TIP OF THE ICE BERG

She was a beauty, and her parents were stinkingly rich.

The kind of rich that could get under your nostrils the moment you see it approaching.

Since birth, no one had ever said any hurtful word to her and since she began schooling here, no one had dared to insult her yet someone had embarrassed her in the worst way possible and she couldn't get angry at him.

That was what she found annoying. Annoying and surprising at the same time.

She was like the alpha female of the school, and she had the final word on any student who dared to offend her and today, she'd just gotten the biggest embarrassment of her life.

To make matters worse, in her own father's

school .

"hello! earth to Lisa" Mara said tapping her lightly, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"I'm in love with that guy" she muttered softly.

She didn't know when she let it slip as she stared into space. The other two raised their eyes, eyeing her as though she'd gone crazy.

"i don't understand...you love who?" Kira said staring at her.

"are you really being serious right now or....." asked Mara, gesturing with her hands dramatically.

"I'm seriously in love"

Lisa interjected smiling sheepishly.

"you just met him and you're in love really?" Kira asked eyeing her.

"you barely know the idiot. That mannerless thing....acts like he's the most handsome man on earth.....bloody arrogant bastard" Kira added scowling.

"Lisa are you being serious right now? didn't you see how he just insulted us? like we were some piece of shit....hell no he needs to be taught a lesson" Mara added shaking her head.

"Watch your mouth and keep it shut. No one touches him. No one. The fact that I've never loved anyone doesn't mean I can't fall in love. So long as I'm in this school he's going to be mine, period...end of discussion...The first person who makes a move on him is going to have me to contend with"

"what happened to Freddie? asked Mara suddenly.

"who now?" asked Lisa with a look of confusion.

"hellooo.... Frederick your boyfriend" Mara replied, snapping her fingers.

Lisa burst into a howl of laughter. The two girls just eyed her in confusion, brows raised.

"Oh pullease" Lisa said rolling her eyes.

"as if you two don't know I never loved him. He's just one of my tools loves....a plaything to do with as I wish.... just like the numerous others before him" she said, smirking.

"but the poor boy is madly in love with you" Kira muttered pitifully.

"not my problem....it's his fucking business" said Lisa non challantly, getting up from her position where she sat.

She wanted to spend her recess period in search of Jeremy and make more attempts at getting close to him.

"I'm going in search of my cutie" she announced when she'd stood.

The girls bade her good luck as she walked away. They decided to stay put. They didn't want any business with the rude cunt, no matter how bloody handsome he was.

They'd had enough insults for one day.

*********

Jeremy walked alone, along the paved paths of the school compound. He was in search of the school garden and the map on his phone made his efforts a whole lot easier.

At least it was one good thing about the damn school.

They were highly digitalized and spent properly to ensure the students had a stress free educational experience.

He didn't want to spend his recess in that damn cafeteria in the presence of ogling eyes and he wasn't sure he could stomach the cafeteria food as he was just adapting to the kind of meals eaten in the country.

He groaned inwardly as he stepped into the garden.

It was full of students who apparently had the same idea he did.

As usual, when he walked into the garden, all eyes turned to him. Again the ogling eyes.

The girls averted their gaze from who they were sitting with and turned to him.

Some mummuring erupted among the girls, he simply ignored them and walked for some time, surveying the place for an empty seat.

It took him quite sometime to find one.

As he settled on it, he fished his phone and turned on music.

He produced a can of milk from his bag and was about to switch the song when a girl walked up to him. Jeremy tried his best to igno her presence.

"hi she said, hoping to draw his attention, thinking he hadn't seen her yet" Jeremy just raised his head to look at her then turned his attention back to his phone.

seeing he'd noticed her, she continued.

"do you mind if I sit beside you? you seem alone.... and new too"

"I don't need company" Jeremy replied dryly, not bothering to lift his head.

"how about taking a photo with me" the girl said suddenly, leaving Jeremy stunned.

His eyes instantly grew wide.

"What the..." he said, dropping his phone beside him then he looked up at her.

"listen little lady...I don't need company. Seriously... what is wrong with the girls in this school...why can't you all just let me be" he lamented.

"errm.....I..." the girl stammered, trying to find a better reply but it was as though her brain had gone blank and words had dried up in her throat.

"you had better vamoose" Jeremy said Flaring up.

"Geez relax .... you don't have to be so rude

... who knew cute guys had a temper" the girl said and proceeded to sit beside him despite his protest.

Jeremy eyed her and packed his bag.

He found another seat way far from the first one and dumped himself with a thud, exhaling heavily.

He was just getting settled when three boys swaggered into the garden. Most students quickly averted their gaze from them, almost as though they were scared. Jeremy couldn't understand why....then the boys headed in his direction.

They walked like gangsters, dressed like gangsters and even had tattoos which they flaunted without a care in the world.

"There you are brat" one of the boys said with a loopsided smile.

"Do you mean to say this sissy pulled that stunt?" he said incredulously to no one in particular.

Jeremy instantly smelled the air and found it thick with trouble. It was one of his special useless talents, which often came in handy.

He could smell trouble coming from a mile away, but today, he wasn't so sure that talent would be of any help to him.

"and who might you be" Jeremy asked dryly.

"people you should never cross or pray to come across" one of the boys replied then one if the boys who looked like the leader stepped forward.

"I'm sure you're a newbie so I'm going to spell it out for you" he said, covering the distance between he and Jeremy.

"you can say anything to anyone in this school, act anyway you wish with anyone, but never you...ever ever again, open that disgusting filthy mouth of yours to embarrass my girl" he added.

Jeremy gave him a puzzled look.

"who's your girlfriend" Jeremy asked. He'd given more than one female a dose of his tongue lashing today and he had no idea which belonged to the buffoon standing in front of him.

"Lisa.... she's my girlfriend and I won't take it easy on you if you say any hurtful words to her" the boy replied all seriousness.

Jeremy still had the puzzled stare on his face.

"who's Lisa?" he asked again.

The boy stared at him like he'd gone crazy.

"she is the girl you insulted in the class not long ago.. I'll let you go scot-free for today..... just today because you're a newbie, but next time you dare insult her, be ready to face my wrath" he threatened.

"oh the queen bee is your girlfriend.." Jeremy said, a smug look on his face.

"you two are perfect for each other" he added, nodding his head

"okay, so please tell her to give herself a good scrub the next time she attempts to come within two inches of me.....the last time I couldn't breathe" Jeremy finished, putting on a disgusted look on his face.

The other boys with the leader opened their mouth in shock.

who in the world was this newbie? he dared to talk back? they couldn't believe it.

"I see you have no manners and no inch of fear in you" the boy who looked like he leader said, pronouncing the words in a gutteral manner.

Before Jeremy could say Jack Robinson, a loud ringing began to sound in his ears.

He had just received the dirtiest slap of his life.

He held his palms to his face.

"what did you just do" he asked, stunned beyond his wits.

"that's just a tip of the iceberg. Just a little bit of what I can do,what we can do to you... don't you ever insult my girl again in your life.

Incase you haven't noticed, this is Nigeria and we don't accept bullshit" the boy warned, point at Jeremy with his index finger.

Jeremy was absolutely furious. How dare those nincompoops! he seethed in anger.

He grabbed his bag and stomped towards the principal's office, holding his cheeks all the way.

That son of a bitch totally had to pay! How dare he!

Jeremy swore to make the boy smell hell then he paused midway.

He just realized he didn't know the boy's name.