Rats, Roses And Paper Bones

chapter 13: "bam!"

It had been almost a month since I got into the Science Department.
It had been tough at first—really tough—but eventually, I got the hang of it. Surprisingly, I was doing pretty well.
I did practically everything I could to secure good grades.
I answered questions in class, even though doing so earned me annoyed looks from several classmates, Moyo included.
The teachers were beginning to know me too.
I'd somehow managed to build a good reputation for myself by greeting teachers whenever I saw them, helping them carry their bags when necessary, reminding them about classes they had with us, and submitting assignments before everyone else.
That last one was probably the most unforgivable.
I wasn't trying to be a teacher's pet. I just wanted good grades.
Unfortunately, my classmates didn't see it that way.
"Where did this new girl come from?"
"Who does she think she is?"
And whenever a teacher walked into the class asking for an assignment that everyone had conveniently forgotten about, all heads would turn towards me.
As if I was the class secretary.
I simply ignored them.
Midterm holiday was less than two weeks away, and our continuous assessment tests were coming up the following week.
My sister was especially excited about going home. She couldn't wait to see Mum, Dad and everyone else.
I couldn't blame her.
I'd never really understood how lonely she must have felt after we were separated.
Oh, I hadn't mentioned that, had I?
My sister could no longer stay in the same hostel as me because about half of the female students had been moved into a new hostel that had been completed only three weeks earlier.
It was actually a good thing. The old hostel had become ridiculously congested.
Unfortunately, it also meant that my sister and I had been separated.
I remained in the old hostel while she was moved to the new one.
It made me sad.
I'd always assumed I'd be beside her for a long time, looking out for her and making sure she didn't get herself into trouble.
But I was slowly beginning to understand that I couldn't protect her forever.
She had her own life to live.
Besides, she was twelve, not two.
I needed to stop treating her like a toddler.
I'd also finally received all my school clothes two weeks ago.
And they didn't fit.
At all.
The house clothes and church clothes were manageable, but the uniforms—the ones I had to wear four days a week—were the worst.
They literally swallowed me whole.
Apparently, my uniform had decided to become my body.
And, naturally, my classmates had found the perfect name for me.
Sack Bag Doyin.
It was that bad.
“Hey, Sack Bag Doyin. What are you doing?”
I looked up.
Michael was standing beside my desk, grinning.
I slowly looked him up and down.
“I don't appreciate you joining them in calling me that, Mr Man. And besides, who even came up with that stupid name?”
I already had a pretty good idea.
Moyo.
She hadn't stopped making my life miserable since I arrived.
Michael laughed.
“Easy, lady. It's just a nickname.”
“It's a terrible nickname.”
“Everyone in this class has one.”
“So?”
“So you needed one too.”
I rolled my eyes.
“What's yours?”
“Mikey Sticks.”
I stared at him.
“Mikey Sticks?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Because I play the drums.”
I burst out laughing.
“Yeah, I know you play the drums, but that doesn't make the name any less stupid.”
He placed a hand over his chest.
“Wow. I'm offended.”
“You'll survive.”
“Laugh all you want, Miss. I know it's a dumb name too.”
He grinned.
“But I actually think yours is kind of cool.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Baggy clothes are kinda lit.”
“Blah, blah, blah.”
I waved him off.
“It's still stupid. And I'm going to slim-fit all my clothes when I get home for midterm.”
“Whatever you say, Sack Bag.”
He raised both hands in mock surrender before quickly disappearing from the classroom.
I grabbed my book.
“Coward!”
I threw it after him.
He laughed as he ran.
Michael and I had become surprisingly close.
He was incredibly nice to me, although I couldn't understand why.
At the same time, he could also be extremely annoying.
He teased me constantly, insulted me in the most indirect ways possible, and somehow managed to make me laugh even when I didn't want to.
You couldn't get everything, I guess.
“Settle down, everyone!”
I looked up.
Mrs Phillips had entered the classroom.
Our English teacher.
Our most boring teacher.
Her class was practically a sleeping pill.
Give it five minutes and half the class would be bent over their desks, sleeping.
Including the people who had sworn they would never sleep in class.
I, however, was determined to maintain my good image.
So I tried my best to keep my eyes open.
Sometimes, that required physically standing up just to keep myself awake.
Mrs Phillips placed her books on the table.
“I hope everyone is settled.”
Nobody answered.
“Good.”
She picked up a sheet of paper.
“I'll be giving you a test today. It will make up forty percent of your continuous assessment.”
The entire class groaned.
“Anyone who misses this test automatically loses those forty marks.”
“Urghhh!”
The groans became louder.
I looked around.
“Now, everyone tear out a sheet of paper.”
I sighed.
Who could save us?
Nobody.
This woman had no joy.
As everyone prepared for the test, I glanced towards Michael's seat.
He wasn't there.
He had left the classroom a few minutes earlier.
I had noticed that he sometimes disappeared during classes and didn't return for a while.
I wondered what he was always up to.
Not that I cared.
Obviously.
I was just...observant.
Thankfully, he returned before the test started.
Thank God.
I wouldn't wish missing a forty-percent test on even my worst enemy.
Ten minutes into the test, I heard a whisper beside me.
“Doyin.”
I ignored him.
“Doyin.”
I finally looked at Michael.
“What?”
“You're done?”
“Almost.”
He leaned slightly towards me.
“What did you get for number three?”
I giggled.
“I'm not telling you.”
“Please.”
“No.”
“Just number three.”
“Figure it out yourself.”
I turned back to my paper.
“Doyin.”
“What?”
“Please.”
“No!”
I accidentally said it a little too loudly.
Mrs Phillips looked up immediately.
“Doyin.”
I froze.
“Yes, ma?”
“Don't let me seize your paper.”
My heart dropped.
“Sorry, ma.”
I immediately gave Michael a death stare.
He mouthed, Sorry.
I turned away.
Wonderful.
Did he want me to get a bad record with the most boring teacher in school?
“Time's up!”
Mrs Phillips began collecting our papers.
“I hope you all did well,” she said. “It would make me happy to see good results. It would show that you have all been paying attention in class.”
She paused.
“Doyin.”
I pointed at myself.
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
She gestured towards the pile of papers.
“Take these to my office.”
“Yes, ma.”
I immediately got up.
I had thought she was angry with me.
Apparently, I was still in her good books.
Time to be patriotic again.
“Goodbye for now, class.”
“Goodbye, ma.”
The moment she left, the entire class released a collective sigh of relief.
“Phew. She's gone,” Michael said.
I walked towards the pile of test papers and picked them up.
I was about to leave when I felt someone grab my hand.
Michael.
“Do you need help with those?”
“No, Michael. I'm good.”
I gently pulled my hand away.
He followed me out of the classroom.
We reached the open assembly area before I stopped and turned around.
“Why are you following me?”
He looked confused.
“What?”
“Are you trying to get me into trouble again? I already ruined my perfect record with Mrs Phillips because of you.”
“I already apologised.”
“You did.”
“So why are you still angry?”
“I'm not angry.”
“You don't sound like you're over it.”
I adjusted the papers in my arms.
“It wasn't funny.”
“Doyin, it's not that serious. You got scolded. She didn't even seize your paper.”
“You don't understand.”
I turned away.
“You wouldn't.”
He was quiet for a moment.
“What exactly am I not understanding?”
I didn't answer.
He couldn't understand.
He had entered the Science Department without having to fight for it.
He hadn't had to beg the counsellor.
He hadn't had to sign an undertaking.
He hadn't spent days wondering whether his dream was about to disappear.
And now he was telling me that I was overreacting because of one little scolding.
I felt my irritation growing.
“Doyin.”
I kept walking.
“Doyin, wait.”
I ignored him.
“Hey, Doyin, watch out—”
BAM!
Something slammed into my forehead.
For a second, I couldn't understand what had happened.
Then I realised.
I'd walked straight into a pole.
Of course.
My vision blurred.
The papers scattered from my hands.
I heard Michael call my name, but his voice sounded strangely distant.
“Doyin!”
I tried to steady myself.
Someone's arms caught me before I hit the ground.
Everything around me became hazy.
The last thing I remember was the feeling of someone's arms holding me tightly.
Then everything went black.