||JOE||

"You have been gnawing on your thoughts for two continuous preps, dude," Kel points out in concern after the parade bell goes. "What are you thinking about?"

If he knew that I barely slept thinking of Tamia he'd more than be concerned. He would be worried. Especially if what I am thinking to be the case is actually the case. Sheraw could be affected too.

During dawn prep, I barely read or did anything. The following after-breakfast prep, the routine was the same. I can't seem to concentrate when I am worried sick for my girl. All I can do is gnaw at my thoughts, speculating things I'm afraid might be happening to our girls.

"Yesterday, did you notice anything off with Sheraw or was she okay?" I ask, turning to face him.

He stares at me with a speculative look. Then, as if something has hit him, he slowly nods. With that simple response, I already know that she wasn't okay.

Meaning whatever is going on is most likely affecting both of our girls. Perhaps even Daisy if it is what I am thinking. Although, I really hope it isn't. That will be a damning catastrophic complication.

"She broke down in my arms when I hugged her," he responds, his voice now laced with worry.

"Wouldn't you think it out of sorts if the same happened with my girl?" I ask, pushing my chair back before standing.

"Tamia broke down in your arms?" he asks with a concerned frown as he stands from his seat as well.

We follow our classmates out of class heading for the mandatory Monday parade. I don't feel like attending it but skiving it isn't on the menu either. I don't have the strength to hide from lurking eyes. So I'll just endure it.

"She did for a while. She tried lying to me that she was fine. Eventually, though, she admitted she wasn't. Something is eating at her and I'm suspecting it's pretty bad because she looked scared shitless, hopeless and in pain, " I respond as we step out of the class door.

As usual, everyone is dragging their feet to the parade ground through the block corridor whilst rumbling whatever shit is coming out of their mouths.

Many a time, I've wished that parades were ruled out of the school's weekly programme. They are not a must. The office could just settle on printing out important information and sticking it on the several notice boards we have around school.

As for the flag that is raised on Mondays and Fridays, the school scouts could be doing that on our behalf. But as it is, they would give a bunch of reasons why parades should be maintained. Annoying office.

"Sheraw looked as if she was momentarily fading away in her own thoughts. She also looked distressed and in pain. She told me it was because of her periods. Damn it, I can't believe I bought that. It can't be a coincidence that both of them broke down in our arms and also lied to us. Something isn't right," he says upon realization.

"Exactly. And it worries me because I'm thinking it has something to do with us," I tell him.

"What are you saying?" he asks with a curious frown.

"Yesterday, Tamia mentioned that Stilettos has heard a rumour about boys sneaking into school. Something, after speculating or overthinking, I'm tempted to think that the woman hasn't just heard about the rumour. She knows the truth too."

That infamous disciplinarian should be feared. She has made life a living hell for SPG students and I would hate to have my girl cross wrong paths with her. Damn, I can't help myself but pray that she doesn't know anything.

"Fuck!" He cusses in a loud whisper.

Some students turn to look at us with sneering gazes you'd think he screeched their ears to give them a right to sneer at us. Stupid dicks.

"I thought so too. I don't know if I am overthinking but I do know that my intuition is disturbed and the majority of times, it is never wrong," I say while we line up on the parade ground.

"Do you think they were discovered?" he asks, his eyes dead with worry.

"I don't know but come to think of it. What could greatly affect our girls if not for what we have been doing in secret being discovered?" I ask.

"Shit! We are done if that is the case. We could lose them," he states in a fearful tone.

I'm not sure if he is afraid of our girls getting discovered or us losing them. But both of them don't sit well with me. Especially the losing them part. I'm not ready to lose V~Girl. I even doubt I'll ever be.

The students go silent as the parade commences. The CODs this week take the podium. Routinely, they start making their unbearable speeches about timekeeping, noise making, duties and some other bullshit we know but they see it necessary to remind us.

"We have to talk to Johnson. If Daisy too wasn't okay, then it could be the case. Fuck! I'm really hoping it is not because...shit!" he cusses.

He gets it. That could mean a double disaster. For a moment, we remain silent, trying to listen to whatever the bunch of CODs are going on about.

"Wait, do you think that they would tell us if that were the case?" he asks in a curious whisper and expression.

"No. Tamia planned to keep it from me but she wasn't able to. She said she will tell me about it when she is ready. I decided not to pressure her and wait."

"Fuck! I'm getting so restless with worry," he mumbles.

The morning sun is not warm. It is nearly hot and it's only seven-twenty for fucks sake. What's more, it's June. The weather this month is supposed to be continuously misty, chilly and drizzly. That's because it's in June when the equatorial winter mostly kicks in.

"To make matters worse, we cannot go to see them. We have to wait until midterm," I tell him, hating that wait.

This week will be a long one for me because my impatience is a sadist that will make me feel as if time isn't moving at all.

"Ah, shit. Can't we just risk it?" he asks in a desperate voice.

"No. We shall just have to wait. Just five more nights," I respond with an apologetic voice.

"Damn it," he cusses just as the deputy principal takes the podium.

"Good morning, students," he greets.

Stress-free souls rubble their responses. On a normal day, I would too. But today is not one of them. I mean, even the weather isn't normal.

"I'll not say much," he starts.

Thank goodness he will not be wasting our time, energy and effort. Countless times I've thought of bashing him for doing so whilst repeating the same thing on the podium.

"We shall start our weekly assessment tests on the second week after midterm. Start preparing yourselves mentally for them. Also in the same week, the form four geography trip to Lake Magadi will take place. Finally, those of you who haven't cleared your school fees should remind your parents and guardians about it. We don't want to send somebody home because of that. Otherwise, have a productive day," he concludes before stepping off the podium.

"The fuck," I hear some dude grumble somewhere in front of me.

I'm not sure what he is cussing at but I'm guessing it must be the WATs. We sit for the tests every Friday starting from six in the am to seven-thirty pm.

Within it, we are supposed to squeeze in the eight subjects we each are covering. In my case, they include Maths, English, Kiswahili, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Computer and CRE.

Seeing as I am not a geography student, the trip to Lake Magadi will have to wait until I'm done with school for me to make it happen. Although it will be for adventure purposes and not studies.

Anyway, the WATs are meant to act as revision exercises. For instance, we have our mock exams coming soon at the end of the term. The WATs will help us in revising for them.

Well, also our final national exams that are settled for October and November next term. The deputy principal goes on insisting on the need for students to do thorough revising for the final national exams. It is never too early.

After another five excruciating minutes of the principal's speech, we are released to go back to the classes as we wait for the lessons bell to ring. Kel and I, instead of rushing to class, rush to the loo, following Johnson. We catch up with him just outside the washroom building.

"Yoh, what's up?" he asks when he notices that we are following him.

"We need to talk about something," Kel tells him. Johnson frowns.

We step aside to avoid blocking the path for pressed dicks walking to the stinking urinals. The washroom cleaners need to do a fucking better job. We are always complaining but they barely do anything about it. Incompetent pricks.

"Was Daisy okay, yesterday?" I ask, not feeling the need to beat around the bush or offer explanations.

"Yeah. She was perfectly fine," he says, matter of factly.

Kel frowns. I do too because that somewhat confuses me. I expected Daisy to be affected too.

"Like she was the usual Daisy you know about? The cheerful girl?" Kel asks, studying his stoic face.

"Yes. Why are you asking?" he asks in confusion.

"Are you sure there was nothing wrong with her?" Kel asks again.

Johnson gets into his mind probably trying to recall if everything was okay with Daisy or if she missed something.

"Yes, I am sure," he responds a moment later. "She was even generous enough to let me collect. She was pretty fine."

By collecting, he means having sex. I'll never understand his need to talk about his sexual life whenever he feels like it.

"Alright then," I nod in understanding.

Although I don't trust Daisy. That girl is a two-faced professional. If she has been able to, since form two, fool students and even teachers, then he could as well have been fooled. Sex was probably a toast to confuse him and keep him from seeing or feeling anything that she might be going through.

"What is going on?" he asks looking between us.

"Something is up with Sheraw and Tamia and we don't know what. But we are suspecting it could be because of us," I respond.

"Well, I don't think so because Daisy would also be affected but she wasn't."

"Did she tell you that you shouldn't go see her?" I ask.

"Nope." That is weird. "But I'll not be seeing her until midterm as per our plan."

I'm fucking confused now and I am starting to feel as if I'm only overthinking. Even worse, I'm second-guessing my intuition.

"Okay, man," I say before he resumes his walk to the stinking urinals.

Neither Kel nor I feel like visiting said urinals. So we just turn and make our way to class.

"I'm fucking curious and I need to know what is happening," I grumble.

"Sad we have no choice but to wait until midterm now," Kel tells me.

"Yeah," I begrudgingly agree.

Then, immediately, I start praying for days to pass by quickly so that I can have my girl again.

"Meanwhile, I think we should start working on making a clean midterm result slip," he says.