The Ultimation - Episode 1

 

The school is getting filled up. Many students are just coming in, others are getting registered at the gate of their hostels while the early comers are just hanging around with friends. The students are excited to be around. The new intake are getting acquainted to the environment while most of the old students are in their hostels. 
“This year is going be a very exciting year for me”. My name is Okeke Victory . I’m a student of God’s Children College(GCC). I’d be starting my last year in school today and I’m so excited to be in school. I’m ready to make all my wrongs right. During the holidays, I read my books so that I’d be able to excel in my WAEC in one sitting. I am part of the early comers, I have been in school since 9am and they opened gate at 10am. So I was part of the people they attended to earlier. Right now, I am arranging my things in my wardrobe. I’ve not spoken to anyone since I arrived; I want to be quiet this session too. Only two of my classmates are around and they’ve chattering since. I’m not ready to get involved in their discussion.
Later in the day, we were asked to gather in the hall for headcount. Not all the students were around now but a lot were. By now I have been able to link up with the geeks in my class to know of how far they’ve read

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

. I was so happy I could boast that I read during the holidays. I wore my well ironed house wear with my new sandals and I carried my white new purse as I left the hostel. On getting to the hall, I joined my class queue of four girls(the guys queue was different), other girls were still in the hostel. The house masters and house mistresses and few teachers were the ones in the hall. We normally start the session with prayer. This time, the head of house masters(HHM), Mr. Taiwo, came out to lead the prayers. During the prayers more students came in and after the prayer, the rest were considered late and were punished as they came in. Looking back, just a few of my classmates had arrived, the rest were on their knees.
The headcount was conducted and we were asked to go to our classes to arrange them. I’m a student of SS3 humanities, the noisiest class in GCC. It’s a class of twenty-one. Just like every normal classroom, everybody falls under different clique. I’ve decided to be a loner this session so I’m not in any of the cliques. There’s a group of boys that are always mocking and laughing at weaker ones. They seem to be the ones in control of the class. Their names are Isaac, Tobe (a twin), Onyinye boy (aka SKT) , Ikemefuna (the calmest amongst them). There’s also a very neat, nice looking and brilliant boy. He’s the neatest boy in my set. His name is David. Many girls trip for him, but he doesn’t give them attention at all. The two weirdos Japheth and Emmanuel, (popularly known with his surname, Nwanchukwu). For the girls, we also have cliques. The good ones, Onyinye (the twin of Tobe), Anu, Victoria, Jane and Deborah (her surname is Arinde but we call her ‘aren’t they’). The noise makers (these ones sat together); Ruth, Gift, Esther, Elizabeth and Tolu. They are the influential girls, you don’t want to have any issue with of them. There were also weirdos amongst the girls, Bernice and Praise. Aside me, the last person I’m yet to mention is Tayo. She’s the dumbest in the class and she’s know so well amongst the juniors. These are the twenty members of my class, including me, making it twenty-one. 
***
Immediately after we were dismissed, I went to the hostel to get my books and all that should be in the classroom. I took them to my class so I could start arranging my cupboard. I came earlier so I can pick a comfortable one; one that’s not to high or too low. If it’s too high I’d be needing a chair to climb up, if it’s too low, people can have access to it easily. Immediately I stepped into my class, I could notice the changes. The class was painted cream and brown. The bulbs were changed. Our chairs and desk were more comfortable and the desk had new locks now. I knew this would cause some kind of quarrels if more students come in, so I quickly selected a chair and desk and put a few of my things in the desk. All these I did in a hurry, like I was been pursued. I went to the cupboard area, I selected the one in the middle and started unpacking my books from my bag. By the time I entered the class, I had met only Bernice; while I was arranging, more people came in.  I finished up in time and went to complete arranging my desk. I was also able to choose a sitting position beside the wall where I won’t be easily noticed.
While I was adjusting my chair, Gift, one of the lousy girls, started causing a scene by telling me to remove my chair from where I put it. Normally, I’d have given it to her the way she wanted it but I wanted to just stay calm.
“Why?” I asked.
“We’re following our former sitting arrangement” she snapped back. 
I used to sit in the front of the middle row last session but I don’t want the undue attention that comes with it. So, I decided to change my position and now I can’t change it in peace.
I refused to reply her, I just kept doing my thing.
“Victory, remove your chair from there oh. I’ve told you now. When I want to arrange my books you’ll have to move”. She shouted as she moved towards the wardrobe. 
I looked around and I realised that everyone was sitting according to our previous arrangement. The reason is, they all sat according to their clique, so obviously I was the one only one changing my position. So, I chose to be stubborn and not comply, which was the wrong choice. We nicknamed Gift, Mama G because she’s huge and behaves like she can beat anybody. I know if we engaged in a fight, I’d loose but I also know I won’t engage in a fight with her. 
“Victory, so you don’t understand what I’ve been saying abi? Do you want me to come help you move that chair? I don’t know what is wrong with your former sitting position. Don’t you like staying in the front again? You just want to cause trouble now.” She raised her voice. 
By this time, my classmates attention diverted towards us. The boys were already whispering amongst themselves.
“This victory is just too stubborn. She likes trouble.” I could here one of them whisper. I think it’s Tobe.
Before I could gather myself, gift has already dragged out my table from where it was and put her table. In the process of dragging out my table, the table lost balance and fell. All the things in it poured out. I was so angry.
“Gift is something wrong with you? Are you alright upstairs?  I doubt. Fat pig!”
Immediately after I dropped the insult, the boys shouted. Some girls were just laughing while others were trying to get me to stop shouting. By this time, more students from other arms of my set had started coming in. They probably heard the shouting or some of my classmates went to call them. This is simply the exact opposite of what I want this year.
“See who is calling me fat pig” she pointed in a tone that shows she was embarrassed.
“I don’t have your time. As long I’m in my position, I’m satisfied” she hissed. 
I bent down and started packing my things. I didn’t want to abuse Gift but she was intimidating me and that was the only way I could get back at her. Abusing her didn’t change the fact that she got the space I wanted, it only caused more problem. It’s the beginning of the session and I know Gift will surely get back at me. I finished packing my books and went back to my former sitting position, front of the middle row.