Shanice walked inside the house and threw her bag on the couch then went to the kitchen. Her mom was preparing cookies.

'Good evening mom,' she greeted taking one cookie from what had already been served on the plate.

'Excuse me, young lady, that's your father's meal,' she hit her playfully with the back of the spoon.

'He isn't growing but I am,' she complained.

'He brings the food and what do you do? By the way, where is your sister?' She asked.

'She came to pick me from my class and said we shouldn't take a taxi because she needs to meet up with someone for her assignments. We came and mom you won't believe who she was meeting up with,' she smirked.

'Who?' Her mom asked curiously.

'The hottest boy in school, he is the head boy and I head they may be dating,' she replied.

'Do you mean your sister has a boyfriend?' She asked.

'Mom, I said I heard. Rumor has it but I don't think there is a problem with that. I can give anything to date him. When I say he is hot, I mean it, mom,' she said admiringly like Ryder was there.

'Idiot, I sent you to school to learn and not to check who is hot,' she hit Shanice on the head.

'Mom, that hurts,' she complained wincing in pain.

'I'll do it again if that will make your brain start functioning,'

'Can't I admire God's creation? Mom, you don't even know good things,' she walked out banging the kitchen door behind her.

'Come back here, just because you are as tall as I does not mean we will exchange words like agemates. I've been too lenient with you guys that you have started disrespecting me,' Lora yelled following her behind.

She got to the sitting room as Rita came in from school.

'What time did school end?' She turned to her.

'About an hour ago,' she replied.

'How many minutes does it take from school to this place?'

'Ten minutes,'

'Where are you coming from at this time?' She yelled.

'I had to drop some books for my friend, he was sick and couldn't stay till the classes were over,' Rita explained herself.

'He?' Rita didn't see her mom get close to her and was met with a slap that almost restored her brains back to factory settings.

All her life her mom never for once slapped her. She didn't see anything wrong that she had done. Ryder was her friend and deskmate. He has always helped her and though he was the first on her crash list she never told him.

He is good at mathematics and he always helps her with her assignments and today she decided to return the favor by taking the assignments to him. They had agreed to meet on the road but when he insisted on strolling with her home, she couldn't miss such a rare opportunity so she seized the chance and allowed him to take her home.

When her mom confronted her, the only thing she could think of was that maybe she saw him through the window.

'Mum he only offered to bring me home as a thank you for helping him, believe me, mom there is nothing wrong I've done,' she explained herself in tears, not knowing she was adding petrol to an already burning fire.

'So he even brought you home? Just because you've grown two tiny breasts you think you are a full-grown woman?'

'As your punishment, you aren't eating dinner in this house who knows he may have already impregnated you and you'll be full for nine months. Tomorrow you won't go to school and instead, you'll go to the market and sell the groceries. From today you'll be trekking from school,' her mother gave the orders and she couldn't help but shed endless tears.

Her mom has never been this harsh on her. What happened, was it wrong to have a male friend? The only person who understands her? Who jokes with her? Someone who teaches her? Who walks with her through her fears? Was it bad? Her mom walked away after telling her that. She had to sit on the couch to rediscover herself before walking to their room.

Shanice was on her bed with her headphone, shaking her head to the music she was listening to. Rita threw her bag on her bed and went to the bathroom. She came back changed and crawled into her blanket.

Unlike Shanice, they never bought a phone for her though she secretly had one. Ryder gave it to her two months ago as a birthday gift. Her mom said she wants her to be a lawyer so she needed to study.

Shanice is an influencer already and had a phone when she was thirteen. She has a big body while Rita had a small body thus people thought she was the eldest.

'Hey, what happened?' Shanice removed her headphones and asked seeing her cry.

'Mom saw Ryder bring me home and thinks we are dating. She slapped me and said that tomorrow I won't go to school and I would be strolling every evening.

'What? You allowed him to bring you home? That was a bad move. You know how mother overreacts when the name boyfriend is mentioned,'

'But he is not my boyfriend. He is just my deskmate and friend,' she defended herself.

'You and I know that mother won't listen to that crap neither will she believe you,'

'Can you do me a favor?' Rita begged.

'Sure, what favor?' Shanice asked.

'Tomorrow morning, please tell Ryder to collect my books for me. You tell him I didn't wake up well that was why I couldn't make it to school or you can say I woke up late. Anything that sounds realistic tell him, please,' she begged.

'If he is just a friend, don't you think he deserves to know the truth, or are you guys friends with benefits?' Shanice asked.

'I can swear to you that nothing is going on,'

'Now that you aren't eating dinner, will you be fine?' Shanice asked.

'I'm hungry but there is nothing I can do unless you want to bring me some food,'

'Are you indirectly telling me to bring you food?' Shanice asked getting down from the bed.

'Is it a bad idea?' Rita thought but couldn't speak out aloud.