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CHAPTER FIVE
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2025-03-17 09:09:54Carolyn’s POV
I had never felt this alone before. Even in the slums, where people whispered about my strange blue eyes and light skin, I had never been treated like this. Like I was a disease. Like I was nothing. The classroom felt smaller, suffocating. Every pair of eyes was on me, waiting for me to snap, to cry, to break. But I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. Tina sat beside me, gripping her pen so tightly that her knuckles were white. She was angry. Probably angrier than I was. But she wasn’t the target. I was. Another paper ball hit my shoulder. I ignored it. Laughter. I heard someone whisper, “She thinks she’s better than us just because she’s smart.” Another voice. “No, she thinks she’s special because she has blue eyes. Maybe she’s wearing contact lenses.” I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. They were waiting for me to react. I wouldn’t give them what they wanted. Instead, I picked up my pen and continued writing down my notes. --- J.J.’s POV She was stronger than I thought. I had expected her to cry by now. To storm out of class, humiliated. But she didn’t. Instead, she just… took it. The whispers. The insults. The humiliation. She sat there, calm, focused, her jaw clenched but her posture straight. Most people broke after a few hours of being bullied. Carolyn? She was holding out longer than anyone ever had. George sighed beside me, shaking his head. “She’s not gonna break.” I smirked. “Not yet.” Julius, on the other hand, looked miserable. He hadn’t said a word since class started. It was funny—he had always acted like he hated her. Like she was beneath him. But now that things were getting real, he looked like he regretted everything. Pathetic. --- Carolyn’s POV Lunch break. The moment the bell rang, Tina grabbed my hand. “Come on.” I blinked at her. “Where are we going?” She hesitated. “The cafeteria, obviously. But…” I understood what she wasn’t saying. The cafeteria was J.J.’s territory. And after what happened, it would be a battlefield. Tina looked like she wanted to suggest skipping lunch, but I shook my head. “If I avoid them, they win.”** “If I act scared, they win.”** Tina let out a sigh and nodded. “Okay. But if they do anything crazy, we leave.” Agreed. We walked down the halls, and as expected, the whispers followed us. I kept my head high. But when we stepped into the cafeteria, the noise stopped. Everything went silent. Hundreds of students turned to look at me. I could feel the weight of their stares. At the center of the room, lounging like a king on his throne, was J.J. His arms were crossed, his cat-like eyes watching me with amusement. He was waiting. Waiting for me to run. To break. I refused. Tina and I walked forward, ignoring the stares, ignoring the murmurs. We got our food and searched for a table. But every time we moved toward one, students would block us. They were doing this on purpose. Every table was “full.” Every chair was “reserved.” Tina’s face flushed with anger. “This is so childish.” I let out a breath. “Come on. Let’s just go outside.” We turned to leave, but before we could take a step— A loud smack echoed through the room. I felt something cold, wet, and sticky slide down my back. I froze. Gasps filled the room. Tina inhaled sharply. “Carolyn…” I turned around slowly. Behind me, standing with an empty plastic cup, was Emma. My cousin. She had just poured a strawberry milkshake down my back. Emma smirked, crossing her arms. “Oops.” The cafeteria erupted in laughter. I clenched my fists. Anger. Humiliation. Betrayal. J.J. was watching. Waiting to see what I would do. Emma raised an eyebrow. “Why do you look so upset? You should be grateful I cooled you down. After all, you look like you belong in the slums.” More laughter. My vision blurred with fury. Emma thought she could humiliate me. J.J. thought he could break me. Everyone in this room thought I would stand there and take it. But they were wrong. So, so wrong. I stepped closer to Emma, smiling sweetly. She looked confused. Then— I grabbed the glass of water from the nearest table and poured it all over her head. Gasps. Complete silence. Emma screamed. The water soaked her perfectly straightened hair, dripping down her expensive uniform. She looked at me in shock, rage, and disbelief. I leaned in, keeping my voice calm, sharp. “Oops.” The entire cafeteria exploded. Half the students were cheering. The other half were stunned. Emma shook with fury. “You… you little—”
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J.J’s POVI thought ignoring her would help.I thought maybe if I gave her space, she’d come back. Crawl back. Whisper another apology like before. Offer her silence as some kind of surrender.But she didn’t.She walked past me in the hallway this morning like I didn’t exist.No glance. No hesitation.Just… walked.And I hated it.I hated the way it burned.It was the same fire that came after a challenge, except this time, it wasn’t about pride or power—it was about control I had lost. And the fact that Carolyn, of all people, had taken it from me?Unforgivable.I sat in the lounge for most of the day, jaw clenched, heart pounding with that sick, tight rhythm that came whenever something slipped through my fingers.I couldn’t think straight.After school, I messaged George."Let’s go out. Tonight. I need to blow off steam."He replied almost immediately.You thinking the usual spot?Yes. Bring Julius. I don’t want to think. Just drink.We met up around 6PM. Julius had to sneak out o
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J.J’s POV The cafeteria held its breath for a moment.Then it happened.Oge reached Tina’s table first. Carolyn looked up from her tray, confused. She probably thought they were just walking past. They weren’t.With no warning, Oge raised her tray and smashed it onto Tina’s head—right in front of half the cafeteria.Jollof rice, fried plantain, stew—everything exploded across Tina’s braids and blouse.Gasps filled the air.Tina froze for a second, the food dripping down her face like some horror movie scene. She looked like she didn’t even know what had happened. And Carolyn? She shot up like lightning. “What the hell is wrong with you?!” she screamed, grabbing napkins, trying to help Tina wipe her eyes. Bola stepped in next. Her tray hit the table, splashing juice everywhere, narrowly missing Carolyn’s skirt. Emma clapped slowly, theatrically. “Well, well, well… looks like your friend’s lunch got an upgrade.” My heart thumped once. Carolyn’s eyes shot toward the back of the
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J.J’s POVMonday morning came too quickly.The same white walls, the same polished floors, the same students pretending to care about grades while scheming behind their designer backpacks. The school looked the same, but something had changed.Me.Or maybe not.Maybe I was just realizing that Carolyn Okoli—yes, Carolyn, the charity-case girl with the odd blue eyes—was still stuck in my head long after that final debate round ended.It made no sense.She defied me, embarrassed me, won... and then ignored me like I was irrelevant. She hadn’t even looked at me since we got off the plane from Lagos. And for someone who used to practically shake in my presence, that silence was louder than anything she could’ve said.I hated how much that bothered me.I hated that I noticed her absence in the lounge this morning.George did too. He looked at me over the rim of his smoothie, one brow raised.“She’s not coming today?” he asked casually.“Why wouldn't she?” I snapped.George gave me a look. “
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Carolyn’s POVI don’t know how long I sat there.At some point, George passed by. He slowed when he saw me, then thought better of it and kept walking. Maybe he knew. Maybe J.J. had told him what happened. Or maybe George had seen the way J.J. looked at me lately like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to ruin me or rescue me.Not that it mattered.I needed silence.And the stairwell gave me that.There, in the echo of my breathing and the hum of the building, I allowed myself to feel it all. The shame. The confusion. The self-disgust. The subtle flicker of pain that came from knowing that despite everything—despite the cruelty, the games, the manipulation—a piece of me still wanted J.J. to see me.And not just see me—but understand me. Respect me.But maybe that was my problem. Hoping for empathy from someone who had made it his life’s mission to keep people beneath him.I stood up slowly and walked to the nearby mirror in the hallway. My reflection stared back—messy braids, faded lip balm,
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J.J’s POVThe crowd was still cheering. The trophy gleamed on the stage like it had been waiting its whole life to land in Carolyn’s hands.Ours.But let’s not kid ourselves—it was hers. She was the one who gave the closing argument, the one who turned the judges around, the one who brought the crowd to its feet. I should have been proud. I should have stood beside her and lifted the damn thing with her. But instead I sat there, still in my chair, jaw clenched, heart thudding with something far uglier than pride.Jealousy.God, it was eating me alive.She walked off the stage with her usual cautious grace, like she still didn’t quite believe the world had given her a win. Her eyes scanned the crowd as if unsure whether she deserved the applause. And when they landed on me—when she saw me still seated, arms crossed, not smiling—I saw it.Doubt. Hurt. Confusion.I looked away.She deserved better than that look from me.But that didn’t stop me from feeling it.The entire school team gat
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Carolyn’s POVI took my seat between J.J. and George.The air around us was ice.George muttered a low “Glad you made it,” without looking at me. I wasn’t sure if it was genuine or just for show. But J.J. didn’t say anything at all. He just leaned back in his chair, eyes on the panel of judges as they prepared their notes.I could feel his tension. Not the kind that came from nerves before a big competition—no, this was different. This was frustration. Spite. Bruised ego.And yet, I was too exhausted to let his silence shake me.Instead, I focused on the stage, where the final round was about to begin. Our school, Convent High, was facing two of the most competitive debate teams from Lagos and Port Harcourt. Both schools were infamous for grooming debate champions. Some of the best speakers in the country were sitting just meters away, sharpening their minds like blades.And here I was.A girl who had almost been locked away and forgotten.Our principal sat near the judges, smiling ne
