Hey, sweethearts ♥️
If you're awake, say "Aunty I!" in the comments section 😂♥️

~DABI~

I found a nose ring.

I was just helping out my Mum clean her bedroom that early morning, because I needed to reduce all the work load she had on her, and I wasn't sure how, but one minute, I was sweeping the rugged floors, and the next minute, I saw myself ransacking my way through a rusty cupboard in her room.

And then, I saw it.

It wasn't a real nose ring, but it was close. I'd define it more of a fake septum nose hoop. You know? Those ones that looked like the kind they had on bulls in Old England, back then.

I decided to try it on. Curiosity got the best of me.

And I was surprised how much I didn't hate the new look.

I didn't hate it at all.

I spent over fifteen minutes staring at the reflection of the new version of myself in the mirror, a little smile of close satisfaction forming there at the corner of my lips, as I scanned myself thoroughly.

I looked... Okay.

Okay: That was the word. It was a good improvement, considering that I looked like shit a lot. Although, my eyes were still swollen from my epic crying last night, and it seemed like all the bags and dark circles were the most evident at the moment, but I hoped it would all get better after I had adjusted to my wake completely.

That aside, the nose hoop ring added a look to my appearance that made me enjoy looking at my reflection more. It was like it added a touch of beauty to my face, and hinted some form of... Boldness.

Boldness: That was the word.

It made me look bolder.

Bolder.

Bolder. 

Bolder.

Bol-

"I was hoping you'd find that soon enough."

It took me about the next seconds to realise that the new voice was not in my head.

I turned my head to the door of the room where my Mum was standing there, folding her arms and observing me.

Of course, I was still in her territory. Her room.

However, that wasn't what came to my light and understanding as I saw her, standing there.

Mum was smiling.

It wasn't a full blown smile or exaggerated grin or anything of the sort. It was something softer, and sweeter. For the first time in my life, I could see the joy in her eyes as she watched me.

I couldn't believe it, really. I almost hadn't seen her smile that way since my childhood. I had actually forgotten what a real smile from her looked like.

"Why are you so happy?" I had to ask her.

She just shook her head, soft smile intact as she walked towards me by her mirror side.

"You know?" She said as she reached out towards the cup board beside me, shuffled her hands into it as she spoke, "You remind me a lot of myself, Dabeluchi."

I didn't say anything in response, but just calmly watched her. She got out a bunch of silver rings in a pack - the same pack I had picked up up and found the nose ring earlier.

"Here." She said, handing me the entire pack of nose rings. "Have it." She flashed a quick smile at me and started to make her way out of her own room, leaving me behind. 

"If I really am like you..." I finally started to speak to her as she was leaving.

On cue, she stopped walking to listen. Back turned to me, but she listened.

"The, why don't I understand why you married a man like Dad?" I finished my question.

Mum turned back to me, soft, joyful smile still on her face, completely unfazed at my question.

"Well, Dabeluchi, sometimes in life, we end up falling in love with the wrong people." Was all my Mum said to me.

She said this so casually, like she was saying "This is a cup" or "The time is 7 o'clock". Something about how factual she sounded unnerved me, and I couldn't understand why.

"Especially people like us, Dabeluchi..." She continued. "People like us who seek happiness or hope, even the littlest bit of it in the smallest things or gestures. It's easy for us to get addicted, and easier for us to get broken."

"I don't understand what you're trying to say to me." I told her.

Mum just laughed it off, and easily dismissed the topic.

"You have to get ready for School, it's already 15 minutes past 6 am," She said to me. "And maybe you can just help give Stephen his breakfast before you go, he's been in the Living room watching Looney toons for half an hour now."

I felt a pang in my chest for a second, as I thought about Stephen.

"See you at noon." Mum left me alone.

She didn't even ask where I was last night.

Or why my eyes were swollen.

She hadn't even scolded me for missing Dance Class about three times in a row.

Sometimes, I found it hard to really understand my mother. I couldn't remind her of herself, that had to mean I was just like her. And no way would I get myself involved with a man like my father. And god forbid I ever did...... I would kill the man. Long, long before now.

Right before I left the house for School, I heard Mum screaming upstairs, and Dad bellowing in all his wrath and anger about something Mum had done this time, cued by the sound of fists slamming into the wall, glass breaking on the floor, and the sounds of anguish and terror. 

But I felt absolutely nothing. 

Not that I cared not about Mum nor had my hatred for Dad or Delilah subsided, I just felt numb. Absolutely numb. I didn't understand how I felt nothing, yet the tears panged again and burned my eyes, although never dropped.

Mum's screaming for help was the last thing I heard before I stepped outside the Mansion, outside the gate, and into the cold, peaceful dawn of morning, waiting for the taxi to arrive. 

Peaceful.

It was so peaceful. Like a woman wasn't being given a horrific tour of hell inside Dad's  mansion. One look at the neighbouring house that was supposed to belong to Casper's family's household, and I was at the verge of losing my mind, thinking of ways to burn it down to the ground.

It was until I had gotten into the taxi and actually tasted a drop of salty liquid on my lips that I realised I was long crying. I was actually crying. Very silently that the driver failed to even notice.

Well, Dabeluchi, sometimes in life, we end up falling in love with the wrong people...

"No, Mum," I replied the voice of my Mother that replayed in my head. "That is not Love. Love isn't supposed to make you go through Hell."

*****

The moment I stepped into Castron High, I felt it in my spirit that something was not right.

It was normal for me to feel too vulnerable and unprotected without the sisters by my side. It was completely normal for me to feel bothered, especially since I knew I was already terribly late to School and I was most likely going to walk into the Hall when there was already a crowd of the entire school in there.... And I was going to do it alone. 

But, this feeling was more intense. More Disturbing. As though I was walking into a red flag and this was still a chance I had to stop, turn back, and run away from here.

The Morning Assembly had already long started by now. Not only was that fact obvious since it was well past 7; 30 am, but also, and having that the Large School Hall was the closest building to the large red gate of Castron High, I could already hear the principal's voice, echoing, even from a close distance.

I already dreaded the attention I would get on stepping into the Hall. My heart was beating so fast that I was shocked I was actually still on my feet.

Sometimes, I underestimate my own strength.

As well expected, and also well dreaded, the moment I reached the Hall, on cue of my presence, all eyes were on me.

It started ever so subtle, I had noticed that for some reason today, I was an object of attraction.

It began when I had taken the exit in, and all the late coming juniors, who all knelt on punishment at the doorway, just stared at me as I made my way forward. A surge of awkwardness bathed me and I had to avoid eyes just so I wouldn't cringe over and over at the intensity of them.

 Aaron and Kelechi Uwa stood guard as the Disciplinary prefects, and I couldn't even keep eye contact with any of the two, as I brushed my way past them and into the hall. Of course, they were my classmates, so this punishment for late coming didn't apply to me.

I could still hear the faint whispers of the juniors,  behind me as I slid past the two prefects. I couldn't catch what any of them were saying or if it had to do with me, but Kelechi was already ordering the juniors to silence when I had stepped into the Hall, and I surprisingly wasn't even hearing Aaron's voice at all.

Stepping into the main Hall itself felt like someone splashed cold water on my back.

It started little by little - Glances here and there, initially, so I was originally thinking it was just because I was late. For some reason, coming late to an event somehow made you grow three heads because everyone wouldn't be able to get their eyes off you for some reason.

However, things spiralled out of control when I got the attention of my classmates.

It started from one classmate; a girl. She spotted me in the middle of laughing at something that one of her friends in the same row was saying, and she had paused, eyes lit up, a disturbing glint in them. Her friend had noticed the distraction too, and after turning and realising to me, she excitedly tapped on her neighbour and whispered something to her. Something that piqued both her interest and my anxiety.

What the hell is going on?

I didn't even have much time to understand it, because it only took a matter of seconds before, one after the other, the entire row, the rows behind them, and in turn the rows in front started to set their eyes on.... Me.

"Why is everyone looking at me?" I whispered to myself, like somehow I was going to get an answer.

The girls had all started whispering things to each other. Things that seemed rather amusing or interesting or hilarious, because all of them were either laughing or showing forth excited facial expressions. People like Miranda Archibong and Abba Praise were busily running like little bugs from seat to seat, cackling and gossiping and I wondered what THE FUCK  was happening.

I actually took a step back.

More and more heads turned and turned towards me, until I could catch sight of - just in the front row, sitting with Krisdana Moe - The Sisters.

Chika looked at me with some form of worry, or confusion, or uncertainty, I couldn't tell. She looked conflicted. The twins looked downright pissed. And Soma? She was no where to be found.

And the noise? It doubled in intensity. So much that it became even obvious to set boys, and soon Ss3 Boys were turning their heads, smoothly, one by one, to also observe and analyse the centre of attraction too.

Me.

Right there in the middle, where some of the Ballers who weren't prefects, like Nomso and Gadhafi usually sat, I spotted one person who absolutely sent all my senses into alert.

In a good way.

Although, I got so nervous that I couldn't even move anymore, and my heart doubled its beating speed. A part of me actually seemed to relax.... Like, totally relax, as a sweet feeling tingled there at the pit of my stomach and overwhelmed me entirely.

For a moment, I actually forgot how to breathe.

The boy by him turned back first - dramatically, I must add- after JJ had laughed about something and tapped him immediately, and blank stoic eyes rested on me, absolutely unmoved and undisturbed. That blank stare that made me so, so uncomfortable.

I swallowed. That was Sean Ayomide. And right next to Sean was--

"Can I have an audience, students!" It was the Principal talking, announcing into the microphone as he failed not to easily pick up on what was going on.

Marcus Acha.

Students; That one word or generalization was enough to make me understand the fact that he was not just talking to just the Ss3s'.

Unknown to my knowledge, as I was still freaking out about the fact that my classmates were all staring at me like that, I didn't even realise that it wasn't just them that were suddenly so interested in my presence.....

I was the centre of attraction of the entire Hall.

It wasn't just the stares alone now, it was a whole market square as everyone, both my classmates and junior students were all erratic, passing down information to each other in whispers that were soon turning to one hell of noise.

Stepping back on that realisation, I gulped acid down.

The teachers and prefects around the Hall got hysteric by the time, and were all screaming at the noisy students to keep shut and pay mind to the Principal.

"WHAT IS ALL THESE NOISE!"

"CAN WE ALL GO BACK TO THE ASSEMBLY?!"

"LEMME CATCH YOU TALKING EHH!"

 It seemed no one even seemed to give a damn or two about the teachers, the prefects or even the poor principal.

Everyone was more interested in me.... And I was confused as to why.

All the way, I felt Marcus' never moving stare on me, and I couldn't even muster up the courage to look back at the boy. I didn't have the damn balls.

"THREE!"

A loud, and powerful feminine voice started a fierce count down that surprised me, and tensed me at the same time. Raged a whole entire war of terror, confusion, and panic to all the juniors in the hall.

What the fuck is going on...?

The noise in the entire Hall seemed to double its intensity, the juniors trembling in panic and agitation at the voice of the one girl they all feared the most.

"TWO!" 

Giwa Falade, Castron High's Head Girl and Set's Queen bee was seen stepping out like an evil, spiteful, angry queen from the narrow path space that divided the Jss1 students into two, and on the mere appearance of her, these kids were literally falling to their knees with brutal force and urgency, giving themselves the punishments by themselves before the girl could even order it sp.

"ONE!"

The entire Hall of students from Ss2 down to Jss1 was on their knees. The Hall; pin drop silent. 

Giwa Falade stopped walking, looked straight ahead to the Principal on the podium, from where she stood at the Ss1 girls and boys area, and with a loud, bold, audible, and co-ordinated auto voice, she said to the man, "Please carry on, sir."

On that note, she nodded a farewell to the principal before turning to walk away, carrying her tall, slim figure in all her pride, and bouncing off the building like there was an imaginary cape, flowing graciously behind her, and a glorious crown, seated on her.....

And then I realised....

She...

Was walking towards me.

Panic and anxiety surged through my system, and I kid you not, I do not even have an explanation as to how exactly it happened in details, but what I do know is that I felt a whirlwind, and the next second, I was in the air and outside the hall, my legs, racing with an impeccable speed I didn't know I had.

I didn't even stop and I had no idea where my destination was going to be.

What the hell was that?

WHAT THE HELL WAS HAPPENING?!

Questions were swarming through my mind but to be honest, I was more interested in getting as far away from the entire student body than even caring to know what the hell was even going on, and why everyone was staring at me that way.

Unfortunately, there was absolutely no way I was going to be let out of the School grounds during school hours, so the next best plan was to hide away from sight.

Slamming the doors of the Ss3 Block Girl's bathroom open, I dashed right into the last and most hidden toilet room, slammed the doors shut as hard as I could, pressed a hand to my chest, and wrapped the other around my trembling body, as I tried my hardest to stop panting so hard. Stop shaking so hard. To just calm down... At least, so if someone comes in here, they wouldn't hear me.

What happened back there? I couldn't stop asking myself.

Why was everyone staring at me like this?

What the hell is going on now that I don't know about?

The endless possibilities scared the life out of me, and as I caged myself in the suffocating four walls of this cream coloured tiled toilet room, my gag reflexes started to activate, and claustrophobia came at it's worst, threatened to ruin me in an instant.

Maybe I'd just stay here the entire day...?

Maybe..?

What's the worst that could happen?

Who would find me?

No one would even know I'm in School? And the moment school is over, I could just wait for everyone to leave the School, then I'd sneak home. I could pull this off well, right?

Oh, God. I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

I stayed there in my state of panic, didn't move out from this place, for what felt like ages. Terrifying, horrific ages. It was only until I started to hear the shuffling of, and uncoordinated, rowdy crowd footsteps and buzzes of noise that it became clear to me that the Hallway was getting filled up and my classmates were coming back from the morning Assembly, and gathering here, with that unsolicited, unnecessary and unnerving noise they were all known for.

The noise of my classmates had never given me more anxiety like this in my life.

I could hear all of them so well.

People like Ziba, her laughter was so loud that even if I knew it was distant, I could hear it even all the way from the toilet where I hid. Sports Boys like Aaron and Casper were also heard from here, shouting at the top of their lungs as they seemed to be greeting every one on sight. And more and more people were loudly engaging themselves socially; talking, laughing, gisting, flirting, and boy, it was clear that the jungle was set and awoken. 

Needless to say, I was terrified. Terrified was an understatement. 

I remained frozen in this toilet room.

Things got even scarier when I heard the bathroom door sling open.

Jesus.

 A crowd of girls suddenly filled the bathroom, laughing and talking with all excitement and interest about something, and my heart dropped to my stomach.

However, none of them seemed to be coming any close to the toilet rooms, I didn't hear any of them open, and since I had shut mine, none had knocked either. I noticed that they were just probably coming in here to check out themselves in the bathroom mirror, probably apply or adjust make up, hair, uniform, or whatever the hell they did by those mirrors.

What scared me the most was that I was well aware of the fact that the girls from my class who were most likely to do that sort of thing were Winnie and her clique. On that realization, I took a step back in the toilet, as though there was a possibility that one of them were able to kick that door open and drag me out of this bathroom.

"Abi, you saw the video too na!"

It was definitely one of Winnie's friends. I just wondered if she or Funmi were even there, I seriously hoped not.

"Ah! Who hasn't seen it! Omo, that Dabi girl came ready for Ss3 oo! The way she's been making headlines!"

I gulped.

"I'm telling you o! Low-key, I want to be her sha! The girl has use style to turn low-key celeb!" 

It took everything in me to not make a single sound because I wanted to scream my lungs out!

Tears nearly came to my eyes as I rested my back against the tiled walls of the toilet room and slid down the wall in frustration at all of this.

All I wanted in this school was peace of mind. Can't a girl just have that? What was the new thing going all around in my name now? How bad was it this time around? What was it all about? And did it have to do with Marcus Acha? So much ran through my mind.

I couldn't know until I had somehow found out. So, in that toilet room, I decided to just eavesdrop my way into getting the full story. So, I summoned courage and stepped close to the door in order to hear the girl's better, but all they were saying was still bordering around a trending video and there was no other specific piece of information I could grab.

I listened...

And listened...

And listened..

Until a loud ringtone jeered me out of my concentration and nearly gave me a panic break down.

I didn't even bother looking at the caller ID as I hit the bottom key at the side to silence my phone, and completely switched off the phone from there henceforth. I couldn't be hiding here and have someone calling and fucking me up.

However, the girls in the bathroom were probably too into their discussion to even notice my phone ringing, and after a few more laughs and gossips, they left the bathroom.

And my fear and curiosity wouldn't let me mind my business, so thereon, it was me eavesdropping on every single set of girls who trooped into the bathroom, and most of them talked about the same damn thing - A Video.

My mind twisted and twisted as I tried to decipher any video I may have taken with Marcus Acha. Could it be another video of us? And how could that even be possible? Could it be so that someone was stalking Marcus and I? The possibilities of having any part of our night together captured on camera scared the living daylights out of me!

"I'm telling you he's the one! Forget he was wearing a face mask, I know that mane of hair anywhere!"

It should have been an hour or two since I had been hiding in this toilet room, and the girls who just came in were busy arguing about the identity of someone, who apparently was in this same video that everyone seemed to have been talking about.

"No, he can't be the one! The guy in the video looked bigger!"

"He's the one! Who else would be with Dabi! Face mask or not, he's the one!"

I gulped again..... Fearing I may actually know what this may be about.

God... Help.

It's couldn't be possible.. Right?

And if it was, how much longer do I have to stay here?

I looked to my wristwatch and it was about fifteen minutes past 10 am.

Great, I have about five more hours to School Over!

Dabeluchi, you are in soup!

How do I get out of this in one piece?

How do I get out of this today, tomorrow, and the days after?

How do I-

".... And do you know what he said next?" I heard a new voice of a new girl who was coming into the bathroom with another girl, shuffling her feet noisily as she stepped inside.

I stopped, listened. What did he say next?! I wanted to know! I wanted to know what the HELL was going on!

"He said that I was the most mature girl he has ever dated, and that he really loves me so much," The girl continued telling her friend.

I deflated. Confusion slapped me in the face.

Why do I feel like whatever this particular conversation had absolutely nothing to do with me or whatever news was trending about me?

I heard one of the doors of the neighbouring toilets pushing open as one of the girls had stepped in and in about a second or two, there was a hissing sound of water and it took me a while to realise that the girl who had gotten into the toilet was peeing.

"Mena, abi you're hearing me?" The same girl who was telling her story, the same one peeing, called out to her friend who I guessed was still in the bathroom. 

"Yesso, and he said you were mature and he loved you, yeah?" Mena responded.

The girl in the toilet had goggled, flushed, and continued, "He also took me to Gomery and spent like 40k on dinner oo!"

"Awwwwwwwwwww! That's so romantic!" Her friend cried. The sound of the toilet door shutting indicated that the 'gister' had stepped out of the toilet room.

Why was I still listening to this?

"You see, Gift, older men are better than all these our nonsense chewing gum boys that will be collecting money from their parents and be forming for us! See oo, I never knew that Mr. Jimmy could be so romantic!" Her friend was saying.

My eyes nearly bulged out of its sockets.

Mr. Who? Jimmy?! The Junior School Math Teacher?! That old man?!

The two girls were laughing so much, their excitement doubling by the second, and I fought the urge to throw up in utter disgust.

I thanked the Heavens when both girls left the bathroom.

And for the next one hour or so, I prayed to God that I wouldn't be stuck here to witness one more dirty little gist I wouldn't be ale to handle.

All I wanted to know was why everyone was all about me today.

"Oh God," I muttered to myself, and checked my wrist watch one more time to see how much time I had left in here.

1:48 pm.

I couldn't believe I had stayed in this cramp for hours waiting to hear that last final bell for School over. I couldn't believe how close I was. It was just a few minutes to the last period, and recalling the fact that the Last Period on Mondays was Physics and that meant a combined class between my class and Class A - aka Marcus Acha's class- I made it clear to myself that I'd rather die than to step into that hell house where all my classmates would stare me down once more, like I had fourteen heads.

There was that part of me that wanted to see him. Marc, I mean. There was that strong part of me that actually wanted to just see him once more... But with the attention I had pulled towards people today, I doubted that Marcus may have even wanted to be seen in public with me.

This kind of attention could not be good. Not at all.

1:54 pm.

Maybe I could just step out of here and sneak out? The School's gatemen would buy it that I had free period for the last period and would most likely let me leave this place. I mean, what guarantee do I have that no one would find me here after School was over? I couldn't risk anything. Not after I'd gone this far. Maybe I'd lie to Mum that I was sick to avoid coming to School tomorrow and next... And maybe till whatever was going round about me was died down.

I spent about a minute or two actively communicating with voices that only I could hear, and after a decision was made, I pulled my phone out, switched it back on, and called a taxi.

Confident enough that it was safe and sound, I stepped outside.

Having that classes were still going on, the Hallway was completely empty and void of classmates and I breathed a sigh of relief, looked to the end of the Hallway, and wondered to myself how I would walk past all those classes, and out of this block, without being noticed.

Think, Dabeluchi, think.

How would I do this now?

"Oh, God, I pray the Lord my soul to keep." I muttered a prayer.

Everyone was in class. Even if they saw me, they couldn't do a thing about it.

Hopefully.

Quickly, I fell into step, and--

"HEY, YOU!"

Chills ran through me and goosebumps formed on my skin as I heard the loud, masculine powerful voice call after me, behind me.

I froze. Froze up completely. Didn't move a single bone in my body.

I recognized that voice anywhere. That particular teacher had NO chills and everyone HATED him for that very reason.

"YOU THAT IS LEAVING THE BLOCK BY THIS TIME! WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING TO?"

That was Mr. Harry - The Senior School Head Teacher and a Computer Teacher. And guess fucking what...?

"DON'T I KNOW YOU? ORJI? IS THAT NOT YOU?" 

Yeah. He fucking knew me.

"JESUS CHRIST, AM I TALKING TO MYSELF? DABELUCHI ORJI, WILL YOU TURN AND FACE ME BEFORE I GET TO YOU THERE AND TEACH YOU A LESSON!"

I didn't move an inch. I couldn't move an inch. I stood there, back faced to him, face as dead as a stoner, yet a fierce storm of fear, accelerating within me as the bitter reality of what was happening kept slamming into my face over and over and as Mr. Harry shouted and shouted and shouted and sprinted forth towards me in all his anger and rage, I was certain of one thing.

One dreadful thing.

Whatever I did, wherever I ran to, this man was going to catch up with me.

And he was going to force me to go by the book.

And what exactly did that mean?

Well...

I was going to attend that combined class.

Shit.

I can't believe Dabi spent the entire day hiding in the girls' bathroom, I'm dying!😂😂😂💔And guys, CH students won't kill me, they're too dramatic abeg, I can't!

What do you think has gone viral this time? (Omo, they don't want to give Dacha their privacy, talk about obsession!😂)

Anyways, expect an update soonest, I should get back to writing after Church tomorrow! See ya!♥️♥️