We finished having our dinner and dad wasn't back yet. We all took our plates to the kitchen and washed it at the same time, no one was allowed to leave their plates in the washing basin after eating. It was a routine mummy impelled on us to do in the family, including daddy. It was not that bad because it made the house chores easier and faster to do.

After I had washed my plate and kept it properly in the shelf, I ran upstairs to my room to get my phone to chat on social media.

Immediately I sat on my bed, I heard the door open and close. I turned to see who just entered the room. It was Rachel.

"Ehen Ruby, why didn't you tell mum you weren't promoted?" She asked, without looking at me. She walked to her bed, ready for a conversation.

"Rachel, I'm not ready to gist now. Maybe tomorrow." I raised my phone to my face, unlocking the password.

"Ruby, that can wait, let's gist first. You would turn on your hotspot for me oh." It almost sounded like a warning.

"You must be kidding me. When I told you to turn yours on that time, did you?"

"Ahah, please now. That time it was because I needed to use my data for something very very important that was why."

"Well, I also want to use mine for something more important than you used yours for." I retorted, with a funny face.

"Lol, don't be ridiculous. Please joor." She said, feigning a puppy face.

"Okay."

"Haha, this girl. Okay, so why did you lie to mom?" Her face turned suddenly so serious.

"I just couldn't. I am ashamed to tell her. Why did I fail sef?" I threw at her a rhetorical question.

"Well, maybe because I told you to study really hard for the exam, but you didn't listen. Instead, you were busy chatting on phone with your friends that are also foolish as to reply to your messages rather than reading! She replied to my rhetorical question, but in a very angry tone.

"I read!" I countered.

"Well, I guess you didn't read hard enough!" She retorted angrily.

"Why are you getting all angry now? I failed. Yes, I failed and I accept my fate. But I'm definitely not repeating the class."

She sighed. "What are you gonna do now?" She asked.

"I don't know, Rachel. I really don't know. I would have to tell mum. But my main problem now is dad. How would he react to it?"

"This is serious oh, really serious."

The room suddenly became silent. We both didn't utter a word, we were just staring blandly at the floor, in thought, probably thinking of the same thing. Snapping out of my reverie, I sneaked glances at her to see if she was still thinking and yeah, she still was. She looked so buried in her thought.

I snapped my fingers at her. "Back to earth!"

She jolted and blinked her eyes like a doll.

"Jeez! What were you thinking?" I asked.

"Nothing." She said, thinking of what to say next. "Should I send you wattpad?" She had been disturbing me about the app but I just wasn't interested.

"Not now."

"Why? It's cool. You get to read interesting stories. Just try it once and I promise you'd enjoy it. You could start with "Sin of the past" by sweetdreamer33 or "Chasing red" by Isabellaronin. Those books are cool. I've told you about those books before."

"Oh okay. You can send it." I said nonchalantly.

"Yipee!!" She jumped up and down happily, clapping her hands too. She bounced on my bed immediately and sat next to me.

"Bring your phone now."

"Oh, wait let me unlock my phone first." I unlocked it, not letting her see what my password was. "Take." I handed her the phone.

After she had sent it, she turned on my data connection and also my hotspot. She turned on her WiFi immediately to get connected with mine.

"Give me my phone." I said, reaching for my phone.

"Wait." She took the phone farther so I wouldn't be able to reach it. "I wanna open the app and do all necessary things for you."

"Okay." She did everything she had to do and returned my phone to me.

"I downloaded all of sweetdreamer33 book and " Chasing red" by Isabellaronin. I followed them too. I also downloaded my novel, it's on your library. The title is "Second chance" and you are following me." She told me.

"Why? Did I tell you to follow yourself with my phone?" I asked immaturely.

"Haha, stop being so immature. Read my story sha. I promise, you'd enjoy this wattpad. You could as well write." She smirked, knowing full well that I couldn't write. She was probably teasing me.

"Enjoy ko, enjoy ni. And don't dream of it because I would never write."

"Don't worry. I was in your shoes too. I used to think I couldn't write. But when I gave it a trial, it came off well." She stood up from my bed and walked to hers. Immediately she sat on her bed, she raised her phone to her face. "I have followed you back."

So quick. It seems she loved wattpad a lot.

"So you have just one follower now. Haha, don't worry, more would come." She chuckled. After a while, she burst into laughter.

"So you are mocking me?"

"No oh." She kept on laughing.

"I would delete the app now." I threatened, knowing full well that if I deleted the app, she would not be happy with me. Her main reason for sending the app to me was just for me to read her book.

"Oya sorry." She closed her mouth to stop herself from laughing. Finally, she stopped laughing. "Would you start reading now or you would wait until later?"

"Read ko, read ni. Abeg, I wan chat. So later things."

"Okay."

"Ah, finally." I sighed.

I finally took my phone, sat down properly on my bed, so I can be very comfortable while chatting.

* * * *

It was 7:00am in the morning when dad came to wake us up for morning devotion.

"Good morning sir." Rachel and I greeted him while we were finding it hard to get up from the bed.

"How are you girls doing?" Daddy asked, with his very deep and loud voice which made us fully awake.

"We are fine Sir." We chorused.

"Come down to the living room for devotion now. Ruby, you are leading us in the praise and worship." He said, with his authoritative voice and left our room immediately. Did I mention I was a very good singer? I was a chorister in the teens Church. I was a versatile singer. I could sing any genre of gospel music, be it rock, soft or of any sort.

I quickly went to the bathroom to wash my face and rushed down to the living room. I couldn't brush my teeth because I knew that if I did, I was going to waste time before I got downstairs.

We were all seated in the living room. Richard was still trying to fight his sleep, so was Rachel. Whilst my dad, mum and I were fully awake.

"Let all rise up and pray." Dad ordered, with his strong voice.

"Heavenly Father, we come this morning..." He started off but my mind drifted to something else. To school and the fact that I failed. I hated prayers, so I wanted to leave until they were done.

"In Jesus most mighty name we've prayed." Dad finally closed up his prayer.

"Amen!" My voice was the loudest amongst all, even though my mind wasn't there throughout the prayer session.

"Ruby, take over." Dad said.

I cleared my throat before starting so as to avoid any crack in my voice.

🎶You are worthy t..o be praised.🎶 My voice cracked. I guess it was because it was morning. I stopped to start all over but this time, it sounded better. Everyone sang along.

When we were done with the morning devotion, daddy sat us down and asked me of my result.

Everywhere suddenly turned silent that I could even hear the breeze emanating from outside the house through the window. I was nervous. I didn't know what he was going to do to me if I told him the truth.

I looked at Rachel to help me out of the situation. I always did that when I was in a state of anxiety. But she gave me this look that reads 'You are on your own in this'. I felt dejected. I didn't know who to look upon again, not like I ever looked upon Rachel anyways. But she was always there for me whenever I needed her help.

I can't keep on telling lies. I have to let the cat out of bag even though it means for them to beat the hell out of me. You can do this Ruby. One, two, ready go!

"I..."

"She said they would announce it on Monday." I was cut off by mum.

After some seconds had passed, another voice came from another direction saying, "No, she failed."

I swear, I knew I stopped breathing for a while. I slowly turned to the direction where I heard the voice from. It didn't sound feminine, it sounded masculine. So I was sure it was Richard because there was no other guy there except from him.

"The results were announced yesterday and she was among those that failed." Richard confirmed his statement. I was shocked as to how Richard knew about me failing. I gave Rachel a stern look and she returned the look that reads 'Don't stare at me like that, I did nothing. I am as shocked as you are'.

"Is that true, Ruby?" Mum and dad asked, with their voice raised to octave.

My heart was beating faster than usual. I felt my world crumbling down.

"I would ask you again, is it true?!" Dad voice was so scary  that I jolted from where I was seating. I wanted to cry already by just hearing it.

I sighed. "Yeah...I failed." I dropped the bombshell.

* * * *

Guys, guys, guys, I'm so happy with what I'm seeing. My reads are up to a hundred and something. Thanks guys. Well, this is going to be the last chapter for the month, this year in fact. I'm so happy, Christmas is on its way!💃💃
Merry Christmas and a happy new year in advance. Love ya 😘 and you guys could also tag those that loves reading but hasn't checked this book out yet. Please don't hesitate to vote, comment and support me.