine got off easy. If it wasn’t for her dad’s money and power, she would’ve been done for. I am very sure she still carries the stain of that scandal."

"Now you can see why you should stay out of trouble with the Ice Queen," Jimi said, his tone serious. "It’s very possible Sarah had something to do with what happened to Katherine."

Bayo’s face lit up as he suddenly remembered something. "Hey, guys! There was this article I saw on a blog Saturday morning about that Thursday night when she pushed someone into the pool. According to the article, it wasn’t the first time she’d done that. In fact, it said the reason she got expelled from Stanford University was because she pushed a fellow course-mate into the pool, and the girl almost drowned too."

He paused, looking around at the group, making sure they were following. "The weird part is, by noon, when I wanted to show the article to my roommate, the URL wouldn't load. I tried again later in the evening, and the website came through, but the article was gone. So either the blog was forced to take it down or they were paid to remove it."

The guys exchanged glances, their expressions serious now. Jimi spoke up again, his voice low but firm. "Alex, this girl has the connections and money to deal with you. We’re not trying to scare you, man, just giving you some advice."

Alex leaned back in his seat, his arms folded, as he processed what they were saying. The weight of their words seemed to settle in, but his expression remained defiant. He shook his head slowly. "I’m still not scared of her."

The group burst into laughter, Jimi included, as Alex’s boldness caught them off guard.

Kobiruo wiped a tear from his eye, still chuckling. "Heh, looks like this guy’s stubborn as hell."

****** 3:01 PM *******

Charming glanced at his wristwatch again. He still had about an hour to wait before Dominic’s lecture ended.

A hall adjacent to Dominic’s had just finished for the day, and the students were spilling out into the corridor. As he scanned the crowd, his gaze landed on Rose, who was walking with two other female students. Unlike the ladies with her, who were dressed in traditional feminine outfits, she wore a loose hoodie, and baggy jeans, with her hair tucked under a backward baseball cap.

He recalled their encounter last week, the way she had shut him up and left him stunned. The way she carried herself like a fellow guy. It was intriguing. The thought made him chuckled softly. She must be a really interesting person—one he wouldn't mind being close to. He stood up, making his way toward her.

The moment Rose saw him, her face dropped with exhaustion.

"Hi, ladies," Charming greeted, flashing a grin.

"Hi," one of her friends chimed back cheerfully. But Rose and the other friend stayed quiet, their lack of enthusiasm hanging in the air like a warning. The conversation was already awkward before it really began.

Not that Charming cared. If anything, this was exactly what he excelled at—turning any situation to his advantage. He turned to Rose.

"So, Rose. What's up?"

Her friends exchanged puzzled glances, surprised he knew her name. Rose just rolled her eyes.

"You two know each other?" the cheerful friend asked.

Charming nodded. "Yeah—oh! Where are my manners. I'm Charming." He extended his hand toward her.

She took it quickly, her smile brightening. "I already know who you are. I'm Bridget. Huge fan."

Charming turned to the other friend, hand still out. "And you are?"

"Not interested," she muttered, arms crossed.

His grin widened. He loved women like that—uptight, playing hard to get. They were usually his favorite kind of target.

"Rose, can we talk for a minute? Alone?" he said.

Bridget nodded politely and walked off, tugging the reluctant friend along—who shot him a glare over her shoulder. Charming couldn’t figure out what her deal was.

His gaze lingered on her a moment longer, his attention snagged—not on Rose, but on her unknown friend with the glare. She stood half-hidden behind the other girl, arms crossed tight over her chest, her light-brown complexion warm like toasted almonds in the afternoon sun. Her hair was pulled back in a no-nonsense low bun, wisps escaping to frame a face that seemed perpetually pinched with disapproval. She wore a simple cream blouse with a modest round collar, buttoned to the very top, and a long navy skirt that brushed her sensible flats—the kind of outfit that whispered Sunday school and Wednesday night prayer meetings. No jewelry, no makeup save for a faint sheen of lip balm. She looked like she'd stepped out of a hymn book, yet her eyes burned with something far from pious.

Charming couldn't place her. That sharp jaw, that set of her mouth—he'd seen them before, but where? In a crowd? A photograph? She caught him staring and lifted her chin, her glare deepening into something almost wounded. Then she turned away, yanking her hand from her Bridget encouraging grip, and muttered something that made Bridget giggle nervously.

He filed the image away—churchy girl with a fire in her throat—and turned back to Rose, but her silhouette lingered in his periphery like a half-remembered song.


"So, what do you want?" Rose asked, her voice flat, her expression unreadable.

Charming exhaled, trying to steady himself. "I wanted to apologize for last week."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly are you apologizing for?"

He scratched his head, momentarily at a loss for words. "Hmm... the way I approached you. I shouldn’t have been so... forward." He stumbled over his words, trying to keep the mood light, but Rose’s stern look made him falter.

"Is that all?" she asked, a knowing glint in her eye.

Charming paused, unsure of how to respond. Rose shook her head and spoke again. "It's all right. Well, I’m sorry too. I was in a bad mood, and you were just trying to talk to me."

"Yeah, you did seem pretty angry," Charming replied, offering a smile. "I cried home thinking about what you said." He hoped to lighten the moment with a joke, but the blankness on her face made him quickly reconsider. She wasn’t amused.

"So guy, you came all the way from the College of Science just to apologize?" Rose asked, her tone softening slightly.

"No... not really," Charming replied with a shrug. "I’m actually waiting for Dominic. His lecture’s still going on over there." He nodded toward Dominic’s lecture hall. "But now that we’ve apologized to each other, maybe we could be friends?" He flashed her a hopeful smile.

"No," Rose said immediately, without hesitation.

Charming’s smile faltered. "But... why? I thought we were good now."

"We are," she said, her voice firm. "But that doesn’t mean I want to be friends with you."

"Rose, let’s go. We don't have all day," the unknown friend who had been giving Charming pointed looks called out.

Rose glanced at her friends, then back at Charming. "Sorry, Mr. Charms," she said with a mock smile. "I have to go. Say hi to Dominic for me." She clapped hands with him like a guy would, much to his surprise. Then she turned and walked away, her friends whispering as they left. Charming couldn’t help but wonder if they were gossiping about him.

Well, at least she had talked to him. Even though her face was still stiff with disapproval, she had apologized, and that was progress. He was getting somewhere. He liked the way she called him "Mr. Charms," though he wasn’t too thrilled about the fact that she asked about his cousin. But he’d take that as a small victory for now. In no time, he was sure she would soften up to him.



******
"You know, we wouldn't be trekking under this scorching sun if you had just kept your mouth shut and not confronted the Ice Queen," Jimi complained to Alex as they walked toward his house.

Alex laughed, pulling off his baseball cap and placing it on Jimi's head. "I can see the sun is starting to mess with your brain. I confronted her after she trashed my scooter, not before."

Jimi scratched his head, slightly confused, as he adjusted the cap. "Oh, right! That's true. But aren't we there yet? I swear we've been walking for over 45 minutes."

Alex glanced at his wristwatch. "Nah, we’ve still got about 15 minutes left. We should make it in under 40 minutes."

Jimi's shoulders slumped lazily and Alex chuckled, enjoying his friend's impatience.

They soon reached a quiet street with only a few houses at the beginning, while the rest of the land was dotted with unfinished buildings or empty plots overgrown with weeds and thick bushes.

They finally arrived at Alex’s place, the last building at the end of the street. The large compound was surrounded by a fence, but there was no front gate. Tall mango trees grew evenly around the yard, providing shade over a small, modest two-bedroom bungalow in the center. A bicycle stood by the edge of the wall in the front yard.

Jimi stopped to take in the surroundings, his eyes scanning the area. "So, you live here alone?" he asked, still processing the setting. Alex nodded.

"But how can you live in a place like this? The last house I saw was about 20 blocks away," Jimi said, his voice filled with concern. "Isn't this place a bit too isolated? What if you need help or someone decided to rob you? There’d be no one around to call for help."

Alex was busy fiddling with the key in the lock of the door. He turned to Jimi, a grin spreading across his face. "That can't happen," he said, pushing open the door. "They’d have to rob the first 10 houses at the beginning of the street first. By the time they get here, they'd be too worn out to do anything, beside most people wouldn't believe anyone is living here since most of the other house before this one are uncompleted."

He stepped inside and gestured for Jimi to follow him. "Come on in."

Jimi stood by the door, his eyes scanning the interior. The living room was modest but cozy. There were three seats: a brown three-seater couch, an armchair, and a cane chair, with a mahogany center table in the middle. The dining area had a desktop computer system mounted on a table close to the wall, with two wooden chairs placed beneath it. The computer setup was impressive—four flat-screen monitors, two mounted on top of the other pair, connected with screws and standouts. Nearby, a drawer-table faced the window, cluttered with books and textbooks.

Jimi didn’t realize he had been standing there in silence until Alex nudged him inside.

"Wow!" Jimi exclaimed, his voice full of surprise. "How much are you paying to live in a place like this? Your parents must be loaded."

He dropped his bag onto the couch and hurried over to the computer, inspecting the CPU before glancing back at Alex, his eyes wide. "Are you some kind of pro hacker? What do you need this monster system and all these screens for?"

Alex chuckled and waved a hand dismissively. "Relax, bro, it’s not what you think. Everything you see here... except maybe my clothes, belongs to my uncle. He’s into importing foreign goods and travels in and out of Lagos all the time. He lets me stay here as long as I keep the place tidy and trim the grass around the compound. He’s even the one sponsoring my education."

"So your uncle's a pro hacker?" Jimi asked, raising an eyebrow.

Alex shrugged, still grinning. "I don’t know. I’ve never asked."

Jimi’s curiosity was still piqued. "You said he owns everything here... including the scooter?"

"Yeah," Alex replied, his tone a little more serious. "I still haven’t figured out what story I’m going to tell him about the scooter."

Jimi chuckled. "Well, you’ve got yourself into a bit of a mess there. But hey, I’m still impressed."

Eager to change the subject, Jimi turned back to the computer. "Anyway, I can’t wait to play with this setup."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Okay, first of all, there’s no light, and second, we’ve got an assignment to write and books to study. Did you forget why we’re here?"

Jimi made a face. "Oh, right! The GSE assignment. Let’s get that done first."

He reluctantly stood up from the computer chair and joined Alex at the sitting area, pulling out his book. "But listen, can you bring that bicycle I saw outside to school tomorrow? Because there’s no way I’m trekking another 45 minutes."

Alex laughed, shaking his head. "Sure, man. But you owe me one for that."

Nice update bro, I think Alex is hiding is identity, for Sarah, Alex will be her nightmare and charming will be the weaker link to get Sarah

Alex is definitely hiding something and nobody knew the reason behind his transfer to the school. Sarah might end up falling for him. For charming I feel Rose will have effect on him

Story still unfolding. Though don't know why Alex is a transfered student.

There’s more to Alex than we know.
Why was he transferred to AUST?
I feel he’s hiding more than he let on to his friends.
Only time will tell sha.
And as for Sarah, I chose to reserve my opinion about that girl cos wtf!

Well done to the OP, this story is hitting hard!

Thank you for the update.

Alex appears to be level-headed. However, we do not know much about his background.
Why did he transfer? Why does he live in an isolated area?
Who is his uncle, assuming what he said is true? It is unusual for such a computer set-up to belong to someone who is into importing foreign goods, and travels in and out of town.
Alex is a hacker.

Sarah has a past unresolved issue, which is covered up by her attitude towards those who cross her lane.

Charming is an explorer. If he puts his hand in any and every hole, he may soon pull out a snake. However, he did display a positive reaction at the pool party.

tonystark007:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Next update dropping on Thursday.

Like and share to invite more readers👍

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1) What is your opinion of these three characters so far:
Alex
Sarah
Charming

2) Do you think the storm between Alex and Sarah is over, or is it just beginning?

Don't forget to drop your comments, and opinions about the story so far.

Till then, stay tuned.

I think it is just the beginning, Charming will eventually genuinely fall for Rose.

Thanks for the update, you made my Wednesday

Hmmm..
There's just so much we don't know..
I'll wait for it to keep unfolding..

New Update:

Just as always I will mention my people.

yungbanks, Jupitre, Ybbjune, panpan, repogirl, aurion1, Iseddy, DeltaBachelor, iamL, anjay1212, brightspecimen, Stephen0mozzy, pocohantas, OT2024, Divepen1, immanuelson, ifecodblissedboy, Echetex, nastynic, sal1974, Okeowonla, YoungBruzzy, truffle, alshalz

CHAPTER 19

Tuesday — 7:36 AM
******

Alex wheeled his bicycle into position and chained it to a pillar five posts away from the entrance of his lecture hall. As he secured the lock, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching from behind. He quickly turned around, only to find Jimi tip-toeing toward him with an amused, mischievous grin on his face. It was obvious that Jimi was trying to sneak up on him to scare him.

When Jimi realized he’d been caught, he chuckled loudly.

Alex’s face hardened into a frown. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I just wanted to scare you a little," Jimi replied, still chuckling.

Alex crossed his arms, his tone serious. "Please, don’t do that again."

"What? Were you afraid it was one of the Ice Queen’s bodyguards?" Jimi teased, a smirk on his face.

"No, I don’t like people sneaking up on me," Alex said, his expression still stern. "Don’t do it next time. My reflexes might be violent, and you could get hurt."

Seeing that Alex wasn’t joking, Jimi quickly apologized. Alex softened and smiled, playfully punching Jimi on the shoulder before wrapping an arm around him in a friendly gesture.

Alex’s tone became more casual as he asked, "So, have you submitted our assignment?"

"I’ve already submitted yours," Jimi said. "Kobiruo is using mine to copy-write."


******9:50 PM ******
Sarah pressed the '=' sign on her calculator and glanced at the answers in her textbook. She hissed in frustration. Sitting inside the pavilion in the college garden, she was trying to go over the MTH 311 topic from their morning lecture. But she just couldn’t wrap her head around the course. Not a single thing the lecturer said made sense. It wasn’t just the complex formulas; Dr. Ekwueme’s accent was impossible to understand, and her noisy course mates didn’t help either. Why were they always laughing during his lecture? What on earth was so amusing about it? The worst part was that it was a borrowed course which they ought to have taken during their second year.

She dropped the calculator and checked her wristwatch. She still had 9 minutes before her next class. Sighing, she decided to go over the equation once more, but it was no use—nothing was sticking.

A shadow stretched across the entrance of the pavilion, followed by the sound of footsteps. Sarah looked up, her eyes narrowing as a young man in his mid-twenties approached. He was tall, and fair-skinned, with a bald head. She frowned as soon as she recognized him.

Peter, who was sitting on the wall of the pavilion, glanced over at Sarah, but she shook her head in response. The man walked in with a cheerful smile plastered on his face.

"Hello, sweetheart. How are you?" the young man greeted, his voice smooth.

"Good morning, Frederick," Sarah replied, her voice neutral as she forced a mild smile. "What brings you to this part of campus?"

"I went shopping and I got something for you," Frederick said, pulling a small, neatly wrapped box from a fancy bag. "Here," he extended the box toward her.

Sarah eyed the gift suspiciously, wrinkling her nose. "What’s this?" she asked, her tone making it clear she wasn’t impressed.

"It’s a gift… for you," Frederick said, his smile unwavering.

Sarah sighed in exasperation. Another gift. Great. "Frederick, Valentine’s Day is on Saturday, and my birthday is still about three weeks away. I don’t remember any other celebrations that warrant this kind of gesture. So, what would you call this one?"

"Just take it as a Valentine’s Day in-advance gift, Besides, you deserve a gift all year round."

"Everyone deserves a gift," Sarah retorted coolly, her voice flat.

"C’mon, just take it," he urged, his tone becoming a bit more pleading.

With a sigh, Sarah reluctantly took the package from him and opened it slowly. Inside was a golden necklace, delicately crafted, with her name engraved on it. She closed the box immediately and placed it beside her books, her expression unreadable. She could easily buy fifty of these, and they’d still mean nothing to her.

"Thank you very much," she said, her voice distant.

Frederick studied her face, sensing her lack of enthusiasm. He cleared his throat and said, "You don’t like the gift, do you?" He quickly raised the fancy bag. "There are more better ones in here. I could even get you something else if—"

"I said thank you," Sarah interrupted, her voice now firmer. "Which means I appreciate it." She paused, then added with a sigh, "Why do you keep giving me gifts? You gave me so many last session, and now here we are again, with another round. What do you really want from me?"

Frederick moved a step closer, his eyes locking with hers. "Sarah," he began, his voice soft but determined, "what I want is the same thing I’ve always wanted. I want us to be more than just friends. I want us to be an item."

Sarah rolled her eyes in frustration, her patience wearing thin. "And I’ve told you countless times that nothing is ever going to happen between us. I only see you as a friend, and that’s not going to change."

Frederick’s face twisted with disbelief. "Oh, c’mon, Sarah," he said, his voice dropping to a softer, more coaxing tone. "I know deep down, you feel something for me. I felt it whenever we were together. You always subtle greenlights."

Sarah shot him a disdainful look. Who was giving him that impression, she thought. Someone needs to send this guy for an urgent mental health check-up.

She took a deep breath, trying to keep her composure. Why was she even wasting her time talking to this slowpoke when she still hadn’t figured out her math equation?

"Frederick," she began, her voice now more clipped, "when you came in, I was clearly trying to study. Can you excuse me now? I need to focus."

Frederick didn’t seem to take the hint. His eyes fell on the textbook in front of her, and he leaned in a little closer. "Isn’t this Math 311?" he asked, almost patronizing. "I can help you with your studies, if you want."

"Thanks, but I don’t want to bother you. Just excuse me," Sarah replied. "We'll talk later."

"Oh, please, I don’t mind," Frederick insisted, a hopeful smile on his face as he tried to sit beside her. "I did this course in my 200 level."

"Frederick!" Sarah snapped, her voice suddenly sharp. "I’m asking you to leave quietly. Don’t make me snap my fingers at you."

As if waiting for her command, Peter jumped down from his sitting position and stood straight, his posture now as rigid as a bouncer's, giving Frederick an intimidating stare. Frederick met his gaze with a look of disgust but reluctantly stood up, his pride clearly wounded.

"I’ll leave, Sarah," he said with defiance. He dropped the bag beside her and backed away. "But I won’t stop trying to win you. I’ll never give up on us. I know you just need time to see it." With that, he turned and walked out of the pavilion.

Sarah’s shoulders sagged as she watched him leave, shaking her head in disbelief. Part of her wanted to laugh at his ignorance, but a bigger part felt sorry for him—especially for the fact that he still believed he had a chance with her.

Frederick was a 500-level student from the Department of Petroleum Engineering. They had met at a political event her father had asked her to attend, alongside one of his representatives. Frederick’s mother was also a politician at the state government level, and the two families had crossed paths frequently. Sarah had been bored out of her mind at the event, and Frederick, recognizing her disinterest, had approached her.

They’d started talking, and surprisingly, she’d enjoyed his company. They exchanged phone numbers, but that had been the beginning of a persistent, almost obsessive, string of attempts from Frederick to get closer to her. She wouldn't deny the fact that she did lead him on for a while just for the fun of it, until she got bored of his irritating persistency and disturbance.

He was attractive, no doubt—but not to her standard. Infact, if Frederick were the last man on Earth, she would rather die than date him. There were two major reasons for her disgust. First, he was hot-tempered and violent. He’d once almost started a fight with Charming just because he saw him hugging her playfully. Punching another guy over a simple hug, especially when that girl wasn’t even his girlfriend? Ridiculous. She had rushed in between them, knowing Frederick was more than capable of beating Charming to a pulp.

The second reason was that he kept spreading rumors around campus that she was his girl. She confronted him about it several times, but he denied everything, claiming it was his friends who started the rumors without his knowledge.

Sarah glanced at her watch again and hissed under her breath. She only had four minutes left. With a quick motion, she packed her books into her bag, then picked up the gift box and the fancy bag Frederick had left her. Without a second thought, she walked over to the nearby pavilion where two younger students were sitting, engrossed in their reading.

As Sarah approached, the two girls looked up from their books, their eyes widening in curiosity. They exchanged a quick, puzzled glance before looking back at Sarah, wondering what the Ice Queen could possibly want from them.

"Do either of you want a gift?" Sarah asked, her voice cool but with a faint smile on her lips.

The girls exchanged another awkward look, clearly unsure of how to respond. They didn’t say a word, just stared at her in silence. Sarah sighed, clearly uninterested in further explanations. She casually dropped the gift box and bag between their books, then turned and walked away.

From behind her, she heard one of them shout, "Thank you!"

Sarah couldn’t help but smile faintly to herself. At least someone appreciated the gesture.

As she made her way to her lecture hall, She spotted a group of students loitering near the entrance of a hall. One of the guys was holding the wrist of a female student—whom Sarah registered as a fresher. He was asking her something, but the girl’s body language screamed disinterest. She was trying to pull her wrist free, though she was still smiling awkwardly at him. Sarah could tell she didn’t want to be there.

"I think you should leave her alone. She’s obviously not interested," Sarah said, her voice steady but firm as she walked past them.

The guy turned around, ready to snap at whoever dared to interfere. But his eyes landed on Sarah, then quickly scanned for her bodyguards just in case. His anger faltered as he spotted one at a distance. His face immediately softened, and he slowly released the girl’s wrist. She pulled away, clearly relieved, and began walking in the opposite direction.

His friends, who had been watching the exchange, burst into laughter at the situation. But Sarah didn’t care. She kept walking toward her lecture hall, her steps steady and confident.