"I hate you!"
       
                  "Well, I don't like you either!"
       Tokunbo screamed back at her brother in disdain. If there was any hope that her brother would stop being the bratty brat he always had been, it had been squished to nothing. Timilehin would always be a 'stupid idiot' to her.
           
                      "You're a very... Uh... A very stupid person."
         
                     "Wow! You're not the brightest bulb in the- scratch that, you are not bright at all."
          
                    "Moooom, Tokun called me a dummy."
       
                     "Please leave me alone Timi. It's too early for your antics." Their mother spoke tiredly. She sat on the sofa watching her two children bicker baselessly.
  
                     Did she really want a third child? She rubbed her protruding stomach.
           
                  Well it's too late now to consider.  
                     Had it been those days when she still had her vigour, her strength and her delectable body, she'd have given those two the beating of their lives. But now, all she wanted was a nice soak all day. Which she would if the house had a tub.
          Another thing to hate about the house.
              "Mom!"  Timilehin's shrill voice interrupted her thoughts annoying her to no ends.
 
           "Koshi Jare!* Go get ready for school. You do not want me to call your father now, do you?" she threatened and smirked when they froze at the mention of their father.
       
                   "No no. I'll be good!" Timi squeaked
 
                   "Yeah, I'll uh... Head to my room now" Tokunbo joined turning a three-sixty degree.
  
                      "Me too. I mean wow! Would you look at the time?" Timi mocked taking a look at an invisible watch on his wrist.
        
                       "Yeah, I feel you. Time does fly fast, doesn't it brother?"
       
                  "Yes it does, Sis. Yes, it does."
       
                 "Would you two get lost already?" Rebecca shooed, shaking her head at their theatrics.  She sank deeper into the sofa, slowly drifting into sleep.
        
*
**
                     Tokunbo stood before her mirror- a present from her mother two years ago. Apparently, she had no fashion sense and her mother was determined in drilling everything she knew about fashion into her head.
                  "The horror!" She muttered as she adjusted the large blue T-shirt she had chosen to hide her very slender shape.
       
                     She hated that she was thin. But there was nothing she could do about it. She had tried too many times to know that. Even in mini skirts and bum shorts, her derriere never shook, it stood there like a wall angering her especially when she'd see that of other girls. Her eyes closed as she struggled to fight the hidden memories that surfaced.
           
                    "No-no-no. Not now," she whispered cleaning the escaped tears. "You're far away now Tokun. They're gone. You're okay. You're okay Tokun." she chanted.
                  "If you're not ready yet, be prepared to walk! It's the nearest school in the neighbourhood, The largest, I heard. So it should be easy."  her dad boomed from the kitchen.
               Oh, snap!
                She grabbed her bag quickly, threw one last look at the mirror then hurried out.
 
                     "Go ask your mother if that outfit is okay," Francis said immediately as his daughter sauntered into the kitchen.
               "Do I have to?" she huffed.
        
                "What did you say?" He asked mid-sip. He loved his morning corn drink. The right word would be 'addicted'.
         
                     "Fish balls!" she cursed. "I'm going papa," she added quickly sauntering to the living room where her mother seemed to have taken a permanent recline on the sofa.
       
                   "Mom?"  Tokunbo watched her mother stir slowly from sleep.
        
                "Hmm?"
        
                 "Dad said to ask if my outfit's okay." She murmured looking down at her shoes.
   
                  Her mother grunted but opened her eyes taking in her daughter's appearance.
     
                  "What are you wearing?!"
                    Oh boy.
                 "Go change the leggings. Wear Jeans. It makes you look professional. Change the converse too. Wear those flats I bought you three months ago. And Jesus! Where are your earrings? The sapphires? Laise SU.* And you need to change your braids, maybe when you're back. These ones are old already. Your face is too oily. You've broken the brown powder again, haven't -"
 
                     She sighed as her mother went on and on. She had just checked the mirror and she thought she looked okay. But things were never okay with her mom. And so she dragged a sigh and unwillingly listened to a lecture on the history of skinny jeans and moisturizing cream.
***
                    "Thank you very much Mr Makinde."
           
                    "You're very welcome, Mr Oladayo. I'll make sure your kids are guided into their classes and around the school".
             
                    Francis gave a nod to the principal and then turned to face his children.
                     "Be good! You're ambassadors of our home here. Represent us well."
             
                    "Yes papa." they chorused.
              
                    "Timilehin, do not get into trouble. You know what's coming if you do, don't you?"
             
                   "I know," Timi mumbled staring at his shoes, clearly embarrassed.
                    Tokunbo giggled at his flushed face and earned a glare.
              
                 "You too Tokun. And if there's any trouble, any, You tell us, okay?"
             
                   "I will Papa." she replied not missing the emphasis he placed on 'any'.
               
                   "I'm leaving now. If I don't pick you two before two-thirty, then walk home"
                Straight, clear and direct.
                 "Yes, papa."
                 They all stood, frozen in the office until he left and they both watched Mr Makinde relax and grip the chair next to him.
 
                    "Ha!!! He looked so effing scared earlier." Timi whispered into his sister's ear giggling.
                   "Don't say "effing". You're too young. And yes, there was this time he was trembling. I thought he'd shit his morning food." Tokunbo whispered back.
                   "Oh shut it. I can totally say effing! You say it all the time, why can't I? And no no, he looked like he would lay an egg. Like Cosmo in fairy odd parents."
                    "Oh yeah, that." they tried hiding their laughter at the memory.
                  "So Uh... Tokunbo, who's that?" Principal Makinde asked after composing himself. Beads of sweat hung on his forehead as he tried adjusting his shirt. "Shi-Wow!!! Is he always this intense?"
                      The two kids exchanged glances and then burst into laughter.
  
              "You... ha...ve no idea., Timilehin said amidst hiccups.
              
                "Yeah! He gets worse sometimes." Tokunbo added then cringed. She had just spoken of her dad like he was extremely overbearing. But she knew he wasn't. He was just...That way.  That was who he was, how he was raised.
      
             Tokunbo loved her father. He had taught her too many things. He was the only one who stood on her side when everyone, including her mother, had risen against her. He was the only one who made an effort to understand her, and she was grateful for that. She really couldn't imagine what would've happened if he hadn't. But as much as Tokunbo loved her father,  he could be demanding and domineering sometimes.
 
                     "Sometimes? I'd say most of the time, yeah?"
     
                Tokunbo tsked mentally at Timilehin's attempt to scare the poor principal.
                     "Just don't take away his pap in the morning and we're good."
                   Principal Makinde's brow furrowed in confusion and concentration as he tried to make sense of what they had just babbled to him. Giving up, he called in his secretary and gave her instructions.
                  "So you two have a nice day. Any problems you might have, feel free to come to me. Fatima here will show you your school guides"
                         "Yes sir." they droned, following the plum secretary out of his office.
                         "Now as we go our separate ways, may we never meet again," Timi whispered to her as they walked on. "And if we do, we do not know each other. See you in never Sis."
                     Tokunbo rolled her eyes in response and walked up to her guide.
 
                      "Hi! I'm Enoch.  You can absolutely call me Nochie. Welcome to Citadel High. I'm your tour guide for today."
____________________________________
                  Citadel high had for centuries stood on its hill and was noted for offering standard education as well as providing a conducive environment for learning.
                 
                 Existing long before the ninety sixties, when the British still colonized Nigeria, Citadel had proudly contributed positively to the development of the country. Its ownership was passed on and on through generations. From the government to private owners and finally to the beloved Sir Cloyd Aregbesola. The ancestor of current principal Makinde.
       
                         It had remarkable artistic buildings. Every arch, every shape, and every gloriously defined pole and chamber intrigued Tokunbo.
                  "Okayyyy,  I have to say, This is unexpected..." she giggled excitedly running her slender fingers on the dragon carvings found on the stair railings.
                         "I know right. I was in awe too when I saw all this. I mean Citadel is such a wrong name." Enoch replied admiring the look on her kid-like face. She maturely carried herself,  but the way she leapt and swung around, he was certain her age was younger.
           Perhaps thirteen.
                         "I feel like Harry in Hogwarts!" she squealed again ignoring the judging stares she earned from a few teachers and students.
                
                   "Well Harriet,  I'll tell you that there are many many more places you haven't uncovered yet. You should see the drama room,  the theatre, El magnifico".
         
            Tokunbo gaped at him in awe before squealing!   "Is that Italian? Do you speak Italian?? Do they teach that here too? Awesome!!!"
                   Enoch chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, amused at her childish actions. Pretty ironical since earlier, he had thought her to be mature.
         
                    "That's pretty much all the Italian I know. Mrs Giorgia says that a lot during class."
           
                     "Lemme guess, You're one of the back seaters..." Tokunbo asked, shaking her head softly as she took in the whole school.
         
                      The school was built in a circular shape but was divided into semi-circles. The east and west wings. The west belonged to the junior school, while the seniors occupied the east.
               "I wouldn't say I am..." Enoch defended weakly then laughed at the look on her face. "What's with the look? I'm not lying."
          
                 "Suuuurrre...." She replied in disbelief earning another laugh from him.
         
                  "C'mon we need to get you to class."
         
                    "Awww,..." She whined, looking around repeatedly as if trying to etch it in her head and on her heart.
              
                   "Hey hey, how about I come over during lunch? I can show you more then. What class?"
           
                   Tokunbo nodded repeatedly. "Ss One."
           
                     "Arts, Science or Commercial?"
              
                  "Science."
             
                 "Oh..." Enoch muttered frowning. It was evident that she admired and respected Art. "You look more...artsy. Why Science?"
         
                     She shrugged in response.
 
                       Frankly, Tokunbo didn't have a specific reason as to why she chose science. Or maybe there just were too many reasons. Perhaps it was because science jobs paid well in society. Or because it was what her father wanted and she wanted; needed; to make him proud. Either way, it was, Tokunbo knew she hadn't chosen wrong when she opted for science.
            
                      "Why? Is it surprising that I picked science?" she asked glancing up at the tall dude walking before her.
              
                        "Kind of. It's evident you have a passion for arts."
             
                       "I do?" Her face scrunched up in confusion.
     
                     Enoch frowned for the umpteenth time that day. She actually sounded perplexed.
 
                     Very unusual.
              
                    "So here we are. S S One Science. Aka Scorror." he announced dramatically.
               
                     "Well put me in a bucket and call me Sally," she muttered taking in the dead quiet classroom.
              
                      "Creepy isn't it?" Enoch leaned whispering.
               
                         "Very," she whispered back eyeing the students who looked like zombies on a roll.
               
                        "You're on your own then, brave warrior. May the gods of academia help you scale through the grave land of Scorror."
         
                         Tokunbo chuckled. "All the best?'
         
                        "All the best."  he replied grinning wolfishly.
           
                        "Don't forget me."
              
                       "Trust me, forgetting you will be very hard to do." he threw her a salute and then sauntered off.
           
                    "gods of academia, do your thing." she took a deep breath and stepped in.