THE SOCIAL CLASS SYSTEM ...

The social class system in CGCBAB was simple, it was either you were at the top, almost at the top, middle, and just somewhere in between, invisible, and the last rating meant you were at the bottom of the social class system.

To be at the top, you had to be popular and belong to a clique of friends that were equally cool and popular, most footballers and athletes were at the top of the social ladder.

As a girl, you have to be extremely pretty or stylish, to be at the top of the social ladder.

The next set of people that were almost at the top were people who were popular and cool, these set of people were extremely good at something cool, like dancing or singing or just computer stuff. Or if you were siblings with a top-ladder kid or your parents were rich enough to buy your way to the almost top.

The next set of people were just people who were in the school, they were just okay, not at the top, not at the bottom, just basically there, making it through school.

The Invisible set of people were people who people thought were invisible, they didn't want to be a part of the class system. They just wanted to go through school like ghosts and just be on their way to graduation.

The difference between those in this category and the middle or just somewhere in between was that those in the middle or just somewhere in between wanted to go up the social ladder, however, those in the invisible category didn't care about social activities or invitation to exclusive parties or other things.

Finally, those at the bottom were people who no one wanted to associate with, they didn't even want to associate with each other.

The reason people were so crazy about the social structure was simple, people are just nicer to people at the top. From teachers to students, everyone wanted to just be nice to them for no good reason.

They get gifts and relevance, they get access to all the latest gossip and when they have all the gossip in the palm of their hands they suddenly become important.

The truth was that one of the important determinants of their social class was their clique.

Their group of friends has to be just as important as them to take them to the top.

The rules of the game were simple, to make it to the top, they had to be in very specific groups or access those groups who were already at the top.

But none of these were any of Naya's immediate concerns. At this point, she just wanted to graduate and be done with CGCBAB.

It had been one week since Tsema and Wale and finally, Naya was finally just getting over herself.

She had missed class for a whole week, not because of Tsema or Wale, she lied to herself, but because her desk and chair were still missing. It was just easier to deceive herself into the thought that everything would be fine.

Naya realized that hiding in the dark corners of the library, afforded her to hear things that people didn't want anyone to know.

People came to the library to skip classes and gossip, so most of the calls and talks could be heard if you knew the right spot to sit in the Library and Naya knew just the right spot.

However, most people on the bottom ladder hid out there to avoid bullying. Like Debbie from the third-year class C or Mickey from year two Class D.

However, sometimes members of the higher ranks in school would come down here just to skip classes, have alcohol and weed, and just be cool.

Naya heard the bell ring, it was time for lunch, she loved food, probably the one thing she loved here at CGCBAB was the food.

The walk from the Library to the dining hall was a long one, a person would have to pass the entire class block before they could get to the dining hall.

By the time, she would get to the dining hall, everyone would already be inside seated and eating.

She walked past the class block and it was almost empty. She could see Wale waiting outside the class, and when she looked in, she saw Tsema getting her stuff.

In CGCBAB, it was normal for couples to go for meals together, the boy would come to get her when he was ready to go to the dining hall. They would hold hands and act sweet to each other.

Arghh! Naya scoffed in her mind, she hated the whole ceremony or ritual or whatever it was.

Naya had forgotten that she was staring until his eyes met with hers and she quickly looked away. She had had one week of peace, she would like to keep it that way and avoid troubles dwelling in the dark.

She just walked away, not fast enough to be rude, but quick enough not to be spoken to.

She walked into the dining hall, the hall was divided into three sessions, one session for each year from left to right.

Each table had a total number of twelve students.

Naya got to her table and grabbed her meal. Tsema and Wale walked into the dining hall and everyone started clapping and cheering. His arm was over her shoulder.

Naya was exhausted by the theatrics, she tried not to gag on her meal, so that she would not look like a terrible person.

She ate quietly and got out of the dining hall quietly. She was sure that at the rate with which she was going, she would be in the invisible closet by the end of the term and she was seriously looking forward to it.

Anything was better an being a little nip.

She walked down to her hostel. Even though she had spent the whole day sleeping in the library, she was still exhausted.

She climbed into her bunk bed and lay down.

Her bunkmate was Lola Agbanidarego, she was almost at the top of social class. She was pretty and in the matching team of Purple House, but that wasn't what got her to her social class.

Her parents were wealthy, they were on every P.T.A. project. That meant that she was first in line for every opportunity, and the person to speak to when there was a recommendation for anything, Lola could get you in, without breaking a sweat.

So girls always came to Lola's corner to gossip about other girls and of course boys.

But that was not the subject matter of today's discussion. The subject for weeks now, was that Lola had been getting these amazing handwritten love notes.

She would come into the hostel after lunch and meet this love note under the pillow and she would scream and pretend to be extremely excited for no reason.

Naya was not angry that the notes were regular but that every time Lola made a huge deal out of the notes.

Lola would gather girls in their bunk corner and try to figure out who wrote the note. They always met a dead end every time.

Naya would even be more appreciative, if this girl spent their time searching for the hostel thief who has been plaguing them for a while now, instead of investing such time in finding such a crush. Such frivolous activity! Naya sighed as she thought to herself.

At CGCBAB, love notes were a romantic gesture, and everyone wished that they were special or important enough to get one.

It was Friday night, if you were popular, relevant, or important enough, you would get invited to parties held in either year 2 or year 3 hall rooms.

Today was Friday, and Naya already had an idea of how she wanted to spend her evening, she was going to attend the year 2 Class D party.

She would not be able to go into the party but she would stand by the window like everyone in the middle and bottom level. She would not get any refreshments, but she would get free music and entertainment in this boring school. And that will be good enough for her.

She was earnestly waiting for dinner so that she go straight to year 2 Class D and grab a good spot by the window to watch the dance or the drama, whichever would be on display today.

As soon as the bell for dinner rang, Naya jumped down from her bed got her purple check dress, and ran to the dining hall.

She was in a haste, she was on a mission to secure a great spot at the party.

She quickly got dinner and ran out of the dining hall, boredom was at its peak and now she could be worry-free for three hours at least.

It felt so cold, it had rained, but she was not a bit worried, once the crowd gathered, their body heat would be able to keep everyone warm. Maybe, hot and sweaty.

From afar, she could see that all the great spots were already getting taken. It would seem like people missed dinner for this particular purpose.

It was worth it to them but not to her, dinner was important to her, she was under the assumption that people who don't have dinner would lose all their hair, before thirty. She had no intention of losing her hair.

She picked a perfect spot, she looked in and the light glittered in her eyes. She smiled giddily. The party was just getting started.

She felt someone tap her on her shoulder, it was Akanbi Bishop. He was a year-one student in Wale's clique, he was a damn good footballer, and he also played in other sports.

He gestured that she follow him, against her better judgment, she left her perfect spot and followed him.

It was getting dark pretty fast, and by the time they arrived at their destination, it was a class in another remote block and it was dark.

He gestured for her to go inside. There was no way Naya was going into that dark class. She had been pranked and bullied. She was about to turn around and walk away, she was not going to trust anyone after everything she had been through.

"I'm not going in there," she told him, she didn't want to be rude just walking away.

"Ifunaya,"

When she heard her name, she froze, she got goosebumps from her neck to her feet. She could feel the immediate tension in the air. She knew his voice even in the dark.

She looked at Bishop, and he just walked away not saying a word, it was as though he didn't approve of what was about to go down.

She walked into the dark classroom, she was holding her breath, for the first time since last term, she was going to beg him to believe her.

The fact that she was just standing close to him, quietly, saying nothing after all this time was crazy.

"Ifunaya did you…"

She took a few steps forward, and held his shirt, "You have to believe me," she interrupted him, you could hear the begging in her tone.

"Is it true or not?" Wale asked.

"It's not like that,"

"Is it or is it not? Is it a simple yes or no question?"

Nothing was that simple now, was it? She paused, she couldn't say a word.

She looked at his face, even though it was dark she could still see the outline of his face from another angle.

She reached for his face, she swallowed and for a minute she just let herself breathe in his cologne, he smelled amazing. She wanted to stay in this spot for a while, so she hugged him.

Immediately, he shoved her away, she could see the obvious disdain on his face.

"So, the only thing you could come up with was throwing yourself at me to make your situation better, I am dating your friend," he yelled.

"So, at least for the first time someone can agree that my situation is bad," she cried, "I thought I was just imagining it because everyone seems to think it is normal and I'm just paying for my sins, sins I didn't commit,"

"Is that all you have to say for yourself? After everything," he sounded a little disappointed.

"At least, I'm not the one lying to myself, at least, I was once a liar, but now you are the one lying, you stay with her cause she is good for your social strata, I'm not the one lying and hurting someone for social gratification,"

"Do you realize how bitter you sounded just now?" Wale exhaled, and rubbed his head, "You sound so jealous and angry, I thought that I could come here and get a straight answer but all I'm seeing is what everyone else already saw."

He took a step away, and Naya just realized that this was her last chance at him.

"You act so cold all the time, it makes you look cool, but if you are going to push me away, don't be so cold about it, don't pretend like I'm not the one you want," she whispered, "please," begging, she held on to her last shred of dignity.

She didn't hear a word from him, he could just hear his footsteps as he walked away from her.

It was then she developed the mental sense that whatever she saw him as was not real. It was just a crush on her part and a frizzy amusement on his.

"Why do you keep coming back?" Naya asked, "Why do you keep calling for me?"

"Don't start acting up, thinking things would change if you did because they would not change," he said.

"You are so correct, so why do you keep doing this, making me look like I have a chance when I have none when I know that we are never going to be a thing, and you just made things between you and Tsema official," Naya screamed.

"You call me to quiet places to tell me about your day, how much you are having a hard time, and how I make it better," Naya said.

"But you never ask me how I am doing, knowing that I am the one with a target on my back, everything is always all about you and no one else matters in the grand scheme of things except you," Naya cried.

"So, why do you do it?" Naya asked, "Why do you make me feel all these things and then abandon me immediately after, don't you think I deserve good things, even with whatever, Tsema said I did, don't you think that I deserve a chance to explain, but you don't want to hear it, so why do you come back?" Naya said looking at him.

"You need to stop yelling all the time, that is why people think awful things about you," Wale said.

Naya chuckled, she tried to look up to stop the tears, but they just continued flowing from her eyes.

If she continued to stick around him, she would continue to be insufficient for him and he would never choose her, he would never choose to be with her.

Her phone beeped in her pocket, bringing her out of her thoughts.

The message was from the Councilor's office, with the heading Chronicles of Gossip Girl. Naya clicked on the message.

"Hey, guys,

Did you guys miss me or did you just assume that my first message was a one-off and I would soon get caught?

Sorry, you were wrong my CGCBAB besties, I am here to stay.

(Evil laughter) Well, you are right, now you are thinking, I was gone for a bit because I was sourcing for the most juicy gossip in the whole CGCBAB.

Did I find a lot of gossip? Yes, I did, besties, but I wanted to bring you guys the best of the best gossip, something no one could have figured out.

No one! Not even the detective friends of Lola Ayomiwe Agbanidarego. (Exclaims in extreme disappointment) You are right, you guessed right!

I discovered who the secret admirer of Lola is, but before I reveal that secret…

I have another not-so-secret gossip to reveal (winks).

A huge big congratulations to Jeffrey Orabosa Otibor and Bishop Lawani Akanbi for making the school's football team. (Claps)

So I have a story to tell of a boy who with big glasses was invisible, but made several attempts at coming out of his social class but could not make it out.

So, the more he tried, the lower in the social ladder he went, until there was no more room left to go when a person could not possibly go lower than down.

(Shake my head slowly in pity) Y'all are right, it's Michelangelo Odosa Akpovire. So sad.

And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen, Lola's secret admirer.

And don't forget, you are just as good as your secret admirer.

While everyone is wondering how Mickey managed to get the letter under Lola's pillow, your bestie's got you. (When I am referring to your bestie, I'm referring to me) (smiles sheepishly) (blushes lightly)

I don't know how I am going to explain the perverted ways of Mickey, by sneaking into the girl's hostel just before lunch to drop those little romantic love notes. Ew (sighs in disgust).

But thinking about the fact, it is true that Lola could not do better than a bottom ladder freak.

That will be all besties, don't forget CGCBAB I am always watching. (Blushes)

XOXO Gossip Girl"

Naya exhaled, she just knew it was going to be an extremely long weekend.

"Let's stop," Naya whispered, "I don't want to get in trouble because of you anymore, I am tired of all the bruises and pain, from just waiting to be with you,"

He stared at her for a while, "So what are you saying?" He asked Naya.

"I am tired, let's stop," she walked straight into the dark, she wanted to be alone, but first she wanted to be far away from him.