**Chapter 2: "The Teasing Begins"**

The days went by, and Nigee's attempts to get Amari's attention only grew more persistent. He would often sneak glances at her in class, his eyes lingering on her bright smile and sparkling eyes. Amari, sensing his gaze, would feel a shiver run down her spine, and she would quickly look away, trying to focus on the lesson at hand. One day, as they were walking to their next class, Nigee decided to take a different approach. Instead of trying to be friendly, he started to tease Amari, making fun of her appearance and annoying her in various ways. "Hey, Amari, I heard you're so light-skinned, you need to wear sunscreen just to walk outside," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Amari's eyes narrowed, and she spun around to face him. "What's wrong with you, Nigee?" she asked, her voice low and menacing. "Can't you just leave me alone?" Nigee chuckled, trying to play it off as a joke. "I'm just trying to lighten the mood, Amari," he said, his eyes glinting with mischief. But Amari wasn't amused. She quickened her pace, trying to get away from Nigee and his annoying comments. Nigee, however, was relentless. He continued to make jokes at her expense, trying to get a rise out of her. As the days went by, Nigee's teasing became more frequent. He would make fun of Amari's clothes, her hair, and even her friends. Amari, tired of his antics, started to avoid him altogether. She would take a different route to class, hoping to avoid running into him. But Nigee was everywhere, and Amari couldn't escape him. He would sit behind her in class, making silly faces and noises, trying to get her to crack a smile. Amari, however, was resolute. She refused to give him the satisfaction of getting a reaction out of her. Their classmates started to take notice of the tension between them. Some students found Nigee's jokes entertaining, while others thought he was being mean-spirited. Amari, meanwhile, was growing increasingly frustrated. She didn't understand why Nigee couldn't just leave her alone. One day, as they were in class, Nigee started to make fun of Amari's favorite book. "Oh, Amari, I heard you like that book because it's got a lot of 'deep' themes," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I mean, who needs to read about racism and oppression when you can just live it, right?" Amari's eyes flashed with anger, and she turned to face him. "Shut up, Nigee," she said, her voice low and deadly. "You have no idea what you're talking about." The class fell silent, and Nigee's smile faltered for a moment. But then, he grinned again, trying to play it off as a joke. "Hey, I'm just trying to keep it real, Amari," he said, his eyes glinting with mischief. Amari shook her head, disgusted. She didn't know what Nigee's problem was, but she was determined to avoid him from now on. Little did she know, Nigee's teasing was just a manifestation of his secret crush on her. And as the days went by, his feelings for her would only grow stronger.