BEING A TEEN SERIES: CLOCKING SIXTEEN.

SIXTEEN

"You changed so much in two days though" Ife added and I smiled.

"Two days is too small or too long?" I asked as I bit into my cake.

"Considering my pathetic lifestyle over the months; I think its too much" I added as SK waved his hands in the air.

"I second that" SK said with a grin.

"You agree with everything" Joy sneered at him and SK winked.

I took a sip of my Nutri-Milk and watched as some of my classmates walked out.

"Your hair is pretty" a girl named Debra gushed.

"Can I touch it?" Another asked as I nodded.

The more funnier part was that I thought receiving attention would boost my confidence and all but I did not know where the confidence I had came from.

I spoke fluently and eloquently without strutting not even once. It was a new experience and I relished the feeling.

"You don't like Coke?" Joy asked and I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. I've never seen you buy Coke before" SK added and I smiled.

Used to be just classmates; yet they knew my preferences and those.... didn't know even after a year.

Break was over quickly and we walked to the class, SK cracking rib cracking jokes. I hadn't much fun in a long time. We walked into the class and Josie walked stormed up to me sending the class into silence.

"What was that in the cafeteria?" Josie asked with a frown.

"You actually took up Joy's coaching knowing fully well that none of us liked her. What a friend" Gani bellowed and I opened my mouth to talk yet Kunmi beat me to it.

"Did you bring the sneakers? I already bragged to my brothers about it. If you couldn't come to my birthday party, at least you should have sent it there" Kunmi complained.

"And just because Joy is now giving you attention, you abandoned your friends" Gani said as I burst into laughter.

"Friends?" I asked looking at Gani in the eye.

"You didn't mean to say that right? Are we considered friends?" I asked glancing at everyone in the class.

"At all" Gloria replied.

"Yeah. It was more like a master and slave relationship. I was the slave always trying to please her masters. Isn't that right? I actually took you guys as my friends but it wasn't the same for you" I started; I was going to say everything in my mind and everything that came to my head.

I turned to face Kunmi "You are one shameless girl that I have to give kudos to for your thick skin. You did not want to see me at your birthday party yet you wanted me to buy you a pair of sneakers worth 10,000 naira. Actually its no big deal buying a sneakers worth that much for a friend but you Kunmi, aren't worth it. You need to get a hold on yourself plastic doll, else you are gonna break, into pieces" I said maintaining a cynical smile.

"Rachel, how dare you talk to Kunmi like that?" Temi bellowed as I waved my hand for her to calm down.

"Calm down nah, I'm still coming to you. Yunno Temi, you aren't someone that important so drop acting all high and mighty. No one actually likes or fancy you" I said rolling my eyes "Take a look around to confirm. No one knows you; in others words you are that fly that everyone has chosen to ignore, no one actually cares if your skirt today is shorter than the one you wore yesterday. No one cares if you wore mascara to school or you wore nude makeup. That's how irrevelant and unimportant you are; drop the attitude and save yourself" I said and I could see jaws dropping.

Maybe staying with Gani had given me such a sarcastic attitude but I liked it. Josie hissed and clapped her hands.

"I don't know what you are doing but you still look stupid" Josie said and I found myself laughing.

"Stupid? If anyone looks stupid right now; that should be you. How come no one ever told you to stop packing your braids into ponytails? You don't look adorable like a small girl Josephine; you look like a frog trying to dress up" I replied.

"Jesus"

"Madd oh"

"Is that really Rachel?"

"This is epic"

Josie continued blinking as I scoffed "I wondered why none of your friends didn't tell you. You kept packing it that way; that's why no one tries to get close to you. Your froggy look was way too irritating yunno; and don't tell me you thought everyone held you in high regard that's why they avoided you? And stop using Perfect White to bleach, your skin is distorting already, there are several other creams that bleach slowly and still keep the skin intact" I added.

"Shut up there!" Gani bellowed.

"Ganiyat, has anyone ever told you your lips are big? Its so big that when you are close to me and you are talking; I shiver in digust and irritation. Yeah; that's also why you don't have a boyfriend" I said as SK burst into laughter.

Everyone started laughing but I wasn't done with Gani yet "And stop saying you are plump, there are lots of plump girls and most are cute. Since you are not cute, in your case we can't say you are plump, we'll go with fat. You are a fat, ugly girl. What's the big deal with been fat and ugly? Nothing but you have that big froggy lips along side it. Still very opportunity you get, you open it like ha and scare everyone" I added as I shook my head.

"Honestly I think you need a doctor because you look way abnormal and all" I added with a shrug as I turned to the four of them.

"For treating ne so lowly for the past one year; I think I went easy on you guys. All I wanted was friends who would easily understand me and I'll understand them. Its so funny how I know you guys so well yet none of you know a bit about me. Josie, I know you like maggi a lot in your food and whenever you want to eat; you add more maggi to your stew, Temi; I know you don't eat carrots and apples, Kunmi; I do know you don't like garlic; that's why you never buy Focus and Gani; I know you are capable of eating everything except Eba, you'll choke" I said as I tried to supress my tears.

"I know Temi is allergic to animal fur that's why you don't keep animals despite your love for them. I also know that Josie hates the smell of onions, I know Gani hates been yelled at, I know Kunmi doesn't like the fact that she's dark. Can anybody say anything about me?" I asked as the class went into silence.

"Everything I did was criticized by you guys and so as just to satisfy you; I listened to you guys and tried to fit in and I never did. Why would you guys treat me like that?" I asked.