Rugged To The Core

Chapter 97

Dedicated to Donaldprince for the amazing cover. 😍🤗

Song for Chapter: DNA By Lia Marie Johnson

Lucky

     After school, Naomi and I went to Isabel's to spend some time together. I only had about an hour before I would have to go back home. When we first arrived, the first thing I did was plug my phone in since there was light. Isabel's room was almost the same size as mine but her room had more decor. It was like a make-up studio, a saloon, a boutique and a hotel room all wrapped in one. She had offered us bread and milk because her mother was still cooking. Naomi and I were sitting on the floor, leaning against the foot of the bed and Isabel was on a bean chair. Soft music played from her music box in the background.

"I still can't believe it." Naomi tsked as she paused her task of scooping mayonnaise for the jar. "Saturday, the party, yesterday the fight and today, the suspensions and expulsions."

"I know right..." Isabel said under her breath as she dumped her plate on the floor.

"I feel bad for Best." Naomi hissed. "He's no longer prefect. And TJ, God his father will be so disappointed. He's never gotten in trouble before. And Bassey, his father will kill him. He told me his father has this thing he does where he sends him and his brothers to Barack for beating and punishment whenever they get in trouble."

Now feeling sick to my stomach, I admitted: "It's all my fault..."

"Hmm hmm... Don't do that right now..." Isabel responded. "That whole 'it's all my fault' thing. You didn't ask anyone to do it but they've done it. It can't be undone. So you should keep your chin up because you have people who respected you enough to defend your honour. Those boys are gone and that's it."

"I can't tell you how happy I am that Ebimo is gone with them too. Woo!" Naomi laughed victoriously. "TJ is such a God-sent. He just knew there would be weed in his bag. I mean the guy smokes everyday on campus! It wasn't hard to guess there would be weed with him in school."

"Yeah, he deserved everything he got." I added. "It's what he gets for keeping bad friends, their sin caused him to go down too."

"Guy, do you know his father's a pastor sef." Naomi slapped my shoulder theatrically. "General overseer sef."

"And he's so messed up like that?" I hissed. "I feel bad for his parents. What a disappointment. A son who doesn't care about his family-"

"Ebimo cares about his family." Isabel suddenly interjected. Bewildered by her comments, I folded my arms to stare at her. "Ebimo loves his family. You can't say someone doesn't care about their own family simply because they're not like them."

"Tarnishing your family name isn't exactly how you declare your love for them, Isa." Naomi replied.

"Let's see..." I untucked my right hand and began to gesticulate with it. "Growing up in a religious home like that, you have no reason to go astray. I mean what's your excuse? Some people can say they grew up in a house where debauchery was all their parents and relatives practiced but when your parents are idealists like that, who's responsible for it? If not you who's consciously destroying your life, the reputation and legacy of the family you were born into. He didn't grow up amidst chaos and violence. Not to make this about me, but it's the only example I've got, okay? I'm growing up in a home that's the opposite of his, that has anything but peace and love but I chose not to go rogue. But he who grew up in a house with peace and love and religion chose to go rogue. It's nobody's fault, I guess. Ebimo is just a bad seed."