Chereads / HEARTS & CROSSROADS / Chapter 4 - CHAPTER FOUR

Chapter 4 - CHAPTER FOUR

I finally fell asleep around midnight after reading several articles online and watching videos about people's experiences with witchcraft. 

I found myself at the Prom at school, dressed in a beautiful gown and dancing with Tendai. We were both crowned Prom Queen and Prom King, respectively. Everyone around us was happy, celebrating the night. Suddenly, a large snake fell from above. The crowd screamed and scattered in different directions. Mae, Andrew, and Jensen were the only ones who stayed calm. 

Mae, Andrew, and Jensen tried to kill the snake, which was a cobra and raised its head menacingly. It bit Mae and Andrew and pushed Jensen away with its tail. The snake then attempted to wrap itself around Tendai, but his clothes were too slippery. Tendai transformed into Kemi before disappearing. The snake turned towards me, but Grayson appeared out of nowhere and killed it. He then removed the crown from my head.

I woke up with a start; the dream had been so vivid it felt real. I turned on the light and went to my parents' room, knocking softly before entering. My knock had woken Mom up.

"Mom, I had a nightmare!" I exclaimed.

I recounted the dream to her. "Ade, we need to pray," she said urgently. "There's an attack on your life. Someone wants to hurt you! This girl who put a rat in your sauce—how well do you know her?"

I told her more about Kemi and what her mom had told me.

"That woman is dangerous. How could she threaten you? You're just a child!" Mom said angrily. "I will give her a piece of my mind when I see her. I want you to pray every night before you sleep and stay far away from this girl Kemi and her boyfriend."

Mom and I prayed for some time. Afterward, she told me to go back to bed. I couldn't sleep anymore, so I decided to watch some YouTube videos until it was time to wake up.

As I showered in the morning, I couldn't shake the memory of my dream. Why was I with Tendai in it? I found him attractive, but I knew he was out of my league. I decided it was best not to mention the dream to anyone—they might think I liked Tendai. The most important thing was to avoid Kemi and her crew at all costs.

"How are you feeling?" Mom asked me at breakfast.

"I didn't sleep a wink after I returned to my room," I replied.

"What happened last night?" Soren asked.

"I had a nightmare; Mom prayed for me," I said.

I didn't want Soren to know what I had dreamt about. He would likely tell me that dreams reflect what we wanted, and I wasn't ready to accept or even imagine that could be true. 

Mom dropped Soren and me at school. She wanted to talk to HM Smythe about Kemi, but Soren and I begged her not to.

"Mom, we will stay out of Kemi's path!" Soren pleaded. He was worried Mom would discover the real reason he didn't participate in the Spelling Bee competition.

Mom relented. "I will come for Waldon next time anything happens between you and Kemi," she said, getting into her car and driving away. Both of us were relieved.

As I walked towards the school entrance, I could feel the tension slowly easing from my shoulders. The thought of Mom intervening in my conflicts with Kemi was reassuring, even if it was something I hoped to avoid. 

I went to class and found Jensen chatting with King; they were slowly becoming friends. Andrew and Mae hadn't arrived yet, so I decided to head to the library to pick up The AQA GCSE English Language and Literature Revision Guide, which I needed for revision with the exams coming up.

I put my bag down and made my way to the library. The librarian, ever so cold, ignored my greeting. I began scrolling through the shelves in the Study Guides and Revision section, looking for the book.

"Hi, Darkie!" Grayson said, startling me.

Great, just what I needed—a distraction. I turned to face him, trying to keep my irritation in check.

"Grayson, leave me alone!" I snapped, pulling my attention away from the book.

"Or else what?" he challenged, stepping closer with a smirk.

I struggled to keep my composure. "Just go away, Grayson. I'm not in the mood for your shenanigans."

He sneered, clearly unfazed. "What's wrong, Darkie? Did I hit a nerve?" His tone was mocking, laced with malice.

"Leave me alone, or else," I said.

"Or else what?" he interrupted with a taunting smirk, cutting me off before I could say anything further.

"Or else I'll report you to the librarian for harassment and bullying," I threatened, trying to sound braver than I felt.

He smirked. "I sent her away. I told her that some students in Year One are drawing in her precious books, so we're alone for now."

My heart raced with worry. "What do you want from me, Grayson?"

"You're always surrounded by friends and people. I've always wanted to get you alone," he said, moving closer and pinning me against the shelf. My hands trembled as I dropped the book I was holding.

"You are so pretty. I've always wanted to kiss you," he said.

"If I'm so pretty, why are you always insulting me?" I demanded.

I didn't give him a chance to answer. I pushed him away with all my strength. He hit the opposite shelf, causing books to fall. I ran out of the library.

I encountered the librarian coming from the Year One class with some books. "I haven't taken the book I needed," I told her. "I'll come back later for it."

She was so annoyed with the Year One students that she didn't bother to respond.

I found that Andrew and Mae had finally arrived and Jensen was seated with them. I didn't tell them about the incident with Grayson. I had taught Grayson a lesson, and that was all that mattered. 

Grayson returned to class after me, looking unusually subdued. He went to his seat and remained quiet during the lesson.

After break, the four of us decided to skip class and discuss what Jensen had mentioned in the group chat last night. We met in the empty auditorium.

"Jensen, tell us more," Andrew urged.

"I can't say much because Daddy told me to watch my words," Jensen said.

"We're your friends; we won't betray you," Mae assured him.

After a few moments, Jensen finally caved. "My dad is a Freemason. Most powerful people in society are part of it," he confessed.

I had heard of Freemasons but knew little beyond conspiracy theories.

"He joined during his university days. He and the brotherhood control the government and the world," Jensen continued. "My father is a highly ranked Freemason. In fact, I'm becoming one as soon as I join university later this year."

"You always think you know someone until you discover you don't," Mae remarked.

"So, your father got where he is because of this organization?" Andrew asked.

"Yes," Jensen replied.

"Jensen, I've heard rumors that they do human sacrifices and rituals," I said.

"That's a lie; it's spread by people who don't understand the organization," he argued.

"I don't believe in witchcraft, magic, or any religion. I'm all about science," Mae said.

"Were you ever going to tell us you were becoming a Freemason?" I asked.

"No, it was supposed to be a secret," Jensen said.

"Can I also join?" Andrew asked.

Mae and I looked at Andrew in shock. He clearly didn't understand what he was getting into.

"I'm just joking," Andrew said. "My family are staunch Protestants; my parents would disown me if I joined."

"How would they know? You're not supposed to tell anyone about it!" Jensen said, sounding almost encouraging.

"Don't look at me like that, guys. I'm still the same person," Jensen said. "I'm not evil. Daddy says he got to where he is because of them—opportunities he would never have received as a black man."

"He wants me to have those opportunities and be someone great in my life," he added.

"So, you're basically following in your father's footsteps?" Mae asked.

"Yes. Mae, you're white; you'll never understand the struggles that black people face," Jensen said. "My dad would never have become the Mayor of London without his Freemason brothers. 

"What does it profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul, Jensen?" I asked, quoting a scripture from the Bible my mom had used to teach me about greed.

"Don't preach to me, Addie. I'm just trying to ensure I make something of my life," Jensen said.

"I know I'm white, but you can't blame me for the sins of all white people," Mae said.

"I didn't mean that, Mae. I was emphasizing a point about the injustices in the world," Jensen said.

Mae stormed out of the auditorium, clearly upset. None of us had expected the conversation to end this way. We waited until the lesson we missed was over before heading to lunch with the others. Mae refused to join our table and sat with Eloise McKinley and Janine Martin instead.

"Jensen, you need to apologize to her," Andrew demanded.

"No, I didn't actually say anything mean to her; she's just insecure because we're people of color and she's white," Jensen said. "She needs to get over her insecurities."

Jensen and Mae refused to speak to each other for the rest of Thursday and Friday. Andrew and I decided to spend more time with Jensen and Mae separately until they were ready to resolve their issues. On Monday, they still didn't talk. It was frustrating.

Mr. Ngonzi came to class to check on the progress of our projects after more than a month had passed since the last time he told us to come up with ideas. Tendai and I hadn't made any progress because I had refused to talk to him.

Mr. Ngonzi called out different teams before reaching Jensen and King. "Jensen and King, what ideas have you come up with?" he asked.

"Our idea is an app that does background checks on people," King said. "The app will search all websites using a person's phone number and email and inform you if they are trustworthy."

"Isn't that app breaking many privacy laws?" Mr. Ngonzi asked.

"Yes, but who cares? It's all about passing," King replied.

"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 come up with ideas 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 Mr. Ngonzi. I'm grateful."

"It's okay, Addie. I don't know what I did wrong 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, changing the topic. I couldn't bring myself to tell him that associating with him made me get beaten up.

"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 could never say yes to his request unless I wanted to be thoroughly beaten by Kemi and Raven.

"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 the things Kemi and her friends did to me, he wouldn't tell me not to fear.

"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 advise me about project ideas. I left Mae and headed to the Design and Technology class.

I entered the class expecting to find Mr. Ngonzi, instead I found Kemi and Raven. I turned to leave, but Kemi stood in front of me as Raven shut the door.

"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. 

"I am not lying to you, Mr. Ngonzi gave us ten days in which to come up with ideas for our projects."

"You've forgotten my instructions to leave Tendai alone," Kemi said, her voice cold. She glanced at Raven, gesturing for her to beat me.

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

Raven advanced towards me. She slapped me so hard that I fell to the ground. She yanked me up and made Kemi hold my hands. Then she rained punches on my abdomen. I was like a punching bag for her.

"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 it," Kemi said, trying to intervene.

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

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. Stop giving her attention," her voice filled with desperation. "She's nothing!"

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," 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.

"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 assessed my condition and assured me that I didn't have any broken ribs, and that the pain would subside in a few days. 

He sat in the corner while Agnetha worked. She bandaged my bruises and gave me some painkillers for the pain. It provided some relief, but I could still feel the sharp ache from the repeated punches.

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

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 opened the door and saw Kemi holding you while Raven was punching you. I was furious—how could they do that to you? It was like you were her punching bag. I lunged at Raven, I wanted her to feel the pain she had put you through," he said, his voice tight with emotion. 

"Has this happened before?" he asked.

"It's the third time," I said, my voice breaking as I recalled the incidents where they had attacked me. I recounted the time when Kemi slapped me and Raven punched me, all because I was made partners with him.

"Kemi's so evil; why hurt you when it wasn't even you who made the list assigning partners?" he asked, disbelief and anger in his voice.

"She warned me that if I continued talking to you, she would teach me a lesson—and she did," I cried. "Then, two weeks ago, when I went to the toilet, Raven shoved my head inside the toilet bowl because I refused to clean the bathroom for them."

Tendai held my hand as I cried. "No wonder 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 kissed my hand gently. 

"Addie, that's so sad that you had to go through all that!" Agnetha said, startling both of us. I didn't think she was listening to our conversation.

"Report them, Addie; they need to pay," she urged, wiping tears from her eyes.

"I can't. Kemi is dangerous; she'll find a way to hurt me, even if she's no longer at Riverview."

"You can tell the police," Agnetha insisted. "You can't live your life in fear because of her."

"What will the police do? She'll only go to juvenile detention because she hasn't committed a major crime. She'll come back with a vengeance to hurt me and my friends."

A student entered the dispensary, complaining of a headache, diverting Agnetha's attention.

"Addie, you know she's right," Tendai said softly. "You need to report Kemi and her friends."

"Tendai, her mom even threatened me, told me to stop making her daughter's life hard or else she didn't tell me what she would do but I know it's something bad. I'm not exaggerating; it's the truth. I've decided to tread lightly with them."

"Her mom threatened you? Why?" he asked, looking shocked.

"Because Jensen reported Kemi for putting a rat in our sauce to the headmaster. Her mom found me in the corridor that day, after leaving the headmaster's office, and threatened me."

Tendai leaned back in his chair, sighing deeply before sitting upright again. "All of this is absurd. Her daughter hurts you, and you're not supposed to do anything about it? I've met her mom before—I know she's cold and unloving. I believe you. She's a very bad woman, both her and her daughter."

"Tendai, go to class. You can talk later," Agnetha said as she finished discharging the student who had come in with a headache.

"Okay, Addie, see you after class ends," Tendai said before leaving.

Agnetha discharged me when the bell sounded and advised me to rest at home. I was in a lot of pain; even breathing was difficult. I decided not to wait for Tendai and walked slowly to class. I found Mae waiting for me inside the class.

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

I explained how Kemi and Raven had beaten me up and how Tendai had come to my rescue.

"I'm so 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 sighed with relief.