We had a reading period, meaning we were to read during that period, instead of having class. The triplets had gathered around my table and were talking about a movie that came out three days ago. I had spaced out and was thinking about Science again. He hadn't improved at all but had only gotten worse. He spaced out more and talked less. At times, Soma and I would catch him talking to himself. We were scared, but we didn't know what to do. We couldn't tell anyone, except Soma's uncle. And, Soma's uncle said he couldn't do anything the boy didn't approve. The day we tried talking him into having a dialogue with his parents, he shouted and mumbled words to himself, he also threatened to take his life if we told his parents his whereabouts. It took Soma and me more than an hour to calm him that day. He was...

"Ella!" The shout of my name made me jumped up a little in fear, making my head immediately lift to the direction my name came from, with my hands on my chest. My heart was racing out of fear.

I was faced by the whole class. They were all looking at me like I had something strange on my face, or I had turned to a weird looking animal. I sighed. "You guys startled me, what is it?" I asked nonchalantly, as my hands dropped from my chest, but my heart was still racing.

Aisha sighed. "You spaced out," she pointed out the obvious.

I nodded. "Eh ehn?"

"Abeg, all these serenrenren doesn't matter right now," Zara jumped in, pissing me. "The koko of the oro is, will you play T or D?"

I looked at her sarcastically, earning a snicker from her. I was about to turn down the offer immediately when it dawned on me that I really did need a distraction, or I was going to die young. So, I sighed and nodded. "Won't hurt," I replied in a low voice, standing up and moving to the circle they had formed.

"Okay," John said clapping his hands and drawing our attention to him. When he realized he had everyone's attention, he cleared his throat and said, "The rules are pretty simple. One, we mustn't get caught. Don't choose dare if you know you don't have the liver. No lies. So, if you want to drop out, drop out now." He spread his arms, waiting for whoever wanted to drop out to do so. But, no one moved.

Zara nodded, clapping. "Since no one wants to tap out, then let's do this," she dismissed with a weird grin. "Who's first?"

Amaka, the second most lively person in our class, shot her right hand up. "Me first," she said with a smile, as she Immediately took the coke bottle that had been placed on the table in our middle, and spun.

The bottle spun severally before it finally landed on Adijah. She didn't wait for Amaka to ask T or D, she quickly replied, "Truth."

Amaka smirked and said, "What is the most embarrassing thing that can ever happen to you, and the one that has happened?"

Adijah chuckled and covered her face. "This is going to be so embarrassing," she mumbled into her hands.

"Ehn, that's why she asked nah," Zara poked her nose into what didn't concern her again, pissing Adijah.

But typical Adijah, she ignored and replied, "I'll be super embarrassed if my husband walks out on me on our wedding day, and the most embarrassing moment of my life was when my I was in a public place, trying to help ma and my trousers tore." She chuckled, totally embarrassed as she sunk into her chair. "And I was wearing a flowery undie," she added, making everyone realize the funny part of the story and started laughing. I myself, couldn't even hold my laugh. In order to distract people from her plight, she immediately spun the bottle, and it landed on Terry -the class clown-, who was seating opposite Zara. Zara was seating, six people away from.

Terry smiled, then replied, "Truth."

Adijah didn't think twice before she said, "What's your greatest sin, and do you regret it?"

The smiling Terry's smile immediately disappeared. His face fell to his laps as he replied in a really low tone, "Rebelling against my mom, and seeing her cry every time cause of me. And do I regret? Yes, I do every day." With that, he lifted his head to look at Adijah, who quickly averted her gaze. Terry smiled and cleared his throat after he noticed the pitiful look most of the class was giving him. He spun the bottle.

The bottle landed on John, who immediately started laughing evilly. Without waiting, John shouted, "Dare baby!"

The entire class busted into a fit of laughter. "Oh, you think you have the balls for it? Woah!" Terry partially mocked John, making the class burst into laughter again. "Since Mr. Courage here, wants to prove to us that he's the man. Why don't he walk to SS2 Commercial, and go and dance 'tell me what you want, what you really really want? And I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want'," Terry sang, making us laugh even harder. The very moment we thought it was all okay and John was simply going to do the dare, Terry added, "Sassily. Show 'em girls what you've got."

The guys in the class started wooing Terry, making our class super noisy and filled with laughter.

John shrugged."It's something small," he said, as he began to catwalk out of the class. No one was allowed to follow him, except Terry and Zara. Zara was the one who had a mobile on her, so she was allowed to come record. The rest of us sat in the class and laughed.

After minutes of us laughing and anticipating, the trio walked back into the class. They were all laughing, while John was still buttoning up. "Did he do it?" Aisha asked excitedly.

"Like obviously, duh," Zara responded, making the entire class burst into another fit of laughter. "Don't worry, I'll send it to the class group chat," Zara added, making the entire class happier.

Some people tried to watch it, but Zara didn't allow. She suggested we continued the game, and watch the video later. Everyone agreed, and we all gather around the table in the middle. Without wasting a sec, with his shirt already buttoned up, John spun the bottle.

And, the least I expected happened. It landed on me, making me widen my eyes. Before anyone could say anything, I swiftly said, "Truth." The entire class groaned, making me smile. I didn't think I had the stomach for a dare.

John cleared his throat, drawing the class attention. "What is your greatest fear?" he asked, pretty nonchalantly.

Immediately those words left his mouth, I froze. My deepest fear was one of the least things I told people or talked about. My face fell to my laps, as I played with my fingers on it. "It can't be that bad. Come on, you can trust us," Alimah said, trying to console me and at the same time compel me to speak.

And as she had wished, her words didn't compel. I mean, what was there to hide. We all had really silly and funny fear, didn't we? Or so I thought. I smiled, lifted my head, and boldly said, "Failure."

The all looked at me in awe, like I had suddenly grown horns or something. "Oh please, failure my arse," John suddenly said, drawing the class attention to him. "It's so impossible. She's just lying jare. That's what all these girls like doing, so they'll look posh and stand out. Abegi, tell us something real Biko. Something like death, or losing loved ones. It's too impossible, can't believe," he completed, making the class boo me.

"It sounds so unreal. Lie better next time girl," Zara said, laughing.

"Ha ah, be deceiving yourself," John mocked, making everyone laugh.

I wanted to explain it all to them, tell them I wasn't lying, tell them that I had Atychiphobia; but I couldn't, they didn't let me. I immediately began to feel weak as a tear escaped my right eye. Immediately I noticed my vulnerability, I did what I was best at. I stood up and left the class.

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Glossary
Serenrenren - Useless talk
Koko of the Oro - The main gist, or the original porpose of something.
Biko - Please in the Igbo language.
Abeg/Abegi - Please in Pidgin or prolly a slang for please.