LOW CUT

CHAPTER THIRTEEN;MY BEST FRIEND

        

     " oh my goodness! isn't this Mary? the new girl from church?" I asked my self out loud when I saw a very quiet and neatly dressed female student carrying a green School bag, eating ice cream and walking on the downstairs corridor . She looked so much like Mary. No, she doesn't just look like Mary, she is Mary. When it dawned on me that she was the one, I ran away. Like , I literally ran away. I didn't know why I did this until I got to my class and sat down that's when I realized that I ran because I was ashamed too ashamed to be seen wearing a public School uniform. Too ashamed to be seen in a School like this. I didn't lie to her that I was in a private School or anything like that, I don't even have a relationship with her she is the cousin of a frien of mine in church. I was afraid that she would tell her cousin- Stephanie that she found me in her School- a public School hence I decided to run for my dear reputation.

  I had a feeling she saw me... but, as long as we didn't have a conversation I could easily deny it without batting an eye.

     I also remember Clearly that my mum told me last Saturday, the weekend  before Second term resumption, that She connected Stephanie's mum to Mr. Dele the one who was in charge of admissions into the School. I now realize that the admission was for Mary and not Stephanie. Ha! silly me. To think that Stephanie as ruch and sassy as she is would come to a public School.

   

    Two weeks has passed since I've been dogding and ignoring Mary. Most times,she sees me but I just act like I don't know her or see her. Today, she  walked  up to me at the Junior Section food vendors place during break and say" Hey, this girl, I know you, You come to my church."

I smiled shyly at her and answered because at this point, I don't know what to do. I have no choice but to respond " Yes it's true. I know you too. You are Stephy's cousin right?" She looked at me confused and asked" is that what she told you? "

" Yes, aren't you her cousin? "

" Oh actually, I am her Cousin. " From Mary's accent, one could tell that she is from the eastern part of Nigeria. She also has a gapped set if teeth- what we call" open-teeth" over here. And plus , she has a faire and smooth skin but it's not as faire and as smooth as mine.

  " when did you come to this School?" She asked me?

" Um since last term, I resumed very late... hmmm.. I came in November last year."

" Okay , that's better than me. me that just came last two weeks."

When she said this , it actually dawned on me that she resumes after me but she is in JSS 1A  instead of JSS 1C. I thought you were assigned to a class according to the date and time you resumed. I didn't bother telling her all these because I was running away from her. Nothing personal, I just don't want you have any friends. I've been advised not too." oh! it's not that bad , you can still catch up."

" yes, I know. " she answered and sighed. Suddenly she looked at me  with a bright smile, she asked "Do you want Ice cream? there's is this, new vanilla ice cream I tasted last two weeks eh.. if you taste it you would love it.. since I tasted it, I've been buying it every day , I even buy three on Fridays so that I can eat one, and take the rest home for the weekend. "

" oh! that explains why the first day, I saw you, you were eating Ice cream. "

" huh?! do you eat Ice cream or you lick Ice cream? " she asked with her eyebrows raised as she walks to the Ice cream stand that was crowded to get Ice cream.

  'Well, let's see how you would get the attention of the Ice cream man, from a crowd like this. ' I  thought to myself with a smirk. She came back immediately, holding two Ice cream packs with sweat dripping from her fore head to her chin. " wait o, it wasn't even up to one minute that you left, how did you do it?" I asked after collecting the pack of Ice cream she has offered me.

" do what?" she asked while tearing open her own pack with her teeth.

"I mean, how were you able to get through the crowd to buy the Ice cream. "

" oh! that one, I just picked the Ice cream and gave him money and collect my change. that's all ... finish. " She started eating or should I say, eating her own Ice cream. She said it like it was so simple. As if, it was as easy as eating the Ice cream. Her words made me ashamed of myself because, I've been in the School since last term and I can't even buy something without being bullied or ignored. This girl -Mary just pops out of no where and adapts so easily or did she come from a public School?

  "Lick your Ice cream now? why are you staring at me?"

" oh yes that's true. " I involuntary opened the Ice cream just as she opened hers and took a sip out of it. My eyes opened in amazement at the taste of this ice cream. It tasted So good. " Wow, this tastes nice. How much did you buy it?"

" oh! it's just one hundred and twenty naira."

" What! for  one or the two? "

" No! " She chuckled loudly" It's for only one o the two of them is two hundred and forty naira. " 

" what? oh ! my God! that too much, how much does your parents give you , I mean how much does your Aunty, Stephy's mum give you to school? "

" oh , something five hundred naira, something one thousand naira and it's not my Aunty that gives me it's My Uncle-Stephy's  Dad.

"what! " I widened my eyes in shock and disbelief. She gets what? five hundred to One thousand naira to School on a daily basis and me what do I get? just one hundred naira, the one hundred naira that my mum has planned to slash into fifty naira. To be honest, I don't life is as fair as I think it is.

"what about you how much does your mummy or daddy give you?"

" well, to be honest, they give me... um ... the same thing as you." I lied . I just didn't want to appear small or penniless in front of her. " okay that's good." she commented while smiling.

      It was when I finished eating-licking the Ice cream that's when  guilt choked me. Like a flash, I remembered the words of my mother like she was standing right before me"Winner... hood your eyes, if anybody gives you any thing on School especially food don't take it.. did you hear? if you do, bring it home and show I and your father. You have to be careful now. Not all human beings are human beings... " Oh no! I just disobeyed my mother, she won't know but what if I die, what is Mary isn't human? what if she is an alien. What if she deceived  me by making me think that she bought the Ice cream meanwhile she just hid in the crowd and vomited the ice cream.... that explains her quick return and the Sweetness of The Ice cream. 'Ah' I'm in trouble .

   " Are you  okay?" I turned to see Mary's pretty face staring at me with concern. It was then I realized that she followed me all the way to my class with her School bag on. what's wrong with this girl why can't she just leave me alone in peace. " Why did you fool me to my class?"

" Oh! nothing oh! I was telling you bye-bye you didn't hear me . so I said let me follow you and know your sit. "

" okay thank you ,you can go now. "

" okay, but please can we walk home together today? "

" okay bye. "

" thank you. " She finally left. walking on the tables meticulously to get to the front desk and jump down like wonder woman.

" Looks like you now have a new friend." Cynthia said it me smiling at me derisively.

I just rolled my eyes at her and ignored her.

   Immediately after closing, like a flash , Mary was at my desk, interrupting my reading. " hey lets go home."

I was shocked to see her " Wow! did you fly?You came so quickly." I started packing School bag.

" No... ha ha ha! I just got to  your class  before the bell. I used my wrist watch . see? " she pointed stylishly at her wrist .

" okay! oh.... Okay"I responded briefly.

   When we got out of the School, premises, fur the first time, I was going to use the busy stop routine to my house. This is against my mother and Chibuikem's wish but who says and can't break one rule? Mary bought meat pie for me and I ate it before feeling guilty again. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!

    I like Mary, I think she could be my best friend!