Mrs Isioma stood on the stage of the school hall with fatigue written all over her. The students talked amongst themselves as she wondered what to tell them exactly. The previous day was one she'd never in her life forget. She grimaced slightly as she recalled the police all over the school, the body of yet another teacher and the order she was given from the state government.

   "Listen up students." She feebly ordered and luckily, the students were interested in what she had to say so they closed their mouths. "I have no idea how to explain all that has been happening to you kids. Some of you may even know more than I do. I've called your parents and told them of the current situation. So from today till tomorrow, your parents will come and take you home till further notice." 

   "Omo!"

   "So it's serious.."

  The students expressed their shock at the new information.

   "The state government has ordered that this school be remained closed till whoever the perpetrator is will be caught." She added while wiping her face with her white handkerchief, "That aside. A bunch of students rioted in the school compound yesterday further tarnishing the image of our school in front of some reporters and the police. I have punished them seriously and they said that the seniors were the ones that told them to. Now, if you know you are in SS3 and you had the guts to instigate something like this, it's better you report yourselves to me before the end of today or you'll face severe punishment if I catch you myself." She concluded looking at the senior students who stared back at her with blank faces.

  "You're dismissed. Go and pack your bags. Everything you came with because we don't know the next time we'll resume." Her voice broke at the last sentence as she looked around the school hall.

    The students dispersed from the hall, some heading to the hostel and others, to the classroom.

***

  "Once you get home, your class prefect should create a group chat where your online classes will be held. Your exams are fast approaching so we don't have time to dilly-dally at home. Make sure you all have Zoom because some subjects may require zoom calls." Their form teacher, Mr Moses, said. The SS 3 students looked a little excited about the idea.

    "It's giving me Covid vibes." Kelvin jokes and they agreed.

   "I'll still communicate with the principal so we can map out a day when you kids can come to school for your JAMB slips." He added while taking his satchel from the desk.

  On cue, the principal walked into the classroom with an annoyed expression. Mr Moses greeted her before walking out of the classroom.

   "Mike, Brume and Ife, follow me now." She ordered. The three students called looked at each other in surprise as they followed the woman out of the class.

  "She found out o." Pasim exclaimed as soon as they were out of earshot. The rest of the class eventually found out what had happened the previous day in the hostel.

  "I wonder who told her." Sam muttered.

   Gabby glared at a particular fair skinned girl beside him. "Was Joy in the class when the plan was made?" She asked and Sam nodded slowly. "And you are wondering who told her? Abi you don turn Sam in the Wonderland?" The class became silent as they stared at Joy who didn't raise her head from the book she was reading.

   "How could we just forget her?" Kelvin asked bitterly.

   "Once a tattletale, always a tattletale." Nini said, rolling her eyes.

  Gabby angrily stood up from her seat and marched towards Joy. She closed the book and flung it across the classroom. "You are always competing with Damien but one thing is that, he'll ALWAYS be better than you. You think being a parrot will make you special or what?" She said pushing Joy's shoulder. Sam held Gabby back but she shrugged away from his grasp.

   "Don't be unfortunate." She spat glaring at him. "The highest Damien will ever do is warn you but he will never report. If you want, take the first position in the future or be the best graduating student, Damien will always be better. He has a conscience and you are just plain heartless." Gabby spat poking Joy's shoulder. The girl tried to swat Gabby's hand but Gabby shoved her.

   Kelvin quickly rushed to the scene and carried Gabby out of the class. Damien followed the two not even sparing the fair skinned girl a glance.

   Joy let out a shaky breath as she looked around only to be met with the angry, judgemental eyes of her classmates. She packed her books and left the classroom. 

   Sam quickly followed her and held her back as she reached the entrance of the academic block.

   "Joy." He called holding her hand, "you didn't report them, right? Gabby was just mistaken, right?" He asked hopefully. Joy snatched her arm out of his grip and looked at him square in the eyes.

   "I did." She confessed. Her voice came out as a tiny whisper but she held her head up.

   Sam stared in disbelief as she confirmed it. "Why?" He managed to ask and she scoffed. Tears were already clouding her eyes and her face was red.

   "Because it's the right thing obviously!" She exclaimed, "What if the principal decided to punish everyone? Then innocent people will suffer for what three people did. I'm not taking the fall for them at all." She insisted. Sam took a step back in shock as Joy released her pent up frustration.

   "After all these years we've been together as classmates.." Sam said. He was extremely surprised at the first hand experience. He had always heard about Joy's antics but he never actually believed that someone who had reached their level of bonding as classmates would do such a thing. "Why do you think our class motto is 'All for one, one for all'? We are supposed to be there for each other and not rat each other out. I'm not saying this as your three days friend but as your classmate for six years. I'm so disappointed." Sam said, looking at her one last time before walking back to the class.

  Joy breathed heavily as she digested everything Sam said. She wanted to pat herself on the back for doing the right thing yet her heart screamed the opposite. She turned and looked at Sam's retreating back and it dawned on her that she messed up big time.

****

   "Damien! Damien! Wake up." Pasim whisper-yelled as he woke the golden boy up. Damien woke up with a start as he wondered what the issue was.

   "What's up?" His voice was hoarse and he cleared it before asking Pasim the question again. "It's like past twelve in the morning. What's wrong?" He asked.

  "Frank and I were talking in my corner when a junior student rushed to us and said that a bunch of SS 2 boys dragged Kelvin off." Pasim explained worriedly. Damien quickly sat up and wore his slippers.

  "Where did they take him to?" He asked.

  "I heard it was to the classroom block. I've called the boys in our class and I came to wake you immediately." Pasim said leading Damien to the back of the hostel where an unlocked door was. The door was old and unused but it was the only way to sneak out of the hostel for the boys. 

   Damien and Pasim rushed out of the hostel block and ran towards the classroom. Thankfully some of the lights were still turned on in the compound so it was easy to navigate their way to the classroom block. They heard voices around their class and quietly entered the room. 

   All of a sudden, someone pushed Damien further inside and the light on the class was switched on.

  "Surprise!!" Nini yelled with her high pitched voice as the others began to sing.

  "Happy birthday to you~ happy birthday to you~" Damien looked at them dumbfounded. He looked around the decorated class and back at them. Kelvin danced in a silly manner as he carefully carried the double layered cake with candles on it.

    "Blow out your candles already!!" Dorothy urged, snapping Damien back to reality. He quickly blinked away the tears forming in his eyes and blew out the candles. His classmates cheered noisily before Kelvin took a handful of the cake and smeared it on Damien's face.

   "Let the party begin!!" Pasim yelled and he took out a can of drink. The rest of the students took their own drinks and snacks.

   "Idiot." Damien said playfully, wiping his face.

  "As long as there's no Joy, there's no problem." Natasha said, taking out her phone. Tobe helped her take a couple of pictures and videos of the party. A soft music was playing in the background from a Bluetooth speaker.

   "I'm surprised he came." Kelvin said nodding towards Tobe. He saw his friend looking out the window with a hint of worry on his face. "Chill, almost all the students has gone home especially Joy and.. Bartho is on night duty today so enjoy your party." He assured his friend and Damien calmed down.

   "How did you all prepare all these?"he asked as he looked around again. Barely twenty of his classmates were around but he was extremely grateful.

   "We didn't do much." Gabby said after taking a selfie with Natasha. "Kelvin got everything covered. The girls and I just decorated the class and spread the word." She shrugged.

  "Bro.." Damien called looking at Kelvin. Kelvin scoffed at the mushiness.

   "Stop looking at me like that or you'll fall for me." Kelvin joked earning a scrowl from Damien.

  "Thank God we only ended up with a warning. I was so so scared I'd get expelled or something." Brume said, taking a sip from her cup.

   "I'm sure that's not juice." Kelvin said looking at her suspiciously. Brume shrugged before pointing at Pasim who was standing behind a table filled with a bunch of drinks.

   "Don't talk to me, ask the bartender." She said and Kelvin groaned.

   "Pasim!" He shouted rushing to Pasim who was mixing something else for another student.

   Natasha pushed Tobe towards Damien and held her phone up.

  "Say cheese!" She yelled. The two boys stood beside each other awkwardly and Natasha sighed. "I knew boys don't know how to take pictures. They're all talk." She sighed again dramatically.

  Tobe quickly shook his head and stepped closer to Damien. Damien stared at his step brother and rolled his eyes. He drapped his right hand over Tobe's shoulder and offered Natasha a small smile. Tobe froze when he felt Damien's hand on his shoulder but he slowly relaxed and gave a big smile to the camera.

    "Sorry for taunting you about your mother." Damien finally said after the pictures were taken. He looked away in embarrassment as he finally did what he planned to do after the Valentine party.

   "I'm sorry too " Tobe said, holding out his hand for a handshake which Damien took. Natasha smiled as she captured the moment in her phone.

   "I'm so going to post this in our class group chat." She said.

   "This is some good stuff." Kelvin said, sipping from the red cup he was holding. He handed Damien one and the birthday boy drank from it.

   "I thought you went to stop him." Gabby said in surprise and Kelvin shrugged 

   "He showed me his bartending license." He joked and they all laughed. Damien smiled as he looked at his friends. His heart panged a little when he realized that that was the last time they were ever going to meet like that till whenever the school was reopened, if it reopened.

*******

This is my favourite so far😍

What do you think about Damien's surprise party?

Please guys, don't forget to comment and share with your friends.

~Korisa🧡