ʳᵒʸᵃˡˢ ᵃᶰᵈ ʳᵘᵗʰᵃᶰᶰᵉʳˢ
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| Dedicated to @ambivertreader |

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          Renee's heels clicked on the marble stairs as she climbed up it to the Residence Building. She pushed the wide door leading to the building in and stepped into a magnificent lobby.

A girl—chubby and wearing a bright, orange sweater—seated behind a high desk, looked up from a computer screen, beaming. "Morning."

Renee gave her a side glance, throwing a muttered 'hey,' at her as she took a brisk walk across the lobby's floor to a flight of stairs around the corner.

The girl's eyes trailed Renee as she climbed the stairs to the second floor, and disappeared at a turn. She dragged her eyes away, and rolled them, muttering under her breath. "Yhey," she mimicked the blonde's accent. "Mtcheew. Alakori, radarada."

          Renee walked down a hallway with doors lining the side of its seemingly unending wall. She stopped at a brass door, on which a golden plate with the inscription ‘Diadems’, was tacked to the top of it.

She grabbed the door's handle, pushed it in, and entered. Another hallway, albeit short and narrow, was before her and led to a living room.

          The Residence Building is one of the most monumental buildings in Ruthanne Georgeson; and serves as a lodge to the Founder, the Board Members and Headmistress, important dignitaries on special occasions, and the Staff.
It was built five years after the completion of the school when the students’ parents—some of who lives outside the country—have to come for important events happening at the school. Their kids, being the spoilt self that they are, wanted such treatment and would sometimes leave their classes to meet their parents.

They had their parents convinced, who in turned (based on their status,) influenced the board members and a floor was granted to them. Only the powerful, and forbidden it was for any other student to come into the building.

Renee appeared at the doorway of the apartment which belongs to her, her twin and their step-brother but had allowed access to their group of friends, or the Blue Diadems as they go by.

          Elijah Nichols, a lean boy with an athletic build, on a crew haircut, stood at the far side of the room and was looking out the window.
Boluwatife Akintoye and Odetta Ferreira—the former an only daughter to the CEO of Stallion Groups Ltd., a chain of companies dealing in the economic and finance industries; and the latter one of the many illegitimate kids of an oil and gas Warri billionaire—sat on a cream couch comfortably, making small talks and jokes.

Odetta said something to the other girl and Bolu threw her head back, laughing wildly. She was raising her head when her eyes met Renee's, who had been standing unnoticed.

"Renee! Oh my God!"

Odetta looked at Bolu, puzzled and then turned her head to look behind her. "Reneeee." Her sage eyes widened as she jumped up to her feet.

Elijah's gaze shifted from the window, turned and began to make his way towards the girls' circle. He placed the tumbler in his hand down on a table.

Bolu rose to her feet also, rushing to meet Renee. "You're here already!"

"We didn't notice!..."

They hugged and kissed on the cheek, squeezing and linking each other's fingers in elation.

"Love, I'm so glad you're back," Elijah said, pulling Renee into a side hug.

"Aww, I'm so glad to see you again, too."

"Where's Ren?"

"Ur—I—don't know. We were both coming--he must be off to someplace."

A loud moan broke into their conversation, followed by hard, shallow gasps and pants.

The Blue Diadems quietened as they looked from one's face to the other, making sly eye contact except with Renee.

A second passed.

Renee spoke up. "What. was that?"

The girls began to turn back and away from the circle, going back to their previous positions, being nonchalant and all.

Elijah quirked a brow up and down, shrugging. "Your bro."

"My–?" Renee's face crumpled up, baring a slight confusion. She turned away, slowly, and made her way to the back of the apartment where the bedrooms are. The moaning got louder and raspier as she edged closer.
A door was ajar.
Placing her palm to it, she pushed it in to reveal the source of the disruption.

Morgan Georgeson—her stepbrother, pinning a girl—a redhead, to the wall with her legs around his waist.
Having his face in hers would be an understatement to describe their action.
He was feasting off her face and neck, his pants down to knees.

Whaat the heck.

Nausea churned in Renee's guts, reeling with a force that threatened to empty the contents of her bowel. She stepped into the room, and right till she walked up to the 'couple' making out, they were oblivious to her presence.

"Excuse me?"

Their heads snapped to Renee. Morgan pulled away from the girl, keeping a drooping gaze on Renee the whole time. He took his time pulling up his trousers, zipping up and buckling his belt. The redhead tried touching him again, but he grabbed her wrist and flipped it.

Renee matched his unwavering gaze, unflinchingly. Her face was a plaster. "What d'you think you're doing in here?" Her eyes flicked to the redhead. "Get out of here," She ordered in a cool voice, nothing at all like the tempestuous rage in her.

The redhead's brow shot up. "And you are who to tell me to leave?" 

The rage all but spilled over the shoreline of restraint in Renee, and her palm rose up to strike the redhead's check. "Renee Georgeson. Is who I am to tell you to leave!"

The girl's eyes grew big, clutching her burning cheeks as her bravado deflated.

That's right, wannabe-sassy-bitches with personas, void and quick to crumble at a real, commanding aura.

Renee has dealt with plenty of them.

"So, I have to repeat my command to you now? Or you grabbed it the first time?"

The redhead found her way behind Morgan and dashed out of the room, hanging her head low.

Renee watched with an abated anger as the guacha left. A chuckle brought her focus back to the other occupant in the room, and she regarded him with a questioning look.

Morgan was grinning from ear to ear, his playful signature look back on his face.

"And you have to be so violent about showing you want me?" He smirked, twitching a brow. "Hell, I'm sure the hoe wouldn't have minded sharing. You should learn it too."

Renee drew her lashes together, gaping at him like he'd lost a bolt from his brain.

What a stupid jerk he is to think that she wants—!

What ludicrous, nonsensical, asinine—

A string of spite-filled words lined up right in her mouth, waiting to be spilled out, but a look at his face told her that's exactly what he wanted.

It was a tug-of-war; keeping her cool.
Easy-peasy, and yet extremely difficult when it comes to Morgan Georgeson.
He, alone, is capable of getting a rise out of her, but she wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

Renee doesn't lose her shit.
Renee doesn't lose her shit.

And that she kept chanting to herself 'till she found the strength to pull herself away from the spot and stormed off.

–––

          A bell struck in the distance once.
And for a second time, a third, and a fourth time till it became a steady chime ricocheting off the walls of Ruthanne, and sliding through its arched windows and glass doors.

Students soon trooped out of every building and filled the hallways, marching towards the auditorium for the morning assembly.

Their indistinct prattles rolled out into the air, mixing with the chiming bell, and creating a charged atmosphere of excitement throughout the whole school. They broke off in groups: friends, lovers, school mothers and daughters, distant families... newly-made friends, everyone pairing up and exchanging animated greetings.

"Hey, Becky Ashimolowo!"

". . .Aidan Smithsen. . .Oh my. . .You're looking so bigger than ever,. . ."

"Why are we going to the assembly, ugh?!"

". . .some speech-y and welcoming-you-back-to-school stuff. . ."

"Well, there's going to be a speech. . ."

"About. . ."

"Hey. . . look at you, all sweet looking! The vacation must. . ."

"Something about. . .Fern? I think. . ."

". . .Oh, a pretty long one. . .some new students will be joining. . .scholarly studies or something."

". . .heard there'll be a media coverage. . .and TV broadcasts. . .worldwide. . ."

"What?! Scholarship recipients?. . .among us? Here in Ruthanne?. . ."

"Well, Ruthanne never cease to amaze. . ."

"I think I see Ren there. . .oh my God!. . ."

"Yo! Chris!. . .hey man. . ."

          Demi stood amidst the legion of students filling up the auditorium, feeling chafed by the hot air pooling in her clothes. She had never been in such a huge crowd, and it was fainting. Having to make it through the assembly for the next three hours elicited a dread in her.

This is what she'd be faced with every day?

She took some steps further into the hall, scanning the place for a spot to sit - somewhere closer to the platform but not farther from the back.

Two students ambled into her path, coming to stand in front of her.

"Excuse me," she said feebly.

They turned to look at her, eyed her from head to toe, and waltzed away, going on with their talk.
Her eyes followed them as their action replayed before her mental screen. It was not a surprise, and she'd be expecting something of some sort.

That shouldn't get to her.

But oh, only if she'd put to act what she confesses. Easily.

And now, that more glances were being cast her way. She dipped her head a little and continued walking down the hall.

-
**expressions/native words used:

¹Mtcheeew: a hissing sound, written literally.
²Alakori, radarada: fool, idiot, worthless etc; an insultive word, nonsense, rubbish.
³Warri: a city in South-South Nigeria, a booming oil hub in the country.
³guacha: a latino word for a hot chick.