Chapter 4 A REASONABLE RESOLVE
Godiva POV
Jerald attempted throwing a punch, which I dodged, leaving him staggering to gain balance. Dina wasn’t so lucky as Hakeem’s slap landed on her cheek. We both resorted to the lamest technique, which was to kick their balls. We watched as they bent in pain, trying to hold on to each other for support. I walked toward them and attempted to kick their balls again, which left them screaming. Dina and I laughed and ran away, apologizing to them.
Two weeks passed, and it was as though the battle never happened. We all went back to staying in our lane, but exchanging cold stares once in a blue moon. Dina and I were headed to our class from the swimming pool when a pile of trash landed right in front of us. We lifted our gaze, focused on the large white window right above us.
There, we saw Lis staring down from her class and waving unapologetically from left to right. “Sorry, it slipped out of my hands,” she said and left the window.
Disposing of the trash on Lis’s desk was a moment to behold—the irritating look she put on as she screamed and jumped in panic. We both turned and walked out of her class without looking back. We could faintly hear the class go wild with people laughing as she screamed.
We were no pushovers; we didn’t have much, but we returned the energy for every bully and malicious statement anyone made. That singular mindset made us stand out in school.
We were called back to the class by Leo, who asked us to apologise. My feet grew cold as I stood before the famous captain of the Atlantis, one whose beauty couldn’t be seen elsewhere. The elegant way he always walked and his perfume, which always announced his presence, were something I couldn’t wrap my head around.
I dared not show my trembling as we firmly told him we wouldn’t apologise,
WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY he roared, and his peer stood up with him. A confrontation brewed, and I knew this case couldn’t be resolved quietly. My heart pounded against my chest.
We couldn’t apologise because it was only going to make Lis feel she was in the right. Seeing how firmly I refused to apologise, he inquired about what had transpired between us. Dina narrated the incident to him, and from his facial expressions, I knew he was on our side. Knowing she was at fault, he let us off with a warning.
Walking back to the class, I silently wished the conversation had lasted longer. There was this comfort I felt while conversing with him. All the while I was standing before him, my attention was on his cute gap tooth, which he revealed when talking, and the one time he smiled while Dina narrated the story. I knew telling Dina about my feelings was going to win me bad advice, which I wasn’t ready for.
Dina could obviously read my mood, which all of a sudden was down. She didn’t give up asking me what was wrong, even when Professor Jowitt was lecturing. I knew she wouldn’t give up until she got an answer, so I had to assure her that I was going to tell her at home before she got off my case.
After school, I had to go and tutor Jenny at their residence. I knew my day was about to get worse when I caught a glimpse of Jerald standing in front of the grill at the courtyard. Ignoring Jerald.
I tutored Jenny as a part-time hustle; she was related to Jerald by blood, but I didn’t know their family ties. Mr young, Jerald’s father wasn’t polygamous so she was definitely not a stepsister.
I went straight to Jenny’s study, which was way more spacious than my bedroom. As usual, Jenny was already there waiting for me.
Halfway through the study, Jerald walked in, followed by Lis, who was carrying a transparent bowl filled with diced fruit for Jenny. I tried my best to ignore their side comments while they sat on the white desk opposite us, listening to my tutoring. They were about taking their leave when Jerald turned back as though he forgot something. Squatting beside Jenny, he whispered, “Don’t associate with this pervert.”
I was about losing my temper when Jenny’s reply came as a comfort. “A pervert is better than two deranged fornicators.” At this point, I couldn’t control myself.
I let out a loud scream as we both laughed. He twisted Jenny’s ears and as he roared in frustration.
“You little punk. I will teach you both a hard lesson.” He clenched his fist and charged toward us. Lis panicked and moved to restrain him. But bang, he landed a punch, and blood splashed onto the table.
The sound of the punch was lethal as Lis gasped in astonishment. For a few seconds, no one reacted. It felt like time stood still. Jenny screamed my name as she rushed forward. Lis was confounded; she stood there, frozen in shock. Her hand was still raised from trying to stop the inevitable hit.
The blood kept coming. It slid down her shirt and onto the table. It was involuntary, but the deed had already been done. His anger was unjustifiable, and it got the better of him; his actions crossed the line, and it couldn’t be ignored. The tension in the room was choking.