Dedicated to WendyOpurum212 and nuellamanuel Thank you guys so much for giving this book a chance. I really appreciate 💓

Independence day came rolling by the end of the third week, it was on Friday but the school decided the event would hold on Saturday instead.

The school was already bubbling with activities when Ifechi arrived on Saturday. Students were smarty dressed in their independence outfit, few cars were already at the school's parking lot and she saw some students probably prefects doing some finishing touches to the main hall where the event would hold.

Since she wasn't partaking in any of the activities, she headed straight for her classroom to relax regretting why she'd come so early when it looked like the event wasn't starting soon. She met some of her set girls in the class, most of them were with their phones and other gadgets. Some were taking selfies, putting on makeup amongst other things. She met Anita at the end of the room dabbing some brown powder on her dark skin.

"Ify!" She shrieked pulling her into a small hug, Ifechi looked at her weirdly probably wondering the reason for her bubbly aura.

"Ifechi" they both turned and met Emmanuella coming towards them, she was also clad the school's outfit. Her white t-shirt was tucked into her trouser just like most girls own were including Ifechi.

"you're looking fine o, this trouser fit you wellas". Ifechi smiled "thank you, you're looking fine too"

"Me kwa', with this my big shirt...mtchew abeg you're the one that's looking fine, see how the trouser just fit you perfectly" she complimented, Ifechi blushed and looked at her trouser.

"Look who's here" Anita said disdainfully, the trio turned and Grace and her entourage sashayed into class.

Unlike the rest of the students who wore their white customised T-Shirt and green trouser, she wore a white long sleeved off shoulder top and a green pallazo trouser, her belt was a mixture of white and green stripes and she paired everything with silver jewelry.

The only piece of clothing she wore that was related to the school was the green independence cap that they all wore.

Even though Ifechi hated to admit it, she looked really good.

Ifechi felt a tiny pang of jealousy when the three girls walked to their seats and Grace slipped out a silver cased phone from her silver purse. The half eaten apple logo shone from where they sat and even though she'd never used one, Ifechi knew it was the latest iphone. She turned back to Emmanuella and Anita who were gawking at the piece of gadget she was staring at before.

"By the way...." Anita started, tearing their attention from the pretty spoilt girl

....

The independence day celebration went better than Ifechi expected. The first presentation was that of the school's choir. Ifechi had never seen the choir perform, infact, she never knew the school had a choir.

Other activities took place, a fashion parade, drama and alas the dance performance by SS3 boys whose star performer happened to be someone she was familiar with.

P.G

Who knew that the quiet, snobby brown skinned fellow that had never said a word to her in class had such dance moves?

"Have you seen the new further maths teacher?" Anita asked Dami and Ifechi as soon as the civic teacher stepped out of class.

"No what happened?"

"Geez.....that man is finneeee!"

"Wow really tell me more.." Dami said while Ifechi zoned out not interested in the gist.

The bell rung minutes later and they hurried downstairs for club meetings. On her way, Ifechi recalled leaving her book in class and hurried back up to get it.

She ascended the steps and a figure slid past her aggressively shoving her sideways. "Arrgh" she yelled swaying subtly while trying to remain on her feet. She looked at the perpetrator, a girl from SS3B was it Comfort or Confidence, she wasn't sure but she knew she'd seen her somewhere, she was friends with Aliyah and Grace.

"Push me oh"

"Sorry" the girl said not glancing back as she continued sprinting towards the classroom Ifechi recognised as hers.

She also noticed something weird in the girls' hand. Was that a can of oil?

Deciding to mind her business, she shrugged and moved on, only a few feet away from the door of her class when she heard some voices.

"Drink it you slut!" A harsh voice spoke

"Please...." A weaker one pleaded

"She said drink it dummy or are you deaf" another voice spoke this time, Ifechi could recognise the shrill voice anywhere, especially after the incident..

"I'll slap you if you don't finish this bottle in 3...2...1..."

Silence

Ifechi's curiosity grew even bigger as her legs moved faster to the direction of her classroom.

"What is going on...." She paused.

The scene in the class threw her off guard. Grace, Aliyah and Rachel along with the girl that bumped into her earlier surrounded a weak looking girl. Aliyah had a handful of the girl's braids in her hands holding on tightly which caused the girl head to arch back in pain. One hand was holding on the Aliyah's firm ones while the other was tugging on to Rachel who was about pouring a can of oil in her mouth.

"What the...."

"What are you doing here?" Grace spat before Ifechi could finish her sentence, her mouth still open from the shock.

What level of bullying is this? So things like this really do happen

Ifechi thought she'd seen it all in her previous school, but even the amount of wickedness boarding seniors had didn't reach this extent.

"I said what are you doing here, you cow" Grace spat again tearing Ifechi out of her trauma. The three other girls laughed like maniacs at the nickname their mistress had given her.

Ifechi frowned at the insult, then regaining a new confidence, she composed herself and stood straight, shoulders high ignoring the little voices in her head that told her to just mind her business and go.

"I should be asking you, all of you that question...what the heck do you think you're doing to that girl?" She said refering to the mess of a girl they left on the floor. Ifechi wondered if the girl was so mute or daft to allow them do such to her, then she remembered that the poor fellow was surrounding, she couldn't escape even if she wanted to.

It also didn't help that the hallway was empty and there was no teacher in sight.

"Are you stupid or something? Are you blind? Did you see your friends here or something" Grace spat again, her impatience rising by the second. She planned to handle the trash on the floor in less than ten minutes so that she could go for her club meetings and here was the new girl, whose face and personality she detested interrupting her and wasting her precious time.

Ifechi breathed in and out, the words being thrown at her were enough to make her angry, but she knew how to control her temper. In a cool voice she spoke.

"I'm not stupid, neither am I blind...as a matter of fact, I'm seeing clearly the bullying that happening here right now, what right do you think you have to treat a fellow student like that"

"If I were you I would mind my business" Rachel cut in, it was the first time that Ifechi had ever heard her speak.

"Yes itiboribo who called you here? Better don't put chook yourself in what doesn't concern you"

They started to haul insults at her and only stopped when Grace silenced them with her hand, but Ifechi wasn't done. She racked her head for an idea, anything she could do to help the poor bullied student and also to get herself out of the classroom without looking stupid.

"Cow are you still standing there?" Grace said making the other girls laugh.

"What did she do to you people? Why are you treating her like that" Ifechi asked looking at the poor girl, her head was down facing the ground and Ifechi could see the wet floor around where she knelt down.

She was crying.

This touched her the more.

"Oh my God I'm running out of patience...somebody get this fool out of my sight" Grace said and Ifechi watched horrified as two of the girls approached her with mean looks on their faces.

What are they planning to do?

Were they going to beat her? She thought to herself until she heard footsteps coming.

"If you come close to me, I'll shout" she blurted. It was a lame threat but it worked because the two girls paused. They turned to look at Grace who rolled her eyes and scoffed

"Foolish cow, scream then see if anyone cares" she mocked but Ifechi wasn't buying it.

"Oh I'm sure they will, as a matter of fact I saw Mr Thomas on my way here, first class on the previous floor, I'm sure he wouldn't mind punishing a group of students who were caught bullying another student during time for clubs" she defended and smirked when she saw Grace's smug look replaced with that of fright.

Everyone knew not to mess with Mr Thomas, the head of form teachers and one of the school's worst disciplinarian. Even though Ifechi was lying, the terrified look on the faces of the four mean girls was enough to boost her confidence.

"Wanna dare me?" She smirked at them, they all eyed her in return until Grace furiously stomped closer...

"Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Ifechi yelled on the top of her lungs surprising even herself on how loud and shrill her scream was.

The three other girls ran out of the class as fast as their legs could carry them. Rachel dumped the bottle of oil inside the bin just as she zoomed out of the class while Grace walked out furiously seeing as her minions had left her, but not without making sure to bump into Ifechi on her way out.

Ifechi stopped screaming and gasped for breath, the girl at the side of the class was still kneeling down and Ifechi wandered if she wasn't scared or alerted by the scream, even she was scared of her own sound.

She waited three seconds contemplating whether to walk up to the girl or just grab what she came for and leave when she heard footsteps running towards the class.

Uh oh

She had almost forgotten that her scream was loud enough to alert the whole senior secondary school building if not the entire school.

"Oh no!" She said, the poor girl at the floor looked up, she too had heard the footsteps and nobody needed to tell them both to exit the classroom.

They scurried out together just in time for the teacher and few students who were ascending the stairs to check what had happened. They hid behind the door of the previous class and waited patiently for the mob to pass before sneaking out.

"Hey you stop there!" A male teacher's voice called out but they were too fast, already jumping down the stairs, almost flying even. They only stopped when they got to the last floor, going through a secluded area into the entrance of the school field.

"Oh my Gosh...." Ifechi said gasping, the girl beside her nodded in agreement seriously gasping for air as well.

After they both got their breaths and burst into a series of heavy laughter. Ifechi was the first, while the girl joined after some seconds. When they had finished laughing to their heart contents, the girl spoke.

"Thank you very much"

"You're welcome....what's your name, I'm Ifechi"

"Charity.....Nice to meet you"

"You too"

Meanwhile an angry spoilt rich brat stood some feets away, far from their sight and stared at them furiously. The new girl didn't know what she'd gotten herself into and now she was going to pay.

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God bless you.