What's up with them?

~Chiamaka

Alesscia came into the class looking really pissed. She walked straight to her locker and began to pack her books into her bag.

Less than a minute later, Alya walked into the class also looking like she wasn't in the best mood. She went straight to her seat with the same grumpy face.

I didn't quite understand why Alesscia was in such a bad mood although Alya's mood was not such a strange thing. If I were to be completely honest, it was quite hard to remember when that girl had ever been in a good mood.

I never really understood her. Like when I visited her and it was very evident that she didn't want me in the house. I was kinda scared when she said I couldn't enter and I did anyway.

I really imagined her doing something really terrible but then she didn't. Guess she was actually a better person than I could ever be.

And then I found it really strange that there were pictures of Ami Tara hanging in the living room. I mean, even if she was a fan, the pictures were meant to be in her room right?

And even if she was an idol to the family, then at most, one picture of her could casually be hung in the living room. But I saw at least three of her pictures in the living room and then one massive portrait on the staircase.

I found that so fucking weird.

Which parent in their right mind would allow that in their house? I was even starting to think she might actually live alone. In fact, I was convinced that she lived on her own.

She might have been an orphan and her parents were probably multibillonaires who left a lot of money for her before they died. Maybe that was why she was always in a bad mood.

Or perhaps, her dad was dead and her mother was suffering from a really horrible disease, probably even lived in the hospital and she didn't want anybody to find out.

You might think I was crazy for thinking about such things but what else did you want me to think?

And when I was with her in her room, she purposely avoided questions relating to her parents. She would just keep quiet and keep staring at the Jarad Higgins portrait which hung on the wall opposite her bed.

Whatever it was, she really had a problem. I wondered what I was thinking when I decided to become friends with her, although I didn't actually regret the decision, at least not at that point.

When Alesscia was done packing her bag, she slung it on one arm and left the class. I and practically everybody stared at her in confusion.

Was she really going home when school had just begun? I took a look at Alya who was now resting her head on her table.

****

...Find the focus and -directix of the parabola y2 = 16x.

I warily solved the problem on the board. I glanced at the clock. It was still 10 in the morning. I wondered how time managed to crawl like that. It was as if the clock had been at the same place for more than hours at that point.

I glanced at the teacher who was staring at me. I removed my gaze wondering what in the world inspired me to offer Further Mathematics.

We were actually just two students offering the subject in the whole S.S.3, I and Alesscia. But since Alesscia had gone home, I was the only one in the class and all the teacher's attention was on me.

"Are you done with your calculations?" The teacher asked me. It was barely a few minutes since he had scribbled down the questions on the board. I nodded weakly.

He proceeded to my desk but gratefully, the bell went just in time to save me from this punishment of a class.

He collected my work and left the class. I breathed out in relief. Soon the rest of the class filled back in.

I looked around the class. Alya had also gone home around an hour after Alesscia. I wondered how they even got permission to leave. I shrugged it off.

Delight came into the class just then and headed straight for my locker. She turned the chair in front around to face mine. "Hey. How have you been? It has been really long. School work has been really tiring," she said with a sigh.

"I swear," I agreed with her. "Life has been like... I don't know, the usual," I said shrugging. "Nothing ever happens in real life," I added feeling awfully tired.

"Right?" Delight corresponded. "Did you attend Alesscia's party? I heard it was mad. I couldn't stop watching that video of her and Devan," she asked suddenly enthusiastic.

"No. We are not friends so she didn't invite me. But I did see the video. Nothing extraordinary if you asked me," I said almost rolling my eyes at the excitement in her voice. Ever since the previous day everybody had been going on and on about Alesscia and Devan as if him throwing her a birthday party at his house wasn't enough, they just had to go out of their way with their PDA.

"Your beliefs though," she said shrugging.

"I wish we weren't in different classes. I wonder why you had to pick science. I have Commerce now and I am already late. I just decided to breeze in here on my way to class. See you later at Chika's," she said standing up.

She waved me goodbye as she left the class. I didn't have any class at the moment. I also noticed that Ifeanyi wasn't in school. I sighed bracing myself for the dry day ahead.

****

I was so grateful when school ended. I was sitting in my mom's car at that moment going through what I had to do that evening. I didn't actually have much plans though.

It was four o'clock, so, I would give three hours to school work, attend the birthday party at Chika's house, try to come back in four hours and then make sure to get at least five hours of sleep before school the next day.

I was relieved that this wouldn't be one of the days it got really hard juggling school work with social life.

My mom kept trying to chip in conversations once in a while. I didn't pay much attention half of the time and when I eventually did, it was to inform her that I was going to Chika's house later that evening.

****

Saturday morning and I was off to school for the extra lessons provided for the S.S.3 students. I headed for my class noticing a few classmates loitering around the hallway leading to our classes.

I was a little distance from my class when I noticed Alesscia who was in front of me, also heading for the class. She was putting on an off shouldered cropped top with really short denim shorts.

She was still walking when Alya walked past her, bumping her in the process, and man did that girl have one hell of a stamina.

She was still standing after the collision although she did spin around in the process, her top raising up slightly to reveal part of the ring on her bellybutton.

"So sorry..." Alya said quickly before stopping immediately, her countenance changing. Alesscia narrowed her eyes at her.

"Fucking look where you are heading to next time", she said to Alya. Alya rolled her eyes and continued moving to the class. I noticed that the both of them had similar clothes on the only difference being that Alya wore tight jean trousers instead.

It was actually my first time seeing Alya dressing this way. The normal Alya would have either been putting on a baggy top or baggy jeans, perhaps even baggier hoodies with maybe shorts or sometimes baggy shirts on baggier shorts.

And guess what, she still somehow managed to look so pretty. It just seemed as if anything she shrugged on would fit her. At a point I was even inspired to try out the same style of clothes.

Didn't turn out quite well cause I resembled a hanger in those clothes or most likely something picked out of the trash.

Alesscia stared at her for a while before also continuing her journey to the class.

Alya got to the door of the class where Aldrin and Ubaro were standing with Aldrin leaning on the wall while Ubaro leaned on the door post. The two were dressed in matching black shirts, rugged black jeans and black slides... Basically just all black.

Alya made to enter the class but stopped when Aldrin said something which I could not hear. She turned and flashed him a smile that looked forced.

I could see her mouth moving but I was too far to hear what she was saying. When she was done talking, he smiled at her, one which she returned before entering the class.