(It's a double update, don't forget to check the next chapter ❤️)

Selena

I was washing the bowls from the previous night, I had soaked them over night so it would be easier to wash this morning. I was so engrossed in washing that I didn't realize that I had company.

The bastard CJ, he was right behind me all and then he groped me from behind like the animal he was, an untamed wild animal.

And this time I didn't whimper, I turned around and mustering all the strength I could I pushed him against the wall.

Where I got the strength from I didn't know.

He was pinned against the wall next minute by me, a knife on his throat and for the first time I saw fear on his face,so this was what strength felt like?

This was what he felt whenever he bullied me? He fed on my fear on the fact I wouldn't fight back.

Yobanna was right, bullies weren't just insecure,they were cowards too.

"Please.. please don't kill me, please don't..."

Oh, so he knew what fear was, he was still trumbling and shaking like a leaf in harmattan. His light skinned face was already red and beads of sweat was falling down from his chin.  That was fast,one minute he was being a bastard and the next minute I had a knife on his throat. Talk about character development. Nothing beats it.

"Now I'll warn you for the last time" I itched the knife closer to his throat to sscare him more,I have never seen him this close to tears before and it made me happy in a sickening way.

"If you ever come close to me,I'll suck life out of you and make sure you die like a chicken"

"Are we clear?"I applied more pressure on the knife and he whispered yes hurriedly.

I let go of him and he scampered out of the kitchen like the chicken he was and then I leaned against the sink, tired but happy.

Guess I'll have to have a knife on me always.

**

There was something about putting people in that place,the joy that came from it especially when you have had it just way too much.

Maybe that was why I was a little more than excited when I got to school.

That however wasn't the main gist.  Our mathematics teacher has mandated that we all submit out class works individually and I was so my way on the passage to where his office was situated.

Sir Don as we called him was one of the oldest teachers in the school such that he could request for some things like an office and well,the school gave it to him. Outrageous but  he wasn't called Don for nothing.

Well it was supposed to be peaceful until two of my classmates hit me and my book fell and they snickered and tried to walk away.

Again, some kind of courage enveloped me. You know,I couldn't explain what or how but as I bent to pick my book,I found myself yelling at them.

"Honestly,the effort you put in trying to make my life miserable,if you put a little of it in your academics,you might actually be up to average"

I was still picking my book and casually saying it and then I stood up straight to match their gaze.

They had walked a little distance and then they returned.

When both of them stood so close to my face matching my height and heated glare,I found my stomach sinking.

Trust St Louis students to leave whatever it was they were doing and watch what was going to probably trend later.

"You weren't talking to us, were you?" Mara asked. She was a tall girl,an inch taller than me and when she stood so close towering over me with an inch,I found my stomach dropping to the bottom.

Mara was beautiful. Tall. Light skinned with a baby face which was her biggest asset and she was ranked second most beautiful after Cynthia and they were arch enemies. Mara's skin was pampered as though she bathed in only honey and milk,the kind of skin that shone so bright that you feel as though maybe if you peered a little more you would actually see your reflection.  Her dad was a politician and rumours had it he was going for the post of Governor in the next election coming up in the country. She had this crazyyyy cat eyes and she was sizing me up probably wondering if I was worth the attention.

And then Jo,I didn't know what kind of name it was but it weirdly cool. Jo the weirdly quiet girl with the contact lens. Well pampered caramel skin like the color of sand beside the river. She was always quiet and her long hair was always tied in some bun. Her dad was a tech gura and had crazy money.

These were the girls I had to face.

My confidence left me for a minute or more and I stood there trying to comport myself.

" I repeat" Mara inched closer "you weren't talking to us, were you?"
Her voice was controlled but I knew better, left to her she would snap my neck,throw my body in a well and probably burn the well and made sure I didn't exist again. Her eyes spoke volumes of the hatred she didn't speak of.

Jo was just standing there, not saying anything acting so disinterested from whatever it was Mara was telling me.

A minute or two passed.

"Yes,I was talking to you"

Was that me? Oh my God. I couldn't even recognize my voice.

I swear I shocked her.

Even Jo had raised her eyebrow at this point,I couldn't tell if it was amusement or something else but she didn't say a word or move.

A lot of screams went up around the hall and a lot of cameras were already pulled out recording. It was sickening how my classmates fed on drama,I hated them so much and wish sometimes they didn't have to act the way they did.

Mara chuckled and the noise died down.

"So because you have being getting some D,you think you can talk back to people?"

Some Ahhs and Ohhs went round the hall and I felt my face getting hot at once,very loud whispers and Mara smirking at me.

"At least I don't send my nudes to a boy begging for love"

Ahhhhhhh,Omo!

Someone actually shouted and then my classmates started hooting and laughing. Saying all sort of stuffs all at once.

It happened so fast but Mara rushed to grab my collar but somehow I managed to move away quickly and then she fell on the floor.

There was pin drop silence and then God, the noise started again,this time louder as though they were all competing to be heard,as though the roof was going to fall down. These animals were actually ready to set the building on fire if need be. God,I was going to even block my ears and then the whispers that followed. God...

Ahhh,Queen Bee Mara in the mud o

I have always known she is an ashawo,normal thing

She's not even fine like that sef, she's just light skinned

Someone that Cynthia is finer than with her small breast. Finally someone has put her in her place

This Yobannas babe has mind o,wahala for who no dey date celebrity. She's so arrogant now.

I felt terrible at once and more disgusted at my classmates. This people literally worshipped the ground she walked on. Once she stepped into our block, compliments were always flying from left right centre.

Now,they all realized she was a bad person? Really?

Jo rushed towards her friend and helped her up on her feet and I just watched,I felt like apologizing. Mara sent the most deadly glare in the world and I swear I shuddered and before I could even process my thoughts,this girl had lunged at me with the aim of bashing my head probably against the pillar behind me but someone was faster,he shielded me, holding me tightly against his chest,his back against Mara and myself enveloped like a child.

"Useless sluttttttt,dirty thing,let me deal with this bitch,this useless scholarship student,who the fuvk is she?! Who knows her dad?,her mum is probably also a slut" Mara yelled even as Jo tried to lead her away.

"Bitchhhh,I don't blame you,I blame Precious dad for allowing low lives like you into this school. Mother fuvker, coming to this school does not mean you'll ever level up, know your place!"

"Who knows, probably you are fucking Yobanna and Zion at the same time. Slut." Jo was still trying to pull her away and for someone as slim as Jo,she sure had crazy strength to pull her friend like that.

And finally somehow,Mara shrugged Jo's hand away and walked away.

Slowly the crowd diapased. And then I was left with Zion Ayo,he handed me my book and then I noticed him. His hair was braided, totally not his style but it wasn't bad. I had being avoiding him ever since the incident but somehow he had saved me this time.

"Are you okay?" He finally asked me,his eyes was quiet,I noticed how his voice was barely above a whisper too.

"Yeah, thank you. But please next time, would you mind your business and not interfere in my business? I wouldn't want you helping a girl who means nothing to you" I told him sternly marching his look.

"Selena.."

I step sided him and walked away, leaving him there.

*****

"Are you sure you are fine? Did she hit you?"

Yobanna had asked me these questions for the 20000 millionth time and I didn't know how else to make him understand I was totally fine but exhausted. A little drained and emotionally crushed by Mara's words.

"She doesn't have any fucking right to talk to you that way,hell,she doesn't fucking deserve to breathe near you,is she crazy?" This boy was boiling,at this point I could see his brown eyes blazing,he was trying hard to keep his emotions in check but he couldn't.

He had literally searched for me before finding me in the library. He had sent lots of messages.

The video had gone out,of me and Mara and it was the talk of the school,there was nothing as exhausting as that. I was on the lips of every St Louis student, everyone analyzing the situation,cause of the fight and everything,most times I asked myself how they remainded academically sound.

"Seems this people don't know you are my girl! Guess it's time for some really big public announcement"He was sitting opposite me,a huge frown marring his face.

I didn't know if I found it cute or not, Yobanna who barely cared if the whole world was blazing and the whole of St Louis was burning to the ground was blazing because of me. Me. Me. Why.

"I'm not totally the nice guy too Yobanna" I finally spoke up. My head against the yellow table,I had a copy of Coffee and Pens on the table while he sat opposite me. His blazers off, he was only wearing the shirt and of course,no tie.

"Hell,I reminded her about the nudes,I'm equally as terrible if not worst" I was sure I was at the verge of crying. My chest was already hurting,my head too and my eyes so mist already. I held my face between my palms, God,I wasn't in for so much drama I swear,I just wanted a peaceful life.

"Hey" Yobanna softly took my hands away from my face and itched his head closer. His brown eyeballs so comforting even with the thousands of distress and pain there.

"Muna you aren't a terrible person,if standing up for yourself is a terrible thing,then I'm terrible too babe,a lot of people are. You are far from it,if there's anything I'm fucking proud of you I swear for standing up this once,that's some character development there,major one"

"I don't want trouble Yobanna,I just want a drama free life,I just..."

I broke down before I could even complete my words,I just broke down and started shedding tears. I had too much I had locked in,it was too much,just too much. My head was hurting even as I cried,my chest contracting.

Yobanna drew me into a hug and even as I cried,I felt as though he was the peace in my storm. Why? Why I kept asking myself?

"But why Yobanna,why do you have to love me, I'm not even the most beautiful in St Louis neither am I anyone important?I have never imagined someone would love me... "

"Who wouldn't love you Selena, what's there not to love about you?. And who told you,you aren't the most beautiful in Saint Louis?Those charts? Those rankings that some group of idle minded people come up together to create?" He chuckled and with emotions so overpowering I felt my knees going weak he came even closer to me,his finger tracing my face as though he was memorizing every single detail.

"I swear you don't know how beautiful you are" He whispered, his voice several octaves low, he was so close to me now and it was messing with my senses.

And he leaned in closer and closer and dropped a chaste kiss on my lips. It was like he was teasing me, brushing his lips against mine like that, making me feel that so much zap of electricity,it took a lot for me not to grab his collar and taste those lips.

"You wouldn't want the librarian walking on us babe, I'm literally holding unto a thin rope of self control" This boy was chuckling as he moved away from me even though his pupils were still diluted. His voice husky.

I did that to him.

"You are so beautiful"

No that wasn't Yobanna's voice, dude it was mine and I didn't know how I had blurted it out. The boy was a blushing mess as though he didn't get such compliments everytime.

"You think so?" He chuckled in amusement "Thank you o,na girls way call us beautiful we go marry"He joked and I found myself grinning at him.

"Have you ever thought of what you want to become after school?"I suddenly asked him as I randomly flipped through pages of the book on the table while he watched me.

"Nahhhh,I don't think about it too much,I plan to take my modelling seriously but I think I like English and literay studies. But it's just for the certificate Sha, nothing serious"

He really did have his life planned out. My law dreams were already known to him long time ago.

"A model and a badass lawyer, damn babe, we are going to make a power couple abeggggg" Yobanna said with dreamy eyes hitting the table not so loudly to prove his point and I laughed. Power couple asin marriage?

I casted a look at him and I caught my breath. I was already supposed to get used to his chocolate skin, his thick mass of hair he had braided,how his lips were so full,how he would have been beautiful as a girl,more beautiful than even Cynthia,gawd, how did I end up with him?

"A naira for your thought?" Yobanna broke me out of my reverie,a grin on his face. I loved his smile,how it reached his eyes how sincere it was and it warmed my heart.

"Nothing much. I met a girl at the train station and she was in love with you,it was so uncomfortable hearing her talking about wanting to kiss you, blah blah" I scrunched and he was laughing,his laughter a rich mixture of bliss and sweetness.

"They want to steal your man,awwwn,God when" The clown said.

I felt like hitting his head,he was just saying rubbish.

"So you jealous?" He popped the question, wiggling his eyebrows and then I laughed in a mocking way.

"Me?" I pointed at myself "Me? Jealous,you don't know what you are saying" I shook my head, I was seriously forming hard guy.

"Okay,in that case since you aren't the jealous type,I'm accepting this date invite from one tiktok influencer,she has really being on my neck, tomorrow would be perfect" He was seriously checking his phone to probably accept a nonsense date.

"You can go,in fact start going right now"

I stood up to leave but he was quick to grab my hand and twirl me around,so I had to sit on his legs.

"Weren't you the one that said you can't get jealous?" He asked in a teasing voice but I ignored him but soon he was peppering kisses all over my face and neck,he was going to be the death of me.

"I was just joking" He chuckled as he told me.

"But seriously, there's this girl disturbing me on Tiktok,I'm definitely not going,so chill. I'm yours alone baby,okay?"

God, his eyes seemed as though it was sparkling, a crazy combination of diamond and stars in one eyes.

He brought me closer to his chest and I couldn't agree less,he was mine alone.

***
Okay,I want a baby too😩,all these love stories and no love around here😂😂😂

So if you are a Rema fan you'll discover something about this chapter😂😂,if you are not,sorry o. Just comment if you understand ❤️

Secondly,the book Selena was resting her head on? Coffee and Pens, that's the tittle of my next bookkkkk,okay who is excited??? Cos I am😂😂😩

I don't know but I just feel like saying this. Honey don't give up on that dream❤️