CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
WHO IS TILDA?
On Monday morning, Michael entered the class. He was late to school that day because he went for a check-up. Michelle, Kelvin, and Sylvester weren't in class, and he wondered why.
Turning to the girl who sits behind him. She was writing in a journal.
"Excuse me, um!" He was trying to recall her name.
"Chloe," the girl said and smiled.
Michael nodded. "Do you know where Kelvin and Sylvester went?"
"No" she shook her head.
The principal walked in immediately with two pretty women. One of them was wearing a new school uniform. Kelvin, Sylvester, and Michelle also entered at that same time, and they went to their seats.
"Hello, students!" the Principal was cheerful as usual.
"Hello, Sir!" The students replied.
"Another student will be joining your class today. She's Tilda Benson. And on the other side is your new homeroom teacher, Miss Devin Nora. Please welcome them" the Principal introduced as they individually bowed their heads to greet the class.
"You're welcome" the members of the class chorused.
"Tilda, your seat is over there" the Principal pointed at a seat behind Odelia. Odelia smiled at her, but Tilda didn't smile back,, and that made Odelia sneer at her.
"A word for your students, Miss Nora" the Principal invited.
"Oh! Okay," she adjusted her posture to stand very upright.
She was a very pretty woman. Her makeup was light and her dark hair was straight and long. She also had a very alluring dimpled smile that even captivated the attention of the students.
"Hi! My name is Miss Devin Nora. But you can address me as Miss Nora. I'm your new homeroom teacher. I love interacting with students. I hope you don't mind if we share a wonderful teacher-student experience?" She asked smiling widely while looking at the faces of each student in the class. Her gaze stopped at Michael. He wasn't saying anything. He wasn't even smiling and she noticed his expression was somewhat hardened. She smiled again, particularly at him. But he didn't smile back. He only darted his eyes away.
"Yes!!!" The students replied to her question.
The Principal left with Miss Nora and a teacher entered immediately, which cut short every conversation that was about to begin.
"I'll be introducing a new topic today" he began after exchanging pleasantries with the students.
****
After classes, it was lunch break; Tilda, who was quiet throughout the class, was packing up her books into her bag. A lot of people were trying to talk to her, but she snubbed all of them. Odelia swirled around to face her.
"Hey! Tilda. I'm Odelia. Let's go to the canteen together," Odelia said, smiling.
"No, thanks." Tilda pursed her lips, got up,, and walked towards where Michelle was also arranging her books into her bag. She wanted to go and join Michael and others at the canteen. Odelia scowled at Tilda and turned to the front.
"I think I'm going to hate her until our stay in High School is over," she said to Pamela and Katerine.
Tilda paused in front of Michelle,
"Hello, Michelle" she waved at her.
"Oh! Tilda!" Michelle answered, looking up.
"Are you done, so we can go to the canteen together"
"Yeah! I'm eating with my friends. But I don't think they would mind if you joined us" she said and stood up as they walked out. Odelia watched both of them walk out and hissed.
"What's with everyone and Michelle?" She hissed again. "Let's also go to the canteen or you guys ain't hungry?"
****
Michelle took Tilda to where she sighted Kelvin.
"Hey, guys!" Michelle greeted and sat beside Michael.
Tilda had a smile on her face as she walked over to take the seat beside Kelvin. Immediately, she looked up, she gasped loudly, and everyone heard.
"Tilda, what's the problem?" Michelle asked.
Tilda shook her head and glanced briefly away from Michael. She didn't want anyone to notice. But throughout their meal, she couldn't help but stare at Michael.
Michael noticed it and after a while, he became uncomfortable. He stood up when he couldn't bear it any longer. It was like she wanted to strip him with her eyes and others were so busy with their discussion and didn't notice the discomfort Michael was having.
"Um, Kelvin, I'll be going first," he said, standing.
"Why?" Michelle asked him.
He looked at her for a while before saying,
"I have something I need to attend to" and when he was about to walk out, Odelia rushed in and ran up to him. Holding his arm, she said,
"Michael, I missed you so, so much during the weekend. I could have called you, but my dad lost my phone at a function we attended," she kept on chattering.
Michael just stood there listening. Students in the canteen were also looking at them.
"Michael, can you come with me," Odelia said.
"Where?" He asked her.
"Just follow me"
Michael needed to leave so he followed her out.
Kelvin and Sylvester were already done with their meal, they also stood up to leave.
"Mich, we are going back to class," Kelvin said to her.
"Okay," she nods. "I'll meet you guys there"
"Michelle" Tilda called her softly when Kelvin and Sylvester had left.
"Yes"
"That guy...the one that left first. You know him?"
"Yeah! He's in our class too"
"What?!" Tilda couldn't hide her excitement.
Michelle had to squint her eyes to understand the situation.
"You mean that he is in the same class I'm in?" She asked again pointing at herself. Michelle nods her head.
"Wow! He's very handsome. I also heard his name's Michael. I would love to be friends with him" she giggled.
"Mmmh!" Michelle hummed looking at the girl.
When they got to class, Tilda asked Michelle for Michael's number but Michelle told her to let her ask Michael first. Tilda eyed her for saying that but faked a smile immediately and went to her seat. Some minutes later, Odelia came back to the class alone. Michael wasn't with her. Tilda saw this and quickly rushed to Michelle's seat.
Pointing at Odelia, she said, "Isn't that the girl that walked out with Michael earlier at the canteen? She's supposed to come back with him but she's back in class alone"
Michelle thought for a while before she nodded.
"Excuse me. I'll be back." She stood up and walked out.
She didn't know that Tilda followed behind her when she had left.
Michelle saw Michael and others at the basketball court. Michael and Kelvin were sitting under a shade, while Sylvester was leaning on the railing before the ball court. Very few boys were inside the court playing ball.
They saw her already walking up to them and that got Kelvin talking.
"Oh! My! Vester!" He called. "Mich's so small. Has she always been this petite?" He asked.
Sylvester laughs, Kelvin also, but Michael chuckles at that.
"Sometimes, I'm in awe at how she commands so much authority with that height of hers. It scares me that someone might try to bully her. Nonetheless, I like her that way. She has the exact height that suits my taste," he said, still looking at her.
Kelvin and Sylvester looked at themselves and smiled so hard.
"But then, why is her uniform so big for her? Especially her skirt. It's like she's deliberately hiding her gorgeous body. Her sportswear tells me otherwise. Don't you think, Sylvester?"
"Um!" Sylvester was trying not to laugh. "Her aunt says if Michelle wears a skirt above her knees, school kids would stare at her all day. She proposed and made Michelle wear a skirt that was below her knees. It's been so since we started high school" he chuckles.
Michael gave a half smile. "Ha! That's ridiculous. Is she jealous or something?"
"That's a good one. The sportswear alone is making us dispose of a lot of letters on her behalf," Kelvin said, smiling.
"Okay, fair point" Michael put in.
By then, Michelle had gotten closer and she stopped in front of them.
"Who are you guys talking about?" She asked, eyeing Sylvester, who just winked at her.
"Vester—has a crush on the new teacher," Kelvin said, which made all of them laugh, including Michelle.
"That's weird!" Michelle said, sitting beside Michael.
Michael gave her a small smile and she smiled back, a little bit shy.
"I see you've made a new friend too, Michelle" Michael said to her.
"You mean, Tilda" Michelle sighs.
"What's the problem?" Kelvin asked.
"She's asking me a lot of questions about Michael." She looks at Michael, whose gaze never left hers.
Sylvester started laughing again, "I thought she promised us students a wonderful time with her. Maybe this is her way of showing us her number one, just maybe"
"I need a break" Kelvin said. "I'll just find it hard to fall for anyone at this point"
They all laugh.
"Will you be okay with all of that?" Michelle asks Michael.
He sighs, looking ahead. "As long as she stops making me uncomfortable. Thank God for Odelia. She really appeared at the right time"
"She asked me for your number. I didn't give it to her"
"Next time she does, give her my dad's landline. It won't hurt to have a convo with Alfred Watts, now would it?" Michael said that made Kelvin and Sylvester burst into laughter. Michelle tried to smile, she didn't know when she burst into laughter.
"Hello!" Sylvester mimicked a girlish voice. "Hello! Alfred Watts on the line" he mimicked a manly voice. "Um! I'm the girl in Michael's class. I have a major crush on your son. I would also love to get married to him" he mimicked a girly voice again.
It was really cracking Michelle up.
"Oh! Stop that, Vester" she said.
****
Kelvin and Sylvester had already gone back to class. It was just Michael and Michelle at the back, taking slow strides towards their classroom. They were just discussing in very soft tones. By the time they got to the staircase, Tilda was there. Michael paused when he saw her. Michelle too. Tilda covered them and stopped directly in front of Michael. Without looking at Michelle, she said, "You didn't tell me you were going to stay out for a long period of time, Michelle"
"Mmmh!" Was Michelle's reply.
Tilda takes a step closer to touch Michael but he takes a step back which makes her pause.
"I like you—Michael" she finally said.
"Thank you. You need to focus more on your studies though" Michael told her.
"It's okay. It would take time for you to fall for me..."
Michael interrupts her.
"I fell for Michelle easily so why would yours take time?"
Michelle's head sprang up at that as she looked at Michael's poker face. His tone was calm and steady.
"Oh!" Tilda was speechless.
"Can we not have a conversation like this again? And cease to disturb Michelle. Okay?" Michael said, held Michelle's hand and walked out with her.
Tilda turned and watched them walk out.
"Are they dating?!" She muttered.