HURDLES

Chapter Eight

Benita couldn't shake the feeling that something was bothering Bella. She noticed it at first yesterday on their way home but simply attributed it to the midterm test announcement earlier in the morning assembly.

On their way to school earlier, she still wasn't her usual bright self. When Cecilia pulled up and they got into the car, Bella didn't seem to notice that she was sharing the back seat with Collins. If she did, she didn't speak up. That had gotten Benita worried for her best friend. Worried enough not to concentrate on the ongoing mathematics lecture.

"Benita, is everything alright with you?" Mr. Ugwu the mathematics teacher asked for the second time but she seemed deep in her thoughts. The sound of a cane landing on her desk succeded in jolting her out of her thoughts.

"Sir," she asked, blinking continuously.

"You don't seem to be concentrating. Is everything alright with you?" He was concerned for one of his best students. It was unlike her to be absent-minded in class. It came as a surprise not only to the middle-aged man but also to the class in general. Benita smiled a little at him and gave her head a shake.

"You can talk to me about anything. You know that right?" he offered.

"It's fine sir. It's nothing I can't handle," she declined politely.

"Okay then." He left her desk and went back to the front of the classroom. "That doesn't only apply to her. You all can talk to me about anything. Except financial problems that is," he added immediately. "I can already see the wheels turning in your head to do exactly that."

His last statement elicited laughter from the students. Mr. Ugwu knew very well that mathematics was one of the dreadful subjects among most students and therefore made sure his classes weren't only about solving equations and deriving formulas. He found a way to squeeze jokes in-between the endless formulas to lighten the mood whenever the students started losing interest. As a result, students stopped ditching his classes which led to a steady improvement in mathematics among seniors.

The day was different for Benita though. Not even the maths jokes could put a lift to her spirit. The rest of the teachers that taught noticed her foul mood and tried to get her to talk to no avail.

As soon as the bell went off signalling break period, she leapt off her seat and barely waited for the biology teacher to leave before dashing put of her classroom for Claire's.

"Claire I need to speak to you," she demanded as she stood in front of her desk. 

"Oh Lord," she groaned in exasperation. "Does it always have to be during this period?"

"Can you guys give us some space?" Benita pleaded as politely as she could in the situation, ignoring Claire's protest.

"No need to disrupt them. Let's go to your class," she suggested and took Benita's hand dragging her out of the classroom.

"Do you happen to know what's wrong with Bella?" Benita disclosed when they sat. "She's been moody since yesterday."

She waited for Claire to blow up on her. It wasn't usually a good idea to bring up Bella's problems with her but Benita couldn't help it. It wasn't her fault she always worried about her friends. She couldn't stop it even if she tried.

"I had the itchy feeling that this was what you wanted to talk about and you just proved me right," Claire said, surprising Benita with her calmness. "Anyway, she is upset because I reprimanded her. I told her to quit dragging me into her troubles with people. The nicest way I could think of without literally telling her to fuck off." Benita frowned at her choice of words. Leave it to Claire to make use of colorful words to well design her speech.