Beauty For Ashes (Chapter 3, Part C

It was break-time already and we were in a quiet place away from the girls (and boys). Hannah had succeeded in getting Lisa to come over to this place. We were all seated, Lisa and I across from each other. I watched Lisa and could see how much she was frowning. Her usual smile was off her face this time. She tried her best not to look in my direction. We had never had such a big misunderstanding before.
‘Lisa, can you please state the cause of your anger? Mind you, no insulting words should be used,’ said Hannah who had taken the place of a peer mediator.
‘Can you believe that this girl, a wolf in sheep’s… Oh sorry, Hannah. Ese went out insulting me and my family. Can you imagine that? She stabbed me in the back!’ Lisa said with flaming anger flowing through her.
‘Who told you about all these?’
‘A friend did.’
‘What’s his or her name?’
‘I am not supposed to reveal the person’s identity.’
‘And do you believe your informant told the truth?’
‘I do…don’t know,’ Lisa muttered quietly.
‘Who do you trust? Ese or Nkechi?’
‘How did you know it was Nkechi?’ Lisa said, surprise written on her face.
‘I was there when Nkechi planned to poison your mind with Tonia as her accomplice.’
‘What?’ Lisa said with her voice louder than she intended.
‘Ese, did you insult Lisa and her family? Did you say they were as poor as church mice?’ Hannah asked me.
‘I didn’t. I love Lisa. She’s the sister I’ve never had. I can’t do such a thing to her.'
There was a brief silence and suddenly, Lisa cried out, ‘I’m so sorry Ese. I don’t know what came over me. Next time, I will be wiser.’
‘It’s okay, dear,’ I replied. ‘It’s not your fault. You were deceived.’
Thank you very much,’ Lisa said as she stood up from her seat and beckoned for a hug with outstretched arms. I hugged her tightly. ‘I'm sorry dear. I should have trusted you,’ she said.
That was the end of our nightmare. Thanks to Hannah. Hannah was one of the few girls who didn’t see me as a snob. I wasn’t the type to easily get along with people and so, I was misunderstood. Shyness was mistaken for pride. But I was gradually coming out of my shell by then. Lisa was changing me.