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.

"I'm not clumsy. Now would you let go of me?" I replied calmly, and he let go of me, his flirty facade slowly disappearing.

"Firstly, yes, you are very clumsy. But I already know you won't admit it so forget it. Umm… so… Sydney," he said, acting a lot more nervous than usual.

"Yes, Jason," I said, batting my lashes at him because I had seen Tyra doing it countless times to hypnotize unsuspecting victims.

He looked up at the ceiling, doing his best to avoid my eyes, and blurted out, "I need to tell you something, but I can't do it here. Do you mind following me to the back of the school?" It took me a second to recognize what he was asking.

"The back of the school? The back where couples go to make out? That back?!"

"Sydney! What other back would I be talking about? Can we just go?" he asked, still avoiding my eyes.

"You're not going to try to…?" I pretended to calculate where I could run to hide.

"Gonna… what? No! Sydney, don't you trust me? Plus, if anyone was gonna try anything between us it'd be you."

"Me?! Jason, Jason, Jason, you think way too highly of yourself. And I will follow you but I swear if you lay a finger on me, I'll—"

"Come on," he said, dragging my arm to make me follow him. We both laughed all the way there.

When we got there, he took me behind one of those huge trees that filled the school compound. We stood there for a moment to catch our breath, and then Jason finally said, "I like you."

Even though I knew he was going to say it, I was still shocked to hear it from him. "And I want you to be my girlfriend. If you want, I mean. And it's fine if you don't like me back or you don't want us to date. I won't make things awkward… I'll wait for you. And I take it back. I don't like you; I love you. I feel like- I feel like we connect. I find it so easy to talk to you, and when I'm around you, I feel better about myself. No need to be insecure, proud, or perfect. With you, I can be just me because I know you're OK with me and… I'm talking too much, aren't I?" He slapped his palm across his forehead and fell to the ground referencing a cartoon we both loved with his movement.

I burst out laughing and sat down on the floor next to him "You definitely are, but it's kind of cute. You should have seen your face!"

He laughed too, finally looking me in the eye. "So, what do you think? Yes? Or are you just going to make fun of me?"

I pretended to think for a moment, tapping my chin. "Continuing to make fun of you is actually a very tempting option"

"Oh my God" He groaned.

I laughed again before quietly saying "Yes"

"Wait seriously?"

I nodded 

He leaped up and jumped around "Yesssss" He came over to me and picked me up from the floor like I was a lightweight.

"Oh my goodness, put me down, Jason. You are so embarrassing" He just continued to run around with me in his arms laughing until my sides hurt. 

---

As always, my mother came to pick me up early, and I wouldn't get to speak to Jason again until the next day because my phone had been seized, but it didn't matter. I could still feel his arms around me, and it gave me a violent case of butterflies in my belly. I could tell my mom noticed my giddiness, but she probably already guessed what happened and didn't ask about it, which meant I was in big trouble.

"Sydney," my mom called out from her room.

"Yes, Mom," I screamed back and ran to her, and the door was already open. This was going to be bad. My mom tapped the side of her bed next to her, and I sat there and braced myself for what was to come.

"So, tell me what happened. Word for word. Every detail," she said and waited.

I had no choice but to tell her. If I lied, she would know. If I skipped as much as a punctuation, she would know. So, I told her everything. Word for word. Every detail. When I was done, she sighed, and all the gushy emotions I had felt vanished.

"I do not approve of you and that boy. He is not good for you. He's bad news just like—"

I have no idea how and why, but I snapped. I jumped to my feet, and anger fueled the words that came from my mouth. "Just like my father. I'm sick of this, Mom. You have no reason not to like him. Not a single reason. Like seriously. Ever since the moment you saw him, you labeled him as bad news, but you haven't even said a word to him. I'm sorry you married that man. But it wasn't my fault. I didn't do anything. I didn't ask you to marry him. I wasn't even born then. You made a mistake, but that's okay. You're human. But that isn't a reason for you to dictate my entire life with that man as your foundation." I regretted every word the moment I said it, but it was too late.

"Sydney, I'm going to ignore all you just said for now, but don't you realize it's just a crush? It's. Just. A. Crush. Sydney! And that's all it will ever be."

"No, Mom." I sat back down and tried to hold her hand. She didn't allow me. I had crossed a line, but I couldn't back down now. "I would have agreed it was a simple crush maybe two years ago, but it's not anymore. I now know for a fact that I love that boy. I love him so much. It's the first time I've let anyone in since… since…" I couldn't find the words. I felt hot tears running down my cheeks. It was the first time I'd ever let anyone in again since my father. I was up again, furiously wiping my tears away before my mom could see them.

As memories of him years ago flooded my mind, I broke down and fell to my knees. I remember him lifting me when I was eight while I tried to run away. I remember him talking to me about his first girlfriend and how hot he was when he was younger. I remember him teaching me how to swim and to ride a bike. And then I remember the night he tried to kill my mother. I remembered forcing the knife out of his hands and slicing my belly. I remembered throwing the vase I had spent weeks making for him at his head and him falling unconscious. I remembered my mom carrying my bleeding half-conscious body and how my belly was stitched up without anything to numb the pain. And then I fainted.