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TAMMY:
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The Mathematics teacher paced back and front before the class as he talked and explained the day's topic, moving back to the bored to make some calculations.
I actually did like Maths, I enjoyed the subject and the teacher knew that quiet well too but at the moment, focus was a thing I had lost.
I kept looking back to the end of the class where Aidan was usually seated and I couldn't help but grow wary of him.
Those marks, they couldn't leave my mind.
It would've been okay if he'd just let me take a closer look at his wrists but when I had looked at it, it had upset him. The marks meant something to him and something at the pit of my stomach told me it wasn't good.
I turned around again and watched Aidan. He had his head resting on the palm of his upright hand as he stared lazily at the teacher. He always watched the teachers that way, and if you hadn't known him before, you'd think he's just bored of the class. He's one of the best I know of.
I smiled.
Aidan was multi-gifted. He had the brains, the voice, and as much as I hated to admit, he was good-looking too.
As if noticing he was being watched, he pulled his gaze off the teacher, lazily and landed, intensely, on me.
I stopped breathing for a moment, my eyes widened, and I felt heat rise up to my cheeks.
He had the same lazy look on, but God knows I couldn't stand the way he looked at me. He looked at me so intensely, I felt so open, so naked. I had to urge to place my arms over my uniform.
But yet, he looked at me with caress, like he'd rather handle me gently and carefully.
A teasing smile tugged at the corner of his lips and the realization that I was still looking back at him slapped me hard. I blinked, a good number of times and turned my head immediately to the teacher.
I met Mandel's gaze. She stood at the side of the teacher with a marker in her hand as he addressed the class on the previous question. I guessed she was called out to solve the next question.
She sent me daggers in form of glares, and what a powerful glare it was. She moved her eyes slowly up my body and then, she moved her gaze slowly down my body, then, up again and down. This, she did with utter despise.
She looked to the back of the class, and I didn't have to turn to know she had her gaze on Aidan. She looked to me after, and slowly, that sly smirk of hers crept its way to her lips. She looked away and began to solve the equation given by the teacher as instructed by him.
I sighed.
I hoped she'd change after I spoke to her on her fight with Amorette, and of course, her behavior. It felt stupid of me to think such, but at times, I'd wish she would turn back to her old sef, one day.
After the fight, I dragged them both, Mandel and Amorette, to the back of the old assembly hall. I tried making them talk about the cause of the fight, but they both folded their arms and refused to speak.
After much persevering, Amorette explained what happened,
"That girl and I were just coming out of the girls' bathroom, talking, and then, suddenly Mandel just came, pulled her away from me and pounced on her." She had said.
I raised a brow and turned to Mandel. She scoffed and looked Amorette up and down.
"The girl annoyed me, so, I gave her what she deserved." She had said.
I raised another brow at her again.
"What did she do?" I asked her.
She folded her arms and looked to the other direction, tapping her feet on the ground, refusing to speak.
It seemed to me like Mandel hadn't gotten upset or rather jealous that Amorette had made a friend that wasn't her. So, I gave her a chance.
"Mandel, no one likes to be treated unfairly. No one likes to be bullied. Why did you stop being you and became this, this person?" I asked her. "Since when did you engage in fights?"
She remained in that position, looking at the opposite direction and keeping silent, but I saw blink rapidly, and then, she shut her eyes.
"Since the day I chose to become this person, Tammy. You guys can't be with me for what I am now, I don't care. I had always been alone in everything anyways."
Amorette hissed. "Alone ke? I've been with you for as long as I remember and I use to be the one taking blames for crimes you commit in school. We were, literally, partners in crime. So, don't open your mouth and tell me nonesense."
Mandel swiftly turned her gaze to Amorette and was about to say something to remark those words when I stepped in and immediately ended what would've started again.
"I asked you that because I want to give you another chance. Stop bullying students and come back to us, we'd accept you with open arms, you know." I said, trying to make her see reason in my words.
Amorette faked a cough and I glared at her immediately.
Mandel turned to me with a brow raised.
"Is that all?"
I sighed and nodded. "Yes."
And she hissed, and strutted away from us.
"Waste of my time." She said.
I watched Mandel as she solved the equation on the board with utter concentration and seriousness. When she had completed the equation, she dropped the marker on the teacher's palm and smiled triumphantly at the class.
I sighed and shook my head.
Mandel. Mandel. Mandel.
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~
The school day went by quicker than I had expected and I was home before I knew it.
Some of the house helps didn't come home today, so I had to do the dishes and prepare lunch, Beans.
By the evening, Ifeoluwa and I were seated on a sofa in the living room, watching an action movie put by Ifeoluwa, of course.
I rested my head on his shoulder and groaned as he wrapped his arm around me.
"Ifeoluwa, how and why are you enjoying this?"
He looked down at me, smiled and pinched my cheeks. "You're so cute when you're mad."
I pouted and shoved his hand away from my cheeks, folding my arms.
He chuckled. "I enjoy watching this, Tammy. Let me breath."
I rolled my eyes and groaned. "Whatever."
I tried watching the movie with him by asking questions on the events and scenes in the movie.
I intentionally tried to tick him off, just so he would leave the living room but I forgot how positive my twin was.
He took his time to answer my every question and listened patiently when I asked really stupid ones in the middle of a fighting scene.
I pouted when I realized I was getting no where and wished Ifeoluwa didn't always act like an elder brother instead of a twin, most of the time.
I hadn't even realized I fell asleep until my ringtone had me jolting awake. I picked my phone beside me and a glance at the caller's ID had me leaving the living room.
I picked the call when I had gotten to the hallway as I made my way to my room.
"Good evening, Sensei Yusuf." I reminded myself not to bow since he wasn't physically with me.
"Good evening, dear." He said. "You stopped attending your classes for some weeks now and I would like to know why."
I sighed.
"Your brother came to meet me in person. He told me you wouldn't be attending your classes anymore and instructed that your classes be stopped without giving any further explanation."
He paused.
"I want to hear from you, personally. Is that what you want?"
I kept silent for a moment and stopped before the door of my bedroom, staring into space as that question rang through my head.
Was this what I wanted?
To not be able to prove myself?
To sit back like the coward I was supposed to play and abstain from a mere martial arts class?
No! It wasn't!!
My health issue wouldn't make me seem any more weaker than my family thought me to be.
I was strong, I knew it.
I wasn't a coward, I knew it.
I wasn't broken.
I just had to prove myself to everyone, and show them that.
"N-"
I felt my phone slip out of my hands and I turned to the side immediately. Ifeoluwa pressed his phone on his ear and looked away from me.
"Good evening, Sir. I told you before, my sister would not take part in your classes anymore. Please be understanding and do not call her again. It is best for her health, thank you."
Then, he caught the call and began to fumble with my phone screen.
I felt anger rise up in me and my hands clenched, my brows narrowed and I felt my chest rise and fall.
"Ifeoluwa, what the heck is your problem?!!" I exclaimed. "Why do you have to be in my business like this?!!"
He handed me my phone. "Tammy, you're my twin and I love you. I want to support you in whatever you want to do, you know it, but as your brother, I also have to look out for you. A good number of things went down in our previous school, you're still healing from it. And there's your health condition, Tammy. Too much of everything isn't good, I can't afford to loose you again."
I grabbed the phone from him and glared at him. I wanted to rip his head apart, and claw at his chest.
How dare he do this to me!
He only stared back at me with calmness and composure. It ticked me off even more.
"I blocked his contact and deleted his number. If you need to talk to him again, you'd have to ask mum and dad." And with that being said, he walked back down to the living room.
Oh God! I wanted to do those things I'd just said so badly, but God knows I could never.
So, I only screamed in frustration and stormed into my room.
But on a second thought, I decided to go out.
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~
I had dressed up in a blue two piece and decided to head to the park, just to clear my head.
I took a stroll around the peaceful environment, greeting passerbys occasionally and staring in awe at the beauty of nature.
I found a good spot and decided to take a picture. So, I took out my phone and stood in a pose before a purple Jacaranda tree.
And I took another.
And another.
And another.
I took as many as I could, taking short videos of myself eventually. I had fun doing it, but I got bored easily.
"I'd like to take a picture with you."
I looked up and I saw Aidan standing before me. He had a baggy two piece on as well but unlike mine, his was black. He had his hands in his pocket as he walked towards me.
In a blink of an eye, he swiped the phone out of my hands and began to scroll through the pictures I took.
I gasped and frowned. "You didn't ask before you took my phone away from me."
He looked up from the phone and smiled. "Hmm?" He said.
Then, he pointed his fingers at the phone screen, looking at me. "I'm gonna need these photos."
I rolled my eyes. "You can't just say you want something and take i—"
"Done!" He exclaimed.
I turned to him, confused. "What?"
He smirked. "I got the photos. Sent them to my number."
I rolled my eyes and smiled. "Whatever. I'll be at the other end of the park, appreciating mother nature. If you need me, you know where to find me."
I turned around and sashayed to the other end of the park.
I sat on a bench quietly, looking up to stare at the clouds, the pretty blue sky.
I had always wanted to do it, I just never got the chance too. One day, I would star gaze too and be fully conscious next time, not drunk.
Staring at the sky and watching the clouds move ever so slowly, I suddenly loved the colour, blue and was grateful I had put on an outfit with that colour.
I watched the clouds and imagined them to be many things. I smiled at my imagination. I felt someone tap me and I turned around.
Before me, stood a pretty dark-skinned girl. She waved at me.
"Hey." She smiled, waving at me and I couldn't help but smile back. Her smile was surprisingly contagious.
"Hi."
"I'm Divine." She said. "I remember seeing you once in a TikTok video by a girl named Amorette."
A video? Amorette posted videos on TikTok?
I smiled nonetheless. And stood up. "That's cool."
"She was basically making a sort of unaware video of her classmates. I just want to let you know that I think you're really pretty."
My smile grew wider at her compliment. "Aww. I'm honoured."
She smiled too.
"Would you like to go for a walk with me?" I asked.
She shrugged. "Sure."
I spotted Aidan still scrolling through my phone and I had the sudden urge to snatch it from him. My phone was my privacy after all.
I took Divine by the hand and without thinking, I ran across the park to the other end and I had her run with me.
I got to Aidan and tried snatching the phone immediately. He grinned and took his hand up. I tried jumping higher to get to it but he threw it to his other hand.
Then, I tried pulling him by his shirt while also trying to make a jump. I lost my balance and tried regaining it by holding again, but it came out more forcefully than I'd planned and he lost his balance too. Before I realized it, I found myself on the ground, laying on top of Aidan. My eyes grew wide and I gasped, Aidan looked back at me, surprised as well.
Laughter came from the girl that I had brought with me, Divine.
"You guys are funny." She said, handing me my phone. "Got this for you while you guys were 'falling'."
I stood up immediately and laughed, taking the phone from her. "Thanks."
"Hey." Aidan said, rather calmy, behind me, smiling and waving at the girl.
He stood up and and walked to her slowly. Taking his hand out of his pocket, he took her hand in his, brought it up to his lips and kissed it. "I'm Aidan."
"I'm Divine." She smiled back.
"You're pretty. You a friend of hers?" He asked, pointing at me after he let her hand go.
She shrugged. "Not really, we just met. And, thanks."
"She called me pretty." I smiled. "We're officially besties."
Aidan pouted. "But I always think you're beautiful, you know it. How come I'm not your bestie?"
I smirked, rolling my eyes. She laughed.
"Well then, you can't have her." He said, putting his hands around and shoulder. "She's my bestie."
Divine laughed. "Aren't you going to ask me first before claiming?"
He turned and smiled. "My apologies. Can we besties? I'll buy you shawarma."
She thought for a while and then, smiled at Aidan. "Certainly."
I gasped. "Divine, you left me for him?"
She laughed and shrugged. "You can't blame me. He promised me shawarma."
Aidan stuck a tongue out at me as he turned to Divine.
"Shall we?" He asked.
"Yeah."
And they began to walk away from me, not to a shawarma store though, they walked to the other end of the park.
I rolled my eyes and smirked, folding my arms too as I took my time to walk after them.
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~
It was nearly 9:00 PM and I decided to round up my reading session in my room, I'd been at it for nearly two hours.
I arranged my notes and jotters and placed them back neatly in my little book shelf.
Then, I grabbed my towel and was about taking off my clothes to take my bath when my phone rang.
I reached for my phone and glanced at the caller's ID. That alone, had a small smile come up my face.
"Hey." Aidan said once I had answered the call.
"Hey." I said, tossing my towel to the side and plopping my body on the bed.
"You busy?" He asked.
"Nope. Not at all." I replied. "I just completed a reading session."
"Aww." I heard him say and I imagined him pouting. "I wish I studied with you."
I smiled and shrugged. "There's always next time."
"Yeah." Then, he kept silent for a while. "Let's meet at the library tomorrow by lunch time. Is that okay?"
I laughed. "So, I wouldn't eat?"
"Minutes after you're done." He said.
"Sure then." I replied. The line fell silent and the air suddenly felt akward, madly akward.
My thoughts went back to his wrist. I wanted to ask him about it, again but I remembered his reaction last time and I thought back on it.
"Do you think I could change seats with the person beside you?" He asked.
I raised a brow. "Probably. Why?"
"I don't get enough time with you. I miss you a lot." He muttered, more to himself. A small smile wore it's way to my face.
"You've got Ayo to keep you company, joor." I laughed.
He chuckled. "He's annoying at times, you're refreshing."
"But short."
He laughed. "C'mon I was only teasing you. You know you aren't."
I rolled my eyes and smirked. "For your mind, because you're tall abi."
He chuckled. "Wanna hear something that is true?"
I nodded. "Duuh."
I imagined him smirking.
"You're cute."
I felt my cheeks heat up and I placed my hand on them. I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."
"I'm serious." He said.
I laughed. "Thanks." And I continued. "You know, Aidan. You're not as bad as I thought you were at first."
"Really?" He asked.
"Yeah, you're cool." I told him. "You're someone I realized I could count as a friend. I like you."
And when I realized what I'd said, I added hastily. " As a friend, no other way of course."
The line fell silent for a moment. "Thanks." He said. "I like you too... as a friend."
"Sure." I replied, but I could've sworn I sensed something I couldn't decipher in his voice when he made his last statement.
I thought about the marks again, I got worried again and I was about to ask him about it when my mum called me down the stairs.
I sighed. "I have to go, Aidan. See you tomorrow at school."
"No worries. See you, Bye."
"Yeah." I hung up and went down the stairs.
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I'm tired right now but what I mainly want to point out to you guys is Tammy's character growth.
Notice how she didn't call herself weak this time, how she doesn't even want to hear of it. For the first time, she referred to herself as strong🥺🥺 Even though she might be going about it the wrong way by trying to prove herself to everyone and counting crying as a sign of weakness, it shows she's slowly changing but she also needs help if not, she'll learn things that aren't right.
@D_vine22 👀😂Well, you finally met Aidan in the park. And Tammy too... and you're going to get free shawarma😂Sorry I couldn't make it longer to though. I kinda ran out of time. Btw, you follow Amorette Walker on TikTok now😂
That's it for this chapter.
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Love ya,
Benzita13 ❤️