Chapter 2

Naturally the poor boy was very embarrassed now that he wasn't under the spell of the music. However he was at a loss for what to do and remained standing there.
When she noticed he wasn't turning away, she ran to the bank of the small stream and put on her shawl.
Turning back, she decided to give him a chewing out which he deserved but stopped short when she noticed the mark on the side of his face which marked him as royalty. Two factors made her sure he was no ordinary citizen. One, the king bore a similar mark on his face and two, this part of the forest was off-limits to anyone but the King. Her mother told her that anyone that came too close to these parts would be driven mad instantly by the spirits of the forest. Unfortunately the same powers that kept others out also kept her in. Her mother had told her that she was never to leave the forest or she would die. She was the embodiment of a covenant between the king and Azen the brutal god of war.
Her entire life had been spent inside the forest and she knew no one but her mother and the dwarf who attended to them. Everything she knew, she learnt from her mother. The dwarf never spoke more than two words at a time. She knew his main duty was to keep her from leaving. Everyday her mother would educate her on the mysteries of the world, about the deities good and bad and why it was important for them to remain here in the forest.

"When you get older you'll understand just how important we are for the survival of Igodomigodo. Most may not know of our sacrifice and you may have no memory of the land which you sacrifice so much for but trust me you will understand everything in due time"

Them her mother would sing to her and rock her to sleep in their large hut hidden away in the forest. Food was regularly supplied to them and only the best of everything was given to them. Every market week, the dwarf would go to the boundary and pick it up. On days like this when her mother went to the sacred tree on the other side of the forest and the dwarf went to pick up food, she would explore the woods. It was on one such occasion she discovered this stream. She understood her custodians' routine so well that sh was always back before they returned thereby arousing no suspension. Nothing unusual had ever happened ..... Until today......

Thanks bro. I'll try to.

Chapter 20

Monday morning for Lucy was the same as always. Dressed at 6:30am, in school at exactly 7:00am. She didn't eat breakfast but settled for a small cup of black coffee without sugar. On her way to school she brought out her to-do list and wrote out her schedule for the entire day complete with time and all. Even though she still had a slight feeling of doubt, she thought there was nothing to worry about with Jude. On getting to school, she dropped her bag and went to prepare her speech.
At Aurora, the school actively built students to be future leaders. They engaged them regularly in activities meant to foster leadership qualities and groom them. Very distinguished students were allowed to address the whole school during Assembly period on whatsoever topic they pleased. Today it was Lucy's turn.
As expected, Jude walked in at 7:15am, greeted a few teachers addressed the prefects and took his place as head boy on the podium next to Lucy. At 7:30, the assembly bell was rung and everyone filed in to the hall. After exultation and other routine activities Lucy took her place on the podium and after casting a reflexive glance at Jude who gave her a small smile encouragement, she started speaking with her captivating and passionate voice about purpose and focus in students. She talked about how so many students can't focus because they have no real purpose. "There is no success without passion. Each of us must look inwards and find that thing which truly matters to us. God has given us the gift of memory. We are able to look back and learn from our past. When a lot of us look back, we realise that a lot of the things we did and the choices we made were pointless. This is so because we lack understanding of what is truly important to us. Imagine yourself in your deathbed right now. What would be the last thought on your mind. What would be your regret?
. Answer that question and you will be spared a life time of wrong decisions and regret. We are not children anymore. I encourage you to look examine yourself today and understand what truly matters. Only them can you set goals and achieve them. A great philosopher once said 'The unexamined life is not worth living".

The hall was silent and everyone held on to every word she said. As she concluded everyone including the staff members gave her a standing ovation. You could tell her words struck home because everyone appeared sober and introspective including the teachers. Ironically while the rest of the school was clapping she was only concerned about Jude's approval. Sh discreetly cast a sidelong glance at him and saw him clapping with a beaming smile aimed at her direction.
Only then did she smile. "See Lucy" she told herself. "There's nothing to worry about." The rest of assembly was a blur to Lucy as she was still basking on the glow of Jude's approval.
All seemed to be well at Aurora Academy.... At least until a certain girl came in with her mother for her official interview and orientation......

Shout out to my followers. your encouragement keeps this story going. Thumbs up to you guys. I may not do this often know that your feedback is what makes me keep updating. Thanks

Chapter 19

Sunday mornings in Jude's house were always a hectic affair. His parents liked to attend the very first service which started at 6:30am. As early as 5am Jude's mum would start yelling for everyone to get ready as if it was the day of rapture or something. Everyone else in his family would remain in bed till the last moment and then start running around trying to get ready in record time. This Sunday however Jude got dressed I'm record time and so did Nancy. She was hungry for some new gossip and was glad at the chance to study Jude and Ivie's 'friendship' up close. Ivie came over at 6:15am and they all got into the car and arrived at church with a few minutes to spare. Jude was a worker in the media department and as such he didn't see much of Ivie. And as the guy who was supposed to take his place during the second service didn't come, he had to stay back after the rest of the family plus Ivie went home. Throw in a few workers meetings and lectures and you'll see why Jude only made it home at 3:00pm. By then he was too exhausted and just wanted to eat and rest so he'll be fresh for the next day.
When the family got back home at 9:35am after the first service Ivie had gone home. Nancy could tell that she wasn't happy leaving Jude behind. She also came back at 2:30pm but was told that he still wasn't back as his department was having its routine quarterly meeting with the zonal coordinator. She was so visibly disappointed that Nancy was 99percent sure that something was going on between them.

"This is going to break quite a few hearts especially my friends'. But it's really juicy news. I can't wait to tell everyone"

When Jude woke up from his nap, it was around 6pm. He tried to make up for lost study time and when he finally realized that he hadn't called Ivie (why do I even feel the need to call her?) It was past 10pm. He didn't want to disturb her incase she was studying or already asleep.
"Anyhow, I'll see her tomorrow"

Ivie was not happy. She didn't know why but she expected Sunday to be like Saturday. They had spent the whole day together yesterday but they didn't even have a moment alone today. After service he had to stay behind and after killing a few hours she had gone over to his house but he still wasn't back. She failed his number but it was still switched off.
The feeling was not one she was familiar with. She was used to receiving attention and now the one person whose attention she needed wasn't around. She missed him terribly and was in a soir mood throughout the day. She eventually fell into a fitful sleep and woke up at 10:30pm. He ought to be back by now " she thought. "But isn't it too late to text or call him?"

" I guess I'll just have to wait till tomorrow " with a sigh, she went back to sleep.

Chapter 1

In the land of Igodomigodo centuries ago, there was a great king called Namuna. He was a true warrior and he expanded the borders of his kingdom beyond even that which his ancestors before him could achieve. The name Igodomigodo inspired awe and fear in all that heard it as it became synonymous with battle and conquest. Besides his numerous conquests, his reign was mostly peaceful.
But this story is not about king Namuna's adventures but that of his first son, crown prince Ehi. Prince Ehi was born to the king by his 7th wife after years without a male heir. The young woman unfortunately died soon after childbirth and the boy was left to palace minders for his upbringing. Soon after his birth however, three other wives were delivered of male children and as usual, a scuffle over who would succeed the king began. Poor Ehi was expected to die and the other wives paid him no mind. However at age 6 it bece obvious that the boy was not going to die of natural causes much to their disappointment.

In the land of Igodomigodo, it was a taboo for the crown prince to die before his father. The kings before had fortified their households against any diabolical attack targeted at their heirs through series of bloody sacrifices. The only way for such attacks to work was for the child to be unnamed as the crown Prince. Apart from this, no sane medicine man would work against the royal house. Since Ehi was the first born and was not showing signs like cowardice or sickliness which would have lead to loss of his position, they could only resort to physical attacks.

Once again, palace politics protected him. No one could really say they trusted anyone else, thus plotting to kill the Prince was just too risky.
As a result of the above factors, the other queens could only fortify their own children while praying for something bad to happen to Ehi, thereby paving the way for their own children.

Ehi grew up to be a lonely child. As royalty, he wasn't supposed to associate with commoners and since the other queens refused to let him play with their kids, he entertained himself by slipping out of the palace and exploring the town alone. Since he was "grown up" and had no need for serious supervision, he normally got away with it. Those who noticed didn't care enough to do something about it and with his dad often gone on battle campaigns, he was free to do as he pleased.

Unlike typical palaces which were in the middle of town, the palace was on one edge of main city. Behind it was a sacred forest where the king went to offer sacrifices. Ehi started exploring the forest little by little. He learned to use a sling and crude traps to catch small animals and birds for fun.

One day he wandered far into the forest and came across a small hidden footpath. He started on the path and suddenly he heard the most beautiful thing ever. A girl was singing and the sound of the song took him to cloud nine. His feet moved on their own and he walked with his eyes closed till a came across a crystal clear stream. His eyes opened when his feet touched the water and he saw a beautiful girl with very long hair bathing in the stream with her back to him. She stopped singing a few moments later and turned to face the intruder. Seeing him, she did what every girl in her position would do.

She screaaaaammed!!!!!!.

Chapter 18

Jude spent the rest of the day doing one chore after another for his Dad. He normally went to the state library on Saturdays but with Ivie around he couldn't. Finally at about 6:30pm, he was free. Jude made a beeline for his room knowing that if he stayed in the parlour, he would have to watch the news with his Dad. No one understood that his mood could be so fragile that seeing so many things going wrong in the country and the world at large could ruin his mood for several days.
After freshening up and eating, he settled for chess on his phone. He was the undisputed champion among the guys in the school. The others were good but lacked the patience required to make meticulous plans and vanquish their opponents.

About 30 minutes into the game, the BEDC did what they know how to do best and his mum yelled for him to turn on the generator. When he got back he saw a WhatsApp notification on his phone screen.
Checking it, he saw it was a message from Ivie

"Hi" the message said
"Hi Ivie what's up?"
"I'm good, just finally escaped from my mother's clutches lol. She hates watching films alone so I have to be her a.d.c"
"That's funny, I'm guessing she's into Korean and Indian soap operas, I can tell because my mum is equally obsessed with them"

"Oh Jude,you're so right. "
"If you don't like Indian series, what kind of movies do you like?"

"Well this might sound funny coming from a girl but I'm more into anime and books than movies. When I do watch movies its sci fi"

"Wow me too Ivie. What's your favourite anime, mine is Naruto"
"Are you kidding same as mine. You have no idea how many hours I spent hoping naruto and hinata end up together "

"I also ship naruhina. What book are you currently reading. I'm reading " IT" by Stephen king"

"That's a nice read Jude, I've read it. Right now I'm reading " Man in the Mirror " by Sydney Sheldon"

"Oh my God, Ivie where have you been all my life". Jude was so caught up in the flow that he sent if before he could stop himself. He could only pray that he didn't spook her.

Ivie giggled into her pillow when she saw the last text. Her mind was already reading romantic undertones to everything he said. She quickly replied.

"I wish I'd met you sooner. I love your company. You're like the first real friend I've had. What's your horoscope sign? Mine is Virgo"

"Same here. Besides Ade I think you're my only real friend. And that's saying something. BTW I'm also Virgo"

Jude had a smile so wide on his face and for so long that his face was hurting. Little did he know Ivie was in the same situation. She promised to go with his family to church the following day which was Sunday.
That chatted very late into the night learning more about each other and getting lost in the conversation. Eventually Ivie's mum forced her to go to bed when she heard her daughter laughing at 1am. They both went to bed with smiles on their faces.

Chapter 17

Lucy sat in her room studying. It was a Saturday and like every Saturday before today she made sure to put away at least six hours of studying. Four hours in the state library and two at home. Right now however, for the first time in a very long time, she was staring at the words in the books but they weren't making sense. Why? The answer is simple, she was worried and confused.
You see, every Saturday like clockwork, she would study at home from 10am to 12pm then go to the state library where she would take her favourite sit which coincidentally was close to Jude's favourite sit. Then she would watch him study. It was her own little ritual. For the past three years, barring holidays, Jude had come to the library to study and when she left home that afternoon she fully expected his sit to be occupied by him as usual but instead she found it empty. After waiting in vain for three hours, she packed her stuff and went home. All the while wondering what could have gone wrong. She thought about calling him but Jude didn't even know she had his number.
Ade, aha I'll just find out from Ade if anything is wrong with Jude. She didn't have his phone number and had rebuffed his attempts at friendship without a second thought but her worries over Jude's safety made her throw all other thoughts out the window. Taking a cab from the library, she stopped at Ade's house which was a few houses from hers.
Ade was in his room playing Nintendo Wii when he heard the security man tell him that someone was at the gate looking for him. He ran downstairs in just his boxers and low-riding jeans only to meet Lucy at the gate. Damnn he thought "why does Murphy's law always prove itself right anytime I'm concerned, the day I choose to wear rugged jeans and no shirt a girl comes to look for me"

Swallowing his embarrassment he quickly ushered her in and ran to find a shirt. She saw the video game he was playing and shook her head. "Such an unserious boy. Not like my Jude at all".
" Sorry to keep you waiting Lucy, do you need something " he asked meaning she should chose what snacks she wanted.
"Yes I need you to call Jude and find out why he wasn't at the library today" she replied in a no nonsense tone. "She totally didn't get my question" Ade thought gloomily.

"Sure I can do that". Ade quickly picked up his phone and dialed Jude's number. He knew without being told that he was supposed to apply discretion and not tell Jude that he was asking on behalf of Lucy.
Jude told him he was helping his new neighbours who had recently moved in and that he was giving the new girl the unofficial orientation about the school.

Lucy's heart skipped a beat when she heard " girl". The more rational part of her reminded her that Jude was nice and was probably just doing his neighbour a favour but she couldn't shake off the wave of jealousy that followed the thought of Jude actually changing his schedule because of a girl. And to think that said girl was going to be starting school with them. She unconsciously cracked her knuckles and swore to deal with anyone who tried to take Jude from her... With that she walked out of the house without another word to Ade.

Ade heaved a sigh and slumped into the nearest chair. He was once again all alone in his large home. He had lost his mum at age nine and somehow his dad decided that staying away from home under the pretext of business was the best way to deal with it leaving Ade even more lonely. He was a reserved boy in his early years but after being deprived of affection for so long, he tried to find it in friendship but it still wasn't enough. He needed someone to but his, someone he wouldn't have to share. Someone strong enough to carry him along with all his emotional baggage when he was down. And somehow his mind had picked Lucy.

She was in his class and was to him the definition of perfection. She was so focused and goal oriented that frankly it made everyone else look like kindergarten pupils. She had this untouchable vibe and her glasses made her incredibly hot. On the rare occasions when she smiled he went to bed happy even though the smiles were never directed at him.
Unfortunately though she never spoke to him and before today, he didn't even know she knew he existed. It pained him to know that the girl he loved might care more about his friend than him but he felt a new spark of hope that perhaps things could eventually work out for him if it were meant to be. But he would have to buckle up and actually put in effort instead of waiting for a miracle....



Lucy had gone home in a daze and replied her mum's greeting with murmur. She went straight to her room and tried to distract herself with more reading but it wasn't working. "Calm down" she thought to herself, "Aurora Bimbos couldn't get him, what are the chances some airhead from God knows where would succeed where they all failed. Besides my plan is already in motion". She felt more at peace but still couldn't shake that feeling of doubt in her heart...

Chapter 16
Jude and Ivie POV

" Hey Jude, have you ever felt like you're not in total control of your actions? I mean like, you're just reacting to the actions of others."
"Yes, as matter of fact, I have. But I learned to distance myself from certain people to reduce the need to do that all the time. I've had a few experiences that taught me my own weaknesses and I think my strategy of keeping most people at arm's length has been rather effective. If you give people the chance, they will make all your decisions for you or try to goad you into doing things they'd have you do."

Ivie thought about what he'd just said and wondered if she could adopt a similar strategy. A car horn startled her and Jude ran downstairs with a plea for her to wait for him.
She moved towards the window and saw Jude opening the gate for a red car to come in. After the car parked, she saw a young girl jump out of the car and tackled Jude to the floor with a hug. A man alighted the vehicle and seemed to be giving Jude instructions on things he should carry inside. "That seems like a lot of stuff, I should go and give him a hand, besides its only polite to go downstairs and greet his Dad".

With that thought, she went downstairs. " Jude's dad was an athletic looking man with a serious expression on his face as he greeted his family, his wife and daughter on the other hand were laughing over something or the other like there was no tomorrow. Jude was shaking his head while carrying foodstuff into the house.
One could easily see the contrast. "Like father like son, Like mother like daughter". Jude only seemed to resemble his mum physically but from what she could see, his personality was probably more similar to his dad's.

" Good afternoon sir" she greeted. "Good afternoon my dear." He replied while throwing a questioning glance at his wife. Before she could introduce Ivie however, Nancy spoke up...
"Hey, you must be Jude's girlfriend, I'm so glad to have caught you guys today. I always knew his good boy act was just a facade. I think he purposely let us travel before bringing you to the house, what a bad boy.." Nancy spoke rapidly and Ivie was too shocked by the forwardness to say anything.

"Nancy just shut up and stop interfering in my business." Jude screamed from the kitchen. Nancy only laughed and replied " But its true isn't it, I don't hear you denying it"
Ivie blushed like crazy and wondered why she wasn't angry at Nancy for the accusation. Sure she was embarrassed but she wasn't irritated. Jude on the other hand was positively livid. It seemed Nancy knee exactly what buttons to push to get him to lose his cool.

After letting Nancy have her fun, his mum finally interfered. "Don't be silly Nancy, Ivie is only our new neighbour and Jude's new friend. She'll be starting school on Monday with you guys" .
"Oh" Nancy sighed in mock disappointment, just when I thought my brother actually did good by bringing home a beautiful girl, I find out she's 'just a friend'. You're such a nerd Jude.

Jude seemed like he was about to hanged Nancy upside down using her own intestines when his dad thankfully changed the topic.

"So Jude, I see you did your chores early today. That's good. Very soon you'll be your own man and you'll know just how important all this is. Are you going to the library today?"

"No Sir" replied Jude. "Well in that case you'll wash my car later. I'm taking it to church tomorrow. Excuse me I need to rest. The trip was as exhausting as ever"

Jude suppressed a groan and quickly grabbed Ivie by the hand and dragged her with him as if desperate to get away from all madness. She blushed at the touch fully aware that the rest of the family were watching. Jude was unaware of their stares as his face looked like that of someone who was plotting multiple homicides. She obediently walked behind him and prayed that Nancy would not make things worse by saying something embarrassing. Thankfully, they made it to his room without any incidents.

"Sorry about Nancy, she enjoys annoying me. I think its actually her favourite pastime" Jude said.
"Its no problem, she's obviously just having fun with you, I think she's cute and friendly"
"Oh she's cute all right, at least until she opens her mouth, that girl has what it takes to rile anyone up plus she's the gossip queen of this neighbourhood, any and everything that happens, she knows.

Ivie's phone vibrated, " I think its my mum calling me. I have to go" Ivie suddenly looked nervous and Jude wondered what she was going to say.." Um... Jude can i have your number?" "Of course, Jude replied, can I get yours?"
"Yeah..." Ivie replied. After they had exchanged numbers, Ivie stood up to leave and it suddenly felt right to Jude for him to see her to the gate.
Ivie was pleasantly surprised by this and with a last ounce of summoned courage she said "You're on WhatsApp right? Maybe we can chat later.... Bye". She ran off without waiting for a reply...

" Seeing your little girlfriend off? Baaaad guyyy " Jude heart Nancy's voice behind him and growled before turning around to launch an attack at the number one pest in his life.

decent101:
silas24, you're talented and intelligent. i love ur story. it's fantastic, fabulous nd interestin. keep it up OP

purples25:
Love how the story is going. Thanks

Ultimategeneral:
lucy might become jealous of ivie. and there will some sort of remembrance

BIGGIE121:
Silas , you are really mesmerizing me with this your story, keep it up.

lucy is just so sure that she's gonna have jude all to herself.

Well, she's in for a shocker bcause jude is alreafy tripping for someone else......

Keep pouring the updates in.

I greet the house. More to come shortly

Chapter 15

Lucy's determination eventually paid off. Right now she was every bit the kind of student the school dreamed of. Fate seemed to have made sure that they wouldn't end up in the same class. But it was with an intense feeling of satisfaction that she went up the podium and accepted her head girl position along with Jude and the other prefects last term. Finally she felt distinguished from the rest of the crowd, the bimbos who couldn't put in the same amount of effort that she put in, she felt ready to approach Jude.
During the holidays, she had planned her moves and imagined every scenario dreaming about the day she would stand side by side with Jude as an equal, as a friend and as a lover. Over time her feelings had evolved from mere admiration and hero worship to love.
As soon as school had resumed, she put phase one of her plan into action. On Friday,she cornered him during break period and spoke confidently. "Hello Jude". " Oh hello Lucy, how was your holiday?".
"The holidays were great, I took the opportunity to get a headstart on this terms work as usual". " That's awesome, this is our final year and we have a lot of expectations to live up to" Jude said. Lucy replied "Speaking of which, how would you like us to study together? I mean it would really do us both a lot of good helping each other out. I know a lot of old students have set high standards but I believe together we have all it takes to break all the exam records already set. So what do you say?".
" That's actually a splendid idea Lucy, we'll work out a schedule on Monday. See you then"

Step one of phase one had gone perfectly indeed and she couldn't help but dream about the day when she would confess to Jude and he would acknowledge her and reciprocate. Thinking back, she realized that Jude had being her primary motivation the past few years. Having him as her compass helped her keep going. Making progress in leaps and bounds and surprising everyone. She couldn't imagine life without having met Jude and the conversation she had with him on the first day was still as fresh in her mind...

Chapter 14

Lucy had come a long way from the insecure child who couldn't talk without stammering and only spoke a few words annnd only when absolutely necessary. After kindergarten she switched schools because of her dad's work. It was a slow process but she eventually started to believe in herself and realise that her handicap wasn't the worst thing in the world.
With that single thought in mind and support from her parents she made good progress and was quite proud of her achievements. Her Dad, a high ranking federal worker was transferred to Benin when she was in J.S.S 2 and she was enrolled in Aurora Academy.
To her, that's where life actually changed. She felt at home with the discipline and high academic standards because she had always been a book worm and the school gave her the opportunity to thrive while being herself. She was on scholarship and was the head girl. Aurora Academy really was a blessing. She was thankful for the opportunity to grow out of a shell into a confident high achieving young woman. However what she was most thankful for was the opportunity to meet Him.
Jude, the Senior prefect and genius of the school (Also the hottest guy in the school). She had met him on her resumption day while still in J.S.S 2. His original sitting partner wasn't in school and she was asked to take the sit beside him. Immediately she saw him she profiled him and what her mind came up with wasn't pleasant.

"Good looking and aloof, probably a proud air head who loved attention and bullied all those who he thought were beneath him".... Like a condemned prisoner she walked down and took her sit. Thinking about how this school might end up being worse than the previous one, she prayed that her dad would be transferred soon so she could change schools again but she knew it would take at least five years. That meant she was going to spend her entire secondary school career here.. " Oh no! Maybe I can convince mum to let me go to another school, I don't like the feel of this place" she thought.

"Are you alright? You spaced out there for a while and your hands were shaking" she heard a voice say. Startled she tried to put up a brave front and quickly replied " I'm fine".
"You don't look fine to me.. Look I know how it feels to be in a new place. Your thoughts race and you wonder if you'll be accepted or feel welcome. Believe me when I say you'll be fine. There's absolutely nothing to worry about and if you are having trouble with anything or anyone at all, just let me know. My names Jude and I'm the class prefect but believe me when I say I don't think you'll be having any trouble. You are obviously the very competent type and you're sure to have no trouble at all"

And then he had to just complete the whole nice guy act by flashing her a real smile. One she could tell wasn't forced in any way. She was stunned by the sincerity of his words and her emotions did a complete 180 degrees turn. She couldn't help but feel drawn to him and suddenly her stay at the school felt much more promising. Realising that she was yet to give him her name even though he'd told her his, she quickly replied..

"I'm Lucy and I just moved in from Lagos that's why I'm starting a new school" she stopped abruptly thinking she might have said too much but his smile told her she had not. "Oh that's nice, I hope you come to love this city. I know it's not as big as Lagos but you'll enjoy it if you give yourself a chance and I meant it when I said you'll fit in perfectly in this school"
Warmth. Oh sweet warmth, a beautiful feeling spread around her stomach and she felt true happiness at that moment. Completely on reflex she smiled and Jude said " Wow you have a really beautiful smile"

She could have died right then and wouldn't know it. Just as she was about to reply, the next teacher walked into the class. The rest of the day passes too quickly for her liking and it was with great anticipation that she returned to school the next day. To her immense disappointment however, Jude's original sitting partner had returned and since the maximum number of students per class was twenty, she was moved to class B.
That day, she watched him during break period trying to muster the courage to approach him but she couldn't walk up to him. She had developed a huge crush on him overnight and didn't want to ruin it by being too forward.
She developed a new hobby, Jude watching. She would hang around and watch him from a distance, day dreaming about him and learning all she could. She soon realised that a few girls were equally crushing on him but was quite relieved when their attempts at getting his attention failed.
"What can I do to get his attention? she wondered" She knew he was highly intelligent and took things seriously. "That must mean that the only thing I can impress him with is by proving myself as a scholar as well. Then he'd be sure to notice me"

And that was how Lucy's plan to win Jude's respect by proving herself to him started.

decent101:
thanks 4 d update! bt feed us more, cos we r starvin

You asked for more, here it comes

Chapter 13

And so it came to be that Ivie became a model people pleaser. For the most part, it took nothing from her and endeared her to a lot of people but sometimes she got so emotionally exhausted having to deal with people on such a frequent basis that she yearned for escape once in a while. On such instances she'd go to one of her brothers houses in Abuja especially during long holidays. There she would spend nearly the whole month indoors enjoying the solitude and reading good books. She particularly loved horror novels and thrillers.
This was her favourite time of the year and she enjoyed the freedom she had away from all the drama back home. By the time she returned home, she would be emotionally rejuvenated.
Her last trip had been a memorable one indeed. Her eldest brother had his first child in late may but she couldn't go for an extended visit because of school. So as soon as school vacated she had bid everyone goodbye and disappeared to Abuja. The baby was cute and got her thinking about her future. She was sure she wanted to be a mother some day, if only to return some of the love she had received( and was still getting) as a child.
She really wasn't blind to the fact that she was pretty and that her clique consisted of the hottest girls or to the endless advances she received from boys and even her Civic Education teacher (though she had kept that a secret to save his career) but somehow, she just wasn't q it. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth but deep down she cared little for superficial things and thought she would have equally being satisfied to have rather plain physical features. More than a few boys had broken their friendship over a foolish rivalry over who would get her first and the truth was that she felt really insecure being the center of attention all the time. A lot of times she wished she could just put a stop to the charade but she knew it was a little to late for that.
So when her dad announced that he would like to move back to Benin, she couldn't thank God enough for the chance at a fresh start. Her friends offered their houses, family friends did the same, the school advised that she should become a boarder but her mum refused all these suggestions much to her delight. It was fun pretending the situation was out of her hands and that she really wished to be with them but the truth was that she desperately needed a change. So after much tears and promises to facetime everyday and be BFFs forever along with loads of farewell presents, Ivie packed her bags and started a new chapter in her life.

Ultimategeneral:
you have got raw talent bro don't expose us too much (introvert)

I'll try not to lol. Meanwhile here's another chapter.

Dinner is served.

Chapter 12

Sometimes in life, we develop seemingly harmless habits or behave in a certain manner that suits us at the moment. However sometimes, these roles we play come to define us because the longer we play them, the more difficult it is to admit that we are different.
Ivie lived her first few years as an entitled brat. So many people cared about her and fussed over her that it she was practically "overfed" on affection.
When she started kindergarten however, she had an experience that changed her entitled and selfish outlook on life. After the first few weeks of uncertainty, she became comfortable.
On promotion to K.G II, she was transferred from class C to A and didn't know most of her new classmates. Her new sitting partner was a very quiet girl who tried as much as possible to avoid attention.
One day, during art period, they were asked to draw and colour a rainbow. As she put the finishing touches to her painting, she noticed that Lucy hadn't started painting.

"Hey Lucy, why aren't you painting" she asked, Lucy hesitated for a while before answering. "I can't see colours. I don't know how to paint a rainbow". Lucy had taken a leap of faith in talking to the new girl who looked friendly. Her old partner couldn't understand how someone couldn't tell colours from one another.
Ivie was confused said " I don't understand. You can see right?"
Yes I can but mummy says I'm colour blind, I can't tell colours from one another". Ivie did the first thing that came to mind. She laughed and said out loud. "I don't think you're blind, I think you're just stupid, you can see and you say you cannot see colours. You just want me to do your work for you don't you" with that she left her sit to submit her work to the teacher. When she came back she saw Lucy with her head on the desk and drops of what she could only assume to be tears on the floor. Alarmed she ran to the teacher and told her Lucy was crying because she couldn't do her work. The teacher quickly came over to her sit and asked her what the problem was. When the poor girl finally stammered out a reply, the teacher consoled her and apologized for forgetting about her condition. Telling her she was exempt from the work. Watching the whole thing, Ivie began to wonder if she was telling the truth.

"Mummy, is it true some people cannot see colours?" " Yes dear, some people cannot tell colours apart, is that what you were taught today? "
"No mummy, Lucy my classmate says she's colour blind" "Poor girl, I hope you are nice to her. We should be thankful for what God gave us and be nice to those that are not as lucky"

Ivie felt deep shame and guilt for the first time in her life. It cut like a knife and the pain was deep. She couldn't eat and had a hard time falling asleep. She made up her mind to apologise at school the next day.
Unfortunately however, she met Lucy's seat empty and later found out that Lucy's mum asked her to be transferred to another class because her teacher was forgetful and her classmates were mean. It took a long time for her to get over the experience and developed a deep phobia for being insensitive to people. Never wanting to feel the emotional pain she felt over her behaviour to Lucy.

Chapter 11

Jude didn't know what to think when he saw her staring at him. So he just assumed she'd zoned out.
"Hey Ivy sorry to have kept you waiting. I finished my chores and thought it wish to bath"

"What? Oh no problem, I wasn't waiting for long anyway" Ivie replied. "Great, so I'm guessing you want to know about school" asked Jude. "Well yeah, I need to know all there is to know so start talking"

Ivie tried to get the conversation going so as to prevent her mind from drifting off to recently discovered impure thoughts about Jude.
"Eh well, school is kinda boring and exciting at the same time. Aurora Academy places perfection above all else. They expect students to be perfectly dressed at all times, keep to time and I don't just mean been too punctual. You can get told off for being too early. The school advocates old fashioned ideas like being exactly " on time" so if you were supposed to be at the principal's office by 10am, you should knock at exactly 10am. Nigerian English slangs like "e na took my Biro" or he's the one da took my book" are a big no. The school director studied at Enton college in the U.k and therefore constantly tries to imbibe British culture into everything we do. We follow the British curriculum to the letter, Languages i.e English, French, Edo are taught by native speakers of the language that's why when students of Aurora Academy talk in public, people assume they are being pompous but thats not always the case. Our English language is groomed from kindergarten. No matter how good a staff member is in his or her field, if they do not have an exceptional command of the English language, they have no place in the school. In Aurora Academy, getting more than four Cs in core subjects can lead to one being asked to repeat a class. Any form of play or discussion during lesson periods will result in stiff punishment, of course they do not used the cane anymore but they can be quite creative with punishments. The teachers are extremely motivated with decades of experience. On break periods we play sports like chess, cricket, scrabble and basically anything that will develop one intellectually. We have a lot of clubs and everyone is expected to be registered and be an active participant in at least one club, our science courses are very practical oriented and the best of the best get special grooming for external competitions. Fighting and other forms of indiscipline lead to outright expulsion"
Ivie was surprised at the last part. Most high priced schools pampered their students but this one seemed to be different.

"Wow these guys are serious, I mean come on have they really expelled students for flimsy reasons" "Of course, a student in J.S.S 2 was caught cheating in a test and was expelled because the school did not want anything to ruin its stellar reputation. Its really something but you get used to it with time"
"Who's your best friend?" Ivie asked out of the blue. Jude was stunned, he wasn't even sure he had friends much less a best friend. The arrangement he had with his classmates was one of convenience. The guys disliked him for getting the girls without trying and for his enviable position as head boy. The girls tried to hard to impress and just ended up wearing him out. But he did have a few guys with whom he had a tentative friendship. One of whom was Ade.
Ade was a free spirit to the core, he totally enjoyed having fun and couldn't hold grudges. He had a 'live and let live' policy that made Jude feel at ease with him. Jude could still remember when they started talking. Ade had just to transferred to the school and they were in S.S.1.
Jude had a habit of drawing karikature images when bored. He was drawing the joker from batman when Ade walked up to him and struck up a conversation about the new batman movie he'd recently seen and how he had a website that enabled him to read American comic books for free as soon as they were released. He was so eager and energetic that his overall attitude compensated for Jude's nonchalance. They were like fire and ice. Jude enjoyed the conversation which lasted the better part of an hour. He expected it to be a one off thing but Ade also sought him out after closing and they ended up talking till Ade's driver came to pick him up and Jude walked home. Jude assumed he was being friendly because he was new and hadn't made many friends yet so he didn't put any energy into the whole arrangement. But as time went on even after making other friends, he called Jude his best friend and a part of Jude warmed up to him. They didn't share many likes or perspectives but they had this innocence of spirit that Jude could tell they shared. Even though Ade was wild and really extroverted, when it came down to it, he couldn't be more dangerous than a lamb.

"Ade, yes Ade is the name of my best friend, he's a really great guy and I've known him for three years"
"Oh that's nice, I have like 5 best friends." What ? cried Jude " How's that possible"
"Well they all claimed I was their best friend and would not accept me picking one over the other, so I just couldn't settle for one of them and hurt the feelings of the others"
At that moment, Jude thought he caught a glimpse of the real girl, maybe she was more similar to him than he'd thought, she'd put the emotions of others over hers. Like him. Other people would have being happy to be so desired. Some people want other people to want them just so they get the pleasure of turning them down. He unconsciously heaved a sigh of relief knowing that she wasn't like that. And the he asked,
"If you had to choose would any of them really be your best friend?" Ivie remained silent for a few seconds and stared out the window with a at away look in her eyes.....