TEENAGE TRAUMA

Chapter 18-A deal

"Alright, quiet down students!" The school principal shouted from a podium over the overlapping voices of the students at the assembly ground. "I'm sure most of you already know about what I'm about to talk about but just for the unaware few of you; the school anniversary celebration is coming up and of course, like every other year, we'll be having a little get together here at the school on the 3rd of March which is next week Saturday. The flyers containing further information about the event would be all around the school, so do well to take a look at them if necessary. You're dismissed." She announced and we all began to our way to our classes. I of course got myself a flyer and was examining it at my seat when Kevin came and squatted next to me.
"You're coming, right? Though not a lot of students usually attend it." He asked.
"Maybe they just have better things to do on Saturdays.", I answered with a shrug, "Though I don't know if I'll be attending it" I continued.
"You should, please. It's always fun if you're there with your friends. It'll be just like a normal party" Kevin said, trying to persuade me.
"Well I'd like to go, but can't be too sure". Kevin responded, going back to his seat.

Some time later, I looked to my right and saw Emily signalling to me with her finger to come to her, with Amber and Janet looking at me. The hand gesture was so commanding, I began to debate whether to go  or not. Eventually I just roped my eyes and went to speak with them. On getting there, Amber immediately told me, "You're not going".

"Meaning?" I asked.
"You are not going to the anniversary celebration, do you need me to write it out or do you understand now?" she said.
"Seriously, that's your condition?" I asked in confirmation, "I wasn't planning on going anyway but why? I mean you have a chance to make me do basically anything and you choose to waste it by asking me not to attend a school party I wasn't planning on going to anyway?"

"Say whatever you want, I'm not changing my mind. And don't tell Kevin you won't be going till the day before the event". She added.
"Okay, but I can tell him whenever I want abeg". I said, turning around and going to my seat as the first period teacher stepped into the classroom and classes commenced. I knew what she was going to ask would somehow have something to do with Kevin anyway.

During our break time, I was telling Kevin about how I wouldn't be able to attend the school's anniversary celebration when Cristal popped up from behind me asking, "Why?". Followed by Tricia who said, "Why what?"
"She said she isn't attending the anniversary next Saturday" Cristal answered Tricia.
"Because I have to help my mum pack her things.." i immediately lied without adequate thinking.

"Pack her things? You have to help her for that? What's she packing for anyway?" Tricia curiously asked. "Come on, Tricia. We don't need to know all that", Kevin stepped in.

The bell rung, signifying the end of break time and we had to all go back to our seats. After school, Kevin and I were on our way to Chloe's class when he suddenly asked, "Now can you tell me the actual reason you won't be at the event?"
"Amber said she'll speak to her dad on your behalf if I didn't attend the party". I answered him.
"You mean she came to you and proposed that deal..I guess that explains why you were both together earlier today. But are you sure you don't want to attend the event? You should come if you want and just call off the deal because I know you already said you don't want to be involved in Aunty's case anymore. I also don't want to be the reason you'd miss the first ever anniversary party since you joined the school" Kevin explained.

"No, it's fine. It's the least I can do for Tricia anyway. What I don't know now is why I lied when she asked me". I said.
"I guess that's normal" Kevin told me with a shrug.

In the blink of an eye, the next Saturday had arrived and I found myself sitting on the couch in my living room, binge watching different movies while my mates were having fun at a party. Cristal and Chloe sent lots of pictures of the event and kept me updated, saying it wasn't very fun for them. But I hadn't heard from either Kevin or Tricia. I texted them, but no replies in hours.

       The next Monday at school, I walked into my classroom to see Amber and her friends on my seat, eagerly waiting.
"Can I help you?" I asked, walking up to them.
"Why wasn't Kevin at the party last Saturday?"Amber calmly asked me.
"I don't know, ask him" I answered.
"It doesn't have anything to do with you not being there, does it?"
"I told you I don't know why he wasn't there. In fact I thought he was. Why is it such a big deal anyway?", I questioned. No one answered. But looking at their faces, I was able to infer that they were quite disappointed and Amber particularly seemed frustrated.
"Not your business" Emily said, trailing behind Amber as she suddenly got up to leave. What a confusing set of girls.

         When Kevin walked to his seat next to me, I immediately asked, "So you didn't attend the anniversary party, why not?"
"Well good morning to you too" Kevin greeted.
"Sorry, morning! I tried calling and texting you over the weekend. Are you alright?" I continued.
"Tricia and I went somewhere..I'm not sure you'd like to know where", he answered.
      "Where?"
       "We followed Aunty"
"What do you mean by you followed Aunty?" I asked. "Relax. Tricia just mentioned that she always went somewhere, every Saturday and somewhere else every Thursday. We just happened to be around there on Saturday and we saw Aunty there". He answered.
"You guys are actually crazy o. Did you not even think about what could happen if you were spotted? Besides, what advantage does that give you, knowing where she goes?" I commented.
"Well it's quite pointless anyway, she goes to an old school building. The school is closed down now"
"And what school is that, what's its name?" I quarried.
"Paragons high. Not very far from her house".
At the mention of that name I shook my head, bewildered. "Wait that's the name of my previous school. It just got shut down recently". I mentioned. "Really? But Aunty goes there quite often. Even while the school was still operating. Do you know why it shut down anyway?". He asked.
"No one knows the actual reason but before that, teachers began to loose their jobs. I don't know if they quit or were fired but they just stopped showing up and school one by one and before we knew it, more than half the number of staff had was gone. And I've never seen Aunty there before" I told him. "Hmmn, that's definitely not normal" Kevin commented with a sigh.
"Well what do you guys plan to do with this information though?" I asked. "I don't know yet, but something is going on in that school building and we have to know what it is. The problem now is how do we find out? We can't make the police search the place without a valid reason and seeing aunty there wouldn't be reasonable enough for them considering they let her go just a few weeks ago and we're definitely not going in there by ourselves", Kevin said, going into deep thought.