A Picture of the main female character: Omotolani Shetemi Peters in the multimedia.

Humming a random lyric in my head, I quickly got dressed for my first day in school. And I can't believe i will be staying with Theresa Taylor for the the rest of the year.

Although it had been two days and she had not spoken a word to me, I never initiated a conversation either. I just find it strange that I ended up in her room. In her crib!

She had always been known for being alone and she only flows with her friends which were the Elites.

This room belongs to a specific type of student, Adeola Adeyemi used this room so it's that big.

In my two days of staying here i had discovered one thing. Theresa loves her room to be neat and orderly. And she basks in silence. Pure silence. And i give her that. I try to stay mute and minimal in my own side of the room.

Turning to where i laid my uniform. The prestigious SJC uniform. I quickly got dressed. Theresa had left for the school probably to get things in order because she was the senior girl's prefect. The Head Girl.

She did not wake me up, not that am bothered cause I was awake long before her thinking about a lot of things.

I made myself a quick breakfast of cornflakes. I need to thank my cousin Tega for this much later. If not for him, I would have brought only garri and a pack of Cabin biscuits to school.

While he did his shopping, he did mine which my aunt frowned at greatly.

I adjusted my shirt, buttoning up.

"What the hell?" I cursed in anger cause I had to pull the button into the hole. I guess i had outgrown my uniform but heaven knows i don't have the money to get another one.

I only have two uniforms, three house ware and my PE kit. My mates have like five of each of this because some are just too lazy to do their laundry during the week.

Putting on my blazer, I strapped my old back pack against my shoulder, dusting my well polished shoes, my only shoe. I check if everything was in order in the room.

Quickly, I grab the single key which Theresa discreetly and silently left on my bed last night while I was not in the room. Signifying it has my personal key. I stepped out of the room not before locking the door.

I walked downstairs, joining the throng of students, fitting in perfectly as no one noticed me.

I watch students reconnect with their friends, looking happy and excited as they tell each other about their vacation to either Dubai or the eye of London. We all move out of the hostel towards the school premises, the school hall precisely.

I sigh knowing i can't relate...

My name is Omotolani Shetemi Peters. You can call me Tolani or Omo-T like Tega does. Am a scholarship student and this is my third and final year in SJC.

I remembered when I first received my scholarship letter into SJC. I had just finished my JSS 3 exams and Tega urged me to apply for the scholarship because I had an hot brain and they will definitely pick me because of my potentials.

I mean i can solve any mathematical or algebraic equation under two minutes so he had a point. And i was way above my mates making me a sort of a book prodigy.

I was so excited when i got the scholarship, I was over the moon only to realize all that glitters ain't gold....

Coming to Saint James College was never rosy, yeah it was a dream come true but never smooth for me. I was so interested in their academics that i forgot to check their social life.

An introvert like me finds it hard here, me being a scholarship student made it worse. I don't have friends due to my personality and social status. Moreover, a lone sheep in SJC can attract a lot of dangers and predators like...

"Smalls!" I groan closing my eyes in pain at the ever annoying voice which strangely some girls find sexy.

I quicken my pace pretending i didn't here him looking straight ahead.

"Peters!" I stopped at his loud growing angry voice. Students moved past me as I gently turn around to meet his piercing gaze.

"Good morning Akeju" I said meekly.

"There is nothing good about this morning! " he snaps stopping right in front of me making me gulp.

Meet Akeju Balogun. A grade A jack ass and a sadistic bully who derives joy in seeing people suffer, especially me. He is the sports prefect and popularly referred to as Baloo...

He is very good looking  extremely good looking with nice fair skin that will make Nadia Buari go jealous, chiselled jaw, defined abs, super tall and nice curly hair but I always think he is too.... Fair? for a guy and I never see him past that but that does not stop the ladies that trip for him on daily basis.

Who asked for my opinion by the way?

He bullies quite a lot of helpless students but it seems am his special prey. And one of the few females he hasn't bedded.

Not that he would ever, something he never fails to rub in my face.

"Smalls"

I look up at him cringing inwardly at the demeaning nickname he gave me.

"Yeah?"

"I was calling you, why didn't you answer me?" he asked looking innocent but am sure he was cooking up various way to make me suffer for my mistake.

I look up into his eye which were grey in colour. It reminds me of a cat and suddenly I felt like a rat. An helpless rat.

Why would you have a greyish eye color? To seduce and intimidate of course.

Looking around for help but everyone seem to ignore us. My eyes met with Jomiloju Williams, we call him JJ but some call him Shadow. Not just because of his extremely dark complexion which was a huge contrast to his friend's skin type but for following Akeju around like a shadow. He was his best friend.

He smirked at my distraught form. It is our first day for goodness sake! Isn't he a prefect? Shouldn't he be doing something meaningful with his life?

"I was distracted" for once in my life i didn't stutter in front of him.

"With what?!"

I visibly gulp suddenly becoming tensed up. He watches the motion then stopped at my chest area, frowning a bit.

I became self conscious when he refused to look away from my private asset. He looks up at my face and seemed to do a double take.

A sneer appeared on his lips.

"Get lost" he said through gritted teeth.

I nodded quickly scampering away finding his behavior strange.

Why will you name your child Akeju?

Why?!

My mother use to say something in Yoruba language 'oruko e nii ni ro Eni' and Akeju is a visible example.

What were his parents thinking?!  Congratulations to them anyway. They successfully brought up a spoilt brat into this world who is on a mission to inflict pain on others.

I tap my left foot rapidly on the floor, counting the amount of chairs on each column by multiplying the first ones on the horizontal and vertical lane.

The dude scares me though. Like a lot. He was an incessant and aggressive bully. It started in ss1 when I first got here and it hasn't stop. No one is ready to stand up for me and am too much of a chicken to stand up for myself.

As I sat alone on one side of the hall that belongs to Ss3 students, i watch students enter the room, talking excitedly among themselves.

Friends...

And am not talking about the popular American TV show.

I mean physical friends.

Now i understand the saying no man is an island. No man should be.

I always wondered if I had stay in my public school, maybe I would have had friends. I don't think any of the students here will be interested in how i hawked smoked fishes during the holiday before staying with Tega.

The Ss3 students settled down. Like always no one spoke to me. Like am invisible.

I tap my fingers softly against the hard surface looking around until we lock eyes again. I shrunk further into my seat due to the sharp icy stares he sent my way.

Shadow was busy whispering furiously at him but he refused to look away,i quickly do hoping he would leave me alone. I still felt his cold stare.

He was surrounded by his gang of friends, his minions. I am scared of everyone of them cause I have had an encounter with each one, one way or another. A not so nice encounter.

I look towards their direction again to find they were all staring at me, I watch Akeju's face turn into a nasty sneer while looking at me.

I didn't do anything wrong dude!

At least he won't call me a boy this year.. I had grown my short hair and I had it in a nice weave.

He is always fond of body shaming me, cause I had my hair in a low cut and I had slow pubertal growth affecting my physical looks greatly.

I mean you can imagine the low self esteem when a guy as fine as Akeju calls you a 'flat chested dwarf'. He has series of names for me. Smalls is just like a demeaning endearment for me.

The assembly starts as we said a quick prayer. Prefects got into their position telling the junior students to settle down. The principal, Miss Wuraola, a single woman in her early forties. I learnt she was once a secretary in this school. I really don't know how she became the principal but she was doing a slightly great job at it.

Her caramel skin shun, as she adjusted her cute reading glasses. She is really beautiful.

"Good morning students"

They murmured back in greeting. I snickered.

Rich kids sha.

She seems to care less as she made a long speech which i find boring but caught unto important details. The students paid less attention anyway.

She laid emphasis on this school being a mission school and she is to lay good example for other schools in the sub regions which means we had to be on our best behavior to portray this school in a good image.

After she was ushered out at the end of the speech with enthusiastic claps from the students. The head boy stepped up and their mood seem to be lifted and so did mine.

Who will look at the handsome face of Evans Kanu, the school head boy and not be happy to see him?

People love him and feared him greatly. He also happened to be part of the Elite. Every year, the school was run by the elite, but this year elite seemed to be too powerful.

To the outside world, the school hierarchy looked like this. The school management, the prefects then the elites but this year will be different. It will be like...

The Elite
The School Management
The Prefects...

Just like the golden era...

I mentally sighed recalling what i knew and read about that era. There was zero bullying and balance in the student body which was under the rule of a particular elite.

Olashubomi Cole...

Talking about the elite...

There is Theresa Taylor who happens to be my roommate, the head girl, her mum is a famous celebrity designer and a well known human rights activist, Evans Kanu the school head boy, dad is a wealthy business man who runs and owns a lot of business in the eastern part of the country.

Bankole Dacosta, a very laid back dude with a very charming personality also the ladies man cause he could be very randy when he wants to. I know that from afar. Also known as Banky or Banks... He is really wealthy. Heard his father has an oil well.

Faramade Kuti, stood out due to his rare eyes. He is very calm and collected but when he talks you would wish he never did because his words always hits hard. Knew that also from observing from afar. His punches are likened to that of Mike Tyson, his family is also wealthy. Not rich, wealthy... I heard they own a winery.

Then the leader.... Akorede Okikiola Wellington aka KK. The school labour prefect, should have been the sports prefect because he was so athletic but due to the fact that Akeju threw a huge tantrum on the issue (according to what I heard from reliable source) he left the post for him just to let peace reign.

He is also related to Olashubomi Cole! Actually the nephew. Direct nephew.

He is the biggest fish in the sea but his cold and closed off attitude always keeps the girls away but does not stop them from fantasising or trying to get his attention.

This could be hard sometimes as he only converses with his friends and no one else.

There is a bad blood between him and Akeju though. They hate each other and everyone knows even the teachers.

Akeju should have been a part of the elite but Akorede will not have him breath the same air he breathes not to talk of conversing together or sharing the same group of friends.

Shortly after the assembly, i walk to my new classroom Ss3A. The Sciences...

Yep. i'm a science student, I have dreams of being an architect or a mechanical engineer. I'm still deciding.

I was one of the first students who got to class early so I quickly pick a comfortable seat for myself. It was the first seat beside the wall at the other side of the classroom.

It was comfortable as no one will bother me and there will be no distractions. Dumping my bag on the desk, I opened the windows to let fresh air in, taking my seat i brought out a new notebook while checking my time table.

First period - Biology....

Hey guys!

Introduced more characters....

Akeju? What do you think of him?

Our main female character had also being introduced. What do you think of her as well?

Translation :
oruko e nii ni ro Eni: your name makes you who you are.

Akeju: Spoilt child.

P. S: I had a senior named Akeju back in my secondary school days. A female actually and she showed us shege! 😭😂😂