Chapter 4

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Stacey asked as she kept staring at him.

"There's something you should know." He started.

She stared at him for a while, waiting for him to finish. 

"Never mind, I don't want to ruin the date." She turned on the ignition and drove off. 

It was a silent ride as they didn't speak to each other. 

"Why did you have to sweep it under the carpet? You shouldn't have made me anticipate it if you were gonna do just that." She pulled up in front of a mall. 

"I….I'm sorry. You'd get upset by it, and this relationship is still starting." He said. 

"Is it New York? I already know. You mentioned it the first time we met. Let's enjoy it while it lasts." She smiled at him. 

"Can't wait for grad…." She giggled. 

"Yeah, pull up in front. That's my house." He said.

"I thought you lived with Mig since you're cousins." Her face, was void of expressions as she spoke.

"Nope. Thanks for today and have a beautiful night." He kissed her before getting out of the car. 

She watched him walk away, waving back at him and blowing him kisses when he turned around to look at her once more. 

Light rays from an oncoming vehicle's headlamp hit her, and she blocked the rays from penetrating her eyes, using her hands. 

"Gawd damn it motherf**ker." She cussed, and when she turned to look at him again, he was gone. 

She smiled to herself as she sat there thinking of the events of the day, biting her lower lip. Her buzzing phone interrupts her thoughts and she smiles again before zooming off. 

"Honey, it's ten fifty-nine, almost eleven pm." Her mom said as she took off her coat. 

"Mom, relax. I'm good, okay? Okay, I'm sorry for making you worry, but I'm an adult now." She assured as she wrapped her arms around her mom, kissing her on the cheek. 

"I can't help but worry, Kel." She said,

"I love you mámá." She ascended the stairs to her room. 

Devika was sprawled out on the bed, fast asleep. 

She got out of her stilettos and gown and left to shower. She stepped out of the bathroom twenty and a couple of minutes later, dried herself out before plunging herself down on the little space Devika's expandable body didn't occupy. 

She gazed at the ceiling, smiling to herself, her phone chimed. She had been anticipating his calls for a while. She picked up her phone. 

"It didn't take long for you to replace me. Have fun, though." ~Cameron. It read.

She sighed and rolled over. 

"Cameron texted me," She said as she went through her phone. 

"Turn off that phone bish…" Devika groaned and turned to the other side of the bed.

She rolled to the other side of the bed, curled up as she thought of the events of last night and Cameron. Her eyelids draped as she tried to stay awake for a while, her body too weak and her eyes couldn't conform to it, she eventually let it have its way.

Rays of sunlight fell on her eyelids as she moaned and rolled over to the other side of the bed. 

She tugged at the sheets and pulled them over her head, mumbling a few words before her alarm went beep, almost making her jump out of bed. 

"F**k," She sighed as she got off the bed. 

Jed was just outside her window, waiting for her, she went about everything she had to do quickly before leaving for school. 

"About last night.." She started but he cut her short immediately. 

"I don't want to talk about it." His voice was husky as he focused his gaze on the windscreen, with a straight face.

"We can't keep ignoring it." She pressed on. 

"What do you want to know?! He asked after seeing she wouldn't let it die down. 

"What you wanted to tell me, that you couldn't tell because you didn't want to ruin the date." She says. 

He turned off the ignition and turned to face her. 

"I'm leaving for New York. I was meant to live after grad, but it won't work. I'm leaving before grad. Your family harvest? I'll make it to the harvest that day before leaving for New York." He spilled, as she stared at him blankly. 

Hearing him say those words felt like knife stabs in her heart, she swallowed hard as she tried to fight back the tears that were starting to well up in her eyes. 

"What?" She managed to say after a session of hard fighting with her tears. She couldn't believe her ears, they were just starting something and he was running off.

"Look, I really wanna be the one for you, Stacey. I'm sorry I'm leaving for NY and I don't know when I'd be back. But, I do love you, and wouldn't be able to forgive myself if we didn't date." He said, his brows depicting sadness as he spoke. 

"Yeah. Two breakups in two days, so typical." She got off and slammed the door shut as she made for the entrance of the school. 

She couldn't believe she'd be attending graduation alone, yesterday she was with Cameron, then they split, today she was with Jed, today they split. 

She rushed into the bathroom as her emotions flooded her, her cheeks had turned red from trying to hold back tears and her eyes were starting to sting as tears threatened to roll down her smooth fair cheeks. She sucked in a reasonable amount of air as she smoothed her hair while licking her lips at intervals as she stood in front of the bathroom mirror.

She felt her whole world crumble right before her very feet and felt like screaming. 

She splashed a handful of water on her face, wiped it clean, and walked out of the bathroom, pretending everything was okay. 

She bumped into Jed again, and he kept staring at her like he was observing her, then she walked past him without uttering a word. 

News spread like wildfire in the school that they were no longer together. 

"Hey, what's with you and Dylan," Miguel asked as he walked side by side next to her. 

"Not now, Mi," 

She found it difficult to concentrate in all her classes and Mrs. Simmons, their psychology lecturer, had to talk to her. 

"Ms. Tribette. It's so hot this nice afternoon." She started with a warm smile playing on her lips. "I noticed you've been withdrawn from classes lately, could anything be the problem?" Ms. Simmons asked, patting Stacey's back. 

"No ma'am, it's just a phase, it'll pass." She replied, trying to sound the most confident. 

"Your body releases hormones when you're angry, happy, upset, and all, and you might not know it, but these hormones are responsible for your physical actions and facial expressions. You've been down and absent-minded all day, you look upset. I don't know what you're going through, it's likely relationship issues. I'll say, listen to your heart and do what you want. Do you want this person? Are you willing to keep this person? Are you willing to be with this person regardless of the challenges you both may face? Think of it. If it's family issues, spend time with them, analyze, try to talk to them, and adjust. Let's see how that goes." She advised, dusting her skirt. "Ring me if you ever want to talk." She handed me her business card before walking away.

She glanced up at the sky through the window and flinched when she got tickled by someone, she nearly fell. 

"Devika!" She yelled, her chuckles filled the air. 

"Jed's waiting for you, sulker," Devika says.

"I don't want to see him. Tell him I said I'd go home alone." She said but Devika insisted she does the telling herself.

She walked out the door, with Devika tailing behind her.

"Really, what's this all about?" She asked but Devika wouldn't answer her. 

She walked into the cafeteria, her bag fell off her hand, and her cheeks flushed red as she stood there like a frozen fish. She couldn't believe her eyes. What her eyes saw was beyond cute and lovely.