Naya and Vince

10

I was really shaken up by the horrid event of last night. I considered staying at home but decided against that. It would only make matters worse. I felt betrayed, hated, every negative emotions that existed in the sphere of our wicked world. I felt like I could kill Dinma. I knew I could.

I needed distraction.

The universe plus fate decided to make things worse and entertain themselves. I was unluckily going be having chemistry practicals with Vincent that day. Could the universe be any more sadistic?

I prayed in my heart as I and Jessica together with Aliyah headed down to the stairs chemistry lab. I think Jessica noticed my sour mood because she hadn't said any thing that annoyed me since morning. We had barely even said anything to each other and I was really grateful for that. I didn't want to yell at her or anyone.

Well anyone except Vincent. He was the perfect person to pour out my frustration on.

We sat at the same spot we sat yesterday during the chemistry class, except that Amanda was absent. She was still preparing lab apparatuses for the practical class. Jessica kept complaining on the pairing.

"I can't believe I'd be working with Temi." She had said this about a bazillion times now and I wanted to shut her up so bad. Temi was the girl that was always with Olamide.

"But seriously if that girl had not done that stupid change of stupid name, I would be working with Stephen. This doesn't just make sense. It's not fair!" She  groaned pulling at her braids. The beads at the tips clacked noisily probably trying to tick me off. I should have stayed on my own. I didn't fail to notice that Jessica was more pissed because she was not going to work with Stephen.

"Thanks to Allah she did change her surname. I might have been paired with her if she didn't," Aliyah said adjusting her pretty blue scarf.  Aliyah was paired with Chijioke.

"Babe, what's the matter?" Jessica asked me after some time. I knew she was bound to ask. At least she didn't ask if I was okay because I didn't look like I was okay at all. Chijioke had even told me that he didn't want to be yelled at so he was going to leave me alone till he was sure I was over whatever was annoying me. My scowl was so set, it surprised me that Jessica even hung around me.

"You don't have to say anything though. I get that we're not so close," she added.
Aliyah didn't say a word.

"I prefer not to speak," I said as politely as I could. I knew it was going to hurt her. We were supposed to be friends. Jessica and Aliyah talked but I was the secretive one. There was nothing I could do about it.

Jessica nodded in understanding.

Soon she left to join some other lively group, leaving me and Aliyah alone.

"I understand that you don't like me," Aliyah started. I didn't say a word so she continued, "but I'd love it if you accepted me as friend."

"I didn't say you couldn't be my friend and I never said I didn't like you," I told her. I knew she had said that because I said I didn't like being around people who endured shaming.

I used to be insulted and made fun of before. I had told a ‘frenemy’ of mine about my supposed mother and she thought it was going to be nice telling the whole class. Most of my classmates started using it to insult and make fun me. They would even form songs. Those times I would cry so much but I never reported. I couldn't tell anyone again for fear of being judged. It was during this time I met Bolaji.

I was crying at a certain time at the back of my class block when he spotted me and came to console me as the good senior he was. He asked me the matter and I told him that my classmates were making fun of me, leaving out the reason they did. Luckily for me he didn't ask but told me something that may have changed me.