Don't ignore the authors note and the spoiler at the end of the chapter, do well to guess who is on that scene, I bet you can't 😂😂😂

If you guess it right, you get straight four dedication, on the next four chapters. First four person's to guess it right!

Omg, I am very impressed with our participation in the previous chapter, thank you so much guys. And I hope to continue seeing more of that!

Special dedication to every reader of
"THE BETRAYAL SER🌹ES"
Love you all!
Don't forget to vote and spam me💜
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"Did you submit the names to Mr John?" Jason goes straight to point, immediately he joins Geraldine in the empty class. He doesn't wait for her to respond nor invite him in, he joins her seat.

He took note of how slowly, she takes her eyes up. He had observed whenever she wasn't on duty, she was in either of the empty classes, rather than joining the rest of there classmates in the hall.

Although he knew that hall wasn't conducive for reading. Because instead of reading, they literally turned the hall to every ill thing you could think about, name it. So far as noise-making was concerned there was nothing more, you won't find there.

Today was slightly different, it wasn't as rowdy as before. He noticed the person's who often brought that energy, none of them came for prep. Trust Ss3 students to break the rules, and also punish their juniors for doing the same thing. Hypocrisy!

The look she gave him didn't display anything. He couldn't even understand how she felt by just looking.

Was he disturbing her or not?

Those questions! Which were unlike him to ask. He had just been feeling off since morning, everything had this distressing look to him.

"Yes!" She responds dryly, now flipping through her book. Jason doesn't utter another word, his eyes only follows her fingers while they flip the book.

The sudden silence could bring about tension.

Geraldine suddenly looks up, this act makes his chest beat twice as fast.

"What's wrong?" She asks giving him a look.

Now, this was getting serious.

Why was he overreacting?

He couldn't help but ask himself.

"Nothing! I just thought it won't work out!" Jason says with all honestly. He noticed Geraldine release a small smile, which was so contagious, that he couldn't help but smile.

"Why?" Geraldine says smiling. "Because of Ekanem?" She scoffs. "She is just a problem I can handle, an attention seeker, that's what I call her," Geraldine says.

Jason didn't miss how her countenance changed when she mentioned Ekanem's name. It was so obvious, Geraldine didn't like Ekanem, he knew that, he was also glad nothing serious came out from the task, because all fault would have been from him, he sure knew what he did.

"What's the beef between you both all about?" Jason suddenly asks, it slipped out without thinking the question through.

He noticed Geraldine pause, close her books, he observed how her eyes wandered around her palms, before facing him fully.

"Nothing," Geraldine says. "I don't have a problem with her! She is the one who has a problem with me." Geraldine says defensively.

Jason couldn't help but smile at her small gesture, she looked cute trying to play defensive.

He knew this little thing about girls, especially when you have a sister like Jewel. Girls ability to beef each other without any good reasons, most times, when you ask them, they start shifting the blames, or say they have nothing against themselves.

"Really!" Jason smiles. He didn't know why the sudden mood swing, he was down a few minutes ago.

"Yes! Maybe she sees me as a threat, who knows." Geraldine chuckles jokingly.

Meanwhile, Jason suddenly stops, the smile on his face suddenly disappears. She took note of it, but it reappears almost that moment.

"God! Girls and their issues." He chuckles.

"I have decided within me, to be mature enough, to Ignore anyone who tries to spite me, because the trophy means more than our selfish beefs," Geraldine says now sounding serious. "If only they could also play mature." She says now adjusting on the chair.

"Out there, you guys are a team. If you stand divided, it would higher the risk of failing." Jason says looking grim. He didn't miss Geraldine's body language.

"With a team, which everyone wants to outdo each other?" Geraldine asks with a raised eyebrow. "Maybe with the art squad, but our class. That's funny." Geraldine says.

"You know! I think you are directing this to yourself and Ekanem. I know for a fact Jayden isn't like that." Jason suddenly says. He didn't miss how Geraldine's mood-lit up, immediately he made that statement.

It didn't lit up progressively, more like she had seen a reason to argue further.

"Like, I have always wanted to ask. What is wrong with that dude? He is just so full of himself, stuck up and annoying. The boy is just rude." Geraldine says looking serious. "When I say rude, I mean RUDE, " She says stressing the word rude.

Jason only chuckles in response. He could see Geraldine also had a problem with his brother, making it two from the team. He knew she wasn't overreacting, but Jayden wasn't as bad as she pictured him.

He was a snub, very annoying too. But most things he did, weren't directed to hurt peoples feelings on purpose.

"Jayden has always been that way to everyone. My Mum isn't excluded. So if that's your issue with him. You have none." Jason chuckles. "Who else is an issue?" He asks.

He notices her keep calm for a while, more like she was waiting for him to continue talking.

"No other person, I am good with the Art team, Munachi," Geraldine says, suddenly remembering someone. "The other guy Leo, I have no issue with him," Geraldine says.

All this while Jason stared at her lips while it moved. Struggling within him to stop whatever was going on in his head from manifesting.

The fear of been pushed off and slapped off, drove the thought of kissing her away from his mind.

"Jason!"

She calls out with a confused expression.

"Huh!" He says, giving her his full attention.

"You where lost," Geraldine says, now licking her dry lips slightly.

"No, I was just thinking of what to say to you. Consider every one of them as inanimate objects, try to give it your best. Not to forget, don't see it as a competition between you guys, because that's how I see it moving. This is a competition, but not amongst yourself." Jason concludes. Meanwhile, Geraldine takes her eyes down slowly.

____________________🖊️

Jayden takes a step backwards, while he began scanning the environment with his eyes.

Observing him closely, you would think he wasn't even following what was going on because he seemed absent-minded. But he knew and was following everything going on around him.

Although he looked slightly uncomfortable too. He hated being in crowds. Funny enough, the numbers of person's weren't so much, just ten, but it was more like overcrowding, in the office.

It didn't matter if the office was bigger or smaller than Jayden, more than three persons were overcrowding in his term.

The FGIQC was to begin the next day, Mr John had called them to his office for proper orientation. Something Jayden didn't see a need for.

He slowly turns to Leo who leaned close to the wall, staring into the space, he looked somewhat lost.
Jayden hadn't missed how disturbed Leo had been for the past days. He knew something was wrong with him but didn't know the approach to give it.

Leo didn't just smoke but was also addicted to smoking. Jayden knew that because he couldn't count the number of times he had seen him hiding at a corner. Not just that, he had started doing it, whenever they were all by themselves.

"What's wrong?" Jayden asks moving closer to him. With Leo, he wondered how the words always kept flowing.

He notices Leo's body language, first a bored look, then a calm smile appearing on his face.

"Just tired!" Leo chuckles calmly, pulling his blazers. "This man should just let someone go, we would see after school or before the competition tomorrow." Leo complains, to Jayden like he could do anything about it.

"If I wait up to five minutes more, and he hasn't showed up. You can meet me in the class." Jayden says, with all seriousness, he meant every word he said.

"You are saying five minutes. Two more minutes, am out of here." Leo says in a mock tone.

"Mr John said we should give me ten more minutes, he would be here soon."

Jayden recognised the voice. The voice which always ran none stop, everything in class. As annoying as it sounded, to him it felt like, she was always talking directly into his ears.

Ekanem as usual had a smile on her face. A smile, which Jayden always felt there was more too. Ever smiling, it got faker to him, as the day past by. How could someone always be happy?

Most times, people had mood swings, but apart from the first day of school, when Gidi slapped Ekanem, he could swear he hadn't seen a frown on that girl's face.

He didn't miss the manner in which, Geraldine did slide in trying so as not to let her body collide with Ekanem, like she had a disease or something.

Girls and their unlimited problems.
He watched her with the corner of his eyes, which she cornered her way to Munachi.

He had noticed she and Jewel had stopped hanging out, which was new to him, he also knew something serious was going on between them. Because he knew how Jewel adored her.

Even though she had real problems with him. He didn't fail to notice the glares she always threw at him whenever their eyes met! But most times he wondered why he always stared. It was funny, someone you didn't fancy, but always looking there way, not just that, dwelling in it, till you are caught.

"You and Mr John should be calming down in this school oh."

"You know, in life, you need to be patient. Your type eh..., "

"Ekanem, abeg! Please." Rianat says using both pidgin and English. "I don't have strength." She chuckles.

"Is there any day you have strength?" Ekanem laughs.

All this while Jayden paid attention. He was totally wrong with what he had anticipated. He thought there was going to be a clash, because of the way both girls sounded like they wanted to bite there heads off.

Girls where just unpredictable.

"Art students. You guys think you can intimidate us with your glasses. Be looking like my ancestors from the Bc's!" Ekanem suddenly jokes.

This seemed like a joke, but Jayden took note of something, almost all of them had there glasses on, apart from Rianat.

"Riri, no comebacks?" Ekanem chuckles. "We always know which class rules." Ekanem laughs.

"I don't want to reason your matter," Rianat says.

"I am so sorry! The principal held me back." Mr John suddenly says, cutting their chit chats.

____________________🖊️

Fiddling both fingers, Cherish takes her head up slowly from the desk, immediately she got a tap on the back.

This wasn't the first time she was seeing Zara since morning, although it has been too weird between them, just casual talks like, Are you done? Wait for me!

She knew deep down, Zara wanted to ask her what was going on with her. She knew that because her body language said so. Even a blind man could tell she wasn't okay.

"Aren't you going for assembly?" Zara asks, meanwhile Cherish whose body had started vibrating again, since she got back to the hostel, yesterday, as she would love to call it. Because she just wanted to forget the incident, but just couldn't. Whenever she remembered it, her body would start shaking, her hands vibrating in a way someone with her could notice.

She was so scared, that she couldn't count how many times she woke up in fright last night, hoping it could be morning soon.

"No," Cherish says her voice almost cracked.

She watches Zara pause for a moment, like she was thinking about something, before uttering a word.

"Why? are you sick? You know those senior won't even want you to explain?" Zara says, you could hear the honesty in her voice.

The mere mention of seniors made her heart almost skip a beat, her eyes growing wider than usual.

"Cherish, what's wrong with you?" Zara asks touching her skin, which makes her jerk, in a way with made Zara give her a look. The feel of someone's hand on her body sent mixed signals into her brain.

"Nothing." She blurts out, like she was been forced to say something. She didn't miss the stern look Zara gives her.

In no minute, she burst into tears. Something she had been trying so hard not to do. Her whole body vibrating. She didn't miss the confusion which was displayed on Zara's face.

"Cherish?" Zara calls out slowly, her voice very low, while she gets closer to Cherish. "Why are you crying?" She asks.

Instead of responding. The tears and sobs just kept rolling down her cheeks.

"Cherish? Who punished you? Senior Ukeme?" Zara asks, with an innocent look on her face. Instead of responding, Cherish keeps sobbing like a baby.

"My school bag!" Cherish blurts out, she didn't miss the shocked expression on Zara's face.

"What happened to your school bag?" Zara asks in a slow and confused manner.

"It's in the laboratory." Cherish responds like she is been forced to talk, with a hiccup.

Zara stares back at Cherish for some seconds, clearly trying to understand what the problem was.

Cherish crying over her bag been in the laboratory, it was confusing and surprisingly scary to her.

"Who seized it?" Zara asked because that was the first thing that got into her mind.

Instead of responding, Cherish suddenly stops sobbing and starts staring into the space, which sent goosebumps into Cherish skin.

"It's in the laboratory." Cherish repeats slowly.

Zara doesn't utter a word for some seconds. Seeing Cherish act like that did scare her, she had never seen Cherish behave this way, she knew something was wrong.

"Let's go and take it. Maybe the lab prefect has opened..., "

"No!" Cherish says totally cutting Zara off.

"No?" Zara repeats looking confused, now taking a good look at Cherish, who looked almost red. Her fair skin looking very pale, her face, like a red tomato. She was also shaking.

"I am scared." Cherish says truthfully, taking a good look at Zara. She wanted to tell her what was wrong with her, she was extremely scared. But the words just couldn't leave her mouth. She just found herself running around circles.

How could she blurt out such to someone?

"Cherish!"

She recognised the voice, and it also sent chills into her body instantly. Slowly taking her eyes to the entrance, she felt Zara follow suite. Sighting her bag back, she swallows hard, she could feel her shaky hands, while she tries to fold both hands.

"Zara, isn't it time for morning assembly! I don't want to see you here before I get there."

He sounded serious and was also specific. Though Cherish gets up immediately, she was just so scared to look at him, not to talk about being alone with him. She gets up immediately.

Zara doesn't utter a word, she only throws Cherish one glance, more like she was trying to communicate with her eyes. Cherish understood what she meant, she knew the confusion Zara was probably in.

Before now she would have greeted him, but those words just couldn't get out from her mouth. She knew Zara might her forgotten, although he didn't seem to be bothered about it.

"Cherish. Wait behind."

This word sent some chills into her body, especially with how authoritative he sounded. Taking one glance at the doorway, she could see Zara had walked out.

More like an adrenaline rush, she almost runs out of the class. But gets pulled back immediately. She didn't miss the shock in his eyes while she struggled with him. She burst into tears.

"Leave me alone." She cries out via instincts, almost biting his hands.

____________________🖊️

"Jesus! Cherish." Ashley who couldn't believe she would have bitten him if he hadn't let her go, says.

He noticed her try to rush out immediately he let her go, but stops her fast, she seemed very light, because a simple pull, got her easily. He felt she was going to scream that moment, instead of closing her mouth, with his hands, which was the normal thing, which would have happened. He pulled her to his chest, hugging her very tight.

He could feel her freeze immediately he did that, the next thing she does, makes him feel very weak.

"Leave me alone." She cries out, her voice tiny as usual. Without thinking it through Ashley let's her go.

Immediately he does so, she pulls away, shocking himself and her, he pulls her to his arms, tighter than before, more like he was squeezing her little frame or trying to break her into two.

"Don't be scared."

"Don't be scared."

"Don't be scared."

He kept on repeating it, like it was some kind of poem or something.

He could feel her body shaking, more like she was almost having a convulsion, which makes him releases her slowly, now bringing her to face him properly.

"Calm down! Breath! Breath." He says while he watched her try to breathe properly. Seeing her in this state scared him. She looked very frightened and nervous.

"No one is going to hurt you. Trust me." Ashley says in an assuring tone.

Seeing her the way she was, he couldn't bring himself to say whatever he wanted to. She looked very terrified. He couldn't even imagine what this was doing to her mental health.

"He was high." Ashley blurts out. "Drunk!" He says like he wasn't expecting her to understand.

He had to do this himself because he knew the kind of person Nathan was, especially when he was desperate.

It wasn't supposed to happen. He knew Nathan wouldn't try doing what he did in his right senses. But it wasn't her fault he drank. That fault was his. Sending her alone to clean the lab after school, if he hadn't done that, all this wouldn't have happened.

"He did that to you because he was thinking straight. Cherish it would never happen again." Ashley assures, meanwhile Cherish who he had helped to seat down, just stared into the space.

"Cherish!" Ashley calls out calmly.

She looked very calm, and innocent. She also didn't deserve what she was going through. No girl deserved it. Especially with her young mind, he couldn't help but want to get into that head of hers to know what she was thinking.

He tries touching her, only to see her flinch at his touch.

If there was something he wanted to do at that moment, it was to leave, seeing her that way made him feel guilty and gave him mixed feelings.

He didn't only blame himself for been one of the reason's she was in this state, but also what he was about to say to her, made him feel very selfish. But he just had to do it himself, to avoid further complications and issues from arising.

"Nathan is sorry, he can't even look at your face right now. He is scared and regrets what he did, it was a mistake. He was on the influence of..., " Ashley pauses. The conversation suddenly seemed weird, since he was the only one doing the talking.

"Cherish I know this is very big to ask. But please don't report to the school authorities. Please?" Ashley says staring at her face. Although her gaze where fixed on the floor. "It won't happen again."

"Cherish!" He calls out trying to touch her, but she flinched even before he could do so.

Ashley who didn't know what else to do, moves back a bit before he begins staring back at her.

There is a sudden silence. It last for just a while. Ashley knew that assembly was going to be over soon, and her classmates would start trooping in and out soon. Be knew the next thing, he should do was leave.
But he just wanted her to respond.

"Why do you hate me?"

This question came like a bomb, which took Ashley unawares. He found himself chewing his mouth in a bid to answer. It wasn't how soft and babish her voice sounded, but the fact she wasn't looking his way, did affect her.

Ashley blinks twice, licking his dry lips and taking a step back. He clearly didn't expect the question, especially with the look he had on his face.

"What? I don't hate you." Ashley says defensively. This time she takes her eyes up, there eyes meeting. Which seemed very intense for that period, before she broke the eye contact. He didn't miss the look in her eyes, like she was very frightened or something.

He did scare her?

She just cleared it.

He watches her take her eyes slowly downwards, shaking her legs and humming something he couldn't understand.

"I don't hate you." He repeats.

It did bother him, that she made such a remark. Because it wasn't true, he didn't hate her. In fact, it was the direct opposite, which he wanted to avoid at some much cost. He liked her a lot.

Before now he had convinced himself, why he wanted to avoid her was because of his lifestyle and couldn't stick to a girl, another thing, especially with his friends around. The mockery he would go through. But the truth of the matter was, he the thought of her being too small for him, not just that, he couldn't imagine dating a baby?

He could date a girl of her age, no issue. But not Cherish. It wasn't just only because of her age. She was baby-like. He didn't want to start what he couldn't finish or play any games with her, he liked her so much, and knew if they got closer, it was going to turn into something else.

He noticed her suddenly tense up, staring at the door way, in particular, making him turn to that direction, clearly wondering what she was looking at, only to see Nathan leaning on the wall.

He blinks twice and does the first thing which got into his mind.

"Go for assembly," Ashley says calmly not looking her way, meanwhile he could feel her slowly get down.

She doesn't utter any word, only does as instructed. The way she looked when she got closer to Nathan, it looked like she wanted to disappear. Ashley could see how scared she was.

"Nathan, what's your problem?" Ashley says immediately he was certain they were just the only ones in there. "I said I was going to handle it right? Did you have to come here? Haven't you scared the poor girl enough?"

"I only wanted to talk to her," Nathan said, his face void of any emotions. "Didn't think you could..., what did you tell her." He asks.

"Does it matter?" Ashley asks defensively.

Meanwhile, Nathan let's out a small smile.
"Bro, are we fighting? Ash don't be like this, I didnt mean to harm anyone, but we just have to make sure she doesn't tell anyone. It was a mistake, it wasn't meant to happen. I won't say I am proud of it. But you know it won't be funny if this gets out." Nathan says sounding serious.

"Did you see how terrified she looked?" Ashley asks calmly.

"Ashley, you know I don't give a shit about any girl? For the first time, I admit I feel sorry for her. But she just has to shut up. Hope you did shut her up?" Nathan says his both hands in the pocket.

Ashley doesn't utter a word. He just watches Nathan puts his hands in both pockets. Most times he wondered why he was not only so bitter, had a very hard mind, most times acted like he had no conscience. But always seemed bubbly and relaxed.

"She won't say anything. Just don't approach her. I promise you that." Ashley says calmly.

4110 Words🌹

Okay, from the next chapter, we mean serious business. We would be seeing more of Gidi and her sudden new love life and entanglement.

What do you have to say about this chapter?

Who think Leo has something going on with him.

What do you have to say to Nathan after this chapter?

Awwn, Gidi and Jason are getting pretty close, tell me, what did you notice during there conversation.

FGIQS will begin from the next chapter, seat tight. This won't be only about the quiz competition, but would introduce a new development into the lives of our main characters, seat tight.

You would be seeing more of
Jayden, Gidi and Jason

More of Jewel, Nathan and Leo. Also our baby cherish, and the sudden development In the story, hope you would enjoy it.

Also, what do you think, is really the issue with Ekanem and Geraldine

Spoiler

"You are asking me to choose between you are Jason?" She asks not believing her ears. Meanwhile he stares back at her, his eyes void of any emotions.

"I.. I.., "

"And you say you love me? If you really do prove it." He doesn't break an eye contact, making her wonder if someone else was speaking through him.

"Jason is my friend." She protest. "I can't just..., "

"He doesn't think of you the same way, " He pauses. "Who knows? You..., "

"I can't choose between you two. You both are important." She says, making him smirk.

She stares at him, wondering what was going on in his mind.

"He has always being the favourite of everyone, won't be surprised if you choose him over me." He says with a weak smile. "You are either with me or with him."

Her heart broke that moment.

Question!
Who is the guy in this scene?

THE BETRAYAL SER🌹ES"