LIFE IN HIGH SCHOOL

CHAPTER 3: SOCIAL PRESSURES

"You're Shantel right?" the senior asked, having called her during prep.
"Yes" Shantel responded rolling her eyes.
"I need you to meet Senior Deborah and ask her for the book titled 'Never Return' and bring it to me" the senior said.
Shantel had asked for the Senior and when she saw her, she related what the Senior had said.
"Which senior is that? What's her name? Go back and find out before I can release the book" Deborah said.
Shantel had gone back and returned with the name,
"Her name is Ah-yo" she said. Deborah had laughed.
"Ah-yo kor, yoyo ni" she teased. "Well I just realized I don't have it with me, ask for Senior Happy and collect it from her" she then turned to continue speaking with her friends.
Shantel had met the senior who referred her to another senior, who in turn referred her to another senior. While going to meet the Senior she had been referred to meet again, she had met Aisha and Yemi, who had been sent by other seniors for the same book! What da hell is going on here? Just when she had met the senior who was also referring her to another senior, she had noticed some of her classmates also moving about and asking for the same book. Shantel already getting pissed, turned to the senior and asked,
"Excuse me senior Eh-se but what exactly is going on here? I have two tests slated for tomorrow, in less than an hour the bell will be rung for end of prep and I am yet to cover pages from my book. I'd like to know who has the book so I get back to my books!"
The senior had blinked, the audacity of Shantel had surprised her. Her other friends had reacted differently, they wanted her punished for being rude. Ese had rebuffed them.
"Well Shantel you're quite smart and outspoken" she smiled, then continued "Well you see there really isn't a book by that title. The essence of this was to make you keep going in circles looking for the book, without you realising you are the one who is never to return".
Shantel was stunned! So this was a game to them? How dare they? Ese then said,
"I release you to return back to your sit and continue whatever it is you were doing". If I don't you'd keep walking about till a senior releases you" she declared.
Shantel still dumbfounded, said her thanks and was about leaving when Ese asked her to see her after night devotions at the Seniors hostel. Shantel had returned to her sit, not knowing if she should be angry or laughing at her stupidity. She still saw some her mates roaming about, she smiled. Jeez, should I tell them? She thought against it, she might be punished.
Ese had asked Shantel to be her school daughter, she would look after her and protect her from some bullying seniors. Shantel had shyly agreed and left to her bed before lights out.

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Weeks later, some click of senior girls had stopped Shantel and her friends in school and ordered them to carry their books for them to their Class. Shantel and her friends had exchanged looks.
"Well with all due respect seniors, we also have a class right now and we don't want the teacher to get there before us" she said and dragged her friends along.
The seniors had called them back, angry at the response. They asked them to carry their books or face punishment. Shantel had eyed them disgustingly and walked out. Her friends had been scared and stayed behind to beg the seniors to please let them go.
Some minutes later, Adaeze and Aisha had entered the class while classes had started. The teacher had asked where they were and they couldn't give a reason. They had been told to stand till the end of the 1 hour class with 5 marks deducted from their Continuous Assessment  (CA).

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By the end of the last subject, just after the bell had rung for short break, an SS1 girl had showed up and called Shantel. She informed her that she was needed at the Senior's class B. She guessed why. Shantel had gone into the class and was shouted upon by one of the girls to go back and knock, then wait for a response before coming in. Shantel smiled, but did as she was told. When she entered, the senior girls had asked her to kneel. She declared she wouldn't. They were really pissed now and were about hitting her, when the SP-M had entered into the class. Behind him were Aisha, Adaeze and her School mother Ese. The SP-M asked what had happened, the girls had said all sorts of ridiculous things, but Shantel kept mute until asked to explain herself. Shantel had calmly related all that had happened. She was told to return to her class by the SP-M. Aisha and Adaeze had apologized for not sticking with her initially, she smiled and thanked them.
When classes had ended for that day, one of the senior girls, Pamela had met her and told her she would make her stay unbearable.
"You think because you are oyibo, you can do anyhow abi? I will teach you a lesson!" she said.
"And I will report you to the authorities, if you overstep your boundaries" Shantel said unafraid.

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Shantel had become popular in the hostel, several seniors had heard about what she did and had began to be mean to her. Some would call her and ask her to fetch their water, wash their clothes, arrange their bed, iron their clothes, or sweep their corners. She had reported them to the Hostel Mistress who punished them accordingly, but it only made it worse for Shantel. The more she reported, the more mean they treated and bullied her. Her school mother could only protect her from some seniors, but not all. She had told Shantel not to report else she wouldn't be able to do much for her, it would be her classmates against her. This continued until a time the Hostel Mistress had seen her carrying an iron bucket full of water. She had asked her who had it, Shantel had told her the truth. The senior was punished accordingly and suspended as a reference to all other seniors who were intimidating junior students. The school authorities had stepped into the scene and declared that any senior found bullying anyone would be expelled instantly. Shantel had made lots of enemies now, but no one dared bully or they would be expelled from the school, which would be a dent for them to be admitted in another school. Some of her classmates also saw her as a competition. The teachers loved her outspokeness and intelligence. At the end of the session, Shantel was awarded Overall Best in Academics and Most Behaved Student in her set. This she maintained till her throughout her Junior Class.
Her relationship with Yemi had dwindled by JSS3. Yemi rolled with the senior boys and had joined the wayward set of girls. Aisha had told Shantel that Yemi and some other students sneaked out of the hostel by night to an unknown place. Shantel had confronted Yemi about it, reminding her of the consequences of her action. Yemi had shushed her and warned her not to overstep her boundaries. Shantel wondered at how people changed. Shantel's parents had come for her graduation into Senior Secondary School. She was so happy to see them, they had told her they wouldn't make it the last time they spoke at the school phone booth, which was opened to calls from parents and guardians once a month. Except in cases of emergencies.
She had travelled back with them to the States for her holidays. Hoping that her Senior Year will be of less pressures, compared to her Junior Year. Everything was going to change for her. Her uniforms, her hostel, moving to the Senior class building, class subjects, and then more responsibility. She hoped not to disappoint.