"I know you must be confused, that i want to talk to you" Mr James spoke up beside me as we left the hall, we have just finished concluding on what we are to do and present to the school as our batch project.

Our graduation is round the corner so Evans called for a meeting of all the Ss3 students which was held at the hall. The discussion was long, wide and vast. A lot of points and opinions were raised though i sat away from everyone, listening to what they were saying.

To me, SJC has almost everything so i don't see the need on why we need to get the school something but seeing that is a tradition, there is nothing i could do about it.

Mr James decided to walk me to class after the end of the meeting even though i found it unnecessary.

"It's okay sir, you are my teacher so you must have something you want to say or tell me" I went straight to the point not knowing what to make do of the slightly awkward situation.

He nodded as we quietly walked through the block.

"How are you doing? With everything going on around you..." He finally asked and i let out a sigh of relief, he was not here to ask me what happened that night unlike some uncultured people.

Even after the evidence, they still choose to ask me silly questions on how the whole thing started.

"Surprisingly... I'm doing alright, i thought things will get bad after everything was out but everything is looking good in my favour" he hummed with his hands to his back as we walked.

We got the the Ss3 block but stopped at what we saw. Mr Ubong was being led away in handcuffs by some strange men, a woman and a police officer. I stared wide eyed at the scene as the principal, Miss Bola followed after them with a helpless expression. She was also in handcuffs.

Students and teachers began to pour out from every angle, outcries and confusion filled the air. I look up at Mr James who looked equally shocked at the out come of events.

He excused himself, rushing off alongside some teachers to meet up with them. I stood there in the midst of my classmates wondering what could be wrong.

I saw Evans walking through the crowd as they made way for him. He must know something, he is an elite... He knows everything going on in the school.

I grabbed him by the right arm when he was about to pass me after nodding his head in greeting at me. His shocked face was Oscar worthy, he must have been so shocked.

"What's going on?" I asked curiously, letting go of his arm. He opened his mouth to talk but stopped short.

"If you want to know.... Follow me" that was his last statement before walking away. I stared at his tall frame, contemplating on what to do.

Should I or should I not?

I groaned before cussing no one in particular but my curiosity.

I followed him.

*********

I stared at the door before looking at him, he shrugged. I huff.

"You got to be kidding me" I turn around to walk away but he pulled me back by my arm.

"You want to know what's going on, you also deserve to know what's going on"

"I don't want to intrude you people's meeting"

"You won't. And if you are worried about him. I would make sure he doesn't disturb you" I look at him, unsure of his promises.

"Fine..."

He nodded, he let out a small smile before opening the door,he cocked  his head to the other side, i huffed before stepping in.

Their expressions were priceless. They were not expecting me in there. Seeing Ejiro and Miriam got me equally surprised.

Are they now so close with the elites that they meet with them in their game room?

I stood apart from everyone, getting uncomfortable at their surprised faces.

"Hey everyone" Evans saved me, diverting their attention to him. I quickly planted my butt on the ball shaped cushion that was further from everyone.

I was hungry, I needed to save energy and standing up to listen to what he was about to say was not a good way to conserve energy.

"What was that about?" Bankole voiced out from where he sat beside the chess board.

"Akeju had been talking, in fact... He spilled" sighing dramatically as he dips his two hands in his pants pocket. "Do you know the incident that happened last year? That you and Omotolani walked into?"

Evans asked Theresa. We both exchanged stares. We have walked into different situations together.

"Be specific..." Theresa said not being able to deduce his words.

"Come on girls, this happened in your hostel. The girl who died of abortion pills"

Everything about that night came in a flash. The girl writhing in pain, the bloody sheets, the fear in her eyes, the news of her death.

"What about her?" Faramade asked while folding his arms, i sat up also wanting to know how the dead girl had anything to do with Akeju, Mr Ubong and the principal.

My small movement didn't go unnoticed by Akorede as his sharp eyes followed my every move but i paid him no mind.

"According to Akeju's confession, Mr Ubong has been messing around with minors" we all turn to the sound of Miriam snickering.

"That's old news... We all know that" she stated. Evans shook his head.

"Far from that, his dirty habit caught up with him when he got one of them pregnant in this case it happens to be the dead girl... He was the one who gave her the abortion pills"

Sounds of surprise filled the air at the revelation. They began talking at once, each person saying something about the situation.

"Are you saying?" Everyone went quiet at the raised sound of my voice "are you saying Mr Ubong was the one who killed that young girl?" I asked in shock at the whole thing.

"According to Akeju, yes he is"

"How does Akeju know all these?" Akorede asked out of the blue.

"Beats me... But there seems to be evidence against Ubong and the principal"

"How did the principal even came into the picture?" Bankole asked playing with a chess piece while stealing a glance at Ejiro and Miriam who looked too deep in a conversation.

Oh boy ...

"We all know that they are having an affair, she must have known and she covered his tracks" Theresa stated the obvious.

I sat still thinking as they began to converse again in low voices. I still couldn't fathom the idea of Mr Ubong being the one responsible for her death the whole time. How can he even walk around the school after her death? Does he not have a conscience?

I sat their for a while, brooding over the whole situation. How did Akeju know about it? What's the relationship between Akeju and Ubong? Are there other girls like i and the dead girl who had fallen into the same fate but refused to speak up?

Or had their voice silenced...

I shuddered at the thought. I really can't wait to leave this school. It's not as safe as it was.

I quietly excused myself from the group, they must have noticed my exit but did nothing to stop me, I went down the stairs heading towards the main school building.

I was surprised when i saw cars zooming in, some were already parked as concerned parents were seen shouting at no one in particular, some were talking over eachother as teachers failed in their job to calm them down.

The news must have gone out of the school premises. Bad news do spread faster.

Leaning on one of the pillars, staring out at the scene before me. How can a prestigious school like this be caught up in this scandal? Will SJC ever be the same after this?

What will happen to the good name it possesses? What are the school board even doing about this?

Something fascinating caught my eyes , a black luxurious car drove in amist the chaos in the school yard.  The yard was filled with big luxurious cars but there is something about this particular one that made it stood out.

I watched as a man in a dark suit quickly stepped out of the front seat to open the door of the owner's corner.

Watching in amazement as the man stepped out, a designer dress shoe and a well tailored suit which looked like it was made for him. A face as handsome as Eros himself.

I find myself staring at SJC legendary heartbreaker and the very first ever elite to walk and grace the walls of this school.

Olashubomi Cole...

His gaze peirced through everything around him like they were underneath him and i saw some parents step back to stare at the man, some women openly gaping. I wouldn't blame them. I will question your sanity if you don't check this type of man out.

I saw the vice principal rushing towards him at a fast pace i have never seen him done before and it got me wondering whether there were wheels underneath his shoes.

They spoke for a while, then he ushered him into the administrative block. Now my interest is piqued. He doesn't have a child here... His nephew is not in trouble...

I have a feeling that things will change around here due to the man's appearance... For good.

                             🥺💪❤️‍🩹

I watch everyone being happy around me, some are even planning on the parties they will be hosting just to celebrate the exams we just finished.

I should be happy but i feel so down with everything going on around me. She is still not talking to me, she says her Hi's and Hello's once in a while but it is not like before whereby we are always together.

I see her goofing around with Faramade a times and never did i thought i could hate someone so much like the way i hate him right now.

He is using the situation for his favour and it's so painful she is blindly falling into his bait. I know she will never go for him as she see him as a friend but i know he doesn't see her as such.

The day was like yesterday when Faramade told me he had feelings for her, he just walked up to me to tell me i have an opponent, a worthy opponent. I almost went ballistic on my best friend and roommate.

I wonder how we are still able to sleep in the same room without killing eachother. The happy and fulfilling look on his face whenever he hangs out with her was what irks me up.

This boy no dey fear me o...

The noisy chatter of the boys behind the ledge would have annoyed me on a normal day but it did nothing to distract me from my deep thoughts. They didn't know i was there, i hid myself from their view or else, they won't be saying the nonsense they were saying.

"Men must mount o... We must rock that party. Kelechi find me a hot girl i fit rock for that night" I hear a boy say.

What do you expect from Akeju cronies? That's all what is in their head. I wonder why they were still in this school, they should be arrested alongside, just because they are his friends.

"You no get mouth to talk to babe? Why una dey send me work? I go help you fuck am?" Kelechi's loud and obnoxious voice tickled my ears and I found myself gritting my teeth in annoyance.

Trust fund brats!

I paid less attention after that concentrating on students moving about the school compound on a sunny Saturday morning.

My attention dropped as my ears picked a name they mentioned. I sat up listening attentively with a boiling anger.

"Make i invite who?" Bobola asked sounding surprised.

"Wellington's babe na" a voice i recognised as Simon Urhobo because he is so fond of not minding his business.

"Ex babe o... She don serve baba breakfast" Kelechi snickers.

Why can't they mind their business?!

"I thought it was the other way o" one of them said.

"Shey you did not see the way he follows her up and down the school as if he his under a spell yet she pays him no attention... I swear that girl na winch"

I don't follow her up and down! I just want to ensure she is okay! What nonsense are these boys saying.

"No be ein fault na, the babe fine..."

"I'm still not going to invite her to the party, i don't want Akorede's wahala o... Abeg" Bobola said.

"As if she will come, with what happened between her and Baloo, she dey do as if she be saint" Kelechi opened his gutter of a mouth to talk and i find myself gripping the ledge i am sitting on really hard.

"Kelechi stop" the voice of Jomiloju who i didn't hear since they arrived popped up.

"Abeg free me... I no like how she dey do. She come dey carry that victim mentality up and down... Shey she go say she never fuck Wellington? Or she never ride am?"

"Kelechi it's okay seh!"

How dare he question Omotolani dignity? Is he mad?!

"I lie? I don't know wetin dey do they girls of nowadays... Baloo won chop small you dey form hard girl. Na Baloo fuck up, he suppose carry me along that day, he go chop his own, i go chop my own and nothing go happen"

I don't know what happened while he was still talking but i found myself in their midst, I know something took over me and from their frightened faces, they could see it too.

My eyes zeroed in on the culprit and i find myself reaching for his neck. Seizing it in a strong grip, I ignored the call of his friends.

Sending a single punch to his face before throwing him a good four feet away. I saw red.

*******

I ran towards where students were gathering in a circle as screams filled the air and grunts after grunts.

Who was he beating up again?!

I pushed my way to the front and i was left scared at what i saw. Akorede was on top of a deadbeat Kelechi, hammering his fist into his bloody, disfigured face.

I look around in fright, no one was planning to help. I lock eyes with Jomiloju who was just as scared as others, he clicked his head towards the fight scene. His eyes begging.

I swallowed a large breathe before running to the scene. I throw my body over his hunched figure, hot tears gathered around my eyes, praying to God he will stop hitting an already passed out Kelechi.

"Please stop... Please stop... Please..." I whimpered tightening my arms around his strong body, his cologne almost made me waver.

Gradually, i feel him relax in my arms as the sound slowly stopped. Students whispering among themselves, i couldn't hide my tears away because i know, i just know he did this because of me.

I slowly detached myself from his body while i hear Evans who just got to the scene barking at students to leave the scene.

Standing up, i watch him slowly rise up from Kelechi's unconscious body, he slowly turn around to face me and my heart fell at the scene in front of me.

His bloody hands, patters of blood which are not his on his face and house wear shirt. His dark eyes seem to slow clear up as he takes in my form while Jomiloju and some other boys helped Kelechi up by carrying him probably to the clinic.

My heart seared in pain when realization dropped on me that he did that to someone. I couldn't help but cry as the question keeps ringing in my head.

Why? Just why?

*****

I turned away from him as he changed his shirt, I held the cotton wool in my hands in a tight grip. Wishing he would hurry up and let's get this done with.

We were at the school clinic, the school nurse is unable to attend to him for now which was his fault as he had placed a fellow student in a critical condition.

The nurse was livid.

So i decided to help his in dressing his wound which was only bruised knuckles.

"I'm done changing" he spoke up behind me. I turn around to meet his eager eyes. I gesture for him to take a seat which he quickly did. I sat beside him but put a bit of distance. I got to work.

Sniffing loudly, i was glad he had cleaned his face because he reminded me of a horror movie initially. I busily cleaned the wrist with an antiseptic and he didn't wince, not even a single bit.

Although he was concentrated on a particular thing, my face.

"Why did you do it?"

"I had to... He pissed me off" his statement riled me up a bit.

"You had to?! Akorede, you can't go around throwing fist just because someone annoyed you!" I whisper yelled.

"Do you know what he did? He was saying crap about you. He said he would have done the same thing that bastard wanted to do" he fumed, clenching his fist.

I sighed seeing where this is going.

"Stop clenching your fist, you will open the wound the more" he unclenched it.

"I had to defend your dignity, since I failed in doing so initially... And you see where that got us" i sighed applying a cream delicately to the affected areas.

"Akorede..."

"I miss us" i stopped working on his hand before giving him a look but quickly looked away since it seems his eyes were drawing me in.

"I think my job is done here" I said packing up before standing up.

"There is a party at my uncle's residence this weekend and Aunt Teni asked me to invite you." I shook my head, declining. "Please come...  Please"

My heart clenched at the sound of his voice and i don't know when i nodded my head in acceptance. I quickly excused myself.

What is wrong with me?!

Kelechi's mouth will definitely put him in trouble one day. Who can remember when Cyborg (Faramade) beat him up as well ? He did something akin to this...

Akorede was pissed... Who would have ever thought he had that much anger in him?

Stay tuned for the next chapter ☺️