Everything that has happened was taking a huge toll on her mental health. After all the series of events yesterday, she couldn't do anything than to cry. She cried for wishing for a life she knows she can never have. She cried of being looked down upon and she cried because she couldn't point out the exact reason why she was crying but at that moment , crying seemed to be the only thing that gave her calmness and peace. She was happy that at least, she could free out her emotions.

Moralayo has always been the one to wear a strong facade. She wasn't one to talk or to be seen in the midst of people although she wanted it so badly but her bad conversation skills were not helping matters. The only people that at least have seen her cry were only her immediate family members, not even her classmates.

Although her classmates knew of the fact that she was not good academically. They envisioned her as the perfect girl, wealthy and caring parents, loving sisters, what more could she ask for? The only thing that served as her turnoff for her was her brains and what she lacked in brains, her beauty made up for it. Alas! If only they knew.

Moralayo adjusted her position on her bed to that of a meditating style, crossing on leg over the other and adjusted her back on the bed frame. She connected her earphones to her phone and played Memories by Maroon5 . She closed her eyes as she hummed to the songs. She wasn't a fan of music, infact the total songs she has on her phone cannot sum up to twenty. But this song as her way of touching her.

Like a wise man said "When you're happy, you enjoy the music, when you're sad, you enjoy the song." That was exactly what had happened to Moralayo. She felt a kind of connection with the lyrics of the song as she hummed loudly to it.

🎶 there's a time that I remember, when I did not know no pain...... that I believed in forever..... and everything was still the same... 🎶

That particular lyric made her wander her thoughts to those days when she wasn't the Moralayo of now. She was a much happier than this and had a huge smile on her face. A stray tear slipped down her eyes and she used her thumb to wipe it. She was engrossed in thought that she didn't know when a figure entered her room.

"Mora Baby,"

As Layo heard those words, a small smile crept to her face. It was only one person that called her that and that was no other than Ikeoluwa, her favourite cousin. She rushed to her side and gave her a bone-crushing hug. "I've missed you a lot," she squealed.

Ike dropped the nylon she was holding at her bedside table and flopped on the bed. "your bed is so fluffy oo, " Ike said.

Layo let out a laugh. Her bed was certainly really fluffy and so soft, she liked it just the way it is and it gave her a good night sleep.

"boyfriend abi ? " Ike said as a sly smile crept to her face.

At first, Layo was confused on what her cousin was referring to but seeing the small smile on her face gave a her an idea. Her cousin was certainly crazy.

"you're mad......boyfriend ko " Layo said in between laughs.

To have a boyfriend was the last thing on her mind. She was still struggling to get it together academically, having a boyfriend will just add to the distraction and that was certainly what she was avoiding.

" wait, are you married to Demmie ni , " Ike said after a while as she realized that Layo had zoned out again. What on earth made her 15 year old to think like a married woman.

"Demmie ko, that woman beater"

A look of displeasure graced Ike's face. Demmie was a really good boy and also handsome. He had the looks and the brains to . She was familiar with most students of her cousin school despite the fact that she doesn't attend the school but they're usually involved in competitions and Demmie was her rival. Despite that, they still had some sort of friendships going on.

" but I thought you liked you like him, na , Demmie is a gentle man na .

Layo scoffed as she heard that part. Gentleman ko.... Gentlelady ni . How a boy that slapped a girl up to the extent of leaving mark on her face be considered as a gentleman.

Ike noticed her cousin sudden silence so she decided to press further. "wait, did he do anything to you,"

"Yea, she scoffed. "He gave me a dirty slap from sleep."

A laugh escaped Ike's mouth. He did what? The look from Layo's face was a enough for her to stop laughing. "Sorry na , oya gist me what happened, "

"Amebo", Layo chided.

"Abeg, who no like gist.....better gist me before the gist gets cold," Ike replied with a playful tone.

Layo took a deep breath as she began to explain what happened. It was during one of the Afternoon prep they usually has during exam period. That particular day, Layo was feeling very tired and as such, she decided to sleep for a moment before she continued her reading but then a teacher came to class and instructed a student to wake her up but Demmie being the Demmie he was, gave Layo a hot slap to wake her up.

"He really did that," Ike said, still trying to contain her laughter, after Layo had narrated all that happened.

"Mtchewwww......leave that one alone,"

" oya to the reason why I'm here, I got your text..... what's happening?" Ike said with concern laced in her voice.

After her dad had walked out... Layo knew that she desperately needed someone to talk to and the only person she could was Ike but she wasn't always available most of the times and as such, she had Noone to share with. It was even a miracle that Ike had seen the text.

"I think I'm going to repeat," Layo dropped the bombshell.

A gasp escaped Ike's mouth as she quickly used her mouth to clamp it. Her cousin was going to what? Hadn't she been through a lot already? " it's okay dear, it's going to be" She comforted.

Tears flowed down her eyes. She knew that what her cousin said was a lie. It was not going to be okay infact it would never be. Everyone should stop lying to her and giving her false hopes.

Layo threw her hand frustratedly on the chair as she began to lament. "Ike, do you know how hard it is like to live a lonely life like mine. Do you know how hurting it is.

Ike did not press further as she watched Layo lament. She knew that at that moment all she needed was a hug and that was exactly what she did. She pulled Layo to an embrace and patted her as she lamented. "I feel so lonely," she said as she burst into another round of tears. " Do you know how loneliness is, I'm sure you don't, you have lots of friends already."

"Take my phone and check my diary app," Ike said as a look of confusion graced her face.

Ike inputed her Password to her phone and gave Moralayo. She looked at the phone and saw a long mesassage written there.

"Read it out aloud."

Layo took a deep breath as she began to read the words aloud.

" Rajiata Suzuki said : Loneliness is not about how many friends we have or how many people are in the room with us. It's a disconnection from other human. Being social does not cure loneliness. A lot of people socialize when they don't really feel like it just to keep up appearances. We all have layers and pretend we are okay when we are not. But loneliness comes when there is no single person to see past those illusions to who we really are and what we are feeling inside."

After she read it, she took a moment to reflect on it. It served as an eyeopener to her. So those that mean....?

"The fact that I have lots of friends or people around me, doesn't clear the fact that I can't be lonely."

Instantly, regret flopped through Layo. She never thought that of all people, her cousin would feel this way.

"I'm really sorry, Ike." she apologized.

"no problem."

They sat in silence, each of them not saying any word to each other. Layo looked up as she felt the presence of someone. It was certainly her sister, her sister had a special scent. Susie was the last person Layo wanted to talk to right now. Hasn't she done a enough already?

Ikeoluwa noticed the tension between the two sisters and decided that it was better if she left them to settle their differences. "I'm just going to leave right now," she packed her stuff quickly and left the room, without waiting for a reply.

"Susie please just go and leave me alone."

A look of sadness wore Susie's face. After the last incident that had happened last night, she felt really guilty that she spoke to her sister that way and her conscience pricked her.

"Please, Layo.... I just said what I thought was best for you," she begged.

Layo scoffed, was that really what's best for her at that moment. She was so pissed and annoyed with her sister at that moment.

"you insulted me because you're the brilliant one, it you really thought that was best for me, since you know it all, why can't you teach me."

Layo scoffed as she continued. What she was going to say next would make her cry the more and she knew it. "you said I was too dull to be taught."
Layo busted into a fit of tears as she recalled that particular day her sister had said it. It was on one of thosedays that she begged her father for a lesson teacher but as usual Susie had instigated against it. Telling her father that she was too dull to be taught.

"it's not like I was lying," Susie murmured unknown to Layo she heard it.

"GET OUT FROM MY ROOM," Layo yelled as she heard what her sister had just said. To her, her sister was just too unbelievable for her liking. Which sister who choose to tutor another person when her sister needs to be tutored. It was all too much for her to take. It hurts the most that if her own sister can do that then how much more, will the outsiders to do.

She ran her hands through her hair, an habit she was used to when she's frustrated. She didn't even know when Susie left the room as she was occupied with thought, she didnt know and still she didn't care to know. What she needed at that moment was rest and that was what she was about to do. She heard the sound of her phone message notification and went over to where it was. She unlocked her phone as she realized that it was a message notification.

Moralake 💆💋 : Dad's requesting your presence downstairs.

"what!!" she yelled internally. Her body was not as ease as she left her room and went downstairs to where her father was. Different scenarios were playing in her head. She was scared and anxious at the same time.

Soon, she reached the living room and saw her mum and dad engaging in an argument. As soon as her eyes jammed with her father. She knew that her fate has been decided.

"you are repeating ss1, "

Wait! What! Repeating?

"That's my final decision," he said as he left.

Final what.......? Wait a minute..... This doesn't add up.

At that moment she felt numb. She didn't know why but she screamed. She let out a loud shriek and tears flowed freely down.

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Thanks for the 300+ reads ❤❤

Dedicated to iam _sonie15 for being an amazing friend 😖 and tanny_mola for disturbing me to update. They are all wonderful writers and I'm sure you'd enjoy their books.

That's a wrap 😅.....what's your take on this chapter?

Like Layo , the music I have cannot be more than ten 😂 except if I should add the numerous whatsapp audios..... I just don't really listen to songs like that.
You nko 😏😏 how many songs?

If you read the author's note 😉 I said this book is going to include some of my experiences.... So yea!
The part about Layo being slapped by a boy is actually true 😪 it happened to me. I was sleeping during prep one time and a senior, I guess said that someone should wake the sleeping girl 😳 which is me and then one boy 😒 slapped me from the sleep in the name of waking me up. According to my classmates 😪 there was mark there on my cheeks. Sha 😪 it's a long time ago..... I can't really remember what happened after that but I sha remembered the slap😑.

So moving back to Layo 😥😥. Poor girl, what's in stock for her? 😢. Any words?

How was this chapter and what's your take on the new character?

Don't forget to vote and comment. Tap that little star and flood with your comments 😉.

Loads of love from this side ❤❤❤❤

🌼A🌼T🌼M