Chapter 8 Gossip Girl

“If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” – Margaret Thatcher

........

I chew on my lip consequently when I'm nervous, and I was doing it now.

(R) How can I be of help?

(L) When she comes to you with the secret, please don't post it.

(R) She doesn't even know I'm the owner of the blog so what are you talking about?

(L) You're kidding right?

(R) No I'm not. She doesn't know I'm the runner of the blog.

I wondered why she always threatened them with my blog like she knew me.

(L) So she's just bluffing?

(R) She's doing the same with Tomison.

(L) Isn't Tomison her Friend?

(R) She found Tomison's secret and she threatens her with it whenever she wants something done. So what does she want you to do?

(L) she found my secret out and since then, I've been helping her with her  IT school works and homeworks. recently, I realised I've not been having time for my own academics. I couldn't do it again and I told her. She got angry and decided she was going to leak my secret on Monday.

'And mine in Wednesday'

(R) I only post trending gossips on my blog, so she has to tell almost half the school before I post it. I'm sorry I can't be of help.

(L) I understand.

(R) Is the secret that bad?

(L) You have no idea.

(R) is there anything else you think we can do about it?

(L) I have nothing in mind.

Why did Aisha have to make life miserable for innocent people? Especially girls like herself? Although I had a wasn't cool with Lara knowing my blogging secret and hacking into my website, I thought it was a nice idea to have her on my team.

(R) Can you keep a secret?

(L) What do you mean?

(R) exactly what I said. Can you?

(L) I guess.

(R) I have to be sure you can, Lara.

(L) Do you want to kill Aisha? If it's that one, I'm afraid I can't keep it to myself. It's too exciting a thought.

(R) Funny.

(R) The thing is, I'm  teaming with a girl in our school. We're planning on putting Aisha down.

(L) okay, now that's exciting. Can I join?

(R) if you can keep the secret.

(L) I'm in. Your secret is safe with me, and you should really use tight security for your website, almost any baby hacker can dive into it.

(R)Where do you live?

She sent me address, and it was very close to Tomison's place. I also knew an eatery there that opened on Sundays.

(R) Do you know 'Goodtime eatery?'

(L) Sure, it's just right in front of my house, why?

(R) Can we meet up by 4, you me and the girl. We need a plan if you need your secret safe.

(L) 4 is cool by me.

(R) see you by 4, then. Being cash for your snacks.

(L) don't worry, I'll sponsor all our snacks.

(R) Rich girl tinz.

(L) oh it's nothing.

(L) thanks for.....your help.

(R) LOL. I've don't nothing yet o.

(L) you listening alone is enough help.

The pastor asked that we stand for prayer.

(R) G2g Ttyl.

(L) Sure. Bye.

Rotimi wasn't home when we got home, but the whole house was upside down. Mum fumed as we both  put the house in order.

"When he gets home, let me know."

"Yes, ma." I answered, placing a figurine in it's appropriate position.

"You must not serve him food till I tell you to, and if he's sure I gave birth to him, he should touch my pot. He'll regret the day I pushed him out!" She said in anger, but that was just mum, a typical example of a Nigerian angry woman. She said things she didn't mean in anger. I was sure she wasn't going to eat if he didn't eat.

By 3 thirty, after I made sure there was nothing left for me to do in the house, I told mum I was meeting Tomison for school work. She was going through a Fashion Bible and nodded, telling me to get back before dark.

I listened to music on my phone as I walked to the bus top where I was supposed to take a motorbike to the restaurant. I'd already informed Tomison about meeting up and although she wasn't sure it was thoughtful to let Lara into our team, she said she didn't have a choice and agreed.

One annoying trait about Nigerian is the way in which the cost of transportation rises and drops. One minute you pay 50 naira to go somewhere, the other minute you're told to pay 100 naira.

That was my current predicament as I kept haggling with the bike man to take me to the eatery for 50 naira. He kept insisting on 80 naira. (Last price) it wasn't as if I didn't have the 80 naira, I just didn't understand why he needed to increase the price. My mum once said they charge you by the way you dress. I wasn't putting on anything special in particular, maybe the man was fooled by my gold writs watch though.  I decided to use the classic Nigerian code of walking away slowly so that the man would call you back and finally agree, and it worked.

"It's 100 naira that we collect o, I'm just carrying you because you're a fine girl."

"Thank you, sir" I said and inserted the earpiece back into my ears, blocking out everything the man was saying.

I paid him my checked the time on my phone, it was 3 fifty five. I was five minutes early.

I got in and smiled when I saw Lara already seated, with a Fanta bottle and Sugar sprinkled donuts in front of her.

She raised her head up and wiped her mouth with a serviette when she sighted me.

"You're early." She said with her mouth full. Did I forget to mention that Lara was chubby.

"I see you're already....." I gestured at the things in front of her.

"Oh!" She had a look of embarrassment on. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't wait. The donuts were tempting and hot, and the Jam inside was inviting as hell"

I laughed and took a seat in front of her.

"So where's the other girl?."

"She should be here soon." I said, scanning the entrance for any trace of Tomison.

"Is she someone I know?"

"Yeah, Tomison."

She swallowed her Donuts and stared at me in horror.

"The same Tomison? Are you crazy? What if she....."

"Tells Aisha about you?" Tomison completed the sentence as she appeared from a seat behind Aisha.

"How long have you been there?" Lara asked in shock.

"Long enough to see you murder two rounds of egg roll and donut. Besides, I had to be sure about you so I came earlier."

"I even thought you weren't going to come" I said to Tomison as I smiled and drew a seat out for her.

"I've been here since 2 o'clock. Never knew they had free WiFi here. Now I'm definitely gonna be here everyday."

"Free WiFi? Aren't you rich ? Shouldn't you have Spectranet in your purse or something?" Lara asked.

"Why does everyone think I'm rich and wealthy? Have I ever given the impression that I am?"

"I guess it's because you rolled with the richest students in our school." I answered.

"True, sha." Tomison shrugged. "So what's the meeting for? Cos you found a way to bring me out of the house even after I told you I couldn't make it."

"But now you're here." I said.

"Because they think I'm with my grandparents."

"My mum thinks I'm at home fellowship" Lara said.

"Mine thinks I'm Studying with You, Tomison." We all laughed at our lies and Lara asked us to order for whatever we wanted.

Tomison had Canned Coke and donuts. I had A bottle of coke and Shawarma.

"So I'm just going to go straight to the point. But before that, Tomison. You need to know something."

"What?" Tomison asked, sipping her Coke.

"I'm the Owner of 'SOUNDGIST' I run the blog"

She laughed out loud. "Oh, please, you're kidding me right?"

"Actually she isn't, and you're drawing too much attention with your hyena laughter."

"How come noone ever knew? How come she knows this?"

"She's an hacker."

"But I only hacked into the website when Mr Williams told me about it."

"What? Mr Williams told you?" I said, crushed.

"Actually, it slipped from his mouth and I kept pressurizing him to talk so don't start thinking he's a blabber mouth. He's very proud of you. Actually that day, I challenged him to give me names of students that we're making the school proud and that's how it slipped."

I felt better.

"So, She's a blogger and you're an hacker?"

"Hacker sounds insulting, call me computer genius instead" Lara said and bit deep into her third round of donut.

"It's a secret, Tomison, no one must know about it, and since the both of you now know my Secret, I think it's only fair that I know what I'm trying to protect here." I said jokingly, but I didn't mind them telling me their secrets.

"Wait, Aisha knows your secret?" Tomison asked Lara.

"Yeah, she knows yours too right?"

Tomison nodded.

"Look, Remi. I'll tell you my Secret later, in fact, sooner than later. But can we focus on what we came here for, for now?" Tomison said.

"I bed wet." Lara said all of a sudden. "It's not regularly, but it happens once in a while. I'm just telling you so that it doesn't come out as a shock when Aisha tells everyone about it tomorrow, you know, if whatever your plan is doesn't work out."

I was shocked at the revelation, but I also admired her courage and confidence, and I understood that something like that really had to be kept from the school, or Lara was going to be tormented for the rest of her life.

"Is it medically inclined?" I asked.

"Don't want to go further, can you just spill whatever you have planned.?" She said, hurt written all over her face.

"Okay, this is it, You'll hack into her social media accounts, especially her chats. I'm sure we'll find something there, then I'll post it on my blog and Tomison will confirm the gist and spread the rumour in a way that people won't point fingers towards her. And we have to find that gist fast."

"So I'm the Gossip Girl?" Tomison asked.

"I guess." I shrugged. "You don't like it?"

"What?! I love it! It would be nice giving Aisha a taste of her own tea."

"Thank God I came with my laptop." Lara said and searched a bag and brought an iMac out.

"Okay, that's beautiful." Tomison said, gazing at the laptop.

"Thank you, I call her, Sheila."

"You gave your laptop a name?" I asked in laughter

"She's too pretty to be nameless" Lara said in her defense.

"I totally agree" Tomison said, still gazing at the laptop. I couldn't help but wonder what her secret was.

Lara stopped eating and began typing relentlessly on her laptop. She was like a totally different person with the device in front of her. She stopped looking like the Fat chubby Lara and more like a computer genius Lara.

I think Tomison noticed this too because she kept looking at Lara with amusement.

"You guys should really stop looking at me that way. That's exactly why I don't want people finding out about it, they'll either treat me with pity or make fun of me. To be honest, I prefer the later. I hate being pitied."

"And who said I'm pitying you?" Tomison asked. I'm just impressed with the way you handle Sheila."

"Exactly!" I added.

Lara made a noise with her teeth and after a few minutes she looked up at us and said,

"She's hacked."