A new girl came to our school, Esther. If I would describe Esther, I'd say she was a good girl, curious, a good gossiper, a talkative and can be insultive when she gets a chance to be. The fact that she was quite pretty and at that time seemed more matured than some of us, she was mostly approached by the boys in senior classes. She doesn't even accord proper respect to most of us boys. I am glad I was not the type that chases after girls or force to be friends or just being silly around girls: I didn't even know how to do all of those things.
Fast forward to senior secondary school first year. Everyone is grown, puberty made us looked matured, it was an obvious one as usual. Now, almost everyone of us was interested in doing things differently from how we used to, some went to the extent of faking deep voice 🤦🏾♂️😂. I still remembered vividly when I resumed school for SS1, I was putting on a black sandal, trouser and a long sleeve shirt with a tie. Everyone looked so good it in the school uniform.
Esther didn't change much in terms of character and attitude. She had friends and they are birds of same feathers, had so many things in common. Unknown to me, one of my friends had a crush on Esther (she wasn't a bad girl though), he didn't tell since I wasn't the type of person that was actively into romance in secondary school.
For unknown reasons, asides from fact that I was handsome and very friendly, I don't know why Esther liked me so much that she started sending her friends to tell me about Esther. I didn't even care until two of her friends told me that Esther likes me, I would never think that was a possibility because of how Esther had portrayed herself since when she joined the school newly. I remember telling them each time they come that "okay, but I don't like Esther". They didn't care about my own choice or the answer I gave them. Esther herself began to make silly moves which made it annoying because she seemed to be persistent, thinking I would change my mind.
After maybe a month, the like turned to hatered. As usual, many ladies would dislike greatly who they once liked if the person doesn't feel the same way or didn't handle the confession well. But Esther's dislike came with extra package. She would rather say something bad about me when my name is mentioned than to keep quiet and she insults me at every given opportunity she gets. I didn't care about her bad mouthing but the insults were too annoying to ignore for long.
I could no longer bear the fact that she will find something silly to say about me whenever my name is being mentioned. So, during a mathematics class, the math teacher made use of project hanging right in front of the class to the back. I prefer the front roll seat. The length of the projector from the board wasn't long enough so it projects the head of students sitting in front at times but depending on the size of whole projection or the number of space the teacher is writing on. That particular maths class, my head was obstructing a part of the left corner side of the projection. So, occasionally my class mates would tell me to bend or adjust my sitting position to allow them see, which I did tirelessly because I understand what it feels like wanting to catch up with the speed of the teacher writing on the board.
Esther found that as an opportunity to insult me again (is it a crime to not like you?! 🤦🏾♂️😂😂). Esther started by saying "hey Samuel adjust your head o" with a rude tone, but I obeyed. She kept on saying it rudely, others were even surprised at how she was saying it. At a point she started ranting that why would I be sitting there, that particular seat has been minesince we got to that class but she now has a problem with it. The teacher in class didn't even bother about the drama from Esther because I adjusted everytime she asked and didn't say a single word which can be very another to the our beautiful opposite gender 😂. I just didn't want more drama.
Esther wasn't pleased with the fact that her tantrums weren't getting to me so she to took it a step higher. She insulted the shape of my head and the size, called me mumu. At this point, I couldn't take it. I turned back to the direction where she was seated and told her to better stop her nonsense. Just tjat altered her reaction, words kept coming out if her mouth like water from tap, this girl didn't stop.
And fir the first time in my life, I stood up and reached out for her cheek, hoping that a slap would shut her mouth. While in that action a friend pushed me but was a bit late, the tips of my finger touched her. I looked at the person that pushed me, it was my friend that has a crush on Esther. I went back to my sit regretting my actions immediately, I could have handled it better like I have been since she started ranting.
No one said a word in class, not because they didn't see what I did but because they didn't hear the sound of a slap, so they continued writing from the board. Esther seeing that almost everyone did not care, she flared up immediately after the teacher left the class. She cried, screamed my name, insulted me real good this time around and vowed to make me regret my actions. Others tried to calm her down but all their efforts did not change Esther's mind.
I began to feel threatened when she mentioned that her brothers will come after me or they come to school the following day. I know the school her brothers attend and that school had too many cases of cultism and many violent cases also known for fighting a lot. I was so scared but tried to maintain a calm face. She laid emphasis on her brothers coming to the school to beat me up.
The following morning, I didn't feel like going to school but that would be the end of me. Everyone would laugh at me for skipping school because of Esther, I didn't want that for myself so I surmoned courage and went to school very early. That was the earliest I ever got to school, few minutes to 7 am. I sat on the table closest to the entrance, watching every activity happening in the school. Everyone were surprised to see me in school before them because I come to school late or few minutes to assembly time. I was super scared that Esther's would show up with brothers.
Lucky me, my friend came early too and sat bedise me, waiting to see what will happen, I felt relieved. Lo and behold, Esther showed up to school but very late, the first class had begun when she entered. My friend and I looked at each other as she entered the class. I was scared, but no one showed up after Esther, not even a cockroach from their house. During break, I was careful not to be caught off guard but no one came and I git home safely that day.
Few months after that incident, Esther and I became cool without any apologies from both of us. And yes, my friend told me about her, asked her out and got a yes.