Ninola 'Deleke
Why does it feel like I walked into a madhouse?
Did a villain invade Nigeria and attack their school, it won't surprise me with everything that's happened recently.
It won't shock me at all.
But still what villain sprays everyone with crying gas? Oluwa Ejor (God please), what's happening here?
Arthur beat me to it. "What the fuck?" Yes, that summed it perfectly.
What the fuck? What is fucking happening? Why is everyone crying? Even the Munachi, why was a girl crying on one of Arthur's friends?
Is she his sister?
No.. She pulled back from hugging him and suddenly kissed him.
... Nawa oh, abeg. No sister kisses her brother.
What's going on. Arthur held my hand again and I remembered how minutes ago I was the one crying on his body.
Minutes ago, I'd confessed and... Tried vulnerability. He better not make me regret.
He just hugged me while chanting. "You're not weak. You're not weak" And I don't know if it's because he was stroking my head but.. I believed him.
I believed every word, I believed he actually did like me. I believed he wanted me to be his girlfriend so I whispered "Yes"... And no other word needed to be said.
So coming out of the tents and here, meeting this scene was so... Weird.
Rooney stood up and Munachi scooted over to her friends. They hugged her. Silvana. She hugged her.
Nonso stared at me and stood up.
And I realized how tall he truly was. He was ... Omo. Tall and looked like a gangster. The black American gangster type with his dread like hair and his light beards.
He made my heart thump in my chest as he walked closer, slowly or maybe I was imagining things now.
He was... Owning the air around him. Muscular but just enough.
He was... Hot.
"Guy" Arthur snapped me out and prevented me from drooling on his friend.
"Guy" Rooney and Nonso said together.
My heart felt like it was about to explode with the way it was pounding.
"Chiamaka got drunk—"
"Fuck." Arthur muttered. "She can't hold her alcohol, why did she?"
"Dude, forget all that. She.. Ambushed Kenneth, Rooney and everyone and basically said she's always loved Kenneth, can you imagine. She and Kenneth. Did you know about that?"
... Why would he? Una dey mad?
"Yes. I've forgotten who said it.. Or when but there was a time you guys said Chiamaka started a rumor around them both and almost made them fight. I looked into it. She never admitted but... She didn't need to. I know she loved Kenneth"
"Then why una go know all these yet still dey sleep with am (why would you know all these and still sleep with her)"
He's also slept with this Chiamaka?
I yanked my hand out and walked away from him. I felt like slapping him.
How many people has he slept with? How dare him?
I could feel them staring at me. I didn't care
"Oou, feisty when jealous. Perfect match" Rooney said.
"Like you know him at all. She's not his type" Nonso snickered.
I scowled.
•••
"Hey, we were looking for you guys" Munachi talked to me. I nodded at her.
"Were you guys fucking? You're Arthur's new girl right?" The Chiamaka turned and glared at me.
"Guess a leopard can't lose its print" One... Guy, who looked like a woman said
"Williams!" A girl... Who looked manly whispered sharply besides him.
I stared at both of them.. Before returning back to the Chiamaka. I could handle her. Handle whatever.
"Enjoy it while it lasts. If you're not Munachi no man can ever love you, especially not those two! It doesn't last. It won't last. Count down till he gets bored of you. The same way they get bored of who they fuck! He'd get bored of you!"
A threat or a warning? .. Whatever. I couldn't handle that.
So it was like a gush of wind blew me back.
"Amaka!" Kenneth chastised. She giggled.
"What? It's the truth.. I'm just letting her know. "
"Why are you doing this? You're not like this. You can drop this front. "
"What the fuck are you talking about Numb?" Chiamaka said and stumbled off the man.
She wobbled close to Munachi and poured the sparkling drink down her throat.
Did she call her numb? Huh?
"I'm not Numb any more. And now neither are you the mean girl. No one is going to harm you. You don't have to harm them first. " Munachi stood up and stared at her.
Everyone immediately started whispering.
Like it was an unusual magic.
"Shut up bitch. Who do you think you are. "
"Amaka!" Kenneth stood up too.
"Stop it Amaka. "
"Now even you too protect her! What's so special about her?? What does she have that I don't! I want to understand. I need to understand" She yanked at her wig and pulled it off. I noticed people recording us.
I noticed expensive iPhones recording... And saw the three boys walk back.
Her words.. Stroke a chord within me. It felt relatable. Understandable.
I'm on her side, I'm betting my money on her if they fight. I want them to fight.
"Wait. I remember. Arthur said it years ago. He said I'm not special. I think he even called me a bitch... Just because I saw them hiding outside the cafeteria. Just because I saw her being a slut too with him. A slut like I am too. We're both sluts so why is she so special!" I stared at Arthur. Confused.
He looked down.
"You're special Chiamaka. I'm sorry I've made you feel less than you are."
"Shut up! It's too late! Too late! Fuck you. I'm less now because I believed you all. I compared myself and fell short. Nothing I ever did was enough. Standing next to her I was second place. Third even. That's why I couldn't stand being around her. I hate you Munachi Odumba. I hate your existence. I wish you died in that accident. "
"Shut the fuck up. Now!" Rooney screamed.
"Don't you fucking go there. " He towered over her..
I turned to look at Munachi.
... What accident?
"The first or the second huh? Which accident? The one I lost the only motherly figure who loved me back then? The one I lost my grandparents? My grandmother because she exchanged my life for hers or the one I almost lost Rooney because I couldn't protect him? The one I lost all motion in my hand? The one that should've left Rooney paralyzed? Which? Because you have to be specific"
Everyone gasped and I found myself gasping.
... Now I felt guilty.
For being jealous. For hating her and thinking her life had been a platter of gold.
"Well be fucking specific? Because while you're wishing I died. Someone connived to kill me. Someone connived to kill us. Someone who I thought was my friend connived with someone who tried to fucking rape me! Someone who released fabricated fake nude pictures of me! That! " She shouted.. Munachi shouted..
I saw my self stepping back.
Kenelum was the only one who looked amused.. "Now, now that's the demon who slapped and punched me many years ago. Chiamaka has released that demon. This should be fun"
... What?
Munachi almost swirled with the way she turned round with her right hand index finger outstretched.
She was pointing at the crowd staring and gasping.
"That! You all spread out. Spread out spread out! I almost got rusticated from university! My IG comments are turned off because everyone kept commenting " You should be ashamed of yourself not posting pictures"
I've been dining with the devil, I celebrated with the devil who planned it all! So tell me.. Tell me! No fucking tell me! Why do you think I'm special? Why? If I was so special tell me why my own mother didn't love me! Tell me why we had to suffer that much because of me! Tell me! Tell me what makes me special? I was bullied!
Fucking bullied by you all! All of you! Especially you!" She pointed at Chiamaka.
"I was called Numb and all sorts. Rumors flew I was cutting. False rumors. Everyone didn't want to touch me. No one talked to me. Because you'd all decided I was weird because I was overly quiet, because I was depressed in junior secondary school. You all decided I was weird. And bullied me.
If I was so special! Like you say. Would any of these happened? " Her voice cracked and suddenly her two best friends were hugging her tight.
She was... Bullied?
Almost raped?
Someone planned to kill her? She knew that person?
... She's also being cyber bullied.
... Her hand was paralyzed.
I step back again and realized only then Arthur was behind me.
"Are you okay?" He asked..
I turned back and hugged him.
"God forgive me. If you're real forgive me. Forgive me...
Forgive me"
❤❤
😿
How did this chapter make you feel? Feels climatic to me.
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