9

"I would advice you to focus on your books at this moment. You have your test next week..."

Test was next week!

I was so done.

Our Further maths class had ended on a good note, as usual, and Mr Jerome was passing across some information. Part of his announcement was the upcoming test. How could I forget?

I had joined GRA earlier this week, which was the fifth week. Surely, the sixth week was meant for tests. It totally skipped my mind. And today was a Friday, I had just three days to prepare. On the other hand, I was going to collect my phone today. Praise Jehovah!

The bell rang, signifying the end of class and start of break.

"What's up? You look disturbed." Janet pointed out, I noticed she had packed more books than usual.

I grimaced, picking up a book absentmindedly,"It's nothing. Just... don't worry it's nothing."

"If it's about the test, don't stress. It's like a normal class exercise, just more stringent." She tried to assure me, giving a wide smile.

"Oooh. I'll try not to stress." In as much as I don't fail. Failure meant I would be sold off by daddy.

Just kidding... Not!

Janet smiled again,"Let's go see Zik before leaving for the library." We both made our way out of the class, students were trickling slowly into the hall.

I suddenly remembered something," Ooh Janet. I forgot my pen!"

"And I didn't bring extra like this." She drawled, rooted. "Oya go and quickly get it na. You'll find me in Zik's class."

I placed my notebook on hers and ran all the way to the class. Opening the door, the sight that met me was shocking.

The 'Princess' girl was bent low over mine and Janet's bag. Searching for something I didn't get yet.

"Hey! What are you doing?" I raised my voice, the girl looked scared, dropping the bag and trembling.

"I'm... I'm... I'm..." She trembled, her lips were quivering so bad.

I considered shouting at her, but thought twice about it. This school was a reform school, what if her problem was stealing. Princess was a kleptomaniac. I didn't want to jump into conclusions just yet.

"Stop shaking. I'm not going to shout." I promised, ambling closer to her. She became visibly calm at my declaration but was still somehow fretful. "So what were you looking for?" I asked again, once I was close enough to pick our bags from the floor where she dumped them.

"I... I... I..." She stuttered, her eyes roving around.

I guessed she was trying to look for a way to escape. "You can't run. And I was just asking you a simple question." I told her calmly.

"I..." She swallowed and then talked more sensibly,"I'm sorry."

Her head was bowed low, I shook mine and used my palm to lift hers up,"I wasn't asking if you were sorry or not. I said what were you doing?"

"I... I..."

"She said she is sorry, what else do you want?"

It took me a moment to realise we had company. I pirouetted on my heels and turned to see that silent boy. The one Janet called Fikayomi. He stood up for her. I glanced at Princess and saw that she was just as astounded as I was.

"I... I was..." I was the one that became speechless now. Isn't God wonderful?

Fikayomi walked to a seat at the back. I later got to know that he was my classmate, suprise-suprise. And to my sudden inability to speak, he just replied,"Yeah yeah, save it."

Princess scurried fast out of the class. I stood for a while forgetting what I came for. When I remembered that I had a test to prepare for and a friend waiting for me. Having forgotten what I came to the class for, I just took my Physics textbook and walked out as silently as I could.

"What took you so long?" Janet asked the moment I joined her at Zik's class.

I considered telling her what happened but waved it off, whatever happens in class; stays in class," Nothing. Hey Zik!"

"Teni! How far you na?" Zik answered cheerily. I was surprised he did, apart from the first day we met. Anytime we passed by each other in the halls, or I greeted him. He only answered with a brief nod. I've taken into consideration if he was bipolar, but abandoned the thought.

Grace Reform Academy was a school with so many teenagers, that had either physical, emotional or mental problem. Taking a guess about what one person problem was like taking a leap into an ocean.

"I'm good. Are you going with us to the library?" I asked. If he was in a good mood today, I might just as well milk it.

Zik gave a coy look and shook his head in the negative, No, "Reading is for people like you and Janet. As for me, I'll freestyle the test." He declared, doing the moonwalk backwards.

"Zik!" Janet faceplamed.

Hands up if you think they've had this conversation before.

"No no, goo!" He was near the guys that I noticed were fisting a ball. Guys!

I pulled Janet out of the class, opening the door and walking the long distance to the library. We walked in, to the silent room and made our way slowly carefully to the back.

"I thought you said you wanted to go get a pen. Where is it?" Janet pointed out the moment we were seated, our books displayed on the table.

I smiled instead, not knowing what to say. "Is Grace Reform Academy actually a reform school?" I asked when I couldn't keep it in again. Janet raised her head slowly from the maths question she was solving and stared at me.

One.

Two.

Thr...

"Did you come here because you had a problem everyone thought was problematic?" She responded.

I chewed the end of my pen, reacting briskly," Yes, kinda."

"There! You have your answer." She sighed, her focus again on the textbook.

My textbook was opened on Kinetic Energy. I had been reading for about five minutes, but nothing was entering, or rather, the head has refused to hold words.

"I came because I was kinda expelled from my former school." I voiced out. My revelation shocked me myself.

Janet cackled a bit,"Kinda?"

"Okay. I was expelled sha. Trouble maker, anger issues." I replied.

"But you look calm to me."

"Yeah probably." I shrugged,"Maybe because nobody has gotten quite on my nerves yet." I added, my eyes were stuck on the word 'momentum'.

"Ooh." She exclaimed and then talked too,"I'm a binge shopper."

I don't know what that is.

It felt like she read my mind, cause she grinned, explaining it to me. "Whenever I feel sad, happy, annoyed or any kind of strong emotion. I binge shop to kill it or bring it down. It used to be fun until it became a problem. I used up all my savings and decided my dad's money was the next to be used up. He got tired of me and dumped me here. End of my story."

"But it's not—" I started thinking she was done, but she wasn't.

"Oh trust me. It's not a real problem till I take you credit card, and then swipe, swipe, swipe all your savings gone. You're welcome." She completed with a snap of her fingers.

"Wow!"

"Yeah, right. So one way or the other, we have our personal problems. GRA-" A scoff,"Welcomes us all and try to change us... For good."

"Are you...?" I trailed off, not knowing how to put my question without sounding rude. Again she understood perfectly well what I wanted to say,"I'm okay now. I don't binge shop again... most times. Dad has seen to that, mind you. Part of the reasons I have a driver. Don't want me stopping nowhere and getting attracted to stuff."

"Ooooh." I said again.

Janet turned her head and then whispered, at a tone I could here,"It's better we read before Miss Dragon comes here to breath fire on us. We have a test to pass."

I saw the woman she was talking about and chuckled, my attention wholly on the words on my textbook.