CHAPTER FOUR
After walking for 25 minutes, I finally arrived home. My mother asked me how my day had been, but I didn't tell her about the incident with my seat mate. I simply replied that my day had been fine and left it at that. I ate a small piece of bread and some groundnuts. Then, I went to my room to relax for a while before starting my assignments.
While relaxing in my room, I started thinking about what had happened in the classroom. I was still in disbelief that someone could be so disgusting, crude and disrespectful. I was also bothered that no one else had spoken up about the situation. It made me wonder if I was the only person in the class with strong moral values.
I began to feel overwhelmed by the thought that I might be surrounded by people who didn't care about others.
As I pondered about what had happened in class, I started to wonder if my classmates were all like this. I thought, "Is it just a coincidence that these weird things have happened in just the two days I've been in school?" I considered the possibility that the whole class was just filled with weirdos, but I tried to shake that thought out of my head. I realized that it would be unfair to judge everyone based on the actions of a few people.
I tried to focus on the positives from the day and think about how I could make tomorrow a better day. With that, I began to do my assignment. An hour later I finished my assignment. Then, my mom cooked dinner and I ate. Soon after, the power company restored the electricity, and I watched a TV program with my mom before going to bed to sleep.
After hours of sleep, morning came. I woke up with the hope that the day would be better than the days before. I got ready for school, ate breakfast, and then left the house with my mom. At the bus stop, we took different buses just like we did the day before. This became our usual routine.
A few minutes later, I arrived at school. I had arrived after the assembly had already started. Yes, I was late. Fortunately, the principal had announced a grace period for latecomers, so I was spared from punishment. After that day, I made sure to never make the same mistake again.
After the assembly ended, classes began. Our form master, Tutor John, entered our class to address us before assigning the seating arrangements.
"Hello, class," Tutor John began. "As you know, it's time for us to rearrange the seating arrangements in the classroom. I've made some changes that I think will be beneficial for everyone. Please take your time to find your assigned seats, and let me know if you have any questions. Thank you for your cooperation."
Tutor John then began calling out names one by one, assigning each student to a specific seat. I nervously waited for my name to be called, hoping I would be seated somewhere I would be comfortable. Finally, my name was called and I was assigned to a seat at the front of the class, in the first row on the left-hand side.
There were four of us seated in my row, with one boy and two girls. One of the girls was seated close to me, while the other boy was seated close to her, leaving the other girl in the corner on the left-hand side, the furthest from me. I was seated next to the window, which provided a nice view of the trees outside.
Although it wasn't my ideal spot,
I thought it would be fine. I took my seat and tried to get settled in.
I was a bit nervous about being
so close to the front of the class, but I knew I had to make the best of it. I took a deep breath and tried to focus on the class that was about to start. Tutor John taught us math until his period was over.
As usual, his class was interesting and engaging. When the bell rang to signal the end of the period, we all began to pack up our things. But to our surprise, our next teacher, the computer science teacher, was nowhere to be found. This meant that we had a free period, which most of my classmates were excited about.
Everyone began talking amongst themselves. Some people started playing games with pieces of paper, while others just sat and chatted with their friends. I decided to socialize with the people seated around me. The first person I talked to was the girl who sat beside me. I found out that her name was Amanda and she was the same age with me. We talked about school and our favorite subjects. I also met the boy who sat beside her. His name was Michael and he was really funny and outgoing. We all became friends instantly.
As I was talking to both of them, I noticed the girl in the corner on the left-hand side of our row was talking to a doll intensely and seriously. It seemed weird to me. I asked Amanda and Michael about her in a whisper, so she wouldn't hear us.
They both told me that was how she always was, and they told me to avoid her."Why?" I asked.
"Well, you see, she has some mental health issues and has been nicknamed "
"Jessica the doll queen,'" Michael whispered back.
Hearing that, my heart started to beat rapidly fast, and I felt uneasy at her gaze. She had turned to face me and was staring directly at me. I quickly turned away from her, not wanting to make eye contact. I couldn't help but feel uneasy about the whole situation.
My uneasiness continued throughout the rest of the school day.
I tried to focus on my classes and ignore Jessica, but it was difficult. Every time I saw her, I felt a sense of fear and dread. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on in her head.
After school, I was walking home when I noticed that I was being followed. I turned around and saw that it was Jessica. She was walking a few feet behind me, still staring at me with that same intense look in her eyes. I quickened my pace, hoping to lose her. But no matter how fast I walked, she kept up.
Suddenly, I felt a hand grab my shoulder. I turned around, and it was Jessica.
"Hi, there," she said in a soft, yet eerie voice. "Why are you following me?" I asked, trying to sound brave. She simply smiled and replied, "Because I want to be your friend." I didn't know what to say. I was scared and confused. I just wanted to get away from her. I tried to walk away, but she kept following me. I started to panic. I felt like I was trapped, and there was no escape.
Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, I heard a familiar voice from behind me.
"Hey, what's going on?" It was Michael, my classmate. "This girl won't leave me alone," I said, pointing to Jessica. Michael looked at Jessica and said, "Why don't you leave him alone? He clearly don't want to be your friend."
Jessica just stood there, staring at us both. Then, without saying a word, she turned and walked away. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thanks, Michael," I said. "No problem," he replied. "You okay?" "Yeah, "Actually, no," I said.
"That was really scary. I don't know what she wanted from me." "I know what you mean," Michael said. "I've heard some stories about her. She's a bit... off." "You think she's dangerous?" I asked, my voice trembling. "I don't know," Michael said. "But I don't think you should be alone with her. Maybe you should tell your parents or a teacher about what happened."
I thought about what he said and realized he was right. I needed to tell someone what had happened, and then I thought about Tutor John. He was my favorite teacher and always seemed to have a kind, understanding manner. I decided that I would tell him what had happened the next day at school. I felt a little bit better knowing that I had a plan.
"I'll tell Tutor John," I said to Michael. "That's a great idea," he replied. "She won't bother you again once Tutor John talks to her."
"Yeah, that's true," I said. "By the way, It seems we both live in the same direction, so why don't we walk home together from now on? I could use the company."
"That sounds like a great idea," Michael said. "I could use a walking buddy, too."
We walked together, chatting about our classes and our plans for the weekend. The walk home seemed to go by quickly with Michael by my side.
As we reached the end of our street, we said our goodbyes and parted ways. I felt a sense of relief as I walked up to my front door.
While at home, I told my mom that I had a great day at school, but I didn't mention the encounter with Jessica. I didn't want to worry her.
I spent the rest of the evening doing my homework and getting ready for bed. The next day, I went to school with a sense of anticipation and dread. I couldn't wait to talk to Tutor John, but I was also anxious about what he might say.
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