Check Mate ( Book 2)

Chapter One🌻

Author's Note:
Please take note of the video in this chapter and the previous chapter. Many did not see it in the last chapter. Had to put it out there.

Helium-Sia

BAAKO (1)

Your crowns may be different but your kingdoms are the same. – Lexonart

Gabriella Arthur looked out the car window and observed the trees whiz by as her father drove her back to school.

Why did school have to reopen this early? She thought.

She had to go back to that hell hole. It used to be her haven until the incident. Now she dreaded every signpost that reminded her of how close she was to going to the prison they called school.

And so in frustration and annoyance, she folded her arms and her face drew a small pout as her father glanced at her through the rearview mirror.

"Some people don't have access to education in this country." He began the guilt trip she knew oh-so well.

She hated it when he said that every time she complained about school. Yes, education was still a challenge for some people in this side of the world but it was for her too just in a different way.

"But I do. I go to one of the best high schools in the country and I should be grateful." Gabriella finished for him.

"Great. Then stop pouting, besides you never hated school till now."

That was true. When she was queen bee, she loved the school, adored everything about Padmore High School.

When she was queen bee.

In technical sense she was still Padmore High royalty and one of the most popular girls there but she wasn't sure she would still be running the high social circles. Not after what everyone thought she did and didn't do. Her eyes pooled with tears at the thought of everything that had happened. That was the main reason she was beginning to dread the journey. It was all her fault and the school knew it was her fault too and they were going to hang her for it. Queen or not, they believed she had committed an abomination and the people of Padmore were well known for being vengeful. They were going to make her pay whether she really did what they said she did or not.

"I didn't hate school before but after what happened ..."

Gabriella could not get the last part of her sentence out before her father pumped the brakes so hard that the cars behind them honked in annoyance—when the car ground to a halt by the curb. If Gabriella had not been wearing her seat belt, she was sure she would have flown right into the dash board or something.

Gabriella stared at her father as he turned to look at her from where she sat in the back seat. His eyes had turned a darker shade of blue indicating he was serious.

"You had nothing to do with that. Everything they are saying about you is just a filthy rumor kids pass around because they are jealous. And it had absolutely nothing to do with you." Her father said reassuringly. "Nothing."

Gabriella smiled at her father. When he got serious, his Irish accent picked up a notch and then one totally forgot he had been living in Ghana for the past twenty-two years.

"Do you want me to speak with your head mistress? Make her look out for you?"

Gabriella almost laughed at her father's question.

What could Mrs.Afriyie do to save her?

Even she was scared of the students, if she was honest enough to admit it.