••Empty faces, empty smiles,
Empty hearts, empty world••
My head snapped up immediately to catch the expression of pure surprise on Stephanie's face and irritation on Wilson's as he dragged me along, not once stopping or faltering in his steps.
"What was that about?" I asked as we neared the physics block. I guessed Wilson also had physics, seeing as he wasn't heading elsewhere.
"What was what about?" He asked, feigning ignorance and I pulled free from his grasp, causing him to halt abruptly. I crossed my arms across my chest and fixed him with a serious look. I've been dealing with those people since jss1 and I know how to handle myself. I don't want some new boy creating more problems for me.
"Don't play dumb with me Wilson. Why did you talk to Stephanie that way? Do you know how much problems you're creating for me by acting that way?” I said, trying not to yell and keep a levelled voice and I watched Wilson's relaxed expression go from hurt to annoyed with every word I said.
"Who's Stephanie that I have to talk to her in a particular way so as to not offend her? Is she a goddess of some sort? And why the hell are you being this way! Those people hurt you! Why are you running away from them instead of fighting back?!" His voice rose with every word and I just watched as his pale face turned red from anger, tears welling up in my own eyes.
He didn't understand.
"It's all good. Please just stop hanging around me." I said and walked away from him, not wanting to let him see the hurt I was sure was evident on my face. But he didn't let me go far and his hand reached out to pull me back.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you, I-I just don't understand why you're being like this. Did they threaten you? We can deal with them together, please just—" He apologized, his voice soft with his dark eyes reflecting how truly sorry he was, but I cut him off.
"Stop. There's nothing to deal with, Wilson. They didn't threaten me, you just don't understand. Please stay away from me and don't create any more problems for me." I said and pried his hands away from mine as I began walking towards the physics block again. I'm pretty sure we were late already.
"Does this have to do with what happened that time I took your picture?" He yelled after me and I halted in my steps for a second, embarrassment washing over me as I recalled how he’d witnessed a moment of my seizure attack. Then he continued. "Are you sick? Is that why you're shutting yourself away?" He asked and a tear rolled down my cheek as I continued walking without answering him.
If only you knew...
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"Hey," A voice whispered behind me and I frowned before turning around to see who it was. A dark, smiling face with wide-set eyes and shiny braces stared back at me and my frown deepened, wondering why Faith was talking to me. The girl had been in all my classes for as long as I could remember and we never talked before, not even once.
"Hey?" I whispered back, my eyes momentarily fleeting to Mr. Saludeen's back—our physics teacher—as he scribbled something in blue ink on the board, before settling back on Faith's as my paranoia filled mind wondered why she was suddenly talking to me.
"Um, I...um...I know we don't talk, but you just look really gloomy today. Is everything okay?" Her timid voice whispered and I'm sure my eyes widened in surprise as I searched her big brown eyes for anything that wasn't genuineness. But I didn't find anything, her eyes showed nothing but concern and I cleared my throat and blinked rapidly, my mind unsettled by the sudden affection.
"Uh, I'm fine. I just didn't get enough sleep last night and I'm really tired," I lied, watching Faith's lips lift in a small knowing smile.
"I know right, I had to stay up all night to finish my essay, even though it's not due until Friday," She said with a light chuckle and I reminded myself to finish mine before going to bed later that night.
"Yeah," I gave a nervous chuckle, still feeling strange about why she was suddenly caring. All through secondary school, Mary had been the only friendly friend I ever had and seeing someone else try to relate with me nicely instead of throwing insults my way was just unsettling.
"Alright, eyes on the board everyone," Mr. Salaudeen's voice interrupted our little convo and I watched Faith smile at me one last time before I turned my head back towards the board.
The lesson went on, my mind partly digesting Mr. Salaudeen's explanation and partly going over what just happened—I just couldn't help it. All through junior school and even though the past two years of senior school, faith and I had never for once spoke before. She never even did as much as glance my way and now, she's suddenly interested? That's reason enough to be suspicious. But then, Faith Bankole was just like any of the other regular kids with a small close circle of friends that always went everywhere together. She used to get picked on because of her braces back in junior school, but everyone seemed to have forgotten about it as we all grew up, and I knew she wasn't even anywhere near being in Stephanie's clique.
But still...I couldn't let my suspicions disperse.