CHAPTER 1

School was to resume the following Monday but instead of being happy,I was filled with worries.Why was I worried, after all I would be leaving the junior level and become a senior student.I attended Rosebud Private School which was the most prestigious school in my time and only students that were very intelligent and brilliant were admitted, though some less brilliant students with wealthy and influential parents were admitted into the school.In the school, there were three levels:the primary, junior secondary and the senior secondary.The primary pupils were the school babies,they were given special treatment, while the junior secondary students were to attend to both seniors and primary kids,for example,a primary kid might go to a junior secondary student and ask for help-probably with their home work.But then the senior students ,yes,the senior ones,they could come anytime to any junior student and ask for anything and no one dares disobey-well let them disobey if they want their head chopped off.The senior students had so much authority over the junior secondary students that even the teachers could do nothing.

So finally leaving the junior level

should be my delight,but like I said,I was very worried.What was my worry or what were my worries?The senior girls,yes right from the time I was admitted into Rosebud I had always been troubled by them,now you would be wondering why the senior girls would always trouble and disturb an innocent junior female student,well,it could only be one thing:if they felt she is more beautiful and attracts the attention of most male students in school,then they would make schooling equivalent to hell for such student.But quite unfortunately,that was the case for me,I was blessed with a kind of beauty that no one of the opposite gender could resist,even my female counterparts would wish they weren't one-but pride wouldn't allow them,so because of this unusual and appealing beauty of mine,I had always been bullied by the senior girls.Oh! Why didn't I report to the school authority?Well that's a very brilliant question,why didn't I report to the school authority?Now know this, whether I reported to the school authority or not they would have their way,yes they might be punished,and the maximum punishment would be "apologize",I know right now you are wondering if that's a punishment,well it isn't but for them It was the greatest punishment, apologize? it would be stepping on their egos,so at first I was happy when in the principal's office they were asked to apologize to me and they had no choice,at least they have said it and it could not be unsaid but the way they would bully me next time would be life and death.I had reported them like an hundred times and they had said sorry like an hundred times but they never stopped bullying,so there's no point in reporting any more-i had gotten used to it.So why exactly was I worried?Now I was more worried because even when I was in the junior level and was distant from them,they would make it to where I was and bully the hell out of me but now that I was advancing to the senior level,I would be at their finger tips and they would now do me the way they wanted.Now what got me more worried was that all senior students were on board which means I would be resuming as a boarder and not a day student anymore, then I would probably be living right in hell.

I could not help but kept thinking about what the outcome of my life would be in Rosebud.

I heard my mum call my name and I quickly snapped out of my thoughts to answer her call. "You called me mum." I said as soon as I got to where she was. "Yes I did angel,I need you to get me some things from the stall down the street,take, " she gave me a paper on which she wrote some things and I collected it, "The things you need to get are on the list,I need you to be very quick,you know your dad will arrive home soon and we have to make sure dinner is ready before he comes."when she said she needed me to be very quick I knew she was telling me to avoid the boys on our street as best as I could.You know I said earlier that I was very beautiful,yes,so whenever I went out to run an errand for my parents,especially my mum,I was always late to deliver because of the boys frequent disturbance,you would be hearing things like:"Yellow pawpaw, you have not told me your name and I won't let you go until you do." or "Damsel why won't you just accept to go out with me,I'll take real care of you,you know that I'm the biggest boy on this street."Some might even go the extent of asking me to marry them, wait,

what would one not hear? Imagine asking a junior secondary school teenage girl to marry you,isn't that craziness? I needed to devise a plan to avoid the boys and get home as quickly as I could,so l put on an hat,a sun shade and a nose mask and set out.I successfully made my way past the one who called himself the biggest boy on our street an I sighed in relief of my first conquest, successfully I passed bobo(the yellow pawpaw guy).I avoided all of them till I got to the stall,oh ,it was indeed a great victory.I bought the things mum sent me and made my way back home, again I successfully passed them without they noticing and I was very happy, little did it occurred to me that the husband who wanted to marry a wife (me) was waiting for me at the beautiful gate (our street's center of attraction),he must have noticed me while I was going and gotten the hint that I was trying to avoid him judging by the way I was dressed.My house to the beautiful gate was just about two to three or four minutes trek,so before he could make any move,I took to my heels and he also ran after me,I could hear him shout things like:"Hey future wife,don't run from me I really love you and want to marry you."I didn't even pause or anything like that,I just kept running.Now one thing that kept me wondering was why some men were so shameless,this one was even a man and not a boy,and he's saying he wanted to marry me,what foolishness.l ran farther from him and kept running till I got to the gate of my house,"Oh finally I can rest."I said trying to gather my breadth.I entered and my mum was shoked that she exclaimed:"Angel!" "This is a wow for me, how'd you do it?"she asked."Well mum,I just pulled a trick,and it worked." I replied her."Well that's nice,I wish you did this every time I send you to the stall." She collected the things from me and moved towards the kitchen,I followed her. Now she started talking again but this time she looked more serious,"You know my dear,those boys out there are just ambitionless ,they just have nothing to do ,that's why they run after innocent girls like you, don't pay attention to their words oo, they will just have you distracted.okay?"

"Okay mum, I know,they are only attracted to my beauty and nothing more,they are not like daddy." I replied.She looked at me,

smiled and said:"Hmn,so what about daddy oo, what's he like?"Then I started blabbering "Mum you know daddy does not just love you because you're beautiful,he loves every other thing. "

"And how do you know that?"

"I just know mum it's so obvious even a newborn would know how much daddy loves you."

"Hmn?"

"Yes mummy,and I know you love daddy too."

"You know that too?"

"Yes mum how would I not know?"

"And how do you know?"

"Well mum you'll have to pay,I've given you enough free information, mummy pay to hear the rest, pay to hear the rest!"

"You really take after your father,now you can't answer questions anymore without getting paid,what a child."

"I take after my daddy."

"I know right."

"And my mummy too."

We both bursted in laughter and continued chatting while cooking till daddy came back from work.We had dinner,went into our various rooms to rest and that was when I remembered my problems again,I could not even share it with my parents because I knew that the moment they find out,they'd definitely flare up and my oppressors might end up leaving the school for good (through expulsion) and I didn't wanted that.Apart from being beautiful I was also kind hearted and that was the major reason the senior girls had been able to bully me to the extent they had done.Well I just had to lay my head to rest till that time came so I just went to sleep and waited for Monday to come.

Finally, Monday had come and school resumed fully.My parents drove me to school,helped in completing my registration and also helped in setting my things up in the hostel.The moment I stepped into my hostel room,I knew I was in for trouble indeed because I was to share a room with one of the senior girls, senior Vivian,(My parents got me a twin hostel.) "Like,is this playing?"I thought to myself,this would be real hell for me.I had the grace to change rooms but my parents specifically chose that one for me giving the reason that sharing a room with a senior student was the best choice in that she's been there before me and would direct me if I'm at any stage confused.What choice did I have then?I had to stay quietly in that hell with the devil. Senior Vivian acted like a really nice child to my parents and they were very happy with the thought that they had set me up with an angel. My parents bid is good bye and left us (me and senior Vivian) together in the hostel. Trying to escape for my life before senior Vivian starts to pick on me ,I tried to excuse myself from the room but as I was just about stepping out of the room,I heard senior Vivian scream:"Stop there!"