AWAKE

"Thank God I made it
Oh, with the holy spirit
I no fit just control it
It's In my blood now"
could be heard all over the school. Ever since the song was released, it had been a ritual for it to be played at every graduation ceremony.
The school DJ, played songs to entertain the parents, guardians and guests that were present at the event and to also help those who just arrived to settle down comfortably.
The students walked down from their hostels fully dressed in their outing uniform, as they moved to the hall. Most students were close to being dragged out by the incoming prefects because they took their pretty time to look pleasing enough.
Nina, amongst others, gushed at the beautifully decorated hall.
Starlight had three halls, each had its specific use. The hall they were in was used for only graduation ceremonies. So it was always refreshing for the students especially, to see the hall which was decorated differently, once a year.
Nina waved back at Michael who waved at them.
Michael and other prefects, stood at each corner of the hall to organize and control the students.
Destiny and Peter were so engrossed with each other to notice anything.
Nina noticed the Junior girls across the left side of the hall, were giggling because Michael had smiled at one of them who waved at him.
She rolled her eyes and hoped the event of the day would end well.
Everyone rose at the entrance of the graduants. The lead was the senior prefect and his assistant followed by others. The graduates were supposed to dance as they entered the hall, while their loved ones and supporters cheered them; Well the reverse was the case. The supporters danced and screamed so loudly almost drowning the music, while the graduates, walked in swaying reluctantly from side to side.
The bones of the boys almost shifted from their joints in the manner they bounced. The girls catwalked slowly as they looked uninterested in the gathering. They knew exactly what they were doing as students observed the different accessories added to the customized grey suit worn by all of them, so they could be compared and gossipped by the students.
"Diana's shoe is the prettiest of all"
"No. Can't you see Emma's shoe"
Michael turned to the girls arguing and gave them a coded stern stare which got them cold as they restrained talking.
He glanced around the hall to make sure everyone and everything were in order. His eyes fell on Nina. Anny and Destiny were dancing, but she was just sitting, her right leg crossed over her left, her face resting on her left clinched fist, her eyes fixed on something he couldn't tell. It rose a thought of concern in him. Five minutes ago, he remembered seeing her face glow in brightness. He vouched to talk to her later.
As the clock ticked further, the hall reduced in number as some attendees left while some took pictures outside the hall.
The best graduating student had begun giving his speech. Nina's hands began to shake, followed by the rest of her body. Her breathing intensified. She glanced at Anny and Destiny was in awe, so she rested her back, clinching the handle of the seats with all her strength as she fought for sanity.
"Awwn-this is so sweet," Anny said to Nina, acknowledging the boy's parents as they walked up to the stage to assist him.
Nina just smiled at her.
"Are you okay?" Anny asked
Nina smiled again, saying no word.
Anny's brows rose as she stared at Nina who still had the smile plastered on her face.
She later looked away after failing at getting an answer from her.
Nina sighed as Anny's attention drifted back to the stage. Her situation was getting worse as she watched the boy's parents give their support to the boy.
Her eyes felt like they were dragged by someone, her head like it had bricks on it, and her husky breathing intensified as she watched the boy's parents give their support to the boy.
I need to use the bathroom" Nina whispered to Anny. She stood up immediately and her legs moved swiftly out of the hall. She got to the class block and went to her classroom when she slumped at the seat closer to the door, staring into space as memories rushed back and her vision got drowned by the salty tears that escaped her eyes.
"Senior prefect, where are you rushing to?"
Michael turned to see Michelle, "Mimi!" He screamed as they embraced each other.
"What are you doing here?" Michael asked.
"I don't understand, don't you want me here?"
"I don't mean it that way"
"Since we couldn't talk because of my exams I decided to come see you here since we closed earlier."
"You are late though"
"I wanted to take my sweet time and I didn't want to delay Mum and Dad by joining them since they were the chair-persons."
"Smart girl, you look good"
"As I should, I thought it would take you forever to compliment me. So where are you going to?"
"Don't be dramatic as I say this"
"Are you saying I'm a drama queen?" Michelle scowled.
"Mimi I'm in a hurry"
"Okay go on"
"I want to go and look for her."
"Her- you mean Nina"
"Yes"
"I knew it" Michelle clapped in excitement.
"Calm down, please. I don't know why she left the hall so early, so I want to go in search of her."
"Okay let's go," Michelle said
"You and who?"
"Both of us now, I told you I wanted to meet the lady that is turning your head again."
"I understand you, but not this way. Please go back. When I find her, I'd get her to meet with you."
"Fine, but be careful," Michelle said and walked back into the hall.
"Hey," Michael said as he walked into the class.
"What are you doing here?" Nina asked.
"I should be asking you that. I knew you'd be here once I searched everywhere and couldn't find you, c'mon, you got everyone scared."
"I never told anyone to go in search of me."
"What's going on with you? What's the problem?"
"It's simple, I don't want to talk to you."
"Why? What did I do this time?"
"Please," she looked closely into his eyes "leave me alone."
"Before coming here, Anny had told me you were acting strange and seeing you now, she is right. What's going on, why the rage?"
"Are you deaf? What part of leave me alone don't you understand."
"What the hell is wrong with you? Why do you always make everything very difficult?" Michael yelled.
Michael snapped back to reality. He sighed in an attempt to shove down the anger that was rising inside of him.
"You need to calm down" he began softly, " No one is fighting you. My sister wants to meet with you."
"To hell with you, your sister and everyone," Nina yelled.
"Wait! What? Don't you dare insult, my sister, again!"
"Oops" Nina placed a hand on her chest as she laughed in a scoff, "Did that hurt your feelings, baby boy?"
Micheal's eyes turned into fury, as his rage grew, "you know, I can take all your insults but don't think it gives you the right to extend it to my family and don't you call me that."
He got so mad, wanting to leave but changed his mind as he continued talking "I see you hate happiness and everything related to it, good luck being alone."
Michael couldn't find any more words to say, so he turned to leave when that deep voice of hers, stopped him in his tracks.
"Happiness hates me too. It has always hated me even before I knew of its existence."
Michael's head told him to leave but his legs failed him by turning around to face her.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
She looked at him in contemplation.
"It's okay if you don't want to say anything," Michael said cutting through the silence.
"You should be grateful in life for the opportunities you have, cause we are all not as lucky." She drifted her face from him to staring at space.
She sighed as she continued, "My mum gave birth to me when she was sixteen. She hated me so much. for the past six and half years, luckily, my grandma took care of me the best way she could, but it was painful that my own mum hated me."
She became silent for some time then she continued," My mum ran away from the house before I became seven. It was discovered she eloped with her then-boyfriend with my grandma's money. This affected my grandma and her health began to deteriorate. I hated to see my grandma in pain, I hated to see her move in and out of the hospital. I lost her to death when I was eleven." A tear dropped from her eyes.
"I'm sorry," Michael said.
"It's fine. It pained me that I couldn't fulfil my promises to her. But it's fine."
"I'm so sorry Nina"
Nina nodded then continued " My aunt took me in. She was the only family member I had. Well, that was where the hell broke loose again. My aunt was a steadfast church sister, who held her good name so high. She loved the respect she got outside, so she didn't want anything to stain that; Anything, including me. She cared less about me, she didn't like me being around her kids because she said I was a bad influence. She said she hated what surrounded me and that I was an unfortunate child. Her kids also grew to dislike me, I mean what do you expect? I was sent to a free public school and I got so isolated because I was tagged as the unfortunate child. No one wanted me and the dislike from my mates grew when I scored higher in class. I got so depressed for a while till he found me. He was a senior in my school, he cared for me and stood up for me when needed, he understood my story and turned all my fears into confidence. I was hesitant in accepting his dating proposal because he was a cult member. It was a notorious cult in that poor, retched waterside community in that village. It didn't last so long because I finally liked him too, I mean, he was so nice to me and then I accepted to be his girlfriend. Although I enjoyed being his girlfriend, we still had little problems."
"This someone seems nice," Michael said.
"I wish it ended like that", Nina said, "I didn't want anyone to know about us, so we kept the relationship a secret. Some months into the relationship, he started asking for sex. I refused but he kept persisting. We started having issues, we went days without talking to each other. One day, a Saturday I would never forget. As usual, I left the house to meet him when my aunt went to a church meeting. We met up at school at that time to do assignments in each other's company and to chat. It was the only time we had to ourselves aside from school days. He asked for sex again and I refused. Somehow things escalated and..." She paused as tears held up, and started to stream down her cheeks.
"What is it?" Michael asked holding her hands.
Nina's hands shook as Michael held them tightly, her lips shivered as she stuttered "he... he... he.. he raped me."
"He what?" Michael exclaimed, shocked.
"Yeah, he raped me. I was so shattered, I didn't know what to do, what to say or who to talk to. How do you tell people your boyfriend raped you? You know after that bastard took my virginity, he stopped talking to me. He left me for other girls. He... he tossed me like a piece of rag. I don't know how, but the news went around that we had sex. No one believed what I had to say, rather they made fun of me, especially my aunt. She cursed and made a mockery of me. His parents threatened to kill me if I ever said what happened again. I was scared today when I saw the best graduating student with his parents, because he was also the best graduating student, and it felt like the scene played back again. My life was hell and I had no one to support me, not even my mum. My aunt later transferred me to an only-girls' school after the session. She said she was tired of staying with an evil child. I moved out of my aunt's place and stayed with the Rev sister who was the principal for a term before my mum showed up to come get me."
"I'm so sorry Nina. I'm so sorry for all you've been through. If I may ask, what's this mysterious guy's name?"
He watched her free her hands from his and she avoided his gaze.
"It's okay if you don't..."
"Michael," she said softly.
"Yes"
"His name is Michael" Nina said looking at him.
"Wait! What? Is that why you dislike me so much? Because we bare the same name?" Michael asked in disbelief.
"Maybe" she shrugged her shoulder.
"So all this time, you've hated me because of someone else and I felt I did something wrong." Michael felt so disappointed
"You can't blame me. You guys are similar in a lot of things. You are popular, and you flirt with girls too."
"The girls flirt back too. I don't want to be your enemy because of someone else Nina."
"Nina nodded and then whispered, "I'm sorry".
"You hurt me, I can't count how many times I asked what I was doing wrong that made you despise me so much and I'm getting to know it's because of someone?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't want the past to repeat itself."
"What past? That I would abandon you or that I would take advantage of you?"
"Don't say that."
"I'm sorry, I take that back. everything would be alright okay" he leaned closer and held her hands again, "I'm sorry about your grandma"
"I'm sorry for insulting your sister earlier."
"Apology accepted. Yes, we ain't friends yet, but we've seen and listened to each other in vulnerable times, I think that's what friendship is all about. Would you be my friend Nina?"
They heard footsteps which distracted them as they stared at the door.
Fred, almost running past the class they had been, sighted them and came back, jugging into the class.
"Fred", Michael said.
"Why are you guys hiding here? Nina your mum is here, Michael, your family has been worried sick about you for over an hour now."
"Damn!" Michael exclaimed and they both released their hands immediately.
Nina wasn't happy.
"Nina, I have to go now, I'd see you next term okay?"
"Bye," Nina said, "Bye Fred".
"Bye Nina," Fred said.
As Michael got to the door, he remembered he had forgotten something. He went back to meet her.
"I forgot to give you this", Michael brought out a white envelope tucked in the back pocket of his trousers.
"What's this?" Nina asked as she got the letter from him.
"Open it. But before that, can I hug you?"
"No"
"Please..."
"No"
"Please, please, please, please, please"
"Fine"
Michael pulled her into a hug and said softly, "you are a strong lady and I'm sure better days are ahead of you. You'll always be in my prayers from now on."
After talking, he leaned back and smiled at her, before joining Fred.
Nina peeked out the window as her mum drove. Glancing at the school view like she did when she first came.
She felt a lot better after the confession. She had always found it hard to open up to anyone for fear of betrayal, but Michael came at the right time, he was the right person.
As she looked at the buildings, she smiled. Despite going back to hell, Nina felt at peace staring at the buildings and smiling at the memories starlight had given her in a short period.
She hadn't felt so good till that moment, it felt as though she was asleep but now...
"Nina, are you sleeping?" Nina's mum asked.
"I'm awake" Nina smiled.