Chapter 13

" What about me? " Kiishi asked as she opened the door to her room, Tamilore followed her inside.

" You know you cannot fool me. " Tamilore said as she sat on the edge of Kiishi's bed.

" Tami, I'm fine. " Kiishi assured her worried looking cousin.

" You're not, I can tell. Kiishi do you have any idea how I got here? " Tamilore said with an emotional laden voice.

" Tami I... I really am okay. " Kiishi said as she stripped her clothes.

" I need to have a shower. " Kiishi said as she disappeared into her bathroom.

When she came out she was slightly disappointed to see her cousin still sitting on her bed, she knew Tamilore would not give up until she convinced her she was fine.

" So want to start talking now? " Tamilore asked as Kiishi sat on the bed beside her.

" Tami I don't know what to say... " Kiishi started.

" Tell me the truth, what's troubling you? Is it a boy. " Tamilore looked her cousin in the eye to make sure Kiishi would not lie to her.

" Yes. " Kiishi finally gave in.

" What's his deal? " Tamilore asked.

" He won't stop looking at me. He won't just stop pestering me. " Kiishi voiced out her frustration.

" Have you confronted him? " Tamilore asked her friend.

" Yes but he won't stop. " Kiishi sighed.

" You should report him. " Tamilore said in a firm voice. She remembered how it had started with her.

" It's not that serious. " Kiishi shrugged.

" Kiishi this is abuse whether or not you admit it. " Tamilore said.

" No it isn't he hasn't done any... " Kiishi stopped there because she remembered the nudes he had sent to her phone, she wondered if that could be considered abuse.

" Kiishi what did he do to you? " Tamilore noticed the hesitation in Kiishi's voice.

" He hasn't done anything, I promise I would tell you if something happens. " Kiishi said.

" What's his name? "

" Kolapo. " Tamilore shuddered, it couldn't be. She took a deep breath, it was probably a coincidence.

" Tami? Are you okay? " Kiishi asked noticing the change in her cousin's mood, she knew it was not easy for Tamilore to discuss such a trying issue especially considering what she was going through.

" I'm fine just promise me you'll be fine. " Tamilore replied.

...

On Monday Kiishi received a note from Joshua during short break that they should meet in the library during the long break. She pondered why Joshua had not told her this when they spoke last night but she did not think much about it.

During break she strolled into the library, she was about to turn back because she saw no one until she heard his voice from behind and became rooted in fear momentarily.

" I knew you would come. " his voice was almost lacking in emotion.

" What the fuck is the meaning of this? " Kiishi tried to act like she was not scared but in fact her hands were shaking.

" I thought you were smart you know but it turns out you're pretty naive. " As he said this Kiishi scanned her immediate environment for anything that she could turn into a weapon but she found nothing.

" I don't intend to hurt you, just be a good girl and obey me, okay? " as he said this she could hear him locking the door, and she thought how the fuck did he have a key? And how many more minutes before the librarian would be back from her lunch break?

" I do like a slow burn romance. That is why I'm a huge fan of webnovel. " Kolapo remarked as he jingled the key in his hand.

So he did read? Kiishi thought, she wasn't a big fan of webnovel but some of the books there were good like the one she was currently reading but she didn't have the time to remember the name because just then she saw her weapon, there was a Nancy drew book resting on one of the tables nearby and it was a hardcover novel, just perfect. As Kiishi surveyed her environment she thanked God for her mother who had thought her that desperate situations called for desperate measures and wherever you may be there is always a weapon ready to be used. She was also very grateful her mum had made sure she always a her pepper spray on her, a very tiny bottle that worked wonders. Alongside her pepper spray was a pen that she had learnt could be used for more things than writing alone.

" I want just one kiss Kiishi, one kiss just to prove that I am way better than your Joshua. " Kiishi took stock of Kolapo now. He had a heavy build but that did not make him invisible, there were many vulnerable spots, his eyes which she intended to blind with pepper spray, his eyes that her pen would find solace, his crotch that her knee kick hard and his adam's apple that she had learnt from an American movie that it was a weak spot for men indeed, it was about time to know because the mysteries of Nancy drew were about to uncover it.

Kolapo was saying something but she was not listening, it was his movements she was watching. He took a step forward and she took one backward towards the table that had Nancy Drew waiting to be used, they kept at this until she cornered by Kolapo. She could see his smirk, it was the way he wore that silly expression that most irritated her but she kept her calm she understood the importance of timing so she waited.

Kolapo now had his hands firmly placed on both side of her on the table, he was hovering over her and she could smell the mint sweet he had been licking all day. Carefully, she slipped her hand into the right pocket of her blazer jacket where she held onto her pepper spray waiting patiently for Kolapo's vulnerable moment and it came because just then she saw him relax as he leaned further towards her for a kiss. It was then she unleashed the goodness of pepper into his eyes and before he could process what was happening she kneed him between his legs. She grabbed the Nancy drew novel and used it to hit his gut with all the force she could muster. All her efforts combined made him drop the key he had clenched in his fist and before he could recover she picked the key, opened the library door and was confronted with a very angry looking Joshua.

" Did he hurt you? " Joshua asked but Kiishi who was mentally exhausted only wrapped her hands around Joshua and began sobbing.

" It's okay Kiishi. You did well. " Joshua comforted her. When she had calmed down, Joshua disentangled himself from her embrace to deal with the nemesis inside.

" He's really strong Joshua, he might hurt you. Please just let him be and spend the rest of break with me, Bisola is not around. " Kiishi held Joshua's hand.

That day by some miracle Kolapo did not follow the school bus home and she couldn't be more grateful.

When she laid down later that day to process the occurrence of the day she pondered how things would be from henceforth. She had used everything she could to beg Joshua not to tell anyone. Kolapo had failed with whatever plans he had for her but that did not mean she wanted anyone else to know. She was very much aware how rumours started and she was in no mood to be the conversation on people's lips.

As she started drifting off to a fitful sleep she remembered Glory. She had totally forgotten her promise to call her earlier on. She picked her phone, it was just fifteen minutes to eleven. She put a call through to Glory at the very least to leave a missed call but surprisingly Glory picked the call.

" Glory? I'm sorry I should have called earlier. " Kiishi apologised as soon the call went through.

" Kiishi? Dad is fine. He's injured but he's alive. He survived. " Glory said as if it was a huge miracle but it was to her considering four persons had died on that plane and it could have been her dad.

" Thank God. " Was all Kiishi could say and she was not only thankful because Glory's dad had some how made it alive, she was also thankful she had somehow made it out of the library.

" I won't come to school this week. Can you please send me the notes I miss? " Glory asked.

" Of course, where is your dad though? "

" He's in Abuja receiving treatment. "

" Are the injuries severe and how about you? Are you already in Abuja? " Kiishi inquired.

" He has some burns but the doctor said he's very lucky and he would survive it. He has to Kiishi. " Kiishi could hear the desperation in her voice and judging from what she had seen on Sunday Kiishi knew Glory needed her father.

" Your dad will be okay. I'm guessing you're in Abuja? "

" Oh yes, we took the earliest available flight as soon as we received the call. " Glory explained.

" Oh okay. Take care then I should leave you to sleep. " Kiishi said.

" yeah. Bye. Goodnight. "

Kiishi dropped her phone by her bedside table for some reason she could not sleep and she was having a bad headache so it was impossible to read either.

She left her room in search of some water and she saw Busayo sitting in the dining with a cookie in her hand.

" You're meant to be sleeping. " Busayo whined, she knew it was fruitless trying to hide the cookie she had just stolen.

" So you're the one stealing the cookies. No wonder they've been finishing fast. " Kiishi accused her sister who looked like the exact definition of a thief who had been caught red handed.

" It's only this one time, ah. " Busayo glared at her sister.

" Really? It doesn't seem like it to me. " Kiishi said with her eyebrow raised.

" Will you tell mummy? " Busayo asked in a small voice.

" So you are scared of getting caught. " Kiishi wanted to laugh at the expression on her sister's face. She had been looking for a way to get her mind off things and her antidote had been here all along eating stolen cookies.

....

" Just like that they expelled Kolapo from school for doing what exactly? " Bisola asked wide eyed after they had left assembly.

" You heard the principal, for reasons so grave it cannot be disclosed. " Kiishi replied in a lazy tone.

The truth is she had not seen it coming. Yesterday, when Joshua had promised her he would not report Kolapo she should have known that Joshua was not one to let sleeping dogs lie or maybe it was because...

" You know something about this don't you? What is it you're not telling me? " Bisola said looking at her friend.

" Ola see... "

" Don't you go Ola on me. What happened yesterday? " Bisola demanded.

" Fine, I'll tell you about it but not here okay? " Kiishi pleaded with her friend.

" Alright. " Bisola gave in to Kiishi.

" That reminds me Kiishi there's a rumour going round school that you sent your nudes to some old man for big money. There are some other rumours about you too. " Bisola told her friend in a hushed voice so other students passing would not hear them. No wonder people have been looking at her funnily since morning.

" That's outrageous! " Kiishi exclaimed.

" Of course. I don't even know if anyone would believe such things. I wonder how the rumours started in the first place. " Bisola said but Kiishi did not say anything because she was thinking about that too.

" Does this have anything to do with Kolapo? " Bisola queried in a low voice. Kiishi did not answer her friend she had thought of the possibility and to be honest she would not put it past Kolapo to do such a thing.

" I will take your silence as a yes. "

Later when Kiishi told Bisola the abridged version of what transpired between she and Kolapo she saw the shock and anger in her eyes.

" He seemed like such a sweet guy. I had no idea he was a scumbag. " Bisola remarked but Kiishi could see that there was something Bisola was not telling her.

" Spill already, you've not been involved with him have you? " Kiishi asked.

" I, he asked for nudes and... Oh my God what if he posts them? " Kiishi could tell that this was no joke, Bisola's hands were shaking.

" Was your face in the pictures you sent? " Kiishi asked her friend.

" No. " Kiishi sighed in relief upon hearing this at least if he leaked her pictures, she could deny it.

" Then it's fine. You can always deny it. " Kiishi told her friend.

" Have you heard from Glory? She's been away from school. " Bisola said after a while.

" Oh yes, she's in Abuja. You know the plane that crashed on Sunday morning, her father was in it. "

" Jesus! Is he, is he? " Bisola could not bring herself to say the word dead.

" He's fine. He's receiving treatment in Abuja. You can't tell anyone though and she she says you should call her. She's been trying to reach you. " Kiishi clarified to her friend.

" Oh okay. I'll give her a call when I get home. My parents ceased my phone during the weekend. " Bisola said.

" Why? "

" They said I should study for my exams. " Bisola shrugged. Kiishi was glad her parents never ceased her devices during exams.

" So how are you going to call her? " Kiishi asked.

" I'll explain things to mum. She'll understand. "

....

" Don't you think you went too far by getting him expelled? You didn't tell principal about... " It was Wednesday, the day after Kolapo had been expelled from school.

" I didn't tell principal but I told her other things. " Joshua assured Kiishi.

" Other things like? " Kiishi inquired.

" His BECE is forged. He never sat for that exam. " Joshua said.

" How did you know? " Kiishi whispered.

" I have my sources. " Joshua shrugged.

" Okay but how come the school didn't know before now? " Kiishi asked.

" I don't know. "

" Still lobbying his expulsion from school, I didn't even know you had such power to influence things like that. " Kiishi said with all seriousness. She just realised that Joshua is someone she should be wary of. She could not imagine getting on Joshua's bad side.

" Don't worry, I don't abuse the information I'm privy to. " Joshua said when he saw the look on Kiishi's face.

" Do you have dirt on everybody in this school? " Kiishi asked.

" Just the important people and Kiishi I didn't ensure his exit from school just because of you, I did it for every other girl in this school. As head boy that's my responsibility and I have female cousins too. " Kiishi knew Joshua was trying to lessen to the guilt that was weighing in on her since Kolapo's expulsion but what he had just said made perfect sense.