My body guard is my man

Trouble

For the next few days,no one from my class tried to attack me and I did my best to keep within my boundaries.

One afternoon while the other students had lunch,I decided to go to the volleyball hall and play alone for sometime till the bell for after lunch classes rang. While I played, a couple of girls walked into the hall and approached me.

"Hey,you should leave now. We want to do our practice,"one of them took the ball from my hands.

I ran speechless at that point,I wondered how a fellow student had a right to send me out of a games's hall,"do you own this hall? Who are you to tell me to leave?"

"Excuse me,"lines formed on her face as she frowned. And the other girl came up to where I stood,"hey, you are here on a scholarship. You are being helped,you should know your status."

"Well, I came here first. You two should leave the hall if you can't play with me. Now return the ball,"I turned to the one who had taken the ball. When she refused to return the ball,I made an effort and moved to take it back but she pushed me and I fell back to the ground,"this is not your place."

"You should leave before...."they moved closer and while one stretched out her hand to slap me, someone walked in and interrupting her,"leave her alone." We all turned to see who it was and it was Rose. Everyone knew Rose,she was my classmate but everyone knew her, she was so popular in school. The girls stood back and I got up as she walked to where we were.

"It's not right to bully others,you guys should apologize to her,"she said when she finally got to where we stood. It was the first time for a fellow student to be that kind to me. I wondered why she was being so kind to me. The girls didn't hesitate to apologize and once they were done,they ran out.

"Why are you so weak?"she asked me,with her arms crossed at her chest,"why do you let others bully you? If one acts weak then she is bullied."

I had no words to say to her,I was taken back by her actions today."Look you got dirty,"she dusted my skirt,"am Rose and you must be Mabel, Mr Hastings's favorite student."

"Rose,thank you for defending me,"I then picked my bag and walked out. But Rose kept defending me, she would appear at times when other students would want to bully me and she would defend me. And that's how I earned my first friend in high school.

"Mabel,let's be friends,"she suggested."Let me be that friends. I will protect you from anyone who wants to bully you and in return you discuss and revise mathematics with me."

"Are you serious?"Rose was very popular, she was a very beautiful girl and many boys chased after her. She had all it takes to be the beauty queen to represent the country in world wide contests. On addition to that,her father was the capital mayor. Her family was so rich. And she dated the school soccer captain who was really popular,nice looking and rich. His father was the vice president of our country though he was a year ahead of us. Though there were rumors he was a player, they were a model couple in the school. Being her friend meant I was also going to become popular and no one would step on me.

"Am very serious,"and that marked the beginning of our friendship. We were friends though not close but the friendship lasted for long in that even in 10th grade we were friends. Because she was the only student who treated me well, I ended up trusting her so much in that I happened to open up about how I feel for Mr Hastings to her.

It was in the afternoon and we were coming from the discussion room. We had a mathematics test in two days to come so I had to discuss for her lots of numbers.

"Besides everything Mabel,why does Mr Hastings care about you so much?"she asked, the question took me by surprise so I coughed.

"As in? Why are you asking me that?"I started growing nervous because I thought she had figured out how I feel for him.

"Like even when you are at fault,he finds a reason to defend you. We can't say that it's because you are discriminated against because of your status because there are other few students with the same family status but...."

I had asked myself that question several times. I wondered why he always cared about me so much. I knew there was no possibility for him to have any feelings for me because I was still underage. I even asked my mother sometime if she had assigned any teacher to look out for me.

"No my dear. Why do you ask? Is there a teacher...?"she had replied. I interrupted her and asked,"is my father alive? Is it the reason as to why I got a scholarship because there were better students in elementary school but they chose me?"

"Mabel, is there a teacher being overly nice to you? Should I come to school and talk to him?"

"No mom,it's fine,"

And here was Rose asking me the same question,"should I tell you a secret?" She went ahead,"I have crushed on Mr Hastings for sometime..."

It was shocking, how could she have a crush on some other guy other than her boyfriend.

She laughed,"don't look at me like that. That's why I told you it's a secret,yes I have a boyfriend but Mr Hastings is a big catch babe. But you are lucky,he's so close to you. I know you crush on him too." I felt weak in my knees, someone had finally figured out my feelings.

"See you are blushing,"she teased me.

"I... I how did you know?"

She laughed again,"exactly. I was just guessing but you just confirm.."

"Rose please..."

I couldn't laugh,I was already feeling nervous and scared she was going to reveal it.

"Relax,"she held my hand,"your secret is fine with me."

"Really?"

"Oh Mabel,you are so good at concealing feelings. But your feelings are serious,you can't even find a boyfriend..."

From that day, she started convincing me to email Mr Hastings and tell him about my feelings so I find out what he really feels about me. I knew it was not a good idea because once I messed things up he would get so mad at me. And besides that no teacher would get feelings for a minor and it would be a crime to have a relationship.

And the morning before the mathematics test,hell broke loose for me. That morning as usual I arrived at school earlier than anyone else and rushed to the library to peruse through my notes. Later on I walked to class to join the rest only to find Mr Hastings and Mr Rogers the mathematics teacher going through everyone's locker.

"Someone stole and leaked the mathematics test,"Rose appeared out of the blue and whispered in my ear.

"What?"it was a shock.

"So they are going through our lockers to check who has the test paper and..."

I was called to open my locker and with confidence I walked to my locker and opened it. On pulling out the English textbook,which was the forth book in the locker,a paper fell out. My heart leaped when Mr Rogers asked me how I got the mathematics test paper. The other students started whispering and my head went blank at that point.

How did this paper get in my locker! I had no idea it was inside and I had never seen it. I had never tried to cheat a test.

"Am talking to you,"Mr Rogers roared and I staggered in fear.

"I don't know how this paper got in my locker Mr Rogers,"my voice was so low. I had so many questions in my head.

"Someone set you up,"when that thought came in my mind,my heart broke. I was a poor girl,why would someone want to crush me this much. At that point, I knew Mr Rogers was speaking to me but I couldn't hear any word he said. My ears were instead filled with the whispers of my fellow students. One of them had clearly set me up and was watching me crumble.

"Mabel, follow us,"Mr Hastings shook me back to reality. And I followed them to the staffroom. I felt so embarrassed to face Mr Hastings,I had been caught up in another problem in which he couldn't save me this time round. Mr Rogers was so angry and he kept assuring the other teachers around that all the times I took the first position in the mathematics class it was because I always cheated. But I just kept my head held low and didn't look in anyone's eyes.

"Mabel,you should defend yourself,"Mr Hastings said, I looked at him and his face was still the calm usual face. I thought he would be disappointed but it came to my head that he still believed I had not cheated. Balls of sweat formed on my face and I felt so small having Mr Hastings catching me in such a terrible situation.

"I have no evidence to show that I don't know how the paper reached my locker but.."

"Shut up, are you sure you didn't stop at a cafe yesterday night or today morning? I heard you were here by 6am,"

"I always reach school..."I thought and realized I couldn't tell him I always reached school at 6am whenever there was a test or paper, he would use it to prove am a cheat."Mr Rogers, someone put the paper in my locker. Please believe me. Why would I again leak the paper and put it in my locker?"

"You are going to have to face the displinary committee and make sure to bring your parent or guardian tomorrow morning. Go home now,the test has even been cancelled,"he concluded and walked to his table.

I reluctantly walked out of the staffroom quietly still thinking and wondering who could possibly set me up.