Chereads / HEARTS & CROSSROADS / Chapter 15 - CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Chapter 15 - CHAPTER FIFTEEN

I texted Soren as soon as I arrived home to let him know I was back. He quickly replied that he would get on the next train from Birmingham to London.

I spent the morning preparing food and cleaning the house. Soren arrived around three hours later, at 11:25 a.m. He looked visibly relieved.

"I'm so happy to be back," he said with a smile. "I couldn't handle another day in Birmingham."

"What did Georgetta say when you told her you were leaving?" I asked.

"She tried to stop me, but I told her I couldn't stay any longer and that you were back home," he replied. "She threatened to report me to Dad for having bad manners, so I told her if she did, I'd tell the whole clan about the small calabash with feathers I saw in her bedroom. That shut her up."

I laughed. "Are you serious? Is it true? I thought you said she was just overly religious. She does witchcraft, then?"

"It's true," Soren confirmed. "Her son showed it to me. He says Mommy needs to stop worshiping Satan. "He hates his mom's hypocrisy."

I laughed again. "Sounds like you had quite the adventure," I said sarcastically.

Soren sighed. "If you had been home, I would have come back sooner. When you told me you were staying at Tendai's, it dampened my hopes of leaving."

I felt a pang of guilt for Soren. I had stayed with Tendai, but look how it all turned out.

"I saw some photos of you with Isla Walker at Tendai's house," Soren said, his tone serious. "I wonder how Jensen feels about that."

"I didn't plan to take photos with her," I said defensively. Anyway, Jensen and I aren't speaking right now, so it doesn't matter."

"Enough about that. I need to show you something," I said, feeling excited. 

I went to my bedroom and picked the Rolex watch from my suitcase. I came back smiling. "Tendai's parents gifted me this; it was a present Ray had received for his birthday," I said, waiting for his reaction. 

"Wow, a Rolex?" Soren's eyes widened with envy

"Yeah. Here, you can have it," I said, giving it to him. "Consider it an early birthday gift."

Soren's face lit up as I handed him the Rolex. The moment I accepted it that day, it just made more sense to me that I should give it to Soren because he liked watches.

"Thanks, Addie. You're the best."

He hugged me tightly. "Thank you, sis."

Soren eagerly removed the watch from its packaging and put it on, admiring it with excitement. I had to persuade him to eat before he went back to ogling over the watch.

Tendai knocked at the door at 3 p.m. I hadn't been expecting him.

When I opened the door, the tension hit immediately, like a heavy gust of wind. He looked guilty. "Let's talk," he said, his voice low, almost pleading.

I was still angry. A part of me wanted to shut the door, but the other part—the part that remembered the good time we had together at his home—hesitated. Without a word, I stepped aside and motioned for him to follow, leading him to my bedroom where we could have some privacy.

The silence between us felt suffocating, thick with everything unsaid.

"Addie, I said some pretty awful words to you last night," Tendai began. "I called you self-righteous and a prude. 

"Is that really how you see me?" I asked, my voice low. All this time, you pretended to be okay with me not wanting to have sex with you."

"No, it wasn't an act," he said. "It's just that I was high last night, and dancing the Kompa made me feel a strong desire to be with you."

"Tendai, drunken words often reflect sober thoughts," I said firmly.

"Not getting laid has been hard on me, but I promised you I'd be patient," he said, his voice faltering slightly, the words hanging in the air like a fragile confession.

I searched his eyes, trying to gauge the sincerity in them. He seemed honest, like he truly meant what he was saying. After a pause, I decided to tell him my truth.

"While we danced Kompa, I felt that burning desire to be yours," I began, my voice quiet but steady. "But then Roe came and took you away... and later, I saw you doing coke."

The words spilled out, raw and heavy. Saying them aloud brought back the sharp sting of that moment. I watched his reaction carefully, wondering if he'd finally understand the depth of my hurt.

"I regret going with her," Tendai admitted. "Can you reconsider? Please, be with me."

"I'm sorry for what I said last night. Please, give us another chance," he continued.

"Tendai, I found you doing coke; I can't just ignore that," I said, remembering the ghastly sight.

"I was honest about my drug use," he said, his tone defensive but not harsh. "I told you I was expelled from my former school for it."

"I thought you were talking about weed, not coke," I said, my disappointment deepening.

"No one gets expelled for weed anymore," he explained. "It's medicinal."

"Is that why your dad took away your car?" I asked, concerned.

He nodded, a hint of frustration in his eyes. "Yeah."

"Then why don't you just stop?" I pressed, hoping to understand.

"It makes me feel good," he confessed, his voice raw with vulnerability.

"Do you do it because of your friends? I know your parents dislike them," I continued, trying to get to the heart of the matter.

"My friends are good people," he said firmly. "My parents have always been biased against them because they were upset that I got expelled from Rocky while they stayed."

I decided not to mention my conversation with his parents. "Tendai, if you want to be with me, you need to stop doing drugs," I said, my voice resolute.

He hesitated, then asked, "Are we still together?"

"Yes," I replied firmly, "but I will only be intimate with you if you quit coke."

"Thank you for giving me a second chance," he said, visibly relieved. "I'll try to fight my addiction."

Tendai stayed for the remainder of the day. Soren, being the gaming enthusiast he is, decided to teach us how to play Dungeons and Dragons. We spent hours rolling dice and building stories until it was time for supper. After which Tendai prepared to leave.

"I'm going to miss this," Tendai said as he picked up his phone.

"We'll see each other at school on Monday," I reminded him.

"Yeah, but it won't be the same as the last few days," His voice carried a hint of sadness.

"I know," I replied, understanding the shift that was coming.

After Tendai left, Soren turned to me, "Tendai's okay, sis, but I like Jensen better."

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm not dating Jensen, Soren."

"I know you're not," he said, "but I also know that Jensen loves you."

I blinked in surprise. "How do you know?"

"We're friends. Even if he's never said it outright, I can tell," Soren responded with a knowing look.

"Well, Jensen and I will never date. Get used to Tendai," I insisted.

Soren sighed, turning his attention to his phone. "Those are my thoughts and feelings, Addie. But whatever makes you happy, I guess."

Sunday morning was a flurry of social media updates from my classmates as they shared photos of their return trips from various Easter holiday destinations. Eloise was on her way back from Costa Rica and had posted a picture on Instagram of herself inside a private jet, her mom's corgi in tow. Mae had uploaded a shot of her on a train from Brussels.

Jensen, true to form, was sharing memes about the upcoming mayoral elections, while Andrew posted videos of himself playing basketball with his cousins. A few weeks ago, I didn't need to check statuses to know what my friends were up to, but now that we didn't talk, social media had become my only way to keep up with their lives.

Dad texted to inform me in the afternoon that their flight had been delayed and that they might not arrive in the UK until late Monday. "Make sure you and Soren get to school on time," he instructed.

Soren and I used the tube to school on Monday morning. We got out of the train and walked some distance to school. As luck would have it, we arrived at the same time as Grayson. I still hadn't thanked him for what he did for me after the Easter party.

"Soren, you go ahead. I'll catch up with you," I said, deciding to wait for Grayson to get out of his Jeep Wrangler.

Grayson stepped out of the car, followed by Mae from the passenger seat. My heart sank; I hadn't noticed she was with him. I hesitated, then turned to walk away.

"How were your holidays, Darkie?" Grayson's voice cut through the air, mocking as ever.

I hadn't walked fast enough. Back to his usual self, I see. Guess I don't need to apologize after all. Even though Mae and I weren't on speaking terms, she could have at least defended me from his racist comment. But she remained silent.

"Rumor has it you spent the holidays with Tendai," Grayson continued, his tone dripping with false curiosity.

"Who told you that?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Social media," he replied nonchalantly. "Didn't you attend a fancy birthday party where you met Isla Walker?"

"Grayson, who I choose to spend my time with is none of your business. Mind your girlfriend and leave me alone," I shot back.

Mae finally spoke up, though not in my defense. "Hey, boo, can you go ahead?" she asked him sweetly.

"Fine," Grayson agreed, planting a kiss on her cheek before walking away.

Mae turned to face me, and for the first time, I took in her new look. She had had a complete glow-up during the holidays. Gone were the thick, heavy glasses and the nerdy style. Now, she looked like a cheerleader—nose job, hair extensions, and all.

"Hey, Mae, you look really nice," I said, trying to be civil.

"Is it not enough that you stole Kemi's boyfriend? Now you want to steal mine too?" she accused, her eyes narrowing.

"I've told you before, Grayson is the one who's interested in me. I don't like him," I insisted.

"If you don't like him, then why were you in his car on Good Friday?" Mae demanded. 

"A Year Ten saw you leave with him that night and told her friends. Are you going to deny that? Grayson carried you to his car," she scoffed. "You were just dying to be with him."

I shook my head, frustration bubbling up. "Grayson took me home that night because I was too drunk to walk. I ended up vomiting in his car. That's all there was to it."

"I don't care about that. Just stay away from Grayson; he's mine," she declared before striding off into class.

I stood there, feeling the sting of disappointment. I will never ask Grayson for help again. Never.

As I was lost in thought, someone hugged me from behind and kissed my cheek. I turned to find Tendai smiling at me.

"Hi, babe," he greeted warmly. "How was your morning?"

"My morning was good. How was yours?" I asked, grateful for his presence.

"Nice," he replied with a grin.

People still weren't used to seeing us together. They kept staring and pointing, whispering among themselves. I glanced around and spotted Jensen. He wasn't alone; he was walking hand in hand with a girl who looked just like me. I recognized her as a Year Twelve student.

"Is he for real?" Tendai asked, clearly puzzled by what we were seeing.

I thought I was the only one shocked. Jensen had gone and found himself a girl who looked just like me.

"You told me your friend loved you, but I didn't know he was this crazy," Tendai commented, shaking his head.

We watched as Jensen kissed the girl, then walked past us without even acknowledging me.

"See you later," Jensen said over his shoulder, completely ignoring me.

Tendai and I exchanged a glance before heading to class hand in hand. I sat with him again like I had done on Maundy Thursday the day I fell out with Jensen. 

The seating arrangement of me and my ex friends had changed. Mae was now sitting with Grayson behind Eloise, while Andrew was with Liz at the front, and Jensen sat with King close to where we used to sit previously.

Mrs. Claudine Joyce was the first teacher of the day. As she scanned the room, she remarked, "There's something different about this class. Did someone change the seating arrangement?"

No one answered.

"Adessa, Andrew, Jensen, Mae—what happened?" she asked, sensing the tension.

"Betrayal," Jensen said flatly.

"Backstabbing," Mae added, her voice cold.

"New beginnings," Andrew muttered.

"Division," I said quietly.

Mrs. Joyce looked at us in confusion. "What are you all trying to say?"

She didn't understand that we were all describing what had caused our friendship to fall apart.

"I liked the four of you together," she said, her voice tinged with regret.

During break, I noticed that Jensen was sitting with his new girlfriend, while Andrew was with Liz, Kemi, and Raven. Mae sat with Grayson.

"What's the name of the girl Jensen is dating?" I asked Eloise.

"Her name is Brielle Galuak," Eloise said, glancing at the couple. "Their relationship must have started during the holidays because last term, she broke up with her boyfriend."

"He has a thing for dark-skinned girls," Eloise remarked, a hint of curiosity in her tone.

I sighed, feeling a mix of emotions. He was replacing me with a look alike. 

"Addie, can I talk to you?" Tendai asked, standing in front of our table. His expression was serious, and I felt a slight twinge of worry.

"Yes!" I replied, quickly standing up to follow him out of the cafeteria.

Once we were outside, he turned to me, his tone more relaxed. "We are going to have football practice all week because we are playing against another school next week."

"Which school are you playing against?" I asked, curious.

He shook his head. "Coach has refused to reveal the name of the school," he said, clearly a bit annoyed by the secrecy. "Football practice will last four hours every day, and we'll also practice on Saturday. I don't think we'll be able to hang out for a while."

My heart sank a little. "But you promised to take me to the Ed Sheeran concert in Manchester this Saturday!"

Tendai looked apologetic. "He has another concert next month. We can go to that one instead." He leaned in and gave me a quick peck on the cheek before we both returned to the cafeteria.

As soon as school ended, Soren and I headed home to prepare for our parents' arrival. They walked through the door at exactly 8:23 p.m., and the joy on their faces was infectious.

"Our relatives wanted to see you. They haven't seen you since you were younger," Dad said as he hugged me tightly.

"Can you take me with you next time you go?" Soren asked eagerly. But then he added with a frown, "Your cousin was a religious freak. I won't be going back there again."

Dad and Mom ignored his comment. "We brought gifts for you," Dad said, a smile spreading across his face.

He handed us beautiful bags made of kente and chocolate from Ghana. Soren received a wooden face mask that Dad thought would be a nice addition to his room.

"How was home?" Mom asked, her eyes filled with concern.

"Home was fine," I replied, trying to sound convincing.

But Dad wasn't easily fooled. "I know teenagers have parties whenever their parents are away, Ade!" he teased. "I hope everything is intact."

I couldn't meet his gaze as guilt gnawed at me. "Dad, I didn't have a party," I mumbled, but the truth was, I hadn't been home for nearly two weeks.

Dad left early the next morning for work, as he rarely stayed home for long. Soren and I missed him deeply, but we understood his commitments.

Soren, where did you get that Rolex watch from?" Mom asked during breakfast.

Last night, they were both too tired and hadn't noticed him wearing it.

We exchanged glances. "I gave it to him," I said. "It was a gift from Tendai's dad."

Mom nearly choked on her tea. "Tendai's dad gave you an expensive gift like that?" she exclaimed. "Soren, remove the watch. Ade, I need you to give it back to Tendai. No child of mine receives gifts like that."

"Mom, stop overreacting," Soren said. "It's just a watch."

"I'm not comfortable with such acts of kindness," Mom said. "There are usually strings attached."

Mom was right in her way of analyzing the situation, since Ray did expect something in return, but I wasn't planning to give him anything. 

"Mom, Tendai's parents both gave it to me, brand new. In fact, Soren opened the box himself," I said, casually. "Ray had so many gifts he had received for his birthday that he and his wife decided to give some to me and Tendai's friends. The rest they donated to charities in Haiti, Jamaica, and Zimbabwe."

Mom took a deep breath and seemed to calm down. "Alright, if it's as you say, I suppose it's fine. But be cautious with such gifts in the future. They are not as innocent as they look."

Mom dropped us off at school. Soren sat in the car, admiring his watch with a look of relief and satisfaction that Mom hadn't confiscated it.

As I walked toward the school entrance, I noticed a man dressed in red attire, barefoot, and marked with strange symbols all over his face. He stood there, seemingly out of place among the bustling students. Oddly, no one else seemed to notice him. Students were chatting and walking past as if he wasn't there at all.

"Soren, do you see that weird-looking man?" I asked, my voice tinged with confusion.

"Which man?" he asked, glancing around.

I pointed directly at the man. "The one standing at the entrance."

Soren gave me a puzzled look. "Are you feeling okay, sis?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

"I am not crazy," I muttered to myself as I walked up to Eloise. "Are you seeing that man?" I pointed again.

Eloise looked where I was pointing but shook her head. "I don't see anyone," she replied.

Panic started to creep in. Was I losing my mind? The man continued to stare at me, but I forced myself to ignore him and entered class. The teacher, Mr. Slyvester Chen walked in followed closely behind by this man. He stood in the corner of the class looking at me. 

"Tendai, do you see the man standing in the corner?" I whispered urgently.

"No," he said, his brow furrowing. "There's no one in the corner."

"No, I am not crazy," I kept thinking, trying to convince myself.

Mr. Chen began his lesson, but my focus was shattered. The man continued staring at me from across the room, his gaze unrelenting. I tried to concentrate on the lesson, but my thoughts kept drifting back to him, hoping he would just disappear.

Suddenly, the man opened his mouth and let out a piercing scream. I instinctively covered my ears.

"Stop shouting!" I yelled, causing the entire class to turn and stare at me.

Mr. Chen looked at me, bewildered. "Adessa, what's the matter? Why are you holding your ears and yelling?" he demanded. "Am I boring you?"

"No, sir," I stammered.

"I am giving you detention," he declared. "Come to my office this evening."

The man continued standing in the corner, looking at me. 

"What's wrong, Addie? What's disturbing you?" Tendai asked softly, his voice full of concern.

"I don't know, Tendai. I think I am losing my mind."

Suddenly, a foul smell filled the air, and I looked at Tendai in alarm. "What's that smell?"

Tendai checked himself quickly. "It's not me," he said, looking confused.

No one else seemed to notice the odor, but it was overwhelming for me. "Excuse me, sir. Can I go to the bathroom?" I asked, feeling desperate.

"Okay," he replied, though his tone was laced with suspicion.

The man didn't follow me out of the classroom, and the unsettling odor vanished. I felt more at ease and decided not to return to class. I went to the auditorium and sat there, lost in thought, until the bell for breaktime finally rang.

I headed to the cafeteria. I grabbed some food and joined Eloise at her table. She looked up as I sat down, her gaze filled with curiosity.

"Why did you shout during Mr. Chen's lesson?" Eloise asked, her tone a blend of concern and genuine interest.

I sighed, looking down at my plate. "I've been experiencing some strange things," I admitted quietly. "The same man I saw at the entrance of the school was standing in the corner of the classroom. He let out a piercing scream, and that's why I reacted the way I did."

Eloise gave me a pitying look. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

I nodded, appreciating her sympathy. Turning back to my plate, I scooped up some spaghetti with my fork, only to freeze when I saw maggots wriggling through the noodles.

"Maggots!" I screamed, dropping my fork in horror.

Eloise quickly checked her own food but found nothing. "There are no maggots," she said, her tone calm.

"No, you're lying!" I insisted, my voice trembling with fear. I stood up, dumped the food in the trash bin, and ran out of the cafeteria, heading straight to the bleachers. Tendai found me there, looking worried.

"Addie, what's going on? You're acting strange today," he said gently. "Let's go to the dispensary so that the nurse can check you."

"Okay," I agreed, feeling a mix of fear and exhaustion.

Tendai informed Agnetha about my symptoms, and she immediately asked, "What's the matter, Adessa?"

"I am seeing things that aren't there and imagining smells. Tendai has a bad odor that only I seem to notice," I explained, my voice shaky.

Agnetha smiled kindly. "Sweetie, Tendai smells fine. Are you under the influence of any drugs? Sometimes they can cause hallucinations."

"No, I haven't taken any drugs," I said firmly.

She looked at me thoughtfully before asking, "When was your last period?"

"Two weeks ago," I replied.

"Don't lie. Pregnancy can heighten your sense of smell," she said, almost accusingly.

"Nurse, I am not pregnant," I insisted, feeling more frustrated and scared than ever.

"Tendai, you can go. I'll run some tests on her," Agnetha said, gently ushering him out of the room.

After Tendai left, Agnetha took samples of my blood and urine. A while later, she returned with the results.

"According to these, you're perfectly fine," she said, her tone reassuring. "But you should drink more water; your urine indicates you're slightly dehydrated."

"But why am I imagining these things?" I asked, the worry clear in my voice.

"It could be stress," she suggested. "Rest here until it's time to go home."

"I have detention with Mr. Sylvester Chen," I suddenly remembered.

"Don't worry, I'll inform your teacher that you're not feeling well," she assured me, picking up the phone.

I listened as she explained my condition to him, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. I stayed in the dispensary until it was time to leave, then picked up my bag from class and went to the parking lot where I found mom and Soren waiting for me.

Mom drove us home. "Soren, I saw maggots in my food at school today," I said, once we got home.

"What!" he exclaimed. "I think I should stop eating school food if it's that bad."

I nodded in agreement. I expected the strange occurrences at school to happen at home but I was wrong. Everything seemed normal—no strange smells, no sudden screams, and no nightmares. 

I enjoyed a hearty supper of Eba and goat pepper soup with Mom and Soren, savoring every bite. I was very hungry. I had poured my food at break and refused to eat the lunch that Agnetha had given me in the dispensary. 

"Mom, thanks, the food was really nice," I appreciated. 

Tendai texted me to check in. I assured him that I was fine and that the strange things had stopped. He was relieved and excited by the news.

The night was peaceful; I slept soundly and with renewed hope for a better day on Wednesday. However, as soon as I arrived at school, my nightmare returned. The same man was standing at the entrance, his presence as unsettling as ever.

"Ignore him," I told myself firmly. "Maybe if I ignore him, he'll go away."

I spotted Tendai in the corridor, chatting with his friends. He smiled when he saw me and excused himself to come over.

He hugged me, but the strange smell was still there. He noticed my discomfort.

"Is that smell back again today?" he asked, concerned.

"Yes," I confirmed.

"Did you rest well?" he inquired, his brow furrowed with worry.

"Yes, I did."

"Sit with Eloise until you feel better," Tendai proposed.

"Okay," I said, accepting the suggestion, and entered the classroom.

Eloise was seated in front of Grayson and Mae, which meant I was going to sit close to my bully. I walked over to her desk, trying to steady my nerves.

"Can I sit with you?" I asked.

"Sure," Eloise replied, moving her bag to make room.

As I took my seat, I glanced at Mae. Her cold, unwelcoming gaze made it clear she wasn't pleased with the arrangement, but I avoided making eye contact with Grayson.

I had barely settled in when I heard Grayson, seated next to Eloise, mutter under his breath, "Darkie." His voice was just loud enough for Eloise and me to hear.

Eloise immediately spun around, her eyes narrowing with anger.

"Don't call her that again," Eloise said sharply.

Grayson froze for a moment, then stammered, "I'm sorry," looking genuinely ashamed. His reaction surprised me.

I couldn't help but wonder why Eloise's opinion seemed to matter so much to him. I had noticed them talking a few times back when I was still friends with Andrew, Mae, and Jensen, but I hadn't thought much of it until now.

Ms. Avelon Gopal walked in, and to my horror, the man from earlier followed her into the classroom. A wave of anxiety washed over me; I feared a repeat of yesterday's nightmare.

Don't panic, I told myself. Ignore his screams. He'll stop if you do.

As Ms. Gopal began her lesson, the man let out a piercing scream once again. I tried to focus on her words, despite the noise being unsettling and relentless. It felt like the sound was clawing at my nerves, making it nearly impossible to concentrate.

Eventually, the screaming stopped, and the man vanished. I let out a silent sigh of relief, hoping that no one had noticed my distress.

Ms. Gopal was describing polymer reactions when a sharp pain suddenly shot through my back, as if someone had pierced me with a needle. I quickly turned around, my heart racing, and looked directly at Grayson, who was seated right behind me. He was the only one who could have done it, but he sat there, staring innocently at the teacher.

"Why does he think it's funny to hurt me?" I thought.

I decided not to say anything to him and turned back to face the front, trying to focus on the teacher's words. But then the pain struck again, even sharper and more intense than before. I couldn't hold it in and let out a scream of agony, the sound escaping before I could stop it.

Ms. Gopal stopped, alarmed. "What's wrong, Adessa?" she asked.

"Grayson pierced me with something sharp!" I blurted out.

"That's a lie. I haven't touched her," Grayson protested, his face a mask of innocence.

Ms. Gopal's gaze narrowed. "Grayson, go to the staff room," she ordered, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"Madam, Grayson hasn't done anything," Mae spoke up, trying to defend him.

"Grayson, you've been warned before about bullying other students," she reminded him. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

Grayson looked like he was about to cry. "Madam, I have done nothing to her," he said, his voice shaking.

"I'm going to Mr. Ngonzi to report this," she said firmly. "Follow me there."

Ms. Gopal stepped out of class. As soon as she left, Grayson turned to me.

"Hey, Darkie, why did you accuse me of something I didn't do?" he spat.

"What did you just call her?" Tendai's voice cut through the air, icy with anger. He stood up and walked over to me.

Grayson hadn't expected Tendai to hear him. The entire class went silent, the tension thick in the air.

"I called her Darkie," Grayson admitted, his voice defiant. "Don't act like you care now when you used to hear us call her names and did nothing."

Before anyone could react, Tendai's fist connected with Grayson's face. Grayson retaliated, and soon the two were locked in a brutal fight.

"You son of a bitch! Who gave you the right to bully others?" Tendai shouted, his voice filled with rage.

The fight quickly turned bloody, but no one moved to stop it. The noise drew students from other classes, and chaos erupted.

Finally, Mr. Ngonzi and Mr. Thomas arrived to separate them.

"Why are you two fighting?" Mr. Ngonzi demanded, his tone severe.

Neither boy answered, their chests heaving as they glared at each other.

"Sir, they're fighting because of Adessa Kamara," Cameron Giuseppe said.

"I want the two of you to follow me to my office. Adessa Kamara, come along too," Mr. Ngonzi ordered.

"The rest of you, return to your respective classes," Mr. Thomas added, ushering the crowd away.

In silence, the three of us walked to Mr. Ngonzi's office. Tendai and Grayson were both bruised and bleeding.

"Explain," Mr. Ngonzi ordered once we were inside.

"Sir, Tendai attacked me for no reason," Grayson said. "I was just asking Adessa why she accused me of piercing her yet I didn't."

"Sir, Grayson called Adessa a derogatory term," Tendai interjected.

"Adessa, why are these two boys fighting over you?" Mr. Ngonzi questioned, his gaze sharp.

"Sir, Grayson has been bullying me for years. He calls me names like Midnight or Darkie, and today he took it a notch higher by attacking me physically," I explained, my voice trembling.

"I haven't touched her," Grayson insisted.

"Tendai heard him call me Darkie and reacted," I added.

"Grayson, you've been warned repeatedly about bullying other students," Mr. Ngonzi said sternly. "I'm suspending you for two weeks. Use that time to reflect on your behavior. Any further incidents will lead to expulsion."

He turned to Tendai. "Tendai, you're usually a model student. This is your first offense, so I'll let you off with a warning. But another fight will lead to suspension."

Finally, he looked at me. "Adessa, if these two fight over you again, you'll face suspension as well. Make sure it doesn't happen."

He stood up, signaling the end of the discussion. "Now, both of you go to the dispensary for first aid. If there's any more trouble, expulsion is on the table."

"Grayson, return to my office after getting first aid for your suspension letter," he added as we left.

Despite the tension, the foul odor around Tendai lingered, but I chose to ignore it.

Mae was waiting outside and rushed to Grayson's side as soon as he emerged.

"Grayson, let me take you to the dispensary. You're hurt," she said, her voice filled with concern.

The four of us walked to the dispensary in tense silence.