Chapter 10: The Combatant.

Monday morning, the start of my second week, I got off the bus in front of the ROYGBIV X ACADEMY and walked towards the door.

Kaduna weather was pretty consistent from day-to-day. This day, however, an unusual wall of black clouds dammed up behind the Mountains. Looked like a brewing thunderstorm.

A clean red Toyota Camry pulled up to the entrance the same time I got there.

Ebube got out and grabbed a backpack.

Peeking through the windshield, I sized up the driver, a dark-haired lady wearing sunglasses. His mom, maybe?

Some of the other kids told me last week that Ebube didn't live at the school like the rest of us because of this touch phobia. Someone drove him to school every day. That's why I was so nosy to find out who. I held the school door open for him.

"Hi, Ebube."

He didn't greet me back, but before entering, he stopped and sniffed the air. "Ah, petrichor."

"What's that, a response ?"

"No, it means it's going to rain. It's the scent of actinomycetes, a bacterial spore atomized by rainfall."

What a crazy guy.

"If you say so."

"Close the damn door. You're letting the hot air in,"

Mr. Luke yelled from the reception counter.

Damn! Why Is everyone here acting crazy and rude? I wondered.

Ebube lowered his gaze to the ground and walked into the screening area, I followed him and made sure the door closed behind me properly.

After we cleared security checks, I followed Ebube down the hall making sure to not accidently brush up against him. Dr. Dogonyaro's words played in my head

about how I should try to get closer to Ebube, to help him.

"Ebube, we have Mathematics first thing. Please walk with me to my room so I can change out of these street clothes and into my uniform."

He said nothing but followed me anyway.

Other students gave us a wide stare as I led Ebube into my room. While I changed, he opened up to me on some of his personal issues . It turned out he lived with his stepmother. She was the lady in the red car.

We took the stairs down to the second-floor

classrooms. Approaching the door to Mr. Akpan class, out of nowhere Ebube blurted out, "-2, 0, -6, 38, 12,-5,

-18, 21, 27, and 10."

"What's does that mean?" I asked.

"The answers to the math quiz from last Monday." he said.

Was he serious? Could Ebube be so smart that he not only knew the answers but had memorized them for a whole week passed?

"So why didn't you finish the quiz? Why didn't you even try?"

"it was too easy. That quiz insulted my intelligence and Mr. Akpan knew that."

I trailed Ebube into class not knowing what to think about his bizarre behavior.

Mr. Akpan cleared his throat and class began.

************************

My next two classes weren't with Ebube, so we went our separate ways. I figured to meet up again with him at lunch. That's when I was also supposed to see Ekaiteh.

After going through the cafeteria line, I noticed her eyeing me from the table where she sat. She waved me over.

"Did you find your way to all of your classes?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"Have you any other problems?"

"Nope"

"Good. Now get out of my sight.!"

The girls sitting with her all giggled. That

humiliated me.

Absorbing my vexation, I looked for Ebube but didn't see him, so I ate with two of the other kids from maths class.

During the course of my meal, a fly kept

trying to land on my Coconut Rice. I shooed it away a dozen times, but it persisted.

Annoyed, I waved my hand over the food. When it took off, I snapped my hand out at the wrist and snatched the fly from mid-air.

Being able to do that always amused the kids from my former school. Seemed I was the only person with that skill there.

Holding my fist to my ear, I listened to the high-pitched buzz coming from the distressed fly. I thought about closing my fist tighter and squashing it, but that would only get fly goo all over my palm and I wasn't done eating yet.

So, I unrolled my fingers and let it go. The little creature took off and I never saw it again.

I finished eating and returned my empty tray. When I turned around, I found Ekaiteh facing me, hands on her hips.

"Where's Ebube?"

Still feeling the sting over how she had embarrassed me earlier, I said,

"I Don't know. It's not my turn to watch him."

"Dogonyaro wants you to walk with him, remember? He should be here."

Ekaiteh was right about that. Why hadn't he shown up?

"Ebube and I spoke earlier, so I know he's

around somewhere."

"What?" Ekaiteh jerked as if suffering from a spasm.

"Did you do something to set him off? Did you touch him?"

"of course not. He seemed fine." I said.

Ekaiteh squeezed the bridge of her nose. "Where is he now?"

"I already told you that, I don't know."

"Find him now! ," Ekaiteh Snapped.

Her attitude pissed me off.

"What.? Am I your slave? If you want him, you find him yourself."

I started walking away.

"Look, I'm sorry," she said.

Stunned. I stopped in my tracks. Did she just

apologize to me? So out of her character.

"Dr. Dogonyaro gave us an assignment," she said. "If Ebube's not here, we'll have to report him as missing immediately"

That made me recall Director Dogonyaro's words. He's within a hair width of washing out.

"Okay," I said. "Tll help you find him. Where

should we start?"

Ekaiteh tapped her foot and gave me a sidelong glance. Her eyes twinkled. The look reminded me of a cat about to pounce on a mouse.

"I'll look in the classrooms. While you check the bathrooms."

I swallowed the fear rising in my throat. Had Ekaiteh done something to Ebube? Was she trying to implicate me in some ways? I thought.

She and I parted. I checked the bathrooms. Didn't find him. I felt relieved that my suspicions about Ekaiteh were wrong, but I remained anxious wondering where Ebube was.

When I met up again with Ekaiteh , she said, "We have no choice but to tell Dogonyaro."

" What'll they do to him?" I asked.

"He's a goner. He'll be guardroomed or expelled. Good relief if you ask me."

I pointed to the camera domes in the ceiling.

"Can't security find him? I thought this entire place was under surveillance."

"It is."

"Hold on. You told me the stairwats are dead spots, but we passed them all and didn't see him. You know of any other dead spots?"

She rubbed her chin and shot me another one of her predatory looks.

"Maybe, but no way. He wouldn't be that stupid."

I wanted to shake her. "Tell me."

Ekaiteh grinned. "The security room in the reception area. Obviously, there would be no need for cameras there. You don't suppose."

"Isn't that place always attended by the two

guards, Mr. Porter and Mr. Luke?"

Her smile grew wider. "Maybe they went for lunch."

Let's go," I said, heading down the hall.

Ekaiteh followed and snickered,

"if Ebube is in there and gets caught, he'll be placed in guard room or expelled immediately."

I picked up the pace. "Why do you seem so happy about that?"

"That kid means nothing to me. Him getting kicked out would be one less pain in the neck for me to have to deal with."

We descended the stairs to the first floor.

"Wait," Ekaiteh said.

I stopped.

She clamped a hand onto my wrist.

"We aren't going there. I don't care about Ebube, but if you get caught, it'll reflect badly on me as your mentor. I can't have that happen."

"You can't stop me.!" I said.

To my surprise, she released her grip. I resumed walking, wondering why she had given up so easily.

Ekaiteh reluctantly followed, saying nothing.

We got to the door of the security room, and I jiggled the knob. "It's not locked."

Ekaiteh just shrugged her shoulders.

I twisted the knob and eased the door open.

Ebube sat in a chair studying the security monitors.

He swiveled in his chair to face us.

"I followed your progress on the live feed, like a reality show. What took you so long?"

He seemed totally at ease while I was on the verge of freaking out,

"Ebube, we got to get out of here. Right now"

He wore a puzzled expression and pointed at Ekaiteh .

"She told me to come here and to wait for

you."

The door clicked closed behind us. Ekaiteh stood there blocking our escape, her eyes narrowed. She wagged a finger and said,

"Dogonyaro stripped me of one of my

diamonds because of what happened in the

cafeteria last week."

She had pulled one over on us. She had set up the whole thing here. I should have seen through it all, but this girl had been too sly for me.

Anger swelled in my chest.

"What happened last week is your fault. What Dogoyaro did to you is not our problem." I replied.

Ekaiteh bared her teeth.

"What Dogonyaro did to me is nothing compared to what I'm about to do to the

two of you right now."

Quick as a striking snake, Ekaiteh punched me on the chest. I toppled backward over a chair and went down flat. Coughing.

I expected her to jump on top of me and

Continue her punches, but she went for Ebube instead.

He backed and backed until tight up against the wall. His eyes went wide. "No please, don't touch me." he protested.

As I struggled to stand up, Ekaiteh grabbed Ebube by the back of the neck and ran her tongue along Ebube's cheek from his lower neck, all the way to his earlobe.

Ebube's eyes bugged out and his face turned

Red. He sucked in a long, deep breath of air, the veins on his forehead visibly pulsing.

"Oh, christ!" Covering my ears, I prepared myself for his ear shattering shriek.

Instead, Ebube collapsed to the floor and thrashed about as if suffering from epileptic seizure, the keening sound escaping his throat shrill like a fire siren.

Ekaiteh stood over him laughing maniacally and performing a romantic touch on his bare skin.

I snapped out of my shock and made a bolt for the door. I knew better than to try and face this crazy psychopathic girl.

From my experience on the street, I knew that people like Ekaiteh possessed freakish energy when they lost control. The Best thing is to get away from her and call for help.

"Oh, no!" She snapped. "Dem no born you well make you escape." Lowering her head, Ekaiteh charged. She caught me before I could get the door open, and I went down.

Screaming obscenities. Ekaiteh grabbed the trash can and emptied all of its contents over my head as I lay helpless on the floor.

Damn! The girl was too strong for her age.

Then her eyes went flat, dull, and my blood turned to ice as she stood over me and raised the trash can over her head. she aimed to bash it on my skull.

I raised my arms in a defensive move, closed my eyes, and waited for the impact.

Excited suddenly screamed, and I opened my eyes.

Two fleshy arms wrapped around Ekaiteh's waist from behind and hoisted her into the air.

It was Mr. Porter. She flailed with her arms and kicked with her legs, all the while making snarling noises like a deranged Lion on a killing spree.

Mr. Luke appeared and helped to restrain her. The two of them dragged her away, out of the monitor room.

Ebube sat on the floor in the corner of the room, trembling, but quiet.

I got to my feet and tried to calm my shakings too.

"You okay, boy?"

He looked at me with watery eyes and nodded.

From down the hall somewhere, Ekaiteh's screams faded away.

Despite what she had done, I felt kind of sorry for her. Her world had suddenly collapsed. Her dreams of becoming a

four diamond student had died. I guessed she was headed for prison now that she's over Juvenile. Probably never to be heard

from again in a long time.

Porter and Luke and likely Director Dogonyaro would be coming for Ebube and me next. I figured it would go better for us if I cleaned up the office.

I reached for the garbage can and started picking up the trash scattered about the floor.

About half way through my cleanup, a piece of debris caught my eye, a fluorescent green name tag. Curious, I bent down and picked it up. I saw a photo of a lady with a beautiful face. Under the face, a name:

Khadijat.

Where had I seen this before?

I turned the tag over. There, in big black letters, was printed: AU55.

What?....