SYDNEY
And there he was. My husband. He didn't know he was, but he was, nonetheless. I gathered the courage to walk up to him, but as I did, he noticed and began walking toward me. I turned the other way, the balloon of courage that had swelled in me only a second ago quickly deflating. He caught up to me and put his arm over my shoulder, and it was all I could do not to faint.
"Were you running away from me?" Jason asked, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Me? No! Never!" I said, a bit too enthusiastically.
"Okay. Good to know. I must have been imagining it, which is typical because you're always on my mind," he said, looking at me with those gorgeous green eyes that matched mine. Lately, he'd been attempting these trash pickup lines. The question is, if these lines were so trashy, why did I always react the same way? I looked away, my face flushing. Anyone who saw me at that moment would have thought I'd smeared tomato paste on my cheeks. I've always blushed hard, and it frustrates me to no end that I can't control it. He gently turned my face back toward him and said, "Don't look away. You look cute when you turn red."
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Tyra giggling like an idiot, dancing around because of Jason and me. I would never live this down, so before the situation escalated, I took his hand off my face. "Firstly, I don't turn red. Secondly, you should get your eyes checked. Maybe you're seeing red because your brain is overheating from trying to think of those cringe pickup lines." With that, I walked away and headed toward Tyra. I didn't look back, but I knew Jason was still staring at me and laughing with those gorgeous green eyes.
"You need a checkup," Tyra said, still giggling from watching Jason and me.
"What for?" I said, pulling her arm and heading toward the chemistry lab. The bell would ring in five minutes, and we needed to be there before all the seats were taken.
"Because it can't be normal for someone as dark as you to blush that hard," she said, bursting into uncontrollable giggles again.
"The fact that you're light-skinned does not make me dark," I scowled at her. She tried to calm herself but ended up laughing even louder. She didn't stop until she spotted her older sister looking at her from the other end of the hallway. She was always trying to impress her sister, but it was no use. Tiana, her older sister, would never let an adopted girl be called her sister.
We made it to the chemistry lab just as the bell rang and dropped our bags to claim the two seats at the back of the class. Tyra told me to watch her seat because she needed to use the restroom. The moment she was out the door, the teacher walked in. I knew Tyra had timed her leave. She wouldn't be back until it was time for attendance during the last five minutes of class, yet she would pass with flying colors thanks to her dad's money. I almost felt envious of her. What amazing luck had she received to have scored a father as good as hers! Especially for an adopted child. While I, who was born into a family, was stuck with the deadbeat that is my father. "What a life," I muttered as I began to listen to our chemistry teacher's boring lecture.
---
"Tyra!" I whisper-shouted.
"Yes, babe?" Tyra answered.
"Don't 'babe' me, you idiot. You missed the entire class."
"Yeah, and?"
"How do you plan on getting a job?"
"I don't! I'm going to inherit Daddy's company."
"Sydney Obasi," the teacher called out for attendance.
"Here," I said, raising my arm.
He continued with the names as Tyra reapplied her lipstick with a tiny makeup mirror.
"Ehen! I have gist!" she said.
"I'm not interested in your gossip right now Tyra," I replied, a bit annoyed.
"It's about Jason," she said.
"You have my attention," I replied, facing her.
"He's going to ask you out!"
"Huh?"
"He's. Going. To. Ask. You—"
"I heard what you said," I covered her mouth with my arm because I was unnecessarily scared someone might overhear. "When?"
"Free period, last class of the day," she said, going back to her lipstick while I just sat there with my mouth wide open.
"Do you have a darker shade of lipstick?"
"Say no more." With that, she leaped off her seat, grabbed our things, and sprinted out of the class. Before she ran out entirely, she screamed to our teacher, "Tyra Williams! Present!"
She carried me to an empty JSS1 classroom and sat me down to do my makeup. Whenever she brought those crazy bright palettes, I had to remind her that I didn't want anything too obvious. Makeup was not allowed in our school. Tyra could do it just fine because she had her dad's protection. I on the other hand had no one to protect me from Ms. Funke's koboko. By the time she finished, our break was over, and it was time for economics, then the last period when Jason would ask me out. He would go on one knee, with a beautiful gold necklace in one hand and a bouquet of roses in the other, and declare his love to me in front of the entire school. He would serenade me with that angelic voice of his and call out to me, "Sydney! Sydney!" It took me a moment to realize I was stuck in a daydream and Tyra was trying to get my attention.
"Yes, Tyra?"
"It's time for economics. Mr. Matthew would call my daddy if I'm not in his attendance journal, and he always takes attendance at the oddest times. Come on!" Tyra sprinted up the stairs, and I followed, not caring about whether I had my name on Mr. Matthew's attendance. All I could think about were those gorgeous green eyes.
---
I couldn't hide my smile as the bell rang. It was time. Tyra gave me a knowing look and used her hands to shoo me off. As I left, I looked through the window and saw Tyra packing up my books and bag for me. I was so grateful to have a friend like her. As I went down the stairs, I kept looking for Jason. Once I saw him, I ran back up. Don't judge me. You try meeting up with the love of your life and tell me how it feels.
I arranged my hair again and straightened out my skirt. I noticed a book on a window ledge and picked it up. I didn't want it to feel like I was searching for him. I mean, how desperate is that? I took a breath, opened the book, and went down the stairs. My eyes were still searching, but I made sure to cover it up with the book. I could see Jason smoothing his soft curly brown hair as his friends teased him, and he tried to shut them up. When he was done, he spotted me and walked toward me, trying to look nonchalant, but it was obvious how excited he was, and that made me smile. But as he came closer, I hid my smile and buried myself in the book. Big mistake! I fell—well, I almost fell, but thankfully Jason was there, and I didn't mind falling into his arms.
"Hey, clumsy!" he said, looking down at me, still wrapped in his arms.