I walked briskly towards Mr. Bada's desk and genuflected. 
"Oyinade, sit down," he said, motioning to the chair in front of his desk, so I did. 

"I have a lot of things to do, so I'll go straight to the point. You are a bright student. You are usually very interactive during classes. The way you think is not like your peers. However, I don't understand why you perform so poorly in your exams. Especially this mid-term test—you didn't do well at all."

I could only bow my head. I didn't say a word. I didn't know what to say. 

"Take a look at your script. These silly mistakes? I just don't get it. What do you always think about during exams? You didn't even finish the questions. You answered only two out of four. I gave you all more than enough time. What exactly went wrong?" 

He was frustrated just because of me, the unserious student.

He was one of the few teachers who actually cared about me. He would call me and ask if I had any questions on any topic. He really wanted to see me succeed, but what he didn't know was that I wasn't capable of success. I was a failure through and through.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'll try my best to do better," I said. It was a lie, but that was what he wanted to hear. That was what all the teachers wanted to hear. So, I said it. 

"You know Ade is now the second-best student. How is he your best friend if he can't help you strive to succeed?" He wasn't done.

"If your friendship isn't producing good fruits, then it is useless. If making friends with the right people is what you need, then maybe that's what you should do. Think about this deeply when you get home," he concluded.

"Okay, sir. Thank you, sir." I genuflected before leaving the staff room. I was lucky that only a handful of teachers were there; most had gone to the cafeteria to eat. The few remaining were either wearing headphones or too busy to pay attention to what Mr. Bada was saying.

Usually, whenever a teacher talks to a student in the staffroom, other teachers would contribute, and it would become a topic for discussion once the student left. I was fortunate that wasn't the case this time. I looked at my wristwatch and realized there was still some time left for lunch, so I headed to the cafeteria. I scanned the large hall and noticed Bisi at the far end, at my favorite spot. 

As I began to walk towards her, I suddenly stumbled over something and fell. My food spilled all over my clothes, and I grazed my hand on the corner of a table in the process. 

"Oh... sorry, didn't see you there," I heard a high-pitched voice followed by rounds of snickers. Of course, it was Ololade. She was a class above me and notorious for bullying and troublemaking.

She had deliberately stretched out her leg, knowing I was about to walk past her. Being my senior, I couldn't do anything. All eyes were on me, and I just wanted the ground to open up and swallow me. Some were laughing, some watched with pity, and others just wanted to see the drama unfold.

Where was Ade when I needed him, ehn? The big head was probably somewhere enjoying himself.

I struggled to stand up, bruising my knee, and slipped again. That's when someone helped me up. I looked up and saw the senior prefect, Jordan.

At this point, the hall was quiet, and almost everyone was watching. He was at the other end of the cafeteria, so I was shocked at how quickly he got to me. 

"What is wrong with you ehn, Ololade?" His deep voice filled the hall as he turned to face her. "How do you call yourself a Senior and act like this? Let this be your last warning." His eyebrows twisted in anger. 

Ololade stared him down, hissed loudly, and then walked off. It seemed like it wasn't her first strife with him. 

Jordan's voice jolted me from my reverie as he leaned down to pick up my ruined tray of food with its scattered contents.

"No need to come along. I'll bring it over," he said firmly, with a small smile. His calm tone left no room for protest.

"Alright, thanks," I muttered, feeling a bit awkward as I stood there in my sauce-stained skirt.

I took the chance to slip away to the bathroom and change into my spare skirt, grateful I'd kept one in my locker. By the time I returned, Jordan had already placed the new meal at the table and was waiting nearby.

"Sorry about what happened," he said calmly. "Don't mind Ololade. She won't bother you again, or anyone else for that matter."

"Thanks, SP, for everything," I said sincerely. I was genuinely grateful; if he hadn't stepped in, I'd probably have gone without food for the rest of the day.

He nodded, offering a kind smile. "No problem at all. Enjoy your meal," he replied before heading off.

"You ehn. How come all these fine boys are always around you?" Adebisi teased as I reached her spot. 
I pulled out the chair next to her. 
"What do you mean?" I asked, still shaken. 
"SP literally lifted you up from the ground. You don't think that's strange?" 
We call Jordan "SP," short for Senior Prefect. 
"No. What's strange is that you didn't come to my rescue and left me to bear my shame alone," I countered. 
"What! You know I would never do that. I was scared of—scared of Ololade!" 
"Relax; I was only joking." I smiled, knowing how scary Ololade could be. I didn't expect anyone to come to my rescue. Well, anyone but Ade. 

"But then, SP would have helped anyone. That's just who he is." Adebisi let out a breath as I said that. If I didn't know her so well, I'd say she was scared, hiding something, or happy I changed the subject. 
"No, he wouldn't. Nobody has ever challenged Ololade, not even SP." She gave me a knowing look and chuckled, seeming a bit more relaxed. 

"Well, it doesn't look like the queen bee over there is taking it well," she said, looking toward Ololade, who was visibly fuming. She was clearly displeased that Jordan had scolded her in front of half the school. She was the sports prefect and expected respect. Ideally, she would've received it, but she neither respected others nor herself, and as the saying goes: "Respect is reciprocal." 

A few minutes later, Jordan returned with the food and placed it in front of me. 
"Thanks, SP, for everything, for the food too. You really didn't have to." 
"No, it's fine. Enjoy your meal. See you around," he said before sauntering away.

"Can you imagine? I was literally invisible just now. He didn't even see me, Oyinade," Bisi joked with mock shock. 
I laughed. "Stop being dramatic." 

"But I'm serious. He didn't even spare me a glance. A whole spec like me," she said, gesturing to herself dramatically. 
"You're full of drama," I laughed, but my mind drifted to Ade, wondering where he was.