"So our topic today is.." 

   "Gabby, we fit wear agbada come the party?" Pasim asked loudly. The Corper standing in front of the class gritted her teeth in anger.

   "Let's discuss.."

    "No be only agbada mumu." Gabby snapped and her friends laughed.

   "Keep quiet!" The Corper yelled, banging her hands on the desk in front.

    "But e go make sense o." Kelvin joked and Pasim concurred.

   "Abi o." He said.

   "It's not my business at all. You can wear boxers for all I care." Gabby replied.

    "I'm having a serious wardrobe crisis. My mother brought a freaking pink dress for me. Like I'm a Barbie wannabe, that's Natasha's job!" Nini cried out to her friends.

   "Why the hell are you calling my name?!" Natasha snapped from her seat. She pushed the peanuts she was eating to Tobe and stood up.

   "Keep -"

   "Come on. Everything you own is basically pink. I'm pretty sure your dress is too." Brume retorted and Natasha was about the reply when the Corper interrupted them.

   "You children are very disrespectful. How can I be here and you are all talking like I'm invisible?!!" She yelled. She panted heavily as the students barely spared her a glance before continuing their banter. "I'll report all of you to the principal if you don't keep quiet." She added expecting the littlest amount of respect. Instead, Ugochi walked into the classroom with her bag on one shoulder.

   "And why are you late?" The Corper spat. She looked at the student from her punk shaved hair to the uniform she was putting on. "Why are you wearing a male uniform?" She asked, referring to the pants the girl was putting on.

    "Why are you shouting this early morning?" Ugochi yawned before taking her seat behind Kelvin.

   "Where have you been?" Kelvin asked, turning to look at her.

   "Catching up on good quality sleep." She said, stretching her hands above her head.

   "Godzilla let you sleep in?!" Kelvin exclaimed, not minding the lady in front of the class.

   "Yep." She replied popping the 'P'

   "She seriously let you?" Damien asked in surprise, closing the book he was reading.

   "Her son is serving under the ministry my uncle is in charge of. So Godzilla is doing her own share of butt kissing to retain her son in the ministry. She thinks I'll put in a good word for him." Ugochi explained and the boys nodded in understanding.

   "I didn't know she'd do something like that." Damien shrugged, returning to the book he was reading.

   "Me neither." Ugochi replied.

    "Must be nice." Kelvin sighed.

    "Kelvin, give me that novel I put in your bag." Damien said, pushing the one he was reading to the side.

   "What novel?" His friend asked in mock confusion.

   "Is it our school novel? I can give you mine." Ugochi offered. Damien focused his gaze on his best friend who was wiggling his eyebrows.

   "He knows what I'm talking about." Damien said, trying to take Kelvin's bag.

   "I didn't take you for the type that reads romance novels." Kelvin mocked.

   "I'm increasing my vocabulary and I'm reading it for the storyline and not what you think." Damien spat, snatching the bag from him.

   "You read romance novels too?" Ugochi asked. Damien glared at Kelvin instead and took the book from his friend's bag.

   Joy was about to turn to the next page of her English textbook when someone closed the book.

   "Don't you get tired of reading?" Sam asked her. She glared at him before pushing his hand away.

  "It's not about getting tired." She replied as she got back to reading. Sam sighed before taking the empty seat beside her.

   "What colour of dress are you wearing for the party?" He asked suddenly but Joy didn't raise her head.

   "What party?" She asked absentmindedly.

   "Valentine's day party na." Sam whined when he saw disinterest written all over her face.

   "You'll be shocked." She said waving him off dismissively. Sam frowned as he went back to his seat. He hoped she'd call him back or something but the girl wasn't giving him half the attention she gave her textbook.

   "Guys! Guys!! I have big news!!" Mike yelled rushing into the classroom.

    "I'm still here." The Corper spat angrily.

   "Why?" Mike asked in pure confusion. The Corper opened her mouth to reply but words couldn't come out instead, she packed her books and stormed out of the class, muttering curses along the way.

   "Finally." Nnenna sighed as the lady left the class.

   "What's the big news?" Tobe asked.

   "I have two big news." Mike cleared his throat. "One, I overheard from the principal's office that most of the teachers won't be around on Valentine's day so the prefects will supervise the party together with the hostel mistress and masters." He announced and his classmates cheered in joy.

   "This is our year!" Pasim yelled and his classmates agreed.

   "Listen listen. This second one will give you shivers." Mike shushed them, "The Dean is dead."

   "Which kin joke is that one?" Kelvin asked.

   "I'm serious. I heard this one in the staff room. His funeral is on Valentine's day, that is why most of the teachers will be out of the school." He explained. The entire class was silent as they digested the news.

   "I think he's right." Dorothy spoke up, directing the attention to herself. "About two or three weeks ago, those detectives were here." She said, looking at them knowingly. "The ones that were here last year."

   "Oh."

   "Jesus"

    "They were asking about a girl in junior class. I got curious so I asked the girl's friends and they said something bad had happened to the Dean." Dorothy further explained. "That's why I think Mike is right."

   "So he was murdered in this school compound?" Damien asked and she nodded. Silence enveloped the classroom in an instant.

   "Honestly.." a girl, Ife, spoke up from the middle row, "if no be say na somebody's life, I for say thank God." She said, "Just think about it. How many students has suffered because of that man? Especially female students. I pray God forgives me but that man deserves what he got." She concluded.

   "My younger sister told me about his tricks and stuff he does with junior students." Nnenna said, her voice barely above a whisper.

   "What if it's a good thing?" Natasha spoke up after some time. Nobody opposed what she said so she continued, "I mean, what if it's karma? He has done so much evil already. Maybe he got what he deserves in a cruel way."

   "Or in a way that suits him." Tobe completed. Some students agreed, others pointed out things the Dean had done.

   Amber, whose head was placed on her desk all along, grinned happily. This was the response she wanted all along. She loved how her classmates understood her purpose indirectly. Justice always prevails.

***

2 days after Valentine's day.

    "Aunty please na. I forgot my purse in the locker room. My allowance is inside." A girl pleaded as she followed the janitor to the entrance of the pool building.

   "Aunty please." Her friend pleaded.

   The middle aged woman looked at the two girls before sighing.

   "Your P.E teacher is the one that's supposed to open it for you. Why are you disturbing me?" The woman complained.

   "He hasn't been in school for two days now and please I need that money ma." The girl begged, her eyes filled with tears.

  The woman took pity on the girl and decided to open the pool room. The girls thanked her happily as she took out her bunch of keys.

   "Three minutes and I'll close the door o." The older woman warned and the girls nodded.

   As soon as she opened the door, the girls ran into the pool room only to be met with a horrific sight. They stepped closer to the pool to see what it was. The closer they went, the worse the stench became. And slowly, they began to recognize what was floating in the pool… or who.

*********

Ohh the beautiful suspense. You guys should tell me what you think about the chapter.

A new ship is building up, don't you think?😉 Oh well..😂

Don't forget to vote, comment and share loves.

~ Korisa 🧡