After class, I confronted Joshua who pretty much accepted the fact that by reporting going to the school management's office with my matter, our friendship was over. I even threatened his by saying my blood was on his hands but he still didn't buy it. I was still not sure what he told them and why Samantha was called earlier but I guess if Josh was to include my name to Mr. Johnsons, then they were definitely going to call me to the office like they did with Samantha.
Like most of you would agree that Samantha had to pay for what she had done to me, she left me looking like a cancer patient with a bald head because I had to shave everything off, my beautiful afro was gone. Samantha had to pay for this but I had my own doubts about it, I wasn't gutsy enough to come out and say I am the girl on the picture. All I wanted was protect my dignity and by keeping my mouth shut, the noise about the picture was going to fade away.
As Joshua was walking out the door, I grabbed him by a hand and he took off his headphones then he looked at me.
"Can we talk?" I asked.
"Yeah sure," he looked around "there are so many people around here let's go to my car."
In that awkward silence we walked to his car, I coughed a little bit while we were in his car wondering what he told Mr. Johnsons.
"Aren't you going to say something?" he asked.
"Uhm, look Josh," I sighed "I'm eager to know what you told Mr. Johnsons."
"I told him what he's supposed to know," he replied.
I took another deep sigh getting annoyed by his response, I glanced at him.
"This wasn't your business," I replied "It was not up to you to run around reporting matters that don't concern you."
He scoffed, like he didn't really take me serious, Josh hardly took anybody serious. He could see that I was upset but all he did was just look at me with a seductive smile.
"Can I take you home?" he asked.
"Are you really going to give me that?" I replied "Is this not serious to you Josh?"
"Do you want me to take you home or not?" he repeated the question.
"I will take the bus," I angrily said.
I got out of the car, furiously slamming the door that some of the people around us noticed, some stopped trying to figure out what was happening. Josh started his engine and drove away, not begging me to get in or anything. I walked to the bus stop, and Angela was already there, she had her headphones on. She glanced at me; I went closer to her hoping she would take off the headphones but she didn't. I poked her arm hoping that she'll take off her headphones but still, she just glanced at me like I was just some stranger she just met then moved a distance away from me. I awkwardly glanced at her.
The bus finally arrived; Angela got into the bus first as I followed her. She took a seat and I decided to sit next to her, she then looked back and took off her headphones.
"Hello sir," she greeted an old man behind us "do you mind swapping seats with me?"
"No problem my child," he replied.
"Seriously?" I said as she quietly moved from the seat that was beside me.
I didn't know what to do with this Angela situation because I was wrong for lashing at her, the only time Angela was going to speak to was after I apologized. Pride didn't really work on Angela, one way or the other I had to apologize. I heard her laugh with a middle-aged woman she was sitting next to. 'So, she was just ignoring,' I said in my broken arrogant heart. I took out my journal and started writing anything that was deep down my heart once again.
"What really stays forever? Not stars of the sky, the sun disappears when it's time. What stays true to the sky is the sky. What really stays forever? Maybe trees because they have their roots to the ground. Not people, we are faulty in so many ways and we're proud."
Finally, we reached our destination and it seemed that Angela was enjoying the conversation she was having with the lady, listening to her werewolf story. Well, getting out of the bus Angela just walked past me, without saying a word. People who knew us from years back were actually surprised, after seeing us walking like complete strangers. I got home, threw my bag on the sofa and my mom just gazed at me but I just glanced at her and said nothing.
"We don't greet each other anymore?" she sounded a little bit upset.
"Sorry," I mumbled "I had a long day."
"Josh was here," she said.
What would Josh be doing at my place while I was not around? He probably went there looking for my mom because I told him that I was going to catch the bus. My mom had this boring sweet personality, which just welcomes everyone and makes them feel free. She didn't really know in detail what really happened to me which is why she never went to school and cause drama. One thing I always knew about my other is that no one touches her daughter inappropriately, she was sweet but for disrespecting her daughter she would single handedly burn the whole school.
When I was fourteen, she slept in prison for a week because she hit my uncle with a bottle at the back of his head. At times he would use sexual terms on me, sometimes calling me sexy and those kinds of weird things an old man can call a 14-year-old. Unfortunately, my mom overheard him one day and her demon just woke up and she became furious to the point of picking up a bottle and hit my uncle at the back of his head. She had to end up in prison the whole of that week. Right now, my prayer was that Josh, didn't really tell her anything about what Samantha did to me.
"Was he looking for me?" I asked.
"No," she replied "he was here for me."
My heart sank to my stomach, I stood up without saying anything.
"Where are you going?" she fixed her eyes on me "sit down."
Now the sweet part of my mom was vanishing, I glanced at her and she had that furious face on. I slowly sat down and looked away from her.
"Josh told me everything," she said "is it true?"
I nodded.
"All this time, I thought that you were just being dramatic," she said with distressed tone "you were hiding something this serious?"
"Because I knew that you'd make it a big deal," I replied.
"It is a big deal," she said "I am going to school with you tomorrow, I want to see the girls who did this to you."
Oh boy, the demon I told you about had finally arrived. This was the reason why in the past years I never told my mother about anyone one who bullied me, she was going to humiliate me and the whole school would call my mother crazy.
"But ma…"
"Don't but ma me," she yelled "as long as I am still alive, no one is going to mistreat you and get away with it."
At this point I understood that nothing was going to change her mind about coming to my school so I just kept quiet.
"Your food is in the microwave," she said.
That was her way of saying, you can go to your room now, I jumped on my bed and dialed Josh's number. I had no idea why he chose to tell my mom out of all people, I know that you're probably giving Josh a credit right now but Josh didn't understand my mom.
"Out of all people you choose tell my mom, really Josh?" I said on the phone.
"What did you expect me to do?" Josh replied.
"I expected you to leave my business alone Josh," I said.
I hung up. Why would anyone be in my business like that? According to them they acted because they cared but they didn't understand how they made me feel. I never reported any of my bullies because I was trying by all means to protect my dignity. Right now, it seemed like everyone was on the verge of knowing who that filthy girl on the picture was. I thought that bullying was left in high school but right now I was in the middle of another bullying incident. It was even worse because now my mom knew and the demon in her was up and ready to attack.
I lied on my bed and looked up to the ceiling replaying images of everything that happened in those toilets, Samantha pressing me hard against the floor, her friends holding both my hands and legs making sure that I do not move an inch. She had to make sure that she cut my afro in the most humiliating way, and torn up my clothes. Thanks to Angela, she covered me every time I came back home with bruises after each and every bullying incident I encountered, she would come up with a lie that made sense and my mom would believe. I guess she was tired of protecting my perpetrators now.
*********
Joshua's P.O.V
Mr. Johnsons didn't seem to be shocked when I told him that the person responsible for those pictures was Samantha, he didn't look shocked, it's like he expected it to be Samantha. I never understood human beings, I was one clueless werewolf when it came to understanding human. They didn't know how to appreciate you when you were doing something good for them. After Precious hung up, there was a knock at the door, my mom was taking a nap so I rushed to open it. And right there on the front door my dad and my grandparents just standing there holding their luggage like they were moving.
"So, you and your mom decided to change the locks," my dad said as he walked into the house.
"What?" I replied.
I had no idea that the locks were changed because my keys were still opening all the doors in the house.
"Hello boy," my grandma put her bag down and hugged me.
My granddad just followed my dad to the basement without greeting me or saying a word to me, he was probably still angry about the fight I had with dad.
"What are you guys doing here?" I asked.
"Just visiting," she said "where is your mom?"
"Sleeping," I replied.
"This time?" she shrugged like the was something wrong with taking a nap at 17:00 "we are hungry she has to cook for us."
"But you guys didn't tell her that you were coming," I said.
"Well, we are here now," she replied "go wake her up."
Whatever it is that my grandparents had against my mom must've been serious, none of them seemed to like my mother even a bit. Without a word back to my grandma, I shuffled back to my room and put on my headphones because I knew that in a few minutes there was going to be shouting and crying, I didn't want any of that drama. I ended up falling asleep with headphones in my eyes. Although I didn't bother to go and wake my mom up, my grandmother was ruthlessly going to wake her up.