Andrew, Jensen, and Mae went to the dispensary to get some medicine. I hadn't tasted the soup, so I stayed behind. I was left standing there, all eyes on me.
"Hey Midnight, you are in trouble for snitching to the Headmaster. You know what Kemi is like," Grayson said.
"Grayson, don't call her that," Tendai defended. "Kemi did something despicable to Adessa and her friends, and you want her to feel bad about snitching."
It was the first time that Tendai had ever stood up for me. I was shocked, and so was he. He couldn't believe that the words had come out of his mouth.
"Let's go, Tendai," his friend Fajir Eldridge said.
Tendai and Fajir walked out of the cafeteria. I too began walking off but not before hearing Grayson call me Darkie.
"I am sorry, Addie," Soren said. He had followed me out of the cafeteria.
"She'll pay for it, even if it's not today," I muttered.
Soren stepped forward and hugged me tightly. He turned and headed back into the cafeteria. I continued to class to pick a book then I headed to the library. After lunch, we had a free period followed by Physical Education.
I sat alone in the library, wanting to avoid questions from other students. I wasn't in the mood to discuss what Kemi had done. I held a book, pretending to read, but my mind kept drifting back to everything that had happened.
Mae didn't turn up for P.E and neither did Kemi, Liz and Raven. P.E. was better today, with no snide comments from Kemi or her friends. I could actually say I was happy.
I left the locker room earlier than everyone after P.E because I needed to see my friends before I left for home. I met Kemi with her mother near the staircases leading to the first floor as I was heading home.
Her mother was beautiful and elegant, with the poise of someone who might have been a model in a previous lifetime. It was evident that Kemi got her looks from her. Kemi never talked about her dad; her mom was the only one who ever came for school functions. Kemi told everyone that her dad was a busy man, but we all suspected that he wasn't in the picture.
Kemi's mom stopped when she noticed me.
"Listen, you little girl, stop making my daughter's life in this school difficult, or else you will see," she threatened.
This woman, who was way older than me, was threatening me. A young girl in high school—this was wrong.
"Excuse me, Madam, do you know what your daughter has put me through all these years?" I asked.
"I have warned you," she repeated. "Kemi, let's go."
Kemi and her mom walked away. How could Kemi's mom threaten me like that?
"Should I tell my parents?" I wondered. I continued walking towards class and soon met my friends heading there as well.
"I was hurrying so I could catch up with you," I said.
"The nurse insisted we stay until class ended," Andrew explained. "She was monitoring us."
"What did she say? Are there any lingering effects from the rat soup?" I asked.
"Some people eat rats, so I doubt it," Mae replied casually.
Jensen nearly gagged, making those awful puking sounds. "Mae, don't talk about it like that—as if it's normal. Maybe it is to some people, but not to me."
"She said that if we start feeling unwell, we should alert her immediately because rats can carry diseases that spread to humans," Andrew said.
I felt a shiver of fear but also a wave of relief, thankful to God that I hadn't eaten the rat soup.
"If Kemi does anything—and I mean anything—to me or anyone I care about, I'll report her to my dad," Jensen said. She'll be out of this school. I don't care about the repercussions."
We walked into class and picked up our bags and went out. We found Mom in the parking lot, looking angry and talking to Soren.
My friends greeted her, but she was too distracted. She responded, but didn't even look at them.
"Bye, Addie," the three of them said before leaving.
Mom turned her attention to me. "Soren has told me about something to do with a rat in your sauce," Mom said.
"Mom, my friend Jensen already reported the matter to the Headmaster. Can we please go home?" I requested.
"No, Ade, the Headmaster has to hear from me, what this girl Kemi did is despicable," Mom insisted.
Mom began walking towards the school. I followed her. We found the Headmaster in the corridor talking to Esperanza Graves, the school janitor.
"Mr. Smythe, tell me you have punished the students who put a rat in my daughter's food?" she demanded. "It's a terrible thing that they did."
"My daughter has complained to me and her dad of harassment and bullying at the hands of some students, but I always thought it was not this bad," Mom remarked.
Esperanza entered the year nine class to clean it. "I am sorry, madam, it won't happen again," HM Smythe said. "The culprits have been given a punishment."
"Although, your daughter has never come and reported to anyone about any bullying she has been facing," he added.
Now it was my fault for not reporting, yet the Headmaster showed open favoritism to Kemi.
"Now that I know that it has been happening, I am going to put an end to it," he announced.
Mom didn't bother to tell him bye. She turned and walked back to the car. I followed closely behind her.
"Mom, now you believe me when I tell you that this school is very bad," I said.
"I am sorry, Ade, that I didn't believe you when you mentioned it," Mom said.
Mom bought us some takeout along the way home because I hadn't eaten anything all day.
At the traffic lights, I looked at the billboard of a model who was fair. She was advertising a lotion called Pure Glow. It wasn't a secret that this lotion was used for skin lightening.
"What if I bought myself this lotion and became a little lighter? Would I still get bullied?" I wondered. These were just my thoughts.
I went and shut myself in my room when we got home and cried. My life was going to get harder because of today. I wished there was a way I could finish school without actually going there.
Mom and Dad said homeschooling wasn't an option because schooling would allow me to learn how to socialize and network.
My phone rang. It was a number not in my contacts.
"Who is it?" I wondered.
I wiped the tears from my eyes and picked up the call.
"Hello?" I cleared my nose.
"Hi, Adessa, it's Tendai," he said.
Brainstorming now? I wasn't in the mood, I thought, the weight of everything that had happened pulling me down. How could I focus when my mind was still tangled in what just happened?
As if he read my mind, he continued, "I am calling to brainstorm about our ideas for the project."
"Tendai, right now I'm not in the right frame of mind to think about anything," I said.
"I am sorry about what Kemi and her friends did to you. If I had known, I would have stopped it from happening," he claimed.
This hurt me. This was the same guy who had watched his girlfriend and her friends bully me, my friends, and other students and didn't care to stop them. Now he suddenly cared!
"Tendai, I need to rest," I said.
I hung up. Who was he to start caring now that we were about to complete high school? I didn't need his pity. I put on my Air Pods and listened to my playlist of Nickelback songs.
As the soothing melodies played, I began drifting into sleep. Music had this effect on me; it made me relax and escape the turmoil of the day.
When I woke up, I remembered that Tendai had called me last night. It was strange; he, who had never defended anyone at school, had finally decided it was time to speak up. What a loser!
I checked my messages. Mae had sent me some last night after I had fallen asleep.
Mae: Hope you're not asleep 😴, I just found out the punishment HM gave Kemi, Liz, and Raven! They have to do general cleaning of the school for a whole month 🧹.
Mae: Apparently, they are super mad 😡, but they couldn't accept a suspension right now cause we're in our final year.
Mae: Waldon had to punish them because of Jensen's dad, otherwise he would have done nothing like always.
Addie: Hey, Good morning! 🌞
Addie: That's sooo not enough punishment for what they did. They totally deserve to be suspended 🙄.
Addie: HM Smythe won't do that 'cause he always favors Kemi! 😤
Addie: How did you find out?
Mae is typing…
Mae: Janine told Ophelia who texted me about it.
The three of them had received a light punishment for what they had done to us. If it had been any other student, it would have been an automatic expulsion.
I got out of bed and prepared for the day. Feeling bad about the punishment that Kemi and her minions had received was a waste of time. Anyone at Riverview would have seen that coming because Kemi was untouchable.
I went to the dining room as soon as I was ready and ate my breakfast. Dad strolled into the room. I hadn't seen him in days because of his schedule.
"Good morning, Ade. I have been told about what happened yesterday," he said. "This girl, Kemi—avoid her; she seems dangerous."
"Dad, I don't want drama with her or her friends, but they continuously target me because of my color," I said.
"Ade, your color is beautiful. You should be proud of it," he said.
"I know, Dad, but they constantly make me feel like I am worthless," I said.
"Ignore them. Don't allow their words to get to you," he said.
"Easier said than done!" I exclaimed.
Soren entered the room. "Dad, we've not seen you for days now," he said, hugging him.
"How's school, son?" Dad asked.
"School is okay. I wanted to tell Mom something yesterday, but Addie's news took over the day," he said.
"Yesterday, I was invited to participate in the school's Spelling Bee competition," he announced.
"That is good news, Soren."
Dad and Mom hugged him. "So, when is the Spelling Bee?" Mom asked.
"It's over the weekend," he said.
"We are so proud of you," Dad said.
All of us were in good spirits when we left home because of the good news. Things changed as soon as we reached school and Mom drove away. Kemi, Raven, and Liz walked up to Soren and me.
"Adessa, what is wrong with your mom's face?" Kemi asked.
"I heard that she got disfigured because someone set the house she was in on fire. Apparently, she was there with someone's husband," she claimed.
This was another new low for Kemi—talking ill of my mother like that.
Soren slapped her hard on the face.
"Don't ever talk about my mom like that," he said and walked away from us.
"The good thing is that it was caught on camera, Adessa. I am going to the HM to report," Kemi said resolutely.
"You deserved that slap!" I said. Kemi sneered as she and her friends headed towards the HM's office.
It was a lie. Mom got those marks on her face from an acid attack, not from an arsonist. Someone poured acid on her face before I was born, as she was taking out the trash. It burned the right side of her face; she is partially blind in her right eye. She also has scars on her right hand, breast, and tummy.
Her attacker was never identified. My mom didn't even know why she had been a victim of an acid attack. The police gave a vague reason as to why it happened. Dad loved her; despite everything, he married her and had me and my brother. My mom used to hide the scarred area with a veil and long-sleeved shirts.
Andrew and Mae walked up to me. "Addie, what happened? Why did your brother slap Kemi?" Mae asked. They had been standing near the parking lot and saw the attack happen.
"She said something bad about our mom, so he hit her," I replied.
"She deserved it," Andrew remarked. "Family is everything; you don't attack them!"
"You guys, I need to find out what HM will do to my little brother," I said. I left Andrew and Mae behind and headed towards the HM's office on the first floor.
I found Kemi walking out of his office with a look of triumph. "Midnight, tell your little brother that he has messed with the wrong person!" she said smugly.
The HM followed her out of his office. "Sir, can I please talk to you about why my little brother slapped Kemi?" I asked, trying to stay calm.
"Adessa, go to the auditorium. I am going to make an announcement regarding what just happened," he said sternly.
"Sir, I want you to know that my little brother is not a violent person. He slapped Kemi because she abused my mom. I know you wouldn't have let someone do that to your mother!" I protested.
"Now, Adessa, our school has a strict no-fighting policy," HM Smythe said.
"Yesterday, you saw what Kemi did to me and my friends. Why didn't you say anything about bullying and discrimination then? You are so unfair!" I protested.
"Adessa, I won't allow any student to disrespect me," he said, cutting me off. "I have said, go to the auditorium. I am going to make an announcement."
As I descended the staircases, I listened to an announcement on the school speakers; HM Smythe's secretary Hera Gallagher spoke with her croaky voice telling everyone to go to the auditorium.
There was a lot of noise and students moving in the corridors after. I managed to make my way to the auditorium despite the bustling crowd of students and waited for my friends near the entrance.
Soren found me there. "Soren, I am sorry that you got entangled in my mess," I said.
"Don't worry, sis. That bitch had it coming," he said. "She and the other bullies in this school are constantly harassing us because of our color. I am really irked."
His friends whisked him away before I could respond. Soren had acted out of character today. Whenever I asked him about how he felt about bullying at school, he always said he didn't mind because he loved how he looked.
Mae joined me. "Where are Jensen and Andrew?" I asked.
"They aren't coming. They said they'll be hiding out in the gym," she said.
Tendai was among the last students to come to the auditorium. He was with his friend Fajir. His ex-girlfriend Kemi had already entered. She didn't say a word to me.
"Hi, girls," Tendai said as he walked in with Fajir.
Mae's expression was a mix of confusion and discomfort. Tendai had never been so casual with us like that.
I felt a small flicker of happiness at his acknowledgment. He never really said anything to me before we got assigned as partners in Design and Technology class.
"Let's go inside before the Head Boy reports us for insolence," Mae said, glancing over her shoulder. The Head Boy was eyeing us, making his rounds to ensure students were in class. He had already told me twice to enter.
We hurried inside, trying to avoid any further trouble. We took our seats at the back of the auditorium.
The Head Girl led us in a prayer and made us recite the school anthem. The Head Boy advised us on school etiquette and read out the updated list of punishable crimes.
The Head Boy reiterated that carrying food to class was not acceptable. He must have heard about the incident yesterday morning when Mae spilled my food on Kemi and her friends. Kemi and her friends looked behind when he said this.
HM Smythe's turn to speak came. "Students, I have convened this assembly meeting because I want to emphasize that bullying and harassment of any student is not accepted in this school. Yesterday, some students were made to eat food that had a rat inside."
As if on cue, everyone turned to look at me and Mae.
"The culprits have been punished, but the next time it happens again, the students involved will be suspended or expelled. I need to remind you that Article 2 of the school charter states that bullying and harassment are illegal in Riverview Academy. This school was built on a Christian foundation. Our values are inclusiveness, tolerance, and love for everyone no matter their race, skin tone, weight, height, orientation, gender, and disability."
"This morning, a student in a lower class slapped a senior student because she provoked him. This school doesn't tolerate violence of any sort, whether provoked or not. If someone provokes you, come and report to me or any other teacher, and we shall find a way of dealing with it. Violence will lead to an automatic suspension or dismissal."
Twenty minutes later, HM allowed us to go back to our classes. The Head Girl ensured we all went to our respective classes. "No loitering in the corridors," she warned.
She refused to listen to me when I told her that I needed to talk to my Soren. "No, Adessa, you will see him during break time," she said firmly.
I gave up and went to class. Andrew and Jensen were already in class.
"How was the assembly?" Jensen asked.
"He talked about bullying and discrimination," I replied.
"He doesn't really care about what happens to the students," Jensen muttered. "Kemi only got punished because I threatened to tell my dad about what she did to us."
HM Smythe was aware of the rampant bullying and violence but dismissed all reports. The four of us never reported our bullies because we feared it would only make things worse.
Jensen had changed schools several times due to bullying. Whenever he told his dad, the school would immediately expel the students involved, fearing repercussions from the Mayor. Each time, Jensen ended up isolated, with no teacher or student talking to him. He had decided not to say anything at this school until yesterday when things had gone too far.
The lesson was short because we had spent an hour in the auditorium. The bell for break rang. I needed to see Soren, so I told the others I would meet them in the cafeteria.
I found Soren in his class. "I missed the lesson," he said as he wrote notes. "HM called me to his office after the assembly to lecture me. He said he knows I'm a good student, so the only punishment he gave me was to miss the Spelling Bee competition this weekend."
"He let you off easy because of what Kemi did yesterday. If he had suspended you, it would've been a double standard," I said.
"I'm sorry you won't be going to the competition. I know you were excited for it," I said.
"Don't be, sis. I'd do it all over again to defend Mom," he said.