GETTING UNDER HIS SKIN

Jeremy drove into the compound and walked past his driver's curious stares to his room where he spent another hour soaking in a bathtub.

He slumped on the king sized bed when he came out of the bathroom, and picked up his phone.

He went through his contact info searching for Sophie's number.

It was useless to try, this he knew but he just wanted to make an attempt.

He dialed her number and the call bounced. He furiously threw his phone to the wall and let out a loud breath.

He eventually settled for lying down on the bed, facing the ceiling, and stayed in that position with his thoughts until it was nightfall.

He attempted to fall asleep but sleep just wouldn't come.

He shut his eyes and tried to force it and just then, the girl's face appeared in his mind's eye.

He flashed back to the event.

He couldn't believe himself. He'd dared to feel remorseful after her tray fell off her head and even her tears hurt him.

He just couldn't understand.

"arrrrgh" he grunted, smacking himself on his forehead and letting out a breath.

His head told him to run for the hills. Those kind of girls that get under a guy's skin did tend to bring trouble and that's what was happening to him. She was beginning to infiltrate his thoughts.

Somehow, he wished she'd just appear in the same room with him this instant.

She'd been the first girl to dish out the same dosage of what he meted out to others daily, his harsh tongue.

He felt so embarrassed and angry at that moment and he'd rushed after her to make her cry, to hurt her and embarrass her more than she did to him, but lost himself the moment he saw her tears. He'd even gone ahead to wipe those tears of hers away.

That's it, he was totally going crazy.

He turned on the bed to his left hand side and rested his cheek on his palm when he felt his cheek sting.

The sharp pain vanished all thoughts of the girl and reminded him of the humiliation he'd suffered at school that day.

He got off his bed and opened his lower drawer. He brought out a new phone which already had a sim card in it.

He'd damaged the one he'd attempted to call Sophie on when he smashed it on the wall.

He dialed his father's number...his dad picked on the second ring.

"hello my precious!" his dad's voice sounded through the phone.

Jeremy felt his heart stir. Even as he wouldn't want to admit it, he terribly missed the man but he made sure not to show his emotion.

He was still mad at his dad for dumping him in this godforsaken country and he made sure to show his displeasure every single time he spoke with his dad.

"how is mom?" Jeremy questioned dryly.

"she is doing good" his father replied joyfully.

"So you finally decided to call, I thought..." his father continued but Jeremy cut his sentence short.

"I want to make a report at a precinct...how do I go about it" Jeremy asked, going straight to the point.

"why? did something happen? who do you want to arrest Jeremy" his dad's worried voice filtered into Jeremy's ears.

"a stupid idiot slapped me" Jeremy said through gritted teeth but to his surprise, his father released a bout of laughter as though he was being tickled on the other end of the line.

The laughter infuriated Jeremy and he removed the phone from his ear to stare at the caller ID.

He'd wanted to make sure he was still talking to his father.

Yup, confirmed, it was still the old man.

"what's so funny old man" he asked.

Jeremy's father was still laughing. As he finally got his laughter under control, he replied.

"you want to arrest a person because he slapped you? ... sorry to burst your bubble son, but you can't call the police over a slap boy....he police over here and over there, there's a fat difference.

Police are for criminals in Nigeria not for slaps" his father finished, laughing.

"hold on dad...so you mean I wouldn't be able to have the idiot arrested?" Jeremy questioned really puzzled.

His father released another round of merry laughter.

"son if you get attacked by anyone at school, it is the duty of the school authorities to control the situation, not the police" his father said.

Jeremy couldn't believe his ears.

His hatred for the damn country grew to immeasurable bounds.

"I'll talk later dad" he said, more angry than he was before he started the call.

"bye son" said his father before dropping the call.

Jeremy exhaled harshly and lay back down, steaming and thinking of what he would do to the boy who'd hit him.

In no time, he fell asleep.

**********

The sound of his blaring alarm jerked him from his slumber.

He stretched and yawned as he got up.

After some thought last night, he'd finally figured a plan to deal with the idiot who'd played hands on him.

He walked into his bathroom and went to perform his daily routine then he dressed up

and ran downstairs to the car already waiting for him.

He instructed his driver to stop the car in front of the principal's office and he hopped out the instant the vehicle screeched to a halt.

He entered without knocking.

"Master Jeremy what bri...." the principal started but Jeremy cut her sentence short.

"I didn't come to chitchat Ma'am" he said, putting on his best poker face.

"I came to inform you I'll be leaving this error of a school this instant....I cannot tolerate the injustice happening here" Jeremy finished, smirking inwardly.

Just as he expected the principal would react, the woman's eyes widened in shock.

"why would you want to leave Master Jeremy....is the school not to your taste? is there any discomfort?" the principal blabbed.

"I'm fed up and I'm leaving!" Jeremy replied, glaring at the man then he turned towards the door.

The principal knew who Jeremy's father was and she shook in fright the moment Jeremy placed his hands on the door knob.

"Master Jeremy it hasn't gotten to that point yet.. just tell me what it is that's bothering you" the principal said diplomatically.

At that, Jeremy's hands dropped from the door knob.

"I want that nincompoop who dared to touch me expelled this instant" Jeremy said, turning to face the principal.

The woman felt awkward as she was put in a difficult situation, cold sweat broke across her forehead.

She couldn't just expel the boy in question as his father was one of the school's founding fathers and at the same time, she couldn't afford to offend Minister Brent.

He thought deeply and still couldn't come up with a solution.

She decided to call the proprietor. The owner would know what to do and at the same time, she would save her head and Keep her job.

The phone had barely dropped some minutes ago when the proprietor appeared.

He was middle aged, dressed in one of those clothes you'd see college football coaches wear on a football pitch.

"what's the problem young man" the proprietor inquired, directing his query to Jeremy the moment he walked into the principal's office.

"Minister Brent's son wants to leave the school" the principal replied without being asked.

"A Buffon hit me and if you cannot do anything about the idiot, forget about my admission here. I'm leaving!"Jeremy added.

The proprietor couldn't believe his ears.

Some nincompoop had dared to hit minister Brent's son!

"who is it" the proprietor asked, turning to the principal.

"Donald sir"

"well don't just stand there.... provide the idiot at once!" the proprietor yelled at the principal, causing the woman to flinch and get on his desk phone.

Few minutes later, Donald swaggered into the office.

"good after...." Donald began but his sentence was cut short by the proprietor.

"what is good about the afternoon you scallywag" the proprietor asked.

"How dare you lay your hands on Minister Brent's son!" he thundered.

Donald flinched and looked very uncomfortable this instant. He glanced at the principal then turned to glance at Jeremy before letting his eyes face the soft rug that covered the floor of the office.

Jeremy laughed inwardly.

He was enjoying the show immensely.

Well that should show him, he thought.

"That your father is one of the founding fathers does not mean you can behave how you wish and treat this school like your personal playground.

You dared to slap a minister's son?

Henceforth, any misdemeanor from you will not be tolerated!

One more news about your misdeeds and you are out!

I will personally see to it that you are expelled!" the proprietor thundered.

Donald looked at this moment like a cat drenched by a wet shower.

He was utterly speechless. In truth, this was the only school that had agreed to still keep him as a student after all the trouble he'd been causing wherever he went.

His father made it clear that this was his last strike and after Royal High, there would be no more chances. He raised his head to look at Jeremy's smug face. He was damn sure the arsehole was enjoying his humiliation.

He would deal with that later.

Right now, he wanted to remain the good guy.

"I'm sorry sir it was a misunderstanding" he muttered reluctantly.

"apologize to him this instant" the proprietor fired.

Donald turned to Jeremy, who he could have sworn had a dirty grin on his face.

Oh how Donald wished he could just slap the stupid thing off his face, but right now he was powerless.

"I'm sorry Jeremy...it will not happen again" Donald said, pissed to his bone marrow.

"now scram" the proprietor said to an angry Donald before turning to Jeremy.

"you can go back to class now that the Matter is settled Master Jeremy....if you need anything else don't hesitate to ask Mrs Chidinma. She would be happy to be of assistance" Jeremy glanced at the principal was was nodding like a lizard and nodded his head.

"Yes sir" he replied the proprietor then he walked out, leaving the two of them in the office.

The principal released a breath she didn't know she had been holding.