I want to dedicate this particular chapter to @nefua_addy ,@priscillanas and
@purpleandviolets for their encouraging comments and constant reads. Thank you!😚😚.
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You mean she's from America? Gabby my best friend asked me. Of course! I answer incredulous. "She's really pretty and I like her. She's not stuck up with her head in the clouds somewhere"..

Gabby laughed. "It's good that you're not a loner. That you have someone to talk to " she said quietly.

Ah! She said suddenly tapping my shoulder to get my attention. What about the P4 boys? You promised to tell me about them the moment you get more information.

I rolled my eyes at her. "There's nothing special about them. They're just a bunch of overly rich people who've probably never chased a bus, or ever had to forfeit something in their lives".

"They probably don't even see the need to save" I laugh.
Of course they save! Gabby iterates. "Do you think they save in money boxes like us?

I'm sure there's probably one million here, five million there!
she says, her imagination working overtime.

"Ahh!if I had only one thousand in my almost nonexistent account" Gabby sighed "imagine the things we could do!.

Hey! I say poking her back to reality.
"Stop daydreaming and let's do some actual work so we can really earn something".
"We won't earn by your dreaming. "If dreams came true I'd be richer than the Queen."Let's not talk about them and ruin my day!.
You already did! She backfired.

We were currently at the Koko King where we both had part time jobs.

"I plan on being very quiet till I can graduate"."All I need is my certificate from them anyways" I said as I wiped the table.
I raised my head to see Gabby staring at me. She put her dishcloth down and moved over to me. "Don't let anyone trample on you! she said. Anyone! She said emphatically.

Ohh you bet I won't! I added. "That's my girl"! she said high fiving me. But! She said. "Don't go beating up people". You could get suspended " she lectured.
"I don't go round hitting people am I a gangster? I just defend people who are being trampled on!

"Yeah Yeah"Gabby said remembering the many times Jessie had acted in her defence.
"But then again, Mum would probably kill me before I can hit anybody in that school"

We laughed at my joke.

"I better hurry home anyways" I say making for the door. See you! I shout at her as I sign my name and run out.

Twenty minutes later and a breathless me is at home getting some by force skin treatment from my mom.

I try to get up the umpteenth time.
"Sit down! I'm investing all these cucumbers on your face instead of making a salad for your father. Do you think I have so many? Cucumbers are expensive nowadays!

But I didn't...... I start.

Mom gives me the "look". I shut up. If you have good skin you'll get nice friends! "Your skin looks as bumpy as the worst road in Accra. I frowned slightly.

"Do you know where you can end up? I'm sure the poorest student there is probably worth more than all of us here put together! 
Maybe we should use honey or chocolates next time she adds. For what? my face? I ask.

Now I realise that was a stupid question.
Ohh no! mom sarcastically replies. "For your brain so it can process things better! she quickly adds.

I roll my eyes. "There will be no next time I say, but in my head of course. Isn't that right Dad? My mom asks.
"Please not now" Dad replies,attentively ironing the uniform I told him not to iron since the minute I found him ironing it.
Adwoa listen to me he says using my local name. He only uses that name when I'm in trouble, or when the matter being is a serious one. "Be careful not to stain this fabric do you understand? He commands as he feels the soft fabric between his thumb and his forefinger.

Watch where you sit, where you lean against okay? This fabric is very high quality and quite expensive so please watch out. Coming home from driving all day ( my dad's a bus driver) and ironing this my arm doesn't even hurt at all! he smiled. 

Sister! Yaw calls out, can you lend the blazer to me on Sunday? At this point I've had enough. I stand up abruptly, scattering the "valuable"cucumber pieces on the floor and rush to my room.

I look at my reflection as I brush my teeth.

I see how much my life has changed because of that school, because of that band of mummy's boys I've not even met yet. Because my parents are so worried about my appearance Mom had to buy all that cucumber thereby wasting money and Dad?

Dad was reduced to ironing my uniform after a hard days work just because he didn't want me to stress myself. 'From tomorrow from tomorrow you're all dead! I scream into the mirror nearly choking on my brush". "You're practically dust"!
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I just shuffle into the building half asleep and oblivious of my surroundings. After biking all the way here all I want to do is to find someplace to sleep.

It's basically my life goal at this point. I finally find a spot under the stairs. It's right beside the classroom where I have my first class.

That way I can wake up when the teacher enters and still be right on time. It's genius.
The moment I find the perfect position to curl up is the same exact moment the P4 scream is heard.

I sigh as I get up. There will be no sleep now I don't need a rocket scientist to tell me that. I make it to the main hall just in time to see Jayden and his cohorts.

Apparently there was a girl offering him something. I went closer to get a better look.

"Senior" she said as she stretched the cake in her hand towards him. I scoffed, knowing that was something I was never going to say.

He was wearing a fur coat over his shirt. Jake was also sporting a cotton vest that looked quite expensive. Jenai in his usual white was wearing a quiet look on his face. Wendell though looked like he was just interested in the cake being offered to Jayden.

The cake looked good. It was obviously homemade, with icing and some strawberries on it,I knew she had worked hard.

Strawberries aren't common here,because of the climate, plus you'd only be able to get it from only selected supermarkets and not at an easy price. I wasn't worried that she must have had a hard time paying up.

The mere fact that she was a student here proved she had the dough. It was just the fact that she had tried that made me appreciate it.
"Please accept it, she pleaded." I made it myself for you." Jayden looked at her with an amused expression.

He scoffed but took the cake. I was surprised to say the least. The girl smiled. Her smiles brighting up her face. I wasn't expecting him to actually take it. He must be human after all.

Everyone else must have been thinking the same as I was, because the oohs and aaahs that filled the building were quite a lot.
Then suddenly, with a quick flick of his wrist pasted the cake on the girl's face. I gasped as the now smudged cake fell to the floor. There was icing in her hair, on her uniform, and on the floor. The strawberries now mashed into a delicious mess.

Those were hard to find. Surely he knew that. Couldn't he have just brushed her off? The girl started to cry.

I pitied her, but then it seemed unrealistic to just think that Jayden would just accept it knowing the kind of thing.... i mean person he was.

Ginger, obviously happy about the turn of events, said in an obviously forced american accent.
"Our Jayden doesn't eat just any baked goods".
" It has to be from a world class patisserie"! she said with a smile that made me gag.

Jayden turned around and spotted Ginger or should I say Ginger's handkerchief tucked in her breastpocket. He picked it up and after wiping his fingers, dropped it on the floor.

Ginger and her squad rushed towards it, but Ginger claimed it first. She sighs happily and rubs it against her face in spite of the fact that it had icing on it. She's probably never going to wash it again.

Now I've had just about enough. First he messes up a perfectly good cake with all those perfect strawberries, and makes a mess on the floor.

A delicious mess i might add, and then publicly disgraced that poor girl this way. Doesn't he have any etiquette?!
I move to the front of the staircase so I can purposely block them when they pass by to their private classroom.

What's wrong with you? Don't you have the book Courtesy For Boys and Girls at home? At this point Jayden is just staring at me with a bored what- the -heck expression but i'm too immersed in my little speech to notice.

"If you didn't want it you could have just nicely refused or even ignored her totally. How could you just raise her hopes and dash it to the ground like that?!

"And destroy a perfectly good cake! ( I guess I'm just really mad about the cake) If she tries to dive what will you do? I rant.

Her blood will be on your head!.
What are you?! Move! He shouts at me. I just stand there. Stunned, dazed take your pick. I stand there like a fool. Stuttering like my life depends on it.

Annoyed,he shoves me aside and starts to climb the stairs. The other boys file past me. All of them that is but Jenai. He walks up to me and laughs a little, shaking his head as if what I did was for his entertainment. And then he walks away.
Why wasn't I able to say anything proper? Why wasn't I able to give a good reply?.

Ughh..hh..