Chapter 10: New identities

It was the second week of finals. Most of the students were already done with their exams except for us, science majors. That was due to laboratory practicals.

The exam wasn't that bad as my classmates lamented. All the answers were there, procedures were given..., it only needed us to do some experiments, data recording and manipulating them and... done!. We'll be free from school again!

I sat straight on my seat after I was done with my questions. Examination papers folded neatly over the table, Apparatuses cleaned and neatly positioned, my glasses placed on top of my papers. Busy thinking about what position we'd use that night when we get home.

Maybe because it was my last exam or the fact that I knew Chris was somewhere inside the school waiting for me at that moment because I could swear the time was slower than a tortoise walk that day.

I was bored out of my mind by the time we were allowed to leave the laboratory.

Free at last!

"Not so fast, bitch!"

I heard Bertha's voice behind me before felt her hand snaking my collar to pull me towards her.

"What do you want, Bertha?" I asked with a sigh.

"Nothing much" She replied shrugging "I was just hoping you'd leave my boyfriend alone... Like give us some space at least" Said Bertha as a suggestion but I knew different.

"What are you talking about? What boyfriend am I clinging to?" I asked as I was genuinely confused. I was all percent sure that Bertha was having a post-exam brain malfunctioning syndrome.

"You acting clueless, right now? Trying to act smart with me?" She asked before I felt a slap on my face and another one to remind me of the first. I couldn't do anything but, whimper in agony as I was bound by her two friends on each side. I couldn't even rub on my cheeks.

Girls can be so cruel, sometimes.

"I really don't understand you, Bertha" I said with a pleading look. I really didn't want a repeat of the slaps. Pain out of sex was never my thing.

"Chris is mine! You hear me?" She shouted punching on my belly only once but, it was enough to make me feel all the things we learned in biology class about a human's abdomen were true.

"Then, why am I here getting beaten up instead of you hanging out with Chris, right now?" I asked her haughtily. Sometimes, I fear for my big mouth.

"Trying to be a smartass?" She asked before I felt another slap so hard that it made my glasses crooked.

"I'm going to show what I do to people who tries to take what's mine..." Said Bertha before grabbing my neck to pull me towards her before she pushed me back so hard on the wall. That gave me headaches and dizziness.

"Ever thought on what I'd do if I catch you bullying what's mine?!"

I heard Chris's calm voice, a distance away from where we stood. And I gave out a sigh of relief. I was safe again.

"Chris!" Bertha's cheery voice was heard walking the opposite direction to where Chris was. I wasn't sure as I was blind without my glasses.

"Who told you that I was here?" Asked Bertha sweetly.

"Are you guys courting death?" Thundered Chris and I felt those two girl tense beside me, looks like Chris glared at them. Nice.

"Why are you scolding them?" Asked Bertha clearly annoyed by Chris's order.

"Release Beatrice this instant!" Demanded Chris instead of answering Bertha and her friends obliged his command just as fast.

I felt him walking towards me with heavy steps before he fixed my glasses on my face. And there he was with pain and regret on his handsome face.

"What's wrong?" I asked, stretching my arm to caress his worry lines away only to flinch in pain in the end.

He cursed silently before taking me in his embrace "Let's go get you checked up, huh?" He suggested in a whisper to my ears. And I found myself smiling again not even caring those sore cheeks of mine.

"Chris! Now you've gone too far!" Yelled Bertha glaring at Chris whose chin was on top of my head.

"And who allowed you to use my name carelessly like that?" Asked Chris, shaking from anger. Turning to her .

"Because I'm your girlfriend" Said Bertha cautiously.

"Girl what?" Asked Chris for confirmation.

"I'm your girlfriend!" Repeated Bertha with her voice raised as she thought Chris didn't hear the first time.

"Remind me on how you came to be my girlfriend"

"You kissed me and you left me with your jacket!" Explained Bertha with a smile

"Listen, Ms... Whatever your name is, You'll pay for what you did to my wife today!" Vowed Chris before dragging me away from the three devils of my two year hell that was my advanced secondary level.

"Chris! Where are we going?"

"To the hospital and don't you dare nag on how poor we are!" Threatened Chris pushing me to the wall. And if it were any other day that would've felt arousing but at that moment all I felt was suffocating pain all over my body. I whimpered and Chris pulled me to him just as fast.

"F*ck! I'm so sorry, darling baby...! The sight of you being bullied... And me being helpless..."

"It's okay..., I'm okay..."

"You are freaking not okay!" Thundered Chris punching the wall beside my head.

"Hey, baby..., Look at me" I said turning his head so his face could be on me. Concentrating solely on me.

"Beatrice..." He called softly after some time.

"Uhmm" I hummed a reply.

"My wife Beatrice..." He called again, kissing my forehead before his met mine.

"Tell me husband" I said relishing at how much closer he was to me.

I never allowed us to be that intimate on school grounds but that day? I wanted him closer than he ever was before. I didn't even care who'd see us or the rules we were breaking.

"Don't refuse going to the hospital, please" He said with a tired sigh. I could even feel tension leaving his bones.

"How about we go later? I really need to lie down a little" I suggested, closing my eyes in pure bliss.

"You can sleep in the bus, I have somewhere to take you today" He said before he took my hand and start walking out of the school.

He took me straight to collect our national identity cards, They were out. I didn't know that Chris was keeping tabs on them.

That day I, Beatrice Elias Walkers became an official citizen, legally. I was free from my family at last. I didn't need their signatures anymore on whatever I decided to do with my life.

"Are you that happy, darling baby?" I heard Chris ask as we sat down to eat.

That was after hours spent in the hospital. I was so hungry when we returned making him go and bring takeaways.

"Yes! God... Yes!" I exclaimed beaming at him.

"We can register our marriage now.." He said with a warm smile on his face.

"The heck?!" I choked on the food looking at him with wide eyes. Chris is always random but that, was so out of the blue.

"What? We already got the national IDs, and plus we are both legal... I love you and I can feel that it's mutual so?" Inquired Chris coming to seat behind me, positioning himself slowly per doctor's orders.

Turned out I was internally injured.

"You want me to use your new name this soon?" I asked with a scoff.

"No"

"No?"

"You can use yours, In fact you can do whatever. I just want be legally yours, too much to ask? mmmh?" He pleaded, playing with my sensitive ears with his wicked mouth.

"Can we talk about this after your return from the city?" I asked with a moan because he dipped his tongue in my ear. I was so sensitive.

"Whatever you say but, please don't let it be a 'No'"

"Then it's a yes in advance" I said and he pulled me to his chest to hold me tightly, avoiding the places that I was hurting.

"Thank you darling baby, I love you" He said before breathing me in hungrily.

"Can I go on eating, your majesty?"

"Can I feed you?"

"No! You always make me eat more than I could manage" I complained with a pout and he chuckled.

"I'm the luckiest man alive!" Declared Chris, satisfied.

"That makes the two of us, I love you so much, Chris" I said making myself comfortable on his body before continuing to eat.

"I love you with everything I have and I wish to get in the future" He replied kissing the top of my head.