Chapter Five

I pulled my jacket closer to my body as I walked out of the vice chancellor’s office with Caleb following close behind. Today, I’d worn a bermuda short and a henley shirt paired with a ski jacket and black combat boots. You’d think I was in mourning because of the amount of black I had on. I had no makeup on and today I decided to let my hair loose instead of the normal cornrows. I swiped my tongue across my lips just to feel the coldness of the ring pierced on it. 

A stranger would easily think I was up to twenty because of my height as I stood at almost 5’11ft and probably the multiple piercing. My lips and nose were both pierced, my right eyebrows had about two piercing and that wasn’t all, my ears were pierced, my tongue and the most recent piercing I had done was my belly button and my butt. I had a couple tattoos but no one knew that because my upper body was always covered. However, I only turned eighteen in August, last year. Yeah a brand new adult who was also not new since I grew up too fast. 

             Growing up, I was probably the sweetest kid. I completed my assignments, participated in school’s extracurricular activities, won couple awards for the school and bagged a lot for myself. I did all that just to get the approval of my parents but they never once looked at me, they never once congratulated me, even a tap on the head would have put a smile on my face but there was none. As a child Caleb and Allan were the only ones who managed to spare me a glance. Caleb was there most of the time and when he wasn’t at school he’d keep me company and allow me ride on his back. Allan attended school ceremonies just to cheer me on whenever he had the chance. But after a while it all changed. There was no one to give me a piggy backs, no one to attend those school parties, no one to tickle me. It was just me with a bunch of broody people who didn’t think I deserved to be part of the family. Janice thought I looked too different to be part of the family. What’s with the curly hair, brown eyes and different accent. The look my mother always gave me felt like she was blaming me for a crime I didn’t even know I committed, the only thing I recall from all this was the fact that my parents weren’t really on good times for a while, they probably reconciled lately but I had no clue why they were fighting. The look in my dad’s eyes whenever he saw me was that of pain, like he wished for something he couldn’t even have and because of that I started to realize that Janice was probably right, I might have come into this family by accident because they never looked at me the way they looked at Janice or my brothers, they didn’t fuse over me the way they did whenever Janice got bruises. 

When I finally started to change and get involved with the wrong crowd they didn’t ask or try to find out the reason why I was lashing out they immediately sent me away to live with my mother’s sister and her four kids in hopes that I’ll become tamed again and for a while it did work. I was brought back home and that was when I first met Tessy, the girl with a curly hair much like mine. She taught me to let every anger out instead of bottling it up. Most people would probably think I got my addiction from her but that’s a lie, they just weren’t aware that there was just another group of people in my life, the people who knew how to have a good time. 

Again they tried to send me off to someone else’s but when that didn’t work I was sent to a boarding school owned by a group of reverend sisters I didn’t care to learn about. Coincidently Tessy had been transferred to that same school. It was with her that my hate for Americans was born. Her father was an American who got her mother pregnant after a one night stand and wanted nothing to do with child his carelessness brought forth, at least Caleb and Allan did try to comfort me for a while but Tessy had no one, not her mother and most certainly not her father. 

People had the chance to save Tessy but they let her die, they said it was for the best and if I’d been at least two minutes early then she’d still be alive. My friend, Tessy died a painful death. And I died with her. 

             I shook my head furiously to get rid of the image of her dead body. Letting out a long sigh I stuff my hands in my pocket as I continued to walk ahead of Caleb. 

I’d vehemently refused to drive down to the hall where lectures were going to be held, I wanted to feel the wind on my face and I have it dance through my hair. It was some sort of tradition I made after Tessy’s death, whenever I stepped into a new place I wanted feel the wind and probably be one with it. It was a way of telling Tessy I was in a new place. The wind was an assurance that she was here with me, that she was walking down here with me and she was probably silent as always and her hand dipped into her pocket. She’d probably stop for a while just to close her eyes and inhale deeply the scent the wind carried. And if it were raining she’d dip her bare feet into the soil just to get a little comfort. I silently sighed over the loss of my dearest friend, there was still forever to go. 

             I was starting school today and as always Caleb had to come make sure my identity was going to remain a secret, apparently I had a knack for destroying things and if by mistake my identity is revealed it might taint my family’s reputation and create a bridge between them and their business partners. 

Caleb stopped me just in front of the hall where classes were supposed to take place and gave me a strict warning not to stir up trouble amongst my mates or the lecturers and to put a little distance between myself and school properties since I liked to ruin things whenever something got to me. 

When I got tired of listening to Caleb I walk into the hall. Majority of the students taking the course where already present and they seemed to be well acquainted with each other. “well school did start like one or two months ago so they’ll definitely be familiar with each other.” I thought to myself.

There was just one seat left at the back with only about three people occupying it so I made my way over. Just as I was about to seat someone else pushed me back and took the seat, I grit my teeth as I stare angrily at the person that thought it’ll be nice annoy me. 

Quickly recollecting myself I clench my fists in order to stop myself from taking any drastic actions. I go in search of another space to sit. 

                 By twelve sharp the lecture ended. Picking my bag from the bench I force myself through the bodies of numerous students eww. Again just as I was about to step out of the hall someone thought it’ll be funny to keep his legs in my way…..on purpose this dude thought it’ll be funny to make me fall. 

I peel myself from the ground and gingerly dust the dirt from my clothes. Turning around I find a group of students standing with their hand over their mouths trying to stop themselves from laughing, I immediately notice the tall one was their leader. I face palmed in my head, you’d think people will learn to be adults in the university but no they don’t. 

“why’d you do that?” I asked in the nicest way that I could but the but the arrogant smile on the boy’s face fueled my anger.

Looking down at my body I whispered, “this was my favorite black, I’m never nice when I wear my best things.” 

“what are you going to do about that?” he asked as he pushed my shoulders roughly. 

“I think you should stop now, saying this for Your Own good.” 

However, the boy didn’t listen, his friends barked out a laugh when he pushed me the second time. 

The fool was on the ground before anyone could even blink, he might have been big but I made sure he got enough face injuries to last him a lifetime. Because of how fast my hits kept coming he was unable to retaliate the few punches he managed to throw only grazed my cheeks nothing major when he finally managed to overpower me he slammed my head against the wall of the hall, so hard I thought my head was going to burst open. I held my head in my hands as I groaned in pain. Now all I wanted was to make sure this boy would not be able to walk in the sun. I kicked his knee to make him lose his balance, blinded with rage my fist collided with his face there was so much force the big guy lost consciousness. Seeing as I’d won the fight, I fell to ground relaxing my body on the wall for a little extra support. I noticed how the students crowded around us some of them had their phones on recording the events. I marked their faces. If my face got out on the media it’ll be hell for me. At that moment about five lecturers rushed into the room. Two among the group tried to chase students away, two tried to lift the big guy from the ground when they couldn’t they asked a two students who were just as big to give them a hand, the last lecturer helped me up from where I sat completely drained. 

With the little strength I had left I ordered that every students phone be seized and since I was an Adelaide they did as told. My face showing up on the internet and newspapers was a risk I couldn’t afford to take. The world already forgot that the Adelaides had a second daughter, to them I was dead. After the kidnapping incident I seized to exist, it’ll be big scandal if the news of my death was faked and not real. My family already hated me and I didn’t want the hate to grow, so even if the students grumbled the needful still had to be done. 

They passed an emergency call across to my brother, which led him to leave his work and hurry here to check on the boy whose face was now unrecognizable …. Because of me. 

Caleb was taken to see the boy while I remained in the dean’s office. No one said a word to me probably because they were scared of what I would do to them. Either that or they were just disgusted with me…. Their problem obviously. 

                With my head on the dean’s table I try to block out the voices of the dean, my brother and a few other lecturers. 

“she beat a student till he passed out and on her first day here!” the dean exclaimed angrily. 

Caleb sighed, “your student must have provoked her in some way, my sister isolates herself from others so there’s no way she started this. I know it was wrong for her to fight but still he must have done or said something to make her this angry.” 

“Mister Adelaide please stop trying to justify your sister’s actions. It was awfully wrong for her to have injured a student, a mate for that matter in such cruel manner, I did you see that kid he isn’t even awake yet.” 

“he’s not waking up today, I made sure of it,” I spoke groggily, my head still relaxed on the table.

“Bethany!” Caleb exclaimed in an admonishing tone. 

“ow my head,” I let out another groan.

“let’s cut the chase mister Effiong,” Caleb started. “how much do I have to pay for damage control?” 

              Coming from money meant I could get away from any situation at all no matter how big it was. Once again I’ll be getting away from trouble, this was one of the only times I appreciate the fact that my folks had a lot of cash. The old fool might have demanded for a sum of five hundred thousand for ‘damage control’ but my brother dear doubled the price just to show off. 

“hey honey,” Bethany wrapped her arms around Caleb the instant we walked into the house.

“hey,” I watched as Caleb returned her hug affectionately and dipped his nose into her hair. Too tired to throw a comment I make my way upstairs. 

                When I first arrived I had Caleb warn the maids to keep out of my room, I didn’t need them to clean or arrange my room, it was my space I’ll clean it myself. But imagine my surprise when I walk into my room only to find one of them snooping through it. 

“dude what the fuck!!!” I raged “what I you doing in my space,” I matched towards her like a tiger would a prey. I slammed her back on the wall and wrapped my hands around her throat, I tightened my hold when she kept clawing at my hand.

“Bethany, is everything okay?” Caleb barged into my room in a rapid motion Luciana following close behind.

“what is SHE doing in here?” 

“Bethany oh my gosh,” Luciana rushed towards us. “why would you try to strangle her?” she asked rhetorically as she forced my hand away from the maid’s throat.

“Bethany,” Caleb rubbed his forehead stressed. “what’s the problem now?” 

“she was in my room! I said no one is allowed into my space.” 

Luciana was the one who answered this time. “she is new Bethany, NEW!! how was she supposed to know that?”  

I snap my head towards Luciana, “it is your duty to make sure no one comes in here, it is your duty to brief your new maids, you should have let her know that this place was a forbidden territory.” I snapped angrily through my teeth.

“Do not speak to my wife like that girl,” a spasm of irritation crossed his face. 

“do not tell me how to speak to people I’ll talk to anyone the way I want and the way I please, you have no right to tell me what to do, I am the owner of myself you don’t own me so shut the fuck up.” 

SMACK 

Luciana gasped 

Then it came. I laughed so hard until tears began to spill from my eyes, when I finally sobered up I looked Caleb straight in the eyes, “I hate you.” my voice was laced with venom, hard and filled with deep pain. 

With a calm voice I instructed, “get out!” 

“Be….” he started but I cut him off 

“I said get the fuck out of my room, DAMMIT!” I hurled the new system Caleb got me, at the wall. 

Luciana helped the maid up before rushing out of my room Caleb following after a short while. 

“arrrgghhh.” I screamed in pain. My head might have been hurting but my chest felt the more pain, in anger I swiped everything that laid on my table, to the ground. 

“damm you man, damm you,” covering my face I release a loud scream.

I covered my face with one hand and painkillers in the other. With my hands shaking furiously I try to open the bottle, when it doesn’t work I scream angrily before throwing the stupid bottle at the wall. I drag myself across my towards the bathroom and into the tub with my clothes still on, I turned on the shower. Closing my eyes I let the water lend me comfort the last thing I thought of was the maid I almost strangled to death. I hoped she'd be fine.

               The first thing I took note of when I woke up was the machine that beeped, the strings connected to my body, the white walls and lastly the fact that I was no longer in my bathtub I was on a bed, a very hard uncomfortable bed. I groaned and laid my head back on the pillow. 

Few minutes later a tired looking Caleb walked in. “you’re awake,” he stated when he noticed I was staring at him. “how are you feeling?” 

When I made no move to reply he sighed tiredly before leaving and coming back in with a young doctor. 

“hello how are you feeling today?” the doctor chirped. 

“sore, frustrated but how the hell did I end up here?” my face twists into a frown. 

He chuckled, “your brother found you in the shower passed out with a really bad fever. You should thank him.” 

I scoffed, “thank him? I would have gladly done that if He’d left me in the shower. He wants to live a fucked up life anyways.” 

The doctor smiled again 

“what are you smiling at anyways.” I snapped, irritated that he found this funny.

“your eyes say different.” 

With no possible comeback I huff and fold my hands over my chest as I let him continue with his examination, when he was done he gave me a warm smile and asked Caleb to follow him out. 

This doctor might think he was some fucking genius, I huffed, my eyes aren’t saying shit if he fucking left me in that tub I know I could have been out of this cruel world, I would be free and lucky for them there’ll be no one to bother them anymore. They would not have to look over their shoulders the whole time in fear of me attacking or spoiling their reputation and I would be free from hiding, I would be free from all this hateful feelings, most especially their hurtful words. 

I wouldn’t have to breath pain, I won’t have to wake up gasping for air in a room that wasn’t even scarce of it. I turned my gaze to the window and stared at the sun that streamed through the curtain with my lips drawn in a sad smile, I whispered to myself. 

“I would not have to live.”