Chapter 1 Love Out Of League

Mrs. Thomson keeps counting the money she came home with from selling fish in the local market, she counted up to five times. 

She was very sure the money was complete when she kept it in her room.

“What is going on in this house? And where is that bright?”

“Mom I'm here” bright emerges from outside the house.

“Did you take money from my bag?”

“No mum, but I saw big sister leaving your room earlier.”

“And where is she?”

“I don’t know she left in a hurry.”

Sandra ran to the supermarket to buy gift items for Brian because valentine is around the corner and she wants to surprise her boyfriend of three years this valentine.

“What will I buy with this money? Everything here is very expensive, okay, I will buy him a singlet”, she counted the money and bought Brian one singlet, that is what her money can afford.

Brian has been away in school but this year he is here to spend Valentine's with her, words cannot describe her joy as she waits in anticipation.

 “Where are you coming from and where is my money you took?” her mother confronted her immediately after she enters the house.

“I'm sorry mum, but I took it to buy toiletries”

“Is that a reason for you to take my money without telling me?”

“I'm so sorry mum, it will never happen again”

“Of course, give me what you are holding” she went after Sandra but her husband stopped her.

“She said she's sorry, just forgive her, I'm sure she will not do it next time”

“This girl is getting ahead of herself” she complains to her husband.

“Is okay, I will give you back your money” Sandra’s father said.

She could not sleep that night she keeps praying for the day-break because tomorrow is going to be a big day for her; she is going to spend it with Brian.

He has just returned home from school but he didn’t make out the time to see her because “maybe he is busy, you know studying at the university is hard work”, Sandra consoled herself with these words, but all that will be over since they are going to meet tomorrow been valentine’s day, a day of lovers to show how much they love each other.

“I have a lot to tell him,” she said so excitedly.

Early next day Sandra help her mother to carry things to the market, she cleans the whole house and makes sure everything is in order. She didn’t want her mother to have a reason to shout at her when she comes back from the market.

She cooked the food, clean the house, wash the dishes, and everything else.

“Why are you cleaning so much today? are we having visitors today?” Bright ask his sister.

“We are not having any visitors, just shut your big mouth, I'm trying to help you out, and is that all you can say?”

“Oh.. thank you, I thought we are having a visitor.”

“Will you get out of here before you go and tell mother something else?.”

Sandra set out by 4.30 pm to Brian’s house only to meet his absence.

“Hey… Sandra how are you?.. long time.” Brian’s younger sister came running towards Sandra.

“You’re late, Brian just left with his friends.”

“Left? With his friends to where?” Sandra asks with so much disappointment written all over her face.

“He didn’t tell you? Oh no. A friend of his just came back from America and they invited him to his welcome back party. I'm about to go there too, you want to come?”

“Sure” Sandra agreed because she has to see Brian today, she has been waiting for him for over a year now and she can’t even see him today. “No, I have to go there with her.”

“Okay, let’s go” they stopped a taxi and drove down to the party.

“What is this place?” Sandra asks Brian’s sister because this place is so beautiful, like those mansions she use to see in the movies.

“This place is so beautiful, is Brian inside here?” she asks so flabbergasted.

“Yes, he should be in…de” she stopped talking when she saw Alex walk out of the building to his car.

“Hi, Alex” Pat waves at the tall dark, chocolate skin guy whose beauty makes every girl stop on their track just to catch a glimpse of him.

“Hi Pat,” he just waves at the two girls without stopping to look at them or even smiling at them. He just walk passed them and into his car.

“Who is that, and why is he so full of himself?” Sandra asks Pat.

“That is Alex for you, he is Brian’s friend the one who just got back from America”.

“So?”

“What do you mean so? you need to see how girls are killing themselves just to talk to him back in our secondary school days”

“Okay, maybe not every girl”

“You don’t know Alex, I have a crush on him way back in school, but he just walks past me all the time.”

“If I were him I will do the same” Sandra said making a face. “But he is handsome I must confess, is just that he is so full of himself” Sandra added at last.

“That is Alex for you, the girls always fight because of him back in school”

“Can we go inside? I need to see Brian” Sandra demanded.

“Yes, let’s go inside, but where are they?”

“Over there, I think they are over there.” Sandra pointed inside the house seeing so many people dancing and holding their drinks and smiling at one another.

“Oh.. look, Brian is over there,” Pat said and left Sandra to join her friends.

“Brian!!…” Sandra rushes over to him and hugs him in front of everyone.

“Hey… Sandra what are you doing here?” he asks pulling himself away from her while others just look on.

“I came to your house but you were not there, Pat brought me here with her.” She told Brian smiling.

“Happy Valentine,” she said smiling at him and brought out the gift, and handed it over to him.

Brian looks at the gift and then at his friends raising an eyebrow he asks “Where is Pat?”

“Over there”

“Come with me,” he held Sandra by the hand and pull her outside the house and his friends followed him including his girlfriend Katherine.

“What is wrong with you? do you want to disgrace me in front of my friends?” Brian asks Sandra who was so surprised at his reaction toward her.

“What did I do wrong? I only gave you a gift.”

“Is this a gift?” Katherine asks snatching the bag from Sandra and opening it.

“Singlet!!?... hahahahaha” they all laugh at her but Brian wasn’t laughing, he took the singlet from Katharine and hand it over to Sandra.

“Take this and please go home”

Sandra took the singlet from him, she was too shocked to speak, she stood there looking at Brian with too many questions in her heart, questions like “who is this other girl? and why is he treating her this way and if he doesn’t love her anymore”

“Are you deaf?” he said you should go back home” Katharine said pushing Sandra to the floor.

Alex’s friend wanted to come out of the car to help Sandra with these bullies but Alex stopped him.

“Wait, let’s see what is going on”

“They are bullying her Alex, is obvious” Alex's friend whom he just went out to pick up told him, but Alex wanted to see what Brian will do.

“I have eyes you know, but I just want to see what Brian will do”

“Who is that girl and why is Katharine been so rude to her?, I hate that Katharine” Jack said.

“Calm down, are you angry that she said yes to Brian and not to you?”

“Who cares? I don’t even like her anymore”

“Hahaha” Alex gave out a big laugh while in the car but no one heard them because the car was tinted.

Brian pulls Sandra up from the floor and asks her to leave.

Sandra was so ashamed so she ran out of the place carrying the singlet with her.

“Hahaha” they all laughed at her as she ran out of the place with Katharine hugging Brian but Brian wasn’t laughing with them. He kept a straight face and walked inside with the others.

“Is he not happy sending her away? Why is his face like that?” Alex asks his friend still inside the car.

“How am I supposed to know that?” Jack asks Alex sarcastically.

“You know what? You go inside I will see you later.”

“Where are you going to?”

“To check something.”

“Bad guy…. Don’t tell me you are going after her?” Jack asks Alex smiling.

“What is making you smile? And who told you am going after her?”

“I know you, Alex, I don’t think you want to play with this toy, she is not your type so just forget about her.”

“Get out of my car, and please tell my sister I will be right back in a minute”

“You don’t wanna do this, she’s not worth it, let’s just go inside man” Jack keep laughing at Alex.

“I know how stupid you can be but am okay with you, just get out of my car,” Alex said and drove off following Sandra.