Chapter 55

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Kora

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Kora

"How are you handling the fame, Kora?"

On my life, if you asked me this question a million times, my answer was still going to be the same, NOT-TOO-WELL. I'd actually skip the part where I had real issues leaving my house, because of the countless number of people at the front gate, including the press.

Of course everyone wanted a full disclosure on what happened at the GBTS gala, and then they were also at the entrance of NAUN. Thank God for NAUN's security, and zero concern for the press, or members of the public that didn't have any business with her. I also had to take mum's car with the tinted glasses, because that was the only way I knew I could get to school, with less attention. Mum had suggested that I did. She had suggested a lot of things that morning, and coming to school wasn't one of them. After a failed attempt to make me stay back home, she finally gave in. I couldn't just hide in that house all week. I didn't do anything wrong. Why did I have to stop my life for a whole week because something I had no control over happened? Why did I have to pause my life for anyone at all? What was the worse that could happen anyway? So what if Jeremiah and I kissed at the GBTS gala? How was that anyone's business?

I honestly wished those words I told myself were more than enough. Everything was different. The entire school was different. I could barely even walk to my room, without heads turning, and people whispering to themselves about me. I was on every group chat, even my department's, not to talk about the banners and stickers with my picture glued on my room's door, with really horrible names I was being called, Slut, radical bitch, whale, pig, freeloader, opportunist. They X'd my face.

I had spent the entire morning cleaning my door, and taking all the banners down. To add to that, I had to turn off my phone too, because it was blowing up with text messages from people I didn't even know. Threats. Death threats from Oma's fans, and I just didn't want to go through any of that, that morning. I didn't even know how they managed to get my number. I just wanted to eat and ignore everything, and everyone. I wanted to show them that I wasn't running, that I wasn't scared, and that none of what they thought about me meant anything to me. It was only a matter of days before the news got stale anyway, and everyone got back to minding the business that paid them.

Not like the journey to the cafeteria was any better. Even the ladies at the counter that were supposed to monitor the food, kept staring at me, as I served myself, instead of doing their job. The entire cafeteria became so cold and quiet, the moment I tried to walk to one of the empty tables. Not exactly empty, there were two girls sitting on it. It was the table Grace and I loved to sit in.

I exchanged glances with a few of them, and then decided that I didn't have to. The silence really made me uncomfortable, but I walked through it. I could see they were watching me all through the way, whispering among themselves. You could hear the echoes of their tiny whispers. The cafeteria had become so quiet, that if you dropped a fork on the floor, everyone was going to hear it touch the ground with a loud ting sound. I placed my tray on the table, and then took a deep breath.

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