The question hung in the air like a bomb waiting to detonate. Every joke and laugh died. There was this tension in the air that automatically made everyone hold their breaths.
"I'm straight." Victoria reminded.
"Hi, I'm Skylar Jason." Cody extended her hand in a handshake to Victoria with a sarcastic smile.
"What?" Victoria was confused.
"Exactly."
"I'm straight Cody." Victoria said firmly
"About as straight as a spring." Cody said flatly.
"I don't do girls."
"And I'm Elon Musk."
"Okay, can you stop?" Victoria was on the edge of snapping.
"Being straight, allegedly, doesn't mean you can't fall for a girl."
"It does. Kadesha is my best friend."
"So what was with the attitude?"
"Kadesha already understands, what's your deal?."
"You have to answer. As long as you already acknowledged the question, you have to answer." Cody stated. Victoria looked at Kadesha who gave a nod.
"Okay. See, Kadesha has this thing where her hormones go haywire when someone flirts with her. It has led to lots of sunken ships and the dare just didn't sit right with me." Victoria explained. Cody nodded in understanding.
"Okay, that tension had me gasping for air." Mavis joked to lighten the air.
"I felt like someone had a knife to my neck, daring me to try breathe too loudly." A classmate quipped and everyone finally laughed and the tension was gone.
"Okay, next game people. Never have I ever; relationship edition." Mavis announced and put a glass bowl full of cut paper in the middle of the circle. She picked up a biscuit as she dropped the bowl and stuffed it in her mouth.
"I'll go first." Lisa picked first. "Never have I ever had a fling for someone else when I was in a relationship." She read aloud. Everyone had this mischievous look on their face. "Gossips. Well I had, in my past relationship. Please." She quickly defended herself and everyone resigned from judging her.
"Me next." A classmate picked up a piece of paper. "Never have I ever had a crush on a teacher." She read aloud. "Um, have you seen Mr. Nathan? I fell hard." Everyone laughed.
"And broke your nose when he announced his wedding in school." Amelia joked.
"She beat me to it." The girl quickly defended herself.
Amelia picked up the paper next.
"Never have I ever been accused of lesbianism." She started laughing along with Mavis and Grace.
"I have. Infact, I almost got expelled for it."
"Wild!" Victoria laughed.
"Spill." Skye urged, immediately changing seats to sit beside Amelia.
"Nope. That's for another day." Amelia said and threw the rolled up piece of paper into the bonfire while some girls groaned.
The game blurred into a whirlwind of embarrassment, teasing and laughter as everyone had a good time. By the end of the game, most of them were loosing energy. Mavis noticed this and suggested another game.
"I don't like low energy. Next game, dance challenge. Two teams. Be fast. Pick your dancers." She clapped her hands. Everyone started pulling each other into their groups. Eventually, they were separated into two teams. "Awesome. Now, first dancers out." Mavis announced and started playing an afrobeat mix from her MP. Amelia and Victoria came out from two separate teams. "Clap for your reps. Come on, cheer them on." Mavis urged, clapping enthusiastically and everyone joined in, cheering for the girls.
Slowly, shyly and ever reluctantly, they started dancing. Everyone clapped along, motivating the girls. They started vibing to the song better.
Just then, the music switched to amapiano. In one swift move, Amelia's jacket was off to reveal her sleeveless blouse worn under. She started dancing better, breaking moved that had her team themselves vibing. Victoria's competitive spirit lit up. She pulled off her shoes. Her team cheered and clapped as she handed them to a classmate and started breaking moves.
Everyone was clapping and cheering for them loudly while the two basked in the cheers and music and dance ecstatically, clearly not wanting the other person to win.
Cody's gaze drifted to Kadesha who was staring intently at the two girls dancing. Like deeply watching them. She looked at the two dancing, then back at Kadesha. She snapped her fingers and Kadesha jolted back to life.
"Oh, what's up? Did you say something?" Kadesha asked, wiping her face.
"You were staring." Cody said pointedly.
"I liked the dance." Kadesha defended herself.
"Of course." Cody said sarcastically before turning back to the two dancing.
★
Cafeteria
Kadesha kept poking her pasta with her chopsticks while she was deep in thought. The dance challenge kept replaying in an endless loop in her head. Something about it just kept it stuck on repeat in her brain.
Victoria plopped down beside her with her own tray. She swirled her pasta around her fork and raised it to her mouth.
"Vee." Kadesha suddenly hit her hand, the one she was using to eat particularly and the fork fell on the plate. "Do you think we could do that dance challenge stuff for the next show?"
"Hmm. Definitely worth knocking down my fork for." Vee said sarcastically and Kadesha laughed. "What dance challenge?" She asked and picked up her fork.
"The one for the girls night. Picture it. Boys versus Girls." Victoria nodded thoughtfully, already picturing the image of the audience going wild as each person came to display their dancing.
"Okay. I kinda see the vision." Victoria agreed while nodding. "Give me five." The two clasped their hands together. "Brains ml. This is why I love you."
"Ew. Ugh. No. The heck?" Kadesha gagged. Victoria smacked her head and the two laughed and started eating.
★
Kingston West Hall
The hall was large and opulent. Air conditioners were mounted on the wall in strategic positions. It was well lit and ventilated, occupying roughly three thousand people.
The principal stood on the stage, addressing the mass of students seated before her. She was saying something about rules and not many people listened, but they didn't whisper or murmur. Just then, she started talking about the founders day and the hall erupted into applause and happy murmurs. The principal laughed and invited the student Vice to speak and everyone clapped as Skye stepped forward.
"Tune it down. Thank you." The applause and noise slowly subsided. "Alright. Good morning everyone. Now, for the final result for which theme our founder's day is blacktied." Everyone erupted in cheers while a few started grumbling. Skye used her hand to calm the noise. "The total votes in was over 70 people. So there was no cheating. Now, the president will come to speak to you."
Everyone stood up, clapping, whistling and cheering loudly as Lisa took the stage. They stopped clapping as she took the microphone. Before she could utter a word, they entered another round of thunderous applause and screaming. Lisa started laughing and guestured for them to sit down.
"Thank you. Good morning everyone. Now, I want to go over the rules with you all. Now, you are allowed to wear as many bracelets and rings and..."
Everyone had already started yet another cheering before she finished.
"Hold on. Now, while you are allowed to dress up and wear whatever you want, the school will not tolerate nudity. Your short dress should not be anything more than an inch above the knee. Your strapless dresses or v necks mustn't expose your cleavage. Your dresses can be fitted, but not tight. I'm a lady, I know the difference. And that thing with wanting to take pictures in the gallery and straight up seducing the camera man isn't allowed. And to the boys, dress responsibly. Don't sag or fly your shirt. Nobody really cares how many abs you have so kindly button up. And if anything will warrant you to sweat before the day, change in school. We aren't here to cosplay. Understood?"
"Yes your excellency!" The hall chorused, even though few still mumbled in protest. Lisa smiled.
"Remember, the voting for Mr and Miss Founder is still opened." Everyone immediately started cheering again. "That's right. Vote for your favourite couple. And remember, we are still selling merch and many students have come to advertise. Their businesses and hotlines will be posted on the notice board. Now, that would be all. Anticipate founder's day. Thank you." Lisa blew a kiss and everywhere erupted in cheers as she stepped down. With that, everyone filed back to their classes.
★
Class 12
The class still had thirty minutes before their first class. Everyone gathered amongst themselves, talking, copying assignments and even playing games. Skye and Lisa entered the class and made their way to their seats. The girls gathered.
"Way to go. Spilling everything we told you during Girls' night and passing it off as your brilliant rules." Amelia joked and the girls laughed.
"That's what friends are for." Lisa smiled.
"Yes. Steal ideas and pass it as theirs." Skye added with a confident hair toss. Cody yanked her hair back.
"Leave the poor hair alone." Cody joked and released the hair.
"Meanie." Skye pouted and started fixing her hair using her reflection on her phone's screen.
Lisa noticed Kadesha and Victoria leaning against each other while sharing a pack of potato chips and laughing. She crossed her arms with a playful smirk.
"Okay. I think we have our Mrs and Mrs Founder." She teased and the two looked at her. The smile on Victoria's lips died but everyone was too busy laughing to notice.
"Seriously, you guys behave like you're da—"
"Don't. Don't you dare, complete it!" Victoria said in a low voice that seemed louder than it's original volume. A chill fell over the class and heads turned in the direction of the scene.
"Okay relax. I was only joking—"
"Why does you actually do it right? We are just beat friends, okay? So can you all stop this dating nonsense?" Victoria turned to the whole class this time around and everyone visibly tensed with the edge in her voice. Lisa's smile faded into an irritated frown.
"Calm down sparky. Kadesha, can you teach your friend how to take a joke?"
"She said she doesn't like it. So stop it. It's that easy." Kadesha defended in a calm but serious tone. She took her phone and left the class along with Amelia, leaving Victoria there.
"This nonsense started with Cody and—"
"Which Cody?" Cody immediately interrupted Victoria. The air became even tender than it already was and people already started leaving the class. It was clear the situation was about to become more messy.
"This started with your question at the bonfire. Now that bimbo—"
"You will not speak about my girlfriend that way." Cody growled, inching closer towards Victoria.
"Then you'd better teach her how to talk." Victoria also moved forward, refusing to back down. More people left the class after hearing Cody crack her knuckles and Victoria crack her neck.
"Maybe you need to learn to actually take a joke." Cody snapped back, shrugging off the hands that were trying to hold her back. Lisa grabbed Skye and they both bolted out of the class.
"A joke? Calling me a same gender loving person isn't a joke. Why don't you teach her some manners?" Cody's eyes narrowed and her eyes flashed with barely restrained rage.
Before anyone could anticipate what would happen next, the two charged at each other, only to be stopped just a breath away from knocking each other's teeth out.
Kadesha and Victor held Victoria back while Amelia and Samantha (Cody's best friend) held Cody.
"Are you both high?! We were barely out for five minutes. Just to go and answer to the principal and you're at each other's throats?" Samantha snapped at the two.
"Listen Victoria. I don't care what you think about les and gay people, but I swear the next time you disrespect me to my face, I'll beat you till I'm sure I'll get expelled." Cody growled
"Shut it!" Amelia snapped at her.
Kadesha and Victor pulled Victoria out of the class and took her to the garden. Victor sat her down on one of the benches.
"Vic, really? What are you? A bull? And what did Cody mean?"
"Nothing, okay?" Victoria snapped at Kadesha.
"Absolutely not. Don't give us that snappy attitude." Victor crossed him arms. "Drop the attitude. I get that tension and stress makes you cranky, but this is on a whole new level."
"Just give her time." Kadesha suggested and uncrossed Victor's arms.
"It's not just the tension. Just that people keep saying it. It's disgusting. I don't want to be with Kadesha. It irritates me." Victoria spat like she swallowed lemons.
The silence that fell after was deafening.
"Does the idea of me really irritate you that much Victoria?" Kadesha asked in an icy voice. Victoria looked up at her.
"Wait, Kay I—" Victoria tried to hold her hand but she shrugged it off and stormed off. Victor turned to Victoria with an equally pissed look before running after Kadesha.
Victoria ruffled her hair in frustration as tears streamed down her face.
What had she done?