Chapter 37

~MICHELLE~

"Michelle..."

"Miche..."

"Michey...."

"Elle..."

I lazily opened my eyes to answer who was disturbing my sleep but the first thing I noticed was the room,it wasn't mine,my pictures weren't on the wall,I wasn't seeing my fancy vanity table,all I noticed was a big LG TV with a PS box, everything sparked a boy's room,I didn't take it serious,I assumed I was in my brother's room until the voice called me again.

"Michelle..."

I turned to face whoever called my name,it wasn't my brother,it was Lucas.

"Oh my God!!!."

"What am I doing in your house and room?!,I'm supposed to be at home."I panicked.

"What's the time?!."

"It's 6:25AM."He replied.

"My mum is going to kill me when I get home,I'm in serious trouble."

"Calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down,I was about to leave your house but..."I touched my head in pains.

"You collapsed so I couldn't take you home because I realized if I did,you would be in serious trouble,that's why I told Olivia that if your mum calls her,she should tell her,you slept over."

"And you think that will work?,you obviously don't know my mum,I'm sure she asked Olivia that she wants to speak to me on the phone because I didn't tell her I was going to sleepover."

"I thought she was okay with sleepovers."

"Yeah but on working or school days!."I glared at him.

"This is your fault,you spiked my drink,why did you do it?!"

"I didn't do anything,why would I do that?I was weak too,it wasn't me,trust me."He pleaded.

"Trust you? Ofcourse I do."I eyed him.

"If we keep bickering,we are gonna be late for school,so let me drop you off at home."

"Yeah and leave me to face the trouble you created for me."

"You know I can actually take the blame,tell her that I was the reason for you not coming home last night and also I was the cause of your accident and then you will be free."

"No,don't do that!."I replied sharply.

"Why do you care?."He stared into my eyes.

"Nothing,let's go."I looked away.

"You look pretty when you wake up."He smiled at me.

"Lies."I rolled my eyes.

He got dressed,he scented nice and fresh so I assumed he took his bath before I woke up,don't start wondering how I got to perceive his scent,we walked side by side.

The drive to my house was quite silent, nobody bothered to talk because of the tension,"Drop me here."I said when we were like four houses away from mine.

"Why?."

"Because I want you to."I glared at him as I unbuckled my seat belt and got out of the car without saying a word to him.

I walked slowly to my house but then I hastened up,I imagined all the things my mum was going to do to me,my family would be worried sick,waiting for me to get home because I knew Mason knew that I didn't sleep at Olivia's house.

I got to my house and opened the big gate and immediately the gate made the noise that would alert people if someone was getting into our house,my family came out once,Maya and Mason were already dressed for school,my mum gave me a very deadly look.

I gulped as I took a step closer to them when I finally got to the door mouth where they were.

Everywhere was silent,"Where were you last night?!,where were you yesterday?."She asked.

"I was at Olivia's place."I lowered my head to the ground.

"Why are you looking at the floor?!I'm the one talking to you,look at me."She raised my face from the ground in an aggressive manner.

"Why did you go to her house?Since when did you become homeless or did I disown you?."

"No,mummy,I....I.."I stuttered.

"Shut up!!."She yelled.

"I called your phone through out yesterday,you didn't pick any of my calls or your siblings,you didn't even tell them,where you were going to,you just left,so you think you are now big abi."

"By the way,I want to really know why you didn't pick any of my calls,you were at a place you weren't supposed to be abi,you went to visit a boy and slept over at his place abi,then you think you and that your friend, Olivia can fool me because they gave birth to me yesterday."

"Mummy,you are misunderstandi...."I couldn't complete my statement when she landed a slap on my face,a very hot and painful slap.

Tears dropped out of my eyes immediately,I looked at my siblings,they gave me a pitiful look,I turned to my mum.

"I'm talking and you want to talk,that your wings ehn,I will break it today,I didn't kill my mother so you won't kill me,oya get inside fast."She dragged me into the house.

When we got in,my siblings were still quiet,nobody even dared to utter or beg on my behalf because my mum would open their case.

"You!,go and get me the cane in my wardrobe."She ordered Maya.

Maya brought the cane,I didn't bother to cry,I only thought of many ways to murder Lucas when I see him.

The first person she flogged was Mason and we were all surprised.

"Owwwww,mummy,I didn't do anything na."He frowned as he nursed the spot they flogged him.

"Keep quiet!,you think I pushed you out first for fancy,are you not her older brother,did both of you not come back from school the same time,after her accident,did I not tell you to look after her when I'm around?!,that stupid game box that you call play station,I will seize it."She eyed him,she wanted to flog him again but he flinched and dodged it.

She ignored him and faced me,I was already on my knees,looking down.

"As long as you are under my roof,you will not misbehave anyhow."She flogged me as she uttered those words.

"Ow!"

"Ouch!"

"Mummy,please!"I begged as she kept flogging me all over my body.

"I don't want to see you step out this house again, anybody that wants to see you should come and meet you in this house,the day you try rubbish again,you will really know the kind of person that gave birth to you,now get out and go dressed for school!."She ordered,I stood up immediately and ran to my room.

When I got my room,I went straight to the mirror to look at my bruises on my body,red spots and marks were on my body,I cried,I didn't want to waste her time because I know if I did,she will enter my room and continue.

I wiped my tears and brought out my uniform,I entered my bathroom and took a quick shower,I got out of the bathroom and got dressed.

My eyes were still red but I didn't care,my day was already ruined by Lucas,it couldn't get any worst.

The drive to school was silent,Mason had a frown and anytime we made eye contact,he looked at me with disgust,which made me wonder why.

I looked at Maya and she just had a blank look.

My mum dropped us off at school,we were already late,my mum spoke to the principal and he allowed us into the school.

When I checked my watch,it was already 10 minutes into first period and the subject was English which means everybody would be in science students classroom.

Mason and I got into the class,our English teacher looked at us.

"Why are you late?."She asked,we kept quiet.

"I'm asking you both a question."

"We have already spoken to the principal."Mason said in frustration.

"That doesn't answer my question."

All eyes were on us,wait,not us,they were on me,some were whispering,some were laughing,some were just hissing and cursing me,I could hear because I have a very sharp hearing.

I'm not a member of Bigfoot family.

"Something happened at home so we had to be late."I replied.

"Let this not repeat itself again in my class."

"Yes ma."We both said.

He walked to sit with his Jace who by the way has been avoiding eye contact with me for no reason just like my brother.

I couldn't sit with Lucas or Olivia because my hatred for Lucas was on another level so I sat alone.

After English class,we had Government/Chemistry/Accounting so everybody went to their various classes.

Our government teacher was quite impressed because I scored highest in the past questions he asked to answer.

The next period after that was free period which meant we were either going to study like people who had lots of exam ahead or disturb the school like JSS1 students.

Well,my class decided to choose the latter,Lucas didn't dare to approach me because of the way my eyes were still red and the marks were visible.

I went to science class to borrow English note from Kim,as I walked out of the class,I continued hearing whispers about me.

It got worst when I entered Science class,the only person who was normal was Cassandra and her normal was scary because she was smiling at me,I ignored her and went to meet Kim who was with Jace and Mason as usual.

"Hi."I greeted them.

"Kim, please can you give me your English note?,I want to update mine."I requested.

Jace didn't even smile at me or teased me like the way he did,he just stared into space and pretended like I wasn't in their midst,Mason was busy updating his Physics note,it was only Kim who replied me.

"Can we talk over there?."She pointed to an empty chair far from where they were.

Strange.

"Ok...ay."I took a look at Jace before walking away with Kim.

We sat down and then she looked at Jace and then at me.

"What's up with him?."I asked before she could say anything.

"Why did you do it?."She asked.

"Huh?."

"Do what?."I asked confused.

"He has been like that since morning,she hasn't spoken to anybody because you hurt him."

"What?,how?."I asked,still confused.

"Michelle..."

"Kim,go straight to the point,you are scaring me."

"So you are just going to pretend that you didn't do anything?."She looked at me in disbelief.

What is she talking about?.

"Kimberly,please explain this whole thing to me,I'm lost,l can't hurt Jace,I would never,I love him."I replied her.

She didn't say anything,she stood up from the chair and walked back to them,she came back with her school bag,she looked around and brought out her phone.

"Then explain this?."She handed me her phone.

What I saw next left in shock,fear and anger.

Remember when I said my day couldn't get worst after my mum beat the living daylight out of me, things were about to get really really worst.

The pictures I saw,one of them was when Lucas carried me in a bridal style to his room,the other was when we were in a comprising situation in his bed,that was when I was already weak and the last one that had the power to destroy everything was when Lucas kissed me with his hands wrapped around my waist.

Whoever took the pictures made it look like I was having a very wonderful time with my ex boyfriend,who took this pictures?!,these aren't true,he was the one who kissed me.

"These aren't true."I handed back the phone.

"Pictures don't lie."Kim replied.

"How did you get this?."I asked.

"It was forwarded last night to the class group chat and when we saw it,Mason and I tried calling Jace,we messaged him,he read the messages but didn't reply,he has been numb since yesterday."She said.

"No,no,no,he was the one who kissed me,I swear."A tear escaped from my eyes.

"How come you didn't see it when it was forwarded to the group chat?."She asked me.

"I wasn't online."

"Why?."

"That's not important,I have to explain to Jace."I excused myself and walked to their seat.

"Jace.."

Silence.

"Babe..."

Silence.

"Those pictures aren't real,we were in a comprising situation,trust me please,I would never hurt you."I cried.

I tried to touch his hands but he removed them before I could.

"Mason,please tell your sister to go back to her class."He told my brother.

"Just leave,please."Kim said politely.

"No,I can't,he has to believe me."I cried.

"Enough!."Mason yelled.

"Even though you are my sister,I won't support you when you are guilty,you always play the victim,why?!,you went to meet Lucas yesterday and then God knows what you both did and you came home this morning,telling lies to everyone that you were in Olivia's house."Mason spoke very angrily.

The moment he said that,Jace looked at me,his eyes were already red.

"Nero!."I yelled.

"Shut up!."He yelled back.

Everybody was already watching the drama that was unfolding.

"You know this makes sense,the texts,the so called study routine,the less attention you gave me."Jace said in a low tone.

"Just leave."He said.

"You have..."

"Listen to her,she's telling the truth,it's my fault."A voice spoke from behind.

Everybody turned to look at him,I did so swiftly,when I realized who it was,I gave him a dirty slap and everybody gasped in shock.

"I never asked for you to come here!,you don't always have to play the hero,why can't you just stay away from me and my life?!."I screamed at him.

"Michelle."Lucas called my name.

"Stop,don't you ever call my name again, anytime I'm around you,I always get into trouble,starting from my accident to this very incident,just because of you,my mom gave me marks on my body when I didn't do anything."

"Oh,stop lying,just stop it!."Mason yelled at me.

"I never knew you could be like this."Jace said in disbelief.

"Bro.."Lucas tried to utter a statement.

"I'm not your bro!."Jace glared at him as he stood up.

"I'm going to say what I want to say with or without you,I said she's innocent and if you don't believe her,that means you never trusted her so stop calling her names."Lucas defended.

"How many times will I tell you that I don't need your help?!."I glared at him.

"It's your fault that I'm in this situation so stop trying to make it worst."

"Jace,you have to believe me,I didn't do anything,Lucas spiked the drink he gave me."I explained.

"You really expect me to believe that?."He looked at me.

"I didn't spike your drink,stop saying that."Lucas spoke out.

"If you didn't,then who did?."Kim asked him.

"I don't know."He replied her.

Jace laughed,"Wow,you know you both are very bad at lying."He pointed to Lucas and I.

"So you don't believe me?."I asked him with tears in my eyes and he looked away.

"I know who did it."Lucas said, catching our attention again.

"Who did?."Mason asked.

"Cassandra."He replied.

"Really?,so you are trying to push blames now."Jace raised his head to look at him.

"Why are you dragging me into this crazy matter when I did nothing."She eyed him bitterly.

"Stop pretending,you snake!."Lucas cursed her.

"You think I don't know."He eyed her back.

"What are you guys talking about?."I asked them.

"She came to me with a plan that would make me be with you and then she would be with Jace."He confessed.

Everybody gasped and shouted “Hey!!” in shock.

"He's lying!."She screamed.

"Shut up!"Lucas ordered her.

"You knew I had feelings for Michelle so you wanted to use me to destroy their relationship for your selfish interest but I refused and I'm sure she got into my house and spiked our drinks."

"What was the actual plan?."

"That we would spike Michelle's drink and I would make out with her while Cassandra took the pictures but I refused."

"You,bloody liar,stop dragging me into this insane drama,I never did any of that."She defended.

"Why would you want to do that to me?."I asked her.

"I didn't do anything like that."She defended.

"I believe her."Jace said.

We turned to look at him,"So you believe this snake instead of your girlfriend?."Lucas shook his head.

"Michelle,you still have feelings for this guy,he was a player and he's still one,can't you see it?,how can he say he loves you when he doesn't believe you."He faced me.

"Shut the fuck up!."Jace told him.

"I'm not your little bro,lower your voice down when talking to me."Lucas fired back at him.

"Are you talking to me like that?!."Jace  folded his fist,he moved forward in an attempt to start a fight but I stopped him.

"Don't even dare try to start a fight,you believe her and not me,wow,so much for I love you."

"You expect me to believe you when you keep visiting your ex in the pretense of studying."

"I have had enough, please just stop, if you don't believe me,then okay,suit yourself."I tried to walk out but he pulled me back forcefully.

"We are not done."He grinded his teeth.

"Yeah,we are certainly not done."Lucas said.

"You always say I keep visiting Lucas,you think you are insecure,well,you aren't,I'm the one who's insecure,everytime I visited Lucas,ask him,we always argued and you thought I was eating his face out or was it because the food he bought for me the day?!,I'm the insecure one in this relationship because you keep making funny calls whenever I asked,you always told me it wasn't important."I said to Jace.

"So I'm not important?,how long are you going to keep us a secret?."Cassandra cried out and we faced her.

"What do you mean?"Mason asked her.

"Oh,so your bestfriend didn't tell you that he has been hanging out with me behind his girlfriend's back,he didn't tell you or her that he has been banging me because his girlfriend is a virgin and he can't have sex with her."She confessed.

"Cassandra,why the hell are you lying?!."Mason glared at her.

I stood there in severe shock,they all turned to face Jace in shock,"You claim he's your bestfriend and you don't know anything about him,wow."I faced my brother.

"And everyone painted me to be the bad guy when Jace did worst,I guess old habits dies hard."I wiped my tears.

"Babe,wait,I wanted to tell you,I'm never dated her,we only had sex once and that was in a party,I was super drunk and ever since,then she has been disturbing me and crying that I dumped her after sex to date you,Mason knew about it."Jace stated.

"Jason!,stop lying,we started dating when we went on our trip,it's been months."Cassandra confessed.

"You are such a bloody liar!,stop trying to sabotage my relationship,I told you that what happened was a mistake,I was drunk."He glared at her.

"It wasn't once,yeah,the party and also our trip,you can't just have sex with me and dump me,I'm not going to be one of your conquests."She said bitterly.

"So your hands were dirty and you tried to play victim."I shook my head in disbelief.

"Babe,you have to believe me.."He pleaded.

"Why should I believe you,you didn't believe me few minutes ago,so we are even."I replied him.

"Whatever thing we have or had,it's over!."I said to him and walked out of his class.

They kept calling my name but I ignored all of them and left,when I got to my class,I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs in an attempt to leave the school and go home.

My mum wasn't going to be at home and even if she was,she can't do any damage to me more than what all the male in my life has done.