Chapter 1
“Well guys, guess we’re in our last school year,” Scarlett, my maternal cousin, said as she dragged me into our old high school. I grabbed at Samuel’s collar to make sure I didn’t topple but in turn, I pulled him into the school too. I hope we weren’t underdressed as our first day as seniors. Samuel was wearing a Manchester United jersey with black pants. Scarlett had her hair clipped with a pink barrette at the side, she was also wearing a pink summer dress with black leggings which overall complemented her shiny pink spectacles. I was wearing my dark green headband, a green tank top and my white jeans with my green glasses. Gosh, soon we won’t have to be schooling anymore… then we will be working! As we went to our lockers (which were located side by side), we found our schedules and textbooks all piled neatly in it. Samuel and I were in the same homeroom so we said goodbye to Scarlett and made our way to room 318 and who else would be sitting right in front of the teacher’s table but(surprise surprise) Tasha. Ever since last year, when she betrayed me and backstabbed me, I have kept well away from her. I wouldn’t put it pass her to put up a big show in our senior year. She is a total drama queen and a snobby rich princess. Today, she’s wearing a purple dress that went all the way to her toes. Like the princess she thinks she is. Anyway, Samuel and I came in quite later than the others in our homeroom so we were left with the back seats. It was fine by me. As Mrs Abrahams tookthe attendance, I started to arrange my folder and took out my notebook to write notes. School passed by so fast with Physical Education, Art Class, Lunch, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Geometry. I was literally breaking down as Samuel and I reached the lockers and took out our phones.
As we waited for Scarlett, I suddenly realised that I had the kiddy seat on my bicycle. Realisation dawned on me as I hurriedly checked my chat history with my uncle.
“Shit! I need to fetch Izzy today! I forgot!” I cried as we left the school compound.
“Really? She’s your cousin not your sister.” Samuel asked, confused. I explained that since Izzy, my paternal cousin,was an only child, and her parents had gotten a divorce recently, none of them wanted to pay for her elementary school transport and so the duty fell to me as her older cousin/practical sister, to fetch her from school and go home with her. I quickly cycled to the elementary school five minutes away as I voice messaged Scarlett and Samuel on our group chat to meet at the park gates. As I skidded to a halt outside Izzy’s elementary school, I gasped. I was late and Izzy was the only kid left at the school.
“I’m so sorry Izzy. I forgot I had to fetch you. Come on, I’ll make it up to you with ice cream from the creamery. Do you want that?” I bribed her as I hugged her in apology. After she agreed, I strapped her onto her kiddy seat and began pedalling to the park. As I neared the gate, I slowed down and allowed for Samuel and Scarlett to start cycling alongside me.
As the four of us sat around a table in the creamery with ice creams in our hands, we began talking about our day at school. Izzy had the most stories to tell us because to her, there is a huge difference between two levels. Scarlett took out her phone and we took a 0.5 wefie. As she posted it on TikTok, she shrieked in surprise. Tasha had taken a photo of me on my bicycle and labelled it as “High School girl still uses baby chairs on bicycles”. I swear that girl is so irritating. I took out my phone, unlocked TikTok and commented on her post that I was fetching my cousin and therefore must have a kid seat. Then as I cycled around with Izzy on the seat, I had gotten Scarlett to take a picture of me. Then I posted that picture on my TikTok stories and TikTok post to give proof because that lady won’t believe in any other evidence other than photo evidences.
“Omigod! That ‘woman’ is so irritating! Can you believe the teachers all think she is like some model human and all of us are like random monkeys?” I yapped with Scarlett as we demolished our sundaes. We yapped all the way until Carlos, Samuel’s maternal(Carlos’ maternal) 2nd cousin and my maternal(Carlos’ paternal) 4th cousin, came up to us in his work uniform. One look at what was on my phone, he squeezed my shoulder and said, “I know how irritating it must be. A person who you trusted and then betrayed you is toxic. Glad you got her her out of your life.”
Thanking him, we left him back to his job(scooping out ice creams) and started cycling back home.
Samuel was the first to reach his house because it is four houses away from us. Carlos stays across Samuel, Scarlett and I stay on opposite sides of the road and Izzy stays with me.
Tonight, our ‘meeting’ would take place at my house. Carlos, Samuel, Scarlett and I always have one night weekly that we meet up at someone’s house. This week it would finally be my turn. As I checked on the popcorn and drinks, I fluffed up the blankets and pillows up in the attic. The attic has practically became my extra room that I share with Izzy. We have our own room of course but the attic is like our playroom. Right on time, they rang the doorbell. As we watched the movie without Izzy, she was already sound asleep in her sleeping bag, Samuel dropped a bomb.
“Hey guys, do you think… Tasha will go out with me?” He asked us in a rush. I swear, I dropped my popcorn and Savannah spilled her drink on the carpet. As I cleaned up, I couldn’t believe what I had just heard coming out from my childhood best friend’s mouth.
“How could you like that-that IDIOT after what she did to Fiona last year? AND this year! Do you need a reminder? Like the first day of school!” Scarlett was literally full on shouting at Samuel. Samuel however didn’t look the least bit guilty and literally shouted back at Scarlett that she didn’t know Tasha like he did. That did it for me. I let the dirty towel stay there and I marched up to Samuel.
“If you think she’s so good then get OUT OF HERE!” I shouted to him. To my surprise, he picked up his bag and left my place. I crashed into my beanbag at the corner and cried. How could he think that horrid beast is better than Carlos, Scarlett and me. The fact that he just left means he ‘knows’ that Tasha is better than us. Scarlett helped clean the remaining stuff and soon Carlos helped me to bed. I cried myself to sleep that night.
The next few days, Samuel always left earlier and headed to school without waiting for us. I would have wanted to go earlier too but Izzy has a tight sleeping schedule that cannot be broken.
Today, as I stepped into homeroom, I saw Samuel talking to Tasha. My heart stopped for a second as I heard Samuel say my name as if mockingly. I was about to approach him when Mrs Abrahams entered the classroom. Quick as a flash, I went to my seat at the back.
“Today, I want Samuel to move up here beside Tasha permanently because Samuel needs to focus more in class,” she announced. I saw Samuel did a tiny smirk as he moved up to the front. As he sat down, I saw him smile at Tasha and she smiled back.
As Mrs. Abrahams began the lesson, I tried to focus on the board, but my mind kept wandering back to Samuel and Tasha. Why was Samuel so interested in her all of a sudden? Hadn’t he seen how she treated me all last year? Didn’t we confess to each other that we liked one another? And now, they were sitting together in class, chatting like old friends. How did that happen?
The rest of the day passed in a blur. I didn’t talk to Samuel, and he didn’t try to approach me. When the bell rang, signalling the end of school, I gathered my things and headed out with Scarlett.
“Hey, I’m so stoked about the Drama Club!” Scarlett exclaimed as we walked home. “We’re going to perform this amazing play, and I get to play a lead role! I’m literally going to be a star!”
I smiled, happy for her. “That’s awesome, Scarlett! You’re going to crush it.”
Scarlett’s face lit up. “Thanks, Frida! We’re rehearsing this one scene where James has to lift me up, and he keeps dropping me on purpose! I’m like, ‘James, snap out of it before I literally punch you!’ But he’s just laughing it off.”
I chuckled. “Sounds like typical James behaviour. He’s always been a bit of a goofball.”
Scarlett rolled her eyes. “I know, right? But seriously, it’s getting old. I’m trying to take this seriously, and he’s just messing around.
As we parted ways, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease about Samuel and Tasha. What was Samuel’s game? And how would our friendship change now that he had developed feelings for Tasha? And most importantly, since when did Samuel get close to Tasha?
