Oh my God!! You did what?!. Gabby screamed at me open mouthed as she and a very sober Elaine sat on my bed. You slapped him?!

No! I just put the ice cream in his face, he went down by himself ! I replied. Besides he didn't get hurt or anything! Why are you so worked up?

Gabby looked at me as if I had just told her I had the baby Jesus.
She turned to Elaine. "Are you okay"? She asked her. Elaine nodded."I'm fine" she said quietly.

Now what are we going to do? Elaine said fiddling with her hanky. I've been in that school longer than you have and I know what's up. People who merely spoke back at him have suffered a lot! She explained.

Look what happened to Darren! "What if he tells his mother?" she asked. I sat up. What's he going to say? That he tried to bully someone and was beaten? What is he? A crybaby?

What if he decides to exact revenge on you?. You know the way rich kids are right? Remember that time in class three? " When that Jackie grazed her knee? Gabby reminded me. The school was nearly shut down. Her mom was livid!

I smiled as I remembered the thought. "Her mom was such a drama queen". But then again, there is no drama queen like my mom I say.

Gabby threw her head back and laughed . That helped to release the tension that was building up in the room.

Elaine however, refused to be distracted. Jayden 's mother is a very powerful woman I'm sure you already know that. She's so influential that ministers and high ranking officials attend her functions.

Last year, the minister for Finance and the minister of Trade were at her charity ball. Even the president sent her a card on her birthday." I'm so sorry Jessie". Elaine said tearfully. It's all my fault she said.

It's fine I said. "Jayden needed to be woken up anyway".
Gabby held Elaine's hand comfortingly. We'll be fine she said as she hugged her quietly. I smiled in spite of myself.
Gabby had always been the motherly type.
"Ohh yeah"! Gabby said suddenly remembering something. We watched that on TV remember?

I nodded nervously. I hadn't thought of that. What if he really does tell her?
She can make it so that you can even live in this country, trust me I know, Elaine continued knowingly.

Let's cross our fingers and hope for the best. Gabby said positively.
Nothing 's going to happen I reassured them. Nothing at all.

Right?
***************************************
I could feel eyes on me as I opened the cupboard to get my books for the day. A small red card fluttered to the ground.

Suddenly, someone shouted.
Second year, General Arts class 2 Jessica Arthur Mensah has received a red card!!
Some people cheered, others looked at me pitifully. I picked it up and examined it. It was a red card with the pirate skull and bones on the front, with P4 written in gold at the back.

What was this supposed to be? They had given me a red card so what?

I put it on the floor and stepped on it, crushing it under my boots. I closed the door of the locker with a bang and made my way to class.
The room fell silent as soon as I entered. Whispers covered the room as I made my way to my desk. Or should I say where my desk was supposed to be.
My desk.......my desk was nowhere to be found.

Hey!.... Heyyy crazy!! Ginger and her cronies surrounded me. "Looks like even your desk has abandoned you"! she said with a sick smile. "What are you going to do"?
"You should never have come here in the first place"! Miranda interjected.

Just go! Sunny said poking me. I saw my exercise book just then. I shoved Sunny aside to get to it. Just as I was about to pick it up, it moved a few metres away. The other kids started to laugh. I was surprised. Exercise books don't just move about on their own volition.

I tried to reach it again, but it moved farther away. I straightened my blazer and dashed towards it. I followed my book all the way out to the open compound.
And there.... sitting right smack in the middle of the compound, was my desk. Someone or should I say some people, had written all sorts of insulting things over it in marker, felt tip, pens and even splashes of paint.

I'm surprised again. It must be Surprise Your Classmate Day today.
"Who did this"? I scream at no one in particular. Who....
Suddenly I'm hit with an egg in the face. I try to get it off before it drips down my blazer, but I'm late by 15 nanoseconds.

The yellow yolk drips down staining my shirt. I bite my lip as I try to hold back the tears. I had promised my dad I wasn't going to stain it.

I turned to face the direction the egg had come from. There was a group of students that was gradually growing into a crowd.

"Do it again"! Finish what you have started"!. Do it! Do it more! I scream at them. I was definitely bawling my eyes out inside, but I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing my tears.

A shower of eggs started to hit me from all directions. Soon, my hair and uniform was covered with runny egg yolk.
Just when I thought that it was over, someone standing above me on the first floor poured flour all over me. I clenched my fist and squeezed my eyes shut. My uniform was a mess.

Okay! Now somebody bring some oil. All we need to do is fry her! Some random kid joked. They laughed cruelly. Then what will we call her? Washer Pancake!

Laughter filled the air. I looked into the crowd of students and saw Elaine standing in the corner. She looked startled, like someone caught doing something wrong. She ran off as soon as her eyes met mine.

********************************************************
In the P4 private classroom a few miles away Jayden watches Jessie being bullied on a screen. He joins his fingers together, pensively watching her reaction. "Why isn't she crying"? Isn't she sorry already? he said to no one in particular.

Who? Jake asked Jayden as he talked to Wendell.
That girl! Jayden said, annoyed at Jessica's determination.

What? Wendell asked surprised. I thought this was over!. No! Jayden said stubbornly. "This isn't over until she comes here and grovels at my feet and begs for forgiveness"!.
Wendell rolled his eyes and Jake laughed."Grovel? seriously man?

You're not supposed to touch the whiskers of a sleeping wolf! Jayden said seriously. You mean a sleeping lion, Jake corrected. Whatever Jayden said waving him off.

If this goes on, Wendell said eyeing the screen, I don't think she's gonna last long. Probably a week.

A week? Jake asked. I say three days and she'll be running out of here.
Ah! Wendell said remembering something.
Hey Jake! Your exhibition is this week right?

Yeah so? Jake asked fearing what was going to come next.
"How about you sell me that tea set hm? The one with the daisies around the jug?. He described.

First off, it's not a jug it's a teapot, Jake said seriously. Secondly, I've already told you before that I don't sell my artifacts to people who can't even differentiate between a jug and a teapot....Wendy!

Wendy?! Don't call me that!! Wendell said angrily. "Let's bet on this washing girl" he said gesturing towards the screen where a very concentrated Jayden was sitting.
If she's still here after three days you'll have to sell me that set okay?. It'll look good on my dinner table he said.
It's not for eating from! Jake shouted. It's for looking at! You know.. appreciatively!

Okay okay!! Fine! I'll put in a glass case to look at! Is that okay?
I'll have to come have a look at that glass case first. My works are important to me you know. But I'm sure that won't be necessary. Little miss washer will be out in three days! He laughed.

She's left the compound! Jayden said excitedly. She's gonna turn up any moment now he said, shifting his chair to face the open entrance. Jake and Wendell looked on amusedly.He cleared his throat. One,........ Two........Three! He said, expecting Jessie to come out and "grovel" at his feet.

No one came through the door.
Ahh! Jayden said realising something . She can't just appear before me all dirty from the eggs and flour, she probably had to go change before coming here. Let's do it again.

One!...... Wendell laughed. Two!....... Jake moved towards the door. Three!.......... Again, nothing happened.
Ughhhh........ Why isn't she here? "Maybe she didn't get the cue!".

"Do it again!".Wendell teased. "Yeah you're right "Jayden agreed. It's quite a walk to this part of the school. "Perhaps I was a bit too fast". He cleared his throat. "Okay"... "again".

One!....... Two!....... he breathed slowly,eyeing the door expecting Jessie to burst in. Jake smiled, holding back laughter. Three....!

Still no Jessie. He ran his hands through his hair annoyed.

Wendell and Jake burst into fits of laughter. He whipped out his phone and selected a particular number.

"Why isn't she here"?! He screamed in to the phone. He paused for a while, listening to a response. "Did you do the job well"?! If you did she should be here.... why isn't she here? He shouted angrily, Where is she then? He said angrily cutting the call.