Kelechi explained everything that transpired earlier in the day; David was completely shocked, he was beyond furious that Chidinma had the guts to spew lies to his mom but the one he found hard to believe was Essien's hand in this plot.
"I can't understand why Essien decided to help her" Kelechi remarked in wonder, " Is she blackmailing him or something?"
" I don't know what to say" David sighed, "I am completely speechless right now"
" But no matter what, a friend shouldn't backstab his own"
"It's beyond me, but I'm going to confront him tomorrow, he better gives me a satisfying explanation"
The next day, immediately after the devotions were concluded, David rushed up to Essien who had been avoiding him throughout the morning; he intercepted his ascent up the staircase and drew him to a corner.
"Why are you avoiding me huh? Is your guilty conscience pricking you?" David demanded.
"What do you want?" Essien asked quietly, his eyes on the floor.
David stared at his friend in utter disbelief, " Are you freaking serious right now, you come to my uncle's house and tell my mother lies and now you are going to behave as if nothing happened?"
Essien snapped his face towards David, his eyes holding David's stare for a second before dropping back to the floor.
"I--I'm sorry" he mumbled
"You are sorry?!" David replied darkly, "You think sorry will solve this issue---"
"What more do you want me to say?" Essien interjected
David stared at Essien in wonder,
"Why will you do such a thing?" He asked softly this time
Essien stared back at David for a while, his eyes full of bottled emotions threatening to spill out;
"Like I said, I'm sorry, I deeply regret my actions but as to why I did it, it will be better if I say less, do not force words out of my mouth" Essien explained in an unnervingly calm manner.
David's facial expression turned sour at this moment, he slammed Essien to the wall and glared at him.
"What the hell do you mean by that?" He demanded, "I trust---"
Before David could complete his words, Essien shoved him so forcefully, that he stumbled backwards almost falling to the floor.
"You want to know what I mean huh?" Essien yelled hotly, towering over David.
"You have always been the one, taking all the glory, always at the centre of attention, getting all the compliments even when you do wrong you still manage to have your way, but not me, I have always been the good boy, the obedient one but no one notices me, amongst our circle of friends, I'm the least popular, I can deal with that, but what I cannot stand is things rightfully mine, being taken away from me just because of you; that, I cannot stand to watch. Hope you are satisfied?"
With that he walked away leaving David dumbstruck.
A few minutes after this incident happened, the news that the social prefect had a face-off with the Senior prefect of the school was disseminated throughout the school.
Different versions of the incident were narrated by different students who strongly claimed their own version was the real deal.
The incident took the whole school by surprise, the duo were considered best of friends so it was puzzling to fathom what could cause them to almost exchange blows.
Even some of the teachers that heard of it called them both to find out what happened but neither of them was willing to say anything meaningful.
It was either David ending the questions by saying,
" Nothing serious, just some misunderstanding"
Or Essien's more confidential reply, "It's personal"
Immediately after papers that day, Vivian was all over David, she was just as bewildered as everyone else as to what could cause the heated argument between himself and Essien.
"Come on tell me" Vivian nagged at David while tugging his shirt as they walked.
"Vivian there's nothing to worry about" David replied sulkily
"Then why are you angry?" She persisted
"Look Viv," David replied, his hands rubbing his forehead in exasperation, "let's drop this matter"
But Vivian was not going to give up just like that; she pestered and disturbed David till the latter just could not stand it any more.
"Just tell me" she wined and stared lovingly at David with pouted lips.
David glared at her in feigned anger, he really did not want to create a bad image of Essien in her mind, he was still his friend despite what he did.
"What did you guys argue about?" Vivian asked for what seemed like the umpteenth time.
"Fine"
David drew a long heavy sigh and explained the whole conspiracy thing Essien and Chidinma had cooked up, although deliberately omitting some specifics.
Vivian listened calmly with a straight face, her eyes fixed on her man.
" I wonder what he meant by all that" David added, trying to explain what Essien had told him earlier today.
He was dazed by those words, not understanding what he meant.
" He said I have always had my way I don't understand what he means by that"
"You don't need to, it's not your fault at all"
Vivian soothed
"Well I'm still confused"
"Don't be" Vivian replied scooting over to wrap her arms around him, "that's the childhood issues he has failed to get over with"
"How should I handle him?" David asked
"Don't worry, if he's your friend he'll come around trust me"
"I hope he does"
YOU ARE READING
High School Dilemma
RandomDavid, a very brilliant lad losses his dad and all of a sudden, his mom remarries a very unpredictable but violent character, his mom seems blinded by 'love?' His new dad beats up his mom at the slightest provocation and yet his mom still doesn't wa...
