The day most students dreaded finally came, the day I have patiently waited for. A small banner saying 'WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL' stared right into my face as I entered my classroom. I was greeted with dust, which coated every inch of the class, AaRrGgg..! This was the part I hated the most, having to do a thorough cleanup of the whole classroom. This was also one of the reasons why most students decided to come late on school opening day, while others came the next day, and the rest decided to add one more week to their holiday, resuming the next week. I quickly grabbed a dust rag and joined the others in cleaning.

The school bell rang for the assembly, but the ground was scanty. It was short and fast, our principal didn't really have much to say to us. Back to the almost empty class, I brought out a novel to read to keep me occupied while waiting patiently for Amaka Anthony to arrive. Finally she stepped into the classroom, looking smart in our uniform of checked blue and white shirt with a pleated skirt, looking more beautiful than the last time I saw her last year. She ran towards me screaming my name "Genevieve!" and engulfed me in a big hug. She's so dramatic.

I felt my heart jump out of my chest, I even pictured myself picking it up from the ground.

"CHRIST! Do you want to gimme a heart attack at this very young age", I screeched, struggling, trying to free myself, as she was squeezing the hell out of me.

"Ki lo de, I was just greeting you nah", She said let me go when she realized I couldn't breathe. “How are you na? You really enjoyed the Christmas holiday oh, sit down and gist me jare", I laughed.

As she began to talk, I heard a voice singing, “When the gbedu dey enter body”, and I knew it could only be Aishat that could have entered the classroom singing a song by Burna Boy I watched as she sashayed towards us still singing, then stopped to say, "Hello ladies, wassup? I know you both missed me terribly", as she sat down beside us.

"I thought you would have changed this your singing-as-you-enter-into-the-classroom nonsense", Amaka said.

"Just because it's a new year doesn't mean I have to change my attitude", Aishat mumbled.

"Ehen? But you posted a picture online and your caption was 'New Year, New Me'," Amaka laughed.

"Abeg you guys shouldn't start this your cat and dog show this early morning oh, gist me about your holiday" I pleaded.

We talked for so long, I looked around the class, saw the same group of girls who always disturb the class with their horrible voices singing, the gossips and the bad boys gang. Some people never change. Not a single teacher stepped into the class, till after our break, when my class teacher entered announcing abruptly, "Tear a sheet of paper, take away your bags, it's time for the resumption test." The first subject she wrote on the board was Mathematics. O.M.G! I and MATHS don't get along, other subjects followed and the day dragged along like that.

Finally it was time to go. I walked home with Aishat and Amaka, the tragedy involved is that they couldn't stop arguing about everything. This time they were arguing on who is the most talented musician, Amaka said it was Wizkid while Aishat disagreed saying it's Davido, and they kept arguing like their lives depended on it, as if they would be rewarded. Thankfully, they soon separated to their various homes. Aishat lives on the street after mine, while Amaka lives five streets away. As I entered my home, I was welcomed by my Mom with her usual," My pikin you don come?", if she keeps asking me like that, I will tell her ‘No, I'm still on the road’. But I don’t think I am ready for the consequence.

"Yes, mummy good afternoon", I answered instead.

"How was school? Did the teachers teach you anything today?"

"No o, we only did the resumption test."

"How was the test Genevieve?"

"It was just there o", I replied, escaping to my room before she could interrogate me more.

As I entered my room, I dropped my bag on the chair and immediately reached for my phone on my shelf to check for messages on WhatsApp.

"Genevieve drop that phone now and go take a shower", Mom said, standing in the doorway. I didn't even hear the sound of her slippers dragging across the floor.

"Mom I just want to check some messages, then I'll ----"

"If you don't drop it, I will seize it throughout today", my Mom snapped.

I knew she meant it with that tone, so I obediently dropped it and grumbled all the way to the bathroom.

"Children nowadays are so addicted to phones, tell me if we didn't survive without it during my time". She's always saying this, as if phones didn't exist in her time, maybe she was born when letters were used to communicate.

"Ah mummy, you'll be talking as if you people didn't have phones during your time, you weren't born in the stone-age na", I grumbled.

She immediately removed her slippers and threw it at me, but I dodged it and quickly ran into the bathroom.

"Nonsense!" she walked away.

An hour later, she called me to come eat lunch,

"I'm coming oh", I replied.

"Come and eat your food before it gets cold, that phone will not disappear, your brother is back sef, and I know you didn't realize that because you are so engrossed with that phone."

I immediately ran down the stairs excitedly screaming ‘James!’. He was already seated at the dining table, I walked up to him for a hug. "Ba wo ni? ", he asked in Yoruba, "Odinma", I replied in Igbo. It was our usual style of greeting. I know it's funny and weird, but I love it. I pulled out a chair and sat close to him.

"So tell me how many boys have started toasting you oh?" he teased. I almost choked on the water I was drinking. "Which boys?”

“Gen don't befriend any boy oh, they only bring distractions", my Mom warned, looking at me sternly.

Actually she meant NO BOYFRIEND, that's just how she says it. It's almost impossible not to have a guy who is your friend. I have seen girls who have boyfriends but still excel in their studies. Well I think it's all about prioritization, if not the guy will be major distraction like my Mom said. I have also watched a lot of foreign teenage movies where their parents are not bothered or against the boyfriend issue. I recently watched one titled To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, I'm in love with that movie and my Mom too, despite all the teenage dating involved. Why is it different with most Nigerian parents?? Not that I support the idea of having a boyfriend or girlfriend.

I vividly remember the day I invited Emmanuel, my classmate explain a subject I was having difficulty with. The way my Mom was looking at him, it was like she wanted to eat him alive. He was so scared that he left earlier than expected. Immediately he left, my Mom came into my room saying "You have started having boyfriends abi? If I see any other boy in this house you will know yourself."

She just jumped to conclusions without asking, and I was so pissed. I tried explaining to her but she refused to listen. She even threatened to tell my dad, If she had done that, that would have been the end. "Penny for your thoughts?" James snapped his fingers at my face, forcing me back to earth. "Huhn.......?" I replied, totally confused.

"Don't tell me you're actually considering the idea of having a boyfriend", my Mom looked at me.

"Haba! No oh", I replied with a frown on my face.

"Oya abeg make we chop, the tension in this room is giving me goosebumps", James said.

"So James gist us about Unilag na, how is Architecture treating you?" I asked, digging into the delicious spaghetti and egg.

After lunch I went up to my room, and a few minutes later my bro came up for a chit-chat. As usual, we mostly talked about school stuff.

"James, can I ask you a question?" I looked at him.

"Sure Gen, ask away" he replied.

"Did you have a girlfriend in secondary school? Answer me sincerely" I asked.

"So that's your question", he chuckled. "Well I did, it was fun sha", James smiled.

"But tell me the reason why", I pressed further.

"Well it was out of curiosity, I wanted to understand how it felt to have one and also most of the guys had, it was cool", he stated.

"So do you have one now". I teased.

"No oh, I'm not ready abeg, girls and their wahala, let me finish school first", he laughed.

"Okay sir", I snorted. "But boys also have wahala."

"Tah, girls are the worst, confused set of human beings."

"That's a lie", I whined, hitting him lightly on the head.

"That's a lie", he said in a small animated voice, mimicking me.

"Hey I don't sound like that", I pouted. He grabbed me and began to tickle me.

"Get off, let me go." We both started laughing uncontrollably that we couldn't stop, tears streaked from our eyes. My Mom came to check what the excitement was all about.

"James, why are you people laughing so hard?", my Mom asked, staring at us.

"Nothing", we both said in unison, and started laughing again. My Mom left looking more confused than ever.

"Anyway how is that your crazy friend Amaka", James asked.

"She's okay, and yes she still has a thing for you so don't bother asking."

"Oh God, she's not well o", he laughed. "Anyway I'm a spec so it's understandable."

"Spec my foot", I scoffed.

"You sef you know, sha send my greetings to her sha."

James left my room a few minutes later, I picked up my phone to chat with Amaka who told me something baffling.

"Gen do you know that someone new is coming to our school this year, actually to SS3 o, can you imagine? Our final year in school" She said excitedly

"Ehen issa lie! How can someone enter SS3 during second term, we're even writing WAEC by April! How is that even possible? Where did you even get that information from sef? I can't believe you on this one oh", I doubted.

"I'm serious, when I heard it I was as shocked as you too, I heard he's a science student", she replied.

"So it's even a HE, hmm.... If that's true, I want to know how his parents did it because I know that our strict principal won't allow it"

"I heard he's parents are rich na, money can do anything"

"Young lady, money is not everything" I could almost see her shrugging her shoulders at what I said. "Corruption has eaten into the bones of this country", I continued.

"Na so, anyway that's all for now, is that your handsome brother back from school yet?" Amaka has been crushing on James since forever, always wanting to know how he is, where he is, what he's doing and stuff like that.

"I wonder when this crushing will stop, he's back and yes he is doing fine, he even asked about you", I answered. "What! He asked about me?? What did he say?" she said.

"He only asked how you are oh, nothing more, he's even going back tomorrow so don't bother following me to my house tomorrow after school oh", I warned.

"I'm sure it's more than that jare", she said, "Anyway, has any family occupied the new building beside yours."

"I don't know and I don't even care whose house that is", I replied nonchalantly.

"Of course you do, they'll be your neighbors, and well I wanna see who lives in that beautiful house. I'm 100% sure they are super rich, the house is big", she said.

"Genevieve, your daddy is back from work", my Mom called out from downstairs.

"Amaka, I gotta go, my dad is back, bye, we'll talk later", I typed hastily, dropping the phone.

I went downstairs quickly to greet my dad.

"Welcome sir, how was work?" I asked as I just stood there awkwardly beside my brother. I know you must wonder why I sounded like that, it's just that I'm not really close to my dad anymore.

"Thanks dear, work was fine, how was school?" he said.

"It was great", I replied.

"James welcome back, how is Architecture treating you?" He focused on James.

"It's challenging though, but it's nothing I can't handle", James replied with confidence.

"Okay, such a good career you have chosen, unlike some people?" He rolled his eyes at me.

My dad has never been a fan of art, he doesn't support me at all, infact I'm sure he wouldn't even be paying my school fees if not for my mum's intervention. He makes sure he reminds me almost everyday of what a useless course and career I have chosen. He wanted me to be a science or commercial student, which is a wise choice according to him.

"It's late, so go to bed and do not touch your phone."

It was not even 10pm yet, how was that late? AaRrGgHh... I was hoping to chat with Amaka and Aishat before I went to bed. What a way to ruin my plans. "Okay, goodnight daddy", I replied.

I went to my room, sent a goodnight message to both of them and went straight to bed because I know Mom will come to my room to check if I'm really sleeping or not.