I Was Here

Joanna's POV

"SCHOOL WENT ON WITH vast drama as it always did. Before I knew it we were in our senior year – the final year of high school.

As long as we excelled in our final exams, we graduated. If not, we would have to stay back for another year and retake the exams.

Final year students like us spent the year occupied with notes, practicals, and "free time to read for the exams. We didn't write the usual school exams instead we wrote the West African Examination Council general exams – or as we called it WAEC.

Special well-behaved students have bestowed authorities at this level to control other students or as we preferred to call it, "Rule the School".

Most idiots struggled to obtain those positions, but a girl like me who hated attention didn't give a shit about that.

"Hey, baby," Tony called, kissing me on the cheek.

For the record, he and I are not dating because he eyes for someone else.

"Get your hands off my cuddle bunny this instant, or I'll castrate you." A familiar voice threatened jokingly."

"Yup, Tony was in love with my best girl, Tenda.

"Hey, babyboo," I mumbled into her neck as she pulled me in for a soft, comfy hug.

Unlike some people I know, I thought, hoping Harmony could read my mind as he strolled toward us.

"Are you ready to kick butts this year?" Tenda questioned, releasing me from the hug but still hanging onto my hand.

"Sure. I got you by my side," I smiled gratefully.

"What's that supposed to mean, partner?" Ifeanyi asked gesturing to himself, Tony, Blake, and Harmony. "You got us too."

"Yeah, what's that supposed to mean?" Tony glared.

Tenda and I rolled our eyes in response.

"Give way for the best friend!" Harmony screeched, approaching us and pushing Tenda out of the way so he could crush my ribs in a tight hug.

"Ouch," I squeaked, feeling my ribs turn to mush.

How on earth would I get used to this pain, I thought as I struggled to rationalize my breathing.

"Hey there, hun," I sighed the instant he released me.

"Hey sis," Blake spoke, ruffling the short braids in my hair.

"Hey, there, bro." I glared at him as I rearranged the loose braids back into a ponytail.

Blake and I developed a sibling relationship over the past year when he became friends with my brother, Elvis. Blake had dropped by my house to borrow some notes from me and met my brother. Boom! They clicked, instantly becoming best friends.

"So, are we ready for senior year?" Harmony shouted.

"Yeah," we muttered in reply.

"Come on, guys," he whined, with a pout. "Put more life into it."

"So, are we ready for senior year?" he yelled louder this time, emphasizing each word.

"Yes, we are!" We chanted loudly, matching his enthusiasm and disrupting other groups of students around us.

"Let's go make history!" Ifeanyi howled, whacking Blake accidentally, as he aimed to fist pump the air.

"Sure." We replied and laughed before high-fiving each other.

"Let's get started on that plan then, " I smiled, feeling confident as we strolled to class.

"Yeah baby," Tony acknowledged, shooting me a strange look that made me blush and feel soft inside.

Uh oh, I thought. Oh, Lord, no. Please no.

*********

Classes went by quickly, and students rushed from the classes when the final bell rang. They headed for the exit doors as if their lives depended on it.

I hated crowds because I could get easily lost. So, I didn't rush out with my classmates, but I sort of wished I had when I crashed into the female version of the devil.

"Watch where you going, bitch," the raccoon spat out.

Her attitude didn't change at all over the holidays. In fact, I guessed it just got worse.

"Hello, Stephanie." I forced a smile, attempting to act civil, because maybe she was having a bad day.

I noticed she weaved her hair into an updo with lemon-green attachments, which looked horrible on her because it clashed with her fair skin.

"Well, well, well," she scoffed, slipping her shiny green hair over her shoul "ders. "If it isn't little Jo."

Why does she call me little when I'm a few inches taller than her? I thought to myself, with an eye roll. If anyone should be called little, it's her.

"Sorry, Steph," I muttered, attempting to walk past her since I was in no mood for her trouble. I just wanted to go home and sleep.

"Come here, bitch," she hissed, yanking me back by my hair.

Why the hell is everyone messing with my hair today? I wondered, willing myself to calm down, and took deep breaths.

"What's the matter, Green?" I sneered. "Someone piss on your pretty pink shoes today?"

"What's the matter?" she challenged, with a hard glare. "How are you ask me a question."

Why the hell is she saying all this? Was she raving mad?

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if she was because who would use lemon-green attachments in their hair.

"Look here, bitch," she said. "I ain't your class. Just because we are in the same senior year doesn't mean you should disrespect me. I mean take a look at yourself. What do those guys see in you anyway? You're just a piece of stick."

I just stared at her in disbelief and wondered, Why does she even hate me?

My body went rigid in shock the second I felt my left cheek sting. Wait? Did she just ... did she just slap me? I speculated, detecting the taste of blood on my tongue.

"Listen here, hoe," I gritted through clenched teeth and lifted her with my right arm until we were eye to eye.

Fueled by rage and surprise and Steph's light frame because I doubted she even tasted solid food, I easily lifted her off the ground.

"Just because I keep quiet doesn't mean you can trample on me and insult me like a dog," I hissed. "I believe God gave us strength for reasonable things not wasting it on nincompoops like you. And for that, I won't fight you, but let me tell you this."

"You want to know what they see in me? They see humanity. They see a realist. They see someone with brains and a heart not someone with an open vagina and no heart who is technically a sex doll.

"So, next time before you let any dirt come out of that filthy mouth of yours as words to insult others, reason a little with your God-given brain." I spat bestowing on her a fierce stare. "Oh, wait, sex dolls don't have that either."

I laughed at my own joke as I released her from my hold.

"Have a nice day, Green," I offered, with a devilish smile, before walking away.

Wow! I thought, shocked by my own actions. Where did all that come from?

"Awwww. Would you look at that? My baby has grown," a familiar voice teased before being squashed into a bear hug.

For once, my ribs didn't cry out in pain as I laughed, glancing up to see Harmony flick away a tear in an overdramatic manner.

Did he actually cry? I asked myself, confused.

"My hard work is finally paying off." He grinned. "I'm so glad you stood up to her on your own."

"Shut up, idiot," I chuckled and hit him playfully on the arm.

"Am so happy for you," he spoke, with a smile on his face. "The Joanna I knew wouldn't have done that."

"I guess that's what happens when you have self-love and beautiful, amazing friends around you," I replied, as I hooked my hand in his before we both walked out of the school together.

We spotted Tenda and Tony laughing about something when we exited the building while Ifeanyi and Blake were arguing.

Harmony stopped short and perked up at him to ogle a girl wearing a tight mini skirt.

"Come on, dude." I yanked his arm as he got lost in that silly head of his that was filled with dirty imaginative thoughts.

"Noooo," he whined dramatically as I succeeded in pulling him away from her direction.

"Drama queen," I muttered with an eye roll at his behavior.

"What did you say?" he quizzed, looking lost.

"Nothing," I replied as we reached them. "Hey people."

"What took you so long?" Tenda asked, a worrisome expression on her face.

"This girl here," Harmony sighed for effect. "Stood up to Little Miss Green in the hallway, topping it off when she called her a sex doll to her face."

He beamed like a parent who was proud of their child for taking their first step.

Ifeanyi coughed. Blake's hand stopped midway on its journey to hit Ifeanyi while Tony's mouth hung open and Tenda broke into a wide grin.

"What!" I exclaimed shyly at their weird reactions.

"Wow," they all said at once apart from Harmony who was still grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"I knew you had it in you." Blake smiled and gave me a pat on the back.

"That's my partner," Ifeanyi grinned as he handed out his palms for a high five which I took.

"I love her." Tony winked at me, giving me a full-blown smile that had my heart doing a backflip.

"Okay, this guy is giving me mixed signals here," I mumbled lowly, blushing slightly.

"My baby is really growing," Harmony beamed and tugged me into his side.

"Yeah," Tenda spoke as she squeezed my arm affectionately. "I'm proud of her."

I couldn't comprehend anything at that moment as I discreetly stared at Tony still worried about the game he was playing.