Chapter 3: Betrayal and Blood

"Why you dey pretend, Ijeoma?" Class beauty sneer, sound like wicked spirit. Her face twist, voice hard, like all the bad things for Nollywood film. I just dey look ground.

"No think say you fit run from me just because you dey here."

She bend head, come near, hot breath for my ear. "You no get power, Ijeoma. Na so you dey form good girl?"

"You don forget that time for bathroom, when I block you force you drink mop water?"

Memory rush me, throat tight. People dey whisper, "Ehn, na she do that thing? Wickedness no get friend."

Since school start, class beauty always hate me. From first day, she dey look for my trouble. Arrange story say I chop another person lunch, throw my biro for gutter. Put cockroach for bag, accuse me of stealing money, even make class avoid me.

If wahala get name, na her. Girls fear her, boys respect, teachers wonder wetin dey happen.

Before, just to protect myself, I for lend her points. But now, everything strange. Points matter. If I lose am now, na die sure pass.

I no dare lend. I just hug myself, dey beg God inside my mind.

Everyone dey look me coldly. Some side eye, others whisper, "She too stubborn. She wan use sense for here?"

I bow my head, keep quiet. Class beauty kick me few more times to vent. My body dey pain, but I hold am. My wrapper dirty, but I no let go.

I curl up, hold my aching stomach, cold sweat dey run down my forehead, I almost faint. For my mind, I dey call my mama. If she dey here, she for don slap class beauty back. The pain too much, but I no fit cry. I no wan give am that joy.

Only then class prefect step in: "For one person to lend 5 points, e too risky. Why not let everybody lend 1 point each?"

Class beauty hiss, eye red, "Na so! All of una dey support her. Make una dey watch. Whoever lend me points now, I go pay you back double for future."

Her voice rise like trader for market. People dey reason am, some nod head. In the end, class beauty borrow total 10 points. Some happy, others regret. Ones wey no lend dey hope she no remember their face.

She use 15 points get beauty mark, another 5 to buy chance sneak into big men’s lounge, spend all her points. Sharp business move. She dey smile, dey click button for wrist tattoo. Person wey get sense no dey carry last.

Her plan go smoothly. People dey talk say na grace she get. Some side-eye her, but na her game plan dey work.

That night, for lounge, fine Ankara light everywhere, dancers dey move waist, talking drums dey sound, palmwine dey flow. Smell of suya dey for air. Her dance stun everybody, she lower neck for male lead, beauty mark flash. People cheer, even elders clap.

Young chief’s son happy, clap hand, carry her straight to chief’s residence that night. Like movie, he snap finger, bouncers clear road, she waka follow am like queen.

Meanwhile, rest of us, with tattered clothes, blocked for door by bouncers. Dem no even let us smell inside. Their chest wide like door, eye red. "Oga say make una wait outside." Some try beg, but no use.

We fit only chat with class beauty for WhatsApp group. Some dey curse luck, others dey press phone, dey arrange next move. Class prefect create group: [Class 14 Safe Return Home], add everybody, use class bell as display pic. "Make we dey update ourselves, abeg."

Class beauty dey drop excited messages, breaking her gist with local slang and emojis:

[Omo, I just pour palmwine for am 😏🍷, points don increase!]

[Chief’s son fine die, I don get another 10 points 😍🔥!]

[He touch beauty mark for my neck, points rise again! 💃🏾💯]

[Those wey lend me points, alert don enter – double! 💸💸]

She even tag me: [@Ijeoma, you dey regret am now? Hehe 😂]

Classmates full of envy. [Now raid bonus go reach class beauty.] One boy drop: "Shey na mumu button dem press?" Another yan: "No go carry last o!"

Girls dey drop cry emoji, boys dey hail. "God, when?"

But suddenly, one classmate type: [She dey form boss, hope say she dey alright sha?]

Then a voice note drop—scream of pain: [Ah ah ah ah—]

The voice shake everybody. Some drop phone, some dey shout, "Blood of Jesus!"