HER ADVERSITY: Chapter 21 – 30

By Obianke Prosper

Chapter Thirty

GRACE POV

He opened the door and stepped out while I did same. We walked to the library and he opened the door. This time around, the room wasn’t dark, it was bright.

We went over to the same table we used the other day but surprisingly, the table was filled with lots of novel with different covers.

“Wow!”.I squeaked amazed as I quickly grabbed a novel titled ‘Deed Of A Traitor’. I sat on one of the chairs around the table as I stare at the back cover.

The author’s name was Park Moonstone. Oh! This is an American novel, look interesting though.

I took a peek at Dylan only to find him sitted but he wasn’t with any novel, he was just staring at me.

“You…aren’t reading?”.I asked feeling a bit uncomfortable with his stare.

“Nope”.He said and my eyebrows rose in confusion.

We came here to read, right? So why isn’t he reading?

“Please, you should read something. Um, it kinda feel weird that am the only one reading”.I said and he shrugged.

“Why don’t we do it this way? You read out loud and I listen, won’t that help erase the silence?”.He asked and though I wasn’t okay with his suggestion but I just nodded.

“Okay then. So the name of this book is Deed Of A Traitor and it was written by Park Moonstone”.I said but he didn’t say anything, he was just staring at me.

Geez! This feels so weird.

“Uh, I wanna read chapter one”.I said, clearing my throat as I flipped to chapter one.

Coughing shyly, I read. “The rain fell heavily on the rooftop as I quickly gathered my books inside my backpack. The teacher, Mrs Naomi didn’t seem to be aware of the heavy rainfall though I won’t blame her. She was deaf! My friend appeared on my desk, knotting his loose tie as he stare at me. His hair was messy, his eyes were dim and his cheeks look puffed out as he frown.

“Solomon!”.He called, running his hand through his hair. He look frustrated and angry, it was obvious with the way his pointed nose shifted to the tip of his upper lip.

“The rain look quite heavy, am sure it wouldn’t stop anytime soon. Now, how are we going to go to the house to carry out our plans?”.He asked, hissing and I sighed patting him on the shoulder.

“Calm down Brooke”.I said to him. “We can carry out our operation tomorrow, for now we should think of how to go home. We didn’t bring an umbrella and this rain seems so harsh”.

He nodded and without hesitation, he left to his seat. I sat on my seat, staring at Linda, the school queen. She was sitting on her seat, discussing with Frank, my enemy. It was surprising that I hated Frank for no reason at all. He have never done anything to me neither has he talked to me but well, he did something horrible to me. He stole away my crush, Linda! He have been in a relationship with her for three months, he even hardly let any guy talk to her except his so called friends, Lake and Justin. Linda herself have never talked to me but I do hear her call me names anytime I fail the answers to the question asked by a teacher. I was clearly the school dummy! I always get an F and studying has never been in my vocabulary. Linda herself is a dummy but she isn’t worst like me, her highest score is a C but my highest score can never exceed E. Still, I love Linda, have…..”.

I stopped reading when I heard Dylan’s loud scoff. I stared at him..

“Why did you stop?”. He asked me when he saw me staring at him.

“You scoffed, er I mean you interrupted me”.I said, intertwining my fingers.

“I never did, I only scoffed”.He argued and I sighed.

“Alright, fine. You didn’t interrupt me but you scoffed, why did you make that sound?”.

“I only found the story kind of funny”.He pushed back some strips of his hair which fell over his left eye.

“Funny?”.I asked him, surprised. “I mean we just started the story and I didn’t see anything funny”.

“That Solomon guy, he is kinda funny”.He said.

“Solomon? You mean the speaker? Well, am confused cause I didn’t read anything laughable”.I said confusedly as I glanced at him.

“Just go on, puppy! Continue reading”.He said, calling me the name again ‘puppy’ but darn it, I already lost interest in the novel.

I dropped the novel on the table before facing him.

“Unfortunately, the novel now seem boring to me”.I released a short breath.

“You can read another novel”.He said and I smiled a little.

“Yeah but am confused on the one to pick, why don’t you pick for me”.I said but he shook his head, muttering a ‘no’.

“Why?”.I asked and after few seconds of silence, he finally picked a novel and handed it to me.

But accidentally, his fingers brushed against mine as I received the novel. I felt that feeling again – butterflies in my tummy.

“T…thanks”.I mouthed shyly, finding it hard to maintain eye contact with him.

I stared at the book cover and I realized that the name of the novel was ‘What The Seeker Seeks’. Oh Goodness! This looks so interesting..

I stared at the writer’s name and it was Mrs Floral Dan. It’s an authoress… Wow!

“Okay, the name of this book is What The Seeker Seeks and it’s written by Mrs Floral Dan”.I said to Dylan but he remained silent.

“So, chapter one reads…”.

I said as I flipped to chapter one.

HER ADVERSITY: Chapter 21 – 30

Two hours have gone now and that was when I finished reading the novel.

“Wow! This is so interesting”.I smiled and Dylan nodded his head in approval.

“Yeah, it is. So, will you read another novel?”.He asked and I gave a nod.

“Yes, I will”.I said picking a novel from the table but the door to the library went opened and Mrs Skylar walked up to us.

“Am sorry to disturb but Miss Grace have been looking for you”.She said, bending her head a little towards the floor.

Miss Grace? Why is she adding miss to my name? Wait…is it because Dylan is here or..

“Am so sorry for that but why were you looking for me?”.

“Actually, your driver is here to pick you up”.She said and I mouthed an ‘oh’ before standing from the seat I sat on.

“Bye Dylan, see you tomorrow”.I said but he said nothing as I walked out of the library with Mrs Skylar.