Chapter 6: Every Scar Has a Price
579 Words
Jayden stand outside the police gate, breathing in freedom like man wey just come back from death row.
But this no be victory.
Na warning shot.
Beside him, Uncle Ifeanyi, his late father’s cousin, buttoned his blazer.
> “You need to lay low.”
“Uncle... laying low na wetin kill Tega.”
Ifeanyi sighed, then handed Jayden an envelope.
“Just read it. It’s from your brother’s case file. Something dey inside wey fit help you.”
Jayden slid it into his bag. For later.
Because right now, something bigger dey shake.
---
Back at Crown City High
As Jayden step back into the school gate, eyes dey follow am like CCTV.
Whispers everywhere.
> “That’s the boy wey dem arrest.”
“He be cultist?”
“Abi na Yahoo he do?”
But Jayden just dey smile.
The real ones?
They dey wait for am near the art block.
Codeboy, sweating.
Slimzy, watching corners.
Chi-Girl, holding a flash drive like say na crown jewel.
> “Guy,” Codeboy said, “we fit clear your name... but we go burn a whole system to do am.”
---
What They Found
Inside that flash drive?
Audio recordings from the staff room.
Principal Agu talking with Skully’s uncle — a sitting state senator.
Mention of fake files, silencing Tega, and bribing Mrs. Ukonu, the new principal.
One voice wey shock everybody?
Kamsi’s father.
> “If the boy no stop digging, bury him. Use his name. Use his girl. Make it clean.”
Jayden clenched his jaw.
> “So all of them dey chop from this rot.”
---
The Breaking Point
That Friday, Crown City announced a “Unity Assembly.”
All students.
All staff.
All gates locked.
Jayden enter the hall.
Over 600 students packed together like storm dey come.
Principal Ukonu stood at the podium.
> “Let us all rise for a minute silence... for our fallen student, Tega Okoro.”
The hall froze.
Jayden’s eyes widened.
This was new.
> “She wan control the story. Paint them innocent. Rewrite everything in public.”
Jayden’s fists tightened.
But he didn’t move.
Not yet.
Because in the crowd, he saw Kamsi — pale, thin, trembling.
And right behind her, Skully.
Wearing that same red wrist cloth from the night Tega died.
Jayden snapped.
---
The Mic Moment
Jayden stepped out.
Walked to the podium like ghost dey control him.
Snatched the mic.
> “You dey talk about Tega like say una mourn am. But truth be say... Crown City kill am.”
The hall gasped.
> “This school cover up murder. This school frame people. And this school dey run cults like clubs.”
Codeboy upload the audio files.
Chi-Girl streamed the video.
Slimzy started a chant from the back:
> “No more lies! No more lies!”
Chaos broke.
Students stood.
Some Skullz members pull out knives.
Teachers try shout, but nobody hear them again.
Jayden just raised his hand and said:
> “Every scar get price. Today, we pay with truth.”
---
The Aftermath
The protest made news.
3 teachers suspended.
The school shut down for 2 weeks.
Jayden became a name on every blog.
But victory no dey cheap.
That night, his uncle's shop was burnt down.
Codeboy’s house raided.
Kamsi went missing.
Jayden sat on his bed.
Blood on his shirt.
Tears in his eye.
> “War just begin.”
- Writer
