𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐖𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.

~THIRTY-TWO~

“We are all in this world together, and the
only test of our character that matters is how we look after the least fortunate among us. How we look after each other, not how we look after ourselves. That’s all that really matters, I think.” – Tommy Douglas

Dedicated to Dhizzie_Pearl

Please read the author's note at the end. Very important. Thank you❤️

Okay, leggo!😎😇

                                   •AYO•

I tossed the basket ball up and caught it. Kept doing that as I was laid down with my back to the bed, staring at the ceiling. The white paint on it was wearing off  - I needed to do something about that, but later. Right now, something else was on my mind. Or should I say things?

My mind went back to the past weeks and the events that took place. School had been really. . .eventful the last few days. Was eventful the word? Let me just put it that way, anyway.

I caught the ball and threw it up again.

Sukky and his geng hadn't stopped their taunts and threats. If anything, it had gotten worse. It was like they went around with me, every where I went. They followed me around, smirking and grinning at me, like we were old friends, which we somehow were, but I never counted it as that, though.

Call me paranoid or whatever but that was just the way it was. They were following, no, stalking me. Come to think of it though, they'd been stalking me since we began SSS3, only that it became really clear this year, 2nd term.

On the day of resumption, I remember seeing Sukky smirking at me. He was alone and not with his geng, which actually got me wondering but I'd shrugged it off and thought; the lesser, the better. Seeing him brought back the memories, dreaded memories. . .

The day after that, I was walking alone back to class from an errand a teacher had sent me.  I hadn't seen them at all. But how they saw me, I'd never know. How they ambushed me was just too well planned out. I'd just taken the last step up the stairs when they appeared from nowhere and cornered me in the corridor. Cornered me in a part of the corridor that was inconspicuous, very close to the staff closet.

My eyes widened in shock but returned to normal when I saw it was them. I didn't want to give them the satisfaction that  they'd really succeeded in surprising me...

I'd wanted to ignore them and just walk away like I usually did but nah, they didn't even have to push me back hard before they stopped me. Anger pulsed through my veins as I stared back at them. Sukky's smirk grew wider. He'd gotten the reaction he was looking for, from me. The same reaction he'd gotten at the bleachers when Nina almost saw what happened.

And the same reaction I'd had that day. The day that started all of this. . .stuff. That day. . .

"Balogun, better be calming down," Sukky said mockingly, making the anger surge, even more, through me.

"Yeah, that anger would be very useful in another environment and with a particular group of people," Kome said and crossed his arms in satisfaction.

"Very useful," Jare chided.

The three of them exchanged looks and then burst out laughing.

It'd only angered me more. I clenched my fists and was breathing real hard.

At that memory, I threw the ball up so hard that it almost broke through the ceiling.

Ayo, you need to calm down. . . I told myself as I exhaled.