"Are you okay?" Chikaima asked once she placed the bag of ice on Chidiogo's head.

Chidiogo nodded, giving her a small smile.

"Of course she's okay." Mmachi's voice came from across the room causing Chidiogo to turn to glance at her figure sprawled on her bed. "She just hit her head. It's not like she's dying or something."

Chidiogo lifted the bag off her head for a moment when it began to hurt grateful that Mmachi kept Chikaima distracted else she would have forced her to keep the bag pressed to her head.

She readjusted after that, picking up Chikaima's voice at the edge of her bed.

"You know you really have become cold after your stay in juvie."

The statement was directed to Mmachi but it unnerved Chidiogo. She turned to see Mmachi's expression but she couldn't make out much since Mmachi faced the ceiling.

"Shut up. I never asked for your opinion."

"Kaima's actually correct." Amelia's voice was low but still carried across the room.

Mmachi remained unmoving, staring at the ceiling.

"I know you went through a lot but... I don't know what to say. You didn't tell me anything about your stay there. You never even told me what happened that Christmas night that led to your detainment," Amelia said, sitting up on her bed which had books and question papers scattered all over it.

Chikaima glanced at Amelia's bed with her mouth parted as if she wanted to say something but she looked away instead and turned to Mmachi.

"Lia is right. You never really told us what happened."

"Ask Chidiogo. She was there," Mmachi said, her eyes still on the ceiling.

Her statement caused Chidiogo to tense as she felt Chikaima and Amelia's eyes on her. She remained quiet, staring at the cupboard at the other end of the room.

"You're gonna tell us what happened or you'll keep staring like a clown?"

Amelia's voice cut through the silence that had built up in the room causing Chidiogo to turn her stare to her.

"What Lia meant to say was that we're waiting for you to tell us what happened—that is, if you want to," Chikaima said shooting Amelia a glare.

Chidiogo felt a lump forming in her throat as she stared between Chikaima and Amelia. She forced herself to swallow before speaking.

"Well... Yeah, I can... I mean, I'll tell you what happened."

"Get on with it already," she heard Amelia mutter under her breath.

She took one glance at Mmachi who still faced up but appeared to be sleeping before she proceeded.

"It was Christmas–"

"We already know that."

She ignored Amelia. "We were in Katherine's room and... I was on the bed. I should have been paying attention but... I was engrossed in this game I was playing."

She stared at the floor avoiding Kaima's piercing stare. "Mmachi and Katherine were arguing about something but I didn't really know what it was about. I looked up when the fight had escalated and just then, Katherine turned to leave in anger.

"Everything happened so quickly and at first I thought Mmachi had shoved her and that's why she bashed her head against the wall but later I realized that oil had been spilt on the tiles and she slipped on it; Mmachi didn't even touch her.

"But by then I'd already told my parents what I thought I saw and when I tried to tell them what actually happened they thought I was doing it just to save Mmachi so I just kept quiet... I should–I should have said something."

She kept her eyes on the floor, not eager to hear what Chikaima or Amelia had to say but still dreading the silence which was sure to follow her words.

"Well, you could still try to tell them now," Chikaima said, placing a palm on hers, "I know it's late but it'll still be something."

"Oh please."

She snatched her eyes away from the Chikaima and kept it on Amelia who stood from her bed, adjusting the waistband of her pink shorts before heading towards her.

"It's not like she didn't try to tell them. She did and they didn't believe it then. What difference would it make to them now?" Amelia asked squatting next to Chidiogo's bed stand. "Mmachi wasn't at fault but neither was Chidiogo."

She turned to Chidiogo, "You don't need to beat yourself up about it, unless you enjoy throwing a pity party."

Chidiogo found herself smiling even though that wasn't the nicest thing she'd heard. Her smile faded when she saw Mmachi leaving the room.

Chikaima and Amelia had been so engrossed in the banter they started out of the blue, they didn't notice it. She stared at the door for a while after she was gone.

She knew that she was to blame for everything which had gone wrong, Mmachi faulted her too. If she had just said the truth when it was needed, Mmachi wouldn't hate her the way she did.

She had ruined everything with her silence and it was only up to her to fix it.

———††††———

Rowdiness seemed to be an inbuilt quality of the dining room. Chidiogo had learned that from a week's stay in the school.

She manoeuvred her way through the current of people swarming into the hall, careful to not spill the content of her tray.

She looked around the dining, in search of an empty table where she could have her lunch in peace when she spotted a table occupied by Mmachi and her clique.

Their table was stationed far from the rest in the dining hall and very close to a window at the end of the hall. She didn't know what could have caused the sudden move since it was obvious they'd done it themselves.

The arrangement of the table was the same as the last time she saw it only that this time Wale was absent. Quinn and Amarachi still stuck around.

She still found the whole arrangement a bit off. For people who couldn't stand each other, they did spend a lot of time together.

She walked past several filled tables still looking for a spot since finding an empty table seemed like a lost cause. Considering the amount of filled tables, even finding an empty seat would be a miracle. She glanced over at Mmachi's table again, her eyes meeting Justin's.

A smile graced his face as he waved her over. Amelia, who was seated next to him looked at him with scrunched brows for a moment before looking up to see her.

Her face lit up and she joined him in waving her over. Mmachi's smile fell on seeing her head towards their table but she tried her best to not let it affect her.

As she got closer, she observed that Quinn looked rather pink and didn't seem to be doing too well. Amarachi on the other hand appeared neat for once, her short hair in twists and she did look quite pretty.

She also observed that everyone at the table ordered the same thing—spaghetti. No one had opted for macaroni, the only alternative, which made her feel odd for ordering it.

Just when she got to the table, she heard Mmachi's voice.

"Why are you here?"

Puzzled by the question, she remained silent while Amelia gave an answer for her.

"What the hell are you saying? This is the school's dining not your bed room. She can sit wherever she wants."

"Leave," Mmachi said through clenched teeth, ignoring Amelia.

"What's wrong with her staying?" Justin asked in a calm voice, "The whole room is packed anyways, she might not be able to get any other seat."

"I said you should leave!" Mmachi yelled standing up, the banging on the table and the clattering of disturbed ceramic plates following her stance.

Amarachi flinched while a startled Quinn yelled at Mmachi. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

Chidiogo could hear the noise in the cafeteria dying down. She didn't need to turn around to know she already had an audience waiting to witness the drama.

She tried to calm the situation. "I–"

It happened quickly. Mmachi swung a fist at Chidiogo but ended up hitting her tray, causing the bowl of macaroni and cup of drink to spill on her.

Her statement got stuck in her throat just like a piece of a macaroni as her gasping gave way to choking and suddenly she found herself back in Jasmine high.

Hot chocolate was enjoyable until it was being forced down your nose while you were held down by those who you considered friends. Your only true friend—the laughter which remained, like a lullaby from a childhood memory, ringing in your head, even when the perpetrators were gone.

But this time, she could breath. That forced her back to the present where Amelia stood by her side trying to get her to drink a glass of water. She looked around and saw some prefects approaching.

She knew the situation would only get worse and so she made for the door; ignoring Amelia's screams coming after her and not bothering to check who she bumped into before leaving the hall.