Faith was sobbing quietly. She had rummaged her locker for her lilac coloured short thick note, her prospective brother in-law, Christopher, had bought for her many months ago. But she couldn't see it again and that made her frustrated.

How come the sudden disappearance? She had earlier taken it out of her locker and was pouring out her heart to it in a written form, before their Physics teacher barged into the class, scolding them for not reminding him of his duty and then also, threatening to punish the last person that would reach the lab.

Out of trepidation, she left the book on top of her desk only to return back from the lab to find it missing.

That book was really important. More important than the life of certain toxic people that were around her. The poems she had composed for the SSEC were all in the short thick note.

She tried to console herself. Since she was the only one that loved herself and was there for herself. She tried to believe that nothing about poems would come out. But what if...it actually came out? What if she was actually asked to construct a poem of her own and not given the usual letter writing? And what if, Esther was the one behind the sudden loss of her thick note?

●●●●●●

"How many copies do you want this article to be duplicated into?" One of the workers in the school printing press, inquired.

Victory had walked miles and miles away from the school building to the school's printing press which was still located in the school. It was a lucky thing for her that the school had a printing press which was situated in it's vicinity. That was where she would print one of the brilliant poetic articles that she saw in the book. Even without the authorization of the press club.

Victory knew that Senior Melanie Jackson, the effective president of the club would ask her where she got the article from and she didn't want to tell lies that would end up implicating her earlier than expected.

"200 copies." She finally responded.

"That would be about ten thousand naira." The worker calculated and told her, waiting for her command to go on with the printing and then duplication of the article.

"Ten thousand naira! For what? Am I buying meat in the market that you will utter such nonsense." As soon as those words escaped her loose mouth, she face palmed herself. That was meant to come out.

Where would she get such amount of money from? The money in her school account was just...unspeakable. It was nothing commendable, at all. If only she had published the article under the wing of the press club, she wouldn't foot the bill.

"Alright...Whatever, I will deposit three thousand naira now. Then tomorrow, I will complete the money." Victory stated. "By the way, I will come back this afternoon for the two hundred copies."

"I'll give you seventy copies. Once the money is completed, you will receive the remaining hundred and thirty copies." Retorted the worker who was busy eye fucking Victory. He was almost drooling and while she has been bargaining, his eyes has been well fed.

Victory smiled, knowing that persuading this moron would be an easy peasy lemon squeezy.

"I'm coming with 3k o."

The young man that she was talking to smiled lewdly at her and licked his large plum lips that looked pale and unattractive.

●●●●●●

The sun was going down and the blue skies of the heaven was hued to a dull orange. The birds of the air were moving in groups, soaring higher and higher. Creepy sounds of the cricket disturbed the tranquility than came with the dark. Evidently, It was already dusk.

The evening lessons ended two hours ago and most of the students were already in the hostel. Some of the laundry women were already going room to room, taking the clothes of students to wash and iron for them. And just very few of those women returned back to their duty post empty handed. Some soulful students had insisted on doing their laundry themselves. And Faith Daniels was among those soulful students.

Not long ago she had returned back to hostel with Paris at her tail. He was asking her if she was busy the next day so that they would hangout and talk about themselves. But all of Faith was buried in that stolen lilac coloured thick short note.

The loss of it wasn't that annoying and frustrating again. But the last straw that broke the Carmel's back was when some some junior students that were press clubbers, distributed a published article to everyone found on the hallway and on the staircase. That bursted her fucking bubbles.

Right before her very doe like eyes was her work. She remembered it to be the first poem that she ever settled down to write. Not only was her property stolen but also, plagiarised. That was hurting to her and the cords of her heart nearly snapped off when she saw the name Victory Alade-Martins as the writer.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she remembered the last sentence in that publication. It went like this: Watch out for another inspiring article!

Under her breathe did she swear that she would deal with Victory and make sure that she received her just rewards. Little did she know, that someone was out there mapping out the most strategic ways to debilitate her.

"Who poured water on my Mathematics textbook?" Faith couldn't ignore this terrible action of one of her roommates. Before this occurrence, her heart was over saturated with anger and fury. And then this, was just a good means of transferring her aggression.

"I never knew it was yours. By the way, You can take it outside to dry. Hopefully, the sun will be out tomorrow." Melissa who was stretching on her bed, reading one of her erotic novels stated, not sparing Faith even a glance.

That riled up the latter who simply took out one sealed can water, unsealed it and then poured it on an unprepared Melissa. She didn't see that coming. And unfortunately for her that was one of the books she borrowed from the school library.

"What is wrong with you, Faith? Are you going crazy? Didn't it register in your fucking brains that this book is from the library?" Melissa yelled on top of her voice.

Faith simply shrugged. "Hopefully, the sun will be out tomorrow. You can take it outside to dry."

Ruth bursted out laughing at Melissa whose face was bloody red. She glared angrily at Ruth who quickly tilted her head to face a sleeping Fiona who was snuggled under her duvet.