DANIELLA✔

Chapter eight

Dedicated to Chizzymichael16 for always voting and commenting on this book.

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"Why are you late to my class?" The teacher asked.

"Sorry ma, but there was traffic on my way to the school." I lied, fiddling with my fingers. I was scared as hell. She could ask more questions that would bring about more lie and I was not good at lying. From the corner of my eyes, I noticed that all the students were looking forward at us and that made me so shy and uncomfortable. But come to think of it, if this class was going on, then why were Peter and his friends not in class?

"Traffic? Where do you stay?" She asked, narrowing her eyes and I was at a loss for words. This was the exact question I didn't want her to ask. Where do I stay? Where do I stay? I didn't even know where I stayed, let alone, knowing any far place in Lagos to just tell her to escape any further questions or at least any punishment.

This was terrible.

She scrunched her face in disgust as she looked at me. "Don't you have mouth?" Her voice was squeaky when she yelled. "Or you don't know where you're leaving again."

"Uh... Ma the thing is, I don't know how to pronounce the name of the place where I stay?" My voice quivered as I said so.

"Do you hear yourself? Aren't you even ashamed of saying that in front of me and your colleagues?"

She was right. It was so stupid of me to have said that. An intelligent person should be used to pronouncing the name of the place he or she based, so saying I couldn't pronounce it was just only dumb which is why I had to think of something to back myself up before she embarrassed and call me an olodo in front of everyone, like the civic teacher did. What could I say now? Perhaps the truth, even if it's just a sliver of it.

"Um... ma, I just moved to Lagos recently, so I'm not really used to the places yet." I said.

"Oh I see." She nodded her head slowly, "You're a new student of this school, right?"

Wasn't it obvious? I mean, I was putting on a cloth that was not the school uniform, so wasn't that evident enough that I was a new student?

"Yes ma. I'm a new student." I said politely and she produced a loud gulping sound from her throat.

"Very well then, have your seat. I'm Mrs Uchenna, the English language teacher for all the ss2 classes and I don't tolerate late coming in my class. Ask your mate, they'd tell you about me. Don't worry, with time you'd get to know all the do's and don'ts in my class."

When she was done talking, I walked shyly to my seat.

"Why exactly did you come late, because I know the excuse you gave was just a lie?" Adam whispered to me as I sat down on my seat.

"I'd tell you later." I replied also in whispers.

"Now as we were saying before the new student interrupted us," Mrs Uchenna's voice boomed and Adam and I both straightened up and looked at the board. The topic on the board was 'Summary Writing'. "Wait, before we continue, where is Peter? I saw him at the school assembly this morning, so why is he not in my class?" She asked, roaming her eyes around the class as though she wanted to be sure if Peter was really absent.

The students started to exchange glances and they mumbled incoherent words at each other. Though I knew, I couldn't possibly tell the teacher where he was. I have had enough of Peter trouble already and I wasn't ready for any other today.

"Class captain, have you seen him today?" She looked at the captain and he stood up immediately. He was a tall, dark and slightly fat guy who wore a black-rimmed eyeglass. I personally thought he looked like a nerd.