I closed my eyes, opened my mouth, and let my golden, melodious voice fly free. It slipped into the air like a bird finally released from its cage, resting on every ear in the class. For a moment, the world stilled. The class was so quiet I was sure even students outside could hear me. In fact, some left their own classes just to peek in, curious about the owner of the voice.
"Who's that?" A fat boy barged in, munching popcorn with the aura of a bully.
"Biggy! You just interrupted the most beautiful thing ever!" The girls in the class whined.
"Peter! Out of the class, now!" Mrs. Quinn barked.
"Okay, ma. Just wanted to see the owner of that crooked, coarse, frog-like voice. Honestly, he needs a new voice box," he mocked, laughing as he scurried away with his minions.
The class erupted with whispers. Lucy turned to me, sympathy all over her face.
"We're sorry, Ade," she said softly.
But before I could answer, Mrs. Quinn clapped her hands. "Alright, enough. Back to your seats, English notebooks open, and wait for your teacher."
Moments later, Miss Maureen, our English teacher, walked in.
"Morning class," she greeted.
"Morning, ma!" we chorused.
"Get your books out and start writing," she instructed, her tone sharp. "No disturbance. You'll be writing exams soon. Some of you may end up in college, some may end up learning trades. Either way—you need discipline. Pay attention."
"Yes, ma," we echoed.
She turned to the whiteboard, scribbling notes.
"Ade! Ade!" Lucy whispered, twisting in her seat three rows ahead.
"What?" I whispered back.
"Come sit here, please," she urged.
"No, I love it here."
"Please, please!"
"No."
Miss Maureen spun around. "The new boy and Lucy—OUT of my class!" She jabbed a finger at the door.
"Ma, I—" I tried explaining.
"Obey before complaint, you idiot," she cut me off.
Lucy giggled as we shuffled out. Girls, I swear.
I leaned against the classroom window to catch the lesson, but Miss Maureen barked, "Stay off my windows!"
"Sorry, ma," I muttered, sinking onto the bench outside.
Lucy dropped beside me, her face crumpled with guilt. "It's all my fault, Ade. I'm so sorry. This is your first lesson here, and I ruined it." Tears welled, spilling onto my shirt as she rested her head on my shoulder.
Was I sitting with an emotional freak?
I tilted her chin up and gently wiped her tears.
"Are we friends?" she asked shyly, cheeks pink.
"Yeah. Everybody's my friend," I said with a smile.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"So… what are you to Eva?" she asked suddenly, eyes drilling into mine.
The question stunned me. What was I to Eva?
"She's my best friend," I answered carefully. "Like a sister."
Lucy nodded, though her gaze lingered on me a little too long.
"Mind if I ask something else?" she ventured.
"Shoot."
"Why did you leave Nigeria? From what I see online, it's a nice country—except, you know, the electricity wahala." She chuckled.
"I just wanted to explore," I laughed.
She stared at me while I laughed, her eyes soft. I cut the laugh short with an awkward cough and scratched the back of my head. Silence fell between us.
"She's left!" Eva announced suddenly, pulling me back into the class.
She beamed as she introduced me to her squad. "Alice, Dove, Martha, Carol, Juliet, Adah, and Diana—meet my best friend, Ade."
Best friend? Only? Nothing more?
"We know who he is," Martha scoffed. "He's either with you or Lucy. Can't y'all let him talk to us for once?"
"Alright, alright," Dove, the prettiest of them all, chimed in. "Ade, we're inviting you to a party Saturday night. Six sharp. You in?"
"My schedule's tight," I said coolly. "Don't know if I'll make it."
"Lucy, you coming?" Carol asked.
"I don't think so. I'm flying to Paris Friday evening," Lucy said casually.
Rich girl vibes.
Before I could process, a familiar booming voice shattered the room.
"Where's this guy? The one everyone keeps talking about?!" Biggy stormed in, glaring at me.
I squared my shoulders. "What's the problem?"
"Don't you dare ask me silly questions. Because you made it onto the 'good looks' list doesn't mean you can talk to my girl. How dare you speak to Clover?" His fist clenched as he grabbed me by the collar.
"Let him go!" Eva screamed.
"Shut up!" he snapped, shoving her against the wall.
Something in me snapped. "How dare you lay a finger on her?" I roared, yanking him by the collar and lifting him slightly.
"You think you're perfect? I could crush you," he spat.
"Listen, I hate fighting. But if you insist, I'll deliver."
"You're dead meat," he sneered and slapped me across the face.
He touched the lion's tail.
My fist connected with his jaw, and the class erupted into cheers. Biggy shoved me against the wall, raining blows. My blood boiled. With every ounce of strength, I pushed him down onto the tiled floor and slapped him twice across the face. I was raising my hand for the third when he bit my arm, drawing blood.
Pain seared. He flipped me over, pummeling me as the girls screamed, trying in vain to separate us.
"Let go of my girl!" he bellowed.
"Let me go, you psycho! I'm bleeding!" I howled.
The fight raged on, chaos filling the room.
---
Hi guys ❤!
How y'all doing?
It's been a minute! I feel like I'm talking to myself 'cause maybe no one's reading, but hey—that's okay.
Moral of the story? You create it yourself. 👀
Stay tuned for Chapter Sixteen 💞
With love,
Your favorite teen authoress 💟
OziomaJasmine