Chapter 8

GEM

This past weekend has definitely been interesting and unexpected. From agreeing to going out with Ramsey to how much I enjoyed his company and  the rate at which I wanted the outing not to end was alarming. Things are definitely changing,my feelings especially,before now seeing Ramsey immediately set me on panic mood because I was always expecting him to tease me or do something that'll made cry,but now seeing him made me warm all over and I didn't know how to explain it,maybe I did know but I've refused to admit. Maybe,just maybe I've begun to like Ramsey a little more than I despised him. Hearing Eve gudh about how large his physique had grown and his looks had improved since she last saw him made me blush internally because I've surely noticed. Overall report,the weekend was one of the best I've had in a long time and it made me forget about how lonely I get without my parents.

It was Monday morning again,I groaned internally at the beginning of the 5 days torture in that school hell,not to forget that I start my cleaning punishment today,I was tempted to guilt trip Ramsey into joining because he had been a major contributor of the alleged crime but I decided not to, because him joining would involve spending more time around him,and that I didn't need now till I got whatever this warm fuzzy feeling was all about. I locked my door and started walking to get a tricycle. I passed by the Emmanuel's frontage and saw that their car was still in their driveway,but the moment I wanted to walk past,Mrs Emmanuel, Ramsey's mum called my name. 

"Gemi Gemi." She called out jokingly.

I hadn't seen her come out through the front door,she had probably come from the back. 

"Good morning mummy." I replied as I walked to her. 

"How're you? Hope you're fine o." She continued.

"I'm ok ma." I replied politely.

"Ok start going to school o before you get late,I don't even understand how David can't be punctual like you. It's God that will help him." She said and I laughed in reply to her statement.

As I turned to continue on my normal route a voice called out.

"Bighead." A voice that was undoubtedly Ramsey's.

"Come join us in the car." He continued.

"You guys aren't even ready, so I should wait and get late?" I replied.

"We're ready. David's just getting something from his room." And as if on cue David opened the door immediately Ramsey finished what he had said.

"Ughhhh." I looked into the sky and groaned.

"But I don't want to. Is it by force?" I replied.

"Mtchewww." He hissed and reached for my hands to drag me inside the car with me as his mom and David watched,Mrs Emmanuel with a smile on her face and David a frown on his.

"You've always been like this with each other since childhood,I thought you guys might have outgrown this incessant bantering. Husband and wife." She laughed and walked inside.

At the husband and wife comment I felt my heart turn and hoped my nervousness didn't show on my face. I sat in silence beside Ramsey and David sat at the front as their dad drove us to school,as much as I had declined their ride,I was glad Ramsey had insisted because it reduced my rush and stress. We arrived at school and we came down from the car as their dad drove off. We had arrived a few minutes before assembly was supposed to start,the moment we walked in together everybody,I mean everybody began to stare and I became nervous but Ramsey grabbed my hands and pulled me as if to snap me out of my nervousness,we walked off to the assembly leaving David behind. The assembly began and ended in time with the regular process of praise and worship session, prayers,brief preaching, announcement,etc.after which everybody was dismissed to their classes. I lost Ramsey in the crowd and entered my classroom by myself,I got to my sit and was repulsed at the sight I met,my sit was littered with decayed stuffs,from rotten eggs to some other things that I could barely recognize,but the stench from it was hell. This treatment wasn't new, everybody knew,but they upped their game. Whoever did this must've expected me to cry like I did the first time when I was tripped and fell scrapping my knee, but they hadn't realized that I wasn't the same person anymore,I wasn't going to be weak and avoid confrontations when bullied. I turned and left the classroom to Ada's classroom, and just as if she was expecting me, she saw me and smirked,that was the only indication I needed.

"How'd you like your desk?" She asked while surrounded with other girls. The shield she always thought would protect her.

"I did you a favor. That should make you reflect and meditate to understand how synonymous you are to what's on your desk. Garbage. Pure garbage." She continued loudly as others began to laugh. I looked around and saw David,but the moment our eyes met,he looked away. Maybe once upon a time I would've felt disappointed that he didn't stand up for me but it has always been like this,me getting bullied by his girlfriend and him not interfering. I squeezed my hands and decided to defend myself once and for all,I walked towards Ada and raised my hands to slap her but the other girl by the side grabbed me before I could and the rest girl joined in. I was punched and slapped at different directions but I fought and fought even as I got beaten up. My neck was held under one of the girls arm so I bit her hard on her arm for her to let go and immediately she did I launched for who I had my eyes on from the beginning. I grabbed Ada by her hair and dragged her along to my class,I dragged her to my desk even as her minions were hitting me,I smashed her face hard and rubbed it against the desk, making sure all the decayed stuffs get in her face and even stained her uniform. David rushed in and tried pulling me from Ada,once upon a time I would've dwelled on the fact that he stood up for Ada but never for me but that feeling or cduush whatever was dead. He continued to drag me till he flinged me off and I fell hitting my head against one of the sits.

"Ughhhhh." I groaned in pains.

I didn't know how or when Ramsey got to the class but the moment the pain cleared up a little and I could finally see,I saw Ramsey on top of somebody punching the daylight out of the person. I managed to stand up and saw the person he was punching was his brother David while the other guys in the classroom tried pulling him off,i looked towards Ada and saw that she too was trying to pull them off with tears running down her eyes and for a moment I almost smilled at how at the beginning of this she had expected me to cry at the end of this thing she started  even with the pains I felt all over. 

"Ramsey stop." I called out and tried to approached them to help seperating the fight but I felt dizzy and tried to hold unto one of the desk but I couldn't,I fell down again,I had passed out. And as I unconsciously slipped away I saw Ramsey looking down on me.

RAMSEY

I got delayed at the assembly with some of my friends I knew way back, exchanging contacts and all. I looked and saw that Gem had already left so I stayed behind and strolled with some of the guys in same class as me. As I passed the principal's office I saw students from other classes running past me,I heard some saying some students were fighting and that it had gotten serious. I didn't pay mind and continued moving at my own pace,the moment I got to the entrance of the class,it was jam-packed. I signaled for them to let me through,which they did,but I never even in a thousand years expect what I saw. I didn't ask what had happened,all I saw was Gem holding unto somebody's hair and David violently trying to drag her off the person,I moved to hold him back but before I could he had already dragged Gem off and she ended up hitting her head against one of the sits. My eyes saw red and I attacked.