Joy to Joy

Chapter Nine

One thing I am sure of is that classes would be better without Dorcas. She occupies two front seats but still manages to fight us at the back.

I sometimes think everyone's picking on her until she shows me that is not the case.

"Who knows how to solve this logarithm problem?" The mathematics teacher backs the whiteboard and searches our faces.

This Tuesday morning, the first class we have is mathematics.

I drop my pen and am about to raise my hand when I do not.

What if my answer is wrong? If it is, everyone will laugh at me.

Dorcas looks over her shoulder at the classmates that brought a wrong answer until her eyes linger on Ade next to me before looking away.

"Sir." Her hand shoots into the air.

"Yes, Dorcas?"

My jaw clinches.

"The answer is – "

She does not get it right, yet the teacher smiles.

"That is wrong, Dorcas. What is important is that you tried." He starts to write the correct answer on the board.

"The way to solve this question is by moving the power to the – "

"Other side. I got it," I say out loud.

"You got what? Please keep quiet, Joy. Did you say anything?"

"Ah!" Ade and Titi hold each other as they burst out in laughter.

"Quiet down, everyone. Just speak up next time, Joy." The teacher hushes them like little children.

I turn to Ade. "I am not lying; I truly knew the answer."

"Yeah, you did," He starts to write as the teacher moves to another mathematical problem.

"But look, at least."

"Joy, can't you see I am writing? It is not that deep."

Slowly, I turn to the board, watching Dorcas scribbling down before looking down at my notebook.

I do not like that girl, but get to pay her back during lunch time.

Then, Ade stays at our dining table.

Since he sits opposite me, I catch the girl staring at him just before she looks away.

"Guy, she is looking at you again. But do not make it obvious,"

I take his hand when he is about to turn to her.

Ade nods her head. "Dorcas is so desperate."

I grin. "Dorcas did it again,"

"Abeg forget her. Stop bothering yourself. Dorcas is a nobody to us," Ade waves his hand tiredly.

He was right. Dorcas is a nobody. Yet, my parents would do anything to have my exam results like hers.