Chapter 19: Chapter 19
Fatima’s POV
On reaching school, I saw that everybody was on his or her sportswear. It was surprising because it was Wednesday so we were all supposed to be in our uniforms.
To make matters worse, I was the only one on my uniform so I stuck out like a sore thumb. I hurriedly went to my class and on my way there I met FHA.
But, instead of standing and blabbing their usual nonsense, they just made way for me and allowed me to pass and I knew whose work it was, Hamza, I thought in my mind.
I entered class and spotted Halli and Kalt snapping selfies. Since when are phones allowed in school? I asked myself. I went up to Kalt and Halli and they gave me a questioning look.
I asked them why they were in their sports wears and Halli took out her phone and showed me our chats with her. Wait, OUR? When did I chat with Halli? I didn’t chat since 6 p.m. in the evening yesterday so why is my last seen 2 a.m.
I read the chat and realise who she had chatted with. It was Ya Sa’eed. I was so going to get him back for that but wait how did he even find out my password? I’d worry about that later.
I pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind and and decided to work on the matter at hand. How on earth am I supposed to get my sports wears and everything?, I thought.
Just as I was about to collect Halli’s phone and call Ya Sa’eed to tell him that he should bring my sports wear for me, Amal came running with one of my side bags and some stuffs inside.
She gave me and said that Ya Sa’eed had just brought it saying that he would come to school later. He still had some things to handle at home.
I shook my head at the thought, he would never change. He always had a habit of coming to school late and not to talk of driving Mum’s car to school. I was sure that when she got back from Yola she was so going to kill him.
I collected my things and thanked her. On opening the bag I saw that he had packed all the things I might necessarily need: my sportswear which was colour red by the way, my white sneakers, my white ear pods and a matching red pouch which he had changed my phone into.
He even picked up a different cap just for me and some snacks to eat which of course included my fav, popcorn. So Ya Sa’eed actually had a little bit of sense.
I gave Halli and Kalt my bag and went to the toilet to change into my sportswear and sneakers.
Y’all must be wondering what the day was. Well, it was the day we were going to the National Stadium Abuja for our inter-house sports. Or at least that was what the chats said.
Just as I was going back to class someone dragged me into a surprisingly empty class. Just when I had turned to snap at the person I noticed it was Amir but that didn’t stop me from snapping at him.
Immediately I opened my mouth to snap at him he apologized and I just couldn’t do what I had in mind. I asked why he did what he did and he rubbed the back if his head before saying “uhmm… actually I wanted us to talk about that thing we were talking when.. before Halli came to.. and… you understand.”
I noticed that he was nervous and I understood exactly what he was saying. I knew what he meant but I just didn’t want to talk about it.
Don’t get me wrong not that I didn’t want to talk about it but the way he approached the matter is rude. Why would he drag me into an empty class like that?
I spat at him “just talk, I don’t have all day.” I said looking at my wrist watch. I knew that was rude but I needed to be rude so that I could get over the crush I had on him.
Seeing that he had regained his confidence, I gave him the speak up look and he smiled. Who’s smiling with this one?, I thought. I just averted my gaze and waited for him to speak.
“Okay so I don’t want you to pretend to be my girlfriend anymore.” He finally said after what seemed like eternity. I heaved a sigh of relief. I had to resist the urge to shout Alhamdulillah at the top of my voice.
Just as I was about to leave he held me back and said “I’m not yet done Bonito.” I stood with hands crossed on my chest.
“What do you want? Just talk already I don’t have all day. I need to get going Kalt and Halli must be waiting for me.” I said.
He then spoke up “I don’t want you to pretend to be my girlfriend. I want you to be my girlfriend.” Putting some emphasis on the be.
And that was it. In my mind I was like wait, what? Some part of me was happy and ecstatic and another part of me felt like, I don’t even know how to describe the feeling.
I quickly said no knowing that if I were to accept his little proposal I would be cheating on my best friend and that was the last thing I wanted to do on Earth.
Immediately I said no he cut me off. He then said “We both know that you are doing this because of Halima”. He was right, I was really doing it for Halli but for some reason I felt like he was trying to use it and blackmail me but a nagging feeling in me told me to stay and listen to what he has to say.
I stood there and listened to what he said and to my ulmost surprise he asked if I knew that Halli was just using me. He continued “do you know that Halima is just using you she’s just trying to use you so that she can get all she wants? And you here will work your ass off just for her. Do you know that if she eventually finds out that you are dating someone or something like that she will definitely look for a way to cut off that relationship?
“Stop being a baby and trying to be the responsible in the relationship. It’s time for her to realise that you can’t be the one to always do everything. You can’t be the one to always do what she wants. She also sometimes has to make a compromise for you. Even if you make a compromise all the time she will always look for some fault and you always apologize.
“I’ve been noticing you guys in the few days or should I say few weeks so you should try and think this through again. I’m not forcing you into it or something like that I’m just saying the truth and if you want you can accept or leave it. That is just the plain and bitter truth.”
What he said really hit me hard but I didn’t show it. I said okay and left the class. When I was a little bit far from the class, I stopped to think what he had said through. He was right and everything he said was actually the truth and nothing more.
He didn’t even change anything. He didn’t try to think about how I might feel, he just said the truth and that was the kind of person I liked in my life. I liked someone that would always tell me the truth and never lie to me no matter how I’d feel.
Seeing that he might come out anytime and see me there I literally ran to the class and on getting there I met no one in the class. What should I do? Where the hell could have gone to? This is really a bad day for me, I thought while shaking my head and freaking out.
I then realised that we were going to the National Stadium so they might be in the bus parking lot. Maybe they were there to get ready for the trip.
I ran there and on getting there everybody was already in their various seats designated by our headmistress Mrs Aisha. Wow, I thought.
She saw me and started shouting at me. I just ignored her stupid comments. I never liked her. She told me to go and sit at the extreme back of the bus.
On entering the bus, I saw Halli and Kalt seated on the first seat near the window behind the driver’s seat.
I was really angry at them for not waiting for me. The least they could do was wait for me or at least leave my bag for me. I had to stand there with all those stupid people’s eyes on me.
All the students in the bus were mostly my seniors that enjoyed flirting around with girls. I gave them the thank you a lot sarcastic look and they mouthed a sorry. I just collected my bag and went to the designated seat given to me.
It was a large coaster bus so I had to scurry through some people before I could get to the back.
Almost immediately after I sat down, I saw FHA, you know Hamza, Freddy and Ahmed coming towards me. I heard Mrs Aisha say “now you should beside her and don’t make any noise. I know how irresponsible you can be.”
In my mind I was totally freaking out. Like seriously!!! So this three dumbasses were going to sit beside me? Oh Lord could this day get any worse?
And yes the day got more worse. Hamza sat beside me and stupidly slid his arm over my shoulder. I tried to loosen his grip on my shoulder but it was tight. Though not too tight to give me an injury or something like that.
Then the bus conductor, stupid Mrs Vivian, said “at least you guys can be a little bit shameful. This is a bus, we are going on a trip and you are here performing PDA.” I just hissed at her. I hated that woman, she always behaved like a prostitute.
She continued going on and on and I saw everybody turn their heads towards me. I didn’t even want to look at Halli and Kalt because I knew they were literally laughing their asses out.
Then as I searched the crowd sitting in front of me to look for Ya Sa’eed so that I could ask for help only to see the one and only Bella.
Bella’s real name is Hannah AbdulMajid. She was nicknamed Bella because of her beauty and some play they acted while she was in Ss1.
She was the propreitress’s last daughter, the school’s head cheerleader, head singer and almost everything.
She is beautiful though her character was not beautiful. With her short but black hair, her skin is to die for, she was slim but curvy in the right places though she was not too curvy.
Everything about her just shouted model. She was even more beautiful than Kalt just that Kalt has long silky hair while Bella’s hair is quite short.
She was sending deadly glares my way but for the sake of having fun I let go of Hamza’s arm and moved closer to him even though I wasn’t comfortable. I just have to make her a little bit angry.
You must be wondering why I hate her. Okay
FLASHBACK
It was my first day at Aflon Digital Academy, Kuje. I walked with confidence as normal with Halli fidgeting with both my fingers and hers which was something she did whenever she was nervous.
After some introductions and everything it was finally orientation time which was supposed to happen after break time. That was when we were supposed to choose our various clubs.
I chose cheerleading and music Club which Halli also chose. When we entered the singing club we were met by a teacher who seemed to be in a hurry.
After some introductions with the group’s president who was Bella by the way, he left.
At first I thought she was beautiful and truly I still think she’s beautiful. If only she changed that stupid stinky behaviour of hers. But I didn’t think she was doing so I left her to her stupidity.
We entered the club we were given some time to introduce ourselves and then I heard the group’s president, Bella call all the former group members to start the normal routine of grouping themselves in twos and practicing with each other.
We, the new students were ordered by Ms President to gather ourselves around her so that she could group us in such a way that we’d try out.
Anybody that was not meant for the group would be thrown out, her words not mine. I stood to take in the theme of the venue for the group meeting.
It looked more of a church than a club except for the absence of a cross. It was a hall with microphones kept on a table, different instruments in one side arranged in a band like way. In the middle of the hall were some chairs arranged in a u-shaped way.
The walls were painted milk with touches of pastel pink. The floor was coupled with what looked like oak woods instead of tiles.
At the back of the hall was a cabinet made of wood. It’s covers were made with glass so that one could see the trophies in there. It was demacated into six parts. There were at least four trophies in each demarcation.
At the top of the wall by my left was a large silver designer wall clock. The whole place was gorgeous.
I was distracted by someone’s words I didn’t hear except for the last word which was here.
I looked at the person who was Bella. She then said “Are you as deaf as you’re daft? I said to come here.” That was rude, I thought.
Not wanting to make a scene on my first day I just walked upto where she was and stood there.
After a little stare off she said that I’d be trying out with her. I knew what she was doing but I went with the flow.
She wrote a song she knew by heart on a sheet of paper and folded it. I also wrote a song I knew by heart which was Faded by Alan Walker.
We put them in a bowl and one girl shook them then picked one. She said the name of the song which was my song. I had to resist the urge to scoff.
She said I should first. I gladly did. I cleared my throat and started singing. When I was done I heard a sound round of applause.
She, went next and God her voice was melodious. But she said the lyrics wrong.
Afraid no anger sad at sight wanna see us, alive
Where are you now
Where are you now
Is it all in a fantasy
Where are you now
We walk in imaginary
Before she could continue the crowd burst in laughter including me. She yanked my cap off immediately and I slapped her right in the face.
We were separated by the girl that chose the song and that was how we started hating on each other since then.
End of flashback
You see why she hated me. I hated her too.
Hamza tensed a bit but loosened up almost immediately. If looks could kill, I would’ve been fifteen feets under ground. Bella looked like she was about to explode.
After some time I moved away from Hamza and pinched him on his lap. He turned to look at me and I told him, don’t ever do that next time.
I picked up my ear pods and connected them to my phone and started listening to music while snapping selfies on Snapchat.