Dedicated to
thereal_bharrie

April let her gaze wander around the beautiful compound, and she could not help but be captivated by its beauty.
The buildings were so massive and beautiful that she let her gaze return to the entrance.

She had only seen the school gate when she passed through the neighborhood; she had previously attended Calvary Comprehensive Secondary School, which was directly opposite the school. Her mother could not afford her school fees, so she had to withdraw due to a lack of funds. She never imagined she would be one of their prestigious students so soon. They also went to Mountain of Fire Ministries, which shared a fence with the prestigious school.

"Hallel College." The school was obviously for the wealthy. They had white students from various countries; black students were not excluded. She remembered vividly the first time her best friend, Homa, became ecstatic because she saw a white boy. That was embarrassing. She always looked at the school with reverence. Given the type of family she could have grown up in, she never would have known or wished she could get in. They struggled to eat enough food. She could not even go to regular private schools without being driven home for fees, not to mention this. However, life has something for everyone.

"April, let's go!" Mrs Kuti, who had just finished speaking with one of the security guards at the gate, urges April, who does not say anything but obeys her.

"The security guard has already given me the description." Mrs. Kuti explains.
April could not see her facial expression because she was not looking at her, but she could tell her mother was smiling.

"Mum! "That is the admission block, I believe," April says, pointing to a building with the words "Admission Block" prominently displayed on it. They both hurry up.

After entering the building, they proceed to the reception area. Meanwhile, a woman approaches them.

"Good day, Ma! Welcome to Hallel College," The young lady says meanwhile April couldn't help but smile. The woman's accent captivated her.

Mrs. Kuti, who is a little intimidated by the woman, replies, "My daughter here was giving a scholarship to study in this school."

"Wow, is this the infamous April Kuti? The lady smiles, and April can not help but smile back.

"Can you please tell me where the registration office is?"Mrs Kuti asks confidently. She was overjoyed that her daughter had been recognized. Which mother will not be? Every mother would be overjoyed to see their children doing well.

"That will be unnecessary. You have no business with them; let us go over to the principal's office." The lady has responded.

"I am Miss Ann, by the way." The lady introduces herself before leading them outside.

______________________ 🖊️

The room appears to be tidy, with everything in its proper place. The bunks were made of wood, not iron. The beds were neatly dressed. The room was painted a rich brown and looked absolutely stunning. The interior decoration is magnificent. What can we say? It is a school for wealthy and influential male children. It is not supposed to be lacking.

The noise in the room is deafening. April tries to block her ears as she walks in with someone she assumes is the matron.

"Quit it!" The lady who appeared to be in her early fifties barked. To April's surprise, everyone maintains silence. She wishes she could disappear with the pair of eyes that bore holes in her body. She suddenly develops self-consciousness. Indeed, she had dark skin, and while most people thought she was beautiful, she always thought it to be untrue. She believed Wunmi, her older sister, was the epitome of beauty, and she was the smart one. Despite her age, she appeared quite tall and skinny. Her large breasts and hips gave the impression that she was not particularly slender. She did not find it appealing when guys at her former school called her "heavy heavy."

Still observing how nearly everyone looks at her as if she were a new phone or pair of clothes. made her feel so uneasy. She is brought back to earth by the Matron's voice.

"This is a new student, the girl who broke the schools' record, no one should make her feel uncomfortable, she was assigned to this room," The matron smiles, making April feel even more uncomfortable. She could not stand the way they stared at her, and the matron had to introduce her in such a way.

"You are welcome." A sweet voice says, and April turns to face the source. The girl had a half-caste appearance and a killer accent.

"April, settle in," the matron says as someone walks in, catching everyone's attention.

"Kelsey, I see you doing your job properly." The matron speaks sarcastically to the slim, beautiful girl with a smile on her face.

"Mrs Nnaji, I was in room six trying to calm them down, but Wendy and Ibinabor were assigned to the same room," Kelsey complains.

"Order from above, their madness must stop; they are in Ss2 now, and I do not expect such immature behavior from them. Whatever happened in the previous classes must be overlooked," the matron says with a serious expression.

"But we all know it is impossible," Kelsey attempts to persuade Mrs Nnaji. Meanwhile, everyone, including April, who had no idea about their conversation, stared at them.

"Forget that, Kelsey," Mrs Nnaji says, turning to April. "April, this is the hostel perfect Kelsey." Mrs Nnaji introduces meanwhile April tries to smile but seems to sense the hostility in the other girl.

"Welcome to Hallel College," Kelsey says with a smile that April tries to convince herself is genuine.

"Thank you," April says with a smile.

"Make her feel at ease; she is the girl on scholarship. The person who smashed the school record, "Mrs. Nnaji grinned. Kelsey takes her time examining April in the interim. She nods when she is finished.

"Now, I do not want to hear another word from this room," says Mrs Nnaji, completely unaware of what happened. She smiles as she turns to face April.

"Get some rest; someone will come get you once the principal is on sit. It is critical that you talk to him, " Mrs Nnaji says, while April blanks out. Her thoughts turn to home, and she wonders how her mother and sister will cope with her absence. She knew that just because she was constantly scolded did not mean they did not love her. She was the baby of the family. She had never been away from them before, and she was unsure how she would cope. Once Miss Ann had brought them to the principal's office. They were told that he was not on sit. She just had a few moments with her mother before leaving. With the look in her eyes, she knew her mother was not taking it well. She was the baby of the household.

The expression in her mother's eyes may influence her decision to return home. However, she needed this; laying the groundwork for a better life was critical. She was unable to recall everything her mother had said. What remained in her memory was only,

April, do not allow anything or anyone divert you from your studies or cause you to lose focus in order to improve your life. Also, beware of boys, because you can only choose one of them. Boys over books, or books over boys. You cannot have both.

Her mother's voice kept ringing in her head. She could see a mouth moving but could not understand what the person was saying.

"What are you thinking about?" A voice ask, Meanwhile, April takes several seconds to recover. Only to see the hostel perfect staring at her.

"I'm sorry," She mutters.

"Please do not waste my time; that is your space," Kelsey says, pointing to an empty bunk.

"Thank you," April says, admiring the room. It was very large and could accommodate twenty people because it had ten bunks. She was delighted when she was asked to occupy the down part. Because she could imagine herself falling off at night.

"Make yourself comfortable; you will be giving the rules and regulations, booklet of this dorm before the end of today," Kelsey says, appearing uninterested in what was going on.

"Yes, thank you again," April says with a smile before sitting on the bed.

"If I get any noise from this room, it will not go down well," Kelsey says with a smile that does not match her eyes.

Everyone immediately resumes their normal activities after Kelsey leaves. April seizes the opportunity to begin unpacking her beverages. She knew she could not expect any more money from home until the mid-term break, and the two thousand naira note her mother gave her was safely stored in the smallest of her boxes. She is still preoccupied with what she was doing when she notices two legs. She looks up, perplexed as to who is standing so close to her, and is met with a smile.

"You are the girl who broke the record, correct?" The dark-skinned girl asks, smiling.

"Yes?" April could not help smiling.

"My name is Science Chuku," the dark girl introduces herself.

"I am April Kuti," April says with a grin.

"So where are you from?" Science inquiries.

"Yoruba," April replies, still smiling.

"Oh, I love your name. I'm from Imo- State, " Science says.

"Nice, sounds strange, right? Sometimes I wonder why my father named me April. "Maybe it is his long-lost crush name," April says, laughing.

"Your name is lovely; I like it," Science says, smiling. "What about me bearing Science?" she inquires.

"Thank you, and yours is also nice." "I am serious." April responds with a smile.

"Thank you, welcome to Hallel College; do not worry, I will show you around. That's my bed, " Science says pointing at the bunk directly opposite April.

"I will be glad, " April beams.

"Yes, and...

A voice interrupts Science, saying, "I am looking for a senior named April Kuti," from the doorpost. Moreover, grabbing everyone's interest. Standing at the door post was a small girl, neatly ironed in her white gown, which April assumed to be a JSS1 student. April realized at that point that everyone was wearing white. She also observed that the seniors wore long sleeves and a white plain skirt, with the exception of the hostel perfect, who was dressed in a long-sleeved shirt, and the juniors were dressed in a white plain gown. Perhaps the Ss3 pupils had long sleeves on. That was the only thought that crossed her mind.

"I need to tell Senior April Kuti that she is needed in the principal's office. I am looking for her." Bringing April back to reality, says the junior girl.

April says, "Oh, let us go," as she starts to move away but stops and turns to face Science, who is grinning a little. She secretly wondered if the girl ever frowned.

"I will be back!" April says.

"Don't worry, I will wait for you. So we could go to the Cafeteria together, "Science says earning a smile from April.

"Of course! Thank you!" April says before departing.

1888 Words

THE BETRAYAL SER🌹ES