Hey, guys. To start with, it's a miracle that this update is coming today.
I had to force myself to write this update, just so I get distracted from reality for a while. It's extremely disheartening what it going on in our country and I've cried more than I should and I have a headache.
I wanted to update two chapters but the ending of the other chapter started looking too crappy and I just couldn't deal, so I stopped writing. Expect an update tommorow. The next chapter after this is actually almost complete..it just gets cringy at the end because no matter how much I try, I can't fully focus so I'll fix it tommorow and update it tommorow. I'm tired and I'm off to bed❤️❤️
~GIWA~
"I guess this is my stop." Chika said to me, halting on her tracks as soon as I, she, and her friends got to the broad, somewhat secluded path that led to the schools main building.
I smiled weakly at the light skinned beauty who saved my life back there. You know? Where Kaniru, JJ, and the rest of those guys wanted me dead.
"Thankyou." I said to Chika, wincing slightly at the pain in my neck as I spoke, caused by Kaniru's tight grip on it earlier.
"Oh, no issues, love. Those boys disgust the shit out of me. It was remaining small for me to give somebody's son smack down in that place!" Chika ranted, clearly pissed.
She looked very serious, but for some reason, I laughed. All her friends did too.
"Yeah no shit. Those boys are major losers!" Soma commented, waving the tail of the bell she was holding in her hands in the air to gesture vigorously.
"Don't even let those low-lives bother you, Giwa." Ebere or Ebube, one of the twins amongst them snorted in disgust.
"Seconded!" The other twin came in shocking me with such sass in her tone. "Those boys are the biggest cowards ever!"
I snorted too, forcing myself not to recall what I had just gone through earlier.
"Especially that JJ fool!" Soma came in again.
I saw Chika roll her eyes and gag at the mention of his name. It made me wonder how much history they'd had with JJ.
"Oya oya oya!" Soma said, grabbing my arm quickly with her bell-free hand and pulling me away from her friends.
"Giwa and I have a Prefects'meeting to attend!" She announced proudly as she pulled me to herself like a child claiming a toy.
I actually laughed a bit. I knew Soma was always so hyper in nature, having noticed how she always clanged that damn bell in the ears of juniors when we usually chase them out for assembly or sports or something. I had termed the excessively tall Utility Prefect as the most hyper active prefect in general.
"Biko, Biko, be behaving yourself, na!" Chika laughed at Soma.
Biko.. I instantly recalled that these girls were all Igbo girls. Chika and her clique..The Igbo sisters, the set had termed them.
"Biko, shift! Mrs. Godson!" Soma playfully pushed Chika, who started blushing senseless.
"Chineke. Is it because of Aaron Godson you're turning red like this!?" One of the twins teased Chika.
"You guys should stop please!" Chika was laughing.
"Biko oo, none of us is Aaron oo. Turn back to your normal yellow colour!" Soma teased the light-skinned Chika who was trying in vain to hide in the reddening of her cheeks.
"Soma, mechionu! Cartoon girl!" Chika said
"You nko, Brock Lesnar!" Soma had retorted back playfully.
"SpongeBob!"
"The rock!"
"Henry Danger!"
"Roman Reigns! Akube smackdown geng!"
Soma got everyone laughing soo hard. Chika was almost rolling on the floor.
"Oh my God! Are you two really starting this here!" One of the twins, of whom I have never been able to tell who was who, commented, in between choking laughs.
In all honesty, I was lost. I didn't understand what was going on. Not at all, but it was still funny.
I couldn't help but smile, as the warmth and joy that these girls emmited infected me pleasantly. How they all made jokes with each other and laughed so freely. There were so happy. It made me feel like I shouldn't ever leave their presence.
This kind of friendship..
"Alright..we'll see you later, Giwa." A quiet voice said to me.
I looked directly to the one girl amongst them who hadn't said a word since we got here. She stood there, tugging on one of the twins' arms and smiling at me - a calm, warming, beautiful smile.
"Thanks..." I said, trying desperately to recall her name. "Dabeluchi?"
Her smile broadened, a glint came into her Asian-like slit brown eyes.
This girl was so quiet. And sometimes..so loud.
She was... strange. She was hard to understand. Sometimes, most times, she had on this dark, mysterious quiet, somewhat eerie vibes, and in some rare occasions, she was..well..a lot of other things?
I knew rarely nothing about her. All I knew was that she had this complicated, infamous relationship with Acha, one of our sets' star players. I never really cared to dig into their love story, but it was nearly impossible to miss out on, because virtually the ENTIRE set was obsessed with everything concerning the couple, be it good or bad. Nevertheless, the sets obsession with the duo had always somewhat irritated mem
Soma handed over the bell to her, gripped my arm and took me away from the girls, while bading them farewell with such jumpy excitement.
The tall girl held on to me as we walked towards the school building that could be seen from here. She walked with a playful bounce in her steps, literally hopping with me with each step we took.
She seemed so happy. Ofcourse, she wasn't the one walking into the 'judgement hall.' Right in that meeting I was heading towards, my fate in this school was going to be ascertained. That fact alone gave me shivers.
My heartbeat was increasing as we got closer and my neck was still hurting internally from what happened earlier.
Fuck those boys..
What they did to me this afternoon..
Thinking about it made me feel chills all over. I felt humiliated, scared, defeated, weak..
The noise in that hallway almost deafened me. Everyone was shouting at the top of their lungs, like they had caught a notorious criminal. Cheering and edging those brutes on to do their worst to me. It felt like Jungle justice. I was scared. Shaking, but I tried not to show it. I couldn't let them see I was scared of them. Terrified of what they could do to me.
I stood there with the most fearless look I could muster up. Desperately hiding the fear.
That bastard, Kaniru..I could still remember his voice.
"Queen Giwa Falade!"
Filled with so much hate and anger, even amidst the taunting smile that painted his dark face. He looked like he wanted to murder me on the spot. Tear my limbs to pieces and feed them to me. But..he just used that sickening smile as a facade. That smile made feel all sorts of rage..fear..
How could I have been afraid of him? How!?
"Where do you think you're going so fast?" He had said, coming up in my face and ruffling my hair.
I cringed at the feel of his dirty hands on my head, holding myself back from slapping that stupid grin off his face. Teeth grinding in anger.
To be honest, the anger building up in me was not even matched with the fear that slammed me. I was so terrified of the outcome of what that event would turned out for me.
I didn't show him that. I dared myself to not try it. I couldn't give him that satisfaction of knowing that he was affecting me. I maintained that eye contact with him..for as long as I could.
..until I couldn't..
He wasn't backing out...and I felt a tad bit threatened. I forced my composure back in place and tried not to falter, but my body was betraying me.
Kaniru seemed to have noticed it. The way my eyelashes frequently batted as the discomfort from the dark eye contact we both were holding, started to set in slowly.
When he laughed in my face, I nearly lost my shit. Waves of fury moved through the nerves in my body as I inhaled his breath that reeked of hard drugs, and I had to close my eyes and ball my fists to control myself.
I decided to walk away.
I released the breath I didn't know I had been holding since the confrontation and I faced JJ, with dark eyes.
"Move." I tried to keep my voice measured. Yet, firm as hell.
Maybe that was a big mistake?
All the boys with Kaniru opened fire at me, mocking me and laughing their heads off at my 'command' - as they assumed it.
"You really think you call the shots around here, don't you, your highness?" Kaniru taunted me.
An involuntary hiss left me as I attempted walking out on him and all the other idiots.
That was when I saw hell.
Before I knew it, I was slammed against the wall by the bastard, choking as he basically aimed at strangling me to death.
I saw the vileness in his eyes. No telling he was an animal. And he glared heavily at me as he stopped my ability to take in air with thay strong, painful hold he had around my neck.
It was worthless trying to get his hand off my neck. He only pressed on harder, digging his fingers, literally clawing into the sides of my neck like he was possesed.
I thought I was going to die. Why wasn't anyone helping me? Were they just watching him do this to me?
I felt my vision blacking out slowly as it got too much for me to handle. When he let go all of a sudden, I started to take in desperate amounts of air back into my lungs. I was coughing, sucking air, seeing red and spots, praying to not pass out.
When I had regained myself to an extent, that's when I saw Prissy... sitting there on the floor by me and Kaniru, looking at me. I looked back at her.. wondering how long she had been there. How long she had watched me suffer like this.
Why didn't she help? Did she really hate me that much? Was she enjoying my pain? Why didn't she do anything to help?
She looked confused..like she was trying to decide what to do at that moment.
I suddenly felt angry..at her..for just sitting there and moping at me. I swore to myself that if Prissy touched me, I'd tear her to pieces. But she didn't.
It was Chika and her clique that rescued me.
A group of teachers who came along with them sent everyone away and Chika, who looked displeased, yanked me up like a weightless feather and took me with her, her girls walking behind her, fearlessly as we headed towards JJ at the exit.
Her grip on me was so tight on me that I thought she would break my bones. When we got to JJ, Chika pushed him, shocking me with the force behind the push, and even shocking me more when JJ nearly lost his balance, falling outside and nearly tipping over the stairs.
"Giwa, so who do you like better, naw?" Soma's voice snapped me back to earth.
I almost jolted, confusing her.
Oh right, we were walking..
And Jesus...how did we get on stairs already?
I was so lost in my horrific thoughts from earlier this afternoon that I didn't even know that we had entered the building and were on the stairs. Our way to the meeting room.
"I was gisting you about Henry Danger." Soma was saying.
She was? You mean, she had been talking to me?
"Soooo? Which one do you like better? Piper or Charlotte?" She asked with wide eyes, blinking too much and smiling with all her teeth.
I wasn't ready for this question. Not when I was about to enter my doom in that meeting.
"I don't know. I don't really watch that show." I replied quietly.
Soma gasped, feigning mock hurt and going onn and onn about the both of the characters over and over again.
She became quiet when we entered the narrow hallway to the meeting room. I could have sworn I could hear my own heart beat.
We first entered a smaller room that had a shut door that led directly to the meeting room. There were three desks and three officials in the quiet small room we were in and they questioned us a little. All three gave me funny looks and I was certain they knew what was up.
Ofcourse they did..
They let me and Soma go in to the meeting room finally, and as I stepped in, I gulped heavily.
The Hall was already filled with people and all eyes set on me. I kept my composure as I walked further in with Soma, by my side.
It was a very spacey hall - massively spaced - with white coloured walls, having the sides of each windows by the ends, covered with sound proof pads.
There was a huge round black table that took more than a quarter of the massive hall. I could see that a few teachers - about four to six - and some official members of the school authority occupied the seats around the round table.
"Have a seat there, you two." Charlie Ba, the Physics teacher said to us, showing us the row and columns of seats that were arranged not too far away from the round table itself.
I looked there, to first spot my mother. She, along side a few other adults - two women and a man, sat there, occupying to two rows and columns. I saw Prissy there too, sitting by one of the women there, nervously avoiding eye contact with me.
Mum smiled at me, a warming smile that eased my pounding heart for a moment. She gestured me to come and sit with her and I nodded.
"I'll sit over there. Bye, G." Soma whispered to me, waving goodbye and walking towards another set of seats, just right by the one by mum was on, where I could now see that my other co-prefects occupied.
I paused for a moment, momentarily stuck on my feet when I spotted Ivandor, amongst my co-prefects that sat there. He sat there, by Kelechi and Chido, the Disciplinary girls and Sanitary Prefect Boys respectively. An unbothered look was on his handsome face as he leaned back on his seat, staring blankly into space.
I looked away from him and walked towards my mum on the other row of seats where I could now recognize one of the adults that sat on the row my mum was on. That was Mrs. Waje - Prissy's mother. The chubby woman on low cut sat right next to her daughter, who was still avoiding looking at me. This time, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.
"Are you okay?" Mum whispered, as soon as I took a seat right next to her.
I sighed softly, releasing half the tension in that sigh, then nodded. Mum took my hand and squeezed gently, as we both awaited the fate of this meeting.
The meeting properly commenced when the representative of the owner of the school walked into the hall. Everyone, teachers, prefects, all other authorities, got on their feet to greet the dark skinned, prim and proper looking lady who stood in for the British lady that owned Castron High.
My heartbeat became erratic, but I eased myself with little breaths. I watched as the woman walked with a form of authority, pride in her steps, nose high up in the air and a straight ass face that almost reminded me of myself.
Lord, help.
After a few comments made by the curt woman who addressed herself as 'Proffessor Idok', she was taken to a well reserved seat on the round table that was mounted higher than the others.
"I have a busy schedule, so let's make this snappy." Professor Idok started, her voice firm and authoritative. Some files were promptly and quickly passed down to her. I swallowed, a part of me was sure those files contained the reports of what happened on Wednesday.
It's time...
Christ, my heart..
The teachers were first permitted to speak.
Mrs. Anthonia, a senior school Biology teacher gave a brief account of what happened. Her account was quite brief and barely on the surface.. almost like she was covering for me.
Was she?
She was one of the head teachers present. Mr. Jimmy, who knew I had dirt on him said not a word. Mr. Charles Bassey aka Charlie Ba, only observed the female biology teacher as she spoke...very quietly.
Professor Idok was clearly not satisfied with her account as soon as she wrapped it up. Needless to say, she almost looked bored.
She further asked the Prefects to speak on what they witnessed and Winnie, the Sanitary Prefect girl, was quick to take the microphone.
"It was all Giwa's fault!" She began her opening statement, throwing accusations on me through grudge filled eyes.
The air was absolutely chill and silent. Mum's hands squeezed mine again like she was saying 'calm down'. Truthfully speaking, my heart had been beating so much that infact, at that point, I felt absolutely numb.
Winnie rapped on;
"Giwa Falade just went in there and started dragging Prissy out of the hall like a mad woman. She pulled her outside and gathered everyone's attention, disrupting the entire assembly and lashing out on teachers and prefects that were begging her to stop! She was so out of control, ma. She just started shouting all sorts of profanities and using swear words even on school grounds. Calling Prissy Waje a prostitute and all sorts of names and claiming she was having illicit relationships with Yure Adediji_"
"WINNIE EZRA. SIT DOWN!!"
I jumped slightly at the voice of Charlie Ba, who just commanded the busty loudmouth prefect to sit down.
"I believe I have the right to give the commands here." Professor Idok cut in, looking to the physics teacher.
"Yes, ma. Ezra's eye witness report is clearly out of malice, so it may be invalid. I suggest that someone else speaks on the case." Charlie Ba explained to her.
Why was he defending me..
"Truth." Professor Idok agreed silently, nodding her head curtly.
The only reason she agreed with Charlie Ba was because of the respect the school held for that man. And.. fortunately for us.. he was using it to our advantage.
God bless him..
"Kelechi Uwa." Charlie Ba addressed the female Disciplinary Prefect who sat by Ivandor's left.
"Let's hear what you saw." He told her instead.
The curt organised girl who was summoned to speak, stood up, tall and proper, her grey eyes focused and serious as she spoke;
"Giwa Falade and her friend, Prissy Waje seemed to have a little misunderstanding and the duo fell out badly in public. Giwa had made a scene angrily and it caused a lot of controversy. Teachers tried to stop it, and so did the prefects. I don't support any of the actions whatsoever, but Giwa seemed very angry that day and only acted out of provocation, so she couldn't have been totally blamed for being so out of control. Needless to say, we don't know what may have transpired between she and Prissy. I suggest, if I may please, that that should be taken into consideration while ascertaining punishments. Thankyou very much, Mrs. Idok."
Kelechi rounded up her speech, quickly throwing a half smile at Chido by her side for a second, before sitting down.
"I'd like to say something else." Aaron spoke up, raising a confident arm up. He didn't even look like he was asking, it was almost like he was commanding. Such guts.
Proffessor Idok gave him the go ahead.
"The entire set of Ss3 has been bullying Giwa Falade since the beginning of today." He reported so plainly.
Murmurs from the Prefects seats came up slowly. Every one of them who clearly had an issue with me shot daggers at Aaron, murmuring whatever.
Aaron looked like he couldn't care less. He had on this 'come and beat me' face as he folded his arms across his chest and kept a straight ass face.
"It's true, ma." Casper followed up. "I genuinely feel something should be done about that because no one should ever be subjected to that kind of unfair and unjust treatment. Ma, it is madness!"
The murmurs became noise now as the Prefects who clearly weren't on my side were finishing Casper. Seems to me like Aaron and Casper were ready for all these back lashing, because both boys remained unmoved.
"Order, please!" Charlie Ba commanded, easing the noise, but a little.
"I can give the names of the boys who were bothering Giwa Falade today." Soma said immediately, raising up her hand immediately and attracting the attention and noise to herself.
Mum actually laughed beside me. To be honest, I did too. I mean, it was heart warming that even in the midst of all these hate, some people are still standing by me. It warmed my heart.
"Somadina Kasarachi Best. You will wait behind after the meeting." Charlie Ba instructed and the girl nodded, paying no mind to the eyes that were heavily glaring at her.
Proffessor Idok stayed mute as she carefully observed everyone. Sooner, the hall was silent again. She cleared her throat.
"Why hasn't anyone spoken on the illicit sexual relationship between Yure Adediji, Prissy Waje....and Krisdana Moe?" She asked audibly.
Everyone was mute. Looking at each other's faces, wondering how to answer. I instantly felt horrible for the three of them. This thing usually warranted an expulsion.
"I already have my full reports on what happened that and the names mentioned as well." Mrs. Idok told us.
Full reports? Jesus.
What's that supposed to mean? Who made those reports??
"I am made to understand that Yure Adediji, Prissy Waje and Krisdana Moe are involved in a sexual relationship..even as it is forbidden in school." Professor Idok said audibly.
I looked to Prissy, who was literally shaking now.
"Excuse me? Where is Yure Adediji, if I may ask?" The Proffessor raised the question as she looked around the crowd only to realise the boy in question, wasn't even present at the meeting.
That's when the other adults - man and woman - who sat with us on the row, stood up, shocking me, shocking the whole entire hall with their excessive giant-tall heights.
"Good afternoon." The man greeted first.
"We are Yure Adediji's parents." The woman continued for him, a naija-british accent decorating her words.
Blood of Jesus..these people were fucking tall! Ofcourse, I wasn't the only one who noticed. I heard my mum utter an audible "what?". Meanwhile, the rest of the entire hall was filled with murmurs of "Jesus!", "omo!", "guy!" . Everyone was clearly taken aback by the couple's monstrous heights.
I mean, I had heard of Yure's parents before, but I hadn't particularly seen them. Never. Not until today. I never knew they were this tall.
That explained Yure's unreasonable height as well.
"Where is your son, if I may ask?" Proffessor Idok asked curtly. Politely.
Mrs. Adediji first sighed. A sigh of defeat. Her husband looked disturbed.
"My son couldn't be here today." Mr. Adediji answered simply.
"May I ask..why?" Proffessor Idok pressed on.
"He's receiving special treatment right now with our personal doctors. My son isn't in the best shape right now. He came back home on Friday evening with a bruised face and a man handled car. The doctors traced some minor issues of internal bleeding, but they said he'd be fine." Mrs. Adediji answered.
What?
"Um..I..I am very sorry to hear about that." The professor said, a look of worry and compassion evident on her face as she looked at the woman.
"My son doesn't want to tell us what happened to him. There's no language we've not used to beg this boy and yet, he refuses to speak up about what happened to him." Mrs. Adediji said.
What the hell happened to Yure?
Proffessor Idok said a few things to his parents, showing sympathy and when her attention diverted to us, she went on;
"And Krisdana Moe?"
We looked around, amongst ourselves, for the girl who just called.
"She's not present, ma." Someone had said.
"Oh, so she didn't know she would be a part of this meeting too?" Proffessor Idok snapped.
In her defense, no one knew. Infact, no one knew that the issue of Yure and Prissy would be brought up even.
From there, a long discussion on my matter erupted, between the authorities, teachers present, my co-prefects, and even my mum. I sat there, heart thumping as the entire issue was discussed and expatiated on, school book of rules and regulations were opened and analysed and clear, almost detailed reports concerning the matter was read out loud and elaborated on.
"Giwa Falade."
I took in a deep breath and softly let it out as my name was called by the Professor.
I stood up, from my seat, sinking in a soft whisper from my mum. "You can do this, baby."
"Yes, ma." I answered, my voice steady and firm.
ThankGod..
"What do you have to say for yourself?" I was asked.
I paused for a second, recollecting the words to use and answer the question. My eyes darted quickly in the space of seconds, from Ivandor, to Prissy, and then back to Professor Idok and the panel of teachers and authorities around her.
"I made a mistake." I started, my voice soft. I looked away from them and to the tiles floors.
"My anger does not justify anything that I did on Wednesday. I have no excuse whatsoever. What I did was wrong and I easily could have stopped it from happening. I'm not going to justify my actions by defending it with anger." I said, my voice still soft, yet loud enough.
"You go, girl." Mum whispered softly.
"I hurt the school. I hurt teachers. My classmates. My friends...," I looked up to the faces of the panel, all of them silent as they watched me speak. Proffessor Idok regarded me with a much softer, yet stern look.
I noticed Prissy's eyes softening as well and I took in a deep breath.
"..I said things. Mean, horrible things that I wish I could take back because they hurt people that are really dear to me..." I paused, noticing Ivandor and realising that he hadn't even budged.
"..and I apologise for it. I shouldn't have. I'm not going to play the pity card, but I'm only human. I did things I can't change, and If I could change the turn of events that day..I would..but..but I can't" I paused there, my voice breaking against my will with my last words as my throat started to feel sore from the pain and frustration I was feeling.
"Breathe, if you need to." Mum whispered and I complied. I took in little breaths to calm myself down.
I couldn't help but notice the change in Ivandor's behavior. His initial dead-staring into space faltered a little and a little sigh left him as he moved slightly against his seat, leaning in and crossing his arms over his chest. Even if he was still trying his best to not look at me, I could tell what I was saying was having an effect on him. Ofcourse, he wasn't heartless.
I didn't make it obvious that I was noticing all these and soon I was facing the panel again.
"I accept whatever punishment that may come as a result of this. I'm dearly sorry for my actions and I'm sorry for dishonoring the school and my prefectship post as well." I rounded up before sitting down.
Mum smiled at me, assuring me that everything would be alright. I believed her.
It got hot when the debate started amongst the members of the school authority as my punishment was being ascertained.
Half the council was adamant in taking merciless action. The other half were more sympathetic. Charlie Ba led that group.
"That was a high level of disrespect and Giwa Falade should be expelled!"
"No, Giwa Falade has done so much for this school. She has taken the school places. How can one mistake, the ONLY mistake she has ever made on the school cause her an expulsion!"
"She broke too many laws!"
"She has done so much for the school!"
"She disrespected teachers!"
"This is her first ever crime!"
I thought I would go deaf. My heart thumped mercilessly and I leaned into my mum.
In the end, Proffessor Idok who had been carefully observing like a judge, stood up from her seat, causing silence in the entire hall.
"It's time for my verdict." She announced, her voice resounding through out the now pin-drop silent hall.
"Giwa Falade..." She started.
I froze. It was my mum's tapping that brought me back to earth. I braced myself to hear my judgement.
"Giwa Falade will be indefinitely suspended.."
I felt my entire world freeze over.
Don't get a heart attack yet, I beg you😂❤️
Remember, happy ending ❤️❤️
I don't have strength to talk too much tbh, I want to sleep, but I'll briefly announce that once again, I introduced TMBT (Too many broken things) - my next book. I introduced some of our major characters here "Chika and her Clique" and "Aaron and Casper". The others remain anonymous for now lol. So far, what's your analysis on what a character would most likely be like (judging through how I presented them here) I want to hear your theories ☺️❤️
Bye for now. I'm about to wallow in my misery about how messed up this country is ❤️❤️