|CHAPTER ONE|

~Take out my mind, Take all the joy out
Take me down, Take all the love now
Tie me away, burn me alive now
Take me down right now
But I'm sooo weak!~

(Song: listen to lonely by joeboy or delicate by Taylor swift)

~LILY~

School. . .

I hate the word school.

I distaste the word school, because unlike some other teenagers or students who think school is a place to socialize, a place to be educated, a place to meet future husband or wife, I think it's the opposite.

To me school was my own hell hole. My personal bully playground. What was there to socialize with when I got bullied every one hour? Did education really matter when I was emotionally damaged? all thanks to my bullies.

And husband? I scoffed at the thought. I'd probably never get married, since no one like me, because I stink.

1525

That's the number of days I'd spent in my secondary school, without making a single friend.

I was overwhelmed with my thoughts that I didn't know I was almost close to my school. I could see the humongous gate of my school, as I sat uncomfortably at the back of my Range Rover with the over cold AC blowing all over me. Sorrow took over my heart, because after a long holiday break I'd be in school again, this time in the next five seconds, as a final student.

"Lily, we are at your school already." Mr Uche, my personal driver told me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked at him and saw him watching me intently.

"I'll get down soon." I muttered, clenching tightly unto the rope of my bagpack as I stared at the students already clustered in groups with smiles and joy evident on their faces, probably happy to see each other.

I felt a touch on my shoulder and I turned my head to see Mr Uche staring right at me, stretching almost half of his body to reach me, with worry written over his dark wrinkled face. I knew what he was about to say so I looked down, averting my gaze from his black doe eyes.

"Lily dear." He started and I looked up to him. "I want you to know that you are a very nice girl and no person on earth should make you feel the way you always feel." He said softly, his lips stretching to form a small smile.

"And, how do I always feel?" I asked him. He removed his hand from my shoulder and held my left hand, putting it in between his huge hands.

"Your classmates tell you that you are useless. That you smell," he replied, while I said nothing waiting for him to continue. "Lily, I have known you since you were in your junior class, and I've heard all the lies and rumors that are being passed around, that you smell. And Lily I've told you many times that you don't smell." He added.

I looked away again, feeling the tears swell up in my eyes. "Mr Uche, I appreciate everything you do for me, but I know you only tell me that I don't smell because you don't want to hurt my feelings." I stated, tears falling from my eyes.

He sighed, using his big thumb to wipe the tears rolling down on my cheeks and smiled. "Lily, if only you will just believe me and see yourself the way I see you. A kind hearted, beautiful young lady."

His words melted me and more tears fell from my eyes. Mr Uche, pulled me closer to his plumped chest and wrapped his arms around me, trying to console me. After what seemed like minutes of crying, he released me from his arms, tilted my head up to look into his eyes.

"All will be well dear, I've told you that you don't smell, the gateman have told you also, you asked your favorite person Thelma and she said the same thing, moreover your parents has never even said anything about you smelling."

I gave him a small smile. "Like I said, you don't want to hurt my feelings." I repeated and he sighed, shaking his head like he didn't agree with me. He didn't say anything more and neither did I, so we fell into a comfortable silence until I heard him exhale deeply.

"You know if you tell your mom that you're being bullied in school, she would be able to do something about it." He pointed out but I shook my head.

Truly, if I told my mom I was being bullied, she would had been very worried and the last thing I wanted was for her to be worried about me. I knew she would had definitely done something about it but I didn't want her to think that I was weak, that I couldn't stand up for myself. So, I had to act like everything was okay even if it wasn't.

I didn't answer Mr Uche and there was an uncomfortable silence in the car, apart from the sound of the engine and the blaring AC.

"Are you ready to get down?" He asked.

"Just a few more seconds." I replied. Still looking outside through the window, feeling scared and anxious because getting down meant that I'll be entering into the den of bullies.

I kept playing with my fingers as I looked outside the window. My fingers trailed to the scar on my wrist and I looked down to look at the scar which was present on both my wrist. Even though it was starting to fade. It was still present and it brought back unwanted memories which I was quick to bury.

After what felt like forever I finally found my voice. "I'll get down now." I said to him and Mr Uche gave me a large smile, he got down at his own side of the door, turned around the car to my own side of the door and opened it for me.

I took a deep breath before putting my foot on the land of my school, THOU ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL, short for TAHS.

"You will be okay." He said to me and I forced one of my huge smile to him. "I'll come and pick you once it is three." He told me and I nodded in agreement. Then he left for the car and drove off but not without waving to me first.

Feeling lonely and lost as I stared at the humongous buildings that stood opposite me. Well my school was a very huge school, which occupied about seven acres of land, and the architectural design was exquisite. It had seven structural buildings with beautiful and colorful flowers demarcating each building away from each other.

The seven structures were for different purpose, each six classes owned a building and the remaining one building was the main event hall and the administrative building, where the principal and other key workers and teachers of the school stays. The school was also equipped with mind-blowing facilities with world class renowned teachers from all around the globe and my school was only attended by students of the rich.

So, if you weren't rich and you studied at my school then you were on a scholarship.

What? I Know that.

Looking around, I felt intimidated as the sounds and laughter of my school mates, both juniors and seniors - in the normal maroon red blazer, black flare skirt and bowtie for the girls, while the guys wore black trousers and black tie- filled the air. They were all jovial, happy, screaming in joy as they were all gathered in groups gisting with one another, while I was the outcast.

I took in deep breaths, adjusted my black bow-tie, used my hands to smoothen my black flare skirt before I summoned courage and entered into the SS3 building. Walking down the hallway to my class, my head faced the floor, as always. I felt unwelcomed as I had no friend to greet, no friend to talk to or gist with, or even tell me a simple 'Hey'. The only friend I had was me, myself, I and my books. I muttered our Lord's prayer and prayed that I wouldn't bump into any of my bullies. Especially Tayo.

I kept on walking, till I bumped into someone. My heart started racing, and it raced really fast.

"Sorry." I quickly apologized without looking at the person's face and kept on walking till I felt a tight grip on my left wrist where my scar occupied and my heart cried because it could sense that a bully was gripping unto my wrist.

Please don't let it be Tayo.

Please don't let it be Tayo.

Don't let it be Tayo.

"See who is in school." I heard the voice say, and my heart jumped out of my chest. I mean literally jumped out of my chest and i could see it on the floor of the hallway, and I feared the people around could had noticed it. The voice, that deep scary voice, my nightmare, the voice that taunted me in my sleep, Tayo.

"You stumblebum!" He said, while I turned to meet his chest, but not his face.

Never could I look at Tayo face, not because of the height difference, okay! Okay, yes it could also count because if I wanted to look at him, I would have to raise my head up and it could had given me a stiff neck, because he had a height of about 6.2ft, while I was just barely 5.2ft. So back to the main reason why I couldn't look at Tayo face, the reason was because that face, his face scared the hell out of me, so I just kept my head down.

"I'm re-really sor-ry Sorry." I apologized again, stuttering without looking at him while he tightened his grip on my wrist.

"I'm re-really sor-ry Sorry." He mimicked me in a childish way. "And also look at me when I'm talking to you." He said to me, using his other hand to raise my head up to look at his incredulous handsome fair face which Housed his scary brown orbs.

Goosebumps ran over my back sending shivers down my spine as I tried to close my eyes in other to avoid his own scary eyes.

"Lilo. . . Lilo. . ." He called me Lilo instead of Lily. "You know that you are very clumsy and stupid. . . you know?"

I didn't say anything as I tried to avoid his eyes.

"Say yes, that you are stupid, say it!" He yelled at me sending little droplets of saliva on my Face.

Ewww.

"Yes!" I replied him in a very low tone.

He kept his hand at the back of his ear. "I can't hear you, speak louder." He said.

I could feel the tears in my eyes again, Poking me and peppering me. Telling me it wanted to be shed. "Yes, I'm stupid, I'm very stupid!" I said raising my voice. Then I heard murmurs which brought me to the realization that we were not alone in the hallway but the whole of SS3 were there.

He laughed in his Tayo way of laughing, which was Villainous. Yes Villainous. Believe me when I say that Tayo behaved like someone who needed help at the psychiatry hospital.

"I'll be releasing you now but not because of I pity you or anything. Well it's because you stink and I can't hold my breath anymore and also it's the first day of resumption. So take that as your saving grace." He told me.

I nodded without saying anything. Then he released his grip from my wrist and i instantly massaged the wrist that I thought would die from suffocation with the way Tayo gripped onto it. Tayo raised the hand he used in grabbing me to his face, and sniffed it. He had a look of irritation on his fair face.

"Stumblebum abeg, use perfume before entering into your class ooo!" He said and his slender figure walked away, while the entire students in the hallway bursted into laughter. And I stood dumbfounded, or what should I have said?

Fuck off?

Die?

You smell too?

Well No. I couldn't even tell him all those things not because he would beat me ooo. He had never even raised his hand on me, even though he looked like someone that could beat a lady and also it wasn't because I was scared. . .Okay okay, I was scared but the reason why I couldn't say all that to his face was because I had zero confidence, no confidence at all, that's why I faced the floor why walking and I couldn't defend myself against my bullies. But on the brighter side there were times when I didn't see Tayo and that was mainly because we were not in the same department. I was a commercial student for SS3, while he was a art student for SS3 and he was the best at his department.

Funny right?

I know!

How could someone sooooooo wicked. A bully at that, be so brilliant?

Well it bothered me too.

Let me also shock you, he was a prefect. Yes, he was the labour prefect.

Shocking right?

I decided to keep on walking to my class at a normal pace even after the public display of embarrassment caused on me, no thanks to Tayo, when I heard comments made about me flying around the hallway...

'Is she really stinking?'

'She is irritating.'

'I don't just like her, I mean no one does.'

'I heard she's cursed.'

I couldn't bare to hear any of the statement made about me anymore so I ran. I kept running till I ran into the toilet and went into one of the empty stall. I threw my bag pack on the tiled toilet floor and cried. I cried really hard with no one to console me. I cried really hard that I could feel my eyes were fugazy.

I stopped crying afterwards but I knew I had spent lot and lots of minutes in the toilet crying. And no doubt that I had missed the morning assembly. I wiped some lingering tears away from my eyes as I picked up my bag pack, unzipped it and brought out my expensive perfume and sprayed it all over my body. No part exempted.

I walked out of the stall with my light weighted bag pack on my back and I saw a student whose face I didn't know, probably an SS3 science or art department and she was rinsing her hand in the basin. She looked at me with no Expression present on her face and went out of the toilet. Then I went to the basin, opened the faucet and rinsed my face of any dried tears. After rinsing my face and adjusting my school uniform, I exhaled in and out then walked out of the toilet to my class.

The more I got closer to my class the more my heart beat increased. Then I heard a voice. The voice of my favorite teacher, Miss Belle, the account teacher and also one of the few European teacher at TAHS. I walked into my class with my head facing the floor and I could feel all eyes on me, but I didn't mind as I walked to the back of the class.

"Lily dear." Miss Belle called me, abrupting my walk to my seat. "You didn't say hello." she said.

I swallowed an invisible lump in my throat, feeling guilty for not greeting her. After all she had done nothing than to be very very nice to me and she also tried to help me from the hands of my bullies. "I'm sorry ma." I said to her, raising my head up to look at her calm, beautiful face with her blonde long hair packed into a ponytail. "Good morning ma'am." I greeted her.

She smiled. A very bright smile making her face more beautiful. "You can go to your seat dear."

I hummed in response and went to sit at seat. My empty seat with no sitting partner. And an empty column.

The rest of the class went by with Miss Belle just revising the last topics we did in our final term, when we were in SS2, other than that, I heard nothing else from what she was saying, It may had looked like I was paying rapt attention to what she was teaching but in all honesty I wasn't. My body remained in the class but my soul had travelled all the way to planet Pluto.

And yes, I wasn't that brilliant but at least I tried my best.

The bell went off. Indicating that Miss Belle time was over and she left. So short break followed next and the most of the students trooped out in groups leaving me alone with some others in the class. I brought out a book from my bag pack but not just any book, My favorite book in the whole world. The book that had always been with me. The book that held my pain and sorrow. The book that had my tears. My RAP MUSIC book.

I didn't sing, I rap, but only when I was alone.

I started writing.

Sometimes being lonely
Isn't the way to get by, sometimes
Being lonely can be very depressing
Lonely lonely, my last name.
I just want to make a friend.

I stopped writing when I could see water soiling my book but where it was coming from I couldn't say. Then I placed my hand on my face and I noticed it was wet already. So I had been crying and I didn't even notice it.

I just wanted a friend.

I closed my book and kept it into my bag pack because I was trying to protect my rap book from the Snares of the Fowler's.

Tayo most especially.

Because he could see it and tear it.

I placed my head on my desk pretending to be asleep since I didn't have anything better to do. Then the bell for short break over rang and I could hear shuffles of foot entering into the class.

"Hey you!" I could hear Tayo call out and I knew he was referring to me. "Stumblebum, I'm talking to you."

You see. . . He was referring to me.

But what is he even doing here?

I mean this is not his class, na.

I didn't flinch and I pretended as if I didn't hear, then I felt a presence shadowing me and I knew Tayo wasn't alone. He sure came with his stupid set of friends or should I say GOONS or the TRIO.

Gba! Gba!! Gba!!!

The sound on my table shocked me, snapping me out of my pretence. "I knew you weren't sleeping." He said to me with his Deep scary voice, immediately I sat up straight.

I saw the other people hovering around him and I was right he was with his Goons. The TRIO, Sinzu, the second richest in the whole school after Tayo but the ugliest and a art student like Tayo, Semi, all looks and no brain, a art student also and the last but not the least, Wendell, the library prefect, the halfcast with the dimples, looks and brain also he was Tayo's best friend and he was a science student.

"Tayo, wetin we dey do hear sef?" Semi asked. "This girl dey smell." He said making me realize the fact that I still smell.

So you see why I couldn't believe Mr Uche anytime he told me that I didn't stink?

Sinzu laughed, in a very stupid way. "I swear ehn, she dey smell, even the PSP truck wey dey pack trash for my estate no smell reach this girl." He said.

"Una no know before ni?" Tayo asked rhetorically, making the rest burst into laughter, well apart from Wendell. He never bullied me. The quiet one and he was also very gentle. Sometimes I wonder why he was friends with the 'TRIO'.

I took a quick glance at Tayo face and It changed from his tough guy face to his soft face.

"Pinky pink!!" He called out to Pink, his ex and the most prettiest girl in commercial department even TAHS as a whole because that girl was a goddess, with banging body and I heard that she used to date Tayo back in JSS3. Then she broke up with him in SS2 because of issues that I personally did not know but within the period they dated, Tayo didn't really bully me. Then after the break up he was worse. And apart from that Pink came from a very rich family and a prestigious one at that, the FAYENI family. And rumors had it that she even had a twin brother.

Like I said... Rumors, So it wasn't confirmed yet.

Also, she was the social prefect and my savior, even though we didn't talk. She did something for me that I would never forget.

Tayo finally left my seat to go and bother Pink, whom by the way from the expression on her face looked uninterested. After he left, his GOONS. . . Oh, sorry, the TRIO left. And I kept my head back on my desk trying to sleep amidst the loud chattering coming from my classmates. All of a sudden they went quite.

"Good morning class." I heard the voice of Mr Qudus, our class teacher and government teacher but I didn't still raise my head from my desk.

"Good morning sir." The rest of the class greeted him back in unison.

"Lily, raise your head up." He ordered me, and I decided to obey since I wasn't not rude neither was I disobedient. "How's your day going Lily?" He asked me.

"Fine sir." I replied him, then I noticed that he wasn't alone. He came with someone, that I couldn't recognize. A very handsome one at that. Like the guy is really really handsome and way too tall even a little bit taller than Tayo, I concluded on 6.4ft, and he kept smiling, showing off the dimples at the sides of his cheeks, also I noticed something about him.

He kept snapping his left fingers like he was anxious.

What? Don't look at me.

I observed a lot, and I thought to myself a lot.

Mr qudus smiled. "So a new student will be joining y'all today." He said gesturing to the guy that stood near him. "Will you introduce yourself?" He asked the guy and he simply nodded.

The guy cleared his throat and gave a very bright and huge smile, also he kept on snapping his left fingers but not too loud. "Hi. I'm Chase Fayeni." He said, and I could hear murmurs from the class and I knew exactly what they were debating about, his last name.

Chase Fayeni.

Pink Fayeni.

Do you see it now?

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A/N

So this chapter is just an introduction into one of the life of our female protagonist, Lily Atata. I also used this chapter to introduce other protagonist and other characters like, Pink, Chase, and Tayo.

So how did you like the chapter?

Thanks for reading Wattpadis

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