The scraping of knives against ceramic. The distinct collection of chatter. The humid temperature of the area. It was Lunchtime. Tables are neatly arranged in 6 rows for each class. And in the corner of row 3, sat Tammy and Destiny.
"And you're that sure that I can go?" Destiny asked?
Tammy nodded profusely.
"Really sure? I mean, I can always talk to her later."
You could almost see his neck threaten to end Stagebound right there and then, with how profusely he was nodding.
"Alright, if you say so! See ya!" He waved.
Tammy watched as He made his way towards Treasure's table. He couldn't even remember which of the girls he was trying to rizz (Excuse my French.)
He turned around, poking and prodding at his already lukewarm Jollof. Then, he lay back in his chair.
"Tammy."
He tensed up, in an instant. His name cut through the cafeteria noise like a sword. Instinctively, his eyes darted around, searching for its owner.
"Jesus, are you deaf? I've said your name like 4 times already!"
Then, his eyes settled on a short woman in a neatly pressed blouse, the kind that made her look like she was a deacon in church. That of course, was Mrs Adegbola.
"Here. Principal needs your attention."
Without a word, he nodded and rose from his chair.
The walk to the principal's office was short, the cafeteria chatter fading behind him. In its place, an unexpected scent filled the air. Vanilla. It didn't take long to find the source.
On the wooden desk sat two large plastic containers of ice cream.
"Mr. Davidson! Come in!"
Tammy stepped inside, lowering himself onto the plastic chair across from the principal.
"My boy. How was the holiday? Most fine? Hmm?"
He nodded.
"Great, great! Yes, great." The principal clapped his hands together before settling into his chair. "Alright, to cut to the chase, I'm sure you know that the Lagos State Debate Competition is coming up soon."
He sat up.
"Ah, seems you have." He chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "You've been quite the student, Mr Davidson."
He heaved himself up, strolling toward the three open cabinets along the wall. Rows of golden trophies gleamed under the fluorescent light, with neatly stacked certificates placed on the rows below.
"50 trophies in this cabinet alone." He ran a hand across the glass. "And you? You've won eighty percent of them. 10 of them are for the Inter-House Sports. Abnormal." He turned, giving Tammy a knowing look. "Hopefully, that percentage increases after this competition."
Then, instead of returning to his chair, he walked past his desk and stopped beside Tammy, resting a firm hand on his shoulder.
"You're a very good boy. A one-in-a-million talent, to say the least. I trust you'll handle this well."
As wide-eyed as ever, Tammy nodded profusely.
"Great! Incredible, in fact." The principal grinned. "Now, by the time you come to school tomorrow, I'll have organized your partner. In the meantime, take this,"
He lifted the oversized tube of ice cream, easily bigger than the boy's head and plopped it into his arms.
Tammy nearly dropped it, as a gasp escaped him.
"Actually, now that I think about it," the principal mused, stroking his chin, "you don't really have a place to store that, do you? Mmm, come back for it after school. You hear?"
Tammy, still nodding, adjusted his grip on the tub.
"Good. Now go and finish your lunch."
If it wasn't the clatter of trays or the clinking of cutlery, it was the abrupt shift, from the quiet hallway back into the steady noise of cafeteria chatter that marked his return.
Tammy's eyes swept the room, quickly landing on Destiny. Finding him wasn't difficult. A boy like him fills the space around you.
There he was, laughing, animated, commanding the table like a storyteller at the heart of a captivated crowd. He fit into anywhere.
Tammy hesitated.
It would be so easy. So easy, to just walk over, sit down, and let Destiny's energy pull him into the current of conversation.
For a moment, his weight shifted forward. Then, he turned and walked, measured, robotically, back to his own table.
But then, he became aware of another. One seat away.
Her hair was tightly coiled in a bun. Her uniform was perfectly straight, despite the time of day. The soft light of the window cast a warm glow on her smooth, cocoa-toned skin as her brown eyes surveyed the hall. She was eating, and she was simply observing.
Tammy noticed her first.
He saw those scanning eyes. He'd faintly recognised her demeanour.
That of a speaker, no doubt, despite the fact that she was unrecognisable. Which is why, in that instant, he knew he wanted none of it. Yet, he couldn't take his eyes off her. He was almost enamoured, having to snap himself out of it.
Lunch was optional anyway. Nothing he couldn't slip out of,
Eye contact.
It was brief, but it was enough. A flicker of recognition crossed her face.
And then, she pointed straight at him.
Absolutely not.
With the quickest 180-degree turn, he-
"W-Wait!"
Her hand darted across the table and firmly clasped his palm. A decisive, tight grip. There was great urgency in her fingers. His body quickly became stiff as his eyes widened further.
"Sit."
Tammy sat.
She waited for the stares around them to dissipate before giving Tammy his food back. Then, she leaned forward, her tone almost a gasping whisper.
"Do you... remember me?"
Overcoming his disorientation with a few blinks, he simply shook his head.
She exhaled sharply. "Huh? Seriously?"
Whatever illusion of a nice person was quickly shattered as she exhaled sharply through her nose. "Unbelievable."
She leaned back, arms crossed. "Unbelievable."
Silence.
"Not even a little bit?"
Blank blinks in return.
Her eyes narrowed. "Let me remind you, then. I am Mandy Cherry. Current Blue Belt in Taekwondo. Consistent A* Student. And Public Speaking Extraordinaire!"
He tried to pry his stare from her eyes, poking at his food. Until he was quickly brought back to attention.
"And you," she jabbed a finger toward him, "are the only opponent I have never beaten in a competition."
. . .
"Ever. Not once. Not even close."
Tammy tilted his head slightly.
"Oh, come on! We've competed against each other many times!"
He gave the look of someone who could not recall a single specific scenario.
"AAPS Debate, Primary 4."
"Lagos State Debate Competition, Primary 5."
"Obozuwa Foundation Speech Making Competition, JSS1."
"Ok, wise guy, how about... THE ONE WE HAD JUST YESTERDAY?"
He was supposed to answer. He did not. Passive and baffled in the way only he could be.
She threw her hands up. "You won! Again and again and again. And I swore, swore on my life that the next time I met you, I would finally," She stopped, inhaled, exhaled, and pointed at him again.
"Beat you."
Tammy sat, watching, waiting. Wondering, vaguely, if finishing his food was still an option.
Then, suddenly, she slammed her hand on the table and shot to her feet.
"That's why," she declared, voice carrying across the cafeteria, "you, Tamuno-Ibi Davidson, are my rival!"
Heads turned. Conversations paused. The room collectively blinked. The boy's eyes darted around, looking for any way to exclude himself from the predicament. But it was too late. They were the center.
Mandy's confidence faltered for just a second. She glanced around. Then, as if remembering herself, she sat down quickly, snatching her water bottle and taking a long sip, as her face began to redden. So long that her cheeks puffed, and her throat made a small gulping noise, forcing her to cough mid-sip. The eyes lingered for a very long time.
And so, the two finished lunch together.