I walked home with a bright smile on my face as I rounded the corner and I was about to enter my house.
Mrs Amira Issah called out to me.

"Hey."

"Good afternoon ma'am."

"Afternoon, how are you?"

"I am fine thank you."

"Sorry I just want to ask you a question."

"Okay go on."

"Well I have seen your father."

"Step father." I corrected her.

"What?"

"He is my step father."

"Okay! and I have also seen you."

I wondered where this conversation is going. 

"But I have not seen your mother did she travel? I am hosting a book club and I would love it, if she would come."

"That was nice of you but I am afraid my mom will not be able to join you."

"Why not?"

My eyes welled up as I tried to contain my emotions.

"My mom used to love to go to book clubs and she sometimes host them."

"That is great." Said Mrs Amira.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No you did not."

"Then why are you crying?"

"Well because my mother is no longer with us."

"She left me alone in this world."

"Oh dear, I am so sorry."

"No it is fine,you do not have to apologize."

"So you are saying it is only you and your step father that lives in this house?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I am really sorry once again, thank you, take care, bye."

"I entered my house and I saw my step father coming down the stairs I tried to wipe my face in time but he caught me.

"Why are you crying?" Answer me."

"Well I got picked on after school today."

"You could not stand up for yourself instead you are here crying, how shameful, I am going out tonight,do not wait up for me lock up all the doors I will come back tomorrow morning. Leave the key under the mat outside when you are about to leave for school and do not allow anyone inside this house do you hear me."

"If I find out that anyone came in here, both you and the person will pay the consequences."

"Okay sir, come and lock the door."

I followed behind him to the front door, after which I locked it behind him,I walked away from the door to my room I dropped my backpack on the floor.

I was so excited I do not think I have ever been happier, I was a bit full from what I ate today, with nothing to do, I decided to just sleep and rest today has been a long day for me.

~~~~~Two hours later.~~~~

I woke up and I was hit with a headache, I massaged my temples and I went to the kitchen to take some pain reliever.
I then recalled my step father saying he will be gone for the rest of the day and will be home tomorrow.
I was quite hungry so I made spaghetti and meatballs, I went to the dining table to eat for the first time in a very long time.
Even the food I steal, I eat it near the gas cooker, I was very happy I could not stop smiling. I ate slowly and I was filled with satisfaction, I went to the living room, I can watch as many movies I want till tomorrow. I switched on the TV and I grabbed the remote and I changed the channel, an animation was showing I decided to watch it.

The animation was Happy Feet,I watched quietly with a smile, after the movie ended I watched another one, named trolls.
After that one ended I felt like eating something so I went to pop some corn. I have forgotten what that tasted like, I popped the corn, and sat on the couch. I kept on watching but I had to stop because it was already dinner time, I went to make, rice and spaghetti with fried fish for myself, it took a while to make it but I did not mind it.
After I made it I ate on the dining table and I went straight to bed after about forty minutes of relaxing.
The next morning, I was not feeling that splitting headache, just a little sting on my head.

I went to the bathroom and did my business, I brushed my teeth and i took my bath, I wore a leggings and a baggy shirt, I brushed my hair back and made a pony tail.
I wore a little make up and I went to make breakfast for myself I made tea,scrambled eggs and toast bread.
I ate with a smile and I packed some toast with jam into a nylon and I grabbed an apple juice from the fridge and stuffed everything into my backpack.

I left the house, locked it and I kept the key under the mat just as my stepfather instructed and I started to walk.
Times like this I really wished I had a phone everyone including Alero and her friends have phones except me,I will just listen to songs on the phone.
Wait a minute, when was the last time I listened to music, I can not believe this, oh my God

I was lost in thoughts when a car pulled up next to me, I bent my neck to see who it was.

"Mrs Amira?"

"Get in."

I opened the door and I got in.

"Good morning ma'am, I greeted as I wore the seat belt."

"Morning how are you?"

"I am fine and you?"

"I am great thanks for asking Azeemah. You are the fifth person to pronounce my name right."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Okay, can I have your number? Azeemah you seem like a nice girl..."

"I do not have a phone,I interrupted her."

"Okay you can come by my house sometime would you."

"My step father would not really like that he is very conservative."

"Is he too conservative to buy you good clothes?"

"Did you ask him to take you shopping like I told you, he did not like that idea very much, he told me to manage what I have."

"I did not lie to her the last time I asked him, that was what he told me before he Called me ungrateful and he beat me up again."

"Can I take you shopping then? You see my husband and I do not have kids, we have been trying for thirteen years now, but now we do not know what to do,I would really like to take you shopped and have some girl time."

"I would really love that but my step father will not allow that, if he even knows that I an speaking to you, it will not go down well."

"Why is that?"

"Like I said before he is a very conservative man, thank you for thinking about me, but please do not worry, I am fine."

"We are here, thank you so much, have a nice day."

"You too Axymah bye."

I did not see Alero and her friends in the parking lot, what happened, i went to the front of the school and I saw Alero and her friends waiting for me.

"Hey guys."

"Hey good morning, how are you? Said Alero."

"I am good and you?" I greeted her back.

"Fine."

"You are in a cherry mood."

"Yes I am."

"Azeemah no offense but what are you wearing, you dressed nicely yesterday but the crop top you wore was torn,why?"

"This is what I have in my closet."

"Then you have to go shopping."

"No thanks, I will manage what I have."

"Come let us go in, we should not spoil our mood with petty thing, but really Azyma, you should consider going shopping said Alero."

"Okay I will consider it, thanks."

"No problem."

"let us go in we do not want to be late, said Austin."

We went into the school and we went into our locker, I grabbed my books for physics class and the experiment and the three of us except for Alero headed to physics class. Alero had agricultural science.

We entered the class and took our sit, good morning, morning how are you guys, turn in your experiment.

"What experiment?" I heard someone ask.

"The experiment I gave you last week,if you have your experiment turn it in,the rest of you that did not do it,you have five hours of detention after school."

I heard a lot of groans and No's.

"Stop that, the teacher yelled, if you do not want detention then always do whatever assignment I give you." 

Dinela,Austin and I exchanged smiles at each other. 

"This is your school principal everyone one go to the Assembly hall now." We heard over the speaker in the class. Everyone got up and went straight to the Assembly hall.
The three of us and Alero met up in the hallway and we all wondered what the principal has to say, as we headed to the Assembly hall. 

As soon as everyone was seated a woman which Alero told me was the principal,Mrs Adenuga, students call her lady gaga, why?I asked, she said she does not know,she stood on the stage and asked us to stand up to sing the national anthem, after which we sang the school anthem and the national pledge, she then proceeded to announce that gym has been added to our syllabus and introduced to us the new gym teacher, Mr Greg.

"Good morning students."

"Good morning Sir."

"I hope you all are having a nice day."

"I want to tell you a bit about my self."

"I am a very free man, and I love sports, sport is a way of entertainment and it can serve as a very good exercise and also a means of earning money."

"Is this how all new teachers are introduced?"

"No,this is how a new subject is introduced and it's teacher."

"You will start taking gym from next week Thursday, said the principal,Mr Greg will address you now."

I took a good look at him, he is dark in complexion, tall, he is not that good looking but he is very hot, he has on a ash coloured short sleeve shirt that is too tight for him, the shirt showed all his muscles, he got Dinela drooling.

"He is so hot I think I am going to burn up."

I giggled as Dinela moaned.

"Shut up." I said.

"I totally agree with you he is so hot but my Sammy boo is way hotter."

"Sammy who?" I asked.

"That is what she calls Samuel Adam."

"Oh."

"I think the gym teacher is hotter than her Sammy boo, I said purposely to irritate her."

"Never repeat that again." Alero threatened.

While pointing her index finger at me and I just giggled at her. 

"If you like him so much why do you not just tell him and get it over with?"

"Azyma is right Alero, tell him."

"I now know that you two are completely out of your minds, If I tell him and he does not feel the same way, I will feel humiliated and shattered, I prefer to keep it to myself thank you very much."

"Okay whatever you say." Said Dinela.

We talked like that not even bothering to listen to what Mr Greg was saying, while Dinela kept talking about his biceps and how hot he is.
By now the bell for lunch had already been rung, we were all starving even Dinela stopped drooling over Mr Greg and was focused on her empty stomach.

"That is all for now you can all go for lunch and use the restroom after which you will all come back here so we can finish the announcement,you have thirty minutes,said the principal."

"Did they not finish it an hour ago? today is going to be a long day,I moaned."

Everyone practically ran out of the hall including us.

"I think we should go to the restroom first,I am pressed said Dinela, then we can all meet back at the cafeteria to eat lunch I am starving."

we all used the restroom and we went to get our lunch from our bags. After which we went to the cafeteria to eat lunch, we saw Austin already seated.

"How long have you been waiting?"

"Not long about five minutes."

"We have about fifteen minutes left said Alero."

We ate quickly then Samuel Adam and west Cooper passed by our table and said hi to all of us while staring at Alero.

"How are you?" He asked Alero.

"Fine." She answered.

She did not seem fazed,she had a neutral expression, but she kept her head down,everything became silent and Alero looked up just to see her crush staring at her, a blush crawled up her cheeks and she quickly looked back down, he smiled at her and left with his friend.
After he left she started smiling like a maniac and giggling, Austin asked her why she was giggling and smiling, and what she said had all of us smiling too.

"Samuel Felix talked to me."

"Why did you look like you did not care?"

"I did not want to seem desperate and cheap."

"This is your principal, everyone please kindly walk back to the Assembly hall."

We left after clearing up the table and throwing the papers and wrappers into the trash can, we went to the Assembly hall and took our seat, with a long sign.

"I will just sleep through the whole thing, wake me up when it is over." Austin said.

We all tried to listen and pay attention but Alero and I soon fell asleep awhile after Austin did.
I really hope Dinela does not fall asleep so we will have someone to wake us all up once the Assembly is over.