Judgement day.

The stupid sound of my alarm brought me back from heaven just when the gate had been opened, just when I wanted to enter but that traumatic song brought me back.

I groaned while picking up my pillow angrily, turning to my side, I covered my ear with my pillow but 'Power' by Little Mix resounded through the room again. Just a sound from that song could bring you from wherever you are.

Exasperatedly, I threw my pillow across the room and I could hear the sound from the corner of my room and then I got up from the bed only to see my pillow beside my laundry loop. I ignored it and walked to the alarm, after switching it off, I ruffled my hair.

It was the first day of resumption which was also a judgement day; the day all students dreaded in JANU College. In my school, we had two judgement days; the last day of school and the first day of school, a new beginning and a new class, today being the latter, I didn't want to go to school considering the fact I was aware of my judgement and the stupid things we do on the first day of resumption but due to our welcome test which I wouldn't want to miss for anything, I had to get prepared for school.

I staggered into my bathroom and splashed water on my face before ambling to my Mom's room. Opening the door widely, the room was empty, apparently she didn't come home last night then, home was like a second option to her, it wasn't the first time so I just sighed in disappointment and walked to the living room.

After tuning the juke box  that was on the glass centre table to 'Treat you better' by Shawn Mendes, I increased the volume to the peak not minding if it would wake the whole neighbourhood and then decided to prepare breakfast, walking to the kitchen which I felt the warmness as I entered, I switched on the light and looked around our medium sized U-shape kitchen, after heating the fish stew I'd prepared last night, I parboiled the rice and decided to get dressed while the rice boiled.

I sang along with the jukebox and danced under the shower in ecstasy, earlier, I'd been grumpy before my mood changed. It wasn't long before I got dressed in my uniform; a white short sleeved top and blue pleated skirt that outlined my curves and added to my beauty, yes, I know I'm beautiful, if you like say otherwise, it's your problem, all I know is that I'm the most beautiful girl I've ever known, then I arranged my bag before going to the kitchen.

A minute after I got to the kitchen, the horn from my carpool filled the atmosphere. Why is this AY early today gan? Hastily, I packed my lunch bag that contained two coolers of rice and a big water bottle. He kept on blaring his horn and I hissed scathingly as I sprinted back to my room and picked my bag before carrying my lunch bag.

After placing the key under the flower vase, I walked out of the compound.

"This one that you're cat walking yii," AY shouted and I eyed him before dumping my bags in the boot.

"Kikiopefoluwa!" the only stupid person that could call my name like that shouted as soon as I got into the car. I shook my head and smiled before she engulfed me in a hug as AY started the car.

"Bimpe, don't choke me oo," I joked, and she pushed me away, I smiled at her while taking in her look, she'd gotten prettier as her white teeth shone brightly and nicely, it presented her beautiful eyes and long eyelashes unlike mine, perfect nose that always made guys fall for her, but she doesn't give a damn about any guy, her lips were pale pink and almost invisible. I pulled her soft ear so far she was someone who never wore earrings right from birth and as such her ears were enjoyable to play with.

She opened her small mouth to talk but someone beat her to it, it was none other than my closest friend.

"You won't greet us abi," Khalid joked as he pushed Bimpe to the back,  that gave me a clearer view of him, well, he wasn't that much different so far I'd seen him almost everyday throughout the holidays, she eyed him before resting on the chair.

"What will I greet in you ooo? It's not as if we didn't see each other throughout the holiday," I teased before pursing my tiny lips.

"Abi ooo, we that we didn't see her gan, we're not complaining," a  high pitched voice, no,  Oluwakunmi's voice came from the front, he had a very loud voice that always made him very audible on the assembly or even in class without the aid of microphone, I didn't even realize he was in the car.

Immediately, I jumped up and wrapped my hand around his neck from the back.

"This girl will strangle me oo," Kunmi screamed while others shook their head, the scream was more than ear piercing. I smacked his head before sitting.

"Why did you smack me na?" he whined and I rolled my eyes.

"You deserve it," Bimpe replied and the banter started, AY tried stopping them, but he knew they'll just frustrate him till the end, so he just stopped while they kept on bantering till we got to school.

School was  full when we arrived, students moved around our very large compound that occupied about several hectares of land one that earned it the biggest school in Ogun state, they moved aimlessly while some kept on hugging or shouting, showing off their new uniforms, bags and what have you, my friends and I walked to our usual spot, a mango tree close to our canteen, immediately we dropped our bags on the wooden table, Bimpe jumped up.

"Abifoluwa! Doyin!" She grinned before jumping on Doyin who was also smiling from ear to ear. I shook my head as a warm smile appeared on my face.

"Here comes the only ideal couple," Kunmi jested as Abifoluwa and Doyin walked up to us with attractive grins on their face. While the guys did their stupid greetings, Doyin hugged me before sitting by my left while Bimpe sat by my right, we were now opposite the guys.

That shows all my friends, the ever stupid Bimpe, o stupid ku, the ever foolish Doyin, iyen mehn foolishness nii second name e, the ever sappy Khalid, the ever jerky Kunmi and the ever witless Abifoluwa and for me, I was the ever…no, combination of every one of them. We were known as JANU Icons, considering the fact that we've been friends since JSS1 and were the top six students in our set, being the school representatives, we were well respected and no one dare tread our path.

"Did you come with the perfumes?" I questioned as I turned to Doyin whose permed hair was shining brightly.  Every resumption, she came to school with different perfumes and sold to everyone earning a reasonable amount of money.

She fluttered that her long lashes; it was one of the longest eyelashes I'd ever seen, one that Bimpe had always been jealous of even though hers was longer than mine, she pursed her plump and shiny lips before responding, "Have you forgotten this is the first term which means..."

"You went to Ghana and not Maryland," Bimpe completed and I nodded. Doyin always spent her long holidays with her parents in Ghana and that was the only time she stayed with her family, not like they were much of a family, other than that, she do spend the other breaks at her senseless Aunt's place.

It was from that Aunt who treated her badly that she do bring the perfumes from but trust Doyin she always returned the bad treatment to her, no one could treat any of us badly and get away with it. One of  Doyin's punishment to her aunt is coming with all her perfumes to school, the Aunt owned a big shop where she sold cosmetics and deodorants and as such, Doyin do come to school with her perfumes without her consent, at the end the senseless aunt would call the hostel mistress and rain curses on Doyin who always enjoyed throwing it back to her kids.

"Here, your dad told me to give you," Khalid pointed a 1000 note at me with a small smile as his caramel eyes twinkled.

"Thanks." I collected it from him before placing the money in my skirt pocket.

"You've opened an account right?" Khalid questioned and I nodded, I'd opened the account during the holiday when Moyeninoluwa; my elder sister started preparing for school, presently, she was in her first year in Lead City University studying Radiology.

"Your dad told me to collect it," Khalid continued.

"That would be when we get back home, I'll text it to you," I replied with a small smile.

Khalid's house was right beside my dad's house which was...

The stupid bell interrupted my thoughts as we all stood up and walked to the assembly ground. Noise filled the air before the Vice Principal arrived, after greetings, we were all ordered to pick litters round the school as usual, main reason we all despised coming to school the first day of resumption.

Everyone groaned after the announcement, but we all kept shut when all teachers rounded us with their useless cane, it wasn't long before they started ushering us around the school while we picked the litters, we were like cattles while they were the herdsmen.

"Ah, Goddess of broom wore the same clothes she wore throughout last term today again, sé won lasò ni le nii(Doesn't she have cloth at home?)" Bimpe whispered into my ear while we dumped the litters in the incinerator.

"Oga ooo, it's not as if she can't buy a new cloth, today being the first day of the term at least if she doesn't have money, she should wear the bottom of her wardrobe nah," I mocked as Goddess of Broom kept on shouting.

"She's just shameless, the cloth gan would have been pleading for mercy," Bimpe added and I laughed before Goddess of broom pointed her broom at us.

She was nicknamed Goddess of Broom due to the fact that she always held broom with her instead of cane and flogged students with broom instead of cane.

An hour later after the school compound became clean, the real assembly started, we spent about forty-five minutes before the horrifying moment came, while the SS1 and SS3 left the assembly to where their teachers had instructed them to go, we SS2 students were ordered to stay.

Others grumbled in fear, they knew it was time for their second judgement, I smiled as my mind went back to the first judgement when we all collected our results, while some were wailing due to the fact that they were to repeat, others were smiling, we JANU Icons only laughed.

Our coordinator walked up to the podium and I looked around as others squeezed their face, obviously, their hearts were racing in fear,  it was  time for either disgrace or joy.

"Now, the list has been pasted in front of all classes, the wise ones amongst you should have known where he or she would land during your extension but many of you are so stupid , anyway everyone should assemble in front of the former Red class this instant!" the coordinator barked as they all scrambled to Red class.

The list had been pasted on the wall of all the nine arms in SSS2 as he had said. Few minutes later, the coordinator arrived as he pointed to the list in front of Red class, the best technical class in the school, while in junior school then, Red was the best class in the whole school.

In JANU, students were arranged according to their academic performance. We were re-arranged every new academic session and at such students do strive to be in Red class due to the respect and treatments given to them by the teachers though they were the ones who suffered most. My friends and I had been in Red throughout our junior school but in senior school Red was the best technical class followed by Green. Khalid had been in Red right from SSS1, and he was also the best student in our set.

Blue being the next class after Green is also a science class, and even the best science class, Doyin was in Blue then Gold and Silver were the other two sciences. We had two commercial classes too. Purple starts the Commercial class, Abifoluwa and Kunmi were in Purple so far they were the best commercial students while Orange was the last. Pink was the first Arts class and that was my class alongside Bimpe while Brown was the other Arts class.

After we all assembled in front of the former Red class; the class our senior had used during their time, our coordinator spoke to us before we all dispersed in front of the other classes, our new class teachers were in front of each class while students went up to the pasted lists to know where they fall, after the arrangements, we all walked into our various classes.

"Settle down!" the voice of Mr. Adeyoyo was heard as all students scrambled to their seats. Bimpe and I had taken a seat at the back in the front row, right from JSS1, we were the back benchers and it didn't stop even after we got to senior school, and we were now in different classes.

"I welcome you all to this academic session and most especially the Pink class, many of you are aware of what this class entails and I want your cooperation, I'm your class teacher for this session..." the whole class roared at the latter statement, Mr. Adeyoyo was known to be a strict man.

"Shut up! " he hit the cane which we hadn't noticed on the teacher's table and silence overshadowed the noise.

"One thing I hate is noise, if you don't want to see my red-eyes, you all should refrain from noise making, taken?" he questioned in a harsh tone and everyone squeezed their face. Is it blue eyes he has before? Not like his eyes weren't red most times, I thought.

"Taken."

After the response, a smile crept on his face, and we all wondered how his facial expression changed instantly, I hope this man is not bipolar sha.

" In thirty minutes, your welcome test would start," he announced before walking out of the class, and we all groaned. We were to do all our subjects today, that's another wicked thing about JANU, our welcome test only lasts for a day.

After doing the first five general subjects, the bell was jingled for break. Bimpe and I headed to our usual spot, the others hadn't arrived then, so, we conversed before Doyin and Abifoluwa arrived, it wasn't long before Khalid and Kunmi appeared.

"What did you prepare?" Abifoluwa questioned and I eyed him before bringing out the coolers from my lunch bag.

Bimpe transferred the first cooler to the guys while she placed the other one in front of we girls. Normally, we should have eaten the food in the morning but due to the stress the school caused us, we had to eat it during break.

That was how it had been since JSS1, so far I was the only privileged one who brought food to school, I had to prepare food for every one of us which we do eat in the morning and during break, we buy any other thing we want from the canteen.

"Wow, Rice and Stew," Abifoluwa commented while inhaling the smell with that his snub-nose immediately he opened the cooler.

"Give us spoon na," Kunmi shouted, we were already used to his voice so, it didn't have any effect on us, it was crystal clear that he was famished. I smiled knowingly deciding to play with him.

I slapped my palm on my forehead before lamenting, "Oh my goodness! I didn't come with the spoons."

"You're joking right?" the guys shouted concurrently and I chuckled.

"I'm serious," I shared a look with Doyin and Bimpe who understood the prank, and they smiled in return.

"How could you forget that?" Khalid complained while shaking his head in disbelief.

"I think I'll just go and bribe the hostel supervisors, so I'll just bring spoons from my locker," Abee said as he proceeded to stand up.

"Don't bring all those dirty spoons ooo, go and buy new ones from the canteen," Bimpe insisted while others erupted into the laughter and Abee dashed her a scowl; one that scrunched up his full eyebrows.

"Ábi you're penniless, maybe you've spent all your pocket money on your useless girlfriends" I jested.

"What do you mean?" Doyin snapped and I rolled my eyes. Well, she was Abifoluwa's girlfriend, they were the power couple in the whole school so far they'd been dating since JSS1, we all envied their love.

"Don't mind the stupid girl jare," Abifoluwa said as he stood up and stroked her hair while we all feigned cough.

"Kó ni pà yin, kó dè ni fiyin lè ooo,(It won't kill you and you won't be healed )" Doyin giggled and I eyed her.

"Let me go and buy the spoons then," Khalid proceeded to stand up but I stopped him.

"Don't worry," I assured before bringing out the spoons as I distributed it to everyone and Bimpe placed the big water bottle at the center of the table.

"I hope you brought the cups sha?" Kunmi inquired and Bimpe nodded before bringing out the plastic cups from her bag, they had numerous plastic cups in their house so far Bimpe's Mom owned a bukka or rather small restaurant.

We all dug into the food and ate like someone that was being chased, hungry yaff hungry our head ooo, we devoured the food amidst different talks before the bell was rung as we all left for our various classes. The test continued till closing time, Bimpe and I walked to our usual spot before others joined, after bading Doyin and Abifoluwa who were hostel students bye, we ambled to the car park, AY was already waiting patiently for us.

I don't even understand why he came early today, after dumping our bags in the boot, we entered the car and waited for the other junior students before leaving the school. My friends and I conversed till we arrived at my house.

"See you guys tomorrow," I waved at the retreating car before entering our compound, it was as silent as ever, my eyes caught sight of a Toyota car at the garage, I smiled faintly before squatting to pick the key under the flower vase, I realized it was no longer there which means Mom was back; that explains the presence of her car.

"You're back," Mama D as my Mom was fondly called by her workers uttered as she opened the door widely for me. Whereas the name of her bar was also Mama D so it had somehow become a part of me too.

"Yes ma," I replied while closing the door behind me.

"You didn't come home last night," I said to Mama D who was already seated on one of the couch.

"And so?" She eyed me before picking up the remote.

"But Mama D…" I protested but the deadly glare she dashed me stuck the words in my throat.

"I brought you pepper soup," she announced and a wide smile spread on my face, it was my favourite, well she had a pepper soup joint at her bar too so it was normal for me to love it, everyone around our neighbourhood loved her pepper soup, but then, that was the only thing she did for me, pepper soup was her own way of showing care, anything other than that was zero.

"Thanks," she didn't turn to me but rather nodded in return. I nodded before walking to the Kitchen where I dropped my lunch bag before going to my room. I dumped my bag beside my reading table before slumping on the chair.

Just when will all this stop?

Phew
Long chapter
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