The Externals Reloaded - Chapter Thirteen

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In response to the dubious offer Dare gave the girls, Khadijat spat on his face, grabbed Lily's hand and they both ran out of the homeroom to join the crowd in the school hall, such that Dare wasn't able to catch a glimpse of them and immediately they ran home when the fellowship was over. Unfortunately, Lily had to return because she forgot her maths textbook and needed it to continue her lesson with Nurse Zara.

Fortunately, she didn't come across Dare or any other student of Johnson's college when she went back. She was almost going out of the school gate peacefully when the thought of checking the lab to know if it was open crossed her mind. Doing this was hard because she had been told it was Dare's makeout spot yet she decided to give it a try, hoping it would put an end to her predicament. As she got to the library, she saw Dare telling Quinn the lab's guidelines through its window. She also found out Dare was supposed to help him with the practical but couldn't because he had a house party to attend.

On her way back to the hospital, Lily thought of coming to school at the same time Quinn was going to appear there for the practical and begged him to help her. Then again, she pleaded with the thought to leave her, knowing the kind of person he was but it stayed with her all night, till sunrise. She tried pushing it away with hot tea, made from the provisions people got her dad whenever they visited him, yet, it didn't go away. So, thirty minutes after the time Quinn said he'd start the practical, she wore a purple tee shirt with horizontal lines of a darker shade with dark jeans, told nurse Zara what was going on, and walked out of the hospital.

When Lily got to Johnson College, the gateman didn't allow her enter until she told him her purpose of visiting, since it wasn't a school day and she wasn't a real student of the school. And of course, she had to lie that Quinn was her lab partner. Else, he wouldn't have allowed her to join him. Then again, she expected Quinn to question her in the lab but he kept mute. Even though no one was around, he still treated her like she didn't exist. Despite feeling hurt, she said nothing either.

Quinn was there when their class teacher announced that the science students of Grace College weren't allowed in the lab and he knew Lily was one, yet he allowed her. Besides, he didn't deserve to be there but Mrs. Pat's influence enabled him use the lab alone during nonschool hours without any supervision, though he was no lab expert. He expected Lily to handle her practical well since she had displayed the traits of a genius during the week but had to finally speak up when she was about to blow up the whole place.

"No, don't do that! I don't wanna die yet. Not in Nigeria of all places!" Quinn yelled at Lily who was about to add concentrated bromine to a reaction.

"Were you referring to me?" Lily was dumbfounded yet glad he finally spoke. The butterflies in her tummy whose amount she wasn't sure had a field dance over his flawless American accent.

"Yes", Quinn returned to what he was doing, trying to avoid further conversation with her.

"What should I do now?" Lily was breathing heavily because she was scared of making the wrong move. Besides, she was speaking with Quinn!

"What's the essence of you being a genius then?" Quinn regretted saying that immediately it came out of his mouth because it darkened Lily's eyeballs.

Lily didn't know what to say this time.

"You should do better as an assistant", Quinn said to make it up to her. Then she took a deep breath to ease her racing heart as she moved to his side.  

Lily performed better as an assistant than Quinn had thought in which Quinn was indeed impressed even though he didn't say it out. Before Quinn could say jack, she had already known what tool to give him. Moreover, she knew the right place to position his phone camera so it could record what they were doing well. So at the end of the day, they ended up doing more than one practical. They enjoyed working with each other so much that they lost track of time.

As the clouds began to darken, JC's security warden who planned on spending the night in his office to avoid his wife troubling him for food money at home was needed at the hospital because she was about to put to bed. Before zooming off the school compound, he at least remembered to lock the school's building and main gate but forgot Quinn and Lily were still inside. Unfortunately, Quinn's phone had died by the time they wanted to return home because aside recording numerous videos, they also used it for research and it wasn't even 100% charged when Quinn brought it to school. On the other hand, Lily had forgotten her phone at the hospital as she was hurrying to leave.

For these reasons, they were both stuck in Johnson College, alone and confused. At least, they were lucky there was electricity supply so they weren't stuck in darkness. If Quinn had brought his charger, he could have easily charged his phone but he didn't. Besides, none of the chargers some students and teachers forgot fitted his phone's charging port. Sitting with Lily alone and having nothing else to do tempted him greatly to start an unofficial conversation - which he didn't want. Lily was also trying to determine the best word she could use in starting a conversation with him even though she wasn't so sure if that was a good idea.