Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 13
” I want to join THE LILIES. Tell what to do,” I requested, looking straight into her eyes.
She stared at me for a while then her eyes went darker and cold.
” What do you know about THE LILIES?” She asked.
I licked my dried lips. ” Well, I do know they’re very intelligent people.”
” And?”
” They’re a secret reading group, they’re very neat and smart.”
” And?”
” And,” I was finding it difficult to say it but I said it. ” I also learnt they’re into girls. They don’t date boys as far as I’m know.”
Collette didn’t say anything. She just stared at me with her arms still crossed around her chest.
” You’re not saying anything,” I said, really uncomfortable with the awkward silence.
” What makes you think I can help you get into THE LILIES?” She asked suddenly.
” Because I believe you’re a member,” I said. ” That’s probably the secret to your success.”
” And you believe by just joining THE LILIES you’d magically become brilliant?”
” If it works for you, it could also work for me,” I was speaking fast now. ” I’m scared I’d fail my first year exam in this school. My mom paid a load of money to get me here. I can’t bear to disappoint her. She’s been working soo hard. If there was an easier way to get my grades up above average. I’m willing to do it.”
Collette didn’t say anything. She was back to her silent mode once again.
” I’m willing to pay anything,” I continued, seeing she wasn’t ready to say anything to me yet. ” Whatever amount that’s needed, I’ll pay to join. I know it’s difficult becoming a member but if it means anything to you, just do it for the sake of my mom at home. I wouldn’t want to disappoint her.”
Silence.
She wasn’t say anything. She just sat there in her seat and stared at me.
Then she slowly rose up to her feet and stood over me. We looked at each other and I could feel her body heat close and dangerous.
Suddenly she fell on me, pinning me on the bed. Startled, I struggled a little but then I remembered she was much stronger than I was so I gave up.
She held both my arms tightly above my head while her eyes gazed at me. I waited for her to kiss me but she didn’t. Instead she raised her hand in the air and slapped me very hard in the face.
SMACK ‼️
I turned red. ” What was that for?”
She slapped me again, this time harder.
SMACK ‼️
” Stop it,” I shouted at her, struggling with her now. ” Stop hitting me like that.”
SMACK ‼️
She slapped me again and again and again until my cheeks burned. I cried and shouted.
” You b*tch!” I yelled, tears running down my face. ” Stop!!!”
Suddenly she grabbed my face and covered my mouth with her lips. She was kissing me now but the desire was no longer there in me. I just wanted her out of my body. I tried to bite her mouth but she only ended up slapping me again.
I cried louder for help, using my free arms to beat Collette off my body. ” Get off me, get the f--k off my body!”
I instantly felt her hand traveling up my skirt, stopping on the flesh between my legs.
When I felt her fingers applying pressure on my v*gina, I got mad and with a new strength I never knew I had, I pushed her roughly away from me.
” What the hell is your problem!” I yelled at her with tears in my eyes. ” Harassing me sexually? Are you mad?!”
” You’re the one who’s mad!” She yelled back at me, pointing her index finger at me and I was shocked to see tears in her eyes as well. ” This is what it means to be a Lily. You think it’s all glory and sunshine? You’re delusional if you think you could just join the LILIES and become a straight A student at the snap of a finger. Good grades comes with hard work and not by joining some secret reading group. You’re scared of disappointing your mom? You’re scared of going home with an “F” result booklet? Then start studying harder. There is no miracle nor magic to give you that good grades you desire. You want something done, do it yourself and with your own sweat. There is no shortcut to success. Being a Lily isn’t child’s play. We work hard every hour by the hour to get what we want. Step up your game, Lucy and work hard. If you must be a Lily you must be ready to read your books and aviod some certain distractions. You must be disciplined and focused on what you want. You’re nothing like that. You’re lazy, you’re irresponsible and you talk all the time. You get distracted easily and you’re still yet to understand why you’re in this school in the first place.”
I sniffed, watching her as she paused to catch her breath. She rubbed her eyes, trying to stop herself from shedding tears.
” You don’t know me, Lucy,” she stepped away from me. ” You don’t know anything about me. You only know what I allow you to know. You only see what I want you to see. I’ve been through hell and back, I’ve done haunting things unimaginable. You think this is a game, huh? I’m talking about life consequences. Joining THE LILIES is one thing, living with the guilt for the rest of your life is another. Why else do you think the vice president and I don’t get along? You don’t live in the real world, Lucy. You live in your own world filled with crazy illusions. Yes I’m a member but the last thing I’d ever try doing is getting you involved in that sh*t and there’s nothing, absolutely nothing you’re going to do to make me change my mind.”
And with that, she left me and shut herself in the bathroom.
I remained where I sat, staring at my reflection on the wall mirror. My face was swollen and dirty from the numerous slaps I just received from Collette.
From the bathroom, I heard the toilet flush away.
??????
” Girl, what happened to your face?” Sharon asked me during night prep. ” Don’t tell me you got in trouble with Efua again.”
” No,” I shooked my head, trying to concentrate on a maths problem I was solving.
” Well you look like you just received numerous slaps,” Sharon said, still looking worriedly at me. ” You’re face is swollen.”
” I know,” I answered, hoping she’d keep quiet.
Seeing I preferred to be left alone, Sharon raised her hands in surrender and returned back to her books. ” It’s alright if you don’t want to talk about it.”
I didn’t answer her. My mind was preoccupied with what happened this evening.
Collette’s words kept banging in my head:
~Good grades comes with hard work and not by joining some secret reading group~
~There is no shortcut to success.~
~Being a Lily isn’t child’s play. We work hard every hour by the hour to get what we want~
~You’re lazy, you’re irresponsible and you talk all the time. You get distracted easily and you’re still yet to understand why you’re in this school in the first place~
~You think this is a game, huh? I’m talking about life consequences. Joining THE LILIES is one thing, living with the guilt for the rest of your life is another~
~Yes I’m a member but the last thing I’d ever try doing is getting you involved in that sh*t and there’s nothing, absolutely nothing you’re going to do to make me change my mind~
It’s crazy how that sounded. Too many secrets and I couldn’t even solve any of them nor get a clue.
All I ever wanted was to aviod failing my Continuous Accesment Test and forthcoming first term exam. But Collette wouldn’t help me.
She mentioned something very interesting:
~You think this is a game, huh? I’m talking about life consequences. Joining THE LILIES is one thing, living with the guilt for the rest of your life is another. Why else do you think the vice president and I don’t get along?~
Sharon once mentioned that the reason why Efua and Collette were rivals was simply because Collette refused letting her in on the secret to her success. Collette secret was the LILIES so why did she refused introducing Efua into the group as well since Efua was determined to top her grades up?
It took me time but I finally found out the reason. Collette was only trying to look out for her. She never wanted her friend to become what she’s become. I knew this because if Collette really wanted me to join THE LILIES, she’d have easily made me a member but she declined my offer same way she declined Efua’s.
Collette wanted us safe. It could only be that.
But what could be soo dangerous, Soo mysterious about the LILIES that’d make Collette Soo embittered and guilty?
” Excuse me, are you Lucy?” A student asked, walking up to me.
I glanced up at her. I’ve never seen her before which meant she was probably in a different class from mine. ” Yes, that’s my name.”
She looked relieved. ” Finally, I’ve got a message for you. It says meet me at the back of the SS.3 block.”
She was telling me that message in a whisper. I looked oddly at her. ” Who’s this message from?”
” She says I shouldn’t tell you but I suggest you go meet her. She isn’t the type of person I’d advise you keep waiting,” and she left me.
I screwed up my face, wondering who this mysterious person was.
Fast forward, I was out of my class where I was prepping towards the back of the SS.3 hostel.
It was Soo lonely out here with nothing but the crickets and the bush to keep me company.
I waited for like five minutes and Just when I thought I was wasting my time, I sensed someone sneaking up on me from behind.
Before I could turn, the stranger grabbed my waist, hugging me from behind.
I gasped in fright and tried to scream when her voice sounded soft and clear in my ears.
” Don’t be alarmed, Lucy,” she whispered. ” It’s just me.”
I remembered that voice. It was Soo familiar. Is this….is this…..
I turned and our eyes jammed.
Yes it was her.
Efua.
??????
We were seated together at the former SS.3 block which was currently undergoing renovation.
It was lonely so we had the entire place to ourselves without any souls nearby to disturb us.
I was seated on the window stile, staring at the bushes while Efua sat beside me.
We haven’t spoken anything to each other and I could tell by her silence that she was calculating what to say.
It was a peaceful night with nothing but the moon and the crickets to keep us company.
I began swaying my legs, just like a little girl. From the corner of my eyes, I noticed Efua was staring at me the entire time.
” What?” I asked, feeling it was time we started talking.
” Nothing,” she said and returned her eyes back to the sky. ” It’s a beautiful night today, isn’t it?”
” It sure is,” was all I could say.
” Lucy,” she began. ” I really want to thank you for being there for me when no one else would. I’m the most hated person amongst my peers. I guess it’s because I’m too harsh and all but that isn’t the real me.”
” I knew that the entire time,” I said. ” Bad people always have a backstory. I knew you had a heart somewhere in you. You were just going through a lot. Situation makes people change.”
” That’s right,” she smiled, swaying her feet also.
Hey she’s copying me. How cute.
” I’m not a bad person,” she continued after a moment pause. ” I was once nice and a loving person but people took advantage of my niceness and hurt me in the process. I’ve learnt in the past never to trust anyone again. The world saw me as nothing but a weakling. So I changed. I acted as though I was tough and hard. It worked to earn me the respect I desired but at the same time, I later realized I only got hated the more. No one likes me. I’m all alone in the world.”
” That’s sad,” I said, feeling nothing but pity for her.
She smiled and turned to me. ” But that changed when I met you.”
I laughed uneasily. ” When you met me? I don’t understand, senior.”
” Call me Efua,” she ordered. ” Let’s cut out the senior stuff shall we?”
” Whatever you say,” I replied.
” When you bath me, fed me and dressed me up, I felt warmer inside,” she continued. ” It’s been long since I felt that way and it’s nothing that has to do with s*xuallity. It’s something deeper than that. I’ve been cold hearted for five years. The day we both shared the same bed, I felt that lost part of me returning back.”
” I’m happy to hear that.”
She licked her lips, glancing at me. ” I have a confession to make, Lucy.”
” Well, I’m not a priest who listens to confessions but go ahead.”
I saw her hand holding mine and she when I looked up, her face was a little closer to mine. ” Lucy, I love you.”
Eh?
My eyes grew bigger.
She added. ” I know it sounded off knowing we’re both girls but those are my true feelings for you.”
Eh?!!
Efua squeezed my hand and released it. ” But I know you wouldn’t be able to understand why I feel this way. After losing my parents, I realized I needed someone dearly to talk to. Someone to reciprocate my love, someone to share my pains with, my secret and my time. Then you came along and gave me yours. That’s why I love you.”
I couldn’t say anything. At the back of my mind all I could say was…..
Eh?!!!
Seeing how dumbfounded I was, she caressed my cheeks. ” You have such beautiful large eyes Lucy.”
I would’ve slapped her hand away. I would’ve stood up and dash out into the bush but I didn’t do that.
I was worried about hurting her feelings.
” What happened to your face?” She asked, frowning all of a Sudden.
I didn’t answer.
” Did Collette did this to you?”
No answer.
Her anger became livid. ” That snobbish b*tch. I’d fix her for this. Why’d she do that to you? Is she mad?”
I gently removed her hand from my face. ” Umm… Efua, don’t you think it’s improper to transfer those feelings to me? I mean, we’re both girls. Doesn’t that sound disturbing.”
” Not when love is involved.”
” Efua,” I looked away. ” This is too sudden. I need sometime to think about this.”
” Why? Is there someone else you like?”
Yes there was someone else I liked but it’s stupid. It’s all stupid. Everything is all stupid.
” No,” I shooked my head. ” There’s no one. But I need more time to think this through.”
She gazed up at the starlit sky and sighed peacefully. ” Take all the time you need. I’m not going to rush you off your feet.”
I didn’t say anything.
” By the way,” she scratched her neck, inspecting her finger nails. ” I’ve been meaning to ask. Do you have a school mother?”
” No I don’t.”
She seemed happy to hear that.
I felt her slided all the way close to me. She was soo close I could feel her breath around my neck. ” So would you want to be my school daughter? I’d take good care of you. No senior would ever bully you and I can even help you with your studies if you like.”
I tried edging away from her but there was no more room available. ” Hahaha, Efua, that’s great. I appreciate the offer but umm….I don’t think I’m ready to have a school mom yet. I mean, I’ve been coping without a school mom for a long time now. I do get bullied but that’s only from you and well…. anyways—”
She laughed. ” You talk too much, Lucy” and she held my face, plugging her lips around mine.
??????
TBC
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