Episode 3

"Mom I'm ready to go," I said standing from the dining table, well it's another day of school.

"Goodbye dad, mom," I said pecking them both. 

"Bye dear," mom replied casually. 

"Bye" my dad shrugged taking his coffee, I don't get along well with my dad you can guess why. 

"Should I drop you off?" My mum offered, 

"No... I'll take the bus" I turned down politely raising my headset to my ear, finally leaving.

I was leaving our compound which was fenced round with designed wooden bars, pointed and painted with white, when I saw Mrs. Smith's car, a small red Camry pass by, she stopped and call on me through the window, I didn't hear at first, but when I saw her head poked through the window I had to raise down my headset.

"Morning" I greeted indifferently as I enter her car after beckoning me to get in. 

"Morning" Mrs. Smith and Ashley replied, Ashley was in front and I was sitting next to Adrian. 

"How are you, Natalie?" She asked nicely with a jolly bright smile on her face after she resumed driving. 

"I'm fine Mrs. Smith" I answered politely. 

"When I came by to say hi last night, you were asleep," Mrs. Smith said now driving. 

"Um..yeah" I replied frantically. 

"Won't you say Hi, Adrian?" She asked referring to Adrian who she glance at through the rear-view mirror. 

"Huh...oh hi" He said dryly

"Hi" I replied just the same way. 

"Did you make the cupcakes?" Ashley asked somewhat funny. 

"No...my mom made them" I answered smiling, 

"It was delicious," she said and her inner voice told me Adrian loved it, he ate almost all of it like I care to know.

"Um...thank you" I said taking it as a compliment, 

"How did you manage with that headset? I'm always seeing you with it" Mrs. Smith asked. 

"I love music. That's why" I answered, 

"Oh...Adrian loves music too" Mrs. Smith said and Adrian groaned in disapproval, Mrs. Smith was thinking I'll make a good friend to Adrian since he's got no friends because of his disease... I wonder what disease they are all worried about.

"Come on Adrian...isn't that right?" Mrs. Smith nudged.

"Hmm, yes" he replies nonchalantly. 

"Don't mind my brother Natalie, he isn't much of a conversationalist" Ashley said thinking I was annoyed at how Adrian was responding to me, but seriously I get it. 

"It's all right... I don't talk much myself" I defended and the rest of the journey was silent but not completely silent. 

you can tell why, both Mrs. Smith and Ashley just keep thinking how I'll make a great friend to Adrian, maybe I could help him make friends, maybe I'll make him socialise, and he can learn new things, blah blah blah... I was already getting irked. 

"We are here" Mrs. Smith announced then we all get down after entering through the school gate. 

"See you after class mom, bye Natalie, " Ashley said running for class, she was in her 7th grade and was 12, I grabbed that from her thoughts.

"Bye" I replied softly holding onto my school bag. 

"Thanks for the ride, Mrs. Smith" I added as I slowly climbed down from the car. 

"Anytime" She replied defiantly taking her handbag. Adrian got down from the other side of the car. 

"Bye, mom...um bye Natalie " He managed to say before turning to go, 

" Adrian? Mrs. Smith called, 

"Yes, mom" he answered, 

"Why don't you go with Natalie?" she suggested as I was busy re-tying my shoelaces, Adrian groaned again.

"Okay mom" he finally answered as he waited for me, and I finally left with him, he was silent till we got to class, truth be told, I was curious what was going through his mind but I just can't read him, how is that possible, I finally give up after listening hard to hear his thoughts but couldn't. 

The most surprising thing happened, I couldn't find my seat after putting my stuff in my locker which was behind the class among the row of lockers, my seat was missing, Mr. Blair arrived in class to see me wondering where my seat had gone to, then he ordered me to sit next to Adrian which was vacant since Sandra wasn't around, I obeyed still worried about the seat. During lunchtime, I went to the swimming center in the sports arena to see my seat there, because Hanna had revealed in her thoughts how she had punished me, how stupid, it was really a long and strenuous walk dragging my seat back to class, the class was empty, I went to my locker grab my food lunch from my bag but I couldn't find it, then I remembered my locker was opened, I know whose handiwork that was, I was so upset that I storm into the cafeteria then I saw my books littered with my food on it, I was boiling with fury.

"Next time...be careful who you smirk at" I heard Hanna say and everyone in the cafeteria laughed, Adrian was at the corner, he was annoyed don't know why though and I wasn't in the condition to know, Hanna walk up to me after trying to pack my books and use her finger to push my forehead because I squatted for that action.

"you had better learn," she said which annoyed me even more.

"You know what?" I asked standing to face her now. 

"I know your damn secret, your filthy secret...and if you don't leave me alone, I'm gonna say it out loud" I sna[ped knowing pretty well she'll start thinking of her secret and I can get it from her thoughts and funny enough that exactly what happened, and it was really filthy, she had a really great honey time with Bob at the locker room and she is even illegitimate.

"You can never know, not people like you," She said smiling.

"Should I say it, I said moving close to hear and whispering it into her ears, her mind raced in alarm, I got another one from Nicole, they had stolen Miss Michelle's gold wristwatch from the staff room last semester, everyone had suffered for it, I said everything to her ears and I feel her tremble. 

"Be careful what you wish for" I said making everyone stare at us, their inner thoughts full of questions about what the secret was to make the great Hanna cower in fear, to regain the situation Hanna slapped me. 

"Lies" She spat and I returned back the slap, she wanted to hit me again and Adrian stood moving to our side and holding her hand in the air. 

"That's enough" he drawled his words. 

"It's none of your business" she raved jacking off his hand, there was fear in her heart, so much fear. 

"It's not but that's enough," Adrian said again, then Bob and his gang full of back row kids moved forward, Bob is the worst guy in school, big eyes, ginger-haired, and extremely huge and bumpy. I heard he was into drugs too. They were many, all rounding us, I know they were in support of Hanna, who cares! But someone cared, Adrian's hand started trembling and his breathing aced, I took his hand and try to make my way outside but Bob wouldn't let me through. 

"Let me through or I'll tell everyone what happened in the locker room yesterday" I yelled and that caught his attention, he moved back looking at Hanna but before I got to the door Adrian fainted.

.........