~Alisa~

_ I want to make you cry, and lick your tears and taste just how much I've hurt you _
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I was sure I wasn't wrong. And the minute I turned to look at the familiar newcomer, I knew it had to be him.

"Shut up, and go sit down. Would ya?" Yewande replied, and hissed.

I watched as Christian rolled his eyes at him, and gave him the finger. "Screw you" he muttered and finally walked towards me.

I smiled at him the minute he sat down beside me, and he smiled back. I didn't know he attended this school. I'd never seen him here before, but here he was. Dressed in the school's uniform, and grinning at me.

"Christ! Christian, I had no idea you attend this school. Bruh, I'm so happy to see you. For real, never thought I'd even say that" I blabbed and he laughed.

"I hate school. So it's a routine for me to skip school A LOT" he said and I chuckled.

"I feel ya" I replied. I was acting like I didn't have crisis going on at home. Cue the sigh.

Immediately, like a mask, my devastated state found its way back to my face. I was sure he noticed this, and that was why he gave me a pitiful look. "Kambili told me what happened, Alisa. I know you meant no harm but Bili is just that way. She trusts way too easily, and it's hard to get a broken trust fixed - when it comes to her" he said, throwing a hand over my shoulder and drawing me closer. He was hugging me, and I didn't object cause I needed it. He smelt like mint and orange extracts, and a hint of lavender. I loved it, and I loved the warmth that accompanied his hug. It was like the kind an older brother would give his younger sister.

"I know. And I don't blame her for hating me" I said, slowly disentangling myself from him. Although, I didn't want to.

"She doesn't hate you" his eyes softened as he said this.

"She does. Have you seen the way she looks at me now? She looks at me like I disappointed her. Like I've hurt her in the most hurtful way there is. Pure hate for me are evident in those looks" I replied and Christian sighed and leaned in on his chair.

"Quit thinking that. She doesn't hate you"

"She does. You're just being nice by saying that, and I get it. But I hate lying to myself. I'm sure it won't take long before they kick me out of the house" I said and that got him staring at me, wide-eyed.

"Don't say stuff like that" concern laced in his words.

"Why? It's the friggin truth!"

"Just because she's mad at you, doesn't mean she'll have you sent out of the house that way. She really likes you, and the Bili I know would never do anything to hurt anyone. Especially not that"

"That was before she started hating me. I've been through a lot in my life. And that's what always happens, Christian" I replied, staring into space with an emotionless expression on my face.

"Turning into a sadist, huh?"

"No. I'm just... Being realistic"

"You mean cynic?"

"No. They're two different things. I hate getting my hopes up" I sighed.

"Hey, sh*t happens. But that doesn't mean you can blame yourself for them. It wasn't your fault. She's just mad at you, she'll get over it soon. Just give her time" he said, his hand was still over my shoulder.

"And you know that cause?"

"I've known Bili since we were just kids. I know what she's like. And that's why you have to trust me on this" he said, giving me an encouraging smile.

Silence filled the atmosphere. The noise from the rest of our classmates wasn't really making it easy to think. I could barely hear my own thoughts.

"Can I ask a question?" I suddenly said, and he nodded.

"Why is Kamsi like that? What exactly happened to them?" My question was one I'd been pondering about for a while now.

Christian tore his eyes away from me and stared at the whiteboard before him. "It's not something I can share. I can't say" he simply said.

"Why?"

"Cause it's not mine to tell. If anyone needs to tell you that, then it should be either of them" he replied.

"Right. I'm just an outsider" I replied, solemnly. I was trying to make him feel guilty.

"Don't form depression for me. That stuff never works on me" he said and I shut my eyes and laughed at my silly attempt.

I let out a sigh and he suddenly spoke up again. "Yo, why was Yewande being so mean to you? I mean, I know he can be a bit stupid, but for Christ's sakes! You're new here. What'dup with his attitude?" Christian asked and I rolled my eyes and hissed.

"Cause he's an arse. That's what. The dude just lacks this super cool organ called a brain. And news flash, I don't even care!" I replied and he laughed out loud.

"But it's kinda true. He can be an arse sometimes" he added.

"Sometimes?" I quirked a brow at him. "That dude is possessed by the devil himself. He's out to get me" I said and he threw his head backwards and his laughter ripped out of his throat.

"Oh my! I've never met a girl who hates the dude this much. Dude must've really upset you"

"No kidding. The jerk ruined my first day, and please don't ask how. Else, I'mma march right over there, and empty a bucket of water on his oversized head" at this point, I was glaring at stupid Yewande as he laughed at something a girl said.

"Whoa! You must really hate him" Christian finally let the laughter out.

Didn't this guy get the memo? Yewande and I were in enmity!

"He caused it. I don't naturally hate people. I'm just allergic to stupidity, and there's so much stupidity radiating from the butthead" I replied, and another round of laugher followed. We fell quiet again, and I was hoping he'd say something to keep the conversation going. He was a really fun person to talk to, I suddenly realized that now.

"I wonder why you chose this school. Seriously, I thought rich kids like you attend schools like Jade Imperial High. Why here then?" I asked, out of the blue.

With a small sigh, he smiled and replied: "Those fancy schools are filled with so many rules! My God! Have you even met them? They're like f*cking monarchical! They tell you when you eat, when not to eat, when to do that and when not to. Friggin can take that shii no longer. I had to switch schools. Bruh, Eagles Prep frustrated the crap outta me!" He laughed and I did too.

"You went to the same school as Kambili?" I asked. Like I didn't already know that.

"Yeah. Couldn't handle the hellhole any longer, so I came here. In search of freedom and wanting to breathe unmonitored air! Christ! That school? They were torture! Too many f*cking rules!" I just realised Christian cussed a lot. At some point, I had to cringe at the use of too many swear words.

"Can't blame you" I shrugged and he chuckled.

Silence. A really awkward engulfed us both. It took a while, after that, and Christian excused himself and went to sit with the rest of his friends. He invited me to sit with them, but I rejected the offer politely. After what had happened with Jonathan's friends, I just couldn't let history repeat itself. Moreover, Chris was friends with that arse; Yewande. More reason why I declined the offer.

It took a few more minutes, before our Math teacher walked into class. The minute he did, Christian left the class and I wondered why. Perhaps he wasn't an art student like me, but rather, a science student.

* * *

At the end of the first four periods before break, I was practically beginning the bell to go out for break. Not that I was hungry, I was basically feeling suffocated of sitting in class and listening to Mrs. Bright yap on and on about stuff I didn't care about in Economics. I wasn't a fan of the subject, but that didn't mean that I hated it. And plus, Mrs. Brights was one of those teachers who'ld switch to preaching about how her highschool days were. My subconscious was literally begging me to let her stab the daylight out of her. Seriously, I already had a pen in my friggin hands.

"... I never wore these panties you guys mistake for skirt nowadays. In my days, we never even knew what keeping boyfriends were all about. Honestly, I weep for your generation. It's only God that can save you guys..." And she kept tapping from our break time, preaching about stupid school days I wasn't ready to dig into.

So what if you were Mary's reincarnated sister, who cares? Woman, get the hell outta of our class! My ears are friggin bleeding!

"... That's it oh! That's just it. I'm telling you guys to be careful, but in my days I was never told..." I got that teachers try to advice their students to be good kids and all that, but honestly - I really found it hard to believe that they were just that good and obedient. We're they trying to insinuate that none of them almost gave their parents a heart attach?

They lie! Not buying that shii.

"It's break time?" She checked the time on her wristwatch, and it took the grace of God to not walk up and there and give her the finger.

No oh! It's church time.
Bish, you preached for far too long!

"You guys can go out for break oh. I didn't even know it was time"

Of course you didn't! Cue the sigh.

Hurriedly, I gathered my stuff and walked out of class. The minute I got out, I contemplated heading to the mini-garden again, but that only me rethink things. That place was a lonely solitude for grief. I'd probably consider suicide if I stayed there.
And that was why I refused going there, and chose to head to the cafeteria with the rest of my classmates.

As we all walked to the cafeteria, I observed the way everyone chatted in groups, and I seemed to be the only loner. I wanted to squeeze myself into a group, but I didn't want to bag insults by doing that. So I stayed on my own.

"Why d'you keeping doing this? Quit acting like a social outcast. Your mouth kept running on the day we first met, or do you only do that with Dub?" He asked and my eyes literally went through a major rollercoaster.

"See what I did there?" I asked and he nodded.

"Yeah. So?"

"You bore me, that's what. Dude, please. They're the ones acting like they don't want me. Especially that unicorn head over there" I said, once again, referring to buttface Yewande.

"Why'd you hate him so much? You could stab him in his sleep" Christian laughed.

"I'd be happy to do that. But his blood's too dirty to have me rotting in jail. I'll pass" I said and Christian gave me this super funny look that I considered cute. The kind you'd get for saying something absurd. That was it!

"You amaze me"

"I'm honored" he laughed at my reply and we kept walking. I spotted Jonathan amongst the crowd, this time, he was laughing alongside the buffalo, Yewande.

So he was serious when he said being friends with me would tarnish his reputation or something like that?

Clearly he couldn't handle a chic like me. His loss.

"Who're you staring at? Found someone you like already?" Christian wiggled his brows at me and I squinted my eyes in disgust.

"Stop that else I'll barf in your face. Christ! That activity you did with your brows are creepy! Don't ever do that again" I cringed and he laughed.

"You're so weird!"

"And you're so silly!" I shot back, and we both chuckled. Thank God for sending him to this school. I'd have died of extreme irritation from the fowls called students, in this school.

"You're in science class, right?" I only wanted to confirm. And he nodded in confirmation.

"Thought so" I muttered and he shrugged.

We finally got to the cafeteria, and I settled down on a table. The table was much more farther away from the rest of the other ones, and Christian gave me this odd look that I couldn't fathom.

"Seriously? You're gonna sit here?" He quirked a brow at me.

"Yeah? What's—"

"You're not sitting here. Jeez! You're coming with me" and he immediately, without warning, grabbed my hand and my lunch; and led me to the table which had his many friends surrounded round it.

Please, no! Jesus, please make a bone in me snap in half right now. Anything to not go there!

"I don't want to go there!" I complained and he hissed.

"I never asked what you wanted" he replied back, still leading me to the table.

"That's not fair!"

"Life's not fair!" He replied and chuckled.

He continued, until we got to the table. All eyes fell on me, and I almost melted into a puddle of teenage goo.

Don't stare at me, people! Keep eating your darn food!

"Who's the chic?" A guy in dreads asked.

Dreads? They allow THAT in this school?

I finally understood why Chris chose to come here.

"She's a friend. Her name's Alisa. Alisa, that's Uzor" he introduced, and I offered a small smile.

So-called Uzor, ran his eyes down my entire body and I wondered why most guys I've met in the past week did that. Was that an observation process? Cause if it was, then it was creepy as hell!

Jeez! Stop looking at me like that, perv!

Idiot continued looking. Some other guys introduced themselves and I offered them a smile too. The girls? Well, the girls were arses. They kept showing me attitude. Attitude that I could show way better than they could.

Off to hell with y'all, you barbie wannabes!

I suddenly realized just how brutal my subconscious could be. And I liked it, cause certain people deserved that brutality.

One of the girls there, her name's Ify and she seemed pretty cool-headed to me. Mostly cause she didn't give me attitude, and she had her nose buried in a book the entire time.

Devoted bookworm, I see.

We could get along just fine, that's if she doesn't turn out or be an arse or worse than one.

"So you're telling me, that your mom's back? Seriously?" Uzor was talking, and I wasn't even listening cause he was talking to Christian and not me.

"She's back. And I don't even care. She's never cared, so why should I? I hope she get the hell out of this country soon" he replied and I darted my eyes towards him.

"Whoa! I feel ya. After being away for all those years, bish - I mean, she finally found her way back" Uzor said and Chris simply shrugged.

"She weird as f*ck!" Uzor laughed and I wondered why he'd laugh at something like that. I mean, that was Christian's mom - if I'm not mistaken - that they were talking about.

"She still my mom" Chris replied.

I wasn't wrong. But why'd he hate her so much?

"Why'd you hate her?" I didn't even know when the words came out. They just slipped out of my word hole without me noticing.

Mistake!
Huge mistake!

"I don't hate her. Just don't like her" he simply replied.

"Why?" My mouth had a mind of its own today.

"Cause—"

"She's a selfish lady!" Uzor cut in sharply, interrupting Christian.

I shot him a look that said: dude-shut-your-word-hole!

"You're cool with him saying that? I mean, him calling your mom that?" I gave him a look. A really concerned look.

Christian took a while to reply, and when he did, I couldn't help but gasp. "Yes. And it's because it's true and she's even worse than that" it seemed like that ruined his mood, cause he got up and left the table.

The rest of the gang, which had been too busy having their own private conversations, finally noticed this and everyone stared at his retreating figure.

"What'd you say to him, Alisa?" One of the girls, Munachi, asked and I simply shrugged.

"Nothing" I replied.

* * *

After break, I decided to find Chris and go talk to him. I hoped I didn't hurt him. And just when I was hurrying over to meet him, I met him coming out of the mini-garden and about heading to his class. I took that as my opportunity to apologise.

"I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have asked" I said, the minute I got closer to him. He gave me a look, one which was weary and filled with anger.

"I've heard. Get out of my way" that sounded awfully rude.

"Did I hurt you? I'm sorry if I did. I didn't mean to" I said, my eyes softened as I stared into his angry ones.

Knowing the Chris from ten minutes ago, I would've never guessed he could be mad. I saw him as a cool-headed guy. Not that he wasn't, but his angry state made me a little amazed.

"You didn't hurt me" he murmured, and tried walking past me. Yet, I didn't know why I kept pushing it. I should've left him alone.

"Christ, you—"

"Don't you get when and when not to ask stupid questions?! Get the hell outta my face, stupid! Ugh!" And he shoved me aside and walked past me.

Was I cursed or something? Why did every friend I had always turn out to hurt me at the end? I was only trying to help, cause I never wanted to see my friends hurt. It's cool for me to always be hurt, but not them. I always wanted to see them happy, yet they somehow always turned out to be the ones to hurt me.

Why was life so unfair?

That? That stuff he just did? Well, that made me cry. A hot tear rolled down my cheek and landed on my partially chapped lips. I tasted what my own hurt tasted like. Salty.

I shouldn't have pushed it. I should've walked away and not cared if he was dying.

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Anyone feeling Christian's story yet? Or do I put some more effort into his? I think so. Lol😂 also, I didn't leave y'all in suspense. Did I? If I did, then I'm so so sorry. Seriously. I'm working on it😞

Anyways. My loves, I'm happy you guys are enjoying the story. I'm so happy about that and I hope you continue to enjoy it❤️❤️
Also, please don't forget to comment and vote. These two things are like adding fuel to a car.

Imagine a crying baby being given a maxi-sized lollipop. The dude's gotta shut the H up, that's what your comments and votes do to me. So please don't stop. And if you can, share to your friends. I'll forever remain grateful.
Love your guys!❤️❤️❤️✨
Next update: Friday.
Or whenever I get the chance ❤️