CHAPTER 4

(The next day)

Mara's POV

'Mum I'm okay" I insisted for the umpteenth time at the dining.

I'm already dressed for school, having my breakfast at the dining.

'Mara,you are going with me to the hospital right now" Mum yelled.

'Mum! Seriously?...I'm fine" I yelled back.

I so much hate going to the hospital and she knows that!

'You don't expect me to buy that when you kept on crying and burning hot since yesterday…you didn't even eat! You are going with me to the hospital and nothing is gonna change that" Mum said.

'Mum" I called softly,I know once she makes a decision..it's gonna be a bit hard to change it.

'Don't call me…you are going with me to the hospital" she said firmly.

Arrrrgh… Mum can be so strict at times.

'Mum..I was only having cramps throughout yesterday but now I'm fine" I lied.

'Spare me that,I know when you're having cramps..you are going with me to the hospital and that's final" She said.

'But Mum…Tam isn't a kid,she said she's fine..just let her be. She missed the first day of resumption,do you want her to miss the second day too..you know how far the teachers would have gone…if you insist she's going with you to the hospital then that will be after she's back from school" Liam said and I smiled.

I know mum is gonna give in once Liam talks..

Mum looked at the both of us with a doubt and I know she has given in.

'Okay then,by the time you are back from school,if I notice you are still burning hot or crying around the house like a bush baby..then you are going with me to the hospital immediately" she said and walked back to the kitchen.

I gave Liam a ‘high-five'

He grinned..

Best brother on earth..Liam is so handsome,his eyes are just like my mum's,he has perfect nose and red lips..his blonde hair is always spiky and he has a hot body…his features are just too awesome,ladies draw theirselves to him like magnet and that's one of the things that made him a bad boy..

I hope he's gonna change soon..

I'm glad cause he's a bad boy with brain…Liam is so intelligent..

He always graduate with distinctions and he was the overall best in the university.

He teaches me some subjects especially mathematics whenever he's free and I understand him better than my teacher…

My brother rocks!

'You know ..i just saved your butt from going to the hospital" he grinned.

'And so?" I asked already knowing what's gonna come next.

'Mhmm… please don't tell mum I hosted a party here while she was in Italy" he pleaded.

'Ohh..,I've already forgotten about that but thank goodness you reminded me..I'm gonna tell mum right now" I threatened jokingly.

'Com'on Tam.. please" he pleaded.

'Mum" I called.

I laughed when he placed his hands over my mouth to stop me from talking..

'Damn! Liam,do you wanna choke me" I managed to say even with his hand over my mouth.

'Okay…I'm sorry" he said releasing my mouth.

I scoffed…"I'm gonna tell mum"

'Please Tam.. okay I'm gonna get you Pizza" he said with a grin.

Pizza is my favorite but I don't want pizza right now..I want something else.

'No" I said to Liam's surprise.

I've never refused pizza.

Shawarma?

No!

Panama?

No!

$200?

No!

Cappuccino?

No!

Strawberry cake?

No!

French baguette?

No!

Novels?

No!

'Then what do you want?" He asked and I smiled.

'I want a new phone,my phone is damaged" I said.

'Ohh.. okay, done!" He said .

'Really?" I asked.

'Yeah.. you are gonna meet it on your bed once you are back from school" he said with a wink.

'Awwn thanks Liam" I pecked him on both cheeks before standing up from the dining chair.

'Goodbye mum" I said from the dining room.

'Bye angel, have a nice day at school" she said from the kitchen.

I walked towards the door,then out of the house.

I greeted Max and hopped in the back seat.

I sat quietly as he drove away.

Yesterday's thought flooded my mind.

He drove into the school's parking lot and accelerated the brake.

I opened the door and stepped down from the car heading towards my new class grade 8,with the help of the school's map.

Students turned to stare at me, whispering all sort of things.

I'm not in the mood to reply any of them now.

I finally got to the end of the hallway and saw a door with 'Grade 8" inscribed boldly on it.

I opened the door and walked in, students were hovering about, chatting loudly.

They fell silent immediately they noticed my presence,they looked at me in astonishment.

I noticed most of the students here are new.

I'm just seeing few of my grade 7 classmates.

I ignored their looks and went about searching for the seat with my name on it.

I found it!

I sat down and hanged my bag beside the table.

I noticed everyone has turn back to their businesses.

I sighed and looked around…this class is far different from grade 7 and I don't really like it here.

I love grade 7,the class is so wide and beautiful and my seat was beside the window, which has the garden view…I always enjoy the fresh air,the scent of flowers and all.

But this classroom is filled with new faces.

It's quite beautiful though.. there are a lot of chairs,desks and lockers .

The whiteboard is pasted on the wall facing the whole class,there is a poster on the wall,the floor is made of marble tiles unlike Grade 7 which is normal tiles.

I looked over to the only two windows in the class,there is the sports field view.

I flinched when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

I turned to see Bryan and Ellen standing in front of me with their hands tucked together.

I waved off the threatening tears.

'Mara how are you?" Bryan asked gripping my hair like he normally does.

I nodded with a fake smile.

'Com'on Mara,this isn't you..what's wrong?" He asked.

You are the one who's wrong!!

Ellen gave me a pointed look and crossed her arms over Bryan's shoulder .

I placed my head on the desk as I felt tears rolling down my cheeks.

I cried silently.

'Mara what's wrong…why are you crying? You can just confide in us" I heard Bryan said patting my back.

The feeling his hands gave me sent shivers down my spine.

I love Bryan so much!

How could Ellen do this to me!!

'Bryan,she doesn't wanna tell us what's wrong with her then let her be! She needs the tears cause tears cleans out the eye duct" I heard Ellen said and raised up my head to look her in disbelief.

Is this person putting on Ellen's face mask?

Is this Ellen?

Ellen cares for me more than anything in the world…she can't stand seeing me cry!

I sniffed as I dabbed my face with handkerchief.

'I'm okay" I muttered in an heavy voice.

'Mara are you sur…" Bryan was saying before the teacher walked in.

Everyone scurried over to their seats.

That was when I noticed Bryan and Ellen's seats are beside mine.

Ellen seat is beside Bryan's making Bryan in the middle of both of us.

I turned sideways and saw an empty desk with the name Kelly Yates.

Whoa! A newcomer is gonna join us again.

'Good morning class" she said in a rich thick voice.

She must be a new teacher.

'She's Miss Ardsley,the new mathematics teacher" Bryan whispered to me.

I nodded.

'Good morning Miss Ardsley" the students chorused.

'I will like us to have a review of what we did yesterday,I need a student out here to solve this equation" Miss Ardsley said before picking a board pen.

Everyone fell silent as she wrote the so called equation on the whiteboard.

She turned back to face us and I caught a glimpse of the equation.

Liam has taught me something like this but I'm not very sure and I don't really have a good memory of it.

'So I want a student to come out here and solve this fast,we need to move to today's topic" Miss Ardsley said.

Everyone sat still in their seats,the class overwhelmed with tension.

Whoa! I thought she taught them this yesterday then why isn't anyone standing up..

Bryan is capable of solving this,I don't just know why he's still seated.

Only that I don't really have a good memory of it.

'Mara" I heard Ellen call loudly pointing to me.."She said she can solve it" Ellen said and my mouth dropped in shock.

Everyone turned to look at me .

'She can't Miss Ardsley,she was absent yesterday" Bryan said giving Ellen a surprised look.

'But she just told me she can solve it,it doesn't matter if she's absent from school or not" Ellen said.

'Ellen!" Bryan yelled angrily.

'Okay,you told your friend you can solve it then come out … You need to hurry" Miss Ardsley said.

I stood up and walked slowly towards the board.

I picked a board pen and stared blankly at the equation with tears rolling down my cheeks.

'Miss Ardsley,I will help her solve it . She wasn't in school yesterday" I heard Bryan said.

'Let her solve it" Miss Ardsley replied calmly.

I heard him bang the desk angrily…damn! He's getting pissed.

'Miss Ardsley what the hell!...I just fucking told you Mara wasn't in school yesterday…and you still went ahead in telling her to solve it…I'm gonna report you to the school authorities" Bryan yelled and began walking out of the class.

'Bryan I didn't mean it like that,she can go to her seat I'm gonna call on another student" Miss Ardsley said after him but he didn't stop.

'Bryan I can solve it" I called loudly.

He stopped walking and turned back to me,he walked slowly towards me.

He gave me a 'really?" look and I nodded.

'Yeah…Liam once taught me" I whispered to him.

He smiled and winked at me before walking to his seat.

The students watched in astonishment whispering among themselves.

I wiped off the tears on my face,then faced the board,I gripped the board pen tightly.

I closed my eyes and concentrated for few minutes..

I remembered how Liam taught me and I began applying the method gradually till I finished solving the equation..

I dropped the board pen and walked to my seat.

The students stared at me in surprise before clapping.

I got to my seat,Bryan grinned and gave me a high-five.

I smiled and sat down slowly…

Different eyes stared admiringly at me from different direction.

I looked over at Ellen and saw her picking her fingers.

My smile faded away.

Ellen always do that whenever she's pissed.

'Wow…you surprised me,your full name?" Miss Ardsley asked.

'Tamara Weston" I said.

'That's very encouraging,you were absent while we were having this topic and yet you solved it perfectly"

'Thanks Miss Ardsley" I said.

'Class" Miss Ardsley called.

'Yes Miss Ardsley" everyone replied.

'Don't you think Tamara Weston should be considered as one of the people going for the class prefect post"

'Yesssss" the class chorused loudly in excitement, clapping hard.

A wow escaped my lips.

'Fatty fatty Mara did it" Bryan whispered to me..

I laughed…I laughed louder when he began tickling me and at that moment,all my worries and tears melted away..