Chapter 3 (Edited)

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~Yemisi~
The blessed lunch bell finally pierced the monotonous drone of the school day. My stomach rumbled in agreement, the sound echoing the turmoil within me. Alessia, that she-devil in human form, deserved a special award in the category of "Most Likely to Make Your Life Miserable."

Flashback

The aftermath of the attendance check had been a whirlwind. Rushed to the math class, only to be met with a room full of scribbling students and a suspicious teacher. Alessia, the consummate liar, had spun a tale of me "loitering" around the school, causing my tardiness. My mind reeled. Loitering? Where on earth did that even come from?

The teacher, bless his gullibility, had ushered Alessia in while turning a stern eye towards me. "You've deprived your classmate of valuable test time," he boomed. "Detention for you, young lady. No test today."

"But sir-" I stammered, protests dying on my tongue as he cut me off with a curt, "No buts!"

"Disciplinary office," he barked, leaving me bewildered. Disciplinary office? Lost and confused, I did the only thing Alessia's little scheme had left me with - I wandered the halls, a literal embodiment of her fabricated lie.

The sound of my name snapped me out of the flashback. It was Alessia, a malicious glint in her eyes. I simply rolled my eyes, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction. Two girls trailed behind her, the ones who had been giggling at my misfortune earlier. Now, they seemed less like friends and more like her personal cheerleaders.

"Did you have to beg for that?" she sneered, pointing at my lunch tray. A cruel smile twisted her lips. "Well, borrowed food doesn't taste as good anyway," she taunted, sending my tray flying with a shove. The clatter of the falling plate echoed through the cafeteria as its contents spilled onto the floor.

Fury bubbled within me, a primal urge to retaliate. But my mother's words echoed in my mind - a mantra against impulsive reactions. With a clenched jaw, I stood up and stalked out of the cafeteria, leaving the hyena and her pack to their amusement.

Frustration gnawed at me. I slammed my fist against the elevator button, narrowly avoiding a malfunction. Back in the classroom, I collapsed onto my chair, tears welling up in my eyes. Stupid, I thought, sniffling. It was just food. Why was I crying over something so trivial?

Just as I began wiping my tears away with shaky hands, the classroom door creaked open. I quickly buried my head in my arms, hoping whoever it was would go away.

"Yemisi, are you alright?" a familiar voice asked.

It was Kayode. I hesitantly lifted my head and managed a weak nod.

"I saw what happened," he said gently. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," I croaked, my voice betraying the storm brewing inside me.

"Okay," he said, his brow furrowed with concern. "Just thought I'd bring you some company... and a Snickers bar to appease your grumbling tummy." He held out a chocolate bar, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

I wanted to refuse, but a traitorous rumble from my stomach gave me away. Kayode chuckled softly, placed the chocolate in my hand, and left the room.

The second he was gone, I tore open the wrapper and devoured the bar in a single bite. Closing my eyes, I silently pleaded for the day to mercifully come to an end. This new school, this new life - it felt like a nightmare I desperately wished I could wake up from.

*AUTHOR'S NOTE*
Happy 25 years anniversary to Google
Thanks so much for the reads and votes.
I'm on cloud ☁️ 9
So far this is my shortest chap. I don't know what happened
Alessia is a pain, right?
Who loves chocolate. M &Ms is my fav.
Like I said before, K-pop is amazing. Listen to ETA by NewJeans.
Please vote, comment and share
Love yaa

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