PARALYZED: Us Against The World

- Forty one

   I honestly had endless nightmares about soon arrived. It was the day we all had to get our report sheet; for someone like myself, a person that had spend almost three years of her life home schooling, seeing my grades was something definitely terrifying. My thoughts teased me much about how my grades would turn out.

Dad Steve was the one picking up the result sheets, mummy had to rest, she needed it, a lot of it mostly now the it was almost time to have her baby.

I had thoughts of not going with Dad Steve and Marcus on the drive down to school to get our report sheet but somehow Marcus convinced me to come along, he had something up underneath his sleeves; he had plans to approach Kossi, someone I wasn't sure she would be around. His diabolical plan was simple, I'd start a conversation with Kossi, he'll intrude and in his dumb high hopes, some kinda connection would spark.(ー⁠_⁠ー⁠゛⁠). Not sure exactly what him think this idea of his work but he was confident in himself.

Thirty minutes drive felt like an hour or two. It would have been much shorter but then the small stops to get something for mum and the little traffic made our little journey of fifteen minutes thirty minutes.

The sun was damn bright, though the weather maintained a mild temperature. Dad Steve was confident that it was gonna rain cause of the dark clouds that went by. While we were held hostage by the the traffic that only helped to increase my anxiousness, boredom began clinging on me.

Great you know, I was anxious and then bored. I needed something to get my mind off these two horrors. Marcus wasn't letting any of these two things ruin his morning. His mind was tired down to this letter he was writing, I bet it was a love letter (probably for Kossi. Waste of effort, writing something he wouldn't even have the balls to give her). I'm still not clear what convicted him to believing that she would actually be interested in him. Kids.

Anyways, the boredom was killing me. I had to do something about it. But what? The radio? Yeah, maybe that would help.

I shared the front seat with Dad Steve. I reached for the car radio and then tuned it on. The first station was having this talkshow, something I wasn't interested in. I was quick to change. The next radio station had music on. Nice. I thought to myself but then, the song being played was 'Hallelujah by Ckay ft Blaqbonez'. I had already heard it a thousand times. When Florence was still around, she had the song on repeat, I vibed to it countless times but all that vibing and listening got me bored. The song I once vibed too was now annoying. The countless listing was now annoying. What made things worse was Florence had the song on repeat, even on the day she left, that was the song she listened too.

The next station I turned to had Joeboy on. It was this his song 'Body & Soul' that was on. I was no longer interested in the radio so I just left the song on.

                    (⁠˘⁠･⁠_⁠･⁠˘⁠)

We finally got to school. Why did the drive feel so long? Who knew just mere report sheets could cause this much torture to the mind.

Dad Steve eventually met with out class mistresses and had our report sheets. When he slide mine out of the envelope where mine was sealed, boy, my heart really beat like a drum. Man, I've never panted this much over something so little, this was the first time. He brother the thing out, read through it and then smiled.

I wasn't interested in my grades anymore cause that smile, the one on his face said it all.

"You came out second in class." He said in his deep manly voice as he leaned towards me pointing at where it was writing on the report sheet.

"You're really a brainer, You know." He added

Not sure if that was an actual word but I liked it anyways. Marcus also did well, though he wasn't amongst the top five in his class. Still somewhere around top ten.

They was this rumor spreading like wild fire amongst the grade 10 graders. One amongst us had out performed our expectations. Someone no one ever imagined would perform the way he did.

I had to visit the rest room. Leaving behind Marcus and Dad.

On my way back from the rest room, my path crossed with the boy wonder everyone was talking about. Unlike his usual curly afro he kept, he was now on braids. I was startled seeing him. Lam looked rather different from how he would normally look on a normal day, I mean in his uniform.

"H-hi," I said as I stuttered a bit.

"Hey." The iconic response. Yeah he looked different but his voice still sounded cranky as also.

Tongue tied now(⁠٥⁠↼⁠_⁠↼⁠). What should I say? Should I continue conversing with him or just excuse myself and walk away? Or, or just do nothing. A crazy situation.

"Congratulations." Ah what was I doing.

"For?" The look on his face suggested that he was yet aware.

"Just forget it." He probably hadn't heard about the rumors yet or maybe he had, wasn't just taking it serious.

"Anyways, how are you?"

"Good I guess."

"And you?"

"Same."

I was about continuing when suddenly I heard my name. Marcus was calling, it was time to go.

"Hey, I ehmm, so catch you later." (⁠─⁠.⁠─⁠|⁠| ) .

"No probs." He said adding with a smile.

I have never seeing him smile like this before, even if I have, not this way; this was surely seemed different. Unlike the times he would smile for silly things, this time he was smiling as though he had a much more genuine reason to.

On our way out, I crossed paths with Esther. We had our little girl moment and boy it surely got Marcus annoyed; he was probably jealous.