NOT WANT YOU WANT, OR WHAT YOU IMAGINE WHAT YOU WANTED

Mickey had been gathering his nerves, he knew what he had to do, he was just terrified to do it.

Jeffrey Orabosa Otibor had just joined the school football team and he was just starting to build his cliqué.

Mickey knew that if he joined Jeff's clique, it would immediately catapult him from the bottom of the ladder to the middle at least.

Imagine walking with the new coolest person on the campus. Mickey was aiming for the top. He had a reason to be at the top and he was going to get there.

He had been stalking Jeff and his friends for the past week unable to approach them. So now, he was going to gear up the courage he needed.

Debbie always told him, that everyone needed a villain, so today he was going to be the villain in this story.

But what terrified the shit out of Mickey was that Jeff and his friends were a little violent, not a little violent, like very violent.

Sucking all the breath his lungs and gather, Mickey stood up and walked to Jeff's table, they were all laughing about something that Mickey thought was not so funny.

"Jeff, I need to speak to you for a moment," Mickey said.

Immediately, a whole lot of them started laughing. Mickey kept a straight face like whatever he had to say was serious and they were stupid to be laughing.

"In private, please," Mickey added.

And this time, they just laughed harder. Mickey remained there looking unbothered

"Have you lost your mind, Michael?" Jeff stood up trying to intimidate him.

"Oh, it's fine, if you want everyone here to know that the sport master is benching you for all..,"

Jeff moved very fast and covered Mickey's mouth, looking around to check if anyone heard him. They walked out of the dining hall and Jeff shoved at Mickey.

"Are you trying to blackmail me?" Jeff shoved him again, obviously angry. He grabbed Mickey's shirt and squeezed tightly around his throat.

"I can't blackmail you, eventually everyone will know that you have been bench for life,"

Immediately, Jeff let him go and Mickey rubbed his neck.

"What do you want, Michael?" Jeff asked.

"I can get you on the pitch," Mickey said, and Jeff immediately became attentive,

"How do you intend to do that?" Jeff asked.

"My mom is friends with the sport's master," Mickey said, "She is going to get me a spot on the team and the pitch, I'm going to tell her to get me your former spot, then, tell the coach to give you the spot, because I don't feel ready to play,"

Jeff was listening quite attentively, "what if it doesn't work?"

"Then, I'll tell my mom to outright buy you a spot on the pitch," Mickey said.

Jeff looked at Mickey, "Okay," Jeff said walking away.

"Do you not ask what I want in return? Do you think I am stupid and would just do things for you for free because you are popular?" Mickey laughed and started walking away.

Jeff ran and softly held him, Mickey smirked, "What do you want?"

Mickey turned to Jeff, "I want a special spot in your clique,"

"What!" Jeff let go of his arm fast, "that would be like ruining my social life,"

"See Jeffrey, you want to be a professional football player, scouts will be at the next game and you want to save your social life in this useless school, in exchange for a future you could have, it seems you have made your choice, and when everyone discovers that you have been benched, you will have no social life left," Mickey said walking away.

Mickey walked to the library, he preferred hiding out the library with Naya and Debbie. He hated classes but loved to read, he was at the top of his class academically, but in everything else, he was just closer to the bottom.

"How did it go?" Naya asked, overly excited, grinning from cheek to cheek.

"I don't think he took the bait," Mickey said.

"He did," Debbie said not taking her eyes off the book that she was reading, "Jeff is not very smart, he needs time to process and warm up to the idea, and because he is self-absorbed and obnoxious, he will come begging soon," Debbie continued reading her book.

"Congratulations! You deserve to get out of this hellhole," Naya said.

"What about you?" Mickey asked, "Senior Debbie is starting her final exams in a week, I'm finally making it up the social ladder, what about you, Naya? What are you going to do?" He was looking directly into her eyes.

Naya never thought about it, she never thought about what would happen. But since she had that talk with Tsema, it was obvious that she wanted to remain invisible, she wanted to stay at the bottom of the ladder, where she belonged.

She felt happier here, she felt free here, but she knew that happiness and freedom would not last because Mickey was going to get popular soon and Debbie was on her way to graduation, she would be all alone again.

She hugged Mickey and placed her head on his shoulder, "I'll do what I have always done, which is be fine,"

"Thank you for being there with me," Mickey whispered. She looked at him directly in the eyes and he was staring right at her with some kind of tension in the air. The tension that they hadn't noticed was there before.

Wale walked into the library and walked up to them and stared down at them. They didn't notice he was there.

"Ifunaya!" he said

Naya's heart skipped a beat, she was spooked, only one person called her name with that kind of pronunciation.

"What is going on here?" Wale asked.

Mickey looked at him and looked back at Naya. Wale and Mickey were in the same class, but Wale always acted superior to everyone in every way.

"I just found out that you haven't attended one class in three weeks or more, do you care to explain yourself?" Wale asked furiously, Naya turned to Mickey thinking, she was looking for some comfort from this everlasting torment.

"And you," Wale turned to Mickey, "can't you see we are having a conversation, don't you know how to excuse yourself," Mickey was still looking at Naya, "I said, walk away," Wale said with so much authority.

Mickey stood up and let Naya's hand go. Almost immediately, the bell rang Debbie grabbed Mickey and walked out of the Library.

"Let's go," Wale grabbed Naya's hand dragging her out of the Library, they walked for a while in the direction of the staff school.

Naya had never been to the staff school. It was beautiful, it was like a park with a playground. They had swings, slings, spinners, spring climbers, and climbers.

"Are we allowed to be here?" Naya protested.

He looked at her, immediately she stopped protesting. She got on a swing and exhaled.

She looked at the sky, and she could just feel relieved. And she just started crying, she felt so stupid. How long did she think that this would last? She was here on a playground with her best friend's boyfriend or ex-best friend but that didn't change anything.

"Have you ever brought her here?" Naya asked.

"No," he said, "this place is special to me,"

"Isn't she as special as this place?" Naya asked.

"Argh! Ifunaya why are we talking about her?" He flared up.

She jumped down from the swing, "You chose her over me, you made your choice, I begged you to believe me, I begged,"

"So what do you want me to do now?" He yelled.

"I want you to believe me," Naya held his shirt, "I can promise you, it's not what the situation looks like,"

"I am her boyfriend!" He yelled.

Naya let go of his shirt, he was right. She didn't have any tears left to cry.

"I understand," she whispered, "I understand, it's hard, it's complicated,"

She sat back on the swing, she moved her legs back and forth. He leaned into to kiss her and she moved her head away. She closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I think I need to leave," she got off the swing, smiled, and walked away.

She was done, she was so done. She left him there, and she started walking towards the hostel.

Like a moth drawn to light, Naya was attracted to a mob trying to lynch Esther.

It appears that the Gossip Girl had finally gotten into people's heads. It was something everyone referred to as death by stoning. They would keep hitting and chasing the person. One of two things could happen.

Number one, the mob would chase you until you faint. Number two, the mob completes the hostel rounds.

Naya tries to get the crowd to stop, by screaming and getting them to listen to reason.

What if Gossip Girl was wrong? Any of them could have been victims. They don't know who Gossip Girl is, yet they so fervently follow.

The whole crowd was so focused on Esther, that they forgot their sense of reasoning. The only way to make it out alive was to run.

Naya ran to the back of Esther and the front of the crowd, it was not until she was hit by a stone and blood ran from her forehead to her lip line that the mob gathered some sense.

"Y'all don't know who Gossip Girl is, but yet you prosecute people in her name, a scared nameless person is feeding us bad information and she is reacting, any of us could have been victims of the Gossip Girl, we have to find the Gossip Girl unless we could all be next, imagine being lynched for something you didn't do," she looked back at Esther, Naya was giving Esther time to regain her strength so that they could run.

But when she looked back, Esther was looking at something or someone too hard to be worried about the crowd, it was RM. Esther was looking directly at RM. That was the same look that had when Tsema was on the podium and she was looking at Wale. She begged and prayed that he would believe her. No, that was not it. She was begging and praying that he defend her, that he would tell her that Tsema was lying and that he knew her and there was no way that it was true.

That was the same look. Naya guessed some of it was true, then. When RM turned her back. Naya knew what Esther was feeling. It was like she was reliving the pain all over again. Inhaling and exhaling, the time started to move so slowly.

"Liar!" Someone in the crowd yelled, bringing Naya out of her trance, she bent down grabbed the hand of Esther, and started running. Esther was still looking back, hoping RM would look back at her.

They ran with the whole mob still chasing them. They got into a classroom and locked the door, while Naya made sure the class was safe enough that the mob couldn't get in.

Esther leaned on the wall and slid her back from the wall to the ground. She burst into tears. Naya turned back, Naya was sure that she wasn't crying about the mob but about the fact that RM didn't defend her. She didn't even need to be saved, she needed to defend her.

She just silently cried until the crowd dispersed and just started sleeping. Naya just sat on the chair, it was starting to get dark. The bell rang for dinner, which meant that everyone would be at the dining hall.

Naya held a knock on the door. She looked outside and it was Debbie. She was in her school bag. The school bag, they use in taking food out of the dining hall.

Naya opened the door. She locked it behind noisily. Esther jolted awake.

"Dinner is here!" Debbie announced with a smile on her face.

"I'm not hungry," Esther said.

Debbie bent down to Esther's level and chuckled, "You don't have to be hungry, you are at war, you need the energy to fight, and if you don't have the energy, it's only going to get worse,"

Debbie stood up and started getting the table ready, Esther stood up and joined them to eat. They all ate in absolute silence.

"Where is Senior Michael?" Naya asked, "I thought he was supposed to be joining us for dinner,"

Debbie scoffed and shook her head, "he might not be joining us for dinner anymore, or maybe ever again,"

"Why.." before Naya could finish her statement there was a huge bang on the door.

"Ifunaya, open the damned door!" It was Wale. Like why was he here? Naya looked at Debbie, who gave her that don't look at me look. Then, she looked at Esther who couldn't probably give a damn about why he was here.

Ifunaya stood up and unlocked the door, the first person to come through was RM, then Tim, Ola, Wale, and Bishop who left the door wide open.

RM bent down to look at Esther, who just looked away. Esther didn't forcefully shove her, she just was done.

Naya realized that Esther was smarter than she was. Esther had begged to be defended and when RM failed, she cried and was giving her space. But Naya always seemed to be angled in Wale, no matter what she did to try to sneak out of that position.

"You snuck food out of the dining hall," Wale yelled at Naya, he rubbed his forehead in exhaustion, and she turned back to look at him. She could hear the disdain in his voice.

Mario walked in with Tsema, they helped Esther up and took her to the school clinic. RM left with them and Ola followed them.

Naya noticed how Tim looked at Debbie, she didn't even spear him a glance, she just continued eating like the world was not on fire. He spent quite a long time looking at her, but she just seemed to be enjoying herself oblivious to him and her surroundings.

"I am disappointed in you, that means that Tilda was right, you were taking her food, it's not taking, it is stealing, Ifunaya, what were you thinking?"

Naya was about to explode, as she was about to speak, Debbie grabbed her hand, forcing her to stop, it hurt an awful lot.

Immediately, he left the classroom, Tim took one last look at Debbie who had continued eating.

"He thinks you are a thief, liar, and cheat and no amount of explaining can change that," Debbie said munching on her food.

"Or maybe she can stay away from him," Bishop disdainfully.

"Are you stupid? Can't you see he is the one who can't seem to stay away from her?" Debbie yelled.

Bishop hit the chair causing Naya a lot of fright, but Debbie just continued eating.

Naya's phone beeped, and she immediately looked at the screen. It was a message from the Councilor's Office. The Chronicles of Gossip Girl. Naya grabbed a seat.

"Hey besties!

How are you doing?

Well, me? I'm exhausted.

I don't want to fail, and I don't have enough strength for hard work, so yeah! The only option left is to quit.

Well! What is keeping me going is that finally, the mourning period will be over as Kehinde Omojola will be resuming tomorrow and her sister's final candlelight will be tomorrow.

That means after tomorrow, we don't have to be in a sober mood anymore.

Hurray!

Hurray guys! Finally, the mourning period is over.

Oh! While the mourning period has long been over for some of you because you guys tried to lynch Olajumoke Esther Adegite.

Oh gosh! Can y'all just be civil, please? We are not barbarians or are we?

While Timothy Uremu Agbale takes his eyes off the love of his life, so can't Rose-Mary Obehi Akhigbe, Akinwale Adetomiwa Williams, and Oritsema Gift Ofotokun. Everyone seems to be unable to look away.

Everyone is scared that what happened to Kehinde Omojola would happen to them. (Metaphorically of course) That while they are not looking, at life, someone or something might snatch the real love of their life.

Tim, I think you already lost her, you made your choice, you picked what you thought you wanted and forgot about how you felt. Sad! But true.

If you had picked her, you would have hated her in the long run, because she is not what you wanted or whatever image you painted in your head of what you wanted.

Wale, I think you are going to lose, the one you love. I just know you will.

Tsema, I think you have lost the one you love, but not the one who loves you.

However, since we are ending the mourning period, it is good to start with some great news and some shocking news.

The match has been fixed and congratulations to us in CGCBAB, cause we will be playing MQCK in the first football match of the session. That sounds like a super easy win.

Well, if you are not yet surprised, then I am about to shock you, Michaelangelo Odosa Akpovire has made the football team and not only that, he will be taking Bishop Lawani Akanbi's spot on the field as a midfielder.

And you thought I was done friends, Michael has just joined the second largest most important clique in CGCBAB, you guessed right Jeffrey Orabosa Otibor's clique.

Michael just went from being on the bottom ladder to almost at the top. Well, you don't believe in miracles, start believing, 'cause Michael just made it possible.

Well just remember that your favorite best friend is watching, has always been watching, and will always be watching.

XOXO Gossip Girl."

Naya looked up puzzled.

"I told you, Michael will not be able to make it to dinner," Debbie said finally finishing her meal.

She picked up her school bag and looked at Naya, "Things are about to get worse in CGCBAB, get rid of that hero complex, before it gets you killed,"

Debbie removed a Band-Aid kit from her bag and dropped it on the table. Naya had totally and completely forgotten that she had been bleeding from her head.

"And yeah, if you don't want to get your hopes crushed, stay away from Michael, he is one of them now," Debbie said and walked out of the class, into the night.