Kamso
"Ij please na. Just leave me." I said going back to my math book. They, the prefects, came back like 30 minutes after prayers ended. I've been doing my assignment in peace until Ij came back and wanted to gist. Satan must be at work right now, not wanting me to do my assignment. First Mike now lj.
"That's what you always say. Kamso it's not fair at all. Ever since you started being with Mike it's just like you've totally forgotten about your friends."
What? "Ij that is very unfair for you to say. How can you say I forgot about you guys."
"It's true. I mean Amanda pointed it to me last week but I was like hey y'all know how much she liked him let's give them time. But then I noticed it myself, you don't have time for us."
"So you guys have been talking about me behind my back?" I asked baffled.
"Don't play that card with me, Kamso."
"What card. What are you talking about. All of a sudden you're saying how I neglect my friends and-"
"Well it's true. I wouldn't accuse you falsely Kamso. It's true, you're all over him and he's all over you, you guys are just all over the place." Her voice rising a bit. What?
"Ij, you're not making any sense at all."
"I'm not? Ok, where were you this night prep?"
I narrowed my eyes trying to get what she was driving at "With Mike, in his study class."
"During break time earlier today?" She asked again.
"I was with Mike, what are you driving-"I began but she interrupted.
"You still don't see my point? Okay. During assembly this morning?" She asked with a raised brow.
"With Mike. So?"
"So, you didn't even come for morning assembly and that's a first for you. Try to understand what I'm saying, you're always with Mike, you don't have time for your friends anymore and the time we should spend together talking, you always use it for one assignment or the other probably because you and Mike whiled your prep away talking."
"Ij, I understand what you're saying, but I also want you to understand that I love you and Amanda and others. It's not like I intentionally ignore you like you say. I'm sorry if you feel like that."
We looked at each other for sometime and I smiled. Ij had been my friend since JSS2 and nothing is ever going to change that. And if she feels like Mike is taking up most of my time then, I don't know what to do or say to her.
"So this is the part where you give me an ultimatum?" I asked smiling then using a gruff voice I added "It's either your friends or your boyfriend. Or else I'll stop being your best friend,"
"Shut up silly." She said hitting me with her pillow. I went to her bed and sat down, I wrapped my hand around her tightly.
"Love you so much bestie." She rolled her eyes before returning the hug. "Love you too."
"Don't worry, I'll try to learn how to balance my love life and education and my friendship with the girls."
"Love life ke? Ana emenu, Biko kwa, just take care so he doesn't get you pregnant and leaves you hanging.
I started laughing "Which one is pregnancy, Biko kwa lj, Remove your head from gutter. I told you to stop watching too many Nigerian movies.
"Stay there. As if you don't know boys again."
I ignored her, because lj can be paranoid sometimes. Mike is not like that though. "Anyway, I'm sorry for ignoring you. Forgive me?"
She nodded and I smiled, "But for tonight, please let me finish this assignment. We're going to submit it tomorrow." She agreed and went back to the novel she was reading,
"Ehen, did you hear? She said all of a sudden.
"Hear what?"
"Get this, our proprietor, is sponsoring eight students for NISSMUN. Any other student interested, can pay up but he's footing the bill of eight students." Her eyes shining.
NISSMUN Is fine though, but my mum is in a tight spot right now. My brothers in Uni need money. Even though, they all had side jobs.
"So why are you so happy?" I asked?
"Some kepu kepu reaching me is that my name is on that list. Me I love free things oo." She said and I laughed.
"Congrats bae. Just make sure you snap loads of selfies." I advised.
"Hmm. Kamso you're telling me, so you don't know me again. Nawaoo."
We started talking about other things, my math assignment forgotten for the umpteenth time today as Ij gisted me about recent happenings in her class. Who was dating who, who broke up with who. Chioma walked in on us and it didn't take long before she started her own premium gist.
We had 4 classes in SS2, A,B,C,D. Ij and Amanda were in C class, which was pure arts. Chioma and Ada were in commercial art, class D.
I was in pure science, class A. Not that I brought in any gist shaa. Sometimes, Chioma even gists me about the things going on in my own class.
Her voice suddenly dropped and she leaned closer "I heard that snr Cheta and snr Jude were caught." She made some sign with her hand and I nodded.
"Behind the chapel. Of all places." She added and I pressed my lips together. Wow.
"And he was the former chapel prefect." Ij added and Chioma clucked her tongue. "Gbam."
"But how did you even hear that Chioma. Are you sure?" I said not fully believing her.
"Stay there." Chioma added and Ij chuckled.
***********************
We started talking about something else, when Chidimma and two other girls in her clique walked in. One of their friends stayed in my side, Uc, her bed was just beside mine. Never liked her.
We ignored them and continued gisting and laughing until we started hearing tidbits of their conversation.
"Or is it that loud one? I heard her dad is a measly business man. He doesn't even speak good English." Uche said.
"My dear you don't need to tell me, I saw him one time. I would be embarrassed to have such a person as a father." Chidimma added.
I knew at that point they were talking about Ij.
"And they even recently came into wealth. The way she acts friendly with everyone, you'd think that she's an heiress or something." Love said. It's not only love, ma hatred. I don't know how someone can have such an ill suited name. She was even the most bitter amongst all of them. Always frowning.
"Don't you know, it's poor people that act like that. Going around licking ass. Looking to be in people's good books. Can never be me. So classless." Chidimma said and looked at her nails.
"I swear, like she's so crude. Talks and laughs so loudly. Such a disgrace to this school."
"Well it's not their fault. I blame the school for accepting anything and nobodies. To think that people can even enter on scholarships nowadays. This school doesn't have dignity anymore."
"Came in with scholarship, and expects to be given a post, not under my watch. Like the temerity." Chidimma said.
They didn't even try to pretend that they weren't talking about us. Like what is this girl's problem.
Ij laughed and clapped her hands. The way she does when she's looking for a fight. And Chioma already stood up and walked over to Uche's bed.
"Excuse me oo, Chidimma and minions. Please could you be louder? Or at least refer to the people you're talking about?" Chioma said with a smile on her face.
Chioma too came from old money, so she did whatever she wanted. Ij generally does not care about anyone, even though her dad was mad rich as well, although new money. I don't understand their need to differentiate new from old money.
Me on the other hand, I do care oo. Where will my mum find 500k....not per session, but termly. In this school, I've just mastered the art of minding my business. I know how I got this fully funded scholarship, the series of exams I took, and I'm not about to lose it. So I just watched.
Chidimma got up from Uche's bed and walked up to Chioma. "The people I'm referring to know themselves. Ijeoma Nwogu, your dad is a measly businessman. And Chikamso Okeke, there's nothing to say about you."
I burst out into laughter, because it was funny. And I always laugh in serious situations. I can't help it. I mean it's good to know that there's even nothing to say about me. Wow. They all turned at me and the sneer on Chidimma's face made it worse.
"Biko, remove my name from your mouth there. You bitter human being." Ij said from where she sat.
"I said what I said. I guess you learnt ass licking from your dad since that's what he does for a living."
Ij rushed to their corner, but Chioma and I held her back. Chidimma's friends also held her back. As if. Held back from being beaten blue black if you ask me.
"Come and fight na. Agbero. Fighting seems to be the only reflex you have, you classless, crass, crude human being." Chidimma said from where she was behind her friends.
"Leave me alone." Ij said.
"Ij, it's not worth it." I said and she nodded and when it was clear she'd calmed down, we let her be.
But she didn't go back to her bed. Instead she walked closer to where Chidimma and co were.
"I don't blame you. You must be bitter, awwwn, poor Chidimma. You say she's not fine, she doesn't have money nor the body. But even with that, she has taken everything you ever wanted. She's every teacher's favorite, even your beloved math teacher loves her."
"She has Mike, and you've never smelled 1st position since she came into this school. You can't even compare yourself to her. She doesn't have the right to stand on stage with prefects? Baby girl, if Kamso is called on that stage, you can't even stand beside her, in fact you wish you could. Because even that 2nd position, you can't smell it. You'll always remain 3rd"
Everyone kept quiet as Ij continued. "You're a poor loser Chidimma. Even the old money you've been ranting about, I heard your dad is the third son, he's not even in line for a reasonable inheritance."
"Well, I guess you have one thing in common with your dad. Both of you can never be 1st in life."
Some people gasped and I just pressed my lips together, my eyes widened. Wow. Chioma just smirked, she patted Ij's shoulder like a proud mum and both of them walked back to our beds.
People from the other side came out and stood at the center of the hostel and watching the altercation. And right on cue, our hostel mistress came in just then.
"What's going on here? Why are the lights still on? Why are you girls still standing around? Obi is this your hostel?"
She continued and people started dispersing. Chioma whispered goodnight to us and left, and I also watched Chidimma leave with her friends.
The lights were put off and when our mistress left, I turned to Ij. "Ij, you can injure someone with your mouth oo."
She started laughing and I joined her "Did you see her face?" She asked.
"It's not my fault. She started it, I was minding my business and she decided she wanted a midnight prat." She continued.
"Please remind me never to be on your bad side. You terrify me." I said and she started laughing all over again.
"I thought I said I didn't want to hear any noise from this hostel going forward?" Our hostel mistress suddenly appeared at the door way again.
"SS3 students, please don't stress me this night. If I hear any other noise, you'll be punished for it in the morning." She left again.
And Ij and I started laughing again. Quietly this time around though.
"Ehen. I even forgot to tell you about the meeting we had this night. My dear bestie, it was your matter we were discussing oo. Ah ahn, the way your name was just echoing left and right. Kamso this, Kamso that."
She whispered and started laughing. "I don't understand Ij. What did I do?"
"My dear, a lot of things oo. So this girl called a meeting for you."
She started telling me everything that happened and my jaw was just dropping open in surprise. Wahala.
*************************
When I came to class the next day, it was so noisy I swear they were trying to bring the building down. I quietly sat and kept my bag. lj rushed into the class and sat beside me.
"What is going on? She whispered to me.
"I don't know, it was this noisy when I came in."
I looked around trying to make sense of what was happening when Chidimma Obi walked straight to my chair before stopping.
"Shebi this girl did not learn her lesson last night." Ij said beside me.
"We know how much people love free things especially p0or people, but stop trying to maneuver your way into this, Chikamso Okeke. First it was your measly scholarship, now this? You don't deserve to be here with the rest of us."
For starters, I really don't know what she was talking about. But did she just call me poor?
"I concur." Chinwe said walking to the front of the class. "Just because we all don't have boyfriends that hold high positions, doesn't mean that people who do should be misusing it."
Now I'm lost. I gathered they were referring to Mike and, but the rest?
"What on earth are you talking about?" I asked
Chidimma with a bored voice. She started to talk but my neighbor beat her to it.
"Remember the talk about NISSMUN?" I
nodded.
"Well, you were among the eight and apparently, it was Mike that included your name in the list."
Oh.
"Stop pretending to be innocent, it is very clear that you clamored to get your name on that list." I looked at her and wondered why she was so furious about it.
I ignored her and opened my locker to get my bible and hymns. "I really do not have your time Chidimma. That thing you're looking for, you won't get it from me." I said softly taking lj's hand and leaving the class.
"Girl, you just left that stupid girl to walk over you. If I was the person she called poor, then we're having it right there and then."
"Everybody will not be you Ij. Don't tell me you don't know she's trying to get me into trouble?" She was always ready to finish people. I smiled.
"So? She'll also get herself into trouble as well."
I shook my head. Sometimes, talking to privileged people gets wearying no matter if they mean well.
"And her dad will throw money here and there and sort her issues. I'll end up bearing the brunt of it." I said and Ij sighed.
"You're right. But still, don't you have mouth? You can insult her at least." She said it with a serious face and I started laughing.
"It's obvious that she's still bitter and jealous that Mike chose you and not her. Anyway, if it's true that your name is on that list, alongside with mine then we're going to have a lot of fun." She said dancing.
I laughed and linked my hand in hers as we walked down for morning assembly.
A/N
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