||TAMIA||

It's Saturday, three am in the morning when I feel a small hand patting me awake. It almost scares me before realizing that it must be Sheraw. I sit up on my bed and look outside the window to find her staring at me. She is all dressed up and ready to go see Kel.

As earlier planned, it is time for her to get to the bus. Goodness, I can't believe I'm about to do this. I don't know the kind of trouble Joe, Kel and her are going to get me into but it sure will not be the good kind of trouble.

Helping her sneak out of school is something I've considered and reconsidered a thousand times and each time I do, I always end up with double the previous second thoughts. Yet, I still dare to do it. Kel will have to pay me big time for helping out his girlfriend.

Lately, I've been doing and thinking things that my sane self wouldn't. I'm undeniably changing and not for the best but for the worst. All blame on my push button Joe Danson Karanja. Thanks to his snobbish behaviour I've turned into a crazy maniac seeking nothing but trouble in the name of answers from him.

I step off the bed and wear my hoodie and shoes before walking out of the dormitory using the emergency door. I meet Sheraw at the hot water tap area. Frantically, I look around for anything or anyone lurking in the shadows. I would hate to have our asses busted even before we make it to the school compound.

"You owe me big time for this," I grumble as we walk up the eastern pavement leading to the school compound.

"I do and I'll return the favour when the time comes," she promises.

We are walking in silence when suddenly my mind recalls the case of the walking night dress. A while back, there were rumours that someone had seen a night dress walking on the outside corridors of Aberdares Dormitory.

The rumours created a circus such that the whole school was going nuts at the thought of having such a demonic thing going in and out of the dormitories with some evil motive.

I never once believed that rumour to be true. It might as well have been someone sleepwalking and the students decided that it was a good title to give her. The walking night dress.

"Aren't you nervous? No, scared?" I ask Sheraw. "Just to remind you, this could go wrong at so many points. Discovered equals a month's suspension or G--go for good--alias expulsion. If not that, a case with the disciplinary including parents and endless farming punishments at the agricultural farm."

"I know," she groans in a low tone. "Just stop overthinking, baby girl."

"You are willing to risk so much for a guy you will not marry?" I ask, still trying to bring some sense into her.

She could finally change her mind. Even though I know that is highly unlikely. She has already made it up and to top it all, she is more than determined to go and see her boyfriend.

"Let life decide that. Meanwhile, let's give it a reason to make that decision," she smarts.

"You are crazy. No boy crazy. No. Kel is making you crazy," I pointedly state.

"I'm not the only one who has a guy that's driving them crazy," she calls out on me. "Didn't you dedicate a whole page for some Karen Prince to express how you feel about him? That was bold of you. By the way, people are asking if that Karen Prince could be Joe."

"They can keep asking. I'm not obliged to give them answers. Furthermore, it's none of their business," I state.

"Damn, who knew you had such a rebellious, daring and feisty side?" She chuckles.

"Enjoy it before it fades and I'm back to my sane self. The coward hiding behind a veil meant to make me appear like a good girl," I retort.

"I hope you never go back to being that girl," she says, meaning the words.

"So many things will determine that. But for now, we just live with the new me," I say.

"Have you thought about June?" she asks.

"I'm not seeking a relationship with Joe. I'm just seeking a desperate answer from him," I respond as we walk up the small walkway leading to the washroom building.

That is to avoid using the brightly lit main pavement. The thought of the walking nightdress standing behind the closed washroom doors prompts me to fasten my footsteps. Sheraw keeps up but with a confused look on her face.

"The washrooms are eerily quiet and they are giving me a creepy vibe," I explain.

"Stop being a coward," she laughs softly.

We walk out on the other side and run like maniacs, escaping into the darkness behind the administration block. It is a Saturday and at such an hour, it is prone to be empty.

The teacher on duty today--the male TP who made Sheraw's name land on the Banned List, will be coming in at around five am. He will be standing in for Mr Kinya as the head disciplinarian never comes to school during weekends.

Anyway, if that poor creature only knew that the little girl he caused her name to appear on the Banned List is on her way to SPB, he would be so mad. But it is good that he is the one on duty instead of Stilletos and Mr Kinya.

It means that neither will be around to check the contest list. In the evening, when we return, they barely check the names. Although they do conduct inspections just to ensure no one brought in snacks or anything illegal. This means Sheraw will be safe unless some undercover dog snitches on her.

"You wouldn't want to be in a relationship with him?" she asks curiously.

Of course, I would.

"And ruin June's relationship with him? What about our friendship?" I ask instead.

"So you would want something with him," she observes.

"I didn't say that," I state, trying to deny it.

"You didn't have to. We both know that you would want something. Otherwise, you would have let it all go and forgotten about it. You wouldn't have pushed."

"Fine, that is true. As it is, you already know that I've fallen for him. So it does explain my actions. As for June, I honestly don't know. It all depends on how things between me and that Joe will turn out. Though I'm not worried because I know they will turn out in her favour. To me, Joe is more likely to consider me a friend. Which will be okay. You can't force someone to like you the way you want. "

"Are you ready for the heartache that comes with the 'let's just be friends' kind of snob?" She asks in concern. "Honestly, seeing how much you are affected at the moment, I hate to think how much more you'll be then."

"You don't have to worry about that, Sheraw. I'm a big girl. I know of several ways to cope with such rejection. Besides, it wouldn't be the first one I would have to endure."

We walk behind the principal's office. I can't believe this. My mother would kill me. My father, who has never raised a hand on me would definitely support her in her quest to kill me. I hope we never get caught because that will be the end of me. This time, literally.

We creep behind the main school tank and finally into the bus garage. We climb the half-stone wall and look for an open window at the back. Sheraw gets one which she pushes open and climbs in like an expert.

"I hope you have a shoe wiper to wipe off the dirt you've gathered from the dewy grass," I say once she gets inside completely.

"Shit, I don't. Please bring one with you when you come," she requests before using her blue Maasai sash to cover herself and hide under the chair.

"See you in four hours then," I tell her.

The bus is leaving at eight and it's three twenty-six at the moment. This is such a price to pay just to see someone who your heart claims to love.

"Sounds like forever, but they will drag by fast enough," she sighs.

"Let's hope the driver won't do a check," I say in a prayer.

"God, I hope not," she says.

"Be careful."

"You too," she says, giving me an assuring smile before covering herself with her sash completely.

Letting out a heavy sigh, I climb off the wall and run all the way back to the dormitory. I'm panting when I get to the emergency door from running and fear of darkness. I enter and close it before I quickly head to my cubicle.

A black figure scares me to death before I realize it is a raincoat hanging at a cubicle entrance. Thinking about that walking nightdress wasn't a good idea because now I'm getting corridor horror stories vibe.

Thankfully, my cubicle isn't that far from the emergency door. Upon entering, I climb onto the bed and go back to sleep. It takes me forever though since I take a lot of time to question my actions and my growing insanity.

A few hours later, I'm in class preparing to head to the parking lot as requested by our captain Daisy. Claire and June are busy collecting letters from people who wish to have them delivered to their boyfriends or 'relatives'.

"Did you do it?" June asks moments later as we walk out of class.

"Yeah," I respond, keeping it short and precise.

"Good. I'm so excited," cheerfully, she says.

"Can't say the same. I'm freaking out," I state.

Not only for helping Sheraw but also for the idea of facing Joe again. I don't know how he will react but I'll be damned to expect him to be as excited to see me as June is to see him.

"Don't get too worried. You can do that if we are caught," she casually says.

This will not be the first time I'm questioning the sanity of my so-called friends. Sweet mercies, please have mercy on some people like me.

"Do you hear your mouth right now?" I ask.

"Tamia, don't get ulcers over such a small thing," she says in a dismissive tone.

Great. If I don't get ulcers then blood pressure might as well do. The form three students are already at the parking lot when we get there. This time it is the home science teacher Miss Aisha checking us in.

The good thing is that she is not using the list. She is just counting the numbers. Thankfully, the bus will not be full otherwise there would be an issue with that one extra student or in other words, Sheraw.

June walks to the back and sits with sheraw who winks at me. I take a seat in the middle where Claire joins me. I scrutinize the faces of the form three students only to realize that they don't look like snitches. Although you can't be too careful. There is always a snake within a group ready to bite. Though I just hope and pray that in this one, there is none.

"Someone pray for us," Miss Aisha requests.

A form three student does it. After, Miss Aisha gives us a speech we are used to hearing while heading out to every other contest. All those teachers lack originality and motivation. Nevertheless, it is not like their words ever matter. They are nothing but empty protocols that have to be followed. Once all is over and done with, the driver starts the bus.