There’s this particular day from my secondary school days that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. It happened back when I was in SS3, my final year. I was in the science department at the time, and our set was split into two science classes—Science A and Science B. I was in Science B, and that’s where this story takes place.
It was one of those slow days. We were in class, but no teacher was around to teach us, so everyone was just doing their thing—some were sleeping, others were gisting quietly, and the whole vibe was just dull and boring. I was feeling restless, like I needed to do something, anything, just to shake off the boredom.
Now, there was this particular girl in my class, "Derin" . She was the shortest girl in our set, and people always joked about her height, though she was actually my age. On that day, I don’t even know what got into me. I went to her seat to tease her, just for the fun of it. I wasn’t trying to be mean or anything, but clearly, she wasn’t in the mood for jokes. I noticed her reaction wasn’t cheerful, so I just left her alone and went back to lie down on my desk.
Next thing I knew—PAO!—I I felt this sharp sting across my face. I didn’t even see it coming. It was Derin. She slapped me right there in front of the whole class. The sound of that slap echoed in my head, and for a few seconds, I was just in shock. I couldn’t believe it. A part of me wanted to laugh at how unexpected it was, but the other part was boiling with anger.
I remember thinking, “Nah, she didn’t just do that.” I stood up immediately, my pride bruised, and in my rage, I grabbed this plastic rake we had in class and threw it at her. Honestly, if the rake had touched her she would have been badly injured but luckily for her—or maybe for me—it missed. By now, some people in the class were paying attention, and you know how secondary school boys are. I didn’t want to be the joke of the day. I was ready to retaliate no matter what.
But just as things were about to escalate, an English teacher from the next class stepped in. She had heard the commotion and came to find out what was going on. She took both of us straight to the staff room, where we were seriously scolded. I remember standing there, trying to explain my side of the story while still nursing my bruised ego.
We were both asked to write statements about what happened, and afterwards, they made us apologize to each other. I did it because, well, I had to, but deep down, I still held a grudge. It wasn’t even about the slap anymore—it was the embarrassment. I couldn't help but feel regretful that I didn't get to slap her back. As childish as that sounds now, that feeling stuck with me for a while.
Looking back now, it’s funny in a way, but that experience taught me a lot about self-control and how quickly things can escalate when you let emotions take over. That day remains one of the wildest and most unforgettable memories from my time in secondary school.
Thanks for reading.