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Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.

                      - Ernest Hemingway

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I can't really comprehend what life or death means. One day, a person is alive, the next, dead. If I try to put my thoughts in words, I'll did just take you on a crazy ride that would leave you in a muddle.

I'm yank out of my thoughts by a drumming sound on the door. I am in the cube. Yeah, I still call it that. I sigh and rise from the floor that I was comfortably on. The sound echoes in the small room and I open the door. Rita rushes in, her phone pressed to her ear and her makeup smudged.

"I know! I know," she exclaims and, drops her bag and shoes on the floor. She quickly sits on the stool in the room. "I know! I said I will abort it".

I jerk my head at her as a silent acknowledgement of her presence. She nods in reply.

I go to my side of the room and pick up a bottle of water. I gulp it's content down and sigh in satisfaction.

She growls into her phone and her eyes suddenly pop out. "If it's one month old, so? I will still abort it".

The last gulp I had taken, flows into a wrong pipe and I find myself choking. Rita springs up and starts drumming on my back. I recover from it and suck in a long breath. I let it out harshly and snap my brows together. She ignores me and says into her phone. "I've meant the doctor. I have an appointment with him next week".

My heart aches as I imagine Rita ending her child's life. I stare at her in disbelief. Her call ends and she drops her phone down. She growls, picks one of her high heels and flings it to the wall.

"Rita," I say her name softly.

"What?" She scowls. "You want to judge me? You want to talk?"

I clamp my lips shut.

"I will abort that baby. I don't even know it's father. My business is too promising to risk it for a child. I don't want to be a mother".

"But...." My voice quavers. "But that's murder. Why should you kill the child? You don't know what amazing, talented child you might have in you. That child is a star and a blessing to us on Earth. His or her presence can change the lives of other people here. Why should you deprive the child of life?"

"Ah!" She growls. "Is it my fault? Do I look like someone who wants to suffer? If I can't take care of the child, why should I allow it come to this Earth? Besides, my stature is too fine to allow pregnancy to spoil it. I'm aborting this baby. It's better you don't talk or I will make you regret".

"But— "

She cuts in. "Mind your business, Ifunanya. Just mind your business". She hisses and stomps out of the room.

I squeeze my eyes shut. I was just talking about life and death and now, an innocent child's fate will be decided by it's mother. I'm sure he or she wants life but may be forced to death. That's murder na! I have to convince Rita not to do it. I have to.

I wipe my face with a napkin and prepare to leave for my tutorial that morning. As soon as I'm arriving at the venue, I see Simon and Precious hop out of a car. Our eyes meet and they both snarl at me. I hiss and walk into the building. Just when I am about to enter the class, a liquid soak my back. I turn around and Precious stands upright, a bottle of water in her hand.

"Wow! Someone looks wet. Did you wee on yourself?" She sniggers.

The water drips from my dress and makes a pool on the floor. I nod my head at her and change my direction. I go into the toilet and get a bowl of water. I definitely didn't plan to match her childishness but I wanted to humiliate her. I go to her. She is sitting on the chair we had fought for in the past. She gasps when she sees me with the water.

"Are you mad?" She screams and rises to her feet.

"You think you are the only one that can look for trouble? Wo...I will show you pepper"

She folds her arms across her chest. She eyes me and scoffs, "You don't have shame. I dare you to pour that water on me. This tutorial will kick your sorry ass out".

Everyone in the class squeal in excitement and they cheer me to do it. I didn't want to do it but when Precious starts smiling in victory, I baptize her with the water. Her expression is priceless as it soaks her. The class burst into laughter and I rush out to get mop. I know I will be in trouble for doing this but the best part is that I made it clear to Precious that I didn't fear her.

Later, I decide to join the reading club Glory and her friends had created. I decided to accept them for their childishness. They love to gossip and it's their business. We gather after our tutorial lessons had ended, our chairs arranged to form a big circle. I am sitting beside Glory with a new girl at my other side. We discuss some topics before Rose decides to deviate.

"I can't believe you did that to Precious. She had to go home early. Her body was soaked all over," she says and shakes her head.

"Yeah!" Busayo exclaims.

"How come you weren't even punished for that?" Rose asks with her brows pointing up.

"This isn't a secondary school. We all are not babies. I explain to them why I did it and I told them I took responsibility to clean the mess. They are angry with me. They also warned me about it but it doesn't change the fact that I did it and Precious was humiliated," I say in one breath and shrug.

"Respect!" The girls in the group exclaims and they all clap their hands.

"I love your confidence. Dash me na," Glory says beside me and nudges me.

"Confidence? I don't think I'm confident," I tell her and roll my eyes.

"You do. You have mind," she replies and nods her head.

"I don't have confidence," I scoff. "Abeg oo! I don't".

"You do"

"I'm just propel to do all these so that people will know I'm not the kind they can mess with," I divulge and her face lit with amusement.

"Savage babe," Glory cheers and pokes my arm.

"People have started gossiping about you oo. They feel you lack manners," Rose yells to get my attention. I turn to her and she shrugs nonchalantly.

I pause and my heart aches. People are gossiping about me?

I draw in a long breath and say with an eyeroll, "People will always say rubbish".

"For real oo! You are the topic in everyone's gist. You have people who like you but majority prefer Precious and are saying rubbish about you," Rose disclose. For a moment, I can feel that she has intention to hurt me with her words but then again, I am not sure about that.

"Why are you telling me this? Is it your plan to hurt me?" I throw the question at her and narrow my eyes. Her eyes goes wrong.

"No na! I...I was just wondering what you will do about it," she says, flailing her arms in the air.

"No mind Rose. She just likes to look for trouble," Glory butts in. "So what will you do about the people gossiping?"

"Nothing," I reply.

"Why?" Rose asks. "I like fight oo".

"Go and ask Google," I hiss and fold my arms across my chest. "I'm done here. I will read at home".

I rise, grip my bag and walk away. I get to the toilet and go straight to wash my face. I go to ease myself and am just zipping my Jean skirt when my name in the mouth of some girls that walked in.

"Don't mind the girl. She is just a jealous fool that's why she is hurting Precious. She is not even fine"

"Fine ke? Precious fine pass her."

"Abi oo!"

"That girl is as flat as this wall sef"

They gasp and burst into laughter.

"She is so slim that I think she is a HIV patient. Na only bone she get. No flesh"

"Her face sef ehh! E no even fine"

"That's why she hates Precious na. She is so envious of her. And she wants to steal Simon"

"I knew it"

"Some girls have problem oo".

I roll my eyes and walk out of the toilet. I slam the door and go to wash my hand in the sink. "Yep!" I voice. "Some girls have problems". I eye them and walk out. I freeze and head back into the toilet.

"Let me clarify," I say. "You are the girls who have problems. How about you fix your life before you start analyzing others. As for your looks, I can't differentiate you from a pig. Pele!"

I didn't mean to insult their looks but I just wanted them to get a taste of their own medicine.

They are both chubby so my words hit home and they glare at me.

Today's class left me tired and so I head to the cube to take a nap. My prayer is that I survive the childishness in the students but after a week, things got worst than I could ever imagine. It just turns out people love degrading. They didn't miss a chance to hurt me. Everyday, I get a bucketful of insults thrown at me. I know I am a girl who was abused and is just healing but now, the wounds are getting deeper and I see myself drowning into depression.

        A/N: Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Vote and comment. Thanks ❤️

What do you think of the students in the tutorial?

What should Ifunanya do about them?