Chapter 1

My name is Jennifer, and I am in love with an ordained Catholic Priest of God.

Yes, you heard me. But no, do not judge me yet. Wait until I tell you what happened.

John Paul was my classmate back in secondary school, foundly called JP. We attended Tai Solarin Memorial School together in Ebutte Metta, Lagos State. That was the hood where we grew up.

Back then, I was a naive young girl who didn't put so much thought into life. I was a hot-headed adolescent and was always moving with the pack described as the bad girls.

My parents died when I was young, so I stayed with my stepmom and uncle. It was an understatement to say that they cared less about my well-being. They didn't care if I was taking my studies seriously or not.

But then, they never maltreated me. They provided everything I needed, and my luxury life did no goods to my moral upbringing.

I was a spoilt child.

It was this period that I met JP. As opposed to my personality, JP was a cool young man. He was always quiet, soft-spoken and gentle. Some people even called him Father John Paul.

When I met JP, he was so keenly in love with God. He was always sighted at the school chapel praying, and sometimes he would even preach the gospel during morning assembly. He eventually became a functionary as the chapel prefect.

I and him were not close, but sincerely, I admired JP from afar. I just loved how he comports himself, and how gentle he was. No, I was slowly falling in love with him without knowing it.

But I had one outstanding fear. JP was my kind of guy, but from where I stand and everything I do, I was sure I wasn't his kind of girl. I mean, we were two worlds apart. He was a respectable "man of God" while I on the other hand was a notorious street girl who found pleasure in what people call 'things of the world.'

I was almost hundred percent sure JP would not like me because I didn't love God and devoted time with him the way he did. In fact, I almost lost hope of finding favour with him.

But something happened one day.

It was a Tuesday morning during recess. I gathered enough courage and went to meet JP. I stalked him, and waited for him by the corner just outside the school chapel to come out. I didn't know how I did it because i was quite shy for a moment, but I managed to tell him how I feel about him.

"John Paul, I think I'm in love with you. I've been stalking you from afar, and I must say, I am madly in love with you," I said. It was as though the whole world stood still. I had dropped the bombshell and waited for the worst to happen. For him probably to shatter my heart with rejection. I probably will cry.

"I feel the same way too," he said. I was shocked.

JP feel the same way about me? How on earth? Did I hear him very well?

"You mean you... JP do have feelings for me too?" I asked almost with a stammer. I was too shocked to feel any disgrace talking like that.

"Yes. I do." JP replied confidently with a nod.

"But we don't talk. We don't do anything together. I mean, we don't.. we literally don't know each other. How come??" I asked.

"I know you. You're Jennifer Stella Olarenwaju. You're 17 years old. You stay at number 5 Airport Road with your foster parents. You don't like going to church often. You prefer partying and hanging out with friends. You love chocolates and you're pretty shy." He said like he had memorised every word before out meeting.

"Wooooooooow! Whaaaaat? Oh my God!" I was quite taken aback.

This was the most excitingly shocking thing I ever heard. How did JP know just so much about me when I thought he didn't know who I was? Has he been noticing me long enough to know what I like and that I was a shy person?

My hands were shaking. My heart was beating so too fast that one could actually hear it pounding. I was short of words.

When I mustered the courage, I shyly looked at Femi's face, and it was glistening like the morning sun. It was as though a halo hovered over his head. At that instant, I knew I had fallen in love with a perfect man.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked in a soft but confident tone.

My already dumbfounded mind was running in a twisted circle. There is nothing I would want more right now than to feel his beautifully shaped lips on mine .

"Yes," I replied a little timid. "There's nothing I would want more in the world right now."

"Let's go somewhere private," JP said.

Before I could speak, he held me by the hand and led me to the cashew orchid right behind the sick bay. It was the perfect place to have my first kiss with my crush who might finally get to be my boyfriend today.