This chapter is dedicated to Riri_Writes_.Please go check out her book; Behind Her Smile: Her Plight.Shower her with lots of love and support too, she deserves it😍😍.
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"Them no dey tell person,
you go learn your own lesson."
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-Burna Boy
(Ja Ara E)
Kesiena
I groaned and ran a hand over my hair.
"Kes, leave this thing first,let's go to school," Majid said.
I stared round at my self-ransacked room.
"When was the last time you saw it?"Phineas asked.
"I dunno, man,"I answered.
I was looking for my ring.
When my mother's business started gaining prominence, she'd bought us a matching pair, as a sign that we were starting a new life.
I always wear mine and so does she.
I didn't know it was gone until last week when Majid asked why I wasn't wearing it.
Then my frantic searching began.
"We're gonna be late if we stay any longer, and you're Head Boy," Majid said, glancing at the Swiss Aid timepiece on his left wrist.
I let out a sigh.
"Come on Kes, it'll probably turn up soon," Phineas said.
We went downstairs and filed into Phineas' car.
"What in the-?" Majid said, squinting at his phone.
"What?" Phineas and I chorused.
"Janice is texting me," he said.
"Enhen? What's wrong with that?"
"I don't like her," he deadpanned.
"Bro, she's Ola's girlfriend, at least tolerate her," Phineas said.
I nodded, then tapped Phineas."We're picking Archie up."
He made a right and drove down.
Archie stood waiting in front of his gate.
"Wassup, Archibald?" I asked, giving him a handshake as he slid into the back where I was.
He adjusted his Prada glasses."I'm good."
Archie was your typical quiet, smart boy.
We became friends after he helped me with Science in JSS2, bonding over our love for sci-fi movies, especially the Star Wars franchise.
"May the Force be with you," I said.
"And also with you," he replied.
"Yeah, yeah, the Force is rising or whatever," Phineas mumbled.
"Wonderful," Majid said, eyes fixed on his phone.
"What?" we all chorused again.
"Have you read the news? Apparently Tunde Adeleke is planning to escape from jail," he said.
I shuddered at the name.
Tunde Adeleke.
Son of the late, great Bode Adeleke.
Serial killer arrested and jailed for the murder of over 10 teenagers at his younger sister's house party.
"News from where?" I asked.
"Our school newspaper."
"How does Sebastian know all this stuff anyway?" Phineas asked.
"His father, Silas Soyinka owns SSBC and is in charge of the news and media industry in the country," Archie explained.
"Is it true, though? Could Tunde Adeleke actually be planning to escape?" Phineas almost whispered.
"It was kinda expected from the beginning. I mean, his family is way up in the social hierachy. He'll be out of there by just flashing money in the authorities' faces; you know how our country is," Majid said.
"Those girls who caught him will have to watch their backs, if that's the case," Archie said.
Funny thing was that Tunde Adeleke was revealed as the murderer by five SS1 girls in our school's sister school, Elysian Heights Academy, about 2 years ago.
"If I was him, I wouldn't get revenge on them directly. I'll make them scared, threaten them indirectly, that sort of thing. Tunde Adeleke must have had a specific purpose for what he did if you ask me. I also think he wanted to be caught," Majid said.
"What do you mean?" Phineas asked, eyes fixed on the road.
"Imagine you kill someone. A clean murder, no messy shit.You cover all your tracks. You even cover the tracks your tracks made. And you're able to go months without getting caught. Then what? You just get figured out? Either your plan wasn't fool proof enough or you wanted to get caught for reasons best known to you. I believe it's the latter in Tunde's case,"Majid explained.
I nodded, more out of respect for my friend than understanding of what he'd just said.
Majid's aesthetic was obviously dark academia.
He was all trenches coats and mugs of coffee.
We jokingly called him 'grandpa' because of his old fashioned tastes.
I call him Sherlock Holmes because of his ability to read people and understand deep, complicated things.
I just hope all that psychological wisdom won't turn him evil like in the movies.
Phineas, on the other hand, was more laid back.
He went with the flow, but in such a way that he still always remained in control.
Me?
I dunno.
We got to school in no time and were soon in the SS3 block.
I glanced round almost frantically, crouching on the floor at intervals in an attempt to location my ring.
"Dude, chillax, you'll find it," Phineas said as we entered our class.
He moved to Chetachi's seat and tapped her shoulder.
She looked up at him and smiled.
Since when?
I mean, Chetachi is friendly and all, but she mostly keeps to herself and her friends.
I was a bit surprised to see Adejare wide awake, sipping from a large bottle of Coke as she laughed along with Phineas and Chetachi.
Just as I was about to join them, the bell for assembly rang.
Great!
I dropped my bag and rushed to the hall.
.......
"Kesiena?!" Fortune whisper-shouted at me.
I turned to her with a frown.
Since Fortune is Head Girl, we get paired up for everything.
Right now, we're partners in Chemistry.
"Don't gimme that look! You were supposed to be done with that equation five minutes ago!"
Fortune's very bossy, but in a gentle kind of way.
"I don't really understand them, Fortune," I said calmly.
"Don't understand them? You want us to fail, abi?!"
"It's not my fault if I don't understand something, Fortune!"
"And we have final exams in a few months," she sneered.
I sighed, not pushing it because I know her obsession with being perfect.
I kept thinking about the ring.
Sure, it might just be a circular piece of silver, but it means much more to me.
My mother had always been a fashion designer and tailor.
Dad was an alcoholic who drank himself to an early grave.
Even through all that, she persevered and kept working hard.
I saw her go from one fashion competition to another, getting turned down each time.
Once her designs were stolen, but she didn't have the money to fight the case out.
Instead, she kept at her honest work.
It was a few years ago that she got her big break at Lagos Fashion Week.
She came home with her paycheck s excited.
After saving part of it, tithing on the money and purchasing things for the house, she got us the matching rings to mark the new beginning.
The sense of fulfilment she'd had in that small action warmed my heart.
Now it was gone.
All I want to do is make my mum happy and proud of me.
Right now, she's in Milan working on a collaboration with Louis Vuitton.
She was very pleased when I called about the whole Head Boy thing, but deep down, I know I'm not supposed to have gotten the post.
I was chosen because I was the only one not occupied with other things.
Phineas has his sports.
Majid is top dog in the chess team and the debate team.
Archie is one of the school's science wizzes.
And picking a party animal like Ola, or a clown like Austin would be a recipe for disaster.
I have zero skills, zero talents, zero preoccupation.
But, I study hard and get good grades, alongside my clean sheet of behavior.
I'm not much of a leader, but here I am.....freaking Head Boy.
I put my head on the desk, shutting my eyes and drowning out the noise of my working classmates.
.......
"Hey!" I heard someone call softly, but firmly.
I raised my head and looked around.
The lab was completely empty apart from myself and Adejare who stood by the door.
I paused for a bit, taking in her glowing cocoa skin and the chestnut brownness of her large doe eyes.
"What happened?" she asked.
My heart leapt slightly.
She was talking to me.
I thought I'd ruined everything.
She was cold even when I pretended to be in need of a pen on the first day.
Then I noticed the key dangling from on of her fingers.
It clicked.
She's the Chem. Lab Prefect and has to lock up.
Of course.
"You know that ring I always wear?"
She nodded.
"I can't find it...I doubt if I ever will."
Something flashed in her eyes.
Something that seemed like a mix of slight shock and remorse.
Then flash went away before I could dwell on it.
"Plus, I can't seem to remember any of these formulas or how to solve some of the harder equations. I think I need help."
She sighed deeply and stared at me.
"I could help you with your Chemistry," she said.
Did I mention that Adejare is Hillsong's top Chemistry student?
She slays it every competition season.
"You could?"
"Mmhmm."
I gave a tiny smile.
She didn't return it.
"I need to lock up," she said in a flat monotone.
I gathered my things and headed out the door.
Y'all had better take notice of Tunde Adeleke.
He's one of the main characters in my soon coming book 'Party Time' and the main character in 'A Time to Kill'.
Elysian Heights Academy is also gonna be a main feature.
There's sooo much I want to write!
Sha, we've seen things from Kes' point of view.
I hate the fact that he looks down on himself😪.
What do you think happened to that ring of his?
Any theories about that?
Also, do you agree with what Majid said about Tunde Adeleke?
Vote and comment ,please.
Y'all know how we do.
💗💗💗💗💗.