Hello,

I've been following some books here on Nairaland and I tried writing one some time ago but it didn't get the traffic I desired. I am writing this one because I'm at home waiting for the time to leave for University. I'm leaving later this year and I want to achieve some things before I leave. This story will be one of my achievements, hopefully. I'll use inspiration from my secondary school experience and share it with the readers in form of this e-book.

I'll do my best to post updates regularly but I might not be able to promise that in the long run. I might have some other things to do and if I'm in a position where I cannot post updates at this rate, I'll let you know. I'll also interact with willing readers on a personal level so don't hesitate to hit the quote button if you want to say something.

I know, I know, you're probably wondering if this is just going to be like another Nairaland story that stops halfway. I understand, I've been there too. I want to promise that I'll come through for you so be assured of that. However, it helps when readers get engagement on forums like this, so if you leave comments, likes and shares on this thread it would give me the motivation to continue and make you happy. So please I'd advise that you do that. I'm also open to constructive criticism, if you see any errors or you have any comments about my writing style, feel free to drop them.

Thanks. Let's begin the journey together.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be stored, reproduced in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electrical, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. No part of this publication should be reproduced or transmitted in any forums, web sites, etc without my permission. Legal action will be taken.

Names have been replaced with alternates and though the setting in the story is modern Nigeria, the names of some places have been changed.

Car Convo

"Carlos, you haven't been reading. You have your Common Entrance Exam in a week," my mother said as she drove me back from school. Her hands were on the wheels while she looked at me as she ended her question.

I continued reading the novel I was holding while I deliberated on the right answer to give her.

I have always been intelligent and I knew it right from my childhood. I'm one of those people who don't put much effort into things but still get them done excellently. I never really had to read for school work so I channeled my mental energy into the books around me. I'd read all the novels in my house at least three times and I also read books that belonged to my parents.

My parents had already mapped out my life even before I had lived a substantial amount of years. I was restricted from doing a lot of things but since that was how I grew up, I had no problem since I was used to it. I never played sports, left the house, visited neighbors etc, you probably know the other things so I won't bother mentioning them. You could say I was a nerd then, I'm not even much different from that now. I topped my classes all through my primary school and was no motivation to improve because there was no competition. But I had Common Entrance Examination and things would be different now but I was still confident in my ability.

"Yes I know about the exams but what I have to learn is actually easy and is just like normal school work so don't worry about me," I replied as I flipped a page of Much Ado Over Nothing.

"I'm still thinking about applying to another school just to be on the safe side," she said. Typical mom, over-thinking everything when there was no need to.

" I've told you before mummy, I'm going to pass this common entrance exam but if you want to waste your money, you're free, I won't stop you." It's like paying ten thousand naira for forms up and down is enticing to you but now if I ask you for another Play Station game all this vibe will be gone, I thought to myself as a smile formed on my face.

"Hmm.... if you say so. I just want to be prepared for anything my son."

My apologies, I know this update is short. I just want to see how the thread goes but I will drop another one tomorrow. If you liked it, drop some comments and hit that like button. Tomorrow's update will be much longer.

leggo

Thank you for your comment Oluwatimi2000. I hope you'll have a good time on this thread and I hope to make your experience worthwhile.

Update coming later today.

front seat booked

Zara20:
front seat booked

No problem. Hang on tight and enjoy the ride.

Common Entrance Examination

It was finally the D-day. Today marked another transition to a higher educational level, but that would be if I passed actually. I had no doubt I was going to pass.

My mother woke me up by five o'clock to prepare for the day. I brushed my teeth, took a bath and followed the usual morning hygiene ritual. After that, I took breakfast of tea, sardine sandwiches and omelettes. She didn't want to me to complain about being hungry so she made sure I was filled and even packed some snacks in the car for me.

We drove in silence as I revised the iconic UGO .C. UGO common entrance book. As usual, I didn't feel tense or anxious. I just wanted the day to be over so I could finally play FIFA 14 on my console. I felt slightly uncomfortable in the car despite the air conditioning. My mother made me wear a three-piece suit and the strapped-on seatbelt wasn't helping matters too.

We finally arrived at the school and I checked the time on the dashboard, it was a few minutes past eight. The school was situated beside the highway and my mother carefully slowed the car down in order to make a sharp turn into the school street. There were two gates, the IN and OUT gates. Two other cars were in front of us driving inside the school gate, Hmm... so I wasn't the only person coming early. Our Toyota Highlander stopped at the gate as the security officials checked us for the necessary documents before we were let in.

As we drove towards the parking lot, I looked around and made a mental note of the school environment. Westwood Academy was actually a small school from my perspective but it had big buildings which were probably designed to be a compensation for the school space. The parking lot was beside the swimming pool and was large enough to fit about a hundred cars at once. I wasn't surprised about the swimming pool because I had thoroughly studied the school's prospectus so I knew all about their facilities. The prospectus also stated that they had a basketball court, football court, badminton and volleyball court but the only one I couldn't see was the football court but I wasn't too bothered about that.

A student usher walked up to the car and tapped gently on my mother's side window. He looked smart in the school uniform which was a long sleeved white shirt, yellow jacket and trousers and a matching yellow and white striped tie. He wore glasses like me and he was quite tall. My mother lowered the window and he smiled at us before greeting. He gestured toward the school Assembly Hall and told us that we were meant to head in that direction. My mother smiled back at him and told him to wait while we prepared to exit the car.

I un-strapped the seatbelt and dropped the UGO .C. UGO book in the lower compartment. I picked my backpack that contained my writing materials and mathematical set and hung it on my back as I left the car. My mother locked the car and we walked with the senior towards the hall. He smiled at me and asked me some questions and as I answered them, I noticed he had a badge which read "Library Prefect" on his chest. I knew immediately that I wanted to wear that badge someday too.

We walked into the hall after my mother checked-in at a table in front and the usher left us to attend to other incoming parents. The hall was very spacious and cool as the air conditioner was on full blast. However, the sight of many children and parents unnerved me and made me feel uneasy. My mother tightened her grip on my hand when she noticed my uneasiness to give me assurance. We picked chairs close to a window and sat down to give ourselves privacy. I just looked around so that I could see what was happening while my mother opened her phone to check her texts. Some parents were already talking to each other and I could see some children reading their books as we all waited for someone from the school management to address us. I secretly hoped nobody would try to seat near us because I wouldn't want to start feeling uncomfortable.

The Assembly hall was filled with chairs arranged in rows and columns. There were doors and various exit points in the building. Expensive looking chandeliers adorned the ceiling and there were beautiful paintings and murals around. There was an elevated platform in front of us and flowers were placed at strategic points inside the hall. The school certainly knew how to attract people and this beautiful Assembly Hall was a testament to that.

We waited for thirty more minutes before a woman mounted the platform and addressed us. She introduced herself as Miss Ojo, the school's Public Relations Officer and gave us a brief introduction of the school. She was fair skinned, tall and she was very beautiful. I just stared at her and was lost in thought but I managed to catch a few things she said.

"Welcome to WestWood Academy. As a school, we are very privileged that you as parents have singled us out to place your children in our care. We hope that this relationship would continue mutually in the years to come and we also hope that we would be able to fulfill all your expectations of us. Before the children go to take their examination, we have some presentations to make and even when they go to write the examinations, be assured that you as parents will be entertained within that period."

As she stepped down the stage, there was a round of applause and I think I must have clapped too enthusiastically because my mother gave me an unusual look before she continued texting. As the Miss Ojo left the stage, the school choir replaced her and began their presentation. They sang the school anthem and two other songs with the school orchestra in harmony with them. As they left, there was an even louder applause and parents took videos and made positive comments. More marketing strategies.

It was finally time to leave the hall for the examination. On the projector screen overhead, pictures of children with their respective exam numbers were displayed and we were asked to leave in that order. I left the hall but not before my mother muttered a silent prayer with me and she asked me to write well. I was given a card with some details as I left the hall and I was told to move in the direction of the classroom block.

The classroom block was just a few steps away from the Assembly Hall and we had to climb the staircase as it was a building with two floors. I was directed into a classroom with a tag above the door. It read JSS2C and I entered with some other children and sat on the desk with my designated number. The classrooms were not as glamorous as the Assembly Hall but it was still impressive. It had colorful desks, an array of lockers behind us, charts and maps,a notice board and a water dispenser with some disposable cups. And of course, Air Conditioning.

I noticed a classmate from my primary school as he waved at me and I waved back reciprocally. His name was Ayomide and we went along well with each other. We weren't close friends but we talked. The classroom had a teacher and a senior student usher to monitor the examination.
After everyone was settled in and the attendance was called, we began the exam. It was divided into three parts; Mathematics, English Language and General Knowledge. I glanced through the questions after praying and discovered they were quite easy. IT was time to write.


************************************************************************************


After two hours, we were done with the exam and I had a very positive feeling about it. I sat down and waited for the papers to be collected and I looked around. Some people were smiling, some looked downcast and a few others had neutral expressions. I looked at Ayo, his face was normal but he smiled when he saw me. After collecting the papers, the teacher, slid the whiteboard back from the frame and it revealed a plasma television behind it. He turned it on and left it on Disney channel while he told us to feel free to relax that we'd soon be called to the dining hall. I hadn't even expected this and I was impressed with the school. Children around loosened up and started conversing with each other as they watched the TV. I could hear noises from the other classes and I continued watching the screen as Disney was my favorite channel back then.

After some time, we were called one after the other to take measurements for the school uniforms and after that, we left for the Dining Hall. It was a wide building with windows everywhere and it was airy. It wasn't as impressive as the other facilities because there were modern wooden benches which were attached to the tables. It was still alright but after seeing the glamour of the classroom and Assembly Hall, I expected glass tables and maybe something from foreign high school TV shows. We were served with Jollof rice and beef with an orange Caprisonne juice. I also noticed that the beef was small but I didn't mind, This was not my house. I sat with Ayo and after eating, we headed to the Assembly Hall to meet our parents.

I found my mother talking animatedly to a plump woman. The woman wore a traditional buba and seemed intimidating with her huge frame. When my mother saw me coming towards her, she rounded off the discussion and waited for me to approach. When I met her, I told her all about my experience and how easy the exam was, she smiled and looked happy. She picked up her car key and phone and we walked slowly towards the car as we talked about the school.

Seat taken... thanks for the mention

YoungBruzzy:
Seat booked..
Keep it coming OP..
More ink to your pen..


Bia Baby m @PrudySara

First Day In School
"Go and see who is at the door Carlos," my mother said to me as she worked on the document she was typing on her laptop. We were sitting together in the living room and I was playing Call of Duty when the doorbell rang. My younger sister and only sibling was upstairs in her room playing with a friend.

The gateman stared back at me when I opened the front door. He was in his late thirties and extremely dimwitted. He was crude and could barely speak English but he was very loyal and trustworthy.

"Tell your mother say person dey find am for gate."

"Who is the person Mr. Okon?"

"I no know the person. The person dey with bike and I never see am before sef."

I told my mother and she went out to find out who it was. When she came back into the living room, she had an envelope in her hands. It turned out that the unknown visitor was a dispatch rider from the school sent to deliver the common entrance results.

She opened the envelope and as she read its contents, she smiled and looked at ease. I knew I had passed the exam and went to continue playing the game I was on. I had finished second out of two hundred students with and average of 90, the person who took first only went ahead with 0.7. I also knew we were going out to celebrate once my father came back from work.

************************************************************************************

Westwood Academy was a welcome sight as I was within its walls once again. I felt more at ease but detested the stressful checking-in process before we were admitted. My sister was in school so it was my parents who escorted me to school. I held my laptop bag and the buckets while my father took possession of my remaining luggage.

We stopped at the entrance of the Assembly Hall where checkpoints were mounted before we would be cleared to proceed into the hall. We had to present the evidence that we had paid the school fees and we moved to the medical table. I had some supplements so I had to submit those. After that, we moved to the counselor's table where I signed a zero tolerance form concerning student conduct. We were finally allowed to move into the Hall for the clearance and checking of my personal belongings. It was a beehive inside because there were other students trying to check in their things and their family members loitered around or moved with them.

My father located a porter who was available and we moved in that direction. He was a chubby man who introduced himself as Mr. Dominic. He seemed uninterested and exhausted but still checked us meticulously despite how he felt. I met almost all the requirements on the checklist, the only outstanding one was the hand sanitizers. It stated that I had to have twelve bottles and I was only with ten. The school didn't have any left so my father had to purchase the two bottles in a nearby supermarket.

We were finally issued a clearance slip and directed to move to the hostel. I hadn't been there but my parents had seen the hostels when they were given a tour of the school. When we got to the Dining Hall, we took a left turn and came to a junction. The Boys Hostel was to the left and the Girls Hostel was in the opposite direction. We submitted our clearance slip and the front of the hostel and we were permitted to enter. The porter at the front gate informed my mother that today was the only time that parents were granted access into the hostels, and that after today, she would not be allowed in.

Only the new students were in school as the old students would resume a week after. We were ushered into the Junior Boys' Hostel and finally the JSS1 Boys Hostel. It was the down floor of a building with three floors, the other floors belonged to the JS2 and JS3 boys respectively. I entered the main door first and looked around the hostel. It was divided into six rooms, three rooms on each side of the hallway. I was issued to Room 6, the last by the left. I felt glad but when I realized that it was close to the toilets and bathrooms, I erased the smile from my face.

There were five beds, side cupboards and wardrobes in the room. It was empty so that probably meant the other students were coming or yet to come. I shrugged and my mother directed me on how to arrange my things. My father had returned by this time and we chose the best bed and I picked the corner spot. It was close to the window and the overhead fan which hung from the ceiling. But I figured out that we would probably not need the fan since the rooms had air conditioning.

My belongings had been arranged in my wardrobe and my bed was made so it was time for my parents to leave. We prayed together and my father handed me some pocket money which was about twenty thousand naira. He would transfer the rest to my school account. Strangely, I didn't feel sad that they were about to leave and I wouldn't see them in a while. I was normal and was secretly wishing that they would leave so I could begin to enjoy my newfound freedom.

After receiving advice about my behavior, staying away from girls, being focused, do not be too playful... (the usual), my parents stood up to leave. I accompanied them and we were about to leave the room when I noticed my mother's face. She was crying and tears flowed freely down her face. My face flushed and I felt embarrassed to see an adult in tears. They were even surprised that I didn't even seem reluctant to leave them but I couldn't stress myself over such matters. I bade them goodbye at the front of the hostel and they promised to call.

I returned back to my room and I noticed that a new boy was inside with his parents. I moved in noiselessly and after greeting them, I went to lie down on my bed.

************************************************************************************

When I woke up, it was time for dinner and everywhere was noisy. Boys were shouting and talking about the places they went to for holidays and which Cartoon Network show that they were watching. It seemed that some people had made friends already. I stood up and picked up my hand sanitizer and water bottle. My room was filled with other students, I could tell from the dressed beds though it was only the boy I saw earlier who was presently inside, the others were probably playing outside.

The porters started shouting that we should leave the hostel and the siren was sounded. After dinner, we headed to the Chapel to pray and we were given a talk by the Boarding House Master. During the talk, I noticed that a girl was sitting beside me. She was fair skinned and she looked very pretty. She seemed quiet and didn't even look at me once. I instantly fell attracted to her and I glanced at her name tag to know her name. It read 'Jemima Daniels.' I knew I would sleep happy this night.

YoungBruzzy:
Seat booked..
Keep it coming OP..
More ink to your pen..


Bia Baby m @PrudySara

Welcome to the thread, thank you for commenting. Really means a lot.

PrudySara:
Seat taken... thanks for the mention

Hope you'll enjoy the story. Fingers crossed.

Thanks OP fo that beautiful update..
Keep it coming...

Sorry I can't post an update today. I'm not feeling motivated by the engagement on the thread. Is anyone really following?

Keep it coming, Bro..
This is just the first page, don't get discouraged..
The story actually has a nice setting..

TheDarkGamer:
Sorry I can't post an update today. I'm not feeling motivated by the engagement on the thread. Is anyone really following?

Bro don't get discouraged.. I'm sure the turnout will be better than this.. Pls for those of us reading this story, let us endeavor to mention other readers too.. Thanks

TheDarkGamer:
Sorry I can't post an update today. I'm not feeling motivated by the engagement on the thread. Is anyone really following?

Dear, if you follow the people's way of commenting on this website, you'd give up on your dreams. So hon, do overlook and don't worry about the number of views and comment you get. I'll be here... if ever you need me. I hope you get what your heart desires.

Nice story, by the way

Nice one OP, give us more pls.

Thanks for the encouragement guys. Nice to know that people are following. I'll drop an update this night.

Note: The first chapters would be mostly storytelling and narrative with fewer dialogues. This is because I want to create imagery and make you guys visualize the setting and events so you can have a good idea when I post updates.

See you soon

Fitting In


"Hello"

I looked up from the novel I was reading to see who had just interrupted me. As I opened my mouth to reprimand the person, my lips froze in midair. I couldn't believe who was standing in front of me, it was Jemima. I was lost for words and my brain tried to analyze the situation without any success. Luckily, she broke the ice by talking again.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you, I was just looking for someone to talk to since everyone was busy." Her hands were folded behind her back and she just looked so sweet and innocent.

It was time for Sports, so other JSS1 students either madly chased footballs or walked around gisting. I had no time for either and that was why I was in an empty classroom reading Wuthering Heights.

"No... Umm... It's not a problem really, I am actually done with the book I was reading," I said with a faltering voice, all the while avoiding her eyes.

"Do you mind if I sit down beside you? Let's talk."

"No problem." I grabbed a chair from it's corresponding desk and placed it some inches nest to mine. As she sat down, her arm brushed mine slightly. She felt soft and her scent wavered in the air for a few minutes. I finally looked at her face and her eyes drew me in. It was almost magical.

"Wake up! Everyone up!"

Oh my God.... What type of disturbance is this? As I opened my eyes, I was temporarily blinded by the convergence of the light rays from the room's light bulbs into my pupil. IT was just a dream.

I yawned and threw back my duvet nonchalantly. My body shifted sideways and I sat on the edge of the narrow bed. I couldn't believe I dreamt about a girl, I didn't even pay much attention to them on a normal basis. Jemima must really be special.

The loud siren jolted me back to reality and I glanced at the clock above me. I couldn't believe it was just five thirty and the hostel porters were bawling like someone had died. At home I woke up relatively early by six during weekdays but on Sundays, we woke up by eight. We had an hour to prepare before we left for Church by nine. Well now I was just have to learn and cope with the school system.

I looked round the room and my four roommates where stretching and edging out of their beds. A hostel porter passed by and stopped by our room door.

"Good morning boys, It's time to wake up. Breakfast starts by eight and the church service will begin soon after that. Dress your beds and arrange your corners before you have your bath." As soon as he finished talking, he off to the next room and my roommates stood up to brush their teeth. Only one boy decided to stay back in bed. I could see he was obese and he covered himself with his duvet immediately the porter left.

I yawned again and opened my side cupboard. After retrieving my toothbrush and toothpaste, I joined the 'walking zombies' to freshen up in the bathroom. This section was divided into two parts; the bath area and the toilets. To the left, there were ten bath stalls, five on each side and to the right were ten toilets. The sinks were in the bath area and all of them were occupied by boys brushing their teeth so I decided to wait.

Some people were talking to each other but most were still quiet and fighting with the sleep in their eyes. I still hadn't talking to anybody and I wasn't expecting to yet. When I noticed that a sink was unoccupied, I moved to it and brushed my teeth. When I was done brushing, I moved back to the room to get my bathing gear. The room was empty apart from the fat boy still sleeping in his bed, so I quickly changed out of my nightwear and strapped on my towel all the while checking if anyone was around. I was uncomfortable with the thought of the other boys seeing my nudity.

Then I picked my Olay liquid soap, sponge and bailer from my wardrobe. My blue bathing bucket lay under my bed, so I picked it up and took my things into the bathroom. A few people had started bathing and I was determined to finish before more people came in. My father went to a boarding school so he gave me tips on how to survive well. I entered an empty stall and quickly had my bath.

By 7:45 A.M. I was ready to leave for breakfast. I sat by the gate of the hostel with some of the other serious boys who had finished early. I had finally talked to two boys and we stood together conversing about Super heroes. One of the boys was Ayo and the other was one of my roommates called Paul.

"Superman is obviously the strongest DC character, he has super strength, speed, laser vision and he can fly. That's why he's also my best super hero," Paul stated his case with conviction. "Nobody can beat him obviously so what are you guys saying?"

I felt I had to interpose so I also made my contribution. "Yes we all agree that Superman has all those qualities but don't forget that he's indefensible to Kyrptonite, so even a baby holding the smallest form of the it would be able to defeat him easily."

Ayo took Paul's side, apparently they both shared an admiration for Superman. "Yes we all know, but that would only weaken him, he would still be indestructible. I don't know why people always like avoiding the truth. Or is it Batman that would defeat him?"

I smiled inwardly, Ayo knew that Batman was my favorite character from our days in Primary school. He struck my weakness. For some seconds, I tried to think of a good comeback but I was interrupted by the voice of a hostel porter. It was Mr. Dominic and as he walked, his bulging abdomen jiggled with each walking step. I don't know why but I had a bad feeling around him, I didn't like him.

"It's time to leave the hostels everyone. Make sure you're all with your hand sanitizers, water bottles and bibles before you leave here. This is your week of grace, so we'll overlook most of your faults and wrongdoings but we won't indulge them." He held the keys to the gate in his hand and talked animatedly as he enjoyed the attention he received, almost all the boys crowded round him and listened intently. He continued his speech.

"I know you are all new students here but that doesn't mean that you should not obey even simple rules and regulation. I and the other hostel porters went round the rooms to wake you up but can you imagine that up till now somebody was still sleeping on his bed." General laughter erupted from the crowd of boys as we tried to find out who the person was.

Mr. Dominic motioned toward another porter and that porter went inside the hostels. After some minutes, the porter half led and half dragged a boy still covered with his duvet and in his pajamas before us. His pajama trouser was wet and we could see that he had bedwetted. It was my fat roommate. More laughter erupted from the crowd of boys and I tried to imagine how it feel to be the boy. He immediately burst into tears and Mr. Dominic unlocked the gate for us to leave to the dining. As I left the hostel, I could hear the porters making comments, 'Tuck in your shirts,' 'Are your nails cut?' 'Brush your hair.'

The girls were already in the dining hall before we arrived. We found out that the rule stated that twelve sat per table so we arranged ourselves according to that. I saw Jemima two tables away from me and she sat by a plumpy girl. I remebered the dream I had and quickly shook it off. Ayo and Paul sat at each side of me and we talked about Mr. Dominic's degradation of our fat classmate.

The Boarding House Master came in before we started eating to give us another talk. He was a tall and thin man with lanky arms. He seemed like a foreigner and his accent was different. His vowels were more pronounced and he had a nasal voice. His name was Mr. Pierre and I later learnt that he was Cameroonian. He told us about dining etiquette and general hostel conduct. It was hard to be distracted while he talked, his arms flailed about nonchalantly while he made gestures.

After that, we were served Spaghetti and egg sauce for breakfast. Another rule was that after this one week learning period, we would start to serve ourselves in the normal school way. Apparently the way the system worked was that a portion of food would be supplied to a table of twelve students and the students shared by themselves. The logic seemed very sound but I knew it would have its problems. I wasn't really hungry so I ate as best as I could and left the rest.

The church service was quite short actually and not what I expected. Most people that told me about their secondary school experience commented about the length of the religious activities. Our school service lasted just an hour. I was also surprised because it consistent of the normal activities; Opening prayer, praise and worship, choir ministration, sermon and offering. I guess I would like it here after all.

@Dybala11 I remember you from my "An Obsolete World" story back then. How's it going man? It's been long.

Sorry about the typos though.

TheDarkGamer:
@Dybala11 I remember you from my "An Obsolete World" story back then. How's it going man? It's been long.

Yes I do sir. How are you doing @TheDarkGamer, hope you're good?
Anyway, I've not been as active as I used to be on this forum again.

Nice story you've got going.

Lazy Day

Life in school wasn't so bad but I was sure that it was because we were in a school that made things comfortable. Strangely I hardly thought about my family but when I did, it was just normal and I didn't feel homesick. Most of the other boys were always crying and were in bad moods but I felt unconcerned. Strange.

After the church service was over, we all came back to the hostel to rest before leaving again for lunch by two o'clock. Before lunchtime we'd be given snacks in between by twelve. If the word of the school prospectus was to be taken, that would mean that the school snacks were top notch and very satisfying. Well, I'd have to just wait and see then.

My major problem so far was the noise and lack of privacy here. At home I was used to reading or playing games in a usually tranquil and serene house. My sister hardly disturbed me and when she occasionally did, she left me alone whenever I told her to. However it was very different from my school life here. I could hardly read without getting distracted by the sound of boys' chatter and horseplay. It was very weird for me that we were barely a day here yet a lot of boys had started playing and running around that you'd think that they are siblings. I was different and I would only be friends with mature and serious students.

Since I was bored, I looked into my locker and retrieved a book. It was an Enid Blyton book but I couldn't read it because my only friends at the time had stormed into the room. Two of my roommates where in the room talking, they seemed alright but I knew they hadn't approached me because I hadn't made any opening for them to. I knew I had to be more friendly but there was still time so I wouldn't bother myself too much.

Ayo wore a singlet and boxers while Paul wore a white vest and was still in his black Sunday trousers. I wore a Nike T-Shirt and shorts with socks and when they came closer, I made space in my narrow bed so they could sit.

"Guy this place is so boring. I'm so hungry and I need to play some FIFA," Paul said. He seemed like he came from a very wealthy family and his mannerism and behavior portrayed that. He was reserved and from the way he acted, it was obvious that everything was done for him in his previous life. He also used expensive stuff and since I shared a room with him, I knew how his box and locker looked. Ayo on the other hand wasn't from a rich family but he was well-to-do and comfortable. I liked that he didn't try to be what he wasn't and he was a very mature and straightforward person even when he related with Paul and me.

"What are you doing? Every time you're always reading and it's not like it's your school book. We haven't even spent one day here but you are always here reading. Go and socialize abeg." Ayo jokingly pulled the novel from my grip and I playfully punched him. We were never this friendly in primary school but now we were together in this new environment, we had bonded more and became closer. "No but seriously Carlos, there are other cool people around here, make new friends."

"You're talking like you don't know me, books are like drugs to me. As long as I'm occupied and I'm alright with it, I don't see how that's a problem. Besides all these guys do around here is run around and make noise. If I see a cool person, for sure we'll relate."

Paul joined the discussion. "Guy you're right about this friendship thing, we mustn't be friends with everyone. And it's like you knew what was on my mind when you said that thing about the boys here running around and making noise."

"What's on your mind?" I didn't understand so I asked him to clarify.

"Guy if you heard what Ayo and I just heard, you'll laugh till stupor." Paul replied and immediately he did, Ayo started laughing loudly. He joined in the laughter and I was left staring at them confusingly. After he recovered, Paul continued.

"I was bored so I went with Ayo to see his room and a couple of guys were talking so I just sat close and listened. When I came in, they were talking about trips and where each of them had traveled but it then moved on to how rich they were. The tales one boy was sharing seemed farfetched and I knew he was lying but I decided not to call him out. I just kept on listening and he was the one that exposed himself."

Ayo interrupted him. "Paul you're saying this thing with too much grammar, let me say this so that Carlos will laugh."

"Leave me let me tell it like that, it's still funny." Paul smiled before continuing. "So as I was saying, the guy was talking about how rich he was, How he had twenty German shepherd dogs, ten servants, he also said he used elevators in his house but the most stupid thing he said was that he used to have three swimming pools in his house but armed robbers came at night and stole two." As he said this, they all burst into laughter and I joined them this time. I could not believe how someone could lie without sense. I laughed for a good three minutes holding my sides as I lay on the floor and my other roommates stared at me.

"Guy you had to be there, see the way those boys finished him. I'm sure they'll start calling him swimming pool now," Ayo said which brought on another round of laughter.

We continued our banter and general conversation until the siren announced that it was snacks time. I was so grateful because I didn't really eat the spaghetti in the morning. The porters directed us to gather at the muster point and they shared snacks amongst us. We all had a bottle of fruit juice, some biscuits, pastries and chocolate. I was so happy because I was not even expecting this much. After I went I got my snacks, I went to my room with the boys and we continued our discussion. Paul even gave me his chocolate because he didn't like it. I suspected he was on a diet though, he was a bit chubby (not fat). At first, I didn't want to take it because of the way I was brought up, but the hunger overcame my reasoning and I accepted. I also knew Ayo would take it if I didn't step up.

As we got snacks, I also understood the method of snacks here in Westwood. Our parents deposited an amount of pocket money in our school accounts and we used vouchers to sign for snacks. Also next week, a male and female snacks prefect would be appointed because the students shared snacks by themselves.

Things went on like this lazily throughout the whole day and we continued our gist and slept intermittently. At the stipulated times, we went for lunch and dinner before retiring to bed at the end of the day.

Dybala11:

Yes I do sir. How are you doing @TheDarkGamer, hope you're good?
Anyway, I've not been as active as I used to be on this forum again.

I'm alright.

I'm also not too active here like before. It would be better if the developers made improvements but here is stagnant with a lot of trolls and too many problems but well.... we move.

pabon:
Nice story you've got going.

Thanks. I hope you're enjoying it.

pabon:
Nice story you've got going.

Thanks. I hope you're enjoying it.

A New Friend

I woke up to the pungent smell of Ammonia reeking from the toilets. Having a room that is so close to the toilet area is not great after all. I wondered how hard it was for the others to just flush after using the toilets. It was just the third day of being in school, so I couldn't complain much because more experiences were still going to come.

I needed to know the time since it was apparent that the hostel porters hadn't woken us up yet. My roommates were still fast asleep and I could hear Paul's muffled sounds from his bed beside me. I knew that the hostel porters would soon come to wake us up, I didn't need to check the time to know that. Still half-awake, I roused myself and sluggishly dragged my feet to the toilet area. I inspected the stalls looking for the cleanest one before I settled for the middle stall. It made a lot of sense, People would choose the last toilet stalls when they needed privacy and wanted to stay for a long time and they would choose the first stalls when they were in a hurry or needed to pee. I almost gagged at the sorry state of the toilet and muttered a silent prayer for the janitors that would clean it up later in the day.

After easing myself, I brushed my teeth quickly and had a bath before retiring back to my room. I had only been on my bed for five minutes after finishing up when the voices of the porters reverberated in the hostel indicating the end of sleep and the beginning of the daily stress. We said the morning prayers, listened to announcements, and were warned against going back to bed before we retired back to our rooms again to prepare for a new day.

We still had a couple of days before regular students returned back to school, so today would just be another boring day in the hostel except we were summoned outside. Inside the room, my four roommates jumped back to bed immediately after the prayers disregarding the porters' instructions. Before Paul completely immersed him under his duvet, he gave me a sleepy look which seemed to communicate ' I can't kill myself because of school' or so I thought with a silent laugh.

We were required to put on our daywear before leaving the hostel for breakfast, so I removed the clothes from my locker with the purpose of ironing them in mind. I hadn't done that yesterday because I was too lazy, but since I was feeling up for it, I went to the ironing space. It was a sub-section of the hostel where the water dispenser was also located. There were ten sockets on the walls which meant only ten people could iron at a time, but depending on the situation that could be adjusted. I ironed my daywear quickly and returned to my room.

Boys were becoming more awake now and many could be seen heading into the bathrooms with their buckets and bathing materials in hand. All my roommates had exited the room except the fat boy. He still snored loudly and I wondered how he could be comfortable in his urine-soaked bed.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. We had Tea, Bread, and a spread of our choice which included Peanut butter, Nutella, and butter. I could manage it because of the choice of spread which we could use to accompany our bread but I could tell that not everyone was comfortable with just that as our meal. Well, I could cope with that and as long as I could have peanut butter then everything would be alright.

After breakfast, we lingered a bit because going back to the hostels immediately was not an enticing idea. The extroverts and effervescent had no problems mingling while people like me laid back and watched what went on. I could see Ayo with a girl and it seemed like he was doing a good job because she was laughing all through and playfully hitting him. Our little hangout continued for about thirty minutes before the male and female porter as if on cue, came into the dining hall and directed us back into the hostels.

When I got inside, I removed my blue daywear shirt and hung it on the cloth line while I stood outside in the courtyard. The daywear uniform for junior boys was a light blue short-sleeved shirt with polka dots and a royal blue trouser. I was bored and I didn't want to go to my room at the moment so I decided to try and socialize. I actually needed to be more social and the fact that I had only talked to two people since I arrived was a testament to that.

I spotted some boys hovering by the dispenser and I decided to approach them. I needed to be subtle and not just barge in so that I would not be perceived as weird, so I went into my room and got my water bottle. The water was cold and some droplets splashed on my fingers as I filled my bottle. My bottle was half-filled and I was still thinking about how to make an entry into their conversation. I don't even know why I was trying so hard but it felt like the right thing to do. My bottle was full and started overflowing when I figured out how to join the discussion.

The boy in the middle of the group seemed like he was the focal point because the others were all looking at him when he talked and he all had their attention. Apparently, he was talking about Star Wars and that happened to be a niche of mine.

"Darth Sidious was instrumental in the Clone Wars and the death of the Jedis because he controlled the two warring sides. He was simultaneously the sith lord Darth Sidious and the Republican Chancellor Palpatine. That was how he was able to turn Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader and destroy almost all the Jedis."

The speaker in the middle was actually a lot like me. He was small, he was fair-skinned and he wore glasses. The only major difference between us was that he had a pointed European nose while mine was the African flat type. Despite that, we still looked very much alike. I watched him as he continued his lecture.

"Darth Vader would eventually go on to kill Palpatine but he also died leaving his children Luke and Leia. Luke would eventually go into exile and Leia became a princess. Luke had a son though, I'm trying to recall his name....."

"Ben Skywalker or Kylo Ren," I helped remind him and all eyes turned to me. It felt weird and I started searching for a way to exit but he just continued his narration after thanking me.

He later met me in my room when I was reading.

"Ted Dekker. Interesting choice."

I looked up to identify the source of the voice. It was the Star Wars boy. He was talking about the book.

"Have you read any of his books?" I asked closing the pages of the book momentarily.

He left the door and sat on my bed. Hmm.. Very bold move Mr. Man, I thought. "Yes, I've read a lot of his books but his type of books are not my genre."

"Hmm.. so what is your genre?"

"Science Fiction, Action and Medieval Fiction/Nonfiction but I love Science Fiction."

I found it astonishing that he had the exact genre preference as me and I knew that we would be very good friends. I could already imagine discussions and debates with him; It would be very fulfilling.

"Strange but that's also what I indulge in too," I replied as I searched his face for an expression. He maintained a neutral expression and it was hard to know what he was thinking.

"Hmm... alright, let's see how similar we are," he said and I wondered how he was going to do that. "I'll ask a question and we both answer together at the count of three, okay?"

I agreed and he asked his first question.

"Marvel or DC?" We both chorused DC together and I smiled. Finally, an enthusiast who understands like me.

"Batman or Superman?" Batman was the answer.

"Messi or Ronaldo?" We both chose Ronaldo. Of course, this guy right here understands quality.
"Cats or Dogs?" Apparently, we were both canine lovers.

This series of questions continued for about five minutes and we both had the same interests in all the questions. If he wasn't there in front of me, I wouldn't have believed it.

"I forgot to ask but I'm Charles, How about you?"

Now there had to be some voodoo going on around here because Charles was the English version of my name Carlos. It was so strange that it seemed scary to me.

"I'm Carlos."

I introduced him to Paul and Ayo after we had talked for a long time. It was another fruitless day but the beginning of a fruitful friendship.