Temi's POV

  I pushed the door to the sickbay open and stepped in. The smell of antiseptics hit my nose, it brought back every memory I had of a hospital and I hated hospitals. I glanced around and none of the nurses were there, but Edith was. She sat on one of the beds with her handbags—Obusor and Kevwe. Those girls were so brainless.

  Edith, turned towards the door and was shocked to see me.

  “Serves that girl right.” I heard Kevwe say.

  “Yes.” Obusor said, giving Kevwe a high five.

  Edith's face must have been heating up with embarrassment and the other two had no idea I was in the room. I glared at Edith and she gulped.

  “What's wrong Edith?” Obusor asked, turning around and she was shocked as well to see me.

  “What?” Kevwe asked and she gasped when she turned around to see me.

  “Temi,” Edith cried, “see what that girl did to me.” I knew Edith very well. Even if she wasn't really hurting anymore, she'd still pretend that she was, just to get attention.

  I snorted and tucked my hands into my pocket. “Seriously Edith? But you were just talking and laughing with your friends right now.”

  She remained speechless. Obusor and Kevwe gave each other signs and they hurried down from the bed.

  “We'll see you later Edith. It's lunch time.” Kevwe said, a little fluttered.

   “Yes.” Obusor nodded.

   “O-okay.” Edith stuttered and the girls hurried out, taking cursory glances at me.

  I shook my head and moved closer to the bed Edith was on. “That was quick.” I said, raising an eyebrow.

  Edith shifted uncomfortably on the bed and tried adjusting her hair, but it was useless. It was unbelievable that Lela did this to her. Her front hair had been taken out. It was a disturbing sight.

  “Why are you staring at me like that?” She stopped whatever she was doing with her hair to look at me.

  “Nothing really,” I said, fighting the urge to laugh. “You look...”

  “I look what?” She snapped.

  “Uhm, pretty?”

  “You are very stupid, so cruel,” She said with tears welling up in her eyes. “How can you be mocking me in a situation like this?”

  “I didn't ask you to fight, did I?”

  “I never said you did, but at least you could have said sorry,” she shook her head. “I am your friend Temi or am I not?”

  “Why were you both fighting?” I asked, ignoring her question.

  “You didn't answer my question Temi. Why do you keep avoiding this conversation?”

  “I also asked you a question, Edith.”

  She gave me a look that said; I can't believe you. “Well, what I can say is that Lela should be put in a zoo. She's a wild animal. Just look at what she did to me.” She said, pointing at her hair.

  “That doesn't answer my question, Edith.”

  Edith looked up at me and our eyes remained locked for a while, then she looked away and said, “She's trying to steal something that's mine.”

  “Steal something that's yours?”

  “Yes.” She simply said.

  “Okay....may I know what that is?” I asked and Edith turned to look at me again.

  “You.”

  “Me?” I scoffed.

  She nodded, “yes. She's trying to steal you away from me Temi.” She answered with so much confidence that I was getting pissed off. I looked around and then I burst into laughter, perhaps it was a joke.

  “Why are you laughing?” She asked and I looked up to see a puzzled expression on her face.

  “Because of you. You are really funny.”

  “I'm not a comedian, Temi. I'm serious.” She gritted her teeth.

  The smile on my face vanished and I paced back and forth the room. I walked back to the bed and stared at Edith sitting on the bed. She pursed her lips in a thin line. This was no foolery. She was being serious.

  “Well, I'm not yours Edith....I'm nobody's.” I said dryly.

   “Please Temi, I'm tired of hiding my feelings....I love you.” She said with innocence.

  “What?” I chortled. Our eyes locked and again, this was no foolery.

  “I really love you, Temi...I'm madly in love with you.” She said, descending slowly from the bed and stepping closer to me.

  “But I don't love you Edith.” I turned to face her.

  “I know that....but I can make you love me,” she stepped closer, closing the gap between us, her lips almost touching mine and her breath warm on my face. “Trust me, I can.”

  “You have to stop this Edith. I don't love you....you'll just end up hurt.” I whispered, our eyes burning into each other's.

  “Don't say that...please,” She said, placing her hands on my cheeks. “Kiss me...please kiss me Temi.” Her desperation was clear in her eyes and in her voice.

  I pushed her away, “are you mad now?” I looked at her with disgust.

  A frown creased her face and her pupils dilated. “Yes! Yes I'm mad Temi...I'm madly in love with you.” She yelled and she threw herself on me, forcing me to hold and kiss her.

  “Get away from me!” I pushed her violently, “you are so pathetic.”

  “Pathetic? Fine!... Just say you love me. I don't care if I'm pathetic.”

  I was so confused. “What happened to you Edith?”

  “You happened to me. Please don't push me away Temi.” Tears streaked her face, “it's her, right? Lela.” She said, stepping backwards.

   “What? No!”

  'Maybe I wasn't the only one who smoked.'

  “Come on Temi, just admit it... you like her, but I won't let her have you,” she had a sinister expression. “I won't stop until she gets expelled.”

  I charged at her and grabbed her shoulders firmly, “Now you listen to me Edith, I don't love you, Lela or anyone else,” my teeth gritted and I was sure that at that moment, I could grind pepper with them. “Stay away from Lela and stay away from me.” I released my grip on her and turned to leave.

  “If I can't have you , then she can't either.” She said with bitterness.

  I tucked my hands in my pocket, “you need help Edith.” With that I walked out of the sickbay. I heard Edith scream behind me and then the crashing sound of objects.

  'I hope she doesn't hurt herself.'

  With my head hung low and tucked in my pocket, I walked into the classroom. It was lunch time and definitely, the students should all be at the cafeteria. A desk screeched and I halted.

  “I have been looking for you.” I looked up to see who the voice belonged to. It was Joel, he stood by our desk and his face showed no expressions. I ignored him and strolled to the desk we shared. I let out a sigh and dropped on the chair.

  “Why aren't you at the cafeteria?” I asked as I crossed my hands on my chest and stared at nothing exactly.

  “I was there in search of you,” he started and sat down as well. “I came here to look for you. Where were you?”

  “Principal's office and sickbay.” I answered dryly.

  I heard him let out a distressed sigh. “Since when?” He asked and I turned to look at him.

  “What do you mean?”

   He turned his head to me, “since when did you smoke Temi?”

  I held his gaze for a while and then, I let out an airy laugh. “Since I was fifteen.” I answered and I didn't miss the shocked expression that creased his face. I turned my head away.

  “Why?” He simply asked. I wasn't looking at him, but I could sense a lot of concern in his voice.

  “I don't want to talk about it.” My voice came out a bit harsh, more than I intended.

  “Okay then,” he sighed. “You should stop though. It isn't healthy...”

  “Yeah...maybe I know that, so I'd really appreciate it if you cut all the preachy stuff.” I snapped at him and looked away almost immediately.

  “Temi,” he called and I turned to face him. “Calm down. Just know that if you want to talk, I'd be willing to listen...I won't claim to understand you.” A small smile appeared on his face, “you know, it really helps when you just have a good talk with someone willing to listen.”

  “Yeah and that sounds really girly.” I said with a cynical expression.

  “That's what you choose to believe Temi. Girls sometimes have a lot to deal with and so does boys. You can choose to talk to someone about your feelings because it lifts the weight off your shoulders. And Temi, it's not a gender thing.”

  “Thank you so much Joel. You can stop now.”

  He put his hands up, “Just saying bro.”

  “And I have heard enough.” I said as my lips curved up in a smile. I might have seemed nonchalant, but there was a lot of sense in what Joel had been saying. I can't tell him that, can I?

  “So, why were you at the principal's office?” Joel asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

  “Oh, that...Lela and I got suspended.”

  'Liar liar pants on fire.'

  “What?!” He half-yelled. “Yours is understandable...” He said, gaining a look from me. “Not that I meant for you to get suspended that is,” he raised his hands in defense. “But Lela?”

  “I know, right? It was two fighting, but you know how Edith and her parents can be...”

  “Yeah. Poor Lela...if only she knew before now.”

  “You need to see Edith's state and you'd be saying 'poor Edith.'” I chuckled, “she looks pitiful. One look at Lela and you'd think she'd never hurt a fly.”

  “You don't mean it,” Joel's eyes lit up in amazement. “She sure is full of surprises.”

  “Yeah, she sure is.”

  “And to think that she had pulled a prank on the class just today...I had a score to settle with her.”

  I raised an eyebrow, “what prank?”

  “She fooled the whole class into believing that Mr Caleb was on his way here. It was only a matter  of seconds before the whole place became as quiet as a graveyard.”

  I let out a muffled laugh, “seriously? She's really something.”

  “My math note got torn in the process. That was the score I had to settle with her.”

  I slapped the back of his head playfully, “you'd have to wait for a week then.”

  “A week?” He sounded alarmed. That's too much.”

   “Yeah..”

  “Poor Lela.”Joel said and I turned to look at him. There was something different about the way he said 'poor Lela'. He had a dreamy look.

  “Hey,” I slapped the back of his head. “What's that look on your face?”

  “What look?” He asked, rubbing the back of his head.

  I shook my head, “just forget it.”
  The bell went off which meant the long break was over and soon the students would be going back to their classes.

A/N

Hey guys. What are your thoughts on this chapter? What did you think of Temi's conversation with Edith? Would you say Edith is obsessed with Temi?

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With love, Anna 💜