I could never believe people when they said they told their best friend everything. How could they do it? How could they share how they felt with a total different human being, who had their own thoughts and feelings too. How did they trust them enough? They could not see into eachother's minds, now could they?

How does one bare their greatest and their darkest experiences, the moments that plagued you at night with another? How does one hand another human being their kryptonite and part ways with them when the day came to an end?

Or was it just my inability to trust?

Then what did trust entail?

Did I not trust Maureen?

Did I not trust Mercy?

Did they trust me?

When Monday arrived, I would have given anything to not wrap the silky white and thick blue attires that were my uniform around my body. But I craved the euphoric feeling of being amongst my friends, being amongst distractions.

God knows I tried. 

He knows that I watched 5 episodes of Penny on Mars. He knows that I read 4 chapters of Talon The Black on Wattpad. He knows I even resorted to doing chores. Anything, anything to keep me from thinking about the events that transpired that day. Who knew a day could be so long?

It took ages for night to come and when I assumed I could leave the traces of that day in my thoughts, he chased me into my dreams. I saw him. I saw his once beautiful face morph into a monstrous grin. I heard him seduce me with his calm voice, which reminded me of an irritating buzz now. I felt his disgusting fingers wrap around my ankles as he taunted me, played with me, let me feel like I could escape his hold and-

"Kolupo!" 

I hummed a reply to Mercy. There she stood, beside our table, on another annoying morning at school. She looked rather curious but more confused. Then I noticed how her eyes glanced at a specific someone who occupied the space beside me on our shared little desk bench. 

"We made up." I grinned stupidly. "Yay." I lowly cheered in a childlike manner.

Mercy did not react. She did not speak. She sat beside me and set up the table for the next class. Mercy remained silent all through the first three classes of the day. It was not until the class had cleared out for lunch that she finally decided to grace us with her voice. 

"I'm not going to suddenly pretend that this kid-" She looked to Maureen then me as she was a year older than us, "-has not been a total arse to not just you but me too." She stood up, her purse in hand. "Just because you made up does not mean I agree to sharing my seat with her. Please consult me the next time you decide to invite someone into my private space."

Then she turned around and headed out of the classroom with the last word. Not like the rest of us even had the chance to say anything. 

"Well, she seems annoyed." I muttered, my thumb moving to my lips as I began to gnaw on my nails. Bad habit. 

"You think?" I didn't have time to jest on Maureen's slightly annoyed face because we were instantly surrounded. 

On all ends of our table, Favour leaned on the back of the chair in front of us. John was on the left of our table beside me and Divine was on the right, beside Maureen. A pair of hands touched and lightly added pressure to our seat, tilting centimetres backwards, I presumed it to be Micheal without even looking. It felt oddly intense. 

The classroom was almost empty, almost like they had all cleared out on purpose or the boys had just waited carefully for the opportunity and had gotten a chance to prey on us sooner than planned. 

"Ahan, so you guys are not fighting again. That's nice." Divine cooed. I could feel the corner of my top lip arch up in disgust, Divine was no doubt the worst out of the bunch. 

"Is this the scope?" I looked to Maureen. Her lips were drawn into a firm frown, her eyes raged with anger. She had only ever looked at me the same way when she had thrown a book at my head and when she had landed us at the commandants office, it felt like ages ago. It was months ago.

All eyes were on her now. She lifted her head to lock eyes with Divine. 

"That fool assaults an innocent girl then his pack of idiots threaten her?" She scoffed loudly. "Because it's getting quite old." 

Divine instantly grabbed hold of Maureen's hand and stood up, pulling her to her feet.

Chaos.

Panic.

We were in a disarray.

"What do you think you-" I was cut off as I attempted to rise up but was shoved back into my seat by a pair of large masculine hands. I looked up to Micheal, my hands grabbing and prying at his on my shoulder.

"Leave my hand!" 

"What are you doing?!"

"Stop it!"

Maureen and I's pleas merged and became a cloud of noise as the group of boys shielded the occurrence from the eyes of passer-by's with their bodies. We were trapped in a cage of idiots.

I had never once felt so helpless in my life. I was always so sure, so sure that if I was ever in danger, I would fight my way out, I would be strong. But right in that moment, I was weak. 

"Shey you want to fight me! Oya fight na!" Divine looked ravenous, beastly, was this really the guy I had civil conversations with?

But then, right when I feared things would escalate further, like a bird, it flew through the air and smacked Divine in the face. A lone wet iced bottle of water. The lot of us fell into silence at once. 

"You must be mad, to be doing your rubbish in my seat." Mercy. The Lord had Mercy on us and sent us Mercy.

You know how superheroes glow when they walk into the room. Like that scene from My Hero Academia where All Might walks in and says Watashi ga Kita, I am here! That was what this felt like. 

She stormed down the path that led to our seats, she grabbed Michael's wrist and yanked one hand away from my shoulder. My chest swelled with pride for a second and clenched so fast I did not notice the gasp that came out of me. 

John had finally joined in on the fun. Mercy's eyes flashed with rage as John grabbed and pulled her aside. As he practically dragged her away and to another side of the classroom, Micheal's hand returned. Everything was simply going upside down, right side up, left side back, a mess. 

It was all a mess.

Lord help us.

Lord help us.

Lord help us.

And I truly did serve a God that did not under any circumstance fail.

The literal burden on my shoulder instantly lightened and I sprung out of my seat so quick, I almost stumbled. 

"Are you mad?" Michael actually sounded confused as he tried to shrug Daniel's hand off his left shoulder. 

"Are you mad?" Daniel tilted his head with the question. Micheal, instead of replying like a civilised human, swung his right hand which Daniel was quick to miss. 

He thrusted both hands at Micheal's chest causing him to tumble and crash into the table and chairs behind him. 

I heard myself gasp. My eyes widened to the point where I was shocked they didn't fall out of my head. I recovered when I remembered Maureen was still in harms way.

When I looked to her, she was standing beside Stephanie rubbing her wrist right where Divine had held her in a death grip.  

But what shocked me was Aliyu who seemed to be in a heated argument with Divine right in-front of them, in the little path way that divided the seats into rows. I had never seen Aliyu anything other than composed in all my life of living but here he was, defending Maureen of all people. 

From behind me, I noticed Ebuka slip into the classroom. He walked right up to Divine, his shoulders squared, standing so tall as if to say he was back up for Aliyu. Not like he needed it. 

Aliyu looked capable of taking on Divine but that wasn't what this was about. This was a power struggle.

I moved to stand beside Maureen and Steph as my eyes took on what was happening. 

Daniel was now standing with Aliyu and Ebuka and, in-front of the trio were Micheal and Divine. They started arguing even louder, Aliyu spoke for the boys whilst Micheal and Divine seemed to be spouting nonsense. 

"You go just dey enter something wey no concern you!"

"-you be my friend na why! But things fit dey change, no dey carry shoulder!"

I suddenly felt a small hand wrap around my arm on the opposite side of where Maureen and Stephanie stood. Mercy's face was flushed, red with rage. Her lips were pressed into a firm line but it only made my heart swell.

We had just had a disagreement moment ago and here she was standing at my side. Blood was indeed thicker than water. 

When I returned my attention to the boys, I noticed they had completely sided up. It was three on four. Emeka, Ebuka, Daniel and Aliyu stood with their backs to us with Divine, John and Micheal infront of them. I felt protected. We felt protected. 

The boys all seemed alert, ready to defend not just themselves but us too. What was this?

And just when I felt things would escalate, when both groups had started rallying themselves up. Aliyu yelling at the top of his voice that he would bash Divine so hard his mother would not be able to recognise him, Micheal roughly shrugging off John's hand on his shoulder, ready to pounce on Daniel. 

Favour spoke. 

"Bell go soon ring." 

At first no one but us girls payed any attention to him. 

"Ona no hear, I said bell go soon ring!"

Then pure silence. 

Both parties turned to him in both confusion and anger. Favour's face remained a canvas of indifference as he moved from his initial position leaning against a table. He walked right through them, bumping chests and even tapping the shoulders of Daniel and Ebuka, as if to say, he was done here. 

They were done here.

For now.

The other side followed in suit. First after Favour was Divine, saying they were lucky he liked their civic teacher. Next was John who openly glared at Emeka then grabbing on to Micheal who childishly raised his middle finger to Daniel as they exited the battlefield. 

My heart was pounding, loud and proud. 

As the boys turned back to look at us, I saw their faces painted with anger and irritation but underneath, I saw worry. They were worried about us. They were worried about me.

In the midst of it all, I grinned.

I grinned so wide my cheeks ached in seconds. 

I grinned at Mercy who still gripped my arm with one hand while still rubbing her face with the other.

I grinned at Maureen who chewed on her bottom lip, miles away in thought.

I grinned at Stephanie who was trying to calm down Aliyu.

I grinned at Emeka who was watching Mercy with the most complicated look I had ever seen him wear.

I grinned at Ebuka who was grinning right back at me.

I grinned at Daniel. I grinned at Daniel. And I couldn't stop grinning after we locked eyes. 

These were the people I could give my kryptonite. These people were the people I could trust. 

OMG, I did not see this chapter coming. Now what I had planned was basically just Maureen and Kolupo giving the gist of all that happened to them to Mercy and then Kolupo telling Mercy and Maureen about Kenny and Daniel but then I don't know, I started writing and writing and somehow we have an almost fight scene. Now I think, the original scene for this chapter might be scrapped or just melded into the next chapter .

Also, there are so many errors which I will try to fix before the next chapter though. 

Thanks for reading thus far.

Xoxo,

Kelly.