Donovan

5

Boma attended classes the following day, but her mind was elsewhere, overshadowed by the looming thought of facing Donovan again.

During one of her lectures, laughter from some of her coursemates jolted her back to reality. She looked up to find the lecturer staring at her, arms crossed.

"Where is your mind?" the woman asked sharply.

"Sorry, Ma'am. I was just..." Boma stammered, trying to gather her thoughts.

"Daydreaming? Get out of my class. I don't encourage laxity."

"Ma'am—" she began imploringly, but the lecturer cut her off.

"I said leave."

Boma gathered her books, shoved them into her bag, and walked out amid more giggles from her classmates. The laughter ceased only when the lecturer asked who would be next to leave.

Outside the classroom, Boma stood by the window and continued taking notes. That was the way at Wilberforce Island University. It was like a jungle. Only the strong survived. Getting sent out of class didn't mean you went home; you stayed close, took notes, and hoped for a chance to get back in. If you were lucky, the lecturer might appreciate your diligence and let you return.

Leaving meant being marked as proud, and that could lead to more trouble. You had to hope your academic performance was strong enough to pass without needing any leniency from the lecturer who now had a reason to be harsh with you.

As she scribbled notes outside, she suddenly had the nagging feeling that she was forgetting something. The lecture demanded her attention, and the thought quickly slipped from her mind.

After about five minutes, the lecturer glanced her way and, with a reluctant nod, gestured for her to return. Boma re-entered the class, thanked the lecturer quietly, and took her seat, grateful for the mercy.

Someone passed her a note. It was from Queen and her gang, seated behind her. Queen was a notorious bully, always flanked by her two devoted friends.

Boma opened the note, which read: "You suck."

At first, she was taken aback, but then she collected herself. These girls were the least of her problems. She scribbled a response: "Same to you, Queen, Tracy, and Bella. This isn't high school. It is a university. Grow up." She returned the note to Queen.

She heard their well-controlled huffs behind her but paid no heed to them.

Again, she got the feeling that she had forgotten something important. Her thoughts were interrupted as another note was passed to her by the bully squad. This one read: "You will pay for this."

Her heart skipped a beat, but she tried not to show her fear. She tore the note into pieces and pocketed them, intending to dispose of them properly later.

After class, the lecturer assigned them a project to analyze a literary work and then left. Boma saw that she had about thirty minutes before meeting Donovan.

A guy in her classroom excused himself and asked her to be his study buddy. "I've been thinking about it for a while," he said. "You seem cool."

He introduced himself as Fidelis.

She needed that kind of bond and accepted eagerly. Fidelis was someone she had admired from a distance because of his calm demeanor. He was also handsome in a friendly next-door-neighbor manner. It felt so reassuring that he had approached her. They exchanged names and numbers, establishing a friendly rapport.

Boma considered his friendship the only good thing happening to her at the moment and had no intention of denying herself that pleasure.

Fidelis asked if she had registered at the school library. When she said no, he suggested they go register together, as he was about to do the same.