4

My life could have been very fine if I do not have people like Kathrine and Christopher to give me trouble. They make my life a living hell…not nightmare, hell. Along with Kendrick who never stops trying to woo me, today was even worst. He came to sit in front of me, and I tried ignoring him, but that didn't work, he sang "Happier" by Bastille.

"Lately, I've been, I've been thinking, I want you to be happier I want you to be happier

When the morning comes and we see what we've become

In the cold light of day, we're a flame in the wind

Not the fire that we've begun

Every argument, every word we can't take back

'Cause with all that has happened

I think that we both know the way that this story ends.

Then only for a minute

I want to change my mind

'Cause this just don't feel right to me

I want to raise your spirits

I want to see you smile but

Know that means I'll have to leave.

. . . . .

Lately, I've been I've been thinking

I want you to be happier, I want you to be…"

"Just a young gun with a quick fuse

I was uptight, wanna let loose

I was dreaming of bigger things

And wanna leave my whole life behind

Not a yes sir, not a follower

Fit the box, fit the mound

Have a seat in the foyer, take a number

I was lightning before the thunder.

Thunder, thunder, thunder, thunder, th-, th-, thunder, thunder

Thunder, feel the thunder

Lightning then the thunder

Thunder, feel the thunder

Lightning then the thunder

Thunder thunder

Thunder."

I know I should have sung a song by Bastille, but I didn't feel like, and I really feel like changing the stuff, and I don't really know Bastille's songs, so I sang "Thunder" by Imagine Dragons.

We keep singing songs of old, I have absolutely no idea why, maybe because the songs of these days have little meaning attached to them unlike before. And since Kendrick picks the songs, I have to flow with it.

He picked "Happier" today and I gave him "Thunder," harsh? I don't think so.

I smirked at him with his mouth hanging open. It's not just the choruses that are true, but all the words; I'm really not a follower, I'm uptight, I also dream of bigger things, I'm fast…like lightning, but I make an entrance like thunder. I really want to make it in life, and frankly, my people around me are just…not going to be my help…my only help is God.

I looked away from Kendrick and at the two banana-brains beside me. They were laughing so hard and the way they laughed was funny, I just had to join in, looking at the dazed Kendrick and the fuming bitch in person of Kathrine, I doubt I'll ever get to like this girl again.

Hate is quite a strong word.

We sat waiting patiently for the nut-job of a lecturer who takes us "Dance and History." I love the course, but the lecturer is just a snarky prick who doesn't know how to teach well, he stands firm on the belief that all that happened in history is the fault of the victims…be it rape, or armed robbery or loss…he doesn't care! Which is why we are always at loggerheads…always, I promise to keep shut today, I'll try my best…as long as he doesn't strike a chord in me today, we'll be good…I'll be on my best behavior today.

I'll try.

"Ireolamide,"

"yes, that's my name" I answered Samuel, trust me, I love my name, it sounds so sweet when it rolls off someone's tongue, as long as it's not someone as bitchy as Kathrine, that witch!

I turned to my side and faced Samuel, his beady black eyes piercing my soul intently.

"Will you come to my next shoot?"

"Which?"

"My dance video…please, I'll feature you in it this time around…I really want to have you there with me, please Ire!"

"You'll really feature me?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes, I've thought about it and I want to help you out a bit…please come…"

"Why?"

"It feels better when you're around me, I dance better when you are there watching."

"Umm…"

"Please come Ire."

"Okay, I'll come."

I really can't believe this, but again, Samuel could be joking as serious as he looked when he told me.

"I'll get you lots of eatables" I looked at him and nodded my head slowly. Then I looked at Muyiwa who had his head buried in his phone, he's probably texting his girlfriend or someone else.

"Yo, Romeo! She's not running away, she'll reply you, just chill na."

"I know, she's just acting…off"

"Oh, just wait."

"Yeah sure, thanks."

Relationship can be overwhelming, the stress is too much, and I'm not ready to deal with that shit yet…it's stupid and not real.

I laughed a bit as I looked back at the board, and that was just when the crazy man came in. I swear this man needs to be taken to an asylum, he's crazy and needs stern observation. Else, he'll keep on talking thrash about history.

I watched as he stood in front of the class and cleared his throat dramatically before starting he lecture.

"Today," his cockroach-like voice sounded, "we will be talking about dance and the society and how the stories of assault are told by dancing."

Assault? Oh no!

I can't keep my mouth shut

I'll snap at him if he says anything wrong again.

I'm so screwed.

I dare not zone out of this lecture, I's a creepy compulsory 3-units course and I need to pass it even though I seriously doubt I'll pass with all the fights I've had with this man over the months of attending his lecture. I looked at him and nodded slowly, I have to survive this class whether I like it or not.

"The victims of assault," he continued, "could be tagged as unfortunate, but we have to take note that it could be their fault they looked so vulnerable for the assaulters to attack." In all of his classes, he only comes to tell his views, we already have materials on the course, so all he likes to do is put his archaic views into us.

"No, they were not!" I interrupted, "their attackers were probably just nut-jobs like you, Mr. Bashir." I screamed at the top of my voice, the beautiful thing about being in a school filled with rich snorty pricks is that you can talk to anyone in any manner, which makes it sweet talking to Mr. Bashir like this, there's nothing he can do about it. I stood up with every pair of eyes watching me and I could see Kathrine's sly face turn into an evil smirk…snarky much?

"What?" he asked.

"you heard me, you can't blame the victims for getting assaulted without even knowing the basis of their attack…that's wrong, you don't know what condition they were in at the time of the attack, so you should not say such!" one thing I hate is injustice and I really don't like being misinterpreted

"Who's the lecturer here?"

"You are, but obviously you're not doing the job right which is why I'm correcting you."

"I do not like being corrected."

"I'll teach you to take corrections and accept criticism Mister."

"Young lady, sit."

"No, I will not."

Am I a rebel?

Yes, I am.

The "baddest" even.

For me to talk back to a lecturer with my grades at stake and all my hard work too…it's just that I can't take it from this man.

He sucked in a deep breath and stated "they could have been assaulted because of their carelessness."

"they could have also been assaulted because of their lack of protection…especially if they have be taken advantage of…which is the case for most girls who have been victims of sexual assault, and should I say it in a way you can understand, RAPE!!??"

"Those illicit girls could have been raped because of their provocative dressing."

I snorted and answered him, "they could have also been raped because there was no one to hear their cry for help or because the pervert or pedophile, was way too drunk to realize what HE was doing."

"Oh really?"

"I thought you are the lecturer here." I smirked as his head shot up.

"Ireolamide Rogers be careful."

"That was the same precaution every victim of rape and assault took! But where did that do? They ended up getting assaulted, what then was the point? And the attackers got away with it all because of our messed-up system!"

"The system is not to be blamed."

"If the girls are to be blamed, why not the system? What is so darn special about the rigged system? Rape has been going on since forever, what has been done about it? Sexual and physical assault has been on our streets since time immemorial, but you blame the victims and not the system? Now, that's just a messed-up biased judgement sir!"