MY RHYTHM AND BLUES

FOUR

I stood up and Claire whispered,

“Don’t worry, I’ll get help”

I moved towards Senior Stephanie and she grabbed me by the neck of my dress and pulled me away. I knew I was in trouble.

My stomach growled and I remembered I had not eaten yet. She and her friends dragged me behind an incomplete hall my school was still working on. I was really done for.

Five more SS2s joined, the three SS2s with me. Senior Stephanie then began,

“This stupid girl… If I call you disgusting kisser, you answer me”

“Yes Senior”

“Wait, Stephanie, let her kneel first”

“It’s true sef, kneel down”

I knelt down

“Disgusting kisser…”

I kept quiet

“You’re not answering! Are you crazy??” A slap landed on my face.

“Disgusting kisser!”

“Yes Senior” I mumbled

“I can’t hear you! Disgusting Kisser!” Another slap followed.

My eyes stung and I said,

“Yes Senior”

“See her na! Celeb. Feeling on top of the world. You kissed your Dsp. With those disgusting lips! Are you mad? You’ve gone mad baa??”

Another Senior came closer, raised my jaw to look at her and hit me,

“And she’s talking, you’re sizing her”

“Jesus Senior, I did not…”

Another slap followed.

“Are you talking back at me??”

I don’t know how it happened but I felt water run down me. A senior I identified to be Senior Queensley was holding a big bucket of water over my head discarding everything on me. My hair was wet. My clothes were soaked. My front hair laid down my face and the weaved ‘all back’ was already itchy.

It was so hard to hold back the tears but there was no way I was going to let them get the pleasure of seeing me cry.

“Why did you kiss your Dsp?”

“I don’t know”

She hit me hard on the head and said,

“See this disrespectful b***h oo. w***e! Is that how to answer a question? Don’t worry once we’re done with you tonight. You’ll not even have the guts to dream of Henry. I don’t even know why Henry is putting up with you sef. Shapeless Amoeba. Did your parents give birth to you and tell you. ‘Go into the world and kiss all the hot boys you come across?’ Disgusting”

I looked down. When was all this going to end??

Senior Stephanie dragged me by the neck of my dress and said,

“Be moving with me”

I made to stand up and she slapped me sending me back to the floor, “Did I ask you to stand up? Move with your knees”

I looked up at her.

“Senior please I can’t…”

“You can’t do what? Are you playing with me? We are now agemates right?”

I wanted to break down. What was keeping Claire…