Could this just be another dream?
Was my mind beginning to play with me or was this simply real?
I watched from my seat as girls flocked the new boy's seat. All of them were trying to offer help one way or the other.
However, of everything, my eyes were on him.
Although I had come to terms with the fact that Miles was someone from my dream, I was back to a circle of doubts.
The new boy was undoubtedly Miles but the question was, why did someone who I had never met in real life before, appear in my dream?
A dream that was simply a repitition of the things that transpired before my coma, for that matter.
"Kiki," I averted my gaze to the girl beside me.
"Just look at them," She sneered at the girls that tried so hard to befriend Miles. "They want to kill him as if they have never seen a fine boy before. It's good, they will leave my Tobi alone now."
"Kiki," I called again.
"Yes sweetheart," She finally looked at me.
"Slap me," I huffed a load of air.
"Are you ok?"
"Just slap me."
"Why?"
"Just do it."
She went ahead to shrugg and immediately brought her hand against my right cheek, which in turn brought my head against our desk.
The sound of my head hitting the desk was so loud that it not only attracted the attention of our classmates but also that of a teacher who was passing by our class.
"Sorry dear," The teacher who was earlier passing by, patted my back.
That was when another girl from my class rushed in with the paracetamol she was sent to bring from the school clinic by the teacher.
"Thank you ma," I managed to take two tablets of the pain relief with a bottle of water.
"What kind of wickedness was that?" The teacher scolded Kiki who had been kneeling in front of the class for causing me so much pain.
"Ma, I'm the one at fault. I told her to do it," I pleaded on Kiki's behalf for the umpteenth time but the woman was unwilling to listen - she was probably an anti-Kiki.
"She will stay there. What heartless thing!" The teacher exclaimed as she walked out of our class.
As soon as the lady was gone, I waved my hand signifying "sorry" at Kiki.
"Abeg leave me alone," She mouthed and folded her arms across her chest.
Perhaps it truly wasn't a dream after all.
Just as I was lost again in deep thoughts, I heard someone say my name.
"Only Tilda has like the best handwriting. Use her notes," I heard Eric tell Miles.
For some reason, I became nervous seeing that Miles took his advice and was already making his way towards me.
"Could I please use your books during the break period?" He asked. It was the same attitude. The same voice and the same stare he always gave me in my dream.
"Y-ye-yeah. Su-sure," I stuttered. "Do you w-want th-them no-now?"
"Lunch hour and thanks," was his response and he went back to his seat.
At that point, my thoughts were in great division.
One side of me felt he didn't know me, considering the fact that I met him in a dream.
But there was this other side of me that suspected him. That side suspected that he knew me somehow, yet was putting up in a pretence.
*.*.*.
As I walked down the lobby heading for my class, I got to learn that Miles had suddenly become the topic on the lips of many girls. The junior girls were included as always.
"If you see that fine boy in SS3A. He must be the most handsome half caste we have in this school."
That was quite true and some of the male half castes in my class felt threatened by the "new boy."
"I can't help falling for those blue eyes of that boy in SS3A! Omo! That guy is hot."
"Tall and everything I want in my dream guy. God must have answered my prayers by bringing that new boy in SS3A."
"God is just blessing SS3A with many fine people o. Have you seen that new boy with blue eyes?"
Similar to how he caught the attention of people in my dream.
Clutching my books to my chest, I walked into the class to see it empty except for the familiar boy resting his head on the desk.
I swallowed hard, finding it hard to walk towards the curly-haired boy. With the way his head was places on the desk, I was able to appreciate his beautiful dark brown curls for the first time.
"Miles...Is that really you?" I didn't even know when I let those words out.
Maybe it was my imagination or I really did see his body somewhat stiffen from shock.
He then lifted his head from the desk and our eyes locked. That moment immediately reminded me of the many times in my dream when our eyes locked as well.
I was trying so hard to take my eyes away but it was so hard, especially as he stood up and started walking towards me.
My heart raced and my legs consciously took several steps backwards till my back hit a wall.
"How..." His eyes searched my face. "Do you know my name?"
When he was brought to our class by our form teacher, he didn't say his name and was immediately given the chance to sit wherever he desired.
I hadn't heard his name from anyone else yet, but I was convinced it was the same as what I knew him as.
"I-I-I-I..." Words refused to form from my mouth.
I knew he could sense fear in me but, I was able to sense greater fear lurking in my eyes.
Why was he scared? What was he afraid of?
"I'm s-s-sorry," I placed my notes on his chest and scurried out of the class.
I was confused, startled, and disturbed.
What had just happened?
*.*.*.
~ MILES' POV ~
It wasn't a mistake that she had somehow managed to guess my name.
But how?
She may have heard my name from some of our classmates who got to know it or she may have seen my books.
But then, I wasn't convinced enough.
"Is that really you?" That was something that instilled fear in me. What exactly did she mean by that?
"I-I-I-I..." She was scared.
I felt the urge to calm her down but, what would she think of me then?
"I'm s-s-sorry," She pushed her notes on me and scurried out of the class.
I sighed and clicked my tongue.
Just what was going through her mind?
I bent down to pick her books that had dropped to the floor due to how much of a hurry she had been in.
"Matilda Olusegun," I read her name on the first book. "I hope something wrong hasn't happened."