Chapter 9 Settling in

Eva smiled mischievously, observing the exchange.

"I like the new girl already," she whispered to Theodore. "Say something to her," Eva nudged.

"Why?" Theodore asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Aren't you the class captain again?" Eva teased, shrugging uncertainly.

Theodore turned to Hazel, his calm demeanor a contrast to Eva's playfulness. "Hi, you're our new classmate?" he asked, hoping for a warm reception.

The class's attention snapped to Hazel, as if they'd been waiting for this moment.

Hazel's smile lit up the room. "Yes, hi everyone. I'm Hazel. Let's work hard together."

The class erupted into applause and welcoming murmurs.

Joan rolled her eyes, her disdain evident. Amelia and Morenike exchanged skeptical glances.

Amelia's curiosity got the better of her. "How come you're joining us in our finals? It's rare."

Hazel smiled. "I passed the scholarship exam."

The class erupted into a collective "Ohhhhh!!!" of surprise and admiration.

Chris, always quick to flirt, chimed in, "You're very pretty. Are you Melvin's girlfriend?"

Hazel narrowed her eyes at him.

Just then, MG and Kelvin walked into the class, their serious expressions commanding attention. The room fell silent as students scrambled to focus.

Their new class teacher, Mr. Jude Omo, entered with authority. "Hi, class. I'm Mr. Jude Omo, your class teacher and English teacher."

He scanned the room, his eyes lingering on Hazel. "Welcome, Hazel. I trust you're settling in well?" Hazel nodded, still composed despite the earlier attention.

Eva's enthusiastic clap sparked a wave of applause.

Mr. Jude smiled, pleased. "Orderliness is key to me, and I believe you're all mature enough to behave yourselves."

The class responded in unison, "Yes, sir."

"Bring out your notes. Let's do a quick revision," Mr. Jude instructed.

As Hazel rummaged through her bag, she caught Kelvin's piercing gaze. His straight face belied the warmth she saw earlier in Melvin.

Hazel's brow furrowed, unsure. She thought to herself, "Is he a two-faced person?" Deciding to ignore him, Hazel focused on retrieving her notes.

However, she couldn't help sneaking glances.

Kelvin laughed and chatted with MG, but whenever his eyes met Hazel's, his expression turned icy.

His evil glare sent shivers down her spine. Hazel wondered, "What's his problem?"

As the bell rang, signaling the end of the day's classes, MG and Kelvin swiftly exited. Hazel took her time, reorganizing her bag.

Joan, Morenike (Mo), and Amelia approached, exuding confidence.

"Hi, I'm Jo," Joan said, flipping her hair.

Mo chimed in, "I'm Mo," her smile seeming insincere.

Amelia finished, "And I'm Amy!" showcasing her freshly polished nails.

Hazel's polite smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "Oh, it's nice to meet you." Focused on packing, Hazel's interest seemed minimal.

Joan pressed on, "Joined any extracurricular teams yet?" Hazel's response was curt.

"Nope." The trio exchanged uneasy glances.

"The cheer girl team is opened , you can join us!" Jo quickly said with a smile.

Jo's smile faltered as Hazel declined, "I'm not a good dancer, sorry."

Mo tried again, "Basketball is fun here in RHS too, I'm the team leader for the female team-"

Hazel interrupted, "I'm sorry, I'm not athletic either." She flashed a polite but insincere smile.

"I'd get going now," Hazel said, shouldering her bag and walking away.

Eva burst into laughter, having witnessed the exchange. "You three never cease to amaze me," Eva teased.

"Amelia, why didn't you ask her to join your music team?"

Amelia bristled, "Watch it, Eva!"

Eva chuckled, "You want her to join your team because she talks to the twins, come on."

Mo hissed, "Mind your business."

Regina, observing the tension, silently gathered her belongings and exited the class.

******

Nkechi entered the mart, scanning the aisles before locking eyes with Hannah.

Hannah's expression turned stern. "What happened?"

Nkechi feigned nonchalance. "I want to buy milk."

Hannah raised an eyebrow. "Did Nnamdi tell you he stole from here?"

Nkechi shrugged. "That's not my problem right now."

Hannah's gaze narrowed. "Because of your pregnancy?"

Nkechi's eyes widened, offended. "Which pregnancy?"

Hannah's tone turned accusatory. "News has been spreading that you're pregnant for Big Tee."

Nkechi's expression turned icy. "And you didn't bother to ask me till now?"

Hannah justified, "You didn't seem like you wanted to talk about it."

Nkechi shook her head. "I'm not pregnant anyway, I was just sick."

Hannah's skepticism remained. "But of all people, Nkechi, Tee?"

Nkechi's voice turned sharp. "The last time I checked, I didn't ask for your opinion."

She snatched the milk, dropped the payment, and stormed off. Hannah shook her head, concern etched on her face.

******

Hazel stepped off the school bus as Mr. Alvin pulled into the compound.

"Thank you, sir!" she waved, watching as he drove away.

Her gaze fell on Nnamdi, counting a stack of Naira notes. "Nnamdi, what's the time?" Hazel asked.

"4:05," he replied, not looking up.

Hazel hurried inside, changed out of her uniform, and quickly washed it, despite having a spare.

She grabbed her tray and rushed out, heading to Sir Ahmad's farm.

As she walked, she encountered her ex-classmates, accompanied by Bisi. "You attend the biggest school in the city, yet you come back and still hawk?" Bisi mocked.

The group erupted into laughter. "What a shame!" one of them jeered.

Hazel ignored their taunts, quickening her pace. Her eyes stung, but she refused to let their words get to her. She broke into a run, leaving the mocking voices behind.

****

Hazel entered, tray in hand, as Hannah struggled to tidy the room. Hannah sighed, exasperated.

"Omooo! Why did you go hawking again?" Hazel collapsed onto the chair, stretching her weary arms.

"Because I have no choice, sis," she replied.

Hannah's concern deepened.

"This is 9 pm." "I had to sell everything, and I got to the market at 5 pm," Hazel explained.

As she rummaged through her bag,

Hannah asked, "How was your first day?"

"Amazing," Hazel's face lit up. "Bullies, funny classmates... and I had fried rice and jollof at the cafe. It was heavenly!" She smiled mischievously. "I was too shy to ask for extras, but I'll try tomorrow so you can have a taste."

Hannah's eyes narrowed. "You weren't bullied, were you?"

Hazel chuckled. "Me? Never!" She stood, then sat back down, hesitating.

"What's it?" Hannah asked, noticing Hazel's sudden pause.

"Everyone has a phone, and all their information is shared on it," Hazel sighed.

"You can take mine," Hannah offered.

Hazel chuckled. "No way."

"Is mine not good enough?" Hannah asked, slightly offended.

Hazel clarified, "Nope! I'm just being considerate"

"We can share it," Hannah suggested.

Hazel insisted, "I'll manage, don't worry." She gathered her soap dish and towel, heading out to bathe.

Hannah sighed, concern etched on her face.