Tangled With A Priest

 Ivie's eyes shone in disbelief as the twist of event and she started to struggle only to hear the door open. She froze instantly, someone else was there. Fear clouded her eyes. When Father Chibuike had caught her, she had been afraid, but not this intensely. She looked at him, her eyes communicating the fear she felt.

 He removed his hand from her mouth but planted a finger to his lips, telling her to shush. 

 The person, whoever it was, padded across the office softly. Ivie was sure it was not Sister Gabriel. She heard the opening of drawer, the rustling of papers, the impatient sigh. The person left the desk and came to the shelf, and each time the person slumped a book against the wood, Ivie felt the vibration go through her body. The footsteps neared them, coming to the back of the shelf where they hid. Ivie trembled. 

 Father Chibuike, aware of her worry, leaned it to whisper. "Relax. You can close your eyes if it helps."

 Close her eyes? Wasn't he the least worried they would be caught? They were together for the love of God! Still, she closed her eyes, she didn't have an option anyway. 

 He smiled. How people react in the face of fear, it amused him. Despite that her eyes were closed, their lashes flickered uncontrollably. And to think she was the bold one, he tsked. With his gaze fixated on her, his eyes caught something else, something evidently white, poking from a crack on the shelf behind her head. He reached for it. It appeared to be somewhat stuck, he dragged it harder and it shipped from the crack and he held it at his fingertip. He spun it around and saw the word Sorry printed at the front. Bingo!

 He looked from the note to Ivie whose eyes flickered less now, how fortunate what she laboured hard for fell into his graceful hands. He tucked it into his inner clothing, he would just borrow it for the time being, it had been what he needed her for, after all. 

 The person who entered the room was one step away from where they hide, but Father Chibuike's calm demeanor didn't change. The person stopped, stayed there longer than necessary, and then turned back and exited the room. 

 Ivie's eyes flew open when she heard the door close. "He's gone?"

 "Maybe." She tried to wiggle out of their close proximity, but he stopped her. "And what if he decides to have a last trip here? Think."

 She would have normally glared at him, but she nodded and waited until he stepped away first. "Father, I—"

 "You're welcome. Now be a good girl and leave."

 "But I'm yet to find what I came here for," she argued. 

 "You really have a bad sense of danger." Then he firmed. "Leave while I'm being nice, and no, it's not up for bargain."

 She grumbled, but made her way to the window. "How did you get in here without anybody seeing you and how would you leave without anybody seeing you?"

 "Save yourself first before worrying about me."

 "I'm not worrying." She rolled her eyes. 

 "Then fly off the window."

 She hooked her hand on the pane and pushed herself up, jumping out. 

 "Silly girl," Father Chibuike said to himself before stepping out of the office. The corridors, like his senses had told him, was empty. A smile danced on his lips, his eyes twinkling with mirth. He had in his possession, what kept him awake all night. He had tried to diverse so many ways to make Ivie talk, if she knew the contents of the later, now he didn't need it anymore, the note was with him. 

 "Poor girl," he mused. "She must be crying her eyes out."

 She wasn't, she slipped back into the class. 

 "Most of you deserve a place in hell," Sister Gabriel said when she saw her. "The devil has already prepared a seat for you, and awaits your arrival."

 Ivie rolled her eyes, talk about being judgmental, talk about Sister Gabriel. She wondered if the teacher knew she just came back from ransacking her office to look for evidence that she had a hand in Precious's death. Then she wondered what Father Chibuike would think. She had been so scared she nearly peed her pants. If they had been caught, the rumour would be scandalous. 

 Why had her covered her up? The first time he caught her in misconduct, it was glaringly obvious how displeased it made him, what changed? Why did he even follow her?

 The priest was a pain in her head, just six days and she was in his mercy in one ways than one. What about her plan to avoid him at all costs? She went out of her way to stay clear from his path, he went out of his way to meddle in hers. He wanted her to get into more trouble so he could use them to blackmail her? Sure enough the devil has reserved seats for one than one person. 

 When the class ended and while they waited for another, she rested her head on the desk. Soon, she heard snickers from other students, "She think she's invincible, leaving class like her father owns this university," the first one said. 

 "It would be best if you stay clear," another warned. "Do you know what her group is called? The Big Bang. The idea is that the world was created out of a Big Bang, and with a Big Bang they could recreate another world in a person's life, not a very palatable one though."

 The first student scoffed. "You believe that?"

 "You're a transfer student, listen when I tell you. Plus, she's not even a bad person, she helps students pass their exams."

 A transfer student? Ivie hadn't heard the news. First, a new priest and now a transfer student, both of whom were bent on destroying her peaceful school life. She raised her head and took a peek at the girl. 

 "Pass exams?" The transfer student asked. "Did you not see how she left the classroom like a ninja?"

 That was it, Ivie stood up and went to them. She raked her eyes through the girl's brief length and sighed. "So things like this exist? This is my first time seeing a dwarf, I'm supposing you are the only one left in your specie."

 Some students had stopped to watch, and snickers filled the room. 

 "I didn't know the university has started accepting endangered species."

 The dwarf girl stood up and looked up to Ivie since she could only reach her waist. The students around laughed. Her friend shifted away not to be caught in the crossfire. 

 "Seeing you stand even annoys me more. Look at you! How do you think your parents will feel feeding a child that stopped growing at the age of six? No wonder they abandoned you here."

 The transfer student had her face clouded in anger. "Who do you think you are? I've watched you for some days now, you behave like your have nine lives. One day someone will put you in your place and you'd stumble to the ground."

 Ivie knew many people didn't like her, but it was her first time facing open confrontation. "But even if I fall to the ground, you'd still look up to me, why? Because you're a short one and it's not my fault that I can't help but look down on you. Let me come to your level." 

 She squatted to meet the girl. "You can stop craning your head now and get lost from my sight. If you see me coming from left, run in the other direction, am I clear?"

 She rose up and to annoy the girl further, placed her hand on her head. In a flash light, the world around her disappeared and she saw the dwarf sprawled on the floor, in a pool of crimson blood, dead. She stumbled back and banged her head against something. She turned to look at it, it was a clock, a ticking clock. The time was five past eleven and the date was twelfth November. Ivie shook her head, they were in July.