THE FALL

The next day when Shelly went to school, she told the principal about the harassment she went through at the hands of mark from G. S. S. The principal phoned the principal of G. S. S., and mark was punished.

A week to test week, Shelly was sitting down in class reading while John was thinking. He turned to Shelly and said "I want to ask you a question that has been bothering me" he said.

She looked at him and haved. "What is it this time, you have not been reading ever since the whole mark situation and you have been acting weird," Shelly said. "When Mark asked you the question, why did you give him that kind of answer, why didn't you tell him no," he asked.

" What question? " Shelly said pretending not to know what he was talking about. "Don't pretend, I know you know what I'm talking about" he said. "If I tell you will you read your books and stop bothering about it?" she asked. "Yes I will" he answered.

" Well I said that to annoy him, that's all," she said. "Now will you allow me to go back to reading, we have test week next week," she said.

Peter is always seen reading, he does not want to come out in 3rd position again, he wants to make his father proud so he had less time for friends, but managed to keep up with John.

Peter went to the library and saw Shelly there. " Can I join you? " he asked. "Yes, of course, you can join me" she answered. As they were reading, Shelly looked at Peter and said "I've been wanting to discuss something with you" she said. "Go ahead I'm listening, I have to meet up with what I'm reading, so be fast about it," he said.

"It goes like this, John is losing focus, I can see it in everything he does, and I think it is because of the mark situation," she said. "I've noticed it too," he said. "Please try to talk to him, so that he would not fail," she said. Then they continued reading.

Shelly went back to class and saw Rita and some other girls talking. Rita is the kind of person that does not like reading in school but she studies hard at home. Some of her classmates would think she is the lazy type but she always had her way.

She went to her seat and saw John resting his head on the desk. "John! John! why are you not reading" she said tapping him. He raised his head and said, "I will read when I get home". " Okey if you say so" she answered.

John got home, he kept on thinking about Shelly, he did not know what to do. The thought that Shelly won't forgive and forget what he did made him sick. He took his book to read but couldn't, he tried doing other things but could not, he decided to call Joan and tell her about it.

" Hay sister, how are you?" he asked. "Fine, fine" she answered. He explained to his sister what has been happening to him. He told her that he finds it hard to concentrate because of Shelly.

She told him to get a lot of rest, that it would pass, he talked to her for a very long time before he went to sleep. Shelly got home, after doing what needed to be done she took her diary and kept on writing. She told her diary that something was bothering John but she had no idea.

Test week started and their first paper was home economics, Shelly wrote it with glee but John found it difficult, he knew he was going down.

When the test was over he went to meet Peter and asked him how the test was, Peter told him it was very easy for him and that he wished they set more difficult questions. John lied that it was good for him while it was not.

Throughout test week, it kept on happening to him, he knew he has fallen and would fail, but his major problem was how he was going to explain it to his parents, especially his father, who was a no nonsense man. Then he came up with a lie.

Test week was over, and the entire school was happy. Peter knew he did very well, but John knew it was the worse test he has ever written but pretended about it. Shelly and Rita are seen discussing.

" This test was very easy for me," Shelly said. "I know right, I wished it would never end but it ended," Rita said. "See who is talking, you that almost fainted when it was a math test, my friend leaves that thing," Shelly said laughing. "Are you making fun of me?" Rita asked frowning.

"Don't be angry I was joking" Shelly said. As they were talking John walked passed them, Shelly waved for him to stop and she left Rita.

"How was the test" Shelly asked John. "It was fine," he said turning to leave. "Wait a minute, I know it was not good, I noticed how you struggled with all your papers," she said. "Why do you suddenly care, I thought we are not friends, so what's the questioning about," he asked.

"Well Joan told me to check on you, so that's why I'm asking," she said. "Well I don't need your help," he said. "Is it because of the whole mark situation?" she asked. "What if it is" he answered. "But that's barely my fault," she said.

"It is all your fault, if you had looked at where you were going all these wouldn't have happened," he said. Shelly was surprised he was blaming her for something she knew nothing about.

"I don't know why I'm having this conversation with you in the first place, maybe I should have minded my business," she said, hissed, and walked away.

John again was totally confused, he took his bag went to the principal, and lied that he wasn't feeling okay and he was allowed to go home.

No one saw John again throughout that day, when he got home Shelly's words started coming back to him then he decided to take a nap.

The next week, they were all given their test result and John failed woefully, he refused to show anyone his sheets for the fear of being mocked. Peter took the lead while Shelly was in second place.

Peter went to meet John and advised him as a good friend he was, he told him to stop giving his time and energy to the things that are not important saying, that it would make him fail beyond recognition, that the earlier he realized that the better for him. He thanked Peter for the advice.

When he got home, he greeted his mum and he thanked God his dad was not at home. When he was taking his lunch, his father entered the house and he went to greet him.

After he finished eating, he was in the sitting room watching TV with his parent. "Your school sent me an email signifying that they have given you your test scripts, so how did you perform," his father asked.

He did not answer him, he went to his room and brought his sheets and showed them. As they saw it, they looked at him in surprise.