3 Chapter 2- Craziest Girl.
Chapter dedicated to Vickie A, one of my first readers and motivation.
#2
It was the craziest girl she had ever known, her best friend Rufidatu Ibrahim and the only slay queen she had ever met. She even found a way to look stunning in this preppy uniform.
She literally hugged the breath out of her with giggles.
" Ummm, hey guys, this is my bestie Rufidat" She introduces to them when she finally let's go.
" Let me help you with that." Rufidat takes the jute bag from Chelsea and she sighs in relief.
" Wow, you two are like polar opposites, I'm guessing you must also be in Manhattan then?" Chelsea observed.
"Actually no, I'm in Albuquerque." Rufidat says in a deflated tone," Four houses away from you Sis." She more like complains.
" How come?, we all know Manhattan is easier to get into with people like your Dad. Don't tell me he doesn't know anyone. "
" Well, you know my Dad, even if he knew someone he'd prefer I worked my ass off to get in but that it's not possible with the little space left behind for we students with no connections. " Rufidat shrugs.
Ciarra nods in reckoning and they resumed walking towards the girls house complex.
OoO
Back at the Administration block's second floor, parents and students were still in long queues for their respective houses and to turn in their cleaning supplies.
" Please, the price for the uniforms again?" AuntieNaa asks the clerk behind the desk for the third time since she got there the woman sighs but still replies ,
"65 cedis madame"
AuntieNaa unties the knot she had made on the cover cloth of her newest kaba and slit ( an african wear locally sewn with a top and a long fitting skirt).
At the edge of the large balcony, Heather stood gazing at the seemingly endless landscape of the school.
After adding some coins to the notes she had in hand, she got the exact amount and dropped it on the almost pissed lady's desk. She took the money and handed her a one set of the prescribed uniforms in a transparent plastic bag packaging.
As soon as Heather laid her hands on them, she swooned.
" I still can't believe I'm in Ma...thank you so much."
" Don't thank me, seeing you burn the candle at night studying to get yourself into such a great institution, why wouldn't I support you by any means possible?" Her mom assures her and she gives her a warm smile.
Her sisters would be so excited if they saw this but unfortunately they didn't have the money to make the long trip to the Eastern Region, precisely Kwahu Obomeng. She couldn't wait to try it on.
AuntieNaa moves on to the second clerk to submit their bank drafts. Nelson had strict policies for newly admitted students. You had to have paid your fees in full before admission can be finalised. To that she was grateful for her three older siblings.
Chanel had worked two shifts for a month to make the money for her fees, London and Zara had made sure she had all the needed books and groceries to last a month since they wouldn't be visiting anytime soon. Her mom paid for the trip to the school.
She waited patiently in the queue until her draft was stamped and she was handed receipts and a printed sheet of paper. She had a bad eyesight so she handed the paper over for Heather to read.
"Mom..." She looks up to her mom with an emotionless face, "I got in...I can't believe it but I did, I'm in House 1 Manhattan!" She beams with joy.
" That's such great news, I thought that house was only reserved for protocols." Her mother whispers.
" I'm guessing they left a little space for we genuine applicants just so the public will buy the thought that they weren't trying to practice nepotism. "
" I guess so"
"The letter reads. Dear Amarquaye Heather,
It is an honor to be chosen into the most esteemed house in this institution, Manhattan. Manhattan is known for its distinction in the academic field and in discipline. We accept girls here based on their exceptional academic performance in the Basic Certificate Examination and testimonials from their alma mater.
Our alumni are known for their vast contribution in the development of both the house and the school. We therefore adhere to strict modes of conduct in the house in order to raise trained and capable leaders as we have been doing over the years. We do hope that you will comply to these rules and have a blissful time in the house. We believe in every female child,just as our motto says
'Quod potentia in manus puella'
Meaning, There is power in the hands of a girl.
Thank you and welcome to the house.
Mrs.Asare
Manhattan House
Mistress.
Heather continues to read the latter part of the letter,
We wish to inform you that you have been accepted into the first and premium science class of this school, 1 New Jersey!"
" Ahhhhhhhh!!!"Heather screams in excitement jumping up and down.
She drew a lot of attention and when her mother couldn't take it anymore,she grabbed her by the ear and practically dragged her out of the place down the stairs and back to the reception area.
"Ouch, ouch Ouch Mom...." Heather complained until her mom finally let go of her exactly where they had left their luggage.
Heather winced and begins to rub her ears.
"Why were you trying to embarrass me?" AuntieNaa asks.
"Sorry Ma, I wasn't...its just that I didn't expect to get into New Jersey. I was so sure I would be getting into the latter science classes." She tries to explain herself.
"Well there is success in hardwork so don't be surprised." Her mom reminds her, "Anyway I'll have to get going now if I have to catch an affordable bus back to the city."
"Sure...I'm going to miss you all." Heather sheds happy tears and embraces her mom.
"We're gonna miss you too, I mean now that you are no longer home, I won't have a partner for hawking since all the girls have jobs now." AuntieNaa says when she pulls away.
" Awww, I'm already feeling bad that I chose a boarding school."
" Don't regret it, at least God is keeping you away from all the drama at home. This place is far away so for three months you can only think about yourself and your books peacefully. "She advices.
" You're right Ma, do let them know that I love all of them and tell Roddy I'm already missing him."
" The kid is virtually your son now, he admires you a lot... I've gotta get going though. " AuntieNaa says with a warm smile.
"Okay, bye then."
"Good bye and remember where you're from okay, I know we've talked about this in the bus on the way here so you understand."
" Ofcourse I do." Heather says and her mom turns to leave down the walkway they had earlier ascended.
After sighing in deep thought, Heather turns to her luggage. They didn't have much so she only brought the basics, her grocery box and jute bag. Her backpack was already strapped on both shoulders.
OoO
The four buddies had somehow found a way to end up in the same school and a mixed school to be precise.
In the van towards the school's administration block, they still find a way to cause some chaos. Without their chauffeur's notice, they slip open the van door and hopped out of the moving car unto the sidewalk and experience the effects of Newton's third law.
" Owww, I think I broke one of my packs."Kobby groans subconsciously holding on to his abs, ' It took me six intense weeks to get in shape.'
"Lejandro, do you ever think through your plans?" Samed winced rolling on his back as cars honked at them.
"No I don't and yet you guys always follow through with my plans." Lejandro shrugs with a crazy smirk.
Their chauffeur finally notices their stunt and pulls up in the middle of the road, receiving threats and insults from incoming cars. He walks out and marches up to them with a menacing glare.
" Are you guys crazy?...oh wait, who am I asking,yes you all are." He stood in between Lejandro and Samed and smacked both of them upside the head simultaneously.
" Look here, I am not going to give your parents anymore headache by reporting you to them, so how about a truce?" He tries to ask them calmly, " You stay out of trouble throughout this semester. "
" I don't know, that seems like a really long time with no trouble. There must be something worthy of it." Kobby says in a cunning tone.
" Exactly, something like your newest game console for a week during the holidays." Lejandro suggests.
"Yeah, Yeah, we'll be grounded by then so we'll really need it." Samed adds.
He sighs and agrees, "So you promise not to be notorious?"
"Promise!" They all repeat and he agrees before leading them back to the car and dissolving the traffic he had caused.
They arrived at the admission floor and noticed that unlike the feminine houses which were a big deal to get into, Male houses were distributed in an order of fives. The first five people in the queue get the houses distributed to them in the order; Genesis House 1, Leviticus House 2, Canticles House 3, Chronicles House 4 and Revelations House 5.
With the order in mind, they all arrange themselves in an order that will get all three of them in House 3, their dream house.
In the end it worked and their chauffeur was more than happy to have dumped them in the school. He handed them their ATM cards and helped them get their stuff out of the car. He left them with a smile of relief on his face.
Zaron was left behind to watch their luggages as they went up and down to the house and back. Apparently boys were not much of helpers in the school so they had to bear their own burdens.
OoO
Being a frequent street hawker, balancing heavy load on her head wasn't a problem. She lifted the box onto her head and raised the jute bag with her right hand whiles holding on to the box with her other hand.
She moved in the opposite direction of the path her mom took. She had no idea where Manhattan was located in the first place and she was starting to receive stares frequently. She stopped two neatly dressed girls walking up the walkway in their school uniform for directions but before she could ask, one of them takes her jute bag away from her with a smile and she lifts the box off her head back down.
" Kid, you're going to break your back." The first darker girl says and helps her bring down her box.
" Which house are you off to?" The other girl asks.
"Manhattan. " She informs them and they gave each other astounding looks before turning to her.
"You must be kidding me right?, no offence but as much as you don't look like Manhattan material, you're also under dressed for it...haven't you heard of your house mistress?" The first girl asks and Heather becomes self conscious. She was in a purple flannel long sleeved shirt and dark blue skinny Jean's and her favourite black slip ons.
" She's like the queen of all perfectionists and she sticks to the books. If you walk into that house in that she'd probably either Asarenate you or eject you to another house Asap. Do you have your uniforms handy?" The second girl asks.
Heather wanted to know what Asarenating involved but held back the question.
" I've got a set in my bag." Heather replies and begins to unzip her bag.
" Good, take out the house dress and put that on, there's a rest room behind that building so we'll watch your stuff for you. Go change." She points out the building to her and Heather nods after taking out one of the uniforms, the neatly folded
green sleeveless dress with pleats and walked towards the building.
She didn't know if she could trust them with her stuff but what were the odds?
In a few minutes, she was back in her slightly oversized house dress. She stuffs her clothes into her backpack and they smiled.
" She reminds me of my first day here." One of them comments, " And mind you, we don't wear house dresses with shoes. Did you buy the prescribed sandals?" The second girl asks and Heather nods before taking her sandals from her jute bag and changing her footwear.
After that, they resume walking. One of the girls bore her box for her and the other carried her jute bag. They led her to the house.
Heather was beyond pleased when she walked into the metal gates carrying the words carved in metal, ' Manhattan Welcomes you '. The gates were designed to look like a mesh so you could still see the inside from outside.
When they got in, she was greeted by a flowery path on either side of the pavement and two massive three storey buildings in distinct white tiled walls. There were four benches in the large boulevard separating the two buildings facing each other. A water fountain stood in the centre of it all. She spotted two girls seated there, each with a book in hand. There were other girls watering the euphobias and periwinkles in the boulevard. Far off was what looked like a court...a volleyball slash lawn tennis court.
Some girls were in their PE kit playing tennis. There was a quad and next to it, a cute semi detached house.
She couldn't admire the rest because she had to follow the other girls into Manhattan's hallway.
The hallway was large and yet crowded with girls in clothes matching hers. Precisely one portion of the hallway was crowded.
" What's going on?" Heather wondered.
" It's the dorm allocations. Every one needs to know where their dorms are so they can move in. The list is on the notice board...that has been crowded. "
" We're gonna be here for a long time aren't we?" Heather asks.
" Fortunately, I do know a person of authority in this house. What's your full name?" One of the girls asks.
" Amarquaye Heather." She replies and the girl nods and moves towards the crowd.
They look on until she returns.
" These newbies are crazy, anyway, Amarquaye Heather is supposed to be in dorm one Sey and dorm 1 is on the second floor. Let's go, we'll find the name on the door." Heather helps her with her box whiles the other girl moves up the stairs with her jute bag .
There was a room designated for boxes down the hall. They left hers there and continued to search for her dorm.
It was the first room they came across on the second floor.
" We're here." They both anounce and Heather turns to them.
" Thank you, I didn't even get to ask of your names."
" Oh, it never came up, anyway I am Georgina and she's Gifty we are housemates actually from Pennsylvania House 3." The darker one introduces.
" Nice to meet you and thanks so much for everything. " Heather says.
" Welcome, it's Grace Period after all. That's what we are supposed to do." Gifty shrugs.
" My advice to you, make a batch of friends...not one, get a group and trust me you guys will go places." Georgina also adds and Heather nods to that.
"We've got to go now, search for your bed, your name has been pasted on it."
"Sure thanks again."
They exit her dorm and she turns to find a room with barely any girls. She came across several names. Some foreign to her ears; Rana Mae, Baeta Veronica, McAllister-Attoh Ciarra...
There were at least ten double bunk beds in the very large white room and other sngle beds . Then her eyes caught her name, Amarquaye Heather, right on top of Goodman Ashanti. The surprising thing was that her bunk mate was there but had her face buried in her pillow.
As she drew closer, she realised Ashanti was way lighter skinned than most of the girls she'd come across and had been allowed to keep her hair which was sprawled across her pillow. She heard light sobs when she got near her. She silently dropped her jute bag and wondered if she should talk to her.
She hesitated, what if she blows me off... I mean this is Manhattan house and stereotypically a house of rich snobs. She thought to herself but something was pulling her back from just ignoring her so she sat next to her on her bed. When she noticed she had company she seemed to have stopped crying.
How do you start a conversation with a crying stranger again??
' Hi' She whispered, ' I am Heather...your bunk mate, I don't really know the right words to say and I don't think it's any of my business to ask you why but if you do want to talk, I'll be up here.'
With those words, she picks up her back pack and hurls it on her bed, she picks out her white bedspread and pillowcase and climbs up with her backpack. Standing on the metal ladders, she neatly laid her bed and climbed on. She picked out a novel she'd been reading on the bus ride to the school from her backpack and flipped to the chapter she'd gotten too. Somehow this bed was way comfortable than the mat she slept on at home.
As she relaxed into the twisted plot of James Patterson, she's snapped out of it by a faint voice.
"Heather?...It's Ashanti. "
Oh yes, her bunk mate. She tips her body halfway from her bed and her upper torso comes dangling above the girl and Ashanti couldn't help but chuckle.
"Doesn't that hurt?" Ashanti asks and Heather shifts with a groan.
" Actually you're right it does but if I'm supposed to have a conversation with you from up here, I'll have to start getting used to this because climbing up and down is a chore." She complains.
" You're funny." Ashanti says with a sad smile and puffy eyes,
" Do you hate boarding school that much?...not that I'm being stereotypical but most girls like you are sent to boarding school as punishment."
'You're right about that but that's not the reason. '
" Do you wanna talk about it, cause I can be a great listener." Heather grins
" Someone once told me that talking about your sorrows reduces your pain so why not. " Ashanti replies.
Heather got down the ladder and came to sit opposite her at the foot of her bed.
" Wow you're cute, what are you...like 12?" Ashanti asks in shock when she sees the small adorable girl .
" Thirteen actually. " Heather corrects
" And you're a high school freshman? Aren't you supposed to be in the eighth grade?" Ashanti wonders.
" Well I'm turning 14 soon later this year. And over here in Ghana, middle school is three years long so you practically spend freshman year of high school in junior high so technically I am a sophomore." She corrects, " My mom says age is just a number. "
" I hear you." Ashanti grins.
" Oh, here's your bed. I'm gonna bedazzle your name for you tomorrow okay!!" They hear an elated voice say and they both turned to the bed opposite theirs with two girls standing next to the bed. One looked more excited than the other but they were both in the uniforms.
The other girl waves at them and walks over.
" Sorry for the noise, it's just my best friend. She loves new beginnings. I am Ciarra by the way"
" McAllister-Attoh," Heather adds and Ciarra gives her an impressed smile, "I don't know I kind of kept the names prior to my bed in mind it's a bad habit of mine."
" Oh it's good actually. I haven't even noticed the name of my bunk mate."
" It says Owusua Kweiba." Rufidat reads out and walks to them.
" Hi, I am Rufidat. " She introduces and more students pour in. Some looking pretty matured probably seniors.
" You're pretty." Heather observes and Ciarra practically face palms.
" I never thought those words would come from a girl. My Dad told me boys would say that." Ciarra blushes.
"But you are, you're mixed race right?" Ashanti asked.
" French and Ghanaian, but my mom is french mixed race and my Dad is fully Ghanaian so I consider myself black."
" I'm mixed race too."Ashanti adds.
" Keep dreaming girl cause you're a white kid...not that I want to sound racist. " Rufidat comments
"My mom is white but not my Dad." Ashanti replies.
" You're cute." Ciarra also teases Heather and ruffles her short curly haircut .
" Can everyone stop stating the obvious now." Heather complains.
" C, I've better get going before I miss role call, see you during orientation tomorrow. " She embraces her best friend, "And you guys too."
" Sure, see you." Heather says.
Two other girls move towards the bunk bed behind Ashanti and Heather's but stop when they noticed the three. One looked more like an indian with short hair but the other was totally Ghanaian with the brightest eyes and perfect smile.
" One of you must be Veronica." Heather points out.
" Meet Mae Rana and Moi." She introduced the girl in glasses and herself.
" She means to say the innocent girl and the trouble maker ." Mae jokes in a shy tone.
The girls could already tell one of the two was going to be a great fashionista.
" She's also pretty." Heather whisper shouts to Ashanti.
"Yup, Ronnie definitely got enough boy attention to last her the entire semester on the way to the house."
"Ronnie?...like in Riverdale?" Ashanti asks.
" Why does everyone keep calling me that. I mean my mom called me Vero from home and I get here and everyone prefers to call me Ronnie. "
" It's more ...you." Ciarra replies, "I am Ciarra by the way."
Just when Heather was about speaking up they hear a crushing sound echo through the room and glass scatters across the room.
************
What was that? Read on to find out. Vote
