Empire High School - Season 1 - Episode 3

4 years ago

Empire High School - Season 1 - Episode 3

Katherine’s POV
“Hello” a group of five girls came around
my desk. They introduced themselves as
“Elena, Brenda, Linda, Shade, Shayo” And
they each welcomed me. Elena was the
headgirl of the school. She was a
plump,small eyed girl with short hair,
plump chest and wide mouth. They are all
nice and friendly. And they even
complimented my beauty. Elena was sitting
next to me but on the next row. The other
girls left,leaving just Elena with me.

“We’re free now” she said
I replied with a nod. I felt I needed to pee.
“Where is the toilet please?” I wrote down
in a note and passed it to her. She read it
and smiled at me.

“Come with me” she stood up
All eyes were on me as we moved out of
class. I sighed with relief when I was out.
“Are you okay?” Elena asked
“Yes”

We walked down the hallway
“Elena” a familiar voice called at her. We
stopped and turned to face the person.. It
was Mr Joel.
“Where are you going?” He asked when he
got to us
“To the ladies Sir” Elena replied
“I needed help to get to the toilet so Elena
offered to help me” I said
“Oh! So nice of you Elena. You’re a good
girl” he said
“Please make sure you show Kate around
during lunch okay?” He said
“Yes Sir” she answered

He looked at me with a bright smile on his
lips

“I hope you are enjoying our school?” He
asked
“Yes Sir” I said
“Its good to hear that from you. Please go
ahead”

He walked into a class. And we continued
walking too.
“Elena..what’s the next subject?” I asked
“Literature/Physics/Account. You’re an art
student right?”
“Yes, I’m taking literature”
“Don’t worry I’ll help you with the time
table” she said
“Oh thanks Elena”
She stopped in front of a white door
“This is the ladies toilet, go in. I’ll be
waiting outside”

“Okay” I twisted the knob and went in
Wow! Elena was such a nice girl! She
deserved that position given to her. The
headgirl in my ex school was mean and
rude. She doesn’t care about anyone but
herself.

Then I thought of that girl that didn’t stop
staring at me in class with her two friends.
Don’t they get tired of staring at people?
I hate it when someone stare at me. It
makes me nervous.

I did my thing and went back to Elena. The
bell rang and her expression changed.
“Are you okay Elena?” I asked
“Yes but I’m sorry Kate, we have to race
back to class. Mrs Salako, the physics
teacher is a tough woman. We get
punished for coming late to class” she
explained in a rush

“Okay”
She walked ahead of me and soon we were
running to class.

• • • • • • •

Katherine’s POV
The next class was literature. Elena and
some other students already left for
Physics and Account class. I glanced
sideways and my eyes locked with three
girls. They all looked away at the
sametime.

Perhaps do I have something on my face
that won’t make them stop looking at me
like that?

I felt a presence next to me and I looked.
Cullen had taken Jamal’s seat.
“Hello” he said
“Hi Cullen”
“I noticed you need someone beside you”
he said

I rolled my eyes
“I’m fine alone.. Cullen”
“Sure?”

“100%” I answered
“Have you noticed students around won’t
stop staring at you?”
I nodded

Exactly! And its freaking me out! Big time!
“Those three girls..” He pointed to them.
They are the main lookers! I wish they will
stop stating at me!

“And that guy behind us” he whispered
I looked back.

My eyes locked with the black boy behind
me. He was the only one sitting at the back
with no partner.

He looked away and stared out through the
window. “Angella, Caroline and Elizabeth”
he pointed respectively. The girl I saw
when I wanted to sit beside Jamal was
Angella.

“They are mean girls. You have to be
careful around them. Now I know they
already have their eyes on you”
“Me? Why? I barely know them” I said to
Cullen

“You don’t have to know them. Angella
Benson is the most popular girl in Empire”
Oh! Like i knew it! Angella is another
Cynthia in Empire High School.

“Don’t worry I’ll be your black knight in
shinning armour if they try to bother you”
Cullen said

He raised his hands on the table and
tightened his muscles.

I smiled at him. D--n it! I don’t need a
protector or a bodyguard! That might
sound too harsh if I say that to him.
“So.. Who.. Is.. That.. Guy?”
I stuttered

Cullen lifted his brows
“You mean Jeffrey Adams?”
I don’t know his name but I gave him a
short nod.

“That guy..”
He did the tsk tsk sound
I suddenly became desperate to know
Jeffrey Adams. There was something
strange about him. His expression was
distant and he looked unhappy.

“He hardly ever spoke to anybody. He
walked up and down with his nose in the
air and sour expression on his face. So
students gave him a nickname.. GHOST.

Actually, Jeffrey was never interested in
being friends with anybody” Cullen said
I glanced back at him, he was still staring
out through the window.

“Some students said that he attends the
school on welfare while some got to
thinking that he was from an orphanage
home. But I think Jeffrey is hiding like that..
So people won’t question him about his
financial background” He added

Well I don’t think that expression on his
face was pertaining to those ideas. There
was more to it. And I wondered why he
had such expression on his face.
The door opened and a young woman
entered the class. She was on blue jeans
and black top. She must be the literature
teacher.

Cullen stood up
“Attention,Greet the teacher” he said
“Good Morning Ma” They greeted
“How are you all doing?”
“Fine ma” they chorused
“Please sit down Cullen” she said
“Life of a captain” he whispered
Oh! Cullen was the captain of the class.
“I can see we have a new student” she said
as she moved closer to my desk
“What’s your name?” She stopped two
desks to mine.

I stood up to answer
“Katherine Adebowale”
It wasn’t hard to say my name this time.
“Can.. I call you Kate for short?”

“Yes Ma”
“Nice.. and i like your shoes”
She said and walked back to the Rostrum in
front of the class. Everyone stretched their
necks to take a look. And I almost laughed
at the sight of long necks. I know my shoe
was beautiful. Banjo brought it from Italy.
He brought so many stuffs… Some of
which my other brothers sent through him
to deliver to me.

“I’m Miss Shola, the literature teacher”
She wrote literature on the white marker
board.

“Sit down Kate” she said
And I settled back in my chair
“She’s fond of complimenting students
outfits.. Mostly shoes. I think she’s crazy
about them”

Cullen jolted down in a piece of paper.
Miss Shola wrote “POETRY” on the board. It
was one of my favorite Genre of literature.
I’m more familiar with poetry than other
genres.

“So what is poetry?”
She asked
I wet my lips, looking down at the tips of
my fingers. I pondered if I should raise my
hands to answer the question. First day at
a new school.. They might think I’m
showing off.
No one answered the question. I bit the
inside of my cheeks hoping someone
would just answer the question. But none,
then I heard my name.
“Kate.. Can you help us out?” Miss Shola
said

My heartbeat accelerated
Why did she call me?
Oh my God! How do I answer it without
stammering?!
Everyone was silent

Angella’s POV
I hated this aspect in literature. I was more
familiar with Prose and Drama. I just have
few ideas concerning Poetry. I knew Miss
Shola was going to call the new girl. Its her
way to testing new students to see if she’s
worth to be in the class. Katherine would
have to answer many questions from
serval teachers. It’s Kate testing period
1,she would be taken to the lower class if
she doesn’t pass the Test 2 which is
written.

I wonder why she was in Class 3.. Usually
they don’t admit student into Ss 3. And I
got to thinking that Kate’s Parents must be
rich.

She stood up to answer Miss Shola’s
question. Now let’s see what you’ve gat
Katherine. I hope she fails.
“Poetry..” she stopped
Oh! There she goes stammering like Father
Moses. She’s probably his descendant. Or
was she trying to put up an act?
“Poetry has no universal definition like
some other fields of learning. Nevertheless,
it can be defined as an imaginative
rendition that gives powerful expression to
experiences, ideas and feelings in a
metaphoric language”
She stopped

Miss Shola smile at her
“That was amusing” she said
What was so amusing? Mtchew.
“Now Kate..tell me how Williams
Wordsworth defined Poetry” she said
Wow! She won’t get that! Only a Genius
would remember Wordsworth definition of
poetry.

Kate was silent
Kindly give up and sit down with shame.
“Williams Wordsworth defined poetry as
the spontaneous overflow or outburst of
powerful feelings recollected In
tranquility”

I opened my old note
Unbelievable! She got it right!
“W. H Aiden?”
“He defined poetry as a memorable
speech”
“W. B Yeats?”
“Emphasized the emotional aspect of
poetry when he declared it as truth seen
with passion”
“Thomas Hardy?”

Miss Shola asked again
“Uhm.. He pictured it as emotion put into
measures”

Then it ended
“Wow! Very..very.. Good” She said
“Honestly I didn’t expect -”
She was interrupted by a clap. It was Cullen
who started clapping and other joined in
except me. My girls clapped too
“Wow! She’s a genius” Caroline whispered
and winked at Me.
Fury crashed over me and I clenched my
fists.

How come she knew all those definitions?
“Kate take your seat” Miss Shola said
And she sat back in her chair
Now what was she feeling Like?

“Please what’s the name of your previous
school?” she asked

Are we to discuss about Kate in today’s
class? Rubbish!
“Linda Girls College”
“So I guess you were a straight A student?..
Please be honest”

Miss Shola studied her
Well it easy to lie about stuffs like this
since there are no evidences backing it up.
“Yes.. Straight A student. I scored A in all
other subjects but I never scored higher
than B in mathematics” Kate answered
“I like you Kate. You’re honest. Well Mr Joel
showed me your report card from your
previous school. And I saw B in
mathematics. Keep that record up in our
school too”

Now Miss Shola thinks she’s some kind of
Book Goddess ‘Efiko’. Kate was just a
pompous show off.

My records are not so bad. I am a Straight B
student but I never scored higher than D in
mathematics. I hate Mathematics. And I
was never friends with it.

Everything about Kate gives me concern.
Her beauty, intelligence and composure. I
hope Joseph doesn’t fall for her. Silly Cullen
was already making friends with Kate. Its
none of my business if she decided to be
friends with everyone but not with Joseph
James. He’s my boyfriend! And I can’t stand
him looking at another girl.

Two things I won’t let Kate take away from
me, Joseph and my recognition as the most
popular girl and prettiest in Senior Class. I
would deal with her ruthlessly if she takes
them from me.

“From the definitions Kate gave one can
sum poetry up as Passions, emotions,
feelings, speeches, truths, thoughtfully
articulated and conveyed in a condensed
language. We’ve treated this topic but I’m
surprised none of you can give me atleast
one definition. Anyways let’s continue.

Types of Poetry”
She wrote down on the board.

After class that day, some girls went to
Kate and demanded for more explanation
about poetry and other Genres of
literature. I listened to her as she explained
to them until other students came in with
the next teacher. Kate seems shy at first
but when she started into work all of a
sudden she was entirely different and
confident.

And on several occasions in English Class, I
caught Joseph staring at her.
It shouldn’t be what am thinking!

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