De Nelson's Senior High Book 2 - Decisions

Chapter 3- Death

" I have friends there."

" I know, it's hard but if it involves your safety you might have to let go."

" What if I don't want to?" Ciarra asked. Jasmine thought about it and parked on the curb getting out of her seat and joining her in the backseat.

" You need to talk to somebody Junior, I know you are very good at making everything seem fine and I'm sure most of your friends think you're fine but you're not. And you might need to take a step back and figure this all out."

" Papa's going to homeschool me again." She sniffed back a tear, " All my life, you guys have been shielding me from everything. I was homeschooled till I was twelve for crying out loud. I was so excited to be in a real school with real kids my age. Even then you guys were always monitoring me. For the first time I was somewhere I didn't have to feel being watched. This is the first time I've had any other girlfriends other than Rufidat. I get that you all want me safe but you guys can't always do that."

Jasmine thought deeply about what Ciarra said and she realized how much suffocated her little sister must have felt all these years. She was right, she had only one female friend and she actually met Rufidat when she started attending school. It must have been weird trying to make friends, because she obviously had no social skills and they hadn't realized that to even help her out. Jasmine realized Ciarra must have had to relearn a whole lot of things.

" I've never asked this and it might be too late but I'll still ask, how was your first day at Plus Academy?"

That question brought back so many memories. She remembered walking out of the administration block after her Dad was done with the principal and had left. She intuitively took everything in, the surroundings, and the energy. A couple of her age mates walked in a group whispering to each other and laughing. She hadn't been in a uniform before so she felt quite uneasy but got over it soon. All her life she hadn't had to wear socks, not even back in France, now here she was in black ballerina flats and white socks. She loved them.

She walked towards the Junior high block getting weird stares the entire time. Was she making it look that obvious that this was her first time in a junior high school? Turns out they were all staring because she looked very foreign.

A group of rowdy boys passed by with two impeccably dressed boys not joining in on the loud prattle ensuing. One of them glanced at her, stared for at least three seconds before turning his attention back to his friends. She wanted to ask for directions to her class. It was difficult in a country where everyone spoke English instead of French. She studied English so she could make up sentences but not too clearly and without the accent.

Even those who helped out would laugh. It was so weird until she noticed that same boy constantly staring at her across the cafeteria where she sat with Rufidat during recess. Occasionally he'd grin at her, he was in her class but never spoke. She asked Rufidat who he was in the subsequent days and Rufidat suddenly becomes giddy about it.

He was so nosy sometimes. In class he would glance from behind her at her work and correct her on all words spelt in french like Novembre instead of November. It was annoying at first but she realized he was trying to help. He was Kylian Nana Kwabena Johnson V.

As she narrated everything to Jasmine, Jasmine couldn't help but notice how she lighted up everytime she spoke about him.

" So you guys talk about everything?"

" Not really, he also has a lot of stuff he's dealing with at home so I don't want to do that."

" So you love Kobby Johnson?"

" He also thinks so but I think I need to grow up to be sure because we're both pretty young."

" Now you sound like a grandma." Jasmine teases getting them to laugh.