Believe - Episode 12

 

Second week of resumption. In school, during break.
“Ayo,” Bukky called. She was leaning on the window frame of Ayo's classroom.
“Yes, what is it?” Ayo responded. A mouthful of rice in her mouth.
“When you are done. Can you come downstairs to our class?”
“Why not come and join me?” Ayo offered. “And whatever you want tell me, you will say it.”
“Thank you . I just finished eating,” she declined. “I want you to come and see Promise.”
“Promise?” she hurriedly covered her food flask. “Let’s go now.” She wiped off food particles on her lips and ran out of the class to join Bukky.
“Ayo, did you see the letter I left you on Saturday?” Bukky asked as they walked down the stairs.
“What letter?” Ayo feigned ignorance. She had read Bukky’s letter with tears as everything in it was true. She decided to change that but wouldn’t want her friend thinking it was the letter that made her change.
“So, you didn’t see it?”
“I didn’t,” Ayo answered. “What’s in it?”
“Believe in yourself,” Bukky lied. She was glad Ayo didn’t see the letter as things seem to be better between them that morning

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/believe

. ‘That letter might have ruined our relationship,' she thought.
“Okay, Thanks,” Ayo said as they entered SS 1 Commercial. “Is that Promise?” She pointed to a girl sitting at the back and walked towards her at the same time.
“Ayo?” the girl asked, surprise written all over her face. She got up.
“Oh! My God.” Ayo turned back to look at Bukky and the latter gave her an approving nod. “It’s really you, Promise.”
“Of course.” Promise hugged her. “You haven’t changed a bit. I will recognize you anywhere.”
“I wouldn’t have” - she released herself from the hug – “if not for the scar. I'm really sorry about that.”
“That was a silly mistake. It wasn’t your fault, Ayo.” She rubbed a finger against the scar slightly above her left eye.
“But I shouldn’t have…”
“No, Ayo. It’s really okay.”
Ayo sat on the chair opposite Promise with tears in her eyes. “I can never forget that day…”
***
Four years ago. Lizben Schools.
“She promised not to leave me but she did. Then, she promised not to forget me. How am I sure she wouldn’t,” Ayo lamented, biting the cover of her pen.
“She wouldn’t, Ayo. I know her,” Promise tried to console her. “She wouldn’t have left here if not for her Dad.”
“That’s what she told me.”
“You are supposed to be glad she left.”
Ayo stared at Promise. She removed the pen from her mouth and put it back when Promise resumed talking.
“Yes, you are supposed to be happy,” Promise repeated. “Now, no one to stop you from taking first position just as you wanted.”
Ayo laughed. “What about you? You won’t try to take first position.”
“Me? I’m okay with third position. Moreover, I’m not as brilliant as you are.”
“Exactly, I’m also not as brilliant as Anu. Truly, she left. I can now take the first position.” She removed the pen from her mouth again. Looking at the pen, one could write with it without having to remove its cover, with the way Ayo had chewed it. “But I was never interested in it,” she said absent mindedly.
“Not interested?” Promise said but Ayo didn’t hear her.
“I can never be as good as her. I will always walk in her shadow.”
“Ayo, you really need to stop saying that. Are you not tired of that phrase?”
“It’s the bitter truth.”
“I know I haven’t known you for too long. But for the two years that I have, I believe you can do better than Anu but you just don’t want to.”
“I don’t want to?” Ayo smirked. “It’s all I ever want.”
“You just told me you are not interested in the first position.”
“When did I ever tell you that?”
“Never mind. What I mean is that, you are not working towards it. It’s like you feel this…” She paused to figure out an appropriate word to use. “Yes, you feel gratitude towards her.”
“Gratitude? For what?”
“For being your friend. Maybe?”
“You are ridiculous with this your imagination.” Ayo smirked again “Do you know she never considers you a friend?” She resumed chewing the cover of the pen she was holding, starting from the edges this time.
“Is it Anu?”
“Of course.” She smiled. “I now see why she doesn’t.”
Promise couldn’t say anything. She was shocked.
“She doesn’t like you and I see no reason to do so.” Ayo stood up and left Promise on the bench.
“AY,” Promise called with tears in her eyes. 
Ayo looked back. She was now a few metres away from where Promise was seated. “Stop calling me that. Only Anu has the right to do so.”
“And you consider her a friend.” Promise stood up. “A friend that doesn’t want you to be friends with others nor does she want you to be ahead of her.”
Ayo walked back to Promise and slapped her across the face for uttering such a statement. Just as she did, Promise screamed at the top of her voice. Ayo was shocked. She could swear that it was just a light slap. ‘Why does she have to scream as if I punched her?’ she wondered as promise fell to the ground, still shouting.
Other students had already gathered around them.

Read " Hope " by the same author ( HABEEBLLAH DAMILOLA )

. Promise could feel a kind of liquid on the palm she placed on her face, where Ayo had slap her. She removed the palm to examine the liquid.
“Blood!!!” the students that had gathered around shouted.
Ayo quickly ran to her side. On seeing what had happened, she was instantly scared. “What have I done? How…” She fell to the ground when she recollects she had hit Promise with the pen in her hand. The same pen in which she had chewed the cover and the tip was now open. She looked at the pen and noticed the blood stain on the tip. ‘I did this. I hurt her.’
Promise didn’t utter any word. She kept on looking at Ayo.
“I’m… sorrrry… promise.” Ayo cried. “I’m sorrrry… I’m… sorry.” Ayo continued to say until a teacher came to the scene.
The teacher called for the first aider to examine Promise and afterwards directed Ayo to see the school’s counsellor of which she obliged.
“Alas! The cut wasn’t so deep but the scar will forever remain there as it was just directly above her left eye.” – She had heard the first aider say just before she left for the counsellor’s office.

I took your advice and made Ayo ignore the letter. so things are now getting better between Ayo and Bukky (smiles)
More interesting facts about Ayo's past.
Next chapter is titled remorseful.
Still await the chapter "Hypocrite"
Now what do you guys think about this new character " Promise" and about Ayo 

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