Athaliah laid down on her bed, her duvet covering up every inch of her body all the way to her neck. She stared into space and her eyes looked a little lost. She didn't have to check the forums to know that the news was already all over the school.

Everyone would be talking about it. The most popular, most envious and power couple of DRC, Lag had broken up. She didn't dare open the forum to see the speculations and the numerous stories the other students must have cooked up. She grabbed the phone beside her as she stared at the wallpaper and a picture of a pair of sneakers reflected in her eyes and sighed softly.

She unlocked the phone with her fingerprint as she quickly went to her gallery and changed the wallpaper without thinking. She opened her Instagram page and Athaliah could feel hot tears rushing to her eyes as she scrolled through the pictures on her page.

The events of that day rushed to her head and Athaliah choked on the sob she had been trying to hold on as she started coughing profusely. She refused to seat up till she calmed down and stopped coughing.

Just why now of all times?

The numerous imaginations of how her final year definitely didn't include her crying and her breaking up with her boyfriend. She dropped her phone back on her bed as she closed her eyes and sighed again. As expected; her first day had been a disaster and Athaliah wasn't sure if the latter days were going to be any better. She didn't dare hope.

She finally got out of bed as she wore her slippers and stepped out of her room to get water downstairs. As she walked down the stairs, she could hear constant chattering and laughing voices making her face scrunch up in annoyance.

As soon as she got nearer to the seating room; Athaliah didn't need anyone to point out the owner of the voices or who they were, with the intensity and the shrilly voices, she could easily identify them. She walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge as she grabbed a bottle of water and took a few gulps.

The voices and laughter of the chattering girls in the seating room seemed to irritate Athaliah at every passing minute as she returned the bottle of water into the fridge and quickly headed for the stairs.

Barely had she taken four steps when they burst into laughter again and a kind of irritation and annoyance Athaliah didn't think she had coursed through her as she turned and walked into the seating room.

"Does this place look like a club where you can yell like headless goats?" Athaliah asked as soon as she stepped into the seating room shutting up the chattering girls immediately.

There were a total of four girls including Eneche in the seating room. Girls that Athaliah was more than familiar with.

"Did you just call us headless goats?" One of the girls asked as Athaliah furrowed her brows.

"Headless goats are the only ones you yell as you guys have been doing" Athaliah replied as she pursed her lips.

"And monkeys in the zoo as well" she added as she watched fury take over the faces of the girls.

"Athaliah you realize no one has said a word to you before you started insulting us?" Eneche started making Athaliah turn to her.

"I came downstairs because your voices and yells wouldn't let me sleep" Athaliah replied as Eneche chuckled.

"This isn't even your house, I don't why you are shouting as you like" Athaliah added as Eneche smiled coldly.

"I understand that you are mad and pained about your breakup but why.... " Eneche started as Athaliah returned her focus to her; her voice shrilly and cold as she interrupted her.

"Believe me if I say I will slap you if you complete that statement" Athaliah threatened as Eneche paused midway without saying anything.

"Try me" Athaliah added her eyes red from anger. She glared hatefully at Eneche before heading for the stairs. The girls in the seating room remained frozen till Athaliah was out of sight.

"I heard Chisom cheated. I certainly don't like Athaliah but he's a bastard" one of the girls started as she frowned and folded her arms.

"There's something on the forum about the girl he cheated on being in our set" another girl said as the first girl turned to her, her eyes widened and her ears itchy for gossip.

"Really? Who is she?" She asked as Eneche chuckled.

"Why are we talking about Athaliah? You want her to come downstairs again abi?" Eneche asked as the girls immediately went quiet.

"I thought so" she added stretching her legs on the couch she was seated on.

"Guy, what the fuck did you do in school today?" Emmanuel asked as Chisom sighed softly leaving the ball Emmanuel had passed to him to roll away from him. He didn't have to look at other boys to know they had the same question marks on their head.

"When did you guys break up?" Another boy asked.

"You be bastard o" another boy said as Chisom turned to him with a frown.

"What did you say?" He asked as Chisom stretched to his full length facing the other boy who was almost the same height with him.

"I called you a bastard. What do you want to do?" the boy shot back meeting Chisom's eyes with the same ferocity.

"Wetin you wan do?" The boy repeated in pidgin as he hissed.

"You guys should warn Musa, I will beat this guy o" Chisom threatened as Musa burst into laughter.

"If them born you well come and beat me. As per say you no know your mate" Musa shot back and some boys burst into laughter.

"Chisom explain nau. What actually happened between you and Athaliah? None of the both of you is saying a thing" Emmanuel said as Chisom folded his lips.

"Its as you've seen. We broke up" he replied as Musa sneered.

"We broke up wo? She broke up with your stupid and cheating ass" he yelled as everyone went quiet.

"I don't still understand. Why would you even cheat when you have a babe like Athaliah? No why? When its not like your village people are following you" Musa added as Emmanuel sighed.

"Musa that's enough" Emmanuel said as Musa eyed Emmanuel before chuckling.

"Enough? I've not even started. Two years Chisom, two fucking years? They don't mean anything to you? If you didn't like her anymore then you could have easily broken up with her and done whatever you wanted to do" Musa started as everyone fell silent.

"All the years I've known Athaliah, I've never seen her the way she was today. Man, the girl was hurt" Musa added as he swallowed his saliva.

"It wasn't even enough that you cheated on her, you even tried to pin it on her again. What the fuck goes on in that head of yours Chisom?" Musa asked as he shook his head.

"I don't know about you but I do know that Athaliah liked you, very much. I know that and I'm sure of that" he continued as he sighed.

"You should have done a little bit more of thinking before cheating on her Chisom. I'm sure you had put yourself on that usual high pestal that there's nothing Athaliah or anyone can do, e be like say you don forget say Beelema na Athaliah's bestie" Musa said as weird expressions appeared on the boys face including Chisom.

"Chisom, the last shred of dignity you had, that Athaliah had preserved for you; you lost it when you lied. And what's more, it shows how much of a coward you are, have been and will always be" Musa finished as he grabbed his bag and started walking away.

"Bastard" he added but no one moved watching him as he walked away.

"Chisom, you fucked up big time around" another guy said as he also started walking away.

"I don't still don't follow why he lied that Athaliah was the one who cheated. He said that in front of the whole class and Athaliah was in school. Did he think Athaliah would stomach it the way other people stomach his stupid nonsense?" Another boy asked another boy as everyone started walking away.

"Athaliah was crying guy. I've never seen her cry in my entire life. Omo Chisom do that girl strong thing abeg "

"Werey cheat, he come dey try pin am on top Athaliah head. Which kind mumu thing be that? "

"The slap wey Athaliah give am too small, she suppose beat him"

"Chisom" Emmanuel called again as Chisom turned to him quietly.

"You all are my friends. If everyone in this school is against me, aren't you guys supposed to be in my side?" Chisom asked as Emmanuel chuckled.

"On your side Chisom? Really?  On your side?" Emmanuel asked as Chisom pursed his lips.

"I guess you forgot that Musa has a crush on Athaliah and that's one of the reasons he's pissed but that's not the only reason Chisom. You brought Athaliah here, through you we all knew her and she was our friend, she was my friend. Nobody would watch something like this happen to their friend and be calm not to talk of when their own friend is the culprit" Emmanuel added and Chisom sighed.

"You aren't on my side as well? You are my best friend Emmanuel, you should be on my side" Chisom said hysterically and Emmanuel sighed softly.

"I'm always on your side, no matter what jerk ass thing you do every time. So tell me Chisom, be honest with me. What happened between you and Athaliah? If you still want me to be on your side, you had better start talking right now" Emmanuel replied as Chisom pursed his lips without saying anything.

"It was her right?" Emmanuel asked as Chisom turned to him.

"The person you cheated with" he added while Chisom pursed his lips.

"You had better find something to say when Beelema comes looking for you tomorrow. I'm sure her ass would have flown to Nigeria already. Chisom, you are on your own" Emmanuel finished as he picked the ball beside his leg and walked away, a frown etched on his face.

By the time Athaliah was finished, her Instagram page looked scanty with the less than thirty posts that remained. She had deleted every single post that had the trace of Chisom, even the ones that he had been the ones to take them. Her post on Instagram had gone from over four hundred posts to just twenty four posts.

Night had fallen and by the time Athaliah stood up and looked outside through her window; the streets lights had replaced the sun illuminating everywhere. There was a knock on her room door and a maid stretched her head carefully into the room.

"Aliya, what is it?" Athaliah asked while the maid turned to her and looked at her in surprise.

"Your father said to come and eat" Aliya quickly replied while Athaliah climbed back into her bed.

"I'm not hungry" she replied and Aliya nodded and closed the door behind her.

Barely five minutes hadn't gone when her door got knocked again, realizing that her father might be the one at the door; Athaliah jumped on bed as she ran into the bathroom splashing water on her face and hoping that her red eyes would suddenly become white and her swollen face would return to normal in an instant.

Aliya walked into the room with her tray of food as she dropped it on the table. Athaliah stepped out of the bathroom and looked at Aliya in surprise.

"Your father said to bring it to your room" Aliya replied while Athaliah pursed her lips. Her father had forbade anyone from bringing their foods to their rooms to eat. Over the years, you either ate in the dinning table or downstairs.

"Thank you" Athaliah said as Aliya nodded again as she attempted to walk out.

"Ha, Athaliah are you okay?" Aliya asked carefully as Athaliah turned to her without a word.

"You don't look very okay" Aliya added while Athaliah wore a smile.

"School stress" she replied as Aliya nodded and stepped out of the room.

Athaliah stared at the tray of food on the table and rubbed her forehead. She actually wasn't hungry but now that the food had been brought it her doorstep, she dared not eat it else she was not just going to receive her Father's scolding but a well detailed lecture of how so many people on the streets didn't have the privilege of eating the food she had wasted.

Even when the food seemed tasteless to her in her mouth, Athaliah continued shoving down the fried rice in her plate. She honestly wanted to lie down in bed and not go to school the next day but there was no lie she could tell her Dad, he wouldn't even want to hear it.

Just as Athaliah was finishing her food, Aliya knocked on the door again.

"Thank you" Athaliah said softly as she walked into the bathroom to wash the oil that had gotten on her hands while eating chicken off.

Locking the door after Aliya had gone out, Athaliah returned to her bed as she brought the duvet on the bed closer to her neck while staring at the ceiling.

She didn't know what to think or what to do. Her stable and peaceful, envious life suddenly came crashing in less than a month when it hadn't even shown any signs of cracking.

She grabbed her phone and realized that she had put it on airplane mode again. It was to keep herself from receiving fake sympathy and nasty messages which she had indeed received a few.

When it came to things like this; DRC students were the kings and queens of mockery. And their mockery was enough to turn you insane. With the way everything was going; Athaliah didn't think her mental health would stand an hour if she opened the forum to look through it.

Drawing the duvet even more towards herself, Athaliah sighed softly. She was tired, really, really, tired yet she knew she wasn't even started yet. She slowly closed her eyes while asking God to be lenient with her tomorrow.

By the time Athaliah was walking down the stairs the next day, Eneche was already taking her breakfast in the dining table. Not bothering to even greet the woman seated in the seating room, she sat down and took a few bites of the slightly hot spaghetti.

"Because your Father is not here, you won't greet me?" The woman suddenly asked as Athaliah turned to her with a blank look on her face.

"Do you deserve it?" Athaliah asked as everywhere went quiet.

"Athaliah, you realize that I'm an elderly person I am far older than you. Is that the right way and right tone to use when talking to someone older than you?" The woman asked a huge frown on her face while Athaliah chuckled.

"Being an elderly person is not a free ticket to get respect. Whosoever deserves respect, whether old or young gets it. Bring older or elderly has nothing to do with it. And your own kind of elderly person, doesn't deserve it" Athaliah replied turning back to her food as Eneche banged the table.

"Athaliah I don't care what got stuck up your ass these days but don't you ever talk to my mother like that! Ever!" Eneche yelled while Athaliah raised her head to glance at her lightly before chuckling.

"Let me give you my own warning Eneche. The very next time you get your stupid ass in my business, the very next time you poke nose in my business like the hell you did yesterday, I'm not going to let you go scot free" Athaliah replied as Eneche swallowed her saliva.

"You see the mess you caused on the forum and in school, a single post on how you and your mother got into this house would be very interesting and I'm sure that's even enough to get me off the forums. Besides they would be more curious to know who the hell Chisom cheated with" Athaliah added while Eneche's eyes widened.

"Athaliah!" She yelled as Athaliah stood up from her seat glaring hatefully at the mother and daughter pair.

"I don't care whatever happens to the both or you. So if you so love yourselves, you'll stay out of my business and my life. You two have done a very great job ruining my younger years yet you are trying to ruin my final year in school again. Don't you have shame?" Athaliah asked as she hissed loudly and walked out of the house banging the door after her.

"What happened at school? What's wrong?" Eneche heard her mom ask as Eneche to her grabbing her own jacket and slinging her school bag over her shoulders.

"Athaliah broke up with her boyfriend" Eneche replied as the older woman furrowed her brows.

"What happened between her and Chisom?" She asked while Eneche nervously sighed.

"He cheated" Eneche replied as a huge frown appeared on the older woman's face.

"He cheated? How dare him? Who did he cheat with? Do you know her?" Her mother asked as Eneche was quick to shake her head.

"I have no idea too" Eneche replied while her mother folded her arms.

"What do you have to do with this matter Ene?" Her mother asked as Eneche but quietly on her lips.

"I told the whole school" Eneche replied as her mother's eyes widened.

"Ene!" She called out loudly as Eneche sighed.

"She left me at home yesterday even when I was right at the dinning table. I missed the prefects meeting, I got to school late. I got punishment as a latecomer and another punishment for being a prefect and coming late. I was so angry so I spilled it" Eneche quickly explained and her mother chuckled.

"Ene; how many times have I told you not to lie to me? I hate it" her mother said as Eneche swallowed her saliva.

"Do you want to explain to me how you knew Chisom cheated and that Athaliah had broken up when no one in the school knew?"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Hi guys, how are you all doing? I'm so sorry that the update is coming late, I know a lot of y'all had been expecting it. I'm actually down with malaria and I'm down mentally but I'm trying to get back up on my feet.

This chapter will get things running in your mind and your thoughts going anti clockwise but never forget that in whatever you think, don't jump to conclusions and actually feel free to jump to conclusions... There are a lot of back stories that I'm excited to share with you.

There's a glimpse of Eneche's mom; Athaliah's stepmother, what do you think of her?

And now I know that everyone's curious who the girl Chisom cheated with is? Might be what you are thinking and necessarily might not.

Next chapter coming up on Saturday... Beelema is coming back to Nigeria... Just get ready because mehnnnn....