026| "𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐇𝐞𝐫!"

~H A N N I E L~

"Tell me what happened to your hand."

I honestly thought they did not notice.

I stared down at my hand, examining it carefully as my mind drifted to the earlier incident. "It's nothing," I said, dismissively.

"Well, you didn't come to school with it." Ameenah countered, eyes studying every detail of me that made me feel really uncomfortable.

"Are you sure? You probably didn't see it." In my head, I was already smiling creepily, seeing as I was confusing Ameenah as much as I could.

Dabirah scratched her head in thoughtfulness, "I didn't see this, though. It's okay if you don't want to tell us. Ameenah, let's go."

"Where are the two of you going to?" Hassan asked, holding Ameenah back.

"We want to make a Tiktok video in the Music Room," Dabirah answered. "My followers just hit two hundred thousand. I am going to make an appreciation video with Ameenah who's verified."

"Ameenah's verified?" I gasped.

"Wait, since when?" Hassan scoffed, not believing anything.

"Last week," Ameenah shrugged. "Dabirah, let's go."

Two of them left us staring in wonder till they walked out of the classroom. On cue, a junior, average in height and dark in complexion walked in, looking around in fear.

"Essss! What are you looking for?!" That was Tiami, yelling before the boy could take a step inside.

"I... I..."

"'miyu, leave him first na. Come here," Hassan intervened and gestured for the boy to come and meet him. "What do you want?"

"The Head boy said I should give this book to Senior Komisola." He said, nervously stretching out the book to Hassan.

It was then I noticed the book in his hands. It was Unrequited Love. The same book that Komisola had forgotten in the Leisure Room and we'd both been caught discussing about it in class.

"Why are you giving me? Do I look like Komisola?" Hassan barked. "What's your name?"

"David." The junior answered instantly and looked down.

"Kneel down."

I was surprised to hear that order coming from Hassan. What did the poor boy do to him to have warranted that sort of punishment?

"Hassan, what did he do to you-" I started but Hassan was quick to cut me off.

"Mind your business, Hanniel." He said, coldly. "You, you know you're not smart, right?" He was talking to the poor boy, David.

Then Hassan went ahead to flick the boy's forehead. Painfully, if I must add.

"No, tell me, do I look like Komisola to you? You idiot,"

"Hassan, leave the boy alone. The book is mine and the problem is mine, not yours." Komisola stepped in, lifeless grey eyes glaring at Hassan icily.

"And if I don't? You'll...?" Hassan pushed his chair back and stood up. By now, the whole class was already watching.

"Hassan, wetin this boy do you? Why you dey even follow Komisola talk sef?" Tiami hollered from his seat. Hassan ignored him, eyes trained on Komisola. I had also stood up.

"Hassan," I called slowly. "Don't cause a scene. Just release the boy and let him deliver his message."

"You no go like shut up? As per, Komisola's your baby. This incest breeder."

"Hassan!"

I mentally thanked the person whom had shut him up by shouting. Until I realized it was me.

Nonetheless, I continued, "Don't ever call her an incest breeder." I warned, my voice clipped, low, dangerous and warning. Hassan glared at me with a venomous look forming in his eyes.

"I can't believe you're doing this," I added. "Just let her have her book and let the junior go."

But obviously, reasoning with someone like Hassan was on deaf ears.

"Hassan, what's going on here?" Ameenah and Dabirah had walked in on the scene, eyes blazing with curiosity. "Why is David kneeling down here?"

"Stand up," Dabirah commanded to the boy and took a step closer to Hassan. "Hassan, calm down, what's wrong? This one that you're doing like you're glaring daggers at Hanniel, what did he do?"

"What did I do...?" I scoffed. What sort of stupid question was that? Dabirah was already quick to judge that I was the one at fault here.

Dabirah looked up at me slowly, giving me a look of disgust for the first time and placing a hand over Hassan's shoulder. "This is because of her, right?" She spat with venom, pointing a finger at Komisola who remained quiet.

"Dabi-"

She interrupted me, "Ever since you came to this school, you haven't backed off off her case. You don't even know her!" Her eyes widened and her arms flew in the air, in complete disbelief at my actions.

"Dabirah, don't cause a scene." Ameenah stepped in and lowered her eyes as a form of warning to Dabi. She then turned to the junior who was still kneeling down, surprised to find him still in that position. "David, didn't you hear Dabi earlier? Are you deaf? Stand up and go to your class now!"

David jumped up, body shaking and trembling in fear as his eyes met Hassan's cold ones. "Senior Komisola, take." He actually had the audacity to still stretch the novel in front of Hassan towards Komisola.

Komisola was about receiving it but Hassan grabbed it and began tearing the pages and scattering everything over Komisola's body soon as he was done.

"Mad oh," Someone commented in a whisper. The mates were already recording.

I saw red for the second time today and all the anger, all the pent-up anger that remained in me from not being able to beat up that tall Senior myself today, everything gathered in my veins and I pushed Hassan back that he staggered with so much force and almost fell.

"Hanniel!" Ameenah shouted, running to help Hassan.

"Stop!" I told Hassan. Ignored Ameenah. "Stop bullying Komisola else..."

I couldn't complete my sentence because Hassan had punched me in the face.

In my fucking, precious face.

Again.

I registered that for a moment and felt my lip bust at the corner. I licked it only to taste the red, metallic liquid and cringed.

Don't fight again, Hanniel. Don't, I chanted to myself. Fighting was not a hobby of mine.

But all it took for me to lose my self control was one word from Hassan;

"Cunt..."

And I punched him back in the face. Harder. Packing so much anger and energy into one punch with my other fist that wasn't bandaged and my already busted knuckles couldn't have been more busted.

"Hanniel, stop."

If anything could stop me indeed, it wasn't these words. But Komisola. Which was why I stopped because she was the one who had said those words to me.

And surprisingly, very shockingly, for the first time, making me happy, stunned, speechless, flabbergasted... any other word to describe what I was feeling right now, Komisola held my hand to stop me and even though, she wasn't holding me firmly... I could still see the fear in her eyes.

This was because of me.

This was because of me.

This was because of me.

This was because of me.

This was because of-

"Let's go outside." Was all she said to me as pulled me out of the class, fingers still intertwined with mine and I stared down at the beautiful sight, following her like the idiot I was.

She seemed so calm about the whole thing. Literally, there was so much tension in the air. Thick, heavy tension. I mean, I had just fought with someone who I thought was my friend. I was also very sure my relationship with the two girls especially Dabirah wasn't going to be the same again and everything was because I chose to defend Komisola.

All that surrounded Komisola right now was peace, stillness and quiet.

She wasn't tensed over anything. Calculated steps, guarded, lifeless eyes, relaxed posture and how was her hand still in mine...?!

"You can remove your hand now,"

I said once we were a few steps from away our class, in the hallway. I knew how afraid she was.

What I didn't expect was the calm look in her grey eyes to be replaced with burning anger and the following words:

"Why must you always defend me, Hanniel Cardin?!"

She shouted and I immediately, on reflex placed my hand over her mouth to silence her even though it was too late. She already said my real surname.

A tear dropped, falling and staying on my hand that covered her mouth and I badly wanted to hug her.

Slowly, I removed my hand and we both kept quiet, waiting for the other to combust or reply gently.

"I'm sorry."

~
I am so sorry for short chapters😭 and thank you for 500 reads😭❤️ btw, get ready for aesthetics :) probably gonna be released from now till next week
once they're perfect💞 and Iyanuoluwa-Temi thank you for everything🌝❤️ If you haven't read her latest book, Almost Unfixable(AU) and you like Nigerian stories, you're missing. Better become a family member.

bye luvsss <33333