𝐌𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

SCHOOL IS poop. Poop I tell you!

The very moment I entered the school premises, I was reminded of why it is a load of crap.

I was minding my business when a certain useless person grabbed me by the hem of my green school shirt, and assaulted me.

"What have I done wrong?" I asked, for fear of being punched in the face. At that moment, I wished a random teacher would walk up to us and stop anything from happening to me.

"You're asking what you did wrong when you know," Akin said, in between clenched teeth, his hand puckered into a fist in preparation to punch me.

"I am sorry for whatever wrong I did, but I don't know what I did wrong." My hands shuddered, and my mouth instantly went dry.

"You went out with my girl on Saturday. Kwento told me all about it."

My eyebrows knitted together, so this was what he wanted to punch me for." I didn't go out with her and now is the only time I know she is your girl."

As far as I remember, Aretta told me she has no boyfriend, so what the hell was he talking about?

"Don't lie. Everyone in this school knows and Kwento saw you pick her up from her house. In case you don't know, Kwento is her neighbor."

"I picked her up, but we are conducting a school project together and that's the only reason I was with her. You can even ask her."

"It better be the only reason, because I don't want your skinny self around her. She needs a buffed handsome guy like me, not a weakling like you. Just so you know, your biceps are so depressing to look at." He said and each word he spoke felt like cold air over an open wound.

"I don't want your girl. She isn't even my type!" Oh no, why did I just say that?

"Are you calling my girl unattractive?" He held out his fist and punched me in the gut.

I flinched and held my stomach. "No, she is attractive."

"Now you're admitting to having a crush on her." He punched me in the face and my head forcefully cocked itself to the side.

I held my face. "Look, I promise to have nothing to do with her. Please do not hit me."

"You're a sad being. What girl can be attracted to you? You don't even have abs or any muscle to show off. Girls want a guy who can protect them. Look at you, just two punches and you're pleading." His words felt like a sharp sword directly aimed at my heart. That his words were true pierced my heart so deeply that the watery fluid showing pain slowly slipped through my eyelids.

I turned my face away from his sight to avoid him making me feel weaker, for crying at his words.

"I am sorry." I held my aching stomach, and run away from him before he could say anything more offensive.

"You better be." He said, and I kept running.

*****

It is true when they say words have power.

Akin's words had the power to ruin my whole day at school. I was demotivated for each class and when the bell rang; it changed nothing about my opinion.

I remembered the promise I made to Akin. The promise that I would have nothing to do with Aretta.

My stomach ached enough for me to want to keep that promise and so I decided I would switch project partners. It would be better to opt for peace than conflict.