CHAPTER THREE

Soren and I left his class and headed to the cafeteria for breakfast. I found the Food Prefect, Cassie, talking to my friends. She signaled for me to join them. Soren went to his friends.

"Adessa, I was telling your friends earlier that I'm sorry about yesterday," Cassie said. "Kemi threatened me that if I didn't do as she said, she would reveal my secret to everyone."

"What secret?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, but I won't disclose it. I'll end up being treated like an outcast," she said.

"So, like us, then," Jensen remarked.

Cassie didn't respond, but her expression said it all.

"I'm sorry to all of you," she said tearfully. "I've received my punishment. HM Smythe has stripped me of my position as Food Prefect for what I did. I'm sorry." Tears flowed down her cheeks as she left us.

"I wonder what her secret is?" Mae pondered aloud.

"I know her secret," Andrew spoke up. "Her mom is Esperanza Graves, the school janitor."

"I see it now—they even have the same last names," I remarked, smiling foolishly to myself for not having noticed sooner. How could I have missed something so obvious?

"How did you find out?" Mae asked.

"I overheard them talking once, when they thought no one was around," Andrew explained.

"That's so sad. She's ashamed of her mother!" Mae exclaimed.

"I like Esperanza. Cassie, not so much after what she did to us yesterday," Jensen muttered. "She could have said no to being used."

He's right, I thought, feeling the sting of betrayal. Cassie didn't have to go along with it, but she did.

"Guys, I'm afraid to eat in the cafeteria again after yesterday," Andrew confessed.

"I personally feel the same," I admitted quietly.

The Head Boy noticed us standing away from the line and walked over. "Go get some breakfast. I promise you there's no rat or anything else in it," he reassured us.

I believed him. I knew the Head Boy; he was a boy with integrity.

"Let's line up," Mae suggested, and we did.

As we passed Grayson's table, he was seated with Elijah and Noah. Grayson coughed and muttered, "Midnight," under his breath. 

"Poly!" he sneered quietly.

When he saw the Head Boy looking at him, Grayson fell silent. Andrew looked ready to retaliate, but I stopped him.

"Andrew, let's not start a fight today. We'll just get into trouble," I cautioned.

Andrew shot Grayson a glare before we continued to the food line. I chose bread, scrambled eggs and sausages for breakfast. The four of us found a table opposite Tendai's. He was seated with Fajir and some boys from the soccer team. 

Kemi came and stood by their table. "Leave," she ordered abruptly. All the boys, except for Tendai, picked up their breakfasts and moved to another table.

Kemi sat opposite Tendai. "Babe, I'm sorry about yesterday," she said with a tone that barely masked her insincerity. "Adessa and her friends pissed me off, which is why I acted the way I did." She wasn't truly apologetic; she was more upset about getting caught than about her actions.

"Kemi, please leave me alone. I meant what I said yesterday," Tendai replied firmly. 

I watched as Tendai reached into his pocket and pulled out a beaded bracelet, holding it out to Kemi. Mae, Andrew, and Jensen were engrossed in a conversation about a party they'd heard of, one we clearly weren't invited to.

"Keep the gift, Tendai. It'll remind you of us," Kemi said with a forced smile.

"No, Kemi, I don't want it," Tendai insisted.

He placed the bracelet on the table and walked away. Kemi caught me watching her. She picked up the bracelet and left the cafeteria.

"Guys, you missed seeing Kemi get humiliated," I said happily.

They didn't hear me. Mae was enthusiastically recounting how epic this particular party had been last year, sharing details she'd heard from Ophelia Whelan, who had been there.

I excused myself to use the bathroom as we were heading back to class after break. When I finished and stepped out of the stall, I found Kemi and Raven waiting for me outside.

Kemi's expression was one of cold determination, while Raven loomed ominously beside her.

"Adessa, I noticed you were eavesdropping on my conversation with Tendai," Kemi accused.

"I was seated right across from your table. Of course, I could hear what you were saying," I retorted.

She looked displeased. "Tell Mr. Ngonzi to switch you with Tendai for the Design and Technology class," Kemi ordered. "I won't let you be his partner."

"Look, Kemi, I already asked Mr. Ngonzi, but he refused. You could try talking to him yourself."

"Why are you so afraid for me to work with him? Are you worried this 'dark like midnight' girl will steal your boyfriend?" I challenged.

"HM Smythe's no-bullying and discrimination talk is making you confident," Kemi said coldly.

Before I could react, Kemi slapped me across the face. "You forget that he likes me; I am his favorite student," she added with a smirk.

Raven, towering beside her, asked, "Can I beat her too?"

Kemi's cruel nod was all Raven needed. Raven, a large girl who served as Kemi's enforcer, pinned me against the wall and punched me twice in the stomach, muffling my attempts to scream.

"Adessa, I can have any guy I want in this school. But for now, I love Tendai, so don't think the HM will protect you from me," Kemi threatened coldly. "I don't know how you'll do it, but avoid Tendai at all costs. Let's go, Raven."

They left me alone in the restroom, huddled on the floor, tears streaming down my face.

Mae found me crying. "Addie, what happened? Why are you crying?" she asked, concerned.

I explained what Kemi and Raven had done to me.

"I knew something was wrong because you took long to return to class," Mae said angrily. "Let's report her, Addie. Enough is enough!"

"No, I don't want any more trouble," I replied weakly.

"Let's get you to the dispensary for a painkiller," Mae suggested, supporting me.

She didn't help me outside the cafeteria in order not to draw attention to me. 

I lied to the nurse in the dispensary, saying I had stomach pain from doing too many sit-ups that morning. "I've been feeling really sore and uncomfortable," I told her. "I think I might have overdone it with the exercise."

"Sorry, don't overdo it if you're not used to it," the nurse advised, giving me a painkiller which I swallowed quickly.

"Mae, go back to class. Let Adessa rest until she feels better," the nurse instructed.

At lunchtime, the nurse made sure we received food since we couldn't go to the cafeteria.

Mae, Andrew, and Jensen visited me.

"What happened to you?" Jensen asked with concern.

"I have stomach pain," I lied, remembering his words about reporting Kemi if she did anything to him or anyone he cared about. 

"Will you be okay?" Andrew inquired.

"It's nothing serious. I'll be fine by the end of the day," I assured them.

"Sorry, Addie," Andrew apologized.

"Sorry, Addie," Jensen said, tapping my shoulder.

I spent most of the afternoon sleeping; the nurse woke me up when it was time to go back home. I ran into Tendai on my way to class to pick up my bag. He was heading to the boys' locker room to change for soccer practice. 

"Hi, Addie," he said with a smile. "Where have you been? I asked your friends about your whereabouts, but they wouldn't tell me."

"Leave me alone, Tendai. Come up with your own ideas and don't talk to me again," I snapped, walking away from him.

"He thinks he can just suddenly be my friend after not caring all this time?" I muttered to myself. There was no way Kemi was going to hurt me because of him. He was not worth my time.

Tendai had transferred to our school in 2021, at the start of our A-level term. Immediately, he and Kemi began dating, despite Kemi previously being with a boy named Rupert Stroma whom she dumped for Tendai. 

He had never acknowledged me. The sudden show in interest wasn't welcome.

I picked my bag and rushed out of class. I passed by the corridor but didn't find him there anymore. "He must have gone for practice!" I thought. I don't care that I was rude to him; Tendai deserved it for being passive.

Mom was waiting in the car in the parking lot. "How was your day, sweetheart?" she asked.

"It was fine, Mom," I lied.

"How was your day?" I asked her.

"I went shopping for new curtains. I decided to take advantage of the discounts today," she replied.

Soren joined us, seeming cheerful as always. He acted as if nothing had happened, only mentioning along the way that the Spelling Bee was canceled. Mom was disappointed because Soren had been looking forward to it. Fortunately, HM hadn't called our parents to tell them about Soren slapping Kemi.

Dad wasn't around on Wednesday morning. Mom was pleased to see that I was sticking to my "wake up early" policy. Breakfast was cereal today, so we finished on time.

I still felt mostly emotional pain from the beating I had received, although the pain in my stomach had lessened. Tendai didn't attempt to call me again last night. I hoped he got the hint that I wanted nothing to do with him.

Mom dropped us off at school once Soren and I were ready. I entered class on time. Kemi arrived just after Ms. Avelon Gopal, who had come to teach Chemistry.

"Why are you late?" Ms. Gopal asked her.

"I was feeling a bit sick," Kemi claimed.

"What are you sick of?" Ms. Gopal pressed. "Give me the symptoms."

Kemi was startled, caught off guard. She hadn't expected this interrogation. "Headache," she said, hesitantly.

"And?" Ms. Gopal demanded.

"And… stomach pain," Kemi added, her voice wavering.

Ms. Gopal's eyes narrowed. "Kemi, I can see you're lying. I don't like liars."

"Detention for you. Find me in the staffroom in the evening."

Kemi tried to protest. "I'm doing a punishment of cleaning in the evenings."

"I don't care. Next time, be honest. I would have forgiven you," Ms. Gopal said firmly. "You will clean, then come find me after."

Kemi sulkily went to sit at her seat, her anger palpable. I felt a surge of satisfaction. Ms. Gopal was no-nonsense and wasn't afraid of Kemi or the Headmaster.

Kemi and her friends didn't attack me over the following days. They never said a word to me. Since I wasn't talking to her ex, there was no need for her to lash out at me.

During Design and Technology classes, I listened to music. I refused to engage with Tendai, no matter how much he tried. Mr. Ngonzi didn't show up for class, making it easier for me to avoid him.

Only Grayson and his friends continued to verbally abuse me. I noticed they stopped insulting me in front of Tendai. Their insults were always the same nowadays: "Adessa, you're dark as midnight." "Here comes my shadow." "You're so black, when the lights went off, the only thing they could see were your teeth." "You're so black, you look like a burnt cookie." These weren't their only insults; there were many more.

I stayed behind to tend to crops in the greenhouse on Wednesday, two weeks after my attack. I went straight to the bathroom after returning from the greenhouse. As I was inside, Kemi, Liz, and Raven entered to clean. 

HM Smythe had given them that punishment for putting a rat in the sauce of me and my friends. It was a light punishment; they deserved something worse.

"We can't skip cleaning today because Esperanza will report us to HM Smythe again," Kemi grumbled. "This is her life story; no wonder she's hell-bent on punishing us so that we have a feel of what she experiences, on a daily basis!"

"Kemi, remember what he said; we're lucky Jensen didn't tell his dad, or it would be worse for us. We've only got two weeks left, and then we're done."

"I'll make sure she loses her job if she reports me again for not cleaning the toilet," Kemi remarked.

"I can give her a beating if you like, just like I did to Adessa last time," Raven added, and they all burst into laughter. I felt a sinking sadness; they were laughing at me.

"Someone's in one of the stalls," Liz said, peering down. She saw my shoes.

I knew I had to come out eventually since they had to clean the toilet, but I was terrified of what they'd do to me. Most students had already left; they could beat me again.

Kemi banged on my stall door. "Come out, come out of there!"

I swallowed a lump, flushed the toilet, and opened the door. The look of surprise on their faces when they realized it was me was almost satisfying, but fear overshadowed everything.

"It's Adessa Kamara, it's been a while," Kemi sneered. "Since you're here, you're going to clean the toilets for us while we watch."

"I won't do it, Kemi. It's your punishment for what you did to me and my friends," I said, trying to walk out.

Liz quickly shut the main bathroom door. "You're cleaning them today. How about you get a taste of what we're doing? After all, it's your fault we're here in the first place," Liz hissed.

"I'm not doing it," I replied defiantly.

Raven grabbed me and shoved my head into one of the toilet bowls. The cold, filthy water hit my face, and the smell overwhelmed me. My body went rigid with panic as I struggled, but Raven held me firm. Just when I thought I'd pass out from fear and disgust, a frantic knock on the door echoed through the bathroom.

"Open the door! I've come to supervise," Esperanza shouted.

Raven yanked my head out of the bowl. The three of them began to panic.

"If she reports us for hurting Adessa, we'll be cleaning these toilets for the rest of the term," Liz muttered nervously.

"Shut up, Liz!" Kemi snapped. "Raven, bring her out here. Adessa, if you report us, I'll tell Raven to give you more punches than she did last time."

I was terrified. The thought of those punches brought back horrible memories.

"Now, wash your hands and face, and get out of here," Kemi ordered.

Esperanza was still knocking. "I'll call Mr. Smythe if you don't open," she threatened.

I washed my hands, face and neck, and Raven opened the door. Esperanza looked from me to the three girls. "Is everything fine here?" she asked.

"Yes," I lied.

I walked past her, went to class, picked up my bag, and walked out of school. I decided to take the Tube back home. I cried as soon as I was inside the train, not caring that people were watching me.

When I got home, I went straight to my bedroom. I took a shower to get rid of the filth and entered my bed. I cried myself to sleep. I refused to eat supper. When will the humiliation stop? I wondered.

The next morning, I woke up feeling hungry since I had skipped supper. I dressed quickly and headed downstairs for breakfast.

"Yesterday, you refused to come out of your room?" Mom asked, her eyes filled with concern.

"I wasn't hungry," I lied, avoiding her gaze.

I couldn't bring myself to tell them about the events of last evening—that I had my head shoved down a toilet, threatened not to report the incident or else I would face the wrath of my bullies. I was enduring emotional and physical torture, and the worst part was that nobody could help me.

"Addie, is everything fine?" Soren asked as Mom drove us to school. "You're awfully quiet. Did something happen to you yesterday at school?"

"No, it's nothing," I lied again.

Everything seemed normal at school; Kemi, Liz, and Raven didn't say a word to me. I had already decided not to mention the incident to my friends. 

When I went to the bathroom at lunchtime, I cried. The memory of what they had done to me there yesterday was too much to bear. I decided I wouldn't go there alone again, just in case I ran into them. I needed to stay safe.

Two more weeks passed, and their punishment ended. It was Wednesday again, and I had to tend to the crops in the greenhouse as part of my Horticulture Club activities. I spent the evening weeding onions with Siobhan Nilsson, my only classmate in the club. We finished at 6 p.m.

Only a few students remained on the school campus, along with the soccer team and spectators. I left Siobhan talking to Mrs. Claudine Joyce, who also served as the head of our club. I went to class to retrieve my bag.

The classroom door was locked, although it was usually left open. I peered inside through the glass and saw a girl smoking a hookah and muttering to herself. On closer inspection, I realized it was Kemi. I ducked out of sight before she could spot me. Why was she smoking in the classroom?

I tiptoed away and hid in the next classroom. Kemi left after five minutes. When I was sure she was gone, I hurried into the classroom, grabbed my bag, and left the school.

Kemi never struck me as crazy before. She was one of the sanest people I knew. Why was she talking to herself?

"Ade, you seem distracted. What's up?" Mom asked during supper.

"Nothing serious," I replied.

"Mom, my friend Levi wants to come over for a sleepover on the weekend. Is that okay?" Soren asked.

"It's okay, but no staying up late playing video games like last time," she said.

"Okay," Soren said.

That was a lie; they were still planning to play until 3 a.m., just like last time when Mom caught them.

Alone in my room again, my thoughts returned to Kemi. Why was she smoking a hookah in class? 

I needed to tell my friends. I messaged them on our group chat about what I had witnessed.

Addie: Hey guys 😊

Addie: Something strange happened today... I saw Kemi smoking a hookah and muttering to herself in class 🤔

Addie: I saw her when I went to pick up my bag

Addie: It was bizarre

Andrew is typing…

Mae is typing…

Mae: Oh my God, Addie! That's bizarre 😱

Andrew: LOL 😂

Andrew: I wonder what she was saying?

Mae is typing…

Andrew is typing…

Andrew: What a weirdo 😜

Mae: What do you think she was saying?

Mae: Do you think she's finally lost it? Because if so, I'm all for it 😂

Jensen is typing…

Addie: I don't know, guys. I just have a feeling nothing good will come of this 😬

Jensen: I know what she was doing. That was witchcraft 🧙‍♂️

Jensen: People have threatened my dad with witchcraft before because they hate him 😞

Mae is typing…

Andrew is typing…

Mae: I didn't expect you to know that, Jensen 😮

Andrew: True smh 🤦

Addie: Jensen, does your dad practice witchcraft?

Jensen is typing…

Addie: You're right; my mom tells me that back home in Africa, people bewitch each other 😮

Addie: I'll ask her what she thinks about it

Jensen: Every politician does something to stay in power. Dad isn't special. I won't get into this because someone could end up reading these texts 😅

Andrew is typing…

Andrew: Ok

Mae is typing…

Mae: This is unbelievable. I don't believe in witchcraft 🤷‍♀️

Addie: Jensen, you need to tell us more

Jensen is typing…

Addie: Sorry. Goodnight 😴

Mae: Addie, what are you doing?

Andrew: Goodnight, gotta get back to my game 🎮

Jensen: What time do you go to bed, man?

Andrew: 11 pm

Jensen: Yet, you're one of the first people to show up at school

Andrew: I only sleep for five hours

Andrew: Goodnight 😴

Jensen: Goodnight 😴

Addie: Mae, I need to sleep; I have practice early tomorrow; I'm tired 😴

Mae: Okay

Mae: Goodnight 😴

Addie: Goodnight 😴

My parents' stories from their childhood were now unfolding before my eyes. Dad had always been knowledgeable about this topic. He often recounted the story of his neighbor in Sierra Leone, a notorious witch doctor who had killed many people in the village, including Dad's parents. He and his siblings had fled the village because of him. Witchcraft is real!