Oluwatimilehin.

Malik

Tomisan

Over the course of several days, I grow closer to Timi, we make frequent phone calls to one another, she had made me promise that I wouldn't tell anyone what occurred that day.

In school, when I see Emirem and John and my blood boils, I want to walk up to them but they're surrounded by a group of rowdy boys, a few girls cling to their sides.

'The way you dey look John fit kill am' Malik laughs interrupting my thoughts.

Malik and I had known each other since we lived in Epe, when we were in primary two, he pushed me into a gutter on our way home from school and I chased him to his house where his mum had made him kneel down and gave me new clothes and food.

He was average height with spotless dark skin, good looking and charming. He stares at me some more.

'Is everything fine?' he enquires.

'Yes' I reply.

Tell him you bastard.

'I have something to tell you' I say nervously. 'Sit down'.

'Okay?...' he obliges sitting in one of the cafeterias chair.

I couldn't tell him, it would break him, his mum had suffered constant abuse both physical and sexual from his dad before he was sent to jail.

Tears form in my eyes.

You pussy, come on talk.

'So erm Emirem and John, well there was this girl that erm that'

'Just talk abeg' he says rolling his eyes.

'Emirem and John raped someone' I say suddenly.

His eyes dilate with anger then confusion.

'How do you know?'

Silence.

Tell him nau, shebi when it was happening you couldn't do anything.

'I was there' I manage to spit out.

Selfish coward.

Malik stands up, he doesn't say anything as he walks up to John's group, he singles John out and punches him, his head barely came to John's chin, but Malik wasn't an ajebo, he'd had a lot of fighting experience and wasn't afraid to get a bit bruised.

He keeps on punching and beating, John tries to retaliate but Malik is too angry, Emirem decides to join in. so I hurry over.

People were whispering, some had already pulled out thier phones and were capturing the moment.

I pull Malik off John and John swears at Malik and I 'Both of you are fucking bastards'

'Na your papa be bastard' Malik replies.

The chemistry teacher, Mr kelvin walks out of the teachers lounge after catching wind of what was happening

'John and Malik go and report yourselves to the principal now!!'

'Where's the head-boy?'

'I'm right here sir' I say stepping forward.

'Why couldn't you stop this from escalating'

'Sir I was trying to but-' he cuts me off.

'Follow them to the principals office'

John sneers at Malik and I.

'So you told this idiot?' he asks referring to Malik.

I don't reply.

'I thought you were smarter than that, but I-'

'Kindly shut the fuck up' Malik says his voice cooler than ice.

We all arrive at the principals office, she stares at us from her glasses perched on her nose, she clears her throat.

'Yes, what can I help you with?' She asks her Indian accent thick.

'John can explain ma' Malik says through gritted teeth.

'We were practicing for a school drama' John calmly lies.

'Since when did you join the drama club?' She starts 'And why we're you physically attacking each other?' She asks looking unimpressed.

'It's method acting ma.....but it won't repeat itself' John quickly adds.

She shakes her head and dismisses us.

'I'll catch the both of you, shebi we have practice together' John says walking in the opposite direction.

I was fucked.