After It Happened

Chapter 11: 10

The teacher starts asking from the front as usual and since I'm on the third row, I zone out.

"Miss Denise, can you answer the question?"

The sound of my name draws me from my almost slumber.

How did the man jump from the front now?

I think as I hiss.

"Are you hissing? Why are you hissing, this girl? I can see that you do not have respect.", the man all

but screams sending spit flying.

I pity the people in front.

Not feeling like arguing with a teacher, I try to calm him down.

"Sorry sir. I was thinking of something and that's why I hissed. It wasn't meant for you. Please can you

repeat your question?"

Maybe the man is in a good mood because he just narrows his eyes at me and repeats the question

without any hassle.

"What are the non-metals that form hydrogen bonds and why?"

"Huh?", I blurt as I stare blankly at him.

Which one is hydrogen bond now?

I open and close my mouth like a fish totally at a loss for words. This man is mean; it wasn't even my

turn. I glare at the people snickering at me.

Answer it now. You're here laughing.

"So you don't know the answer. How will you know it? You that doesn't know what you come to school

to do. Dummy."

I bite my lip to avoid snapping at the stupid man.

"Please who can answer? Good. Kelechi please tell this dumb girl the answer."

I glare at my teacher then at Kelechi barely listening as he spills the answer like a Chemistry professor.

I'd always envied his intelligence; he never failed to show me that he was smarter than me. He is still

doing the same now, just in a more annoying way.

"Thank you, Kelechi. Denise you can sit down. I just hope you didn't fail your JAMB with the way you're novelbin

going."

Now, I was fed up.

"Sorry sir, but I'm not dumb. I read my books for the exam, so I'm not failing. You can't be wishing for

my failure like that."

Like a typical Nigerian adult, he misinterprets what I say as an insult resulting in me being chased out

of the class and banned from attending the class for a week. I happily take my backpack and stroll out

of the class already tired of that class. I will just go to the library and take a nap before the next period. I

try to ignore my classmates' useless comments. I'm sure they're intentionally speaking loud enough for

me to hear just to spite me.

"Always feeling so proud when she knows nothing."

"She's always acting like she owns us."

"I hate her eh." (Eh shows emphasis)

Guess what? I hate you too.

Three lessons later I'm rushing home, already tired of this stressful day. I need to get some rest before I

get ready for the party I was invited to.

"Ughh", I groan as my face connects with someone's hard chest making my Biology textbook fall to the

ground.

"Why can't you just look where you're going? Is someone after you or what? Why were you looking

back?", I rant, but quickly shut up when I notice it's Kelechi.

Ever since he came to this school, we've never talked to each other apart from the usual pleasantries

and our first conversation.

"I...I Sorry, I wasn't..."

He was flustered I could tell. Why though?

His demeanor suddenly changes and he's now snapping at me like it was my fault.

"You're blocking my way, ni(shows emphasis). Excuse me, please."

I hiss loudly fighting the urge to argue with him because I'm too tired to cause trouble. He's just a waste

of time.

Opening the door to my room few minutes later, I don't bother to remove my uniform as I jump on my

bed. I quickly fall asleep, but not before setting my alarm at five.

When the noisy alarm wakes me up from my slumber, my huge mistake dawns on me. I am going to

Camille's house for her stepmom's birthday. Her stepmom who is Kelechi's mother. Kelechi lives in that

house with his mother. I am dead.