CHAPTER SIXTEEN: JOAN AGAIN
"Who is Daniel to you?" Joan's voice shot through the air like a whip, startling not only me but also Morayo and Victoria. Her sudden appearance felt like a cold splash of water on my skin. None of us had noticed her approaching, and the way she blurted the question carried a tone that was both mocking and intrusive.
"Are you talking to one of us?" Morayo asked, her eyes narrowing at Joan. The tone she used was sharp, deliberate, and laced with irritation. You could tell immediately from the way Morayo looked at her that she had no iota of patience for Joan's antics.
"Who else do you think I'm referring to when I'm standing right in front of you three?" Joan shot back rudely, folding her arms across her chest. The arrogance in her voice filled the air like poison.
Morayo hissed, shaking her head in disbelief. "Let's go," she muttered, clearly not ready to waste her time with someone like Joan. She nudged Victoria and me forward, and we were more than willing to leave. But Joan wasn't finished.
Before I could even take two steps, Joan grabbed my wrist firmly, stopping me in my tracks.
I turned sharply to her, shocked at her audacity. "What do you want?" I asked, my voice laced with annoyance. The boldness she displayed, holding me so tightly without hesitation, both irritated and confused me.
"I wasn't referring to them but to you," Joan said coldly, tightening her grip. "You can wait and answer my question."
Her words irritated me so much that I could feel my blood pressure rise.
Morayo's patience finally snapped. "What is wrong with the girls this school board admitted to grade seven? A few of them deserve to be beaten every day just to learn some sense!" she spat, glaring at Joan as though daring her to try something more.
I jerked my hand free from Joan's grip, shaking my wrist as if her touch had burned me. "Don't put me into this," I said sharply. "I am not going to fight over a boy I don't even like with you."
Joan glared at me with burning eyes, then shifted her glare to Morayo. It was obvious she didn't like being called out, especially in front of others.
Morayo, however, didn't flinch. She stepped closer, her voice rising with firm anger. "What is it with you? Weren't you satisfied with the punishment you got just because you fought Gabriella—her cousin—over the same guy? Why can't you be like your brother? Instead, you're here disgracing yourself with shameful behavior!"
The sting of her words was so sharp that even I felt embarrassed on Joan's behalf.
Joan's nostrils flared as she hissed. "What is your problem? Did I call your name? Did I even talk to you? Busybody!"
"You obviously know everything I just said is the truth," Morayo shot back, her eyes blazing. "Besides, the girl you're disturbing right now is my friend. We were on our way to the dining hall to eat before you decided to start this useless drama."
With that, Morayo stepped even closer and firmly held my hand, pulling me away from Joan.
At that moment, something stirred deep inside me. My dream of having true friends was already becoming a reality. I had a friend like Morayo, fiery and loyal, who would fight for me at any time, and a friend like Victoria, calm and mature, always ready to advise and comfort me. I smiled inwardly, feeling warmth spread through me despite Joan's bitterness.
We walked away, leaving Joan standing there like a statue, glaring at us but powerless to do anything. I didn't bother to look back. She didn't deserve the satisfaction.
"I really hope she changes her behavior," Victoria said quietly as we stepped into the dining hall, her voice tinged with both concern and pity.
Morayo snorted. "She won't change. It's already clear she's too stubborn to listen to advice. People like Joan only learn through disgrace, and even that might not work for her."
Victoria raised an eyebrow. "Are you cursing her?" she asked half-seriously, half-teasing.
I couldn't hold back my laughter, and the sound echoed lightly in the noisy dining hall.
"I'm not cursing her," Morayo said with a shrug. "I'm just saying the truth."
The hall was already buzzing with chatter as students shuffled in and out with their plates. We found a vacant table and sat down on the bench, waiting for the servers to reach us.
"By the way," Morayo said, peering at another table, "I just hope we're served rice and not semolina. I can already see semolina being served to those tables."
"It's obvious we'll be eating semolina with egusi today," Victoria replied after scanning the plates on nearby tables.
I shrugged, leaning my elbows on the table. "I don't care what we're given as long as it's not horrible. Food is food."
Just then, a senior dropped a huge cooler of food on our table and began arranging plates. The smell of egusi soup filled the air, making my stomach grumble.
"The semolina isn't even that bad," Morayo admitted reluctantly. "I just wish it were rice right now."
"You better manage what you're given," Victoria said with a sly grin. "And if you don't want yours, my mouth is available."
Morayo glared at her. "Who said I won't eat it?" she asked, taking her plate and immediately scooping a bite.
"Just saying," Victoria replied innocently, already digging into her own food.
"Yum, this is actually good," I said, surprised after my second mouthful. The taste was far better than I expected, and I found myself eating eagerly.
"You must really like swallow," Morayo teased, her cheeks full as she chewed.
"Who doesn't like swallow? I love them all—except eba. I hate hot soaked garri," I confessed before sipping water.
"Really? You hate eba? Girl, you're missing out on life," Morayo said, already on her last bite.
"Lol," I laughed. "Anyway, are you both done? Let's head back to the hostel."
We cleared our plates and left the dining hall. The sun was dipping lower in the sky, painting the compound golden. I stretched my arms and smiled. "I'm really beginning to enjoy this school," I admitted.
"Really? Today's just your second day here," Victoria reminded me, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Yes," I grinned, "but I think it's because of the food."
Morayo rolled her eyes. "This school isn't only about food. Wait until you experience the studies, the stress, and—most importantly—the seniors, both in junior and senior school. Then you'll know what this school is really about."
We picked our bags from the solar building and entered the hostel, which was already buzzing with chatter from other students. Just as I dropped my bag on my bed, a loud voice rang out from outside:
"Last junior!"
The call echoed through the hostel, freezing everyone in place for a moment.