When the Table turns

Queen stood nervously in front of Senior Gloria's bed, wondering why senior had summoned her this time. There was nothing good about anything senior Gloria was a part of. Sighing inside her, she could still recall the role she played in almost getting Anna expelled. After that day, she had promised herself never to do something that terrible again. And now she hated anything that had to do with Senior Gloria. But, of course, she couldn't say that Senior Gloria's face. That would put her in deep shit. So, she stood patiently as she listened to every word senior Gloria said.

"I don't understand why you are standing like a mannequin. Sit down. I don't want any other person overhearing what I am saying to you," Gloria whispered, with her gaze fixed on Naomi's empty bed.

"You must listen to everything I am telling you. And do exactly as I say!" Gloria instructed.

Here we go again, Queen thought to herself, desperately wanting to roll her eyes at senior Gloria, but she couldn't dare. Not while she was still a junior in Bishop Evangelical college.

"Make sure your uniform is torn. Make it believable. Cry very well, and lie enough against her. You know the new matron hates such stories. I will find a way to be there and back you up. Or even find juniors to add to the lie. Just do exactly as I say. Make her look evil," Gloria said hastily as other girls strolled into the dorm room gradually, making it difficult for Gloria to continue her private conversations with Queen.

When senior Gloria was done with her instructions, Queen couldn't stop wondering what the new girl had done to deserve such cruelty from Senior Gloria and when she would stop with all her wicked acts.

"Are you listening to me? I said you can go! You better do as I say or else" Senior Gloria's stern warnings jolted Queen out of her wandering thoughts.

"Please go now, before someone sees us talking!" Senior Gloria handed her a packet of long chocolate biscuit and shushed her off like she was a fly.

Queen flung the biscuit on her bed as soon as she got into her room, fuming in anger. Can you imagine what she gave me for me to lie against an innocent person? What does she think I am? Evil senior, she grumbled to herself.

But the silly payment the senior gave her wasn't the major reason she was angry. She was upset because she had changed and what Senior Gloria was asking her to do was against her new nature. No one believed she was no more a snitch for the seniors. But ever since the incident with Anna, she had changed because her guilt had eaten away at her every day until she couldn't take it any longer. Now, senior Gloria wanted her to go back to being that little snitch she was no longer proud of. No way! She would not play to Senior Gloria's tune this time… she wouldn't, Queen declared boldly to herself.

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Naomi turned swiftly in surprise when a junior she had never spoken to tapped her and asked to speak in private with her. It piqued her interest. And her curiosity drove her to follow the unfamiliar junior to a corner to find out why she wanted to speak with her in private. With an unwavering gaze, she watched quietly as the junior's eyes darted around while she spoke. Though they were in a hidden place, the junior seemed terrified of something or someone.

"I know you don't know me and you are wondering why I want to talk to you. But I need to make this quick. You are senior Naomi, right?" Queen's voice quivered.

"Yes, I am Naomi. Is there any issue?" Naomi inquired of the scared junior.

"emmm… I must let you know that senior Gloria has some evil plans for you. I'm not sure why, but she asked me to tell the Matron lies about you." Queen spoke quickly, before her fear overcame her courage to speak the truth.

"What? Why?" Naomi asked, alarmed that her cover had been exposed.

"I don't know. She didn't tell me. She just told me what to do. But I couldn't do it because I know you don't deserve it."

"Tell me exactly what she asked you to do." Naomi breathed in anger. They wanted to ruin her just like they did to her brother. No way! She was here to avenge her brother and she must!

"She told me to tear my uniform and make it look like you bullied and beat me up. Then I would report to the matron and she will be there to testify against you, with some juniors too. She said I should lie that you took all my provisions and when the matron gets to your corner, she will find all those things there because she will plant them there. And you would be punished severely for it." Queen hurriedly repeated everything senior Gloria had told her to Naomi.

"Why didn't you do it? Why are you telling me instead?" Naomi asked, her mind filled with doubts about the junior. "Why should I believe you?"

"Because the last time I did something like this, I couldn't sleep because of the regrets! You can ask Anna about it. She's a junior like me. I don't want to do it again." Queen said weakly.

"Senior, please, I have to go now. I don't want her to see me talking to you. I just had to tell you." Queen said hastily, making a move to run when she saw a group of seniors walking close to where they were hiding and talking.

"Wait… here's what you will do if you really want to help me and if you really feel guilty about what you did to Anna…" Naomi stopped her from leaving.

When the new senior gave her new instructions to follow, Queen reluctantly agreed to do them. Though she was against setting someone up, she listened to the senior's every word and resolved to do them.

"Don't you think she deserves this for plotting against me?" Naomi asked when she saw the weary look on the junior's face.

"I think she does"

"If I don't use her plan against her, she will never stop plotting against me. Here… what is your name?" Naomi asked as she offered the junior a beautiful bracelet she was wearing.

Queen's eyes lit up at the beauty of the bracelet and she was glad she had decided to tell the new senior about Senior Gloria's plans.

Naomi watched as the junior dashed off with a smile on her face, and she was glad she had exposed Gloria's plans.

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At night when everyone slept, Gloria tip-toed from her corner to place stolen provisions in Naomi's corner. After planting the items in Naomi's corner, she crept back to bed and closed her eyes to sleep. Yes, she was finally going to give Naomi a taste of her own medicine. And she'd learn never to mess with her again. Her evil thoughts echoed in her head.

Naomi watched her with half-open eyes and smiled to herself. Foolish Gloria was about to be shocked in the morning.

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"The matron wants to see you now!" One girl of Gloria's roommates informed her early in the morning.

"What? See me for what?" She asked, confused.

"Ask me again!" the girl answered rudely before walking off.

Gloria dusted her clothes of invisible dusts, straightened her uniform, inhaled and exhaled several times before walking toward the matron's office. Her heart was beating because she hated being summoned by the matron. She had a feeling something was wrong. But she had no idea what it was. She had done nothing wrong. What could the matron be calling her about? She asked herself repeatedly, her feeling of dread growing stronger as she got closer to the matron's office.

She had barely walked into the matron's office when she saw Queen crying, her uniform looking torn and her face even looked bloody. Why was Queen here playing by the script she had given her?

The matron's glare told her she was in trouble.

"Gloria… the last time we had a conversation, what did I say to you? That it was your first strike, right? And now you've offended me once more.You all know how much I hate bullying. Have I not warned you girls several times not to hit, maltreat or bully your juniors? Was that not the number one rule I gave you guys when I arrived? Wasn't it? You have gone too far with yours. Why would you do this to your fellow student? Why?" the matron screamed at Gloria. Her hostile glare raked through Gloria's shaky body.

Gloria just stood there shaking, as her eyes darted from a teary Queen to the angry matron. She wanted to deny whatever Queen had told the matron, but the matron looked too angry to listen to her and she didn't have the courage to speak up for herself. Besides, the matron thought her to be the devil and would never believe her.

"You took away her provisions; tell me, do you want her to starve? You beat her up! Why? Why are you being cruel to a fellow girl like you? You should be suspended for this! You should! I should get you suspended or even expelled." The matron barked, her friendly face contorting into a scary one. It was so scary that Gloria had no idea when she fell to her knees and started pleading.

"Ma, I am so sorry. I promise never to do again!" Gloria pleaded, even though she was not guilty of what she was being accused of.

"The last time was your first strike; this is your second strike… next time I am taking you straight to the Deaconess. I am giving you the grace to change now because you are the Deaconess' child and because I am kind. Get up!"

Gloria was grateful the matron wasn't going to punish her. She was about to thank her when the matron dealt her a deadly blow she wasn't expecting.

"You think it is over? Your punishment is to wash her clothes every Saturday for a month and it is now your duty to clean the Junior's toilet every day. Did I make myself clear?" Matron asked, sounding a bit calmer than she had been.

Gloria nodded in agreement but deep down she wanted to strangle Queen for putting her in such a big mess. Her! How could a whole popular hottie like her clean the junior's toilet and wash Queen's clothe? How? She screamed in her head as she trudged back to her room after getting an intense warning from the matron. "How could the matron reduce her to nothing?"

Her life was miserable now! Naomi was winning! She cried. She was about to rest her poor head on her bed when she saw another letter.

"We told it never ends until you say the truth. Now, you know who we are and what we want. Come clean! Let the school board know the role you played in getting Sylvia and Stanley abused. Expose all your accomplices. Time is ticking…"

"From Anna and Naomi"

Her evil was finally catching up with her, she told herself amidst tears as she squeezed the letter.

She cried some more before tearing the letter as she stared ahead towards Naomi's bed and saw her smiling wickedly at her. Breathing heavily, Gloria felt a strong desire to storm towards Naomi and fight her. But she couldn't because it would only land her in more trouble. It was time to do exactly what they wanted from her. She told herself, feeling weak and tired of the constant misery she was facing at the hands of the duo. It was time for her to do what Anna and Naomi wanted from her.