Thirty

I went straight to my locker, thinking if what I did was stupid. Why didn't I just tell him?! He actually held me without caring that Nick could see us but then I left him at the school entrance.

"Julie!" I heard my name. It was Casey, oh no. I turned around and she was hurrying towards me, all excited as she got closer. I hoped she read my unwillingness to talk to her this morning once she was close enough to see my facial expression.

I squatted in front of my locker to get the books needed for the first class for today, math class, I wondered why the timetable had us have math classes almost every day of the week.

I went through the few books I had in my locker and couldn't find my math book. Still squatting down next to my locker, I tried to remember if I took it home last Friday.

"Hey, Julie." I looked up and Casey was standing next to me, my morning couldn't get more annoying.

"What?!" I asked almost frustrated that I couldn't remember where I put my math notebook and textbook and now she was here.

"Nothing," She said in a lower, dispirited voice," I was just excited to see you this morning."

"Okay." I just said not knowing how to react after she just sounded less happy than she was some seconds ago but what do I care, if I didn't reject her friendliness, she would continue with it and I didn't want that.

Okay, maybe I did care, she was the only one who has been nice and somewhat helpful since I came here, apart from Uche and Nick and their friends who were probably been nice because I was related to Nick.

I didn't mean to be mean to her, I just didn't want to talk to her or walk with her or anyone, I just wanted to be left alone all the time, except it was Uche, then I will want to chat with someone.

Uche! How did I forget?! He still had my book, he still had my math books since the day he gave me lessons using our homework and here I was looking for it.

I got up and looked over Casey's shoulder and there he was, coming in with Nick, they were talking, to my surprise, I actually thought Uche was angry with him and that Nick will be angry with him too after seeing us hold hands earlier, didn't he suspect?

I stood thinking if I should go to him to ask for it, but what if he didn't bring it with him, no, that couldn't happen, I pray he didn't forget it like I was thinking because then the teacher; Mr Ralph, would question me about it while the whole class watched and getting the class's attention wasn't something I was a fan of.

Both he and Nick were getting closer to where I stood with Casey. Nick was talking to him but he wasn't listening, his attention was on me now, his eyes focusing on me, he looked like he still wanted to know why I did what I did earlier. Our eyes met just before he and Nick walked by. I didn't ask about my book.

My neck turned to follow him as I thought he would look back but he wasn't looking back. I sighed and turned back to Casey, she was looking at them too.

I snapped my fingers in front of her, getting her attention back to me and she grinned smugly.

"What was that?" I asked, wanting to know why she was just looking dreamily at them, I hope it isn't what I'm thinking, I hope she doesn't like Uche.

"Huh?" She asked, her eyes still following them.

"Casey!"

"Yeah?" She got her eyes back on me.

"Why are you looking at Uche like that?"

"Uche? Nooo, no, no, no. It's Nick," she grinned again when she mentioned Nick."Gosh, Nick is Soo cute."

"Nick? ew." She likes Nick? Double ew.

"Just forget that he is your cousin and be honest, he is cute, isn't he?"

"No, he is not."

"You are just saying that because you are related to him, everyone thinks he cute."

"Not me, I am definitely not everyone." I said kicking my locker door to close it but it bounced back open, you have got to be kidding me.

To be honest, I will give it to Nick, he is good looking, I don't know about cuteness, maybe she needs to re-evaluate her definition of what cute was. Whatever did I care, she didn't like Uche, thankfully, that was my only concern and now that I know it's not Uche she likes, I don't want to continue having the conversation.

I pushed the locker door again, this time slowly and less forcefully and it closed. I turned and started towards Uche's locker, I was going to go and ask him about my books.

"Are you going to class? Wait for me." I heard Casey say and hurry to me.

Urrgh….I groaned in my mind.

"Have you taken your books from your locker?" I asked her, hoping she would return to her locker and not walk with me.

"No, I forgot." She said slapping her forehead."What about you, I don't see you with your books?"

"I gave them to someone," I said increasing my pace as she headed back to her locker to get her books.

"Who?" She asked even though she wasn't walking with me anymore. I didn't give her an answer, I just walked on.

I could see Uche talking to someone as I approached his locker and it almost made me turn around, I didn't want to go there when he was talking with somebody.

As I approached him where he stood from behind, the person was leaving, thank goodness.

"Heyy." The person who just left his locker smiled at me, it was Kim, Nick and Uche's mutual friend. I didn't smile back so he just passed me.

I took in a short but deep breath before reaching for his shoulder with my arms stretched. He turned his neck backwards immediately I tapped his shoulder. Seeing that it was me, he turned me, facing me directly now, he seemed to have lost his usual smile.

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Heyy, it's your author geni. Please note that everything written here is nothing but fiction.Please vote as you read, comment your thoughts and don't forget to leave a review, I am very open to constructive criticism. I'm on all socials as @genika3na.