Chapter six

CYNTHIA

"Why are we here?"

I ask Grace as she pulls me into the female restroom for SS2 but she ignores my question and sticks her head outside the restroom, glancing left and right before finally locking the door from the inside. She then goes to each toilet stall, checking to see if there are any students in them.

"Grace, what are we doing here?" I question again but she still doesn't answer me. After confirming that there is no one here with us, she brings out her phone from her pocket and begins to tap on the screen.

"Grace, why are-" I'm about to ask again when she shoves her phone into my face.

"See this." She says, her voice sounding strangely calm. I look at her then at the phone before collecting it from her.

I realize that she just showed me a video, a video of all that had happened between me and Michael in the cafeteria and I wince when I watch where I had slapped him.

Ouch. That must have really hurt.

Grace snatches her phone from me and stands akimbo, giving me an unimpressed look. "Do you even know the amount of trouble you are in right now?"

I roll my eyes at her words, getting tired of the way she has been acting since the cafeteria, "Why are you exaggerating the whole issue?"

I might as well have slapped her on the face because the look of disbelief on her face is overwhelming.

"Exaggerating?!" She screams and I flinch.

Gosh, this girl is just so dramatic.

"You slapped the son of the owner of the school you attend and you say I'm exaggerating?! Not only that but that same person is also a Senator's son and the video of you slapping him is already making rounds on social media and you say I'm exaggerating?!"

"But you can't just expect me to have continued to watch him spew nonsense and not do anything." I retort stubbornly. "I honestly don't regret slapping him."

She shakes her head in dismay, "I'm very sure you will be singing a different tune when you get sued for assaulting a Senator's son."

I give her a dead look, "And I'll also sue him for defamation and harassment since we all want to be mad."

I watch her lips twitch in amusement at my statement until it widens into a grin, all the tension and anger in her vanishing into thin air, "You're going to be the death of me."

"You're the one who will die of hypertension if you continue like this." I reply, expecting her to say something jovial in response but she stays quiet, putting her attention on the door.

"What-

She cuts me short by placing her finger against my mouth, "Shhh... I think someone is coming." She whispers and I roll my eyes.

Why is she treating me like a criminal?

Before I can say a word of protest, she pulls me into one of the toilet stalls and gestures for me to remain quiet. She then rushes towards the door to unlock it before coming back into the stall and locking it.

God, have mercy.

We hear footsteps enter the toilet and head towards the stall we are currently in. Grace places her finger on her mouth, signaling me to stay silent and I give her a flat look.

I wasn't even talking!

Someone tries to open the door but when the door won't budge, we hear a female voice ask, "Is someone there?"

Grace clears her throat before replying, "Yes, someone is there." Her voice sounding so tiny that I turn abruptly, my eyes questioning her.

"Why the hell do you sound like that?"

"For God's sake, just keep quiet." She hushes.

"Are you okay?" The girl outside asks.

Grace nods then realizes she can't be seen. "Yeah, I'm okay." She answers in the same tiny voice and I just shake my head.

We stay quiet after that and listen to the sounds of one of the other toilet flushing and then another one. I furrow my brows in confusion before realizing they are probably two people.

"Why are you smiling?" One of them asks the other and we hear a soft laugh shortly after.

"Were you in the cafeteria today?" A totally different voice - probably belonging to the second girl - asks with a hint of laughter.

"No. I didn't feel like going." The first girl responds.

We hear a dramatic gasp from the other girl before she speaks, "Girl, you missed o."

"Did something happen?"

"Oh, a lot happened. Your crush got slapped in the face." The second girl announces and no one says a word after. There is silence and I know the first girl is taking in the other girl's statement.

I find myself picturing a girl with widened eyes and a slightly unhinged jaw.

"Senior Michael got slapped! And you find it hilarious?!" She shrieks, sounding gravely offended and I can't help finding everyone's reaction just ludicrous.

"Why are they acting like I killed the president?"

"Because you slapped a Senator's son, same difference if you ask me." Grace responds and I realize I said that out loud. But it's definitely not same difference, if I had killed the president, I probably would have been dead right now myself.

"Well, I find it hilarious because he had it coming." The other girl responds nonchalantly. "He is always so stuck up and arrogant and I've been waiting patiently for someone to put him down. I'm even happier that it was a girl who did that. Honestly, if I meet that senior, I'm going to ask for her autograph because she just became my heroine." She gushes and although I find the last statement a bit far-fetched, I can't help smiling proudly.

"You see? There's someone who considers me her heroine because of what I did." I announce quietly to Grace who frowns. She opens her mouth to say something but one of the other girls beat her to it.

"You do know she can end up in jail for what she did, right? She slapped a Senator's son, the only child of the person who owns this school." The first girl sneers and her words are followed by silence.

We hear the door to the toilet open and close not long after and now, it's Grace's turn to look at me with a satisfied smile.

"You now see why I've been trying to protect you?" 

***

I stroll tiredly into the living room and slump on one of the couches, moaning appreciatively at the feeling of the soft leather beneath me. It is a welcome contrast to the toilet lid that I had been forced to sit on for hours all thanks to Grace. Even after the bell for closing had rung, she had made us spent extra thirty minutes to make sure the school was totally empty before we left.

Honestly, I don't know why I allow her do most things she does to me sometimes.

"For someone who insisted on not going to school today because it's the first day of resumption and they mostly don't do anything, you sure look exhausted." Nanny remarks.

"Nanny, you don't even know the half of it." I grumble and she raises an eyebrow.

"Really? You mean how you slapped a guy who is supposedly a Senator's son in the face?"

My mouth falls open in astonishment and I immediately sit up, "How do you know?"

"Facebook." She replies simply and I groan, totally forgetting that she's a Facebook addict.

I don't have a Facebook account because I'm not really interested in opening one for myself so I had added Nanny's account in the school group instead and knowing how Nanny is really active on Social media, she had probably come across it.

Oh, well.

She raises her head to look at me, a confused expression on her face, "It's no longer there."

"What? The video?" I question and she nods. I join her on the armchair she is seated on to confirm what she is saying and she shows the phone to me. In place of where the video is supposed to be, what is written there is 'this video is no longer available'.

"What do you think happened?" Nanny asks, still confused.

"It was probably taking down."

"Why?"

I shrug, "Who knows?"

I stand up to go to my room but notice then that a certain someone is also in the living room and hasn't acknowledged my presence.

I go to switch off the television, successfully getting his attention since he is so engrossed in the cartoon that is being showed on it.

I watch his face scrunch up in annoyance, "Why na? Why did you off the television now?"

I fold my arms, narrowing my eyes at him, "So the television is so important that you couldn't greet your elder sister, abi?"

"Oya, good evening." He grunts and I shake my head pitifully at him.

I move away from the television and turn to Nanny, "Nanny, at this rate, this boy won't even be going to school because of PJ Masks."

The boy in question has already put on the television again and has settled well into the couch to watch the TV from a better angle.

Nanny chuckles, "Of course not. He has even done his assignment."

"Okay o." I say and start to head towards the stairs but I hear Nanny's voice again and I stop.

"You can't go just yet." She declares and I turn around to look at her. "You haven't told me why you slapped the boy in that video." She adds with an expectant look.

Should I just tell her everything? 

Probably not.

"Nanny, it's a long story." I answer, hoping she would sense my reluctance to talk and not push it.

"Don't worry, I have time."

I heave out a huge sigh, knowing I have no choice than to tell her something. Anything.

"He is a Senator's son." I begin monotonously.

"I know that much." She replies flatly.

"And his father also owns our school."

"Okay, that's news." She muses then blinks up at me when she sees that I'm no longer talking. "I don't think that explains why you slapped him."

"Nanny." I whine and she gives me a look that says she isn't buying it.

"You don't expect me to keep quiet when there are hundreds of comments saying you are getting sued for hitting the guy." She defends and I almost scream out in frustration.

"Why does everyone think I'm getting sued?! For God's sake, the asshole started it!"

"Language, Cynth." Nanny warns and I realize I said that out loud.

Ugh!

I take in a huge breath to calm myself before speaking, "Look, Nanny. I didn't do anything I should be getting sued for. What happened today was totally an accident on my part but for some weird reason, that guy thinks I did that to talk to him. I don't even like him!" I end up raising my voice at the last part.

Nanny looks like she is having problems understanding what I just said, "Wait, so you are trying to say you slapped him because he thinks you like him?"

I know she finds the whole explanation ridiculous and it's very obvious with the way she is looking at me.

I fold my hands and give her a dead look, "He embarrassed me in front of the whole students, Nanny. Putting me down and saying he doesn't date girls like me." I begin to feel angry just thinking about it, "Like I would date him if he was the last person on earth."

To think I used to have a crush on him. 

Gross.

"I'll just pretend I understand everything you just said." She states and I narrow my eyes at her. She didn't just let me narrate everything that happened for her to just pretend that she understands.

"But I need to know the possibility of you getting sued? Should I contact our lawyer just in case?"

I burst out in laughter, reeling at the fact that Nanny can be so hilarious at times even in situations like this. I mean why will she even consider involving a lawyer.

But when I'm still laughing and Nanny doesn't join in, I start to sober up. I stare at her, still smiling unsurely because I refuse to believe she meant what she said, "Wait, are you actually serious?"

"Yes. I'm calling a lawyer or better still, your mum."

My face instantly falls at the mention of my mum but she doesn't look remorseful that she mentioned her. She knows I totally hate my parents and involving them in matters like this makes me hate them even more. 

She will contact a lawyer, preferably my mum? 

Why does she have to contact her if she is my mum? She should be sitting where Nanny is sitting right now and saying what Nanny is saying!

But is she around to do that?! No!

"Do whatever you like." I snap and start to climb the stairs before she can say something more and this time, I don't stop until I get to my room, ignoring her calls.

I close the door to my room and flop on my bed, sighing like someone who life has dealt a lot of problems. Today has been one hell of a day and I'm already getting a headache thinking of what tomorrow may bring.

I sit upright, pull off my sweater and begin to unbutton my shirt, I'm on the last button when my phone starts to ring. I remove it from my pocket to see who the caller is and roll my eyes, dropping the phone on the bed and ignoring it.

I don't need Grace to continue her nagging now that I've gotten home. If anything, I'm just glad to be away from that school.

I take a shower afterwards and go downstairs to eat dinner with Sam and Nanny. I then watch TV with Sam who falls asleep not long after and Nanny takes him to bed.

"You should go to bed too." I hear Nanny say, her voice sounding distant. I blink my eyes open to find Nanny smiling down at me. "You dozed off." She announces and I groan in response.

I was enjoying the dreamless slumber I had fallen in but I know it's only a matter of time before getting arms and neck cramps from sleeping on the sofa.

"Good night, Nanny." I yawn before kissing her on the cheek.

"Good night, Cynth." She replies and I drowsily go upstairs to my room.

I enter into my room and immediately notice the blinking red light on my phone, indicating a notification or more but I'm too tired to check it. I don't even bother changing into my pajamas as I instantly fall asleep as soon as my body touches the bed.

***

MICHAEL

I smile smugly at her.

"You aren't just saying that to save yourself from embarrassment in front of the other students?" I ask, expecting a sharp retort or some insults in response but instead, she smirks and makes a tsk-ing sound. She also gives me a pitying look and I suddenly start to feel self conscious.

"You should be the one trying to save yourself from embarrassment, Michael Bankole." She sneers, taking a daunting step towards me. "Especially with what I know."

I try not to think too much about the fact that she just called me by my full name - almost everyone in the school knows who I am after all – but what I really don't understand is what she supposedly knows that could embarrass me in front of the other students.

I scoff, deciding to call off her bluff. "Stop talking nonsense. Are you trying to scare me so I can forget about the situation you put yourself in by bumping into me? Do you think I believe that you know something that can possibly embarrass me?"

Her smile grows wider, giving her a cynical look, "But you should believe, Michael. Because I do know something, something very important that no else knows." She moves even closer so there are only inches between us and leans towards my ear, her breaths fanning my cheek as she whispers, "I know about your father, the now distinguished Senator Bankole, and the monster he was."

I feel chills run down my spine at her words and I subconsciously take a step back, taking a good look at her face which looks like she's thoroughly enjoying my bafflement.

I shake my head in incredulity, refusing to believe that she actually knows something about my past with my father because it's just not possible. That's something that not even any of my closest friends know about. I mean, they know I have nightmares but don't know what it is about.

"What do you think will happen if I tell the students present here the type of person their school owner really is? What do you think will happen to your beloved reputation as his son and a victim?"

I shake my head continuously, refusing to believe what she's saying.

No, she doesn't know what she's talking about.

She's just bluffing.

"She isn't just bluffing, son."

My head stops shaking at the sound of the familiar baritone voice that has just spoken behind me and I turn around to see that the person who just spoke is really the person I thought it was.

"Dad?!"

He takes a step towards me, a reassuring smile on his face.

At this point, I start to believe that I'm gradually becoming insane.

There's no way I'm seeing correctly because my dad is really heading towards me with a smile on his face? And did he just freaking call me son? As in, his son?!

What the fuck is happening?!!

"She really knows the truth, son and I will advice you not to push her so she won't spill everything." He insists, but I can only stare at him. My mouth has lost its function at the immense shock I'm currently in.

I'm spun around so I'm now facing Cynthia again. "Did you hear him?" She asks mockingly. "I'd admonish you to take his advice, and you want to know why?"

She really looks like a maniac right now, looking like she is totally taking pleasure in my discomfort with the huge grin on her face.

I don't reply her and she doesn't even look like she's expecting a response. She then grabs my face with her hands and starts to lean forward, "Because you shouldn't mess with me, Michael. I can be your worst nightmare."

I wake up with a start, shocked and stunned from the ridiculous dream I just had.

What the hell was that? And why is Cynthia suddenly the villain in my dream?

I remember the slap she had given me in what had actually gone down in the cafeteria and my hand unconsciously touches the cheek she had hit, wincing as I remember how it had stung.

She's a villain alright.

I glance at the wall clock that is hung right across from me and discover with a groan that it's just 5:23am.

Great! Now, I will just have to stay awake till it's time for school and it's all thanks to that stupid dream.

After saying a quick prayer to God, I grab my phone and go straight to my semi-active Instagram account. I'm a social media influencer with almost 150k followers but it's not something I really like to brag about. My sole aim right now is to see if a certain Cynthia Williams has an Instagram account and to learn a few things about her.

When we had returned back to school from Joe's place yesterday, I had told the guys that we were breaking into the principal's office to get information about Cynthia, much to their protest. But they had eventually agreed after I had persuaded them.

Femi had informed me that a video of what happened at the cafeteria was making rounds on social media and I had told him to make sure the video gets deleted especially before my dad and Henry sees it.

It wasn't until school closed and we were sure it was completely empty that we set out to break into the principal's office. But it really couldn't be called breaking in because surprisingly, Peter has the key to her office and I don't even want to know why.

We searched through the books for SS3 students because I remember her telling me that we were in the same class in JSS2 but we didn't know if she was a science, arts or commercial student. We later discovered that she's an SS3 science student whose surname is Williams and we also learnt that her dad is a civil engineer and her mom is a lawyer, meaning she's from a wealthy family.

I was lowkey wishing the rumor of her being an orphan who was adopted by a rich couple and was neglected was true so I can win her over by trying to be her consoler and sympathizer, but that option was gone.

Wole informed me that the girl who had pulled her out of the cafeteria is an SS3 Arts Student who is named Grace Johnson and I had immediately remembered how her Nanny had asked for a certain Grace that fateful night. 

I continue to scroll through Instagram, the Cynthia's I've seen so far hardly looking like the one I'm searching for so I go in search of the Grace girl instead.

She's actually easier to find than expected as she also has a good number of people following her and I have to admit that she does look pretty. I scroll through her page to see if I can find a picture of her and Cynthia so I can trace it back to Cynthia's account but I couldn't find any.

That night, Cynthia's nanny had clearly asked about Grace so that means they've been friends for two years or even more than two years. So why then will she not have a single picture of her best friend on her Instagram account?

I sit up and stretch, thinking to go and brush my teeth and maybe go down to the kitchen to have some juice when I notice a brown file sitting on my reading table. Kunle must have dropped it after getting some information about Cynthia and her close relations like I asked him to.

Yesterday when I arrived home from school, I was greeted by a raging Henry. I thought he was going to start interrogating me on why I had reached home late but what he asked was definitely not what I was expecting.

***

"Why did you allow yourself to be slapped by a girl?" He asks, looking seriously pissed.

I guess he watched the video before I asked Femi to get rid of it.

"Henry, I'll rather not talk about it." I reply, heading straight to my room.

"What do you mean you'll rather not talk about it? She slapped a whole Senator Jeffrey Bankole's son in front of other people and you don't want to talk about it?!"

I roll my eyes at how he had emphasized the word 'Senator' like it is some sort of accolade and I begin to wonder how a disgusting man like my dad was even voted to represent the people of this jurisdiction in the House of Representatives in the first place.

I can't blame them though, the people had fallen for his 'acts' of kindness just like they had fallen for every other politician that is not fit to rule or represent us but are currently in that position.

I turn to look at him, rubbing at my temple, "See Henry, I have a headache and you're just making it worse."

He gives me a puzzled look, "Shouldn't you be ordering me to get her arrested right now? We can somehow get the deleted video and that's just the proof that we need to sue her."

I smile at him because he clearly doesn't understand that this has now become a personal battle, not something that can be settled in court.

"No one is getting arrested, Henry. I had the videos deleted myself so we don't need it."

He looks utterly confused now, "But what about the girl?"

"Don't worry, I'll deal with her myself." I reply and his confusion immediately switches to anxiety.

"Should I be worried?" He falters and I chuckle, ignoring his question. I turn to face Kunle who is standing next to him and has just been listening quietly to our conversation.

"Kunle, I want information on a certain Cynthia Williams who attends my school and is an SS3 Science student. Find out what you can about her and I want a report before tomorrow, is that clear?"

He gives me an unsure look before replying, "Yes, boss." He then bows slightly and exits from the sitting room, leaving me with a very stunned Henry.

I give him a small smile, ignoring his facial expression and continue towards my bedroom but soon, I hear his footsteps following me.

"Michael, what do you plan to do with the girl?"

"Why are you asking for her information?"

"What are you up to now?"

"Should I be worried that you're going to commit a crime?"

I ignore all his questions until I get to my room, I then open the door and turn abruptly, shutting whatever next question was coming from his mouth.

"Listen, Henry. I'll only say three words to you." I announce and he nods eagerly, waiting for what I'm about to tell him. "Just calm down." I declare and with a tight smile, I shut the door in his face before he gets to ask another question.

***

I head towards my reading table and take a seat on the chair in front of it before grabbing the file from the table. I open it to see some papers containing information about those she has relations with and I'm surprised to find out they are really few.

From what I can see, the only people she is close with are her Nanny, her younger brother and Grace. Even her parents are hardly always around. I go through their pictures, noticing that she looks a lot like her mother and she and her brother both have their mother's eye colour. My eyes fall on the picture of a pretty middle-aged woman who I identify to be her Nanny and it is written clearly that she is neither married or in a relationship.

I immediately make a mental note to myself to have Kunle talk to her personally and maybe start something between them. He was even able to convince her to tell him Cynthia's address over the phone when she won't stop yelling at me so they might have a connection.

Right?

I admit the last thing I should be thinking of right now is playing matchmaker but it's just sad that Kunle has been working with us for almost five years now and I've never seen or heard him talk to a lady before, not even over the phone.

Cynthia's picture is the last one in the envelope and I pick it up, fascinated at how happy she looks in the picture. Compared to her hard appearance in the cafeteria when she was talking to me, her face in the picture looks calm and at peace. Even when we had met at the party two years ago, she had looked kind of sad. But those coffee brown eyes that were shooting daggers at me in the cafeteria yesterday and had looked upset at that party are shining naughtily in this picture, and there is a small smile playing on her lips. 

She wasn't looking at the camera but at someone or something, and my lips rise subconsciously into a smile wondering what or who she was staring at so happily.

I quickly make a neutral expression when I realize what I was doing.

I was really smiling at her picture. 

For real?!

***

I'm not feeling too good so I'll keep this short.

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Until next time.

Love you guys ❤️