The men took all the stuff Leo carried.
“This is just a warning,” Billy Blanks said, “next time you mess with my girl, the world won’t recognize that beautiful face of yours”
After leaving him empty-handed, the men vanished.
Leo sat hugging his feet, chin on the knees. He kept on smiling on how puny he was to let his fellow schoolmates mortify him considering they were all new to the school. He also thought about what he was going to tell Rachel since all the stuff he bought was taken and his pockets were bare.
**********
The week ran fast though not fastest to Leo. He was now used to the school and got to know a few people. He never made friends though Rachel kept on calling him a friend. He didn’t know the meaning of friendship and didn’t need one. It was Friday and everyone was preparing for their first weekend.
Leo, peanuts on his hand was on the way to his room when he found the crowd gathering at the notice board. He wasn’t engrossed and kept on moving. After walking a few feet, he
bumped into two girls, one thin and other fat talking to each other loudly.
“What are all those people doing there?” the thin said, pointing her hand to the notice board
“Haven’t heard?” the fat said
“Of what..?”
“An assignment..!”
“What?”
“Group assignment”
“In our first week..?”
“Next week we won’t have classes, we will be doing the assignment,” the fat said, “It must be submitted on Friday”
The thin smiled, “Wow! So no Prof Lucy next week..?”
“Don’t smile, it is the hardest question I have ever seen” the fat sighed, “No one knows the answer up to now”
Leo heard enough of what he wanted to hear, so he left the girls who continued chattering. He didn’t walk long when he met Rachel.
“Hey!” Rachel said with a smile
“Want some peanuts?” Leo said and both smiled
“Seen the assignment?”
“Not yet”
“Seen your name, you’re with Isla”
“Isla..?”
“Yeah..! CR. Group number five”
Leo’s face glowed with a smile when he heard the name CR, the girl who had appeared to conquer his mind.
*********
Weekends don’t last long, it was Monday already. Group number five was under the shade of the big tree a few meters from the school compound. They were three, one group member was missing.
“God!! Who is this Leo anyway?” said Baraka, one of the four group members
“I think I know where to find him!” Isla said, leaving the place
She walked fast and within a few minutes, she was in Leo’s room.
Leo was on the bed, reading a comics magazine. He was very relaxed. The no-class week was a weekend to him.
“After sending a bunch of hooligans to assail me, seems like you came to authenticate if I’m still alive” Leo mumbled after Isla entered the room without knocking
“I’m not here to negotiate!”
“Making rules in my room?”
“Don’t you know that we have an assignment?”
“Thought you were Batman”
“What?”
“You prefer doing things alone!”
“Scoundrel..! Members are out there waiting for you”
“Is the question that hard?”
“Seems like you can’t move voluntarily”
Isla snatched his ear and started pulling him off the room. Leo kept on whimpering as Isla pulled his ear all over the way. Other students kept on staring at them but of the two, none seemed to have a caring nerve. After a few minutes, they were under the tree.
“Here is the jerk” Isla snapped, breathing heavily.
Leo’s hands were on his ear. When he raised his head, the smile on his face disappeared and he clenched his fist.
Leo chuckled, “Billy blanks?”
“I’m Daniel!” the man said, baring his teeth
“Whatever…”
“Call me that again and you’ll be repentant”
Leo smiled, “think every day is Thursday?”
“You’ve got guts?” the man said
“Bothering you?”
“I’ll tip off you again! Don’t mess with my girlfriend”
Leo stood straight and followed the man, they were nose to nose.
“Do you know why scientists do not sing gravity exists, gravity exists every day..?” Leo sighed, “It is because they have proved to everyone that gravity exists”
“St─”
“And do you know why you keep on singing she is my girlfriend, she is my girlfriend” Leo’s made a serious tone, “it is because you haven’t proved that she is your girlfriend and no one knows that she is”
Daniel scowled “What are you trying to say, beautiful boy?”
“What I’m trying to say is,” Leo panted, “if what you want is a war, I’m in”
“You’re welcome”
“ENOUGH!!” Isla shouted after seeing the two men pushing each other
“Children of God, I know you have some history” Baraka opened papers on his hand, “but we have a hard-hitting assignment to solve and not a war to fight”
