Yooooo, please read the long author's note at the end. It's veryyyyy compulsory 🙏                     

I'm back with an update, as promised. You're welcome 💝💝

Song for the chapter; Pretty Hurts by Beyonce....
🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃

                                         ~SHADE~

I couldn't comprehend it.

The way Prissy stared behind at Giwa and Hassana, with so much malice.

She wouldn't get their eyes off them, right until they got outside. She stared still, into space, in the direction they had left, a truck load obviously swarming through her mind.

What was she thinking?

"Babe."

Nova's voice distracted me, and I felt his hand around my waist.

I turned back to look at his face. He looked disturbed. Regretful. Dull, sad eyes peered into mine.

"Are you okay?" He asked me, softly.

I nodded slowly.

To be honest, I wasn't sure. I was hurt beyond words, but atleast I should have expected this from Giwa, right?

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

He shook his head, indicating a 'no'. After gazing for a few seconds towards the exit of the hallway that Giwa and Hassana had dissappeared into, he turned back to me.

"I shouldn't have gone off like that. It would have been worse." He said silently.

"I know that." I nodded. "But that didn't happen."

"God is probably dissappointed in me right now." He admitted.

"That's not true, Nova. You controlled yourself. Nothing went out of proportion so God will be very proud of you this time." I told him.

He didn't even look convinced, more worried even. It absolutely melted my heart how he was very concerned about his ways with God.

"I think I'll be alone for a while." He finally decided.

"Why?" I questioned.

He sighed. "I want to pray."

I smiled softly at him, nodding in agreement.

As shocking as it sounds, Nova had struggled with anger disorders in the past.

Yes, we're talking about Nova Igwe.

As a matter of fact, that was what had pulled him to get so close to God initially. That was why he tried his best to always smile and let nothing get under his skin.

He had opened up about all these to me and I was glad he did. And the way he had grown to love me, I'm starting to see myself as his weakness. I don't want to be the reason he falls again and does anything he regrets.

Exactly the reason why I had told him to stay in class.

"I'll see you later, babe." He said, kissing me softly on my forehead and entering the classroom.

After he was gone, I turned my attention back to Prissy who was staring at me quietly.

She attempted walking away after breaking her contact with me and I called after her. "Prissy!".

She stopped walking.

"Where are you going?" I asked behind her.

She turned around to face me. "My class."

"What about Sports?" I asked.

"I'm not feeling up to it." She answered.

Say what?

Prissy Waje? Not feeling up to Sports?

"What's wrong?" I had to ask her.

She stayed quiet for a while, before her answer came in a quiet voice. "I don't understand your question."

"Yes you do, Prissy. You understand my question very well. You're not acting like yourself right now and I want to understand why!" I demanded.

She stared at me, not responding. I stared back at her eyes that moped at me, like someone who was daft.

Blinking once, she suddenly just turned around and continued walking. Away from me. Faster, this time. Like someone was after her.

"Prissy!" I called after her, trying to catch up to her. She just walked faster.

"Prissy!" I shouted.

Her steps were increased, and so were mine. In no time, I got a hold of her and turned her around sharply to face me.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I inquired.

"Nothing, Shade. Please just leave me alone." She whined, her voice shaky and frail.

"The way you looked at Giwa and Hassana..," I pressed on. "Is there something I'm missing?"

She surprised me with the strenght she used to get my hands off her.

"Shade, leave me." She insisted, looking very serious.

"That text Giwa was talking about? Do you know anything about it." I asked her.

She was quiet. Desperately avoided eye contact with me.

"Prissy, did you send the text to Ivandor?" I asked .

"Why are you asking me all these?" She wailed, sounding very defensive.

"Because I don't understand anything that's happening here, and I think you do, so please can you just say what you know!" I retorted.

When she continued being stubborn, I went on; "What you said to Giwa back there...I know there's a lot more to it. Tell me, Prissy."

I really wanted to know. Anything to make me understand why Prissy was acting this way. I needed to know. I was desperate to know.

"Fine, I'll tell you." She finally said.

Thank God.

"Can we sit somewhere, please?" Her voice was soft.

I nodded, making my way into an Ss3C with her, as that was the closest class to us at the time.

We found a seat in the front row and got comfortable in them quickly.

I looked at Prissy, who had her elbow on the desk and her head resting on her palm.

"Go ahead." I told her, giving her all my attention.

"Giwa is a monster!" Prissy spat, opening her statement.

I felt an uncomfortable wave of current running through me as Prissy spoke with so much hatred.
The lividness in her tone shook me. How long had she been keeping this anger in her?

"Jss3." She continued.

Since Jss3!? The Hell, that was even before I came to Castron High.

"God knows I hated my life in junior school." Her jaw bone clenched as she said this.

I heard a lot about how Castron High was like, back in the days of our junior school. How bad social segregation was....how highly praised a group of people were and how the others were looked down on like shit.

Being popular as at then was a do or die affair. It was either you were popular or you were not. There was no in-between.

The popular people were treated as gods, the rest of the unfortunate population were outcasts. Everyone wanted to fit in, everyone wanted to be popular. To be accepted by someone who was deemed worthy by social standard.

The social discrimination mellowed down in Ss1, so I heard. Maturity, maybe? I don't know.

I came to Castron High in Ss1, and ofcourse, even after I came in, the social hierarchy still was there. Very much alive. People of the likes of Giwa Falade, Krisdana, Ivandor, Aaron and Casper, Chika and co, you name the multitudes of them..were still being talked about like they were royalty...but at least the discrimination stopped....or atleast was dramatically reduced.

"Giwa had always ruled this set." Prissy told me.

Not surprised. I heard about Giwa before I even saw what she looked like. The very first day of my Ss1 in Castron High.

"Right from the beginning," Prissy continued. "If you think people fear that girl now, you don't even want to know what it was like in those days. She was a fucking nightmare."

...

"I didn't really have friends in Junior school." Prissy told me. "I was part of the unfortunate population. The forbidden ones...and that was because I was too quiet..and well..fat."

Okay....wow.

"Hassana spoke to me for the first time ever in Jss3 second term and it felt like a dream. I couldn't believe Hassana Alfa was actually speaking to me." Prissy explained.

I nodded, urging her to go onn.

"She was so nice to me." Prissy said, her voice coming as a whisper as she spoke. I noticed a small smile twitching on her face, like she could recall what she was saying vividly.

"She introduced me to Giwa some days after we started talking. And well, that ended up a disaster..," she was saying.

"Why should that matter, Prissy? You and Giwa ended up being good friends, didn't you?" I cut in, immediately.

Prissy shook her head. "You don't understand, Shade. Let me finish."

I took in a deep breath and let it out.

"Sorry, continue." I told her.

"The first day Hassana introduced me to Giwa..she literally looked me over like I was dirt. I actually thought I saw something like pity in her eyes for a moment, but it was gone as soon as it came.... She warned Hassana not to be seen with me ever again and then she told me to..varnish from their presence". Prissy went on, hinting on that last word 'varnish'.

"Hassana didn't stop talking to me, still." She said.

I couldn't say that was surprising. Hassana sure was relentless, and didn't know when to quit.

"It took a long, depressing while, but Giwa finally let me in..," Prissy said.

"But then there was a condition..," She added.

I swallowed. A condition?

"Giwa told me she would only let me be her friend if I was willing to obey her every word, without any questions asked." Prissy told me.

Wait, what?

"Are you being serious right now?" I exclaimed, stunned. I mean, I know Giwa could be cruel, but she really did that?

Prissy nodded, looking away from me and to the ground, the pain evident in her face and thregtening to make her break down in tears any second from now.

"Shade, I agreed." She continued, her voice breaking with every word.

"I agreed because I wanted her to like me. I wanted to be accepted. I wanted to stop being treated like an outcast. I wanted Giwa to like me!" She broke down there, crying in front of me and breaking my heart to pieces.

My, God. Prissy..

She took in deep breaths to calm herself down, as it seemed like she wasn't done yet. There was a lot she still had to say.

Her voice became wails of agony as she continued explaining the whole thing to me;

"The rest of Jss3, I became her servant. I did everything she asked me to do. Everything to make sure she doesn't stop being my friend. I let her trample on me countless times, let her call me all sorts of names, stupid, dumb, airhead, she'd always keep telling me "You're such a pushover, noone likes a pushover", God, it felt like walking around egg shells with her. Inwas always so scared of saying the wrong thing or doing the wrong thing. I was always so scared of her. So scared. I did everything she asked me to just so I wouldn't get on her bad side. Just so I could please her. I was living my whole life to please Giwa Falade!"

I immediately wrapped my arms around her to comfort her as her sobs became too much to endure for me. She kept convulsing in tears as she held on to me, crying out loud like a little child in pain.

"Prissy, it's okay. It's okay." I whispered, rubbing her back as she kept wheezing and crying uncontrollably.

My, God..

I had no idea things were this bad..

She pulled out from the hung and wiped her face, cheast still heaving as she tried to gulp in air to calm herself down.

"I'm not done..," she sniffed.

There's more!?

I watched her cheat rise and rest continuously, until she was breathing steadily again.

"Prissy, we can talk about this another day if it's too much for you right now..," I told her.

She shook her head. "No, I'll say everything now."

She sniffed, wiping her nose quickly with her arm.

"Hassana never seemed bothered by Giwa's behavior. Either she was extremely clueless or she just lived being Giwa's puppet." Prissy went on.

"..she actually never was mean to me. Hassana, I mean..when it was just me and her, she was an angel, but when Giwa was with us, she suddenly seemed one sided. Probably she didn't even realise, I mean it's Hassana we're talking about." She was saying, and I nodded in understanding.

"One of the days..sometime before junior waec exams, I broke down in front of Hassana and told her everything..told her how I felt in the clique, how I felt about Giwa's mistreatment of me..," Prissy looked up at me and said, "Hassana told Giwa everything."

My heart sank.

Prissy bit her lips hard like everything, all the pain she felt was coming back.

"Hassana doesn't even know when things are bound to get serious. Maybe what I said was a joke to her..I told her because I trusted her, but she told Giwa everything. After it became clear to me that Giwa knew that I spoke ill of her, that would have been a perfect chance to run away from that toxic circle, baa? But...Shade..do you know..do you know what I did?"

She looked me dead in the eyes as she spoke. I said nothing, expecting her to go on.

"Shade, I went to beg Giwa's forgiveness." She confessed, her voice low and strained.

...

"I begged Giwa to forgive me. I begged her not to stop being friends with me. I dreaded living like an outcast that bad that I didn't mind stopping that low." Prissy's voice was filled with humiliation and disgust.

I felt the humiliation for her too. God, she really stopped so low...and just for a human being?

I was too shocked to respond.

She took in a deep breath and said, "I came back for Ss1 all different. I changed my look, my uniforms, and all that, just to appear appealing. Worthy of her acceptance."

"Prissy..,"

"It worked, finally." She told me, wiping a tear drop. "I changed from being the fat, unattractive, shy outcast..to being..," she gestured to herself. "This."

"Made myself appear outgoing like Hassana and sometimes even discriminatory like Giwa. I put up this 'I won't look at you twice, talk less of speaking to you if you don't have above 7 digits in your bank account' attitude, even started dating that good for nothing Sayidsam just to catch cruise and feel among, and all these while I had not been myself." Prissy admitted to me.

I noticed that about Prissy too.

I noticed how simple the girl truly was. Low-cut, no make up, hell..she didn't even dress too flashy like Hassana.. but each time she went on and on about money and material things, I always got so confused as to who she really was...

But now... she's insinuating that all that was just an act?

"No, Prissy..," I had to cut in. "You didn't have to pretend to be so vain and materialistic, just to get approval from people. There's nothing like being yourself. You don't change yourself for anyone to like you!" I told her.

She nodded, feigning seriousness and slight anger. "Believe me when I tell you I've learnt my lesson."

I'm honest to God glad she did.

There was nothing like being yourself. If the world was going to be against you for it, so it be. After all, your happiness is prime. You shouldn't place anything over it.

"The only people who ever truly accepted me for who I was were you and Yure." Prissy told me. She looked up to smile at me.

"Thankyou," she said. I smiled back at her.

"As much as I'm happy he made you feel that way, I hope you're aware that you shouldn't also let Yure trample on you too..," I told Prissy.

In all honesty, she needed to hear that. Yure had stringed her along for a long time, without any assurance, and no one should ever deserve that kind of treatment. No matter what.

"Yure and I are completely done with each other." She told me, a sad smile forming on her lips.

"We had a long talk in class this morning, during assembly." Prissy told me.

"You ditched assembly with Yure!?" I exclaimed.

Prissy laughed softly at my reaction. As much as I didn't want to, I had to smile. Atleast, she was laughing right now.

"We agreed on it. We needed closure." She said.

"Okay, that's understandable." I nodded.

"I kissed Yure this morning.. and he kissed me back."

I choked. I choked on absolutely nothing. I just choked.

"I had to..," Prissy was telling me.

"Prissy, you know you shouldn't be doing that!" I finally found my voice to speak.

"I know, Shade!" She explained. "But, I needed to do it one last time, I already knew how our conversation was going to end. I knew he was going to pick Krisdana... He always does..,"

Something tugged in my heart as I heard her say that. I silently hoped Prissy really had it in her to forget this guy..

"Mena Kafe walked in on us. Don't worry, I doubt she saw anything. We had to move to Class B to talk because of her." Prissy explained.

Mena Kafe?

"What was she doing in our class?" I asked frowning.

Mena was in Class D or something, I wasn't sure.

Prissy shrugged. "She said she was getting her friend's stuff, We didn't have time to listen to her, we just left the class."

Hmm. Strange. Hopefully, everything in class was still in place. I've heard countless rumors about that Mena girl being a book thief.

However, that wasn't the case. I was worried for Prissy.

"Yure actually loves Krisdana." Prissy said, a sad smile accompanying that statement.

"Are you okay about that?" I asked her, concerned.

She shrugged. "I'll have to be, I don't have a choice. I'll get over Yure.. eventually."

I smiled, proud of her for taking this so well.

"When we got to Class B, he told me he was going to confess everything to Krisdana..first thing tommorow morning..," Prissy told me.

Wow.

"He's really scared of how it's going to end. But he kept saying he couldn't keep breaking her heart. He was adamant on telling her the truth tommorow morning." She said.

"No one deserves to be treated the way Kris was treated. I'm super proud of Yure for finally deciding to be responsible about this." I said.

Prissy nodded.

"Yeah." She sighed. "Me too..I guess."

In all honesty, I was scared for Yure concerning tommorrow..I silently prayed for him.

                                             ~GIWA~

"Giwa Falade, you've always been the villain in this story and you don't even realise it. The only reason you even accepted me to be your friend is because you needed a constant reminder of how powerful you were. Your sick and deranged motive drove you to accept me and I only allowed it because I was desperate to be accepted at the time. You took advantage. I was perfect to be in your clique, because you knew I'd let you walk all over me anyhow you want....you knew the kind of person I was. You knew how weak I could be..,"

Was that really what Prissy thought about me?

She thinks I brought her into the clique to walk all over her? She really thinks that?

In all honesty, it baffled me how daft that girl could be sometimes.

Didn't I make it obvious enough? The hell, I didn't let Prissy in to use her, I brought her in to help her.

I wanted to help her toughen up and stand up for herself more.

I saw myself in Prissy Waje the very first day Hassana introduced me to her. At first, the sight of her disgusted me. Seeing her felt like I was seeing my old self. I felt that bitterness and anger all over again, and yes, I kicked her to the curb. Straight up.

Right from the word 'go', I knew she craved my attention. So badly. She would do anything to be accepted by me.

The more I saw her, the more I felt pity for her.

I actually decided I'd help her.. help her get out of that depressing life I knew she was living. That suffocating life of letting people trample on her... because of acceptance, fear..

My classmates bullying worked for me. I thought that since she was once just like me, it would probably work for her too...

My intention for Prissy had always been to make her tough. To free her. That was all..and she couldn't even see that..

What about the times I helped her? She suddenly forgot all those times..when I helped her with school, bullies...Didn't she realise that I wouldn't let anyone else mess with her. I'd be willing to destroy any soul that even dared?? Wouldn't all that have been an eye opener for her? That I actually cared about her?

Ofcourse not. Prissy Waje had never been the smartest person. I couldn't have expected her to connect all the dots, right. I should have known that when shit hits the fan, all she would remember would be the bitter parts of our relationship, and not the good things I had done for her in the past.

Such an ungrateful bitch!

I never wanted to see her face again.

At this point, I can't even explain the hatred I have for that girl right now. God knows I cannot!

"...you knew all these about me because you were once like me."

And oh, she had the fucking nerve!

The bloody nerve!

I made a mistake even opening up to her about my past back then. I felt she had the right to know..maybe it would make her understand my motives more.

She still misunderstood that.

"Well, you weren't supposed to tell anyone about Ivandor either, but you did. I guess we both are terrible at keeping secrets."

Prissy, you dared..

Now, you act like the victim here after everything.

I'm going to get back at you, Prissy and I'm going to hit where it hurts. I promise you that.

"G-Giwa..,"

I turned to behind to see Hassana standing there, behind me.

She had her schoolbag hung over her shoulders, and mine loosely on one shoulder.

After the confrontation with Shade that just happened, I had left the block to stand outside and breathe. Hassana stayed with me, akwardly looking for means to comfort me, and after a few minutes, I instructed her to go to our class and get our bags.

Although, as I looked at Hassana right now, I noticed something was wrong.

She had an expression on her face I couldn't decode. Was it astonishment? Worry? Anxiety? Shock? I couldn't tell. It was a good mix of all of them.

"What's wrong, Hassana." I asked her.

God knows I was not ready for her weird shit behavior right now. I was not just in the mood.

She took two calculated stepsnto me, opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"Hassana, I said what is it!" I nearly shouted.

"I-I ..," she stuttered, with an almost unheard sound..her eyes moving to her hands as she tried to make out a clear sentence.

Her hands ..

I traced my gaze from her thunderstruck face to her hands..

Her camera...

She held that camera tightly to her hands, occasionally glancing at it like she had seen a ghost in it.

"Give me that camera." I commanded.

She stood there, rooted on that spot, like she wanted to move, but couldn't.

I acted immediately.

I walked with rapid fire speed to where she was and snatched that camera away from her hands, peering in to see what on earth was suddenly making her lose her ability to speak or move.

The first video I saw was bland. Nothing was there.. absolutely nothing, just an empty class.

I skipped that one and moved to the next one....It was the exact same thing..

The fuck?

After staring into the blank video for a while, I turned back to look at Hassana. I instantly got irritated by her for wasting my time and just when I was so close to snapping at the girl, I heard noises....

...coming from the video..

I brought my attention back to the video to get the biggest shock yet.

Prissy and Yure..

Both of them walked into the class together laughing with each other like they had just committed a huge crime.

"I don't usually do this ditching assembly thing, you're making me feel like a rebel!" Prissy said, laughing as they were walking in.

"Wasn't this your idea?" He threw back at Prissy, laughing hysterically, and she hit him to quiet him down so he wouldn't be heard laughing so loud.

"You agreed to it!" Prissy retorted. "Some head boy you are!"

I watched as they literally laughed and played with each other. Shock and confusion was all over me. Since when we're they so find of each other?

Once they settled and the atmosphere between them became quiet, Prissy shocked me with her next move.

Standing on her tip toes, she reached in and...

Jesus!

She kissed him!

My mouth actually fell open in shock, and my eyes nearly bulged out of its socket.

Prissy was really kissing Yure..and he was kissing her back. Hands moving on her small waist as he gave in to the girl, kissing her back like he had been waiting to do so.

"The fuck..," I cursed under my breath.

I finally took in air when the kiss was over. I hadn't even realised I had held my breath. My hands were trembling as I watched in utter shock.

"What was that for?" Yure asked.

"I already know how this conversation is going to end." Prissy answered. "..so I just decided to kiss you one last time."

Yure's facial expression suddenly changed. He was suddenly full of shame amd regret.

"We've been doing this for how long now?" He said.

"Ss2..," she answered, sounding regretful as well.

My hands found my mouth, covering it on shock.

Yure shook his head. "..we shouldn't have been doing this right now. That's not why we came here, Prissy." He said.

"I know." Prissy answered, suddenly looking down like she was ashamed of herself.

So what did they come here for!?

Unfortunately, that was all I could pick up from that video because Mena Kafe walked into the class, disrupting their union immediately and causing them to leave.

I turned off the camera, having seen enough.

Prissy and Yure?

So, this was what it was all along? This was what was straining his relationship with Krisdana. What caused Ivandor and Yure's friendship to be on the line..

That night Krisdana was crying.....so, this was what she 'hadn't confirmed'...

So, all these while Prissy had been secretly having a thing with Yure Adediji!?

Anger suddenly clouded my vision as all the dots started to connect.

What a fucking hypocrite this girl was! Godforbid this kind of human being! So all these while, this bitch had been acting like a saint when she had this kind of dirt up her sleeves...

All she's ever done was cause strains on other people's relationships and make people like Krisdana break beyond recognition, and she opens her bloody mouth to call me the villain in this story?

Oh, fuck..fuck..

Prissy, you're screwed. This video got into the wrong hands..you're going to wish you never crossed Giwa Falade.

"Giwa!" Hassana's voice called after me.

I hadn't evem realised that I started walking away furiously with Hassana's camera in my hands.

"Giwa, where are you going?" She called, behind me.

Home with this camera. I'm going home with this camera.

Right then, I started swearing bitterly in my heart.

Prissy Waje, just wait till tommorow morning. The entire school is going to see what kind of human being you truly are...

My loves oo😂 Somebody should say 'yawa don gas Las las' 😂😂😂

Tell me what's going on in your mind right now, I'm dying to know.

Uhmm, what do you guys think about this Prissy and Giwa junior school story....

For Prissy's case...a LOT of us may have been put in that position once in a while..having to change yourself to gain approval..or having to deal with someone's sick attitude just because you don't want them to leave you (even in relationships) If you're on this table, please take Shade's advice...no human on this earth is worth going out of your way for. DO NOT CHANGE FOR ANYONE, PLEASE! If you are in a toxic relationship, friendship or relationship, please leave. As soon as you can. Speaking from experience, when you finally come out of it, you are going to battle with a lot of trauma and bitterness..and unforgiveness too.. just like Prissy. If you haven't been put in such a situation, thank your God, because tbh, that thing can turn you into a monster. Please let's not let people damage us, you hear?

And also...please let's take it easy with Giwa. I agree that she can be irrational and just plain immature sometimes, but remember that she is heavily flawed..just like a lot of us. She sees things in a twisted perspective and acts according to what she deems right...even when it's not...Well, soon enough she's going to learn a thing or two about life..

And finally...uhmm..how do I put this? Yeah, so...
The next chapter is going to...scatter your head. So, in advance, please stay away from all sharp objects or express ways..because shit is going to get really, realllyyyyyy messy.

I'm so sorry in advance, but these things have to happen. They just have to. I'm using this book to hit different aspects of teenage life..starting from the facade we put on, the desperation for acceptance, depression, family problems, misunderstanding, betrayal, anger...If I go on and on listing, I don't know if it would end. All these things go a long way to make up the point of this book...so these things have to happen. Just know that this book ends on a good note. Believe me (wink wink)