Book One: Trunk & Chopbox Girls

Chapter Six

November

I had now been in BAGS for a month and a week and I had completely fallen into routine. I was used to everything now; the rising bells, bathing with freezing water at dawn, eating all my food in the dining hall and even some of the girls at Aylward. From time to time, I will meet one of The Queens from the old market but they looked right through me as if they didn't know who I was. I was always careful with Josie whenever she was around since the time I realized she had told Rowena and the girls about my questions. I was certain she knew about the confrontation and Rowena's harsh words to me. To be totally honest, I was still hurt from the verbal blows I had received that day and at times, I would feel my eyes tear up whenever I thought of them calling me fat and ugly. Other times, I was tempted to tell Lorraine but I was so scared. Information had a funny way of spreading and if Rowena heard about it again, I feared to think of what exactly she could do to me.

But even after a few weeks since that incident, I was still curious to know if Nann had been initiated. Since she showed no emotion and rarely spoke to the other girls, I couldn't tell. But two weeks after my incident something happened and it made me suspicious of Nann's acceptance to join The Queens. It was in the morning and I had just scrubbed my entire body with soap and a sponge when Tasha Fierce walked in and demanded we get out in ten seconds. There was so much chaos that some of us had to finish bathing in the courtyards outside. As I made my way back to the dorm, I saw Nann carrying her steaming bucket of hot water into the bathroom. Was bathing with hot water one of the perks of being with The Queens?

"They are favoring her because she is mixed", one of my mates retorted bitterly as we walked back to the dorm but I knew it was because Nann was now an untouchable. So I continued my observation of her. She no longer joined us to ran back to the dorms after school before the seniors got there first, she was picky about the food we ate in the dining hall and even sometimes, she left her shutters dirty but after inspection she was free to go. Even her bunkmate Gifty couldn't complain. Nann was now a Queen. Or at least, a practicing Queen, untouchable and special.

A few days into November, on one Saturday afternoon, it started to rain. I was one of the few girls who had stayed behind in the dorm. Stockton and Kingsley-Hayford houses were playing basketball. I assumed Nann was there because she left when most of the girls were preparing to go. When it got dark and windy, a bunch of us rushed outside to remove our towels and uniforms we had washed earlier in the morning. I removed my clothes and saw Nann's towel on the line. Without thinking twice, I removed it for her. I later regretted my decision. Because of the rain, the basketball match was disrupted so the girls rushed back to their houses but by the time they got in, they were already soaked.

"Nann, I took your towel for you. I couldn't tell which was your uniform so I left those", I informed her. She looked over to where I had neatly folded her towel on her bed.

"I didn't ask for your help."

This was the second time she had rejected my offer to assist her and it stung even worse than when Rowena called me fat and ugly.

"You know", I bit my lip before allowing myself to speak, "a simple thank you would have sufficed. I've been nothing but nice to you since I got here. All you've done is be mean to me and you don't even know me."

Nann looked at me expressionless. "Don't touch my stuff. Don't talk to me and we will live in peace."

I gave up.

"Okay."

She fitted in perfectly with The Queens.

I preferred being outside Aylward with Lorraine and even sometimes Aku. My studies were going well and we had exams in December. I had more friends in my class than back at Aylward so I enjoyed class hours. Each morning, I would find Lorraine standing at the entrance of my house waiting for me to come out so we talk. For a while now, it looked like the tables had turned for Lorraine and me. A month ago, while I was sulking and unhappy, everything about BAGS excited Lorraine. She was the one that got me talking to a lot of girls in the classroom because of her friendly nature and personality. But as we entered November and after I had accepted my fate here in this school, I noticed that Lorraine spent an unusual amount of her time with me. In the beginning, she was always with Hannah and at times, I would have to catch up with them but deep down, I was always careful around Hannah because I felt she did not like me. She always grew quiet whenever I walked with them.