This chapter is dedicated to ibidun-1234

Just imagine Jeremiah wearing a tuxedo in the above picture ❤

Enjoy.

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Days passed and the awaited day finally resurfaced. It was the night were the senior students dance till their heart content. I wasn't sure if I'll last all night since the dance was till dawn. But I try to make it a memorable one.

The girls and I were in my room trying to get ready before the boys arrive. I was a little bit stunned mum and dad were okay with the boys taking us as dates. I guess they knew about the dance and T hadn't gone alone since she became a senior.

Irene, the girl I sometimes get jealous of cause of her perfectly nice face, was putting on a black flare lap length gown. The neck and hand cut were made of flowery decoration. And her outfit fitted her perfectly. She decided to put on black shiny high boots, which completed her outfit.

Omonigho had a sky blue crop top and a straight lap length skirt. Her back was opened, showcasing her spotless skin to the world. The neck to her crop top had a cross like design and also had the same material with her skirt. Blue and elastic. She decided to put on silver heels, which I so recommended.

Judith not so surprising, wore a skimpy orange coloured short gown. I wasn't a huge fan of the colour orange, but I loved it when Judith puts in on. Her gown also had a long sleeve on the right and no sleeve on the left. And just like Judith other taste in fashion, this outfit was simple yet eye-catching. She decided to complete her outfit with a black sandal like heel.

I decided to put on a white skimpy gown. It was almost like Omonigho's. You'd think mine was a crop top and a straight lap length skirt while looking at it from the front. But when someone pays a little bit attention on the design at the back, it would be clear to see that a string was connecting both outfit, transforming it into a gown. I decided to put on same boot with Irene, but mine was the colour red.

Irene being an aspiring makeup artist, did each and everyone's makeup. She styled my stubborn hair up and gelled the edges.

Once Irene was done with mine, I walked over to the full length mirror to check myself out.

"Is this me?" I gasped once I saw my reflection. I looked so beautiful and different.

"I've always told you you were beautiful___" Judith paused as we turned to look at Omonigho and Irene.

"I meant," Judith cleared her throat. "Doesn't your best friend look beautiful?"

"She has always been," Irene shrugged. We all got hold of our handbags and head out of the door. The guys were downstairs waiting for us. I was a little bit glad mum and dad weren't home.

Walking downstairs, we noticed the boys pacing back and forth. My eyes traveled over to Jeremiah, whom was leaning against the wall and had his hands shoved in his pocket. It was the first time seeing this boys in tux.

I walked eagerly to Jeremiah, leaving the girls with their dates. I smiled at him while he stared down at me for a couple of seconds.

"You look..... Different." He mumbled, gazing at me.

"Good or bad?" I needed to know. If it was bad, I'll rush into my room and change immediately. I fought the urge not to bit my lower lip, so I won't ruin the red lipstick Irene placed on my lips.

"Definitely a good different," Jeremiah concluded with a small smile. He then surprised both me and everyone in the room, as he leaned forward and pecked me on the cheek.

"Come on guys!" Jaja yelled, startling Judith beside him. "Let's get moving."

Jeremiah held my hands securely, then whispered. "Your legs are really clumsy you know. They might want to do some tricks."

I sincerely laughed at his words. I knew I was a bit clumsy. So him pointing it out like that, made me laugh for no reason. This was going to be the best night.

Oh right.

That's if I scrap out the mysterious stalker out of it.

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The night came in as a blast. Though Jeremiah was my date, he and Dami also spent time together. It made me realize how free he was everytime he was with Dami. Both seemed they were made to be nothing but brothers. And since they happened to have come into this world in different wombs, God decided to design the two of them to be best friends.

Buzz! Buzz!

I felt my phone vibrate in my finger tip.

Stalker:
Upstairs, where your class is located.

-11 : 05pm

It was short yet easy to comprehend. I gulped around and met Judith's eyes which was already on mine. I exhaled and nodded my head at her.

"Hey Jeremiah!" I had to yell so he could hear me. "Judith and I wants to go to the bathroom to do girls stuff."

Jeremiah nodded. He was busy giving Dami some instruction on how to stop a fight that seemed to almost surface between two boys at a far end.

"Don't stay too long, alright." He found time to say. I nodded and moved over to Judith. She excused herself from Jaja and together we left the court.

The music was so ear deafening. Even outside the court, it could still be heard.

"What did your stalker text this time?" Judith asked as we moved ahead.

"Happiness wants me to meet her upstairs." I replied, forcing Judith to roll her eyes. She was still opposing with my theory.

"Do you think it was wise not letting Jeremiah know about this?" Her voice was low filled with emotions.

"I guess so," I knew it wasn't wise, but I just needed to prove that Happiness was behind all this.

Once we got upstairs, I made Judith to hide in the classroom beside me, while I stood there in the hallway, opened and ready for the stalker.

As if on cue, the stalker stepped out of a different classroom. I couldn't even tell the gender of this stalker cause of the baggy nylon type outfit, and the black masked which covered half of the stalker's face.

"Happiness?" I asked, squinting my eyes so I could see better. The dark hallway wasn't even helping matter.

"And who said you'd be the one asking questions around here?" The stalker demanded with a muffled voice. "Did you come alone?"

I moved a step back as the stalker moved two steps forward. "You told me to."

"So no one's here?" The stalker stopped moving to examine me.

"Yeah," I said slowly. "So are you going to let me see the face behind the mask?"

I waited for the stalker to respond and half wished it was Happiness. I didn't know what transpired between Happiness and T, but T said she had done horrible things and that was the reason she wanted to kill herself. All I wanted to do was to apologize to Happiness on behalf of T.

"No," The stalker said harshly. "But I'm going to let you see the face of the devil."  The stalker dug its hands into its pocket and it all felt like a flash as the stalker pulled out a gun and set in the trigger.

This was a mistake, a huge one.

Judith rushed out of the classroom beside me and jumped right in front of me, pushing me away in the process. Her body felt like a shield as the two triggers made contact with her body.

"Shit," I heard the stalker say. I was so in shock to pay the stalker any attention. The stalker quickly placed the gun into its pocket and rushed out of the scene.

"J-Judith, Judith!" Tears began to roll down my eyes as I placed my hands on her bloody chest. I tried to put a lot of pressure on the bullet holes.

"I-I told y-you not t-to come a-alone," Judith had the strength to chuckle and in the process, coughed out blood. My tears couldn't stop falling as I tried to imagine the kind of pain she could be in at the moment.

"I-I know," I sniffed and used my bloody hand to wipe my nose. "I'm so sorry Judith."

Judith shook her head, placing her hands on mind, which was still putting pressure on her chest. She kept on sprouting out blood from her mouth, as she almost got some into her eyes. "You know I always wanted your first girl to be named after me."

I tore a piece of my skirt, using my teeth. "You're gonna be alright, promise." I placed the tore cloth on her chest, to add more pressure as I used my other hand to search for my phone.

Judith hands reached for the hand I was using to search for my phone, and placed it on her chest. "Promise me that you'll name your first girl after me."

Her words made my heart break even more as more tears rushed down my eyes. I sniffed to control my running nose. "We'd grow old together."

" J__" Judith shut her eyes cause of the pain she was feeling. "Just promise me."

"I-I....." Judith mouth was covered with so much blood and she was closely loosing consciousness. "I promise."

Her lips formed a satisfying smile as she closed her eyes slowly.

"No no no no no," I frantically got up and reached for my phone.

Jeremiah picked up on the fourth ring. "Yeah?"

"She isn't moving," I was so scared that I was mumbling and messing with words. "Judith is not moving!"

"Calm down," Jeremiah replied calmly. "Where are you?"

I told him where we were, then knelt down to put more pressure on my best friend's chest.

Soon I heard series of footsteps and I knew it was the rest of the gang. Jeremiah, Dami, Jubilee and even Omonigho and Irene, finally got upstairs to behold the horrible sight.

"What happened?!" Dami cried out in shock as Jeremiah took out his phone to call in the emergency number.

I told them everything without leaving anything behind. It was my fault that my best friend was in this condition.

"She's just sleeping right?" I cried out, not ready to accept any other theory about my best friend's condition. "This is all my fault."

Omonigho and Irene both had confused expression plastered on their faces. Dami promised to explain everything to them.

"It isn't your fault," I knew it was my fault and Jeremiah was only saying that to make me feel better. He knelt beside me and hugged me tightly, staining his tux in the process.

The ambulance soon arrived and took Judith's body. Students present witnessed the horrible scene. Jeremiah and I decided to ride in the ambulance, while the rest promised to meet up at the hospital. I stared with so much fright as the medical aids kept an oxygen mask on her face.

Immediately the ambulance pulled into the hospital, the nurses all rushed with a wheeling bed and wheeled Judith into the hospital.

I would have been in this situation and not Judith. I really prayed to God to make her survive this cause she didn't deserve it.

"Mum, dad." I searched my bag for my phone and searched for Dad's number. Once I found it, I dialed it immediately.

"D-Dad," My voice choked. Jeremiah held my hands to comfort me. "Judith and I are at the hospital."

"What are you___"

"Daddy please, both you and mum need to be here." I just couldn't deal with dad that much. I needed to get into the hospital and know what was going on.

"What's the name of the hospital?" Dad finally asked. I looked at the name and told him what was written on it. "We'll be there."

Immediately I ended the call, two cars pulled into the hospital premises. Turned out to be my friends. Together, we all rushed into the hospital and waited at the waiting room. Neither of us were ready to have our seat on the blue plastic chair. Finally, the doctor walked out of the theater and had a small talk with the receptionist.

"Mrs Ekanem," Jeremiah walked over to the doctor. "How's she?"

"Still working on it," Mrs Ekanem sighed and patted Jeremiah with her bloody glove. Jeremiah said nothing more as we watched the doctor walked back into the theater.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, it was Jubilee and Omonigho. Omonigho gestured for me to turn around, which I did. Mum and Dad could be seen walking towards us.

"Tatiana!" Dad yelled in anger, forcing few others at the waiting room, to glance at our direction. "What have you done?!"

"I-I...." I stuttered a bit, trying to explain myself.

"You brat! Troubles upon troubles!" Dad kept yelling at me.

I placed my hands at both side of my head as I fell to my knees. I wanted to clear my head. "I-I....."

Dad didn't stop his yelling, as mother tried to control her husband. "Answer me Tatiana! What have you done?!"

"I'm not Tatiana!" I yelled angrily as I could not take it anymore. "I'm Uyai, Uyai! That same girl that was kidnapped as an infant!"

Mum and Dad looked at each other, while I used my hands to wipe my running nose. My headache was pounding twice as hard but I made no mind to it. Judith was feeling way worst.

"I'll explain everything to you," Jeremiah said softly as he stood in front of my parents. "Please come with me."  He led my confused parents to a different place, while I collapsed on the floor in tears.

Omonigho and Irene walked closer and hugged me tight. Seemed like Dami had already filled them in on what was going on.

"Sorry we couldn't help at all," Irene Said lowly, her voice held so much guilt in it.

I shook my head as I stopped myself from crying further. "It's not your fault."

The doctor walked out during that moment, making us to be alert as we rushed over to her. I was the first to approach her as I held tightly on her bare hands which was no longer in its gloves.

"My best friend," I bit my lower lip to control my emotions. "Is she alright?"

I watched as the doctor sighed and looked down. I stared at my friends who still had their attention on the doctor. The doctor finally lifted her head and shook it slightly.

"I'm sorry," She looked at me with both her hands on my shoulder. "She lost so much blood. I'm sorry but...... She couldn't make it."

Everything tuned down as my blood shot eyes grew wide. I kept quiet with quivering mouth, as everything digested into my brain.

"No!" I gave a short yell as I fell to the ground. Jeremiah noticing my state left my parents and rushed to me. He didn't need to ask before knowing what was wrong. He knelt down right in front of me and pulled me tightly into his arms.

"She's gone," I broke out into sobs as I tried to get my words out to him. "My best friend's dead!"

Eddy : This chapter was really hard for me to right, like seriously.

I can't believe I just made a character die..... And I was loving Judith's part already *Sobs hard*

This chapter was originally meant to be posted next week, but I just wanted to just let out the emotions now.

So how do you see this chapter guys?

Do you hate me? Do you not?

Oh yeah, I was really happy you guys nominated Blossom High School Series into the Nigerian Readers' choice award.

So it's time for voting guys. Kindly heard over to NGwattNG and click on their award book. Search for best book Series category on the voting page and vote for Blossom High School Series. Love y'all.

Vote if you love and hate the chapter, comment and also share.

Till next time,

Words : 2714

Much love,

X
-Eddy