˗ˏˋ༻ʚDelphine's POVɞ༺ˎˊ˗

I tried to study for my test by staring at the stacks of textbooks and notebooks on the dining table, but it wasn't helping. Kim had uploaded the test schedule on the group chat, and several of my classmates weren't happy with the arrangements. Having subjects like Math, History, and Government in one day may irritate anyone, so I wasn't surprised by their response.

I sighed and flipped to the second page of the Government textbook in front of me. It would appear that I was studying, but I wasn't. I found it difficult to do, no matter how hard I tried. Footsteps from the stairway drew my attention, and they provided the much-needed distraction while I closed the textbook and turned sideways.

"Sis Debby,"

My sister, in a pretty black jumpsuit, turned to me with a small smile. "Hey."

She hardly got down after that incident and didn't go to work, but she was still generous to Romeo, according to what I heard. "Where are you going? Work?"

"I wish," she scoffed bitterly as she strolled to the dining area and pulled out a chair. "I'm . . . heading to the station."

"S-station?" It wasn't my intention to stutter. "Why?"

Debby sat on the chair but didn't answer immediately. I could tell why. She didn't want me involved. "The police called; they have some information for me."

"Can I come?"

"No,"

"Sis Debby . . ."

"No." She concluded angrily. I exhaled and balled my fingers under the table. Debby must have noticed and reached out to take both my hands. "I don't want you to come because I can't. It's not fair for me to let you see that monster again."

"But we're going there to see the police, not him. Besides," I paused to glance at my sister. Debby was not feeble. Debby, however, was soft when compared to Danielle and me. There was only so much she could take. She was going to cry and blame herself, and I did not want that for her. "I can't let you go all by yourself."

My sister closed her eyes momentarily. Regret? Guilt? I was uncertain. "Why are you always like this, Delphine? You're making me feel even more guilty." She finally opened her eyes and met mine. "It's been eating me up that I'd been too blinded by love to see what you and Danielle had been telling me all these years. Although he had previously cheated on me, I had forgiven him in the hopes that he would change his ways, but then he . . . you . . ."

Debby couldn't continue as she covered her face in her palms. Cheated? That was probably related to the big fight Danielle spoke to me about.

"I can't do this," Debby sucked in air. "Why must you act strong and act like what he did to you was okay?" She reached for my cheeks, my heart cutting. "It's eating me up to see you acting like this. Covering up your emotions. I'm the older one, not you. I'm meant to do the covering up, not you. Especially when you went through that."

I wasn't covering up to make my sister feel incompetent, so it hurt she was thinking this way. "I know how much you love Uncle Trust, sister. Even though he's out of the picture, I can't make you feel much worse with my emotions."

"Your emotions are valid, Delphine." Debby pulled the chair closer; her eyes welled up with tears. She reached for my cheeks for the second time and cupped both sides. "I wasn't sad or feeling worse because I'd lost Trust, but because I'd placed you in an unsecured environment because of my selfish reasons. I was so blinded in love with him that I wasn't able to see what was in front of me this whole time."

"Which is?"

"You. And not literally. " Her statement made me let out a wet chuckle as I brushed the tears out of my eyes. Debby gave a watery smile and sighed. "I wouldn't know what I would've done without you. I'm really, really, really sorry, Delphine; I truly am."

"It's fine, sister," as much as I hated to admit it, Krystian was right. I felt lighter talking things out with my sister. "You deserve someone better."

"That someone will probably have to wait," Debby leaned her back against the chair. "Not ready for another relationship. What are you studying?"

I didn't want Trust to be the reason my sister wouldn't put herself out there, but I chose to let her be. For now.

"Studying," I said, looking at the closed textbook and a stack of other open Government textbooks. "Or I want to think I am." Now that my mind was clear, I realised I could study, but I had other intentions. "Sis Debby?"

"Yeah?"

"About the station,"

"No."

"But we are not meeting Trust, right?"

"Still,"

"Sister . . ."

Debby avoided my eyes and looked at her phone instead. "You really want to come?"

I nodded rapidly. She kept looking, contemplating if what she was doing was a good idea or not. "Fine, go to your room and change."

"Is that a trick?" I pointed at her suspiciously.

"I'm not Mum," her statement made me get up quickly. "And hurry up."

"I will; don't leave!" I yelled over my shoulder.

"I won't," Debby responded softly before I dashed upstairs. "Promise."

˗ˏˋ༻ʚ♡︎ɞ༺ˎˊ˗

We got out of the car, with the sun high up in the sky. It appeared as though it was there to see what would occur at the station. When I turned to face Debby, I saw that she had put on a pair of brown sunglasses to protect her eyes from the sun. Was that accurate? I thought she may have worn it to partially conceal her emotions.

"Let's go in," she smiled at me. A smile I was quite sure didn't reach her eyes. We stepped into the station, only to witness a mess. There were two policemen at the counter. Both were slim, with one fairer than the other. They were busy charging two almost naked girls.

"Una no dey shame," the fair policeman scolded. "Una dey fight because of a married man."

"Na crime for ashawo to fall in love?"

"If I hit your head!" The dark policeman snapped. "Na your type dey fall in love?"

My sister placed a hand on my shoulder, indirectly telling me to stay put, as she walked over to the counter. "Excuse me."

"Yes, fine lady, how may we help you?" one of the policemen questioned, both completely abandoning the almost naked girls.

"I was asked to be here. It has something to do with the man who was sent here." Debby responded calmly.

The darker man placed a hard cover note on the counter. "What is your name?"

"Deborah Peter Udeme," she responded. The dark policeman traced the book with his index finger, then opened his mouth in realisation. "Oh, na you bring that rapist!"

I bit my lower lip. "Okoro, you fit carry them go inspector office?"

"I get choice?" The fair man found his way out of the counter. "Fine girl, come with me."

Debby motioned for me to join her, and I did so. We were led inside an office. One that felt too confined for my tastes. My sister and I sat on the chair in front of the occupied table after the policeman left us alone in the empty room. There were several folders on the desk; I wondered if the person in charge ever got to finish a work.

"So . . ." I paused examining the office as Debby spoke up. "The boy that came in yesterday is your classmate?" Surprised she was bringing it up, I gave a small nod. "You're no longer keeping your identity a secret?"

"I'm fine now," was a lie. But this was about Debby, not me. The office door swung open, showing a light-skinned, tall man with exquisite proportions. I saw how he appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties as he walked into the office.

"I'm sorry I'm late; I just—" He stopped as he stepped further into the room, his eyes on Debby. "Miss Udeme?"

I looked at my sister, who was somehow puzzled. "Inspector Jerry?"

I watched as this inspector moved to sit behind his desk. "It's really good to see you, though I never knew I'd see you again in such a manner. How are you coping?"

Were they old friends? Friends from the university?

"Getting there."

"And she is?"

Both had their gazes on me, forcing me to be a bit uncomfortable. "Delphine, Danielle's twin."

This was obvious news to the man, based on his reaction. I cleared my throat, trying to act as naturally as anyone could in my situation. "Good morning, sir."

"It's nice to meet you," he said, hiding his surprise. He got right to work seconds later. He leaned against his desk, his hands together, his gaze never leaving Debby. "I was assigned the responsibility of reviewing an inmate's phone after he was captured two days ago. I never assumed it was related to you."

"Never imagined it too," Debby mumbled under her breath. "He's my ex. He tried to . . . tried to . . . tried . . ."

"I read it all in the file." Inspector Jerry jumped in when he noticed my sister's difficulty in finishing her statement.

"There are details from his phone. I would want you to see," irrespective of my sister having some subtle emotional breakdown, the inspector knew he had to do his job. "Call logs, chats, bank transactions, etcetera. Are you up for it?"

"Do I have a choice?" Debby swallowed. Inspector Jerry hesitated. He seemed to be considering another choice before sighing and pulling out a file.

"Have a look," he said, sliding a file over to my sister, and I joined her in gazing at it. This inspector in front of us was very specific in his conclusions, which made me wonder why the police did not investigate Danielle's death more thoroughly.

There were screenshots of Trust's explicit communications with other female contacts on his phone. One of the conversations stood out the most. Gift. He was not flirtatious with her, but rather caring. Plus, he continued enquiring about a specific individual every time he spoke with this Gift.

"Who's Gift?" Debby asked, also taking note of this person.

"That's. . . ." Inspector Jerry began but opted out for something else. "You don't know this, but Trust . . . your ex is married."

My eyes widened with this knowledge, and I instinctively glanced at my sister. Debby, on the other hand, remained unaffected, which was worse than any reaction out there.

"He was married four years ago," the inspector said carefully. If I recall correctly, my sister began dating Trust in her second year, when she was only eighteen years old. So, if he'd been married four years ago . . .

"That's two years after we started dating," my sister said just above a whisper. "He got married two years after he started dating me." I looked to the inspector, but he was looking at Debby and giving a tight nod.

"There's more," more?! I wanted to scream. But if I did that, what would Debby do?

"More?" Debby echoed my thoughts. "Tell me what this more is."

The inspector's hands tightened on his desk. "Trust has a two-year-old son, named Junior. The same person, he keeps asking the lady about."

I turned to my sister, scared of what she would do. Debby reached for her glasses and pulled them down. I was met with bloodshot eyes that were filled with unshed tears. "This can't be real."

"I'm afraid it is," the inspector said calmly, though it wasn't helping matters. "He'd been sending twenty million to a foreign account every three months; you can see that in the transactions on the file. After some tracking, we've come to know that the account belongs to a real estate agent in the United Kingdom. Your ex had been taking out money from your family's business and had been wiring it to an agent to get a house he was ready to document under his son's name."

Taking money from the company—millions of naira. My mind set back to the file I'd found on the dining table the other day. Mr. Ambrose was trying to inform my sister based on the financial statement he'd kept, but Trust had used his way in my sister's heart to pull himself out of suspicion.

My sight fell on Debby. I couldn't imagine her beating herself for this mess. The inspector noted the silence and believed it was appropriate to allow my sister a minute to comprehend everything.

"The last chat is with a girl he wanted to spend the weekend with. He met her—"

"Enough!" Debby roared, slamming her palms on the desk in anger as tears poured out of her eyes. "Please, I beg you . . . please, stop."

My mouth was slightly open as I glanced at my sister, who was in so much suffering. The inspector nodded and removed the file from my sister's reach.

"He won't get away with this," the inspector tried to reassure Debby, but I doubt any word from him at the moment would make her feel better.

"He'd never loved me," my sister let out a bitter laugh. "I'd forgiven him after he came crawling back, which had been my biggest mistake. I was like his bank, someone he could easily get money from, as he pleases."

My hands moved to touch my sister. "Why am I so stupid?"

"I think he was too manipulative for you to see the truth."

"He wasn't!" Debby snapped, slowly transferring her aggression to the officer as she wiped her cheeks. "My two little sisters could see right through him, but I couldn't!"

"That's what love does to people in love. Heard of the phrase Love is Wicked?" I knew the inspector was trying to help, but his help wasn't helping.

"Is that all? Can we leave?" Debby asked angrily but didn't wait for a response as she got up from the chair and stormed out of the office. If love was wicked, I never want to fall in love.

˗ˏˋ༻ʚ♡︎ɞ༺ˎˊ˗

Monday morning came slowly, but it arrived regardless. After putting on my uniform, I strolled over to my mirror and stared at myself. My hair was packed in two buns because I didn't have the strength to go to the salon and style it over the weekend. Trying to appear casual, I grabbed my backpack and exited my room.

I didn't want to worry, Debby. Ever since our visit to the station, she'd been very busy. She'd been trying hard to get the best lawyer money could buy and was also finding ways to bring Mr. Ambrose back. I was glad we'd cleared things up before going to the station; still, I didn't want to worry her.

So many times I tried to contact Seidi, but I stopped myself from doing so. I was disappointed in myself and also felt like I was a bad friend. It felt like I only knew Seidi existed whenever I was in difficult times, which made me feel extra guilty. She was my best friend and deserved to be treated better. Remembering I'd stopped talking to her because of a boy made me feel so ashamed.

I slipped my phone inside my skirt pocket as I descended the stairs. I immediately hurried to the dining room to see Debby, setting two mugs on the table linens. She had been doing this for several days. It was amusing how she went from making breakfast for three to two.

"Good morning, sis Debby," Debby paused, acknowledging my presence. I remembered her leaving the station and crying bitterly in her car. After that, she carried on with her day, acting strong. Prioritising important tasks, such as hiring a skilled lawyer and bringing back Mr. Ambrose.

"Come have breakfast, love." My sister sat on her chair, and I moved to do the same. I placed my backpack at the foot of my chair and held my mug filled with creamy tea. "I have good news."

At least she was smiling; that was enough good news for me. "Really?"

"I found an attorney that is ready to represent us in court, despite the money being paid."

"A lawyer?" Debby nodded.

"She got really angry when she heard our story, and she's now determined Trust rots in jail." That news made me feel relaxed. Anything that could keep that man in jail for an extended period was excellent news to me. "I've also located Mr. Ambrose, and I've fixed a meeting with him."

"Do you think he'll accept his position back?"

"I don't know," Debby sighed. The doorbell rang, taking Debby and me off guard. She placed her mug aside and got up to go see who it was. Seeing the person ring the doorbell only meant it wasn't their first visit. The gateman must have trusted them enough to get them past the gate. Or it might be the gateman wanting to inform us about someone at the gate.

"Inspector Jerry," I choked on my tea and coughed repeatedly to clear my throat. What? I got up and went to the living room to see the inspector.

"Good morning, sir," I greeted out of respect.

"Off to school?" He asked, and I nodded. My sister and I gazed at the inspector, and he was aware of this. "I just wanted to check how you both are fairing."

"Oh . . ." Debby looked at me and then back at the officer. "I'm so sorry for the way I walked out of your office the other day. I was just too emotional to think straight and—"

"It happens," the inspector stopped her. "Anyone in your shoes would react the same way."

There was a bit of an awkward silence. Debby scratched the back of her neck before pointing at a sofa. "Please, have a seat."

My eyes manoeuvred the room till it got to the wall clock. I wasn't late, but I felt they needed some time to talk without a kid like myself hovering around.

"I have to go, sister," I said to Debby, at the same time the inspector was taking his seat.

"Good luck on your test today."

I smiled, then turned to the inspector. "Bye, sir."

"Take care," he offered. After saying farewell to my sister once more, I turned and left the house, leaving the two of them to their talk. The gateman had let him in, most likely because he had been here before. Did he have anything to do with Danielle's case? I had a lot of questions in my thoughts as I walked passed the gate in search of an Okada.

˗ˏˋ༻ʚ♡︎ɞ༺ˎˊ˗

As I walked down the corridor to my classroom, I could feel more than just eyes on me. Everyone kept staring at me, perhaps because they were aware of the suspension and the reasons for it. Though that seemed to explain why they were staring at me, I couldn't help but suspect they also knew I had almost been defiled, which was inconceivable. I got to my classroom and stared at the handle for a while before having the courage to push the door open.

"Delphine!" Flinching, I stopped myself from closing the door as a loud screeching sound erupted in the classroom.

"Oh my God!" Before I could react, I was enveloped in a bear hug that'd knocked the air out of my lungs. "I miss you, miss you, miss you, miss you, miss you!"

"One more miss you and everyone would think you are cough, cough." Kim let go of me and spun to glare at Romeo, who was at the back, with his hands folded below his chest. Noticing me also staring, he lifted a hand and let out a small wave. "Welcome back."

For days now, I haven't smiled genuinely. But right now, I found myself doing so. Truly, leaving one's house for a breath of fresh air was one of the biggest remedies to avoid getting drowned in depression.

My glance shifted to Krystian, who appeared to have his eyes fixed on me. He was not the only one. Almost everyone in class was staring at me as if I were the television, showing off their favourite show.

"Come, come, come," Kim excitedly led me to my seat. "I miss—" she paused, only to glance at the back. "God, I hate him."

I scoffed at her reaction and decided to pull her attention away from Romeo. "Why didn't you call then?"

The only thing we did was chat, same with Romeo. But it was the usual 'hello' and 'how are you doing'.

"That's because I was studying hard for the CAT," Kim slumped on her chair, then pointed at her eyes. "Aren't you seeing the bags under my eyes?"

I could see how tired she looked, so I could understand her predicament perfectly well. "I'm not as gifted as you, Krystian, and well . . . Romeo." She frowned at just mentioning his name. "I have to study hard to do well in school."

"Just because you study hard doesn't make you any less gifted, Kim." I pulled my backpack from my shoulder. "Happy birthday in advance; you'll be eighteen soon."

"You remembered!" She grinned from ear to ear. She had a short attention span. It was a blessing and a curse. "Oh yeah, guess what?" She reached for her locker and brought out a notebook. Same jotter I'd seen her with whenever she wanted to bombard me with trivia facts.

"Another trivia fact?"

Kim shook her head. "I made my own." This new information made my brows furrowed as I looked at her. "Yesterday, my little sister and I were watching a Pentatonix short clip on TikTok, and after that, she tried so hard to beatbox."

"Okay . . ." I dragged, not sure where this conversation was headed.

"Then it came to me."

"What came to you?"

"How to beatbox easily!" I scoffed at the enthusiasm in her tone. "I'm serious! Did you know the easiest way to beatbox skillfully is to say boots and cats extremely fast?"

"What?"

"Watch this," Kim cupped her mouth and set her lips, while I got prepared to avoid getting spat at. "Boots cats, boots cats, boots cats, boots cats . . ."

As I watched Kim in amusement as her words began to form an actual beatbox rhythm, something happened in my thoughts that wouldn't let go of the grimace on my face. Boots . . . It was a common word, yet I felt like it was meant to be placed somewhere. Boots . . . boots. . . . My eyes widened and my lips parted slightly as I remembered where I'd seen and heard similar words. Puzz 'n Bootz.

I automatically turned to Krystian. It came as no surprise that he was focused on everything Hymn was saying to him rather than me. Because of my problems, I had entirely neglected to question Krystian about his conversation with Toyosi.

Sighing, I turned to Kim. It wasn't too late to ask him about his conversation with Toyosi. I just had to find time. ". . . cats, boots cats, boots cats, boots cats, boots—"

"Someone seems excited to dissolve the debate club," the loud voice came from the back, and Kim wasn't having any of it as she slammed her palms hard on her desk in frustration.

"Mind your business and read your book!" Everyone flinched at angry Kim. Everyone but Romeo.

"How can I do that when you are clearly distracting me?" He responded, tilting his head slightly. "Will you take responsibility if I fail today's CAT?"

Kim, having enough, got up with her nose flared up, ready to give Romeo a piece of her mind. "Why—"

"Good morning, Mr. Obi," a few greeted as the door opened and the class teacher came striding in. Kim, noticing Mr. Obi, quickly sat back down so she wouldn't get in trouble.

"Even during CAT, all of you have the strength to do everything but reading, bah?" The class remained quiet as the teacher moved to the centre. "Is it my result? Continue, misbehave! Delphine, Ore." I was taken off guard as I heard my name being mentioned.

"Yes sir,"

"Please come with me."

My heart skipped a beat when the teacher turned and walked out of the classroom. Ore turned and gave me a stink eye before exiting the classroom, leaving only me.

Kim looked at me with sympathy in her eyes. I knew she had a lot to say, but I was glad she kept it to herself. I reached for my backpack and hung it on both shoulders before leaving the classroom. I was not going to make the mistake of leaving my bag behind again.

˗ˏˋ༻ʚ♡︎ɞ༺ˎˊ˗

Three of us walked into the principal's office. An office I was not prepared to tackle at the time. The vice principal was present, as he had been last week, seated on the comfortable sofa in the office. Mr. Obi sat on one of the office chairs facing the principal's desk, rather than joining him on the sofa as he had done previously.

"Good morning, ma, sir," Ore and I greeted. Ore and I did not see eye to eye, literally. We stood behind Mr. Obi's chair, like we had done before, and waited patiently for the principal to speak.

"Welcome back to school," the principal replied with a serious tone. I could barely interpret her feelings as her look shifted from me to Ore, then back to me. "You must be wondering about our judgement concerning the issue that was brought to my table last Monday."

My heart couldn't stop beating like I'd done something bad, and I hated that. "On Friday, a student who'd chosen to remain anonymous gave a full witness of the both of you being surprisingly innocent."

"That's impossible!" Ore snapped, voicing out my thoughts.

"Not in my office, young lady." The principal scolded. Ore cleared her throat but remained silent. "This student had vouched that he was with you before the assembly, so there was no way you could've stolen the purse even if you wanted to."

"With all due respect, ma," Ore stepped forward. "This person must be lying to get me in trouble."

"Not if this person came to your defence as well," my brows creased. The principal sighed, leaning towards her desk. "This person claimed they were with you during the assembly. This person also claimed you were in class before the assembly with other classmates, which meant there was no way you could've sneaked your purse in her bag. I decided to call in Kim, Delphine's seat partner and she claimed you'd never left your seat to hers before the assembly."

"Doesn't that mean . . ." I trailed, trying to understand the handwriting on the wall. "Someone must've kept her purse in my bag during the assembly."

"We thought of that as well and decided to check the CCTV." CCTV. For some reason, I felt mad. Angry. They couldn't check the camera during Danielle's death but decided to do so for Ore's missing purse. "We feel there must be an issue with the system because the minutes leading to that incident got erased."

"That's too much of a coincidence—!"

"What I'm trying to say, Ore," the principal dragged, cutting Ore in the process. "Is that we are putting all this behind us? Understood?"

Neither Ore nor I said a word. I finally decided to glance at her, and she wasn't looking pleased. Too bad; the feeling was mutual.

We heard a sigh escape the principal's lips. It was obvious she was already tired of the both of us. "I do not want to hear that the both of you are at each other's throat again. This is a learning facility and not the boxing ring. Next time this sort of thing repeats itself, I won't be this nice. Understood?!"

"Yes, ma," it was best to respond, so we wouldn't get on her bad side.

"You may leave, Ore. I need to speak with you, Delphine." Ore gave me a look after hearing the principal's orders. I didn't have time to focus on her repulsive expression since I had a million questions in my thoughts. Was I in much trouble? I hadn't done anything, knowing I'd been suspended for a week.

"I should be going as well," the vice principal announced, as he got up. Mr. Obi did the same, and both strode out of the office. I was alone with the principal. Irrespective of how spacious the office was, it felt stuffy.

"Delphine, how are you?" The principal asked, gesturing for me to sit on the chair Mr. Obi stood up from.

"Fine ma," I tried to act relaxed and natural, but that was better said than done.

"Eventful few weeks, right?" I managed a nod. "I know you must be having second thoughts concerning the school because of what you've been facing so far, right? But you see, Greenville High School isn't bad at all."

"I've made amazing friends, ma." My comment caught her off guard.

"That's good, real good." She nodded, sitting upright. "I'm glad to hear that. Friends are what we all need to have a wonderful school year."

I remained quiet, especially when she reached for her desk drawer and brought out a rectangular piece of paper. "You must know about the school having a portal, right?"

"Yes, ma."

"Each student has a personalised student portal where they can have access to their dashboards. Have this," She stretched out the paper to me, and I took it securely. "That's a password to your portal, but you are advised to change your password once you've logged in. Your term's records will be placed there at the end of the term for easy access; same with school fees, resumption dates, and whatever new fees are enforced by the school, got it?"

"Yes, ma," does this indicate that I was now a full-fledged GHS student? I felt I was in trouble, but it turned out she wanted to give me my student portal password.

"Thank you, ma." The alarm sounded across the room, forcing the principal to let out a sigh.

"It's time for assembly," she got up, and so did I. "Delphine," I stopped on my track, turning back to the principal. "Please stay out of trouble."

How could I promise that? It felt as if I was steadily moving to Troubleville. First, there was my sister's problem, and now Ore. There was no way I could stand still and watch Ore step all over me. It was impossible. But, knowing I couldn't tell that to the principal, I opted to give a nod.

"Yes, ma."

˗ˏˋ༻ʚ♡︎ɞ༺ˎˊ˗

Few people were looking forward to today's assembly. The atmosphere was somewhat gloomy, as seventy per cent of the students there were worried about the upcoming CAT. I was not thinking about the test. Not because I was overconfident in my ability to pass, but because I was thinking about something else. The unidentified person who decided to defend me. I wasn't sure whether to thank them or get irritated. How could they defend Ore, of all people?

The assembly was finally over, and it was time to head back to class. I didn't rush to the class like the others; I stayed behind to clear my head first. Once I knew I was stable enough for the chaos known as Ss3 Arts Class, I headed for it.

The class was almost full by the time I arrived. I took my seat and placed my backpack in my desk locker. I glanced at Kim and noticed how engaged she was in her books, almost as if her brain might spring out and absorb the words itself.

"Don't read too hard, or I fear your brain is going to explode." I tried hard not to comment but couldn't resist.

"Delphine!" Kim whined loudly, pouting her cherry lips at me. "Don't tell me you've finished studying for today's CAT."

"Okay," I let out a small laugh and brought out my phone. "I won't tell you."

"Delphine!" My laughter increased as she smacked her head continuously on the desk. Once she was done, she turned to me, her once-perfect hair now completely scattered. "You might even surpass Toyosi by the end of this term."

My attention shifted to the Elite. Toyosi, unlike the others, was reading rather than making small conversation. When she realised she was being stared at, she turned her head and focused her eyes on me. She raised her hand and waved slightly, and I smiled back.

"I doubt that."

"I'm serious!" Kim went on. "No one believed she could surpass Romeo or even Danielle in a subject, but she did. I won't be surprised if you surpass her."

If only Kim knew. I wanted so badly to tell her what I'd discovered and how Toyosi didn't merit her grades, but I go explain tire, no evidence.

"Right, Delphine." I looked at Kim. "What did the principal say to you and Ore?"

I gave a slight shrug. "Someone anonymous defended me and Ore."

"Defended Ore?" Kim was also finding it hard to believe. "You're sure she didn't pay someone? Hold on, was that the reason the principal called to ask me if Ore neared our seat before assembly?"

"I doubt Ore will waste her money on me."

"True," Kim nodded. "That means that person must have you and Ore in good interest."

My gaze fixed on Krystian, and I sighed. He cared deeply for his friends. I wouldn't be surprised if he was the anonymous defender.

"How about your debate club?" I tried to change the topic because I needed the distraction.

"What'd you think?" Kim answered bitterly. "I'm going to dissolve it this Friday."

"The only way not to dissolve it is if you get members, right?"

"Ten, at least. Nine plus me." Was it a good idea to change the subject to this? It was a distraction for me, but a bitter topic for Kim. "I can't even get myself one member; much less nine."

I watched Kim look down at her lap as she kept playing with her fingers. "I can help."

"What?" Kim paused what she was doing to look at me with furrowed brows.

"It will be the perfect birthday present from me to you."

"Don't you have a competition next week?" Kim reminded me, and I nodded. "How then are you going to use this week to find members for me?"

"Last time I checked, I can multitask." My issue with Seidi had taught me something. I wanted to be that friend that others could rely on, and not just that friend who would pour her burdens on others' shoulders.

"Alright everyone, your books and bags to the front." The door opened as the Data Processing teacher stepped into the class. "Fast, your Government CAT is in my hands."

Almost everyone groaned as they hurried to place their items at the front of the class, and Kim's complaint seemed to be the loudest.

˗ˏˋ༻ʚ♡︎ɞ༺ˎˊ˗

It was reasonable to say that this was my first time on the basketball court, and I was hoping that being in a different environment would help me focus. I sat on the hard floor with a pen cover in my mouth. I wanted to help Kim so much that I attempted to think of ways to encourage members to join her club. I wasn't going to join the debate club because it wasn't my thing, but I was confident that there were others out there who would be interested in arguing freely in front of an audience.

"Pen is for writing, not for chewing." I squinted my eyes as I looked up to see Krystian having a smug smile on his face. "What are you doing?"

"Playing basketball," I replied sarcastically. Krystian found his way beside me, and I had to move a bit to create some space between us.

"With a piece of paper? You would've fooled me."

Exhaling, I placed the black Lucky pen on the paper. "I'm trying to play the good samaritan." Krystian lifted a brow, and I thought it best to elaborate. "Kim's debate club is going downhill and might get dissolved this Friday. I'm trying to stop that from happening."

"Didn't know you had so much free time." I knew what he meant by that, and I chose to ignore it. He mustn't have to be sarcastic towards everything. "And why are you doing that? Your friend seems to have come to terms with her club getting dissolved."

"With ridiculous trivia facts?" I scoffed. "One more trivia fact from her, and I might lose it."

Krystian chuckled. For some reason, his deep, throaty chuckle seemed to calm me down. "How are you?"

Taken by surprise at his question, I cleared my throat. "Fine, why are you asking?"

"You sure?" he asked instead.

Our eyes locked on each other. He may not have said it in words, but I knew he wouldn't let it go if I wasn't persuasive. "I spoke with my sister, and we are gradually mending things up. Overall, things are getting better."

"You seem happier."

"The beast is out of the picture; who wouldn't be?" I chewed my bottom lip. I didn't enjoy the current vibe. If there was one thing I wanted to avoid, it was having people constantly worry about me.

"Someone anonymous came to testify in favour of me and Ore." Though I was trying to change the subject, I couldn't help but sound serious. "Can you believe that?"

"I can,"

I pressed my lips at his short response. "Was it you?"

Krystian gazed at me for a few seconds before shifting his attention to a junior student attempting a three-pointer.

"I only stated the truth," he finally remarked after the kid missed his shot. "Just being in favour of you and Ore wasn't enough. The principal probably pardoned you both because she understood what I said to her."

"Then why did you make yourself anonymous?"

"Do you think Ore would be so accepting of the fact that I also defended you?" I tried so hard not to roll my eyes. "The principal had informed me that she was going to check the CCTV."

"Except, the footage got erased," I mumbled, but of course, he heard me.

"What do you mean erased?"

"Exactly what you heard," I frowned. "Some of the footage that was meant to lead us to the missing purse got erased. How possible is that?"

"Very," I wasn't sure what got me pissed. His short response or the fact that he'd brushed it off with a shrug.

"Probably some staff, the teachers. I mean, they have the upper hand in deleting footage, right?" There was one name at the tip of my tongue, Mr. Obi; too bad I couldn't say it out loud.

"Not quite," Krystian waved at some boys holding a basketball. They were trying to signal for him to come over, but all he did was let out a 'later' gesture. "Students tend to bribe security men to delete some scenes in the CCTV, so they won't get in trouble."

"Are you for real?"

"I don't know if you've noticed, new girl," Krystian leaned in, invading the little space I'd created earlier. "But this school is crawling with rich kids."

I placed my hands on his chest, pushing him back to his original position. Krystian laughed softly at my action, then nodded to himself. "How are we going to get the truth then?"

"There's only one way," he paused as the alarm rang across the court. I noticed that one of the students who had signalled Krystian earlier flung the basketball he was holding on the floor, irritated.

Krystian got up, and I was shocked when he extended his hand to me. I looked at his outstretched arms and wondered why it was being offered to me.

"At this rate, I won't be surprised if we miss the next test."

I scrunched my nose at his words and reached for his hand. "You don't have to be cocky about it." His long fingers wrapped around my hand, allowing him to easily pull me up.

Krystian laughed at my statement, which shocked me. He'd been chuckling a lot at what I'd been saying today. "Welcome back, new girl; we all miss you."

˗ˏˋ༻ʚ♡︎ɞ༺ˎˊ˗

"Oh my goodness!" I flinched as Kim exclaimed once the teacher, invigilating the test, left the classroom. "I can't wait to be done with high school."

"Then you'll move to a higher school and face higher challenges." Romeo made his way to my desk and sat on it.

"It's courtesy not to add your mouth to a discussion that doesn't involve you."

"Never knew you were talking to anyone in particular, Juliet." Did I miss their dissing? I wasn't sure. If Romeo aimed to drive away the frustration the test had brought on Kim, then it was working. Right now, it felt like Kim was enveloped in a new frustration named Romeo. "How did you do in your test, Delphine?"

"Surprisingly easy,"

"I wish to be you right now," Kim muttered under her breath. "Who finds History easy? It was like Government difficulty but a hundred times harder."

I watched as Kim frustratedly placed her head on her desk, but I wasn't the only one. Romeo pulled his gaze away from Kim and back to me. "I need to talk to you, Delphine . . . in private."

Kim gently lifted her head, revealing a questioning glance that flashed from Romeo to me and back to Romeo. Romeo, on the other hand, sounded serious, so I decided to comply.

"Okay," I said. He rose from my desk, and I followed suit. We both exited the noisy classroom and entered the lobby. I didn't have to walk far because Romeo stopped right in front of the classroom.

"Is everything alright?" I asked, being a bit worried. "How's your sister?"

"This isn't about her," his hard gaze met mine only for a few seconds before he looked away. "She's the same."

"Then what is it? Why did you bring me here?" My brows furrowed. And though it was unnecessary to say, I needed to add it. "We have one more test to prepare for, Romeo."

I waited for Romeo to respond, but all he had was a profound frown. I didn't have time for this, so I turned and prepared to return to class.

"This is about Deborah, my boss. Someone I believe is close to you." His words halted me in my tracks, and my heart began hammering in my chest.

"Is everything okay with her?" Romeo questioned me as I slowly turned to him. "For the past few days, she's been rejecting clients, yet paying me my daily stipends. I don't feel good being paid for nothing."

"Is that a big deal?" I folded my arms. "Last time I checked, you're not a fan of that work. Now, you're having free time handed to you in a platter of gold. Isn't that a good thing?"

"I hate being paid for free without earning it," he responded bluntly.

"So what do you want me to do? What do you want to do? Stop the job and find a new one just because you're being paid for free."

"I will if she keeps doing that." I suppressed my groan and moved towards him instead.

"Stop acting rashly, Romeo; this is about your sister and not you!" I poked at his chest as I spat each statement out. Debby had been caught up with a series of work after that Trust issue to start thinking about her makeup business. He should be glad and grateful that my sister had the responsibility of giving him his daily stipends.

"You've forgotten something, Delphine," Romeo stepped away from me. "I'm not some charity case, and neither is my sister."

I got riled up when Romeo stormed back into the class. What was with him and his pride? Did he know how many people would kill for a job that was punctual with their pay? He wasn't just receiving monthly wages but also daily stipends, yet dared to complain? Who complains about free time?!

"Trouble in paradise?" I lifted my head, which was buried in my hands, only to see Hymn. It had been a while since I had spoken with him, and I wasn't sure if this was the right time. "I'm going to the music club; want to come?"

Rejection should've been the first thing to cross my mind, knowing how weary I was of him. I didn't know why he argued with Danielle and didn't like that I was in the dark, but I found myself nodding. Saying no would mean going back to the classroom. Going back to the classroom would mean being interrogated by Kim. Being interrogated by Kim would mean snapping and moving to the back to yell at Romeo, and right now, I didn't want to lose it.

Hymn and I walked side by side in comfortable silence. We soon got to the music club, and just like other times, it was deserted.

"Why is it that aside from sports and club periods, this place is always empty?

"I don't know," Hymn paused to look at me. "Maybe I should ask them on Wednesday."

I smiled at his witty response. Hymn moved to the keyboard and sat on a stool in front of it. "You and Ore are off the hook."

"All thanks to Krystian," I blurted out, then pressed my lips before throwing a glance at Hymn. The latter wasn't surprised at my reveal. "You knew?"

I watched him roll up his white sleeves after discarding his school jacket. "Yeah, I knew. Was surprised at first, but it all made sense."

Made sense? I wanted him to elaborate, but he began playing a note on his keyboard.

"What are you playing?" I moved closer to have a look. It was a foreign sound, yet similar.

"The song I'm working on." It took some time, but my brain finally caught up. It happened to be the same song he was playing on his guitar the other day in class. "What's up with you and Romeo?"

I frowned. I came here for a distraction and not a reminder. "I can't say, but what I can say is that he's acting so ungrateful."

"Typical Romeo," Hymn leaned on the hard surface of his keyboard, taking a break from the song he was playing. "Do you want to know a secret?"

That I will have my head chopped off once Ore catches me with you? "What secret?"

Hymn let out a short chuckle, which grew into full-blown laughs. What was his deal? "This might sound hard to believe, but Romeo and Krystian were once friends."

"What? —" I coughed hard, realising I'd choked on my own spit.

"I'm serious," Hymn laughed. "So close that the girls and I thought Romeo would be a new addition to our group."

"You're kidding." I moved over and pulled a chair so I could sit beside him. "What happened then?"

"Not for me to say," Hymn answered while playing a note on his keyboard. "You're close to both Krystian and Romeo."

"Doesn't mean they'll say anything?" I answered, then scoffed. "As if Romeo will tell me anything."

"Krystian might," Hymn chuckled. "This will be fun."

I playfully hit his upper arm, "I'm not here for your entertainment."

Hymn's revelation seemed too good to be true. Romeo and Krystian friends? Those two could not stand each other. Anyone with eyes could see that those two had an unspoken competition, so how were they friends? I side-eyed Hymn, who was busy playing the keyboard and couldn't help but wonder if he was telling the truth.

˗ˏˋ༻ʚ♡︎ɞ༺ˎˊ˗

I let out a sigh of relief as I lay on my bed, tired. I knew I didn't have much time to relax because I needed to start studying for tomorrow's test right away. My thoughts turned back to Hymn's earlier reveal, and I pondered what had caused Krystian and Romeo's friendship to split apart. Was there something comparable to Seidi and myself?

Seidi. . . .

I missed my best friend and felt bad for abandoning her because of a guy. I wasn't sure what came over me, but I found myself getting out of bed and heading to my reading table. My laptop was closed, and ready to be used. I opened it seconds later and navigated to my Gmail. There were numerous emails from Seidi, which made me feel even more awful. She had been attempting to contact me for quite some time, but all I'd been doing was ignore her.

𝙷𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚘, 𝙳𝚎𝚕𝚙𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚎. 𝙷𝚘𝚠 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞? 𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚊 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚠𝚎 𝚜𝚙𝚘𝚔𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚗'𝚝 𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚌𝚝 𝚖𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎. 𝙳𝚒𝚍 𝙸 𝚍𝚘 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐? 𝙰𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚎 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐? 𝙸𝚏 𝙸'𝚟𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝙸'𝚖 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢. 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚢𝚘𝚞. 𝙰𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚘𝚔𝚊𝚢? 𝙸𝚜 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚔𝚊𝚢 𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚕? 𝙰𝚝 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎? 𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎, 𝚍𝚘 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚌𝚝 𝚖𝚎.

I felt like the worst person on planet Earth. Seidi had been my best friend ever since Jss1, and this was how I wanted it to end. Over a guy that never liked me, to begin with?

Sighing, I allowed my hands to do the typing, hoping she hadn't given up on me and would check the computer room the next day.

𝙷𝚒, 𝚂𝚎𝚒𝚍𝚒.

𝙸 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸'𝚖 𝚜𝚘 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚛𝚢 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚕. 𝙸'𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚊 𝚋𝚊𝚍 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍; 𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚊𝚍 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛.

𝙸 𝚍𝚘 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝙸 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝙸'𝚟𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚐𝚎, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚞𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗. 𝙸 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚛𝚎𝚙𝚕𝚢. 𝙷𝚘𝚠'𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝙳𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚍𝚜𝚘𝚗? 𝙸 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚑𝚎'𝚜 𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕. 𝚃𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚑𝚒𝚖 𝙸 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝚑𝚒 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜 𝚢'𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑. 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚊.

I pressed the send icon and watched silently as my mail moved from the outbox to the sent category.

Ding!

I didn't have time to mope as I shifted from my reading table to my bed. I sat on the side of my bed, and grabbed my phone to look at the new notification. One that turned my melancholy state to one of complete disorientation.

𝐊𝐫𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧
𝙸'𝚟𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚛.

˗ˏˋ༻ʚ♡︎ɞ༺ˎˊ˗

Hi everyone, it's your favourite girl, Eddy. I'm super sorry for delaying the update. Those close to me know why. I'm not going to bore you with excuses on that.

What do you think about the chapter? It's quite long, seeing how it's close to 9k words.

What answers do you think Krystian is talking about? And about Romeo, what do you think of his 'conversation' with Delphine? Let's not forget our Debby. What do you think about her arc?

That's it for the questions. I'm currently writing the next chapter, and hoping to be done with it soon.

Love y'all to infinity✨

Adios!