Hey!! in a hurry to ditch us huh?! "Peters snicker, slapping me lightly across my shoulder but I didn't stop my hurried steps out of the class.

We just finished listening to Mrs Smith who zone on and on about choosing the right career and college in the forth coming entrance exam. Everyone is expecting me to enroll and ace the exam like I always do.

"Let him be, he's obviously trying to get his girlfriend before her driver pick her up, he's obsessed. "I hear Jerry my best friend say jokingly.

I'm sure he's rolling his eyes clearly exasperated by my obsession with Dawn. Jerry was the only one who knows the big reason why I'm not supposed to be breathing the same air as her but can you blame me?

Dawn is the prettiest girl in the whole of St Michaels high school.

St Michaels high school is a school for the affluent, everyone looks good here. Even, I try not to look too shabby, although it's hard.

"Going somewhere handsome?" Dawn's pretty voice greet my ears as I turn the corner to the art class room. She's smiling beautifully at me and I swoon. Jerry is right, am obsessed.

"Dawn", I say her name on a relieved breath of air. She hasn't been in school for a whole week, knowing how things are at her house got me worried.

I know you are going to rant about how worried you were, Dawn said to me.

William can we please go somewhere private?" Dawn whisper to me, before I could get another word out, I noticed how nervous she looks because few of her classmates were staring at us, so I grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the empty class where we always meet after classes or during recess to be alone

We have also shared a lot of stolen kisses here.

As soon as we entered the slightly dark room, Dawn pushed the door close with her foot before pressing me to the door.

"I missed you William", she whisper as she wrap her hand around my waist and rest her head on my chest. This used to make feel really content but not today. Today, I feel like the wound on my neck and the lump in my throat as a result of last night's disastrous event now feels like a big bone stuck there.

"Hey, you okay??" Dawn ask because she noticed that I didn't move or reply back when she told me that she missed me.

I look down at her but didn't know what to say. "I should tell her, but how do i tell the love of life that I won't be able to take the college entrance exam that they have been planning on taking together for so long because of lack of money.

How do I explain my lack of money when am the supposed son Chief Charles. I am supposed to be the heir of Chief Charles fortune and now it's my big secret. I'm just the illegitimate son who hates Chief Charles for abandoning my mom. Now all she does is drink and curse at my dad.

This was precisely why I'm at this school on a rare scholarship. I was determined to make it without my father's help and proof to him that I can survive without his wealth.

I have never accepted anything from him and nineteen years of my young life has been spent living in the slums with my mother. Everything was going as planned for me, that is why ever since I started schooling in St Michaels, my friends and classmates have not picked on me because they thought I was rich like them.

I thought my dreams of being a doctor would be achieved once the result of the college scholarship exam comes out but I couldn't forget the shock when Chief Charles real heir came to my house last night with his evil mother and tore up my application for the scholarship, turns out she's on the scholarship board. All my dreams came falling down at my feet along with the turn pieces of my application form.

"William, are you okay?" Dawn's question brought me back to the present as she brush off the stray tear on my cheekbone.

"I'm fine." I whisper as I turn my face away from her because I can't let her see me crying.

"I just missed you, it's all". I said to her then turn around to giver her a small smile.

"Well I missed you too babe, Mom just needed a companion on her trip to Paris." she said and I nod.

Of course knowing Dawn, she must have begged to be taken along.

"It was so beautiful there, you can join us next time maybe after the college entrance exam. My parents would love to meet you," she said looking excited.

I didn't know what to say, I look around thinking of what to say to her but thankfully I got saved by Steve her driver.

"I knew I'll find you here," Steve shakes his head, clearly exasperated.

"I'm sorry Steve, I was just giving her notes she missed during the week, I said while Steve nodded.

That's nice of you William, he said but I knew he didn't buy my story.

"let's go Dawn," he said as Dawn wave goodbye to me. I let them leave the empty class before I let my body sag against the door. I stare into the dark empty class which looks so much like my impending future which is also dark and empty. Tears began flow from my eyes because I was helpless and couldn't bring myself to tell Dawn about it.

Some imagination started to run through my head on how to tell Dawn about it......

"Hey babes. There's something you should know. I'm dirt poor and won't be able to enter into the college with you this year like we agreed. "I pause then shake my head at my reflection in Mr Desmond's beat up truck just beside our house. I do this almost every day as I stroll home from school. I debate about telling Dawn the truth about me. Would she accept that we are from different social class?

I've been lying to her for the past five years we've known each other. Plus no one deserves a dirt poor bastard child, I screw my face at my reflection as self loathe begin to make my skin crawl.

I'm poor, I'm a bastard, my mom doesn't do anything other than drink and feel sorry for herself. I hate my life, I want to be able to make things better for Dawn and mother...

"You are going to mess up my mirror kid," Mr Desmond's deep voice brought me out of my deep thoughts and I quickly backed off from his car with my hands held up.

"Sorry sir, was just wiping some bird poop", I mumble.

No one messes with Mr Desmond's car in this neighborhood, he heads the deadliest gang in this area and just annoying him could mean dying in your own hands..

I watched him with bated breath as he eye me up and down. "You know what kid?" he asks.. "I like you, you know your place and looks like you could make things happen for yourself".

He continues when I didn't answer the rhetorical question.

"Can I leave?" I was tempted ask that but I just nodded like a dummy. Mr Desmond having an interest in a boy of my age is never a good news.

"Here," he push some cash into my palm as he walked towards his car to enter it. I was about to turn down his cash when he starts the car.

"It's for wiping the shit off my truck, call me if you need anything", he said before driving off.

"What just happened?.. I should call him for help?.. so he will involve me in something illegal? No I must avoid Mr Desmond at all costs".

I was tempted to throw the cash away "but it will come in handy one day", I said to myself.

"Mom, I'm back", I called out as I push our wooden door open.

It's doesn't take long to get my shoes off before i hurried towards the kitchen, I'm famished.

The house is eerily quiet as I move through the living room to the kitchen. I met only plates in the sink. All the pots are empty, my stomach growls in protest.

This isn't the first time am meeting such but I still feel like ripping someone's head off every time, that someone being my shitty dad.

"Mom, there's no food in the kitchen," I said quietly when I heard something behind me.

I heard her mutter and clutching a bottle of wine hard, so I turned to look at her, her eyes are bloodshot and she looks pale.

"I see you didn't forget to get your drink though", I spoke to her.

"Am sorry son, you don't deserve a mother like me, I just feel so bad you know?, after that witch came over yesterday and tore your application form, I just stood there helpless, I just felt like I needed this drink badly" mom said.

"But mom is this drink suppose to make you feel helpful?" I mutter.

"Do you know I called your father this morning, he couldn't pick up, am sure if I talk to him, he will give you the scholarship, I am very sure that the witch he married is diverting my calls", She said without answering my previous question.

"Mom, dad doesn't want to speak to you, he could have been here with us if actually he really cares about us", I tried to grab the bottle from her but she pushed me away from her.

"Don't say that"!! she screamed as she throw the bottle against the kitchen wall. The sudden sound of glass hitting the wall beside me was followed by her sobbing.

"He loves me , he'll come if I talk to him", she sobs.

I know the drill, when she gets like this, all I can do is agree with her.

"You're right mom, maybe he'll come tomorrow so why don't you sleep now so you can look pretty for him tomorrow", I told her and she smiled.

"You're right I should sleep, he'll be here when I wake up tomorrow you'll see", she said as she walk out of the kitchen.

I waited for her to be out of earshot before I let the sob hanging in my throat out. I clench my hand on the wooden table behind me as I quieten my sobs.

I can't let her hear me, she will be fine when she wakes up, I told myself but I know vividly that my mom needs help.

"I'll be your rock mother, father has abandoned you but I promise I will take care of you," I made this silent promise as I wipe my face of tears. With my resolve toughened, I grabbed two stale of slices bread from the last night's dinner and ate them. I move to my room to change and prepare for my night shift at the supermarket that I work as a part timer.

On getting there, I started my work as the cashier," Thank God am still early, I muttered. As I was attending to customers I saw Dickson my childhood friend.

"Smallie what's up" I rolled my eyes as Dickson holler at me from the supermarket's entrance.

I hid my smile as I help a customer bag her purchases.

"Thanks for shopping with us ma'am," I said as I handed her purchases to her. She gave me a polite nod as she walks out of the supermarket...