The following day, I went to school with my mood completely sour. My eyes were puffy and my head ached. I didn't know Peter had such effect on me until yesterday. Seeing that video made me so weak that I cried throughout the night until sleep eventually enveloped me.

"Daniella, why do you look like you've been crying?" Adam asked when I got into the class and had my seat.

"Do I look that way?" I asked, my voice so hoarse that it came out as a whisper.

"Yes you do! Don't tell me your aunt beat you this morning."

If my aunt beat me, you think I'd be like this.

"No, no she didn't." I shook my head. The thought of the video I watched yesterday played out in my head and that made tears well up in my eyes. I stifled back the tears threatening to pull down from my eyes.

"Then why do you look this way? Wait, is that tears I see in your eyes?" Adam quizzed, trying to meet my eyes. I turned away and the tears pulled off from my eyes. "You're crying Daniella. What is wrong Daniella, tell me?" He asked worriedly.

"Adam—" I faced him to tell him the reason I was crying, but words couldn't proceed from my mouth, so I just placed my head on the desk and cried the more.

Adam placed his hand on my back without uttering a word.

"Class greet!" The captain called out.

I lifted my head and saw the literature teacher standing in front of the class. I wiped the tears off my face and join the class as I rose to my feet to greet her. From the corner of my eyes, I could see Adam looking at me.

"Have your seat. How was your holiday?" She asked.

A loud incoherent rambling emanated from the students.

"That I asked of how your holidays were doesn't mean you'd act like barbarians. If you want to answer me, speak one at a time." She said with a grimace on her face. I'm sure I have told you about the literature teacher before. She wasn't one to tolerate any form of frivolity in her class. She was uptight and strict. That made students not to like her.

"It was fine ma." Prudence said aloud.

"Mine was boring." Someone else said.

"Hope you all didn't use the holidays to just eat rice and chicken. I want to believe you read your books too." The teacher said questioningly.

There was no response.

"That's by the way. Captain I'm guessing not everyone has resumed, seeing that there are just few students in the class." She said.

"Yes ma." Ayo responded.

Just then, Peter walked into the class, his uniform so clean and ironed and his wavy hair was obviously cut recently in an Afro. I couldn't delude myself, I had really missed his handsome face. But seeing him right now intensified the resentment I felt towards him. He was such a cheat. How could he betray my trust in him?

"Mister man, why are you just coming to my class?" The literature teacher queried Peter.

Peter scratched his head like he was at a loss for words. "I'm sorry ma." He apologised.

I couldn't help but feel disgusted looking at Peter, so I took my eyes away from him.

"But for the fact that the school's just resuming, I would have punished you for coming this late to my class. Now find your way to your seat!" She commanded and Peter gave a small bow before moving to his seat.

Adam nudged me and I looked at him, tilting one brows skyward. "Your boo." He mouthed.

I snorted in a feigned chuckle and rolled my eyes as I faced the literature teacher in front of us.

****

"Daniella, hurry up and let's go for break." Gbemi hollered as she and Adam were in the front of the class preparing to go to the canteen to get some snacks. I was the one keeping them waiting as I was still copying the maths assignment written on the board in my maths book.

"Please wait, I'm almost done." I hollered back.

"That's what you've been saying for the past ten minutes. When are you going to be done?" Adam asked.

"You know what, you guys can go, I'll meet you guys there."

"Okay o." Gbemi said and she walked off with Adam.

As I was hurriedly scribbling down the note from the board, a soft hand from behind me covered my eyes. I knew from the person smell that it was Peter.

"Whoever that is, please take your hands off my eyes. I'm not in the mood." I said acidly.

The hands went off my eyes and Peter knelt on the seat before mine and faced me squarely, with a perky grin on his face and his elbow on my desk.

"You sound quite frosty this morning. What's wrong?" He asked.

Silence was the answer he got.

The grin left his face. "Didn't you miss me?"

"You're not transparent Peter. You're obstructing my view." I said tartly.

"Did I do something wrong?" He scrunched his brows as he asked. He sounded more sober.

"You know what, just stay there if you want to." I closed my book, kept it under my desk and stood up to leave.

Peter held me back. "Daniella, What's wrong? It's me Peter o."

"Duh, I know that. Please leave me alone. My friends are waiting for me."

"If this is some joke, please stop it. You're getting me scared." He said pleadingly as he held unto my wrist.

I felt like crying just by mere looking at him.

"Peter!" Prudence called.

"See, your boo is calling you. Now let go off me." I pulled my hand away from his grip and stormed out of the class.

"Hey Daniella!" Charles called, walking towards me. I brushed him aside when he got to me and walked fast to the school canteen.

****

"Wow! I'm shocked to hear that. So Peter actually did that to you?" Adam asked once I was done telling Gbemi and him about the content of the video Charles sent. We were seated on the bench under the mango tree.

"It's unbelievable, I know. But I saw it with my two eyes." I said.

"Wow, so my ship has sank." Said Gbemi sadly. "Peter is such a jerk, how could he have done that!"

"Let's not be too quick to judge him. It might just be a misunderstanding." Adam said.

"Adam don't even try to defend him. The video proved beyond all reasonable doubt that Peter kissed Prudence. If you want, I can send you the video today on WhatsApp." I said firmly.

"Yes please send me the video." Gbemi requested immediately.

"I'm not trying to defend him, but let's try to analyse this thing critically—" Adam was saying before Gbemi and I cut him off simultaneously.

"Hmm, Mr analyser." Gbemi said.

"Don't you get it Adam, there's nothing to analyse!" I said, half-annoyed.

Adam sighed. "Look at it this way: Charles has a crush on you, Prudence has a crush on Peter and you and Peter are dating each other. That must have gotten Charles and Prudence jealous that they had to cook up a plan to break you guys relationship. I mean, haven't you thought of how Charles got the video footage or how he even got the kiss recorded in the first place?"

"Hmm, Adam is making sense o." Gbemi said.

"See, Daniella don't let your resentment shroud your thinking." Adam advised, placing his hand on my lap.

Adam's analysis of the situation made complete sense, but I still couldn't get my head round the fact that the video of Peter and Prudence was all a plan. What I saw looked real. The kiss they shared was quite long and passionate.

"No no," I shook my head vehemently. "I'm not letting my resentment—whatever you said! This is a video I watched and Peter was obviously enjoying himself in that video. If at all it was a plan like you guessed Adam, Peter shouldn't have fallen into their trap. See I'm never talking to Peter again. End of discussion!" I said firmly.

"Calm down Daniella!" Adam said soothingly. "I understand how betrayed you must feel having to see that video of Peter and Prudence kissing, but you have to be sagacious here."

"Can you quit the grammar and speak English that everyone understands." Gbemi sounded a bit upset.

"See Daniella, don't let a video footage override your sense of judgement. Speak to Peter about this first to know his side of the story before finalising on whether to keep talking to him or not. I love you both relationship and I don't want some stupid video made by some stupid person to ruin what you both share." Adam advised.

"Well as for me, I think talking to Peter about it would just give room for lies upon lies from him. Since you saw the video with your koro koro eyes and Peter was obviously enjoying the kiss with Prudence, then just end the relationship with him. E no pass like that. He's not worth it. Guys are not worth it." Gbemi air-quoted as she ended her statement.

"That's not a good advice Gbemi." Adam chipped in. "You can't advise based on your general perception of guys. Not every guy is a scumbag like you think. I believe Peter loves Daniella and I doubt if he would want to do anything to hurt her. See, I've watched their relationship grow."

"Story story." Gbemi rolled her eyes. "I also feel like your advice is based on the fact that you love Peter and Daniella's relationship."

I felt like things were getting a bit heated up between Gbemi and Adam and it was all because of me. I had to come into the picture before they ended up in an unhealthy argument.

"Okay, okay, thank you guys so much for the advice. I'd think about it. Now let's go to the class before the break is over."

Just as I said that, the bell was rung and we trio ran to our classes.

***

The bell for closing time went off and the teacher that stayed in our class to ensure that we read our books during the one hour reading period left.

"Finally!" Adam said as he rose to his feet and stretched.

I chuckled seeing him do that.

"Be sincere, did you even read at all?" I asked him.

"I wasn't going to, but as I kept my eyes fixed to my book for long, I found myself reading. What of you?" Adam asked.

"No I wasn't. I was staring at my book, but my mind was far."

"Thinking of Peter, huh?"

"Well... Yeah, and some other things."

"Some other things like Peter. Look Daniella," Adam gestured at Peter, who was standing and putting his books into his bag. He looked so forlorn. "He's just few steps away from you. It wouldn't do you any harm to walk up to him and confront him about the video."

"I can't. Not now at least. I'm still hurt by that video and I might just end up saying things that I would regret later, if I decide to confront him now."

Adam let out a breath. "All right. You know I just want the best for you right?"

"Yeah, I know. Thank you so much."

"It's nothing. What are friends for?" Adam smiled and then carried his bag.

I wore my bag on my back as I stood up.

Gbemi walked up to us. "You guys are ready to go home right?"

"Yeah obviously." Adam said in a duh tone. Gbemi punched his arm playfully and they both laughed.

We trio walked out of the class and when we got to the landing of the staircase, I remembered my maths note I kept under the desk.

"You guys please wait! I forgot something."

"What's that now?" Adam asked impatiently.

"My maths note. Please I'd be quick." I said and sped off to the class.

When I got to the front of the class, I bumped into Peter who was coming out from the class. I would have lost my balance and fallen if he hadn't held my waist. I stood upright and cleared my throat.

As I was about entering into the class, he stood in my way with his towering figure. I moved to the left; he blocked me. I moved right; he repeated the action.

I refused to look up at him. "Can you leave my way." I snapped, not sparing him a glance.

"Daniella, now you're avoiding my eyes. What did I do wrong? Tell me. Please." Peter begged, holding my hands.

"My friends are waiting for me outside. Please just leave my way. I need to get something." I said impatiently, still not meeting his eyes.

He paved the way for me and I rushed into the class. There were just three students in the classroom—a boy and two girls. I looked under my desk to get my maths note but it wasn't there.

"Are you looking for this?" Peter asked. I snapped my head back and saw him holding my maths note.

"How did that get to you?" I asked, scrunching my face.

"I saw it under your desk and I only thought it reasonable to keep it for you so that it doesn't get stolen."

How thoughtful of you. I didn't say that to him. In fact, I didn't say anything. I simply just walked up to him, snagged my book and ran out of the class.

****

Very late in the night when I was done with washing my uniform, I switched off all the lights in the down section of the house since everyone was asleep, except for the light in the dining room, which was the room between the kitchen, my room and the living room. Afterwards, I returned to my room, took out my phone and opened WhatsApp to check my messages.

I got a message from Peter like I had guessed and from some other people. It was Peter's message I opened first and surprisingly, he was still online.

Daniella, why were you acting cold towards me in school today? Please can you stop giving me the silent treatment and tell me what I did wrong so we can hash it out amicably!

I sent him the video Charles sent to me.

There it is!

It took a while for Peter to reply, though he had read my message.

Wow! Where did you get this video from?

It doesn't matter.

I can explain.

Those three words shattered my heart the more and I shut my phone and cried myself to sleep.

_______________________________________________

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If you like teen novels, check out the recently completed books from my twin bro and one of my real life besties: Threshold Of A New Life by joebrown17 and My High School Life by Tohria