Munachi Odumba.

Once I opened the glass doors, I wondered who'd set the universal law that made everyone openly gawk at a person who'd just walked into where they were at.

Because, it was creepy. 

I removed my eyes from the set of people standing, clapping while gawking at me near the door and tried to locate where our seats were since I didn't exactly walk back in through the door I left out of.

Even as I walked through the aisles, heads turned but, these people's stares didn't last half as long as the first set did... Merely like a quick glance,I ignored all these and looked over to the SS3's row my eyes suddenly meeting Senior Ebuka's.... He looked like he'd been staring at me for a while now.

He smirked and I shifted my gaze to Silvana's standing frame..

Found them.

Arthur and Segun were the only ones standing on their row, Segun was clapping and Arthur was combing his hair.

In church... Chai.

See this one, you've kissed in God's presence...

Munachi, shut up.

I giggled quietly and walked past Arthur, he turned and smirked at me.

I looked down and my cheeks heated up.

"Why's this fish smiling?" Jasmine immediately asked me once I took my seat, she was sitting on my right and Silvana was standing on my left.

"Because the kingdom of God elevates me. " I quoted the school's theme of the month and she hissed playfully.

"Kingdom koh, kingdom ni. Shut up e, shut up jor. " Now it was my turn to hiss.

A shadow rested over us and we both looked up, our conversation permanently placed on hold.

Jasmine muttered low volumed words she didn't get to complete, "Who's this one that's blocking fresh air and ligh.."

Senior Ebuka

Why was he here?

Why was he smirking at me?

"Hey." He said if like he was announcing it, like he was the king and we were his faithful subjects awaiting his speech. Silvana sat down quickly, I smiled...

She could never miss out on anything gist related.

His next smirk disgusted me, not because it was aimed at her but because of the way he'd done it: Licked his lip slowly and tugged the right side of his mouth upwardly, as slowly as he could.

Time was wasted watching him do that.

Why did I watch him do that?

He didn't just look like he was undressing her, he looked like he was mentally fucking her.

A very deliberate and slow mental fucking.

"What the actual fuck?! " Nonso was very loud. A chair loudly scraped the floor and I knew he'd stood up as quickly as he'd said that.

" How are you doing? Heard about what happened, heard what two immature kids did. Heard about the childish fight. And I came to check up on you. Check if that fool had hurt you." Senior Ebuka said tauntingly and I whipped my head backwards.

He sounded genuine, but like the genuineness was a very small stone wrapped with pride, disrespect and irritation.

The girls behind us, their eyes shone brightly as they watched the scene in front of them, Arthur's eyes shone too but not in interest but in clear open anger, Nonso was glaring at Ebuka with narrowed eyes.

"So babe. Did he hurt you? " He asked and Nonso snorted loudly behind us... He was now seated again.

"Two MB, browse am.(Google it)" He added and I saw Silvana 's lip tug up.

Maybe she could accept him.. Maybe he was wrong and I was right.

Senior Ebuka paused to dramatically sigh before continuing.

"Their outright foolishness didn't affect you right?" His deep concentrated stare made me nod.

But in all honesty, they weren't being foolish and as such, nothing affected me... So I didn't lie.

I just didn't understand how I was now seeing him in some sorta different light. We've never been friends so why his sudden interest in me?

Is this the effect of staring too long into the abyss?

Was the abyss now staring back at me?

"See, this is why you should be with mature men.. Men that can't ever fight their supposed close friends, foolishly in public.. Men that has sailed the great blue sea an-that can handle you all. Satisfy you all sexually." He said and smirked again at Silvana...

Sailed the great blue what?

"Fuck this! " Nonso was loud again.

The girl directly behind me gasped and I turned to look at her, she looked back at me.

"He kicked my chair." She told me, even though I hadn't asked.

She strikes me as someone who sees talking as her hobby, I liked her type, saved me the pressure of asking.

She wasn't in my set, or if she was I've never seen her before...

Because only SS2's sat on this column.

Only the SS2's I knew sat here.

"Fuck! " Silvana shrieked out loud and I immediately turned to look at what had made her shriek like that, turned again to look at Ebuka.

God.

Nonso's hands were tightly wrapped round Senior Ebuka's neck while Ebuka surprisingly stayed calm.

He didn't fight back or reach for Nonso's neck too, he just leaned backwards while Nonso yelled;

"Don't! Don't you ever look at her like that! Don't you ever look at my woman like that! "

Arthur appeared in front of them and watched them, his body language exuded rage and disgust. Fisted palms and slowly heaving chest.

"Get your hands off me junior, I will not hesitate to appropriately punish you if you don't. "Ebuka stated with a calm but yet shaky voice, he was trying to act brave.

It was working. He did look brave.

The same voice he'd used repeatedly to tell me to return back to the auditorium when I'd left because of the alleged lesbian drama around Jasmine.

But I'd never seen this brave side of him.

"Nonso.. Drop it, he's not worth it. " Arthur tried to reason.

But Nonso was way pass the reasoning stage.

"Guy! Forget that thing! You no know this niggar? Why e go dey look my girl like that? Waitin 'im wan do with am? 'ter all the kain things wey 'im don do!? 'Why 'im go look my girl? im don forget who ah be? Don forget say ah be warri bwoi. May he no try 'im rubbish reach my side oh, na head I go burst.(Don't you know who he is? Why would he look at my girl like that? What does he want to do with her? After every kind of bull he's done? Why would he look at my girl, has he forgotten who I am? Has he forgotten I'm a Warri Boy? He shouldn't be foolish around me, I'll break his head.)" Nonso blared his Warri accent and my eyes widened.

Elizzy was right... But now he didn't just seem dangerous, he was dangerous.. He was raw.

His pigin sounded so fluid in his lips, the sharp intonation, the warri accent was blaring hard. If I even closed my eyes, this voice right now wouldn't match the little boy I was class mates with for four straight years.

The jokester with the lean muscle and beardless face.

It didn't match, it couldn't belong to that kid.

I closed my eyes and tried to visualize what he looked like with the voice I had just heard.

The fighter with muscles and abs, with a face that wasn't beardless anymore.

I opened my eyes and that was who I was staring at, Nonso wasn't a kid anymore.

When did Nonso the class clown transition into Nonso the Warri Boy?

Haven't I missed it? The same way I never see anything in this school even though they were staring right in front of me. Haven't I missed him grow up?

But why did I feel like something wasn't just spoken.

Like I was still missing out on something?

What were 'the kain things wey 'im don do'??

"FFive-Four-three-" Senior Ebuka's counting was interrupted by Arthur.

"-Guy drop am(Drop him!)"

Nonso looked at Arthur whose eyes were fixed on Ebuka, his nose had flared up, eyebrows scrunched together as his darkened orbs glared. Nonso huffed and removed his hands from our senior's neck while Ebuka adjusted his church white's collar.

"You're really lucky I didn't get to one, I had plans for you... Warri bwoi... No one disgraces me in public and gets away with it talk less, an immature teen like you, you're all ants before me... How dare you challenge me? Why dare to challenge me?! Who dares to challenge me!?" Ebuka asked and thumped on his chest twice.

I didn't know there was this side of him.

You stare into the abyss and you suddenly start seeing things.

All the little ways he'd begin to slap juniors, I remember now.

For the silliest of things he was always so quick to slap or kick.

And I missed it all, didn't I.

Arthur was still in his position, looked like he was fighting the urge to do something, his breaths were coming out roughly and quickly and he looked like he was panting.

Why did he have so much anger?

What was he about to do?

What was his next action?!

Arthur's fist collided with Ebuka's jaw so violently that the punch sent him falling.

Oh.

He crashed on a nearby chair and those who weren't looking at us, turned quickly because the plastic chair's legs broke with a disturbing crack, occupants of that row scrambled away in shock.

Senior Ebuka sat up and glared at Arthur, blood poured out his nose as he did so..

"I dare to challenge you. Now shut it. " Arthur smirked down at him with this devilish glare, girls nearby giggled and laughed while his friends gathered round him.

"We dare to challenge you. So shut it." Dominique.

"We will challenge you. Better shut it. " Kenneth.

"Every single one of you... Should shut it." Segun.

"We no dey fear face. May una no make kpeem(We fear no one. So you all shouldn't say a word.)" Kenelum added.

"We dey ready. We go silence una(We're ready, we'll make you all silent.)" A feminine voice said, Chidinma said.

Who's the una(You all?) they keep talking about?

Wasn't there just one person? Him?

Wasn't there?

"Now rush us but first, shut it." Nonso said and smirked.

I found my self smiling ... I found my two friends grinning widely.

Why?

Why was I smiling when I didn't understand what was going on!?

Why was Silvana grinning at Nonso?

"What's going on here?!" Our Chapel's counsellor's voice broke my smile.

Ghen ghen.

"What's going on here?!" He yelled again. I turned to look at him.

Emeka, Anthony and Ahmed- Ebuka's friends all stood akimbo besides him.

"Ebuka, what just happened her-"

"-Fuck off. " Ebuka spat out angrily and stood up.

"What did you say boy?"

"I fell, I missed a step and I fell.." He lied.

"You fell? " Counsellor asked and scratched his beards.

"Yes sir, I fell. "

Counsellor looked round and everyone nodded and smiled...

"Yes sir, he fell... " A girl joined in.

"Fell on that broken chair.. "

"In fact, he broke that chair. "

One thing JS3's - SS3's all had in common was our cooperation...

Snitches were rare to find.

"And he broke his nose too? He fell and his nose fell in the process too? "

That's not even possible.

"Guy dry abeg. Just mind your fucking business. " Ebuka started walking away but jerked and turned.

"Watch your back. All of you, but especially you." He eyed Arthur then turned again, his friends followed him out.

"Arthur, care to explain? " Our counsellor faced Arthur.

Arthur shrugged and walked away too but out a different door.

Kenelum muttered, "Guy just shut up. " and followed Arthur, they all followed him out.

Our chapel's counsellor, Mr Obi scratched his beards again and pressed down his shirt, he was a fit man of about 40 and drove a sport car... I wondered what he needed the salary for that'll make him tolerate insults.

He wasn't married and so he lived in our school, among other teachers and non teaching staff, the teachers quarters was home to many in our school.

I also usually wondered why he drove such a car when he could just trek (walk)the distance from the teacher's quarters to the school buildings.

Mr Obi scowled and watched the two doors they'd all gone through, one after the other, turning his head on his neck between both doors.

"Move that chair to the back and replace it. " He commanded angrily and turned to walk away.

They obeyed instantly and the attention everyone had paid us disappeared.. Everyone's stare switched back to the podium as they all continued their praises.

Nigerians.

"Let's go outside. I need air. " Silvana requested minutes later.

"Me too. " I said.

We both stood up.

"I'll meet you two outside, let me get Williams, I don't know who told him to sit at the back. " Jasmine said and I nodded.

"Nndi ashawo(Prostitutes.) Forming like they're holy meanwhile they're witches. Why else would guys fight for virgins if native doctor is not involved. Not like they're that fine self. I'm finer than that Munachi girl self." A girl loudly whispered when I walked pass her.

I turned to look at her and blinked... I knew her.

Well, she was familiar. I did not know her name at all.

Silvana too was staring at her. But unlike me, she knew exactly how to play the offensive and the defensive.

"Babe, no be everyone go dey involve your papa for their matter. Upon all the witchcraft wey full your house you never still do charm may you get sense(Not everyone would involve your dad in their cases. Even with all the witchcraft practiced in your house, you haven't made a potion to make you wise.)" Silvana casted(Insulted) with a clear audible voice. Guys near her victim made loud 'Oou' sounds and laughed like hyenas just to mock the girl.

Wow.

That was unexpected.

"Munachi let's go jor. Before she'll use magic to make us look as hideous as she does. People like her should be comparing themselves to apes not humans like you." Silvana said and dragged my hand.

Chai, see casting.

••

"Silva!" I shouted her name once we were far from the auditorium walls.

"Muna! " She shouted back, I put on a stern face... Well, I tried to.

One look at her new smile had me bursting into laughter.

She joined me.

"You're wicked. When did you learn to diss like that in Pidgin?" I asked and wondered what had caused the sudden drastic change in her mood.

"Since oh. Date a warri bwoi like Nonso and learn new things. "

Oh.

"Hmn. Silva."

"Hmm. Muna, what's going on between you and Ebuka?" She changed topic quickly.

Haven't I told her already?

.... Wait oh.

"I told you he asked me out... Remember?" I quirked my eyebrows.

"Nnhu! Which generation was that one and when did that one happen. "

Ooh! I didn't.

"Oooh... I'm sorry, I forgot. " I apologized and she pouted.

"Well, continue... What did you say? And which day? "

"I told him no. And it was yesterday... Night prep. He told me to think about it again and give him another reply tomorrow, well I'm giving him another of the same reply tomorrow.. Another. No.."

"No."

huh?

E si gini(You said what?)

I stopped walking and stared at her.

"Eh? "

"Don't tell him no again.. Sha, it's just my opinion though... Didn't you hear him in there.. He threatened Arthur and he's a cultist... "

"How do you know he's a cultist? And how are the two related? "

"Munachi! Sometimes I wonder if you're in this school or it's only your body! Everyone knows! He was a good boy before sha! But he became friends with Emeka them and they spoilt him. Just this third term that passed three new students—Anthony, Ahmed and Emeka joined his class, when we were in SS1 and he was in SS2. They of course got expelled from whichever school they were in, the entire term they were just smoking weed in school! Weed! Even George never smoked that inside school and especially not in public without care or regards, they also started cranking up a reputation of sexually harassing girls just that term. Being besties with those people means you've spoilt"

But why didn't I notice he was spoilt?

"They spoilt him and he became a cultist? "

I honestly was finding it hard to believe this.. Up until yesterday I saw senior Ebuka as a nice guy...

Sure, he acted differently outside the auditorium because those his friends weren't part of us dancers, acted more rude.

I'd never had suspected he was this corrupt.

See Munachi, this is why you should notice people more...

Stop being former Numb.

Silvana smacked her head and I looked up at the brightened sky.

"No Munachi, they themselves were already cultists before they joined this school last term.. SS1 third term. " She continued explaining.

"See eh, if you ask me I'll tell you that they're just using Ebuka and he thinks he has sense... He's the richest boy in red house, his dad's a serious politician, he's like the level of Rooney's family in their set and he had only few friends back then, because his jokes then used to be so dry eh! You might not keep up with Emerald Academy students, but that one you should know. The guy's jokes were all dead jokes, it was so dry, that if you end up laughing at any of them, your purchase check must have finished that day and you're hungry... He was a cheerful giver and a nice guy generally, except those his dry jokes.. Just ruined his fineness, being stupid was one thing but being stupidly not funny was another.

Then suddenly, those three cousins abi family friends, Emeka, Anthony and Ahbi abi Ahmed joined this school and he changed, I'm sure they did their research and found out his biography or they just noticed how he spent, because suddenly they were following him about and not like that short term own that people did for money. But they really followed him about, slapping people for him and generally acting like body guards. "

She paused to swallow her saliva. I looked around and noticed Arthur and his friends far off in the distance...

His mouth was moving as he inaudibly spoke.

"Well, so far I don't know what happened again, but I've just been hearing things about him about how he changed and now acts like some rich pompous jerk an-"

"-Who? " Jasmine's tiny voice interrupted Silvana.

"Hello Chicas. " Williams greeted, his eyes staying longer on Silvana who waved.

"Are you okay? How're you feeling." Williams asked her and I noticed his pupil dilate under the sunlight...

Hmn..

Or was the sun and my eyes both playing tricks on me?

"I feel okay... Better than I did before, it's just a relationship.. I'll survive. "She smiled at him and his eyes further dilated.

Hmmmn.

"Who oh! " Jasmine suddenly yelled at Silvana and I knew she'd gotten everyone's attention.

Everyone who was currently outside, she'd definitely announced her presence to them.

I was right. I turned to stare at Arthur and our eyes met, he didn't smile. Neither did I.

We just stared.

"Who what, again?!" Williams smacked her head and she whimpered.

"Who's acting like a rich pompous jerk? "

"Ebuka.. He asked her out yesterday, she said no.. But he wants another reply tomorrow.. She wants to say no again. " Silvana summarized.

Jasmine dropped to the floor and wailed..

"Mogbe! You have entered trouble, Arthur has entered cocaine users trouble oh! " She confused me the more.

"Eh? "

It was a hierarchy of information in our group.

Jasmine at the top because she always had fresh information, not even just pertaining to Emerald Academy, even other schools and their internal affairs. Including influencers with over 200K followers too, she knew who'd hooked up and who'd just broken up. I think it was George's influence and her also being beautiful too. The Bâ siblings were extremely popular in Lagos. Ranking above the influencers just a bit because their parents were celebrities. A power couple musician and actress.

Williams was the second in command, he transfered from a school in a different state because his father got a crazy promotion and Emerald Academy was the only fitting secondary school of their status, Williams was effeminate so he was always hanging around women. Women loved him, he was the adopted female bestie to everyone from Js3-Ss3.

Silvana was a ranking above me, the difference between us both was she could merge and not stick out like a sore thumb and she listened when Jasmine and Williams talked, she listened when she was hanging out with Nonso—in their abyss themed world. I didn't with Rooney, I didn't with Jasmine. I didn't listen about this school, always tuning it all out. So it's no surprise that at long last.

And at the bottom of the pyramid was me—Munachi Odumba, me. I found out about things only when I witnessed it, when it directly affected me and only then.

"That guy is a rapist, I don't know for certain oh but... During the holidays, this video like that came out, of a girl having group sex with people, they were all clearly high and everything. But obviously she was a bit sober and was really begging them to stop, that it hurt. She was being violently... You know... R worded. " Jasmine stopped and scratched her forehead.

"By four boys, Ebuka was among those four boys... Even though his face and non of his friends face showed in the vid, only the girl.. It's obviously them! Same voice and identical hands, the major giveaway is the birthmark on Ebuka's left wrist. They became friends this holiday and then viam they've already filmed an R word video and leaked it. That's how deep their claws are in him. Weed in school, cocaine outside, groping girls in school, raping girls outside. You are in deep shit Muna. " Jasmine picked her self up from the ground after talking.

"So you even watched the video? I only saw 30-30 seconds of different moments of the video people shared on WhatsApp. How'd you get it?" Silvana asked.

Was that important?

"George.. He was even among the first 30 people to see it in Nigeria, one day he and his friends were arguing if the video was a rape video... George argued yes and two of them said 'no, what carried her to be alone with four boys? She wanted it jor, just that she's a virgin and she's not done it before that's why she's shouting'...

Like those boys are wicked, only her face showed through out... Red eyes, wet nose.. It was pitiable abeg and too violent.. George didn't even let me watch it.. I stole it from his phone and started cursing those boys. Rape or not rape it was too rough, first time or not..She didn't deserve to have that video uploaded to a porn site."

"Yet they're not in jail.. They're roaming around this school looking for more girls to prey upon. God forbid sha, it's not my portion! None of us portion!" Silvana shouted.

"Heard the matter almost reach court... But she dropped the case, probably because her parents got bribed or threatened by Ebuka's dad or something. " Williams finished off.

Okay, so now I know why I'm in trouble... But what about Arthur? They can't rape him.

"Arthur's own self is that,it's his life we're talking about. Since Ebuka became close friends with those cultists, after one of them must've taken him to meet their GF- God Father...

So he must've become one too, he goes around looking for trouble, feels like he's one boss like that,like he has power now.. And any guy that stood up to him or wrecked for him before he joined their clique, throughout this last holiday... Each and every single one of them he got them hospitalized, they were all badly beaten up.. By either him and his friends or other cultists... Because it can't be a mere coincidence oh." Jasmine said.

I gasped and understood what they weren't saying yet.

And wondered how on Earth I'd never taken note of this aggressive traits they were all talking about.

Like, I saw him five days a week.

He always composed himself—maybe because his friends weren't with him rehearsing with us.

"So now, if you tell Ebuka no again, he'll assume it's because of Arthur.. If Rooney was here.. He'll know it's because of Rooney that you rejected him.. Because you're closer to Arthur and everyone knows he likes you, he might think it's his fault and that you might like Arthur back... " Silvana trailed off.

Might..

"So what better way to get rid of competition than to get rid of Arthur... Now self, compiled with the public disgrace he'd just given Ebuka, you might just like sign his death sentence and he won't even wait till holidays before throwing one at Arthur. So better say yes, don't post (delay)him oh by leading him on or avoiding him.. It'll make things worse. " Williams gave me an advise..

How could I take it and say yes?

I didn't like him..

I like Arthur.

"But there's a problem guys.. I can't date him. "

"Because you don't like him? Ojore, you don't like Arthur either but accepting this one would be best. " Silvana.

Why don't they see it?

"No.. I can't. He's just after my body, he doesn't like me... He wants to conquer me, I remember walking out on him one day and with what you guys have said, he wants to own me. What he feels is just lust.. How do I get out still a virgin? I'll dig my own grave by accepting. Before he leaves this school don't you think he'll try to kiss me and touch me and influence me to having sex with him? How do I say no without one day being raped?"

Jasmine frowned.

"You're right. You can't say yes, he'll realize why you're with him soon enough and then things might get worst. Like, his ego would get hurt when he finds out you just dated him so he won't hurt someone you care about.. A wounded lion is dangerous." She reasoned.

All I listed were valid reasons but... That wasn't the major reason I couldn't say yes.

"That's not all guys. " I sucked in a breath and prepared my self mentally to tell them.

I mean, I avoided Arthur for the same reason..

Never can I be with someone I didn't like or feel attracted to.

Talk less an alleged rapist and drug user.

Alleged because their tales seemed too far fetched. Ebuka definitely couldn't have done all that.

It's just. I see him everyday, I think I'd know him well enough.

"I like Arthur now. I only want to be with Arthur, how would I accept him? " I confessed.

"Then you don't. I can take care of my own shit, don't just do that to me.. Don't date that sick bastard... Please. "

••

💪('ω'💪)

Hello!

😔I would've updated two weeks ago but, I lost the actual... ORIGINAL draft of Chapter 31 Thank you Wattpad.. Thank you😒