FLEX FRIDAY💖. MY PERFECT ARTIST.

Quick shout out to you Oluwasola Blessing BB even as you add a year today by the Grace of God😍😚 

CHAPTER 1

     Caleb West took a few books out of his locker into his school bag and put the school bag behind him. As he closed his locker, Lisa was leaning on the locker next to his, facing him. "What, Lisa?" Caleb asked. "Are you sure you don't have a crush on me?" Lisa asked slowly and quietly. Caleb smiled a little "I should be asking you that, you seem to like me a lot" he said and they both started down the hall out the school building. It was closing hour so the hall was a little crowded.

      "Are you hungry?" Lisa asked. "Why?" Caleb asked. "I'm cold and hungry" Lisa shivered a little under her cream coloured cardigan. "What'd you suggest then?" Caleb asked. Lisa hesitated "We could go to maximus and have hot noodles" she replied slowly. Caleb looked at her "You really want to do that?" He asked. Lisa shrugged "Why not?" She asked, pushing her wine braid behind her right hair. "You know your mom" Caleb said, looking forward again. "She won't be there yet" Lisa replied. "The restaurant is hers, she could come in anytime and make a fuss with my mother, and I hate my mother's rantings" Caleb said. "Argh, forget it" Lisa sighed. Caleb smirked "I had plans to forget it anyways" he said. Lisa looked at him regretfully. "I'm leaving" she said and walked ahead of him out of the school.

      Lisa got out of the school building and walked towards a row of packed motorcycles at the left side of the school compound. "Hey Lisa" Luke called her. Lisa turned to him with a wave. He was by his motorcycle with two other classmates. "Hey" Lisa replied. "Leaving already?" He asked. "Yeah" Lisa nodded. "Do you need a ride?" He asked. "I brought mine, thank you" Lisa said with a little smile and headed for hers.Lisa lived in the last house at the end of the town and so needed a compulsory ride to get home.

     Lisa Obla was the last child of her parents and the only girl in Tegavis accustomed with always wearing wine braids. She was fifteen years and lived with her older brother, Julius and her mother as her father passed away when she was four years old. She never got along well with her mother because she refused to befriend anyone else in the town except Caleb, so she was always either with Caleb or her brother or by herself.

      Florence Hooke cleared table 5 in Teeny, her mother's restaurant. Whenever she was less busy, she always loved helping out in the restaurant. Table 5 was one of the tables beside the glass wall of the restaurant and so the outside could be seen from there. As she carried the tray, she saw Caleb walking past the restaurant. Flo hurried to the inner kitchen and dropped the tray, the other workers were in there. She loosened the pink apron on her waist "I'm leaving for a while" she said and hung the apron. "I thought you were staying longer today" One of the workers said. "I just need to go somewhere quick" Flo replied and left.

     Flo got out of Teeny and looked to her right. She could still see Caleb, he wasn't walking as fast as he usually did. She jogged towards him and bumped into him with a smile. "Careful" Caleb said, looking back quickly. "Sorry" Florence said. "That was intentional?" He asked with a little smile. Flo nodded "Yes" she said. "Did you just leave school?" She asked as they kept walking. "Yes, I had extra work to do" Caleb nodded.

"And your glued?" Flo asked

Caleb smiled "She left closing hour"

"I thought she'd be glued till you leave school"

"She doesn't work thay way" Caleb shrugged.

"She just comes and goes anytime she wants, but she's still glued to you"

"I'm not complaining, and I definitely have no problem with that" 

Flo looked at him "People come and go" she said. Caleb looked up from the floor he was fixed on. He looked at her "Regardless, you know who cares" he said and looked ahead again.

     "Anyway, are you preparing for the competition?" Flo asked. Caleb was a little surprised. "Which?" He asked. Flo was surprised he didn't know about it. "The one on Saturday, something about arting" Flo replied. "I don't really fancy competitions" Caleb shrugged. "I think you should go for it, you draw so well" Flo said. Caleb looked at her, unsure of what to say. "Okay, I should get back now. I'm telling you before leaving, and I do care" Flo said. "Thanks for caring" Caleb smiled as Flo turned back.

     "Julius" Lisa yelled as she climbed the porch of her house. She opened the door, Julius was sitting in the dining room opposite and visible from the entrance door. "What's the matter?" He didn't look up at her from the books he was reading on the dining table. He knew nothing was the matter with Lisa, buh she loved his attention. "Nothing" Lisa said with a smile, putting off her shoes and placing it on a mat close to the door. "How's study?" She asked and put on her slippers. "It's going well. How was school?" Julius asked. "Boring" Lisa said. "I'm cold and hungry" she said walking past the sitting room to the dining room. "Drop your bag in the room" Julius said. Lisa ignored him, she didn't want to go her room yet. "Where's mother?" She asked. "The saloon, she's travelling tomorrow" Julius said and finally looked up from his book. Lisa sat opposite him. "Is Caleb entering the competition on Saturday?" Julius asked. "I forgot to ask?" Lisa said a little regretfully. "And he didn't bring it up?" Julius asked. "I'm not sure he knows about it. He doesn't like competitions" Lisa said. 

"He should really give it a try" 

"I can try persuading him, he'll probably go to the library this evening" 

 "He quit going to maximus?" 

"Because of mother" Lisa sighed

Julius nodded slowly. "Aren't you hungry? Make something to eat" Julius asked, as if remembering. 

Lisa smiled heartily "I know I'm disturbing your study, but since I'm a good sister who is very hungry, I'll take your advise. Lisa stood, her bag on the chair. "You're a darling" Julius said and turned to his book again.

CHAPTER 2

     Tegavis was a small town. Driving end to end took about 45 minutes. The town was little, and though not everyone knew each other, everyone must have heard of each other. At the entrance of the town was the Mayor's house and office, and the end of the town was the Obla house.

     The central secondary school was vista high, attended by most students in the town. Aside Vista high was one other secondary school and two primary schools. Vista high was the largest building in Tegavis, and by it's left was the only town library, Swot. By the right of Vista high was a major road, and crossing the road was Teeny, a soup, drink and pastries only restaurant owned by Fiona Hooke, Florence's mother.

    Lisa packed her books quickly into her faded brown shoulder bag. Her eyes were partly fixed on Caleb's figure as he was walking out of the library. Lisa hurried out of the library. It was Thursday and so the library was a little packed. She hurried towards Caleb who was almost infront of the school building. "Caleb" she called. He seemed to be walking fast. He turned and she waved. He waved to signify he could see her and stopped walking till she got to him. The cloud was getting darker and it was likely to rain any moment.

     "You were in the library?" Caleb asked. "I had assignments" Lisa said. "They weren't that many" Caleb said as they started walking past the school. "Either way" Lisa replied. "It's six, shouldn't you hurry home?" Caleb asked, a little concerned. Lisa looked up at the sky "It'll rain soon" she said. "Where's your bike?" Caleb asked. "Under a shade in the school compound" she said and faced him. "You're not in a hurry right?" She asked. "Why?" He asked. "Let's get tea" she said and walked ahead of him towards the road, that way, she could avoid his opposition. Caleb dropped the thought of arguing that she had to get home early and followed her.

    When Caleb and Lisa entered Teeny, it was almost empty because of the rain that would begin soon. "I'll make the order, get a table" Caleb said to Lisa. "Thank you" Lisa replied and Caleb went over to the counter. Lisa took her seat at table 5 from where she could see the outside view.

Caleb returned from the counter and sat opposite Lisa. "You have something to say?" He asked. "Did you hear about the competition?" Lisa asked. "Flo told me about it this afternoon" Caleb said. "So you've heard of it" Lisa said.

Caleb nodded.

"Julius asked if you were going to join" 

"You all sure speak of me in your house" Caleb said with a little smile.

"No doubt" Lisa shrugged.

"Well I don't really like competitions" Caleb sobered.

"Doesn't mean you can't join" Lisa shrugged.

A waitress appeared in the Teeny uniform, a small bright pink top with Teeny written with dark green thread on the upper left chest, black trousers and a baby pink apron round her waist. On the tray she was holding was a medium sized transparent jug filled with tea, two mugs and a small plate of puff pastries. She arranged them carefully on the table. "Thank you" Caleb said as she she left.

     Lisa picked up the jug. "When we met in second year..." she started as she poured tea into the two mugs "...Flo and I just transferred to Vista high. Both of us were alone in class and you were drawing on the board" Lisa dropped the jug. Caleb took his mug. "I remember" he said. "You spoke with me because of that" he added and took his tea. "Yes, you remember. So what basically brought us together was your talent" Lisa said. Caleb looked at her for a while "You really want me to join the competition?" He asked. "Yes" Lisa replied quickly. Caleb dropped his mug. "Hurry, you need to go home soon" he nodded to the puff pastries infront of her. Lisa put two puffs in her mouth and looked at the clock on the wall above the counter. "It's twenty two minutes past six" Lisa said. "Still, your mom" Caleb said and picked a puff. Lisa looked alarmed "Are you perherps in love with my mother?" Lisa asked. Caleb was taken startled by her question and he chuckled. "What's with you and love today?" He asked. "You keep bringing my mother up like you don't wan her to have hypertension or something" Lisa added and took more tea. "It's you I'm worrying for, she'll pour all her aggression on you. You don't satisfy her enough as it is" Caleb eyed her.

     Florence approached them with her apron on. "Caleb" she called. "Hi Florence" he replied. Florence turned to Lisa. "Hi Lisa" she said with a little smile. Lisa spread her lips into a fake smile "Hello" she replied. Florence handed the blue rain coat she was holding to Caleb. "Thank you" Caleb said and took it and Florence left.

      "What's that?" Lisa asked Caleb. "A raincoat, for you" he replied. "Why?" Lisa smirked a little. "It's drizzling a lot outside already, and you have to drive for about 20 minutes before you get home" Caleb said. "I don't want it" Lisa leaned her back against her chair. "You're the one who complains a lot of cold" Caleb remarked. Lisa put the last puff in her mouth. "Whatever, drop me at home" Caleb said. "Do you want more tea?" Lisa asked. "No, thank you" Caleb leaned back and watched her. Lisa added a little more tea into her mug and took it in a gulp. She looked at him with a wide smile. "Let's go" she said and they both stood with thier bags.

     Lisa and Caleb stood on Teeny's porch, looking at the rain. "Lisa" Caleb called. Lisa turned to him. "You really think I should join the competition?" He asked. "Yes" Lisa nodded. "It's just a day's competition, and it's the first in this town" Lisa added. Caleb stretched the raincoat towards her. Lisa looked from the raincoat to him. "What?" She asked. "Wear it" he said. Lisa looked away "Forget it" she said. "Wear it, then I'll join the competition" Caleb said. Lisa looked at him, surprised. "Is that even a condition to do anything?" She asked. "That's my condition" he shrugged.

 "Argh" Lisa looked at the rain again. She looked back at him and cleared her throat. "I know the competition doesn't matter to you, that's why your condition's absurd, but since I really want you to join the competition, and my wearing the raincoat wouldn't hurt me, rather,  it'll protect me, at least a little..." She paused and took the rain coat from him. "...I'll wear it, and you'll enter the competition first thing tomorrow" she said. Caleb nodded with a smile. "You really trust me, don't you?" He asked. "You can't ditch me and not join the competition" Lisa said firmly.