COLOR ME

EPISODE EIGHT

"Jensen and King, I need you to come up with another idea that won't get you arrested," Mr. Ngonzi said. He continued calling out teams until he reached me and Tendai. "Tendai and Adessa, what are your ideas?" he asked.

"We're still deciding on what to do," Tendai said.

Tendai was lying; he already knew what he wanted to do, but he didn't want to get me in trouble.

"I'm giving you ten days to figure out what you want to do, or you'll be disqualified," Mr. Ngonzi said. "By now, you should have passed the idea generation stage."

While some teams were ahead, many, including us, were still lagging. Mr. Ngonzi left after assessing the stage each team had reached.

I walked up to Tendai. "Thank you for not reporting me to the teacher. I'm grateful."

"It's okay, Addie. I don't know what I did for you to stop talking to me," he said.

"I'm sorry for everything I've ever done to you. Please forgive me," he begged.

"We need to start brainstorming again. Have you thought of an innovative project in the food field you've chosen?" I asked.

"Yes, I want to make a cake using flour other than wheat," he said.

"That's brilliant. It will provide a solution for those who need gluten-free flour!" I exclaimed.

"Thanks, Addie. That means a lot," he said. "How about you? What's your idea?"

"Give me a few days. I promise I'll figure it out," I replied.

"I want to be your friend, Addie. Please let me," he said.

Was my dream coming true with this request of his? I was traumatized by the last time he was involved; the thought of it still affected me. I couldn't be his friend for obvious reasons.

"Tendai, let's be class partners as the teacher said. We can't be friends. You associate with the cool people in this school, and they don't like me. I don't want the bullying to worsen."

"I've told Elijah, Grayson, and Noah to stop bullying you," he said. "Are they still bothering you?"

"Kemi will make my life miserable if I become your friend."

"Addie, I broke up with her because she's insecure and jealous," he said. "Don't fear her."

If only he knew that Kemi had slapped me and made Raven punch me in the stomach because of him, he wouldn't say not to fear her.

"I'm sorry, Tendai, we can't be friends."

During lunch, a Year Eight student approached me. "Mr. Ngonzi is calling you. He says you should find him in the Design and Technology class," she said.

"Addie, don't leave me alone in the cafeteria," Mae said.

"Mae, go sit with Jensen and Andrew," I replied.

"You know Jensen and I aren't on speaking terms," she said.

"Reconcile with him; it's about time. I won't be gone long; it's lunchtime."

I thought Mr. Ngonzi might want to discuss my project. I left Mae and headed to the Design and Technology class.

Inside, I found Kemi and Raven waiting. I turned to leave, but Kemi stopped me.

"Kemi, leave me alone. What have I done to you this time?"

"Midnight, someone told me you were talking with Tendai in the Design and Technology class," she said.

That someone was probably Noah, who was friends with her and part of our Design and Technology class.

"Kemi, we were just talking about the project. The teacher called us out for not having settled on ideas," I explained.

"Lies," she said. "Raven, give her another beating because she's forgotten my instructions."

"Raven, please don't," I cried.

Raven slapped me so hard that I fell to the ground. She yanked me up and began hitting me all over. The pain was excruciating.

"Hit her harder, Raven," Kemi instructed. "When will you realize that Tendai will never like an ugly person like you?"

"You don't compare to me," Kemi bragged. "I am the ideal beauty. What do you have that anyone could want?"

I didn't know where Tendai came from. I saw him push Raven away and punch her. He beat her up fiercely. Kemi and I had to beg him to stop.

"Please stop, Tendai, you will end up killing her," I said, my voice trembling.

"Stop hurting Raven," Kemi said, trying to intervene.

He stopped beating Raven. "Don't ever lay a hand on her again," he said.

Turning to me, he added, "Addie, let me take you to the dispensary." I was bruised and in pain, and he could see how badly the beating had affected me.

"No, Tendai. She can go there alone. It's me you love, not her," Kemi said, her voice filled with desperation.

Tendai didn't respond; he simply supported me as we left the classroom. Kemi shouted after us, "Addie, there are many ways to skin a cat!"

Tendai escorted me to the dispensary. Nurse Agnetha rushed over when she saw me.

"What happened to you, Adessa?" she asked, her eyes wide with concern. "Why are you so beaten up?"

"Raven beat her up," Tendai said, his voice filled with anger.

"I am going to report this incident to the HM," Nurse Agnetha said firmly.

"Please, Agnetha, I don't want more trouble," I pleaded, tears welling up in my eyes.

Agnetha made me lie on the bed and began examining my injuries. I held Tendai's hand tightly.

"Please don't report what just happened!" I begged, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I won't, Addie. Now let Agnetha take care of you," he said soothingly. "I am not going anywhere."

He sat in the corner while Agnetha worked. She assured me that I didn't have any broken ribs and that the pain would subside in a few days. She bandaged my bruises and gave me some painkillers.

"Adessa, if this happens again, I will go to the Headmaster myself and report it," Agnetha said, her tone leaving no room for argument.

With no other students in the dispensary, it was just me, Tendai, and Agnetha who knew what had happened. Tendai pulled a chair close and sat next to me when the nurse was done.

"How did you find me?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I wanted to talk to you again, so when I saw you leaving the cafeteria, I decided to follow you," he explained. "I heard screams coming from the Design and Technology classroom, so I went to see what was happening."

"I saw Raven beating you up with Kemi cheering her on. I had to do something," he said. "Tell me, is this the first time this has happened?"

"It's the second time," I said, my voice breaking as I recalled the earlier incident when Raven had beaten me to stay away from Tendai.

"No wonder, that's why you cut me off," he said, his face filled with regret. "I've seen Kemi, Grayson, and all the bullies in this school torment you and others, and I did nothing."

"I am really sorry for my behavior. I will never be passive again," he apologized. "I will be your biggest defender from now on."

He held my hand and kissed it gently. Agnetha made him return to class. The nurse discharged me when it was time to go home, and I again begged her not to report the incident.

"Only this time. If it happens again, I will report them," she said firmly.

Mae was waiting for me in class.

"Where have you been?" she asked, her eyes scanning my bruises. "What happened? You look hurt."

I told her about Kemi and Raven beating me up and how Tendai had come to my rescue.

"I am sorry, Addie. I wish I had been there to help you," she said, trying to hug me gently.

"Please don't, my whole body aches," I said, wincing from the pain.

"Thank heavens Tendai came to the rescue," she said with a sigh of relief. "Mae, have you seen Kemi or Raven?"

"No," she responded, shaking her head.