1 PROGRESS

I've been going to this school for a week and I have made absolutely no friends.

That's probably due to the fact that I'm not making any effort whatsoever, or because everyone in this damn class already has their own group of friends and they're not looking for any new additions.

Well either way I'm still friendless.

The fact that I also just started here doesn't help my case either. Emerald secondary school, it sort of sounds like some posh private school doesn't it? Well it is.

I think it's the only school that's different from every other school in Nigeria because it's more modernized than most and they offer more courses than the standard ones.

I heard that the school was built and is being managed by a foreigner, if that's true then it explains a lot.The classrooms are mostly clean with grey tiled floors and smooth walls painted white that aren't peeling or showing signs of age.

They probably reapply the paint after some time. Even though the chairs are wooden, there are no chipped corners or edges that gives splinters and its surprisingly comfortable, the teachers and the teaching is good, they only hire teachers with years of teaching experience.

The extra activities and clubs are okay, not that I'm interested in joining one anyways, but I am interested in the art club cause I actually like drawing.

The feeling I get when an image pops up in my head and then replicating that on paper is satisfying. I feel like I just crossed a milestone or something. Well I can't really explain it.

Being part of a club is compulsory here, so my aversion to joining is irrelevant. I'm glad I can be part of a club that I don't have to suffer through for the next three years.

The same can't be said for some others. The uniforms are not exactly terrible either, long sleeved white button-up shirt with black trousers for seniors and short sleeves with knickers for juniors, tucked into a pleated black knee-length skirt for girls and , with a white and black striped tie paired with white socks and black flat shoes.

It used to go with a beret but I guess students didn't take it seriously and the school didn't enforce it strictly either so it faded.

The school compound is huge with lots of flower decorations and enough space for sports and other things, two class blocks, one for the juniors and the other for the seniors like me and a general hall for announcements, presentations and the likes.

The Junior Secondary Students (JSS) 1-3, stay at the junior class block until they graduate to the Senior Secondary class (SS) 1-3 at that point they move to the class block for seniors. The senior classes are divided into three, SS1 A and B for science students and C for the Arts and commercial students.

The laboratories are well equipped too with projectors in each one. There's laboratory for science courses (physics, chemistry, biology, and agriculture), there's also an art room, arts and drawing room, food and nutrition lab etcetera, built together in a separate block.

Well enough about the glory of the school and back to my problem. I'm now 100% sure that my only chance of making a friend is with another new student like myself but I haven't been paying attention to everyone in the class so I don't know their names, starting now I'm going to have to pay more attention to them.

Loud laughter catches my attention and brings me back to the present. We're currently on break so the class is noisy.

The roar of laughter came from a group of students beside my seat so I turn my full attention to them, "Prosper! See you looking like a fresh guy!" a tall boy who I notice is a part of my class and an old student, Austin, says to a slightly overweight boy standing beside him, also an old student.

So his name is Prosper, noted. "And you are still looking like you're suffering, even after this long holiday", the group laughs, apparently something funny was said."Why is your face like this, did somebody offend you?",

Austin suddenly says to me, he's smiling so it's said as a joke, so I smile back, "Nothing is wrong with me oh, I was just thinking", a girl whose seat is behind me, I think her name is favour then adds "Hm, tinker bell". Tinker bell is a character from an old children's movie, peter pan.

I think that was another joke albeit one that's not meant to be funny but still earns some chuckles so I force my own chuckle. It's not my fault that my resting face is a cross between a "bored" and a "don't talk to me" look. Just one of my many blessings.

Now all the attention is not on me anymore, I turn slightly to get a better look at Favour.

She's talking to her friend so she doesn't notice me staring. Her complexion is darker than mine, Hausa probably by her looks. She has a small face, small eyes but not too small, small nose and small lips, and a slightly bigger than normal forehead, in other words *goshee*. The thought makes me laugh.

Her hair is braided all back; the style makes her forehead look bigger, though all in all she's pretty. So she's going to be sitting behind me for the rest of the term, cool.

Now I'm facing forward and staring at the kid sitting in front of me, I think he's the quiet type. Even though he's sitting he looks tall, not that tall but taller than me.

Everyone is taller than me.

His skin is light like mine, I'm trying to get a better look at his face when a teacher walks in, and break is over by the looks of it outside.

I groan internally because its Further-maths with Mr Okezie, no one likes further-maths, maybe except the brainy kids and I'm definitely not one of them.

"See how your class is making noise like wild animals. Instead of you to find something to keep yourself busy", the class is quiet now thanks to his deep voice.He's not a bad teacher but he has his faults.

He expects his students to understand everything with one explanation as if we're sponges with brains and he gives too much assignments and exercises.

He starts teaching when the class is settled and 30 minutes into the class he gives us a 15 minute exercise, see what I mean?

Well by some miracle I understood what he taught so I'm done with my work in 10 minutes, and since I have nothing to do I start drawing doodles.

I'm just getting into it when someone taps me on my shoulder, its Favour. "Emma, are you done?" I'm surprised she even knows my name, "Yeah I'm done", "Okay, sorry to disturb but can you show me how you did the second question", then I proceed to teach her while trying to avoid being seen by the teacher.

The bell rings and the class is over, "Everybody stop writing, pens down, and if I see anyone writing I'll give that person zero".

I forgot to mention that the man is strict. After the class the rest of the day goes by in a blur and shortly it's time to go home.

While gathering my things I think to myself, "So no progress today either, sha it's just Monday so there's time", I'm almost out the door when Favour calls my name to wave, "Bye!!."

[Huh, I guess I did make some progress.]