Faint Echoes

Zeerah's POV

"Ara, Araaa ,Araaaaaa, I could hear my mom's call, but I had to quickly answer Thomas's text asking me if I was available to help him teach some students after school.

'Ara, are you deaf?' my mom scolded, 'What are you even doing on that phone? Answer me before I strike you with this...'" She brandished her slippers menacingly, and I took two steps back; my mom is the most dramatic person I know.

"I was doing my assignment, you know how Mr. Jericho can be with assignments," I replied, trying to appease her. She simply hissed and instructed me to stay in her grocery shop because she wanted to visit her friend, as if I didn't have friends too.

I took my phone with me and continued chatting with Thomas. I usually enjoyed chatting with him because, well, I had a crush on him, even though he had a crush on Faith, the social prefect. If only I could be as endowed as her, maybe, just maybe, he would notice me.

"Zeeee," I instantly recognized that voice; it was Lola's.

"Hey," I simply replied, not returning the energy she had given me. She had been ignoring my calls for days. Who does that to their best friend? And now she showed up at my house with a boy.

"A BOY..."

"Zee nau, what's wrong?" she inquired, concern replacing the initial excitement.

I rolled my eyes and went to attend to my mom's customer. "Zeee, what the heck?"

"When you're done, you'll go back home,"Lola chuckled, and before I could say anything, she was inside my shop with the boy.

"THE BOY," who had to leave before my mother got back, or my life would come to an instant end.

"I want water, Zee," Lola said.

"Bitch, you know where the fridge is," I retorted. As she got up to fetch the sachet of water from the fridge, which was kind of a distance from where we were sitting, the atmosphere became tense and sour.

Right in front of me was a handsome guy I didn't know, absorbed in his phone, completely oblivious to the fact that he was on my fucking property.

"Hi," he said, as if he could my read mind. Oops.

Before I could reply, another voice interrupted, "So Zee, that's Senior Daniel, our head boy."

"First off, what is your head boy doing here?" I asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. The Daniel boy looked startled, but I couldn't care less.

"Zee, be nice," Lola pleaded.

"Nice, huh? Why should I?"

"Zee, he's my boyfriend."

Oh, wow. Lola had always been the beautiful one with boys following her around like they were hypnotized.

"Your boyfriend...!"

"Zeeee, please be nice," Lola implored, looking like she might cry, which only irritated me more.

"Hi Dan," he stretched out his hand for a handshake, and I shook it, feeling a strange shiver down my spine and a warmth inside me.

"Shittttt!"I screamed inwardly..

"So Dan..."

"I call him Dan," Lola interjected.

"Why, Lola? You're a senior. What are you trying to do?"

"Zeeee."

"Babe, it's fine," Dan reassured her. "Nazeera, I actually like your friend, sorry, I love her, and I promise I'm not gonna hurt her."

I rolled my eyes and left them to have their conversation. They left a few minutes later because it was getting dark, and my mom had come home late, so I was left to prepare dinner for the family.

I opened my WhatsApp and saw several texts from my best friend, the same one who had been ignoring my texts and calls for days.

Lola XOXO ❤️: Heyyyy, Wyd??

What do you think of Dan?

Reply to my damn text 😪😪

(Missed voice call)

Me: Chillax 😂😂, I'm kinda busy. Dan looks cool

But be careful please 🥰

Lola XOXO ❤️: 🤗🤗🤗 I love you.

Me: Whatever 🙄🙄

'''

I saw her typing, but I wasn't in the mood for chatting. I switched off my phone and went to bed, feeling very tired.

*********************************★************************★***

"Who's the fool pulling my hair?" I turned to look at the audacious fool, but it was him... I should have known.

"Thomas," I called out softly. He came over to where I was sitting, robbing my shoulders

"Zeera, you're being too harsh; be calming down," he said with a charming smile, pulling a chair and settling down next to me. It was the first period of the school day, and the geography teacher had given us some time to study. However, fewer than five out of the thirty students in the classroom were actually cracking open their textbooks.

I glanced at Thomas, the handsome, brown-skinned boy who resembled a delectable chocolate bar. He effortlessly oozed charisma and had a knack for acing exams without appearing to put in much effort. I, on the other hand,who studies even in my sleep, desperately clawing my way into the top five of our class.

Thomas and I held the esteemed positions of assistant head prefects, a responsibility thrust upon us because we were in SS2. As I glared at him, I muttered, "Thomas nau, I want to read ."

With a mischievous grin, he grabbed my textbook and casually sat on it, as if asserting that I would read later, whether I liked it or not. It was his usual game - playfully teasing me while secretly knowing that he had the intellectual upper hand.

"Thomas, I swear, I'm going to bite you," I threatened half-heartedly, unable to suppress my laugh as he continued to play with my thick, unruly hair, his fingers tracing intricate patterns.

"Thomas, where have you been hiding?" A voice asked, suddenly interrupting our conversation,it was Faith.

"I just came from our spot. Oya, I'm ready for the math challenge."...And just like that Thomas followed her like he was hypnotized

The mention of 'their spot' evoked a sense of nostalgia.

I angrily stood up and left

As I strolled through the bustling hallways of our school, I couldn't help but notice the magnetic pull between Thomas and Faith. His captivating smile, once reserved for our close friendship, was increasingly finding its way to her. The way he looked at her, as if she held all the answers to the universe, stirred something inside me I couldn't quite define.

My attention had always been divided between my books and Thomas's antics. He had a knack for making even the most mundane subjects interesting, and we often spent hours discussing everything from maths to English to science. But now, it seemed like the pages of my textbooks had lost their luster, and the world around me had grown louder.

I tried to immerse myself in my studies, just as I always did, but the words on the pages seemed to blur into a meaningless jumble. The equations that once fascinated me felt like a foreign language. My notebook, previously filled with neat notes, now lay open, its pages blank.

I attempted to escape into other activities, but each one only served to intensify my frustration. The chattering of my classmates in the class felt like a cacophony. The pen in my hand became a weapon of annoyance as I drummed it on the table.

The last straw came during second period when I found myself in a heated argument with a Soma over something trivial. Our voices rose, and I felt annoyance in me. It seemed as though a storm was brewing, and I couldn't hold back the tempest within me.

Just as I was about to say something I might regret, a voice interjected, a calm and soothing presence in the midst of the turmoil. It was Peter, a classmate from the art class. He had sensed the tension and had the wisdom to intervene.

Peter's words diffused the situation, and what could have escalated into an ugly confrontation was averted. Gratitude welled up within me, mixed with a tinge of embarrassment for letting things get this far.

"Hi,I'm Peter"he introduced himself and streached out his hand for a handshake

"So?"I asked ,unsure why he was speaking to me

"I thought maybe we could be friends,yunno..."

"Abeg shift"and with that I walked out of the class and left him standing in embarrassment while the rest of the class laughed at him

On my way to the school's cafeteria, lost in my thoughts, I suddenly felt a familiar presence approaching.

It was Fauzan,who was loved by literally every student...very handsome, social and he was called the Joseph of Laswad high school. My heart quickened as he drew nearer.

"Senior Fauzan," I greeted, trying to sound casual despite the butterflies in my stomach.

Without a word, he pulled me into a warm hug, and my heart skipped a beat. "Araaaaaa" he shouted like he had not seen me for days

"Let's goan eat "

I followed him and he locked his hands with mine and every student passing by was looking at us...trust secondary school students to find gossip even in the slightest thing as holding hands

We entered the cafeteria and he bought lunch for me and I just couldn't stop thanking him

The mere sight of him buying lunch for me sent a flutter of excitement through me. Thomas, who had been observing from a distance, couldn't resist joining us. He approached Fauzan and me, flashing his charming smile.

"Senior fauzan can I join you guys?"

Fauzan, always amicable, agreed, and we found ourselves sharing a table. Initially, I was still carrying the remnants of my earlier frustration, but as soon as Thomas sat beside me, it all seemed to melt away. His infectious energy was hard to resist, and his presence had a way of making everything feel lighter.

Fauzan, who had sensed the previous lingering tension, asked, "Hey, what's the reason for your little beef today?" He chuckled, teasingly adding, "Lovebirds"

I rolled my eyes and whined, "Ahan , don't start, senior Fauzan."

Thomas chimed in, grinning mischievously, "She's just being shy, but deep down, we all know we're lovebirds."

Sitting between the two of them, I couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.

Thomas playfully placed his hand on my shoulder, sending a rush of sensations through me. It was innocent, but it still made my heart race.

Yet, despite the warmth of his touch, I couldn't help but crave Fauzan's presence.

I found myself questioning my own feelings, my heart torn between these two individuals . What was wrong with me? I sighed, silently pondering the complexities of my emotions and the unexpected twists that this day had brought.

The lunch table became a space filled with laughter and playful banter, but within me, a storm of feelings raged, leaving me with more questions than answers.