“Wake up Omotola.’’ A voice stirred her awake, but she decided she was not ready to open her eyes just yet; the female voice was friendly and careless.

“I’ve told you times without number to stop watching late night movies,’’ the voice continued, so get up before you’re late for school."

School? her eyes flipped open at that.

She was on a lush bed, much bigger than the colt in her cubicle; the room was also bigger and decorated like a teenage girl’s, with teddies and teen pop stars posters, she gaped as she took in her surroundings before seeking out the voice owner.

“Who are you?"

“Very funny Omotola, a woman; porcelain skin with startling green eyes smiled down at her, her glossy red hair tied into a ponytail, held a coffee mug as she continued, “I think it’s time you cut down on all these sci-fi movies of yours, you’ve gotta take life serious like going to school to which you might be late again if you don’t get your butt out of that bed now.”

She chattered on about Omotola’s average grade scores and letters from PTA meetings, and then stopped when she noticed that she was still on the bed busy looking seriously confused.

“Anything the matter darling?” if you don’t get ready by the time I'm ready for work, you might have to take the bus."

“Seriously Lady, who the hell are you and what the hell am I doing here, are you my new handler?, Tell me where I am, tell me now cos I don't want to hurt you.’’

“Now don’t you talk to your mother like that young lady,’’ the strange woman snapped stern faced, i already have half a mind to ban you from watching those silly movies giving you silly ideas now don’t push it, now get out of that bed before I make you.’’

On saying this, she stormed out of the room leaving Omotola all the more confused and a little bit startled.

Some primal instinct told her she’d better do as the authoritative woman says before she carries out her threat, she got out of bed wondering why she should obey the woman, she could snap her lean waist with one hand tied behind her back, or scare her off with her wings, she flexed her shoulder blades then realized her back was kind of light, she reached back and felt nothing.

“Where did my wings go," she wondered in a moment of panic as she glanced around the unfamiliar room searching for a mirror and rushed over to take in her appearance. she still looked and felt the same minus the wings, like a normal fifteen year old.

What is going on, the last thing she remembered was fighting against Askaris and combat drones, were they being punished by clipping off their wings? surely the institute can't afford to maim their assets after how far they've come.

And now there she was trapped with some crazy woman claiming to be her mother, could she really be her mother, Omotola winced as a sharp pain raced through her head, she felt that she was supposed to remember something that, yet she could not seem to recollect her musing just the few seconds ago, she paused to think; apart from her own darker skin she does looks like the woman. her reddish brown shaggy hair almost as close in colour with hers, her green eyes was almost a compliment to the green spots on her lost wings. Everything felt wrong, it was like she wasn't supposed to be there, something must have happened during the fight to explain why she was here in this parallel existence and not as a captive with her brothers and sisters.

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The woman’s impatient yell had her rushing off instinctively to the bathroom and ten minutes later, she was sitting in a car beside her as she wheeled expertly through the morning traffic, dropped her off with a hasty kiss and a goodbye, then zoomed off before she could utter a word of protest.

“This is getting weirder by the minute." she grumbled where she stood, watching the city rush by, the noise was deafening as she realized the only time she had seen cities were in videos and pictures back at the institute, her imaginings didn’t prepare her for this.

"Hey Omotola, over here," A rather annoying voice saved her from further embarrassment as she stood gaping at the passerby’s, she glared over at the voice owner not liking the way her name was pronounced, the familiarity in it had her on guard.

Two girls her age made a beeline for her, they both wore the same boring school uniform she wore, grey frocks grey jacket, ties and berets, socks and matching sandals.

“Wonderful,’’ she hissed under her breath as they drew near, “Besties I suppose.’’ her training at the institute kicks in as she studied the two girls for any sign of threat. The one that called her by her name managed to look pretty in her ugly grey school cloths.

Omotola nearly laughed at the irony of her situation, like the college storyline, from the movies Katie had always sneaked in for her to watch. Three best friend, that one's probably the prettiest one amidst the BFF trio, she bet the second is the geek. "nice try Mugabe, I don't know what you're up to but you can't fool me." she mumbled rolling her eyes as they drew up.

“Sup Omotola, I thought you said you weren't coming today, I knew you’re chicken, bet mommy threatened to spank you so hard you develop the talent to sing soprano.’’ the geeky one said while the Barbie girl snickered into her hands.

Omotola fumed silently at both girls, geek girl had a lab sized glasses on and was the shorter of the two girls, short curly hair on dark skin, the rest of her wasn’t impressive, Barbie doll on the other hand looked like she woke up in a makeup shop, her long braid dyed in multicolor, Babybaby will worship this one, her nails was painted likewise and she had made it her priority in life that moment to make sure Omotola noticed as she wriggle them all over her face. However on earth can she be friends with these girls.

“Why would I want to stay home?" She asked, deciding to play along and see where everything leads, the girls looked at each other as if she had said something stupid.

“Cos you were dared yesterday to skip school today silly," Barbie girl answered as she rolled her eyes, “you should have seen her boosting she wouldn’t come to school whenever she felt like it unlike the rest of us normal folks yesterday Bisola.’’

“Don’t mind her," Bisola, aka geek girl smirked, "my only regret was that you almost bet your favourite lip gloss against Florence’s mathematical sets in her defense yesterday but you canceled because you didn't think she could do it, no loyalty at all, not one ounce.’’ She signed dramatically as they both burst into shrills of laughter.

Omotola’s temper was beginning to stretch to its limit, she brushed past them and moved down the pedestrian lane outwardly looking around casually but inwardly she desperately searched around for the stupid school without giving the girls another reason to laugh at her.

They soon caught up as Bisola hanged her arms around hers while Barbie girl took the other. Omotola recoiled at the casual closure as she instinctively tried to zap them both with an electric charge but luckily for them nothing happened.

“Come on Omobaby, you know we're just teasing you right? we’re just happy you didn’t get into trouble with your mother cos the last time, she banned Valerie and i from seeing you for days.’’

“I can see why’’ Omotola muttered.

“Ow come on now that was harsh,’’ Valerie aka Barbie girl pouted, "it wasn’t us but you who wrote down the nicknames we secretly gave miss Kosoko unto a sheet of paper and left it for her to find.

“I did?’’ Omotola mused, fascinated.

“You should have seen the look of shock on her badly maked-up face,’’ Valerie said, ‘’exactly like the first name on the list, festac masquerade face.”

They laughed at this, Omotola in spite of herself chuckled, maybe these girls aren’t bad after all, she mused as she allowed herself to be lead toward the school gate worried she was forgetting something while both her so called besties shared jokes and threw friendly jabs at each other.