November 2nd

                                                                    Chapter 1

I walked through the huge yellow gates at BlackSands School,Lagos,Nigeria, my mind weak due to lack of sleep. I was studying for the upcoming biology test till 1 a.m last night so I wasn't in the most pleasant of moods. Still, I dragged myself up the stairs and into SS2B, my class. Tobe was throwing shoes at the ceiling fan, Osaru was running his mouth about Kim Kardashian, and Dozie was telling his friends(followers) about this one girl. My class. All the noise around me made my head throb, so I sat down at my desk where my best friend Phils was waiting to copy my homework. I tossed it to him half heartedly and fell asleep. In two minutes I was awake again. Something was pinching my arm. I looked up, about to burst into a rampage of angry slurs, when I saw him. Ade Thomas from SS2A. There he was with his big hairy arms on the table and a broad smile on his face. He and I have a mutual frenemyship.It all started in my first year when we traded a couple of Playstation 2 CDs. I stole my game back, he stole his back, it got messy. Anyway it all ended with someone's bag flushed down the toilet. We became friends again but I never quite trusted him after that. I looked up into his face, repressing my instinct to grab his neck, and said "What?" He broke into a huge grin and started giggling. I looked at him, a bored look on my face, and said "Are you quite done?". He looked up and said something that would kill whatever sarcasm left in my throat.
"Jon,do you like Anita?".
Anita. She's this cool 15 year old girl I'd been talking to for quite sometime. Truth is I liked her more than anything in the
world but I think she saw us as friends.So though my heart was in my mouth, I said cooly
"I don't know yet"
"Anita told me that she likes you!"
My heart was about to explode with joy when I saw the twitch on his face. He was lying. All that joy melted away and boiled off leaving a dark crust of pissed off in its place.
"You bastard, don't lie to me" and I walked out of the class.
Then he yelled behind me "Okay ask Andrew!He told me she told him that you know..."
I stopped in my tracks like someone who had been shot. My heart was racing again, faster than ever.
"Uh...." Then i shook myself back to reality. No! He must be lying.So I said weakly
"Don't screw with me.."
"Fine.Let's ask Andrew" he replied.
Then we walked into SS2A,Andrew's class. Andrew was this tall lanky kid with really black hair and eyes. He was talking to his friends about Christiano Ronaldo when he saw me.As soon as he saw Ade's huge grin behind me, he smiled too. He walked up to us,weaing the same stupid grin as Ade had on, and said
"Hey Jon,I was talking to Anita the other day and she told me that she hoped you would wish her a happy birthday today,"
My brain stopped.I just stood there and stared with my mouth open.
Ade said, "See? I told you she liked you."
No response from me. I was brain dead.
Andrew said,"You should ask her out today, on her birthday."
Still brain dead.
Then the bell rung and my head and mouth were bursting with questions
"Are you sure?What did she say exactly?Please don't joke with me.But she always acts like we're friends?" I babbled.
Mr. Samuel waddled into class, his belly preceding me and yelled,
"Anyone not in SS2A should get out of my class, right now!"
With that, I scurried out with the rest of the intruders.

                                                              Chapter 2

During English that day, I couldn't stop thinking about her. Anita, Anita, Anita. Unfortunately, I chose English to be spaced out. The teacher, Mr. Chido, was a very strict guy. I think he used to teach in the british army because he had this really funny half Nigerian half british accent. Anyway, I was devising my ask-out plan when he said,
"Okay, Jon pick out the adjectival clauses out of the six sentences on the board."
"Umm, could you repeat the question?"
His eyes rolled up to the ceiling.
"I didn't leave the goddamn british army(I knew it!) to come teach at a school of undisciplined, over privileged kids. So stop babbling and tell me where the adjectival clauses are!",he ranted.
"Umm, I don't know sir..."
Well let's just say I didn't have a good time in English. With Mr. Chido's voice still ringing in my ears, I staggered to porch,where my friends and I spend our breaks. I must say that I was quite popular(note:quite) and though I a good amount of acquintances at school, I had very few actual friends. Phils, Duni and Kenny were my only  friends. I told them about the situation but since none of them had any actual girl experience they weren't very helpful.As they talked, I happened to glance to the dining hall where I saw Ade and Andrew. I stood up and walked over to them.As they saw me saunter towards them, they exchanged looks and grinned.
"Okay," I said "What am I going to do about Anita?"
"Look, Jon" Andrew said confidently "You have to ask her out. You'll never get another opportunity like this again.It's her birthday,damn it!"
"What if she didn't really mean it?" I lamented pathetically.
"Dont worry. Be normal. Wish her a happy birthday, talk and ask her out."
"But.."
"Don't act like such a kid.Just do it"
And with that, they walked away looking back at me a few times.
The rest of the school day flew by without a hitch. I guess that's what happens when you're doodling someone's name on your notebook all day.
I ran into the car and told my driver to take me home. Luckily there was very little traffic that day so I got home early. I ate my luch quickly and picked up my phone and called her.
The phone rang like three times the she picked it up and said rhythimically,
"Hello?"
Ah the voice that drove any boy crazy.
"Hey Anita, Whats up? It's Jon." I replied.
"Hey Jon! What's going on with you?" she said.
"I'm okay..So I heard today was your birthday and I have this gift for you..So can I come over?"
God, my heart felt like it would burst out of chest.
"Oh you remembered! Sure you can come if you want.."
" 'Kay. I'll see you in about fifteen minutes."
"Later"
"Bye."
Yes!!!Phase 1 complete! I bought her this cute tiny teddy bearr with my name on it. So I wrapped it up and walked half a block to her house. She was at the door waiting for me. God, I could die. There she was, wearing a tight blue tank top and jeans. I walked up to her hoping my nervousness wasn't showing.
"Hey! Happy Birth Day!" I said,handing her the gift.
"Oh thanks, Jon" She said smiling broadly.
She unwrapped it and her eyes lit up.
"Oh Jon it's awesome!" She said giving me a big hug.
I felt like I was in seventh heaven.Her body rubbed up against mine and I wanted to pass out. She finally released me and I was hyper ventilating. When she saw me breathing like that, she burst into laughter. I started laughing too and we were both laughing at me. I looked at Anita and said,
"Umm I really like you and I kinda thought we should go out sometime"
The moment of truth.If my heart beat was a gun I would be able to destroy the whole world.
"Oh.."
Please.Please God. My heart was beating so fast that I thought I would die right there.
"Um Jon, I think we should just stay good friends.We have a good friendship"
I don't believe in God any more. Life has no meaning.My heart stopped. God please kill me.
"Oh, cool. I guess I'll see you later then." I said, struggling to fight back tears.
I ran off, tears dripping down my face.Every single piece of happiness I have is being sucked out of me into a vortex of pain and sorrow. I ran into my apartment and jumped into my bed. As I stared up at the ceiling hugging my pillow, I yelled
"Fuck Girls and Love!".