Chapter 4: Princess Syndrome and Breaking Point

I no even know when Kamsi begin dey close to her.

Na so e dey happen—today, na quarrel; tomorrow, na gist. Next thing, I dey see dem dey laugh for corridor.

One day, just like that, e happen. Uncle Chukwudi always dey tell am to buy me strawberry yoghurt every morning, but suddenly, e begin buy only plain yoghurt.

Every morning, e go wave the small pack give me. At first, I think say na mistake. But e come dey repeat.

“I no like plain yoghurt at all, you no sabi?”

I look the box of plain yoghurt for my hand, my mind no sweet.

The thing dey vex me, but I dey try hide am. I dey reason whether e wan change my taste by force.

“Abeg, na because the strawberry yoghurt pack na pink? You don big now—everyday strawberry yoghurt, how e go look? From today, drink plain yoghurt. E better for you.”

Kamsi rub my head.

Na that kind rub wey be like say, 'No vex, I dey care for you.' But e no sweet me that day.

Halima too hold plain yoghurt. As she hear, she turn, smile, dey form shy.

The way she position herself, e be like say she dey look for approval. She turn the cap small, sip am slowly.

“Sorry o, pinky. Na me like plain yoghurt, so I beg Kamsi to buy am.”

She talk am like say na normal thing. E shock me. I dey wonder when two of them begin dey share preference.

“But strawberry yoghurt too sweet—over do. All girls like you dey drink that one?”

I drop the yoghurt, frown, look her well.

For my mind, I dey talk, 'This girl no go kill me today.'

“You too like to dey give people nickname?”

She pause, look surprise, then just shake head.

The small smile for her mouth vanish. She just wave hand, dey act like say e no mean anything.

“Haha… why you dey serious like this? Na joke now. You too dey take things personal, ah ah…”

As she talk, she roll her eyes, dey tap her foot for ground. Some girls for class dey giggle.

“So na me dey take am personal, or you just dey guilty? You know the truth.”

I no dey raise my voice, but my tone strong. Even Kamsi look me with surprise.

“Abeg, Ifeoma,”

Kamsi cut in, face don tire.

E dey shake head like say e don tire for drama. His voice low, but e no sweet me.

“Halima just dey talk anyhow sometimes. No mind am.”

My eye dey hot with anger. I push Kamsi, face Halima, “If you no fit talk well, abeg, just keep quiet.”

The classroom hot, sweat dey my back, but cold dey my hand. The whole class just quiet. The boys dey look Kamsi, dey wait to see if e go shout.

Kamsi shock, quick hold my waist, dey beg,

E grip me like say e wan stop me from breaking bottle. E voice soft, 'No vex, abeg.'

“Okay, okay, na my fault. No vex. I go buy you strawberry yoghurt tomorrow, ehen?”

For my mind, I dey reason, 'E too late.' But I just nod, face away.

Halima face change. She eye me strong.

Na that kind eye wey dey talk say, 'No let me catch you.' Her smile disappear. The air for class just tight.