Cuties and the Bullies

I felt more comfortable on my first day in this school than in my other schools where it took me more time to make friends, which was mainly a result of the fact that guys hate me at first sight of me. But things are different at this school because I already had a friend before I even started. Cynthia made sure I was comfortable, Cynthia's friends were amazed at the colour of his eyes and hair, they argued about them being fake, and they all touched and played with my hair. Hmm... I kinda felt like a celebrity, with the way people look at me and the way Cynthia's boyfriend flirted with me.

"He's such a cutie! I'd like to go on a date with him.

A friend of Cynthia said. 

"He won't ask you out, madam!"

Cynthia swiftly intercepted the speech of her friend. She had just realized how handsome and precious I am, at least her friends' demeanour had opened her eyes to see me as I wanted her to see me. She can actually show him off to her friends as her boyfriend, or so she thought. On the other hand was a living and breathing problem, 'Bright and his clique'. Bright, who had no problem with playing 'Cynthia's boyfriend' grew restless at the sight of Cynthia and her friends playing around me. Bright had always been on  Cynthia's tail, asking her out since JSS 3, but Cynthia kept turning him down, till he decided to stop asking and start assuming. He made sure everyone believed he was officially dating her, even though she claims otherwise. 

"Hey Demon! She is my girl, you better stay clear". 

Bright said as he stormed at me unannounced. Normally I will be shocked by the way he stormed at me unannounced, but I guess I'm already used to it, so I hardly get surprised by unexpected attacks. I was just sitting all alone during break periods at the serene Garden of Peace when the Bully Bright rudely pounced on me. 

"Hahaha, Demon." 

One of Bright's friends said mockingly. His name was Ojo.

Ojo was one of Bright's loyal friends, in fact, he was his most loyal, many people called him "Echo" because of his habit of repeating almost everything Bright said. Ojo looks up to Bright as his role model, he believed that Bright was everything he wished he would be but can't.

"Now listen to me you this black albino, I saw how you throw yourself at those girls. Well, that's not my problem, all I care about is that you must mind your doings around Cynthia, I've invested a lot of time to have one new albino boy with one stupid blue eyes come and ruin everything for me. Just stay clear from her, are we clear?"

Bright said. 

"Are we clear?"

Ojo added.

"Haba bright, why will you say it's only Cynthia that you care about? Let him know about Charity too. You know I like her, haba, you don't have to be selfish always."

Sani said with his funny Hausa accent. Sani was the second friend of Bright, he was a fair, tall, and skinny boy, he also had a crush on one of Cynthia's friends, Charity. Cynthia and her friends were also known as the "Triple Cee", the third friend among the Triple Cee was Chinwe. The triple Cee was the most popular group in the school, they were made up of three girls, Cynthia, Charity and Chinwe, they were called the triple Cee because their names all began with the letter "C".

"Kai, Mr man, you better stay away from all those girls, Else we will kill you in this school, did you hear me?"

Sani added in a more threatening tone. 

Well, I am already used to such confrontation, I actually saw this as nothing, Bright's clique was only but a clique of spoilt rich bullies who could probably make more threats than harm. I've come across truly harmful street kids, not to say a bunch of rich spoiled kids with nothing but their size as a strength.

"I did nothing, those girls are just my friends, I just came today, what harm could I possibly do? 

I tried my best to explain. 

"Just imagine the arrogance."

Bright said, looking at Ojo. 

"Very arrogant!"

Ojo said, looking furious.

"Hey hey hey! What is happening here? Bright and Co, you people have started already. This poor boy who just came today, come-on, what is wrong with you people? Can't you grow up? Old fools."

Cynthia said as she and the other Triple Cee came to the Garden of Peace to meet me. 

"Cyndy dear,  I was only telling him about us. You know he is new and he might not know, so I thought it was wise to educate him."

Bright said, smiling.

"Hahaha, he said 'us' Cyndy you have heard it now."

Chinwe said hilariously.

"Please, if it is a joke stop it, I don't like it." 

Cynthia said to Chinwe 

"And you, what do you mean by you are telling him about us? I've told you several times to stop going around lying about us ever having anything. Mr man,  you are not even my type, stop this rubbish, I'm warning you now o."

Cynthia said. 

"My God! This one is deep. You are not her kind Bright, so get the duck off."

Charity said hilariously. 

"Hmm, boys,  let's go"

Bright said and his Zombie friends join him as he left with his head buried in shame.

It was a hectic first day in school and his best. I arrived home from school with loads of stories to tell my mom who has always been his best friend, confidant and gossip mate. Yeah, my mom had been my best friend if not the only friend I have had for a very long time, we share lots of things, she tells me about her doings while I also tell her about mine, whenever I'm out, I kept running to get home fast so I could tell her things that happened in her absence.

"No no no!  We are not doing this here again".

My mom said, shouting as I threw my bag on the sofa and left myself to fall to the cushion where my mum sat. When I got home, my mom was sitting watching Nollywood movies.

"Listen, Damie, this is Abuja, here, you must attain a little level of change, you won't throw your things anywhere or everywhere, everything must be in other in this house, this is Abuja, is that clear"?

Mom cautioned me.

"Yes, mom! Your wish is my command"

I said as I stood up making a salutation like military personnel.

"Now go keep your bag and shower, when you are done, come to mama, I know you got gist for me or isn't it so?"

She said.

"A lot of gist mom"

I said as he walked towards his room. I rushed into the room and quickly took off my clothes and rushed into the bathroom where I had a cold shower, it felt good because the weather was hot that day.

A few minutes later I was already out and all cleaned up. I had changed into short jeans and a Calvin Klein designer's singlet. Oh, I love that singlet, we got it three days past at the boutique located on our street, the Name of the Boutique was "You and I". I also love that short jeans because it exposes my well-built legs which were coated with dark hairs which lay sleeping on my legs. When mom saw me coming out to the sitting room, she smiled at me and tapped at the little space on the place where she sat, a gesture that suggested that I should sit close to her which I did.

"so tell me, how did your first day in school go? How did you see the school today?"

My mom asked looking very inquisitive but in her usual cute way.

"Mom, This school is awesome, I already made friends, loads of friends, you can't believe it."

I told her excitingly

"You don't mean it."

My mom said.  

"I do mom, Cynthia introduced me to her friends, and guess what? They all like me, they believe I'm very cute. They all love my hair and eyes, you need to see your boy in school, I felt like a celebrity."

So I said feeling all fly.

"Hmm,  sound nice,  so we don't have haters in this school, that's great, I love the school too then."

Mom said also looking excited.

"Well... About that,  there is this Bright of guy with his click, but Cynthia said that's a thing for him, I don't think his hating was personal, I think it's his nature."

So did I say

"A-ha mom, enough about me, you said something about an appointment the other time, you never told me anything about it before this morning, so tell me, what was it about? Where did you go? And how did it go?"

I added with questions.

"Yeah baby, Paula sent me the message last night about a job opening, so that was where I went."

she responded.

"Oh, really? how was it? How did it go?"

I asked.

"Well, I will say that luck was on my side because I only went to drop my CV, but lucky for me I got there early and they were about to start an interview, so joined, you know you are my lucky charm, after the interview, they said they will get to me, so pray for your mother oo".

My mom replied, and I told her that I'll pray for her.

The next day in school, it was Cynthia and I that came school that, we came late that very day because we couldn't find a cab early to school, we waited for a while before we finally found a cab to school. By the time we got to school we were already late, so we rushed to the class only to notice that the Biology class was already in session, the teacher had on the board boldly written: "THE SKIN" And a well-labelled diagram was on the board which could be the diagram of a skin.

"excuse me sir"

Cynthia said and raised her hand pointing her index finger to the ceiling as we both walked into the classroom.

"See how cute they look".

A student in the class said in a low pitch.

"I told you, this guy they call Demon has a plan."

Sani said in his funny Housa accent. Now everyone in the class just focused all their attention on Cynthia and me, including the teacher who said:

"You are the new kid, right? "

"I am Damian Sir"

I quickly answered.

"He is a Demon. hahahah!"

Bright said with laughter and all of his clique joined.

"Hey! Stop that, in fact, the three of you should stand up".

The teacher said pointing at Bright, Ojo, and Sani.

"Now tell the class, what is the pigment that gives the skin its black colour? I believe that I have said it this morning."

The teacher asked the three of the clique members, now cold breeze invaded the minds of the three friends as they stood looking at each other expecting that maybe a messiah will rise from among one of them.

"Answer me, I just said it before the people you just insulted came in. So you can't tell me you have forgotten so soon, unless you are trying to prove to me that you are brainless."

The teacher said and this caused a burst of huge laughter from across the class. Bright and his click were the dumbest students in the SS3, everyone in the school know them as "Dull brains", all they know was to bully other students because they were older.