Chapter three

Dinner was terrible. Can you believe Jared had dinner at our table? With us?

He'd gotten really close with Joshua, who introduced Quadri to him. They clicked quickly and hung out together.

After collecting our dinner, my girlfriends and I went to our usual spot and Joshua spotted us. After saying hello, he decided to come to our table with his goons and that was how it started.

I glared at Jared the entire time, while he only smirked at me. News had got around that Jared was my competitor and that I now had my 'oga'.

Can you imagine? All those idiots started sputtering rubbish, saying I was arrogant and that I’ve met my match. They went on with their balderdash till I couldn't take it anymore and flared up.

This led to a challenge. We were both tasked with studying together throughout this academic session and in the end, when the results come out, the real genius will be known. I had no other choice but to accept it. I couldn't allow that dimwit to ruin the reputation I'd built.

"Are you okay?" Kiiti's voice brought me out of my train of thoughts.

I turned to her and gave her a small smile. “Yes. But you're the one who needs to be asked that, actually."

The color drained from her face.

"Is there something bothering you? I noticed you weren't really comfortable with Jared, did you guys date before?" I asked curiously.

"Don't tell me you dated that hottie?" Kiishi questioned ecstatically as she dropped the novel she was reading and turned to us.

Kiiti shook her head and smiled faintly. "No, seeing him just brought back a painful memory."

Kiishi and I glanced at each other before Kiishi snapped, "Don't tell me he's a bad guy. … Did he rape you?"

Kiiti grinned without any humor before shaking her head to convey her negative response.

"Do you mind sharing?" I asked in a jittery manner, I couldn't fathom why I was so curious about the matter.

Sadness clouded her features.

"You don't have to say it if it'll reopen a wound," Kiishi comforted, but I inwardly hoped she'd elaborate.

A smile crept up her face as she sighed before clearing her throat, "I'll tell you." Kiishi and I adjusted our sitting positions and fixed our gaze on her.

"I started dating this guy called Sam in SS1. It was a wonderful relationship until the summer break when he stopped calling or texting me. He didn't visit either, but after we resumed SS2, I decided to call it quits as I found out he had cheated and was still cheating on me with five other girls, he was so shameless that he rubbed it on my face." She stopped briefly and scanned our looks, waiting for us to talk.

Deciding that we didn't have anything to say, she continued, "After telling him I wasn't interested again during lunch, he only looked up at me without uttering a word, later that day, he came to my class and told me to meet him at our basketball court--"

"Did you go?" Kiishi interrupted.

She looked from me to Kiishi before replying, "Yeah. His friends and even girlfriends were there. He slapped me and told me not to even think about breaking up with him … that was how I got into an abusive relationship for a whole week."

"I hope it didn't escalate to the extent of taking advantage of you?" I questioned with a sympathetic tone.

"No, I didn't allow it. But it was after he tried doing it that it got worse. The following day, he pinned a filthy pair of pants on our school's notice board and wrote, 'I slept with Kiiti yesterday, and she forgot her pants at my place. She was actually the one that talked me into it, such a cheap slut!’"

"That's awful," Kiishi blurted. It was evident she was furious.

"After that day, everyone left me, my friends stopped wanting to hang out and I became an outcast. It went all over the school's blog and I couldn't bear it anymore. I decided to take my life after school management suspended both of us."

"What!" Kiishi and I shouted in unison.

"Didn't they investigate the matter?" Kiishi queried with fury written all over her face.

"I don't know but after my mom stopped me from committing suicide, I had to go to therapy sessions for weeks."  She sighed, it was obvious she was still affected by the trauma.

"And what did your dad do about it?" I inquired.

She looked at me and gave a mirthless smile. "He got outraged and locked the school for days until Sam was taken to a remand home. After the therapist told my parents I was fine, they decided to bring me here," she concluded and heaved a sigh of relief, apparently the weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"That sounds horrible, sorry about that," Kiishi whispered pitifully.

"That snake should have gotten a bigger punishment," I shrieked and Kiiti laughed heartily.

"It's okay, I've gotten over it. It's been more than a month now, but seeing Jared just brought back the memory, I thought he would judge me."

"Is that the reason he transferred here?" I inquired.

"Probably, so far the school has been closed down, and many parents would have heard what happened."

I nodded before mumbling, "Oh, I see."

Silence descended and a few uncomfortable seconds passed before Kiishi broke the ice. 

"Are you really up for that challenge?"

I looked up at her, knowing what she was driving at but deciding to feign ignorance. "What?"

 "Jared."

"What about him?"

"You know Jared is a genius, he’s been our best student in JS1 and has won a lot of awards, nobody has ever won against him," Kiiti explained and I tried not to glare at her.

"I don't accept defeat and I never lose. I'm gonna win."

Kiiti nodded hesitantly, that made me more determined, it made my will stronger.

"Come to think of it, this is the first time you’ve been challenged," Kiishi mentioned with a stupid smile.

"And I'll make sure I win, so it doesn’t happen again," I bragged.