Gone Bad (Nigerian Novel) -Editing

Chapter 11 : Decisions Decisions

Inside the Principal's office, I stare at the white walls taunting me under fluorescent lights.

The only sound in the room comes from me breathing, so I scan the room to busy myself.

My eyes land on the 7 foot glass cabinet full of prehistory looking documents.

Unfortunately, this meant my drifting gaze landed on the brooding boy resting his right shoulder on the shelf.

He only stares on at his leather watch and I sigh in relief as I quickly avert my gaze.

The sound of muffled voices cause us to jump in place in front of the Principal's table.

The air thickens when Mr Dike walks in, looking like he had seen his estranged wife.

Suddenly I feel a drop of liquid trickle down my collar and the fear of what awaited me at home floated in my mind.

I look at him devoid of any emotion to which he only squints.

Beside me Demilade's face shows remorse and pity him, he was the Head Boy afterall.

"When I first heard of this I was appalled that two prefects would act so shamefully on school grounds." he says pausing to look between us.

I only stare at his head to keep myself from becoming a blubbering mess.

He continues. "But since this happened Demilade give me your side of the story."

"I informed her she didn't have to rehearse with me and insulted me. I then retaliated with insults of my own." he drones out and my eyes double at his words.

Before I can object the Principal turns to me with a vicious look and the words die in my throat.

"Is this true?" Mr Dike presses.

I choose my next words carefully. "No sir. He was insulted by my opinion but the name calling started with him."

Demilade glares at me and I continue despite knowing I had almost swore at him.

"He said I was like Satan."

"She provoked me!" he exclaims and the gravity of what I had done slams into me.

This addition would put Demilade on the blacklist and an easy target for suspension -which he couldn't afford at this time.

I dare to look at him and see his red eyes staring back at me in disbelief.

Never had I felt more like the scum of the earth than I did now.

"I am dissappointed in you Demilade, but because you're first time offenders I'm going to let it slide..." Mr Dike says and both of us begin to thank him, only to be interrupted once more.

"On the condition that you undergo a week of detention." he concludes, giving a surprisingly light consequence for our misbehaviour.

We both nod and leave the office in silence, though we knew there was much left unsaid between us.

..................

Victoria catches up to me and stops walking.

She takes a moment to catch her breath before she begins. "See, what happened break time sucked but it doesn't mean you should go around frowning."

I adjust my bag strap not wishing to recall today's events.

On top of my weeklong sentence, rumors of I and Demilade had spread like wildfire.

Apparently the important business we had been attending to was a quickie in the year seven classrooms.

"Spare me the peptalk and get to the point." I snap growing more irritated by the second.