Dignitas

ked up. Her hand froze halfway to her bag zipper. Charlotte sto

er voice was calm. Too c

tened. "Talk

move. But her

Fiyin. Her eyes

he choo

rowned.

ise choose to sit next to you on his f

still. Even the

d Mrs. Okoro. I didn't

, but her fingers gr

d closer. One st

soft and bitter. "Please. Girls like

"Charlotte, what

n," Charlotte snapped w

ifted her

g like you're special. Talking to him during break. Walking with him. Smiling at him in clas

slap. Chloe jerked ba

one who came to mee

uiet. Sweet. Reads books. But underneath, you're manipulative. Yo

at's not true! I don't even, I've

ink I see it? My mother warned me about girls like you.

tepped forward. On

her. "This doesn't c

he moved until she was standing beside Chloe, shoulder to shoulder. "You're standing in our cl

ed me stupid" Char

nk I said that, then that

ked to her. "You don'

w you've been watching Praise since morning like he's your property. He's

harlotte, please. I didn't do anything. I

s voice cracked. "You're

nted to grab Chloe's blazer

If you know what

Then Charlotte yanked her hand

uth off her!" Sh

anding between them. "Guys,

s wide, mouths open. Some looked scared. Some looked

"You think you can protect

tte Oku

ough everything.

oor. She hadn't raised her voice. S

nreadable. But her eyes swept over all three girls, taking in Chloe's

d quietly, "is

hree seconds. Then Ch

aw her. She's been manipulating him sin

ro didn'

," she repe

She's lying. I've never I don't know anything about that

ed forward,

reason. Chloe didn't do anything. She was just packing her

Sharon, then at Chloe

Outside, the sprinkler

Mrs. Okor

Come to my o

opened h

s. Okoro

w one last look at Chloe half hate, half something

. "Everyone else, go home. Now

d. No one met anyone's eyes. The

rned to Chloe

wo. Wi

pline

per. The walls were lined with books and framed

at the floor. Chloe sat in another, twisting her

the door and sat

Explain yourself. Withou

e didn't

k him fr

not an object you can lose. He c

er looked at me even for once. Now he

you have a problem with it, you speak to Praise. No

uickly. She has a soft

didn't mean for

er. "Chloe, you did nothing wrong. You d

looked at

all a teacher first. I know you were protecting your

odded. "

hed and turned

ut 'witchcraft' or any other baseless accusation from you, your parents

d in mind that nothing could happen to her a

"Chloe, Sharon, you're di

haron touched her should

Chloe exhaled like she'd been

nything for a minut

ld she say that? Witchcraft? Peopl

when they're scared. And she's scar

r. "I'm not trying

said. "That's w

arble reflected the gold light from outside. Th

the cracks in it. And Sharon walke

. The high view of students walking to

g breeze was already pressing down, thick and pea

railing three steps behind, bag slung over one shoulder, j

uietly, not even looking back. "S

ked a loose stone along the path u

ything" she muttered

s the p

lass, R

ker in his hands, writing out Amo, amas, amat li

ly and getting half of it wrong. She'd been struggling with declensions since las

"What's the ablative p

r. "Puellis. Two L's. Two E's.

r. Mr. Adebanjo was facing the board, droning a

alous of always seeing Praise around her. Because her father was the Managing Director of

d loud enough for half the class to hear: "She's

in had actually done the home work last nig

ron hea

at her old school. She sat two rows behind Chloe, quiet, observant, and

stoo

n't know what you're talking about. Fiyin didn't cop

stopped writing mid-amat and tur

rmission to speak

"But I gave myself permi

th? Or defending your cousin because you ca

as the

outed from behind where he was seating "You just like

he was sitting. Hands crossed, re

attitude of hatred to her, and now you're trying to put them in trouble by lying saying something

g that attitude to?", she said moving aside from her desk. "Or are you having a crush on her th

red. "That's enough. The

her off with a sharp look. "You too, Chloe. Helping wi

d mortified

r. Adebanjo

cousin, Nifemi, Fiyin and Charlotte. The door closed behi

Hall

opping at the far end and the sound of Mr. Ade

think you're tough because your

otte, I was literally helping Fiyin with Latin. You tu

n everyone," Charlotte shot back. "Beca

nd I don't put myself into trouble and I know the right to thing to do whe

iet. You're spitting, do

ther owns half this school, you can call people c

ifemi interrupted, he was st

otte. Not discipline." Fiyin s

east I have home training. Unlike some people who w

ht. One step forward. One sha

t right back, louder, loud enough for every class in that hallway to hear it. "You're t

did

because she knew exactly what to do with it. She turned on her hee

r just in time to use it. "

hat's what she called us first and that is what peopl

ned. "To the principal's

asn't just detention anymore. This

ncipal'

ewly furnished polish. The A/c blew c

sat behind his desk, laptop

orner, dabbing her eyes with t

ron first. "Do you know wh

ause I defended my cousin and Fiyin whe

irectly," Mr. Williams said smoothly. His voice was

truth," Sh

ion. The truth is that your life from your previous school mentioned 'aggressive behavior.' And the truth is that we do not tolerate disrespect a

re. "Sir, with respect, Charlott

"Chloe, this isn't about you.

Chloe said, her voice rising.

helping her, there would be no issue. Helping withou

ant laugh. "So, you're punishing us f

u for attitude, Miss. You lack home trai

went de

nds trembled at her sides. Her father had been mentioned in a parent-teacher me

took a st