De Nelson's Senior High

Chapter 29

Heather struggles with the hook and loop on her skirt until she realized the loop wasn't there,
" Ash, I think I'll be needing a safety pin. " She calls out to Ashanti who takes off the diamond studded gold broach on her shirt and helped her fasten it to her skirt.

" Better, now take your comb, we'll comb your hair on the walk there." Ashanti tells her before recollecting what the house prefect had told her to tell Anita when she went for the keys.

" Oh Sister Anita, Sister Genevieve says Sister Serwah and Sister Ida can't be at the chapel doors anymore. She says you should do something about it."

Anita groans in irritation, " I am a dorm prefect not the protocol prefect for crying out loud. She can't keep giving me such impromptu assignments!!"

" Sorry." Ashanti tries to sympathize.

" Hey, Ashanti, Ciarra... can you do me a favor?"

" Huh?" Ciarra asks.

" You'll be at the Eastern door of the chapel and Ashanti on the southern doors." Anita pouts and asks.

" I don't think I have the capacity to write down the names of tardy students that will most likely include my seniors." Ciarra complains running a brush through her hair.

" Me neither, people are gonna start hating me." Ashanti points out as she searched for Heather's shoes from under their bed.

" Come on guys, I can't ask anyone else. Veronica will surely not do it." Veronica clicks her tongue in response, "Faye and Healenore don't look intimidating enough and Kweiba, Efua, Healenore, Mae and Sarah won't even last because they all lose interest in stuff easily. Heather is on the choir. You know your seniors wouldn't want to do it either so please help me out here." Anita pleads looking hopefully at the two girls.

" You know I would love to, but there are just some people I wouldn't want to have an encounter with in this school." Ivy walks up to her and rests a reassuring hand on her shoulder and said with a warm honest smile before walking out.

" I can't do this, I will have to see the faces of some very irritating people and I don't think I'll be able to hold back my anger." Ashanti also points out.

" Come on, you're gonna do great. This is Nelson, what could happen?" Anita shrugs still trying to convince them.

" Exactly the reason why." Ciarra says, patting her on the shoulder before pulling her grey scarf off her headboard and throwing it over her shoulders. She also picks up Kobby's shirt which she had neatly folded into a plastic bag and shoved it into her sling bag.

" Serwah handled it perfectly, come on guys, don't make me beg. If I had other options, I wouldn't be asking you." Anita pouts which really got to them.

" Fine." They both agreed, " But remember, you owe us one Sister Anita." Ciarra says and walks out.

Heather slips on her shoes and also picks up her scarf and threw it around her neck. Veronica used hers as a shawl and they all stepped out unto the balcony and headed for the stairs as Anita locked up. They had been hit by the frigidly cold atmosphere outside when they had all gone out to get their chores done, that was when they realised the importance of the grey scarf that was added to their uniform package. It got insanely cold when it rains up there and even the school's thin grey prescribed cardigans were not enough.

Veronica, who worked near the pantry had also had a hectic morning since the front view of the dinning hall had dirt grounds that looked mushy and sloshy from the excess rain water and that was where she was assigned to sweep by hook or crook. To make matters worse, there was a huge Neem tree there that constantly shed its leaves onto the ground and though it was irritating to sweep them every morning since they always either flew away after gathering them from sweeping, or more fell off the tree as you gathered your rubbish, this morning's was worse.