CHAPTER 14 (THEN)

Everyone came to know Kate,

Everyone came to know, the boy with a unique name in the class had found someone,

Luke was happy for me, even after hearing the news from somewhere else,

The queen bee shrugged.

"Love is a scam nowadays!" she stated. She was never someone who would be genuinely happy for me. I wondered why we were friends anyway... Oh, for assignments and to stand up for me when I was away…, she had something with the professor anyway..,

And,..not to forget ..,Her little nosy friend who laughed with her in unison after hearing I had finally found someone. Things about this nosy girl is; I felt like she was more than the person she made people see... she was a rumor monger. Any rumor was no rumor without passing through her; she always knew. 

She knew who was laid by the same course mate in class, 

she knew who had been left by a lover, 

she knew who slept with the professors for grades... 

hell, she knew, she really did.

Anyway, I felt she was more than what she appeared to be. She was a friend to all. And one thing I know is 'a friend to all is an enemy of all'. She just picked up secrets from each person and passed it to different people; that's what kind of person she was...

She pretended to be good for the sake, and her biggest joy was being friends with two enemies. She would download information of hate from each counterpart and send the messages to the other, leading to conflicts and hate among the girls... 

I was never fond of her. I really never was. 

I just spoke to the queen bee, and it was just because she was the first girl who approached me during my first class here.

I remembered her saying, 'Oooh... your height...,' and whatever. 

She was a sucker for the tall ones. 

I was tall... but I really never thought about this much, this height. All I concentrated on is to avoid getting fails for my exams. I just needed to make my mom proud. I really did.

"What's your deal with Kate?" Billy asked. For the first time, they were the ones who came near where I sat.

"She's my girl," I stated, not knowing even why I said that, but anyway she was my girl and anyone who wanted her should know they'll have to pass by me.

"Hahaha... aahh...," they all laughed in unison, and I suddenly found that suspicious.

"Why y'all being disrespectful, man?" I asked, now putting on my mask, and reminding them that I am from the hoods. Hesitating to beat someone was not a thing I was ever shy of.

"No, chill man... although, take care of your girl," his friend, what's his goddamn name? His damn friend, stated... I never, I forgot his name, I never talked to him much... but that Funzy was quiet, and his stare onto me seemed like he was both in thought, and additionally just looking at me.

"Is there something I should know?" I asked, although deep down, I knew that, even when they'd tell me something super fishy about this girl, I would just shrug it and wait till I see it myself.

"You ain't rich, dude. How'd you pull the girl without a Rover? With your goddamn medicine course?" They stated laughing...

"What did you just say?" I stated now, my temper rising and as I stood up, and I knew I was ready for anything, grabbing their collars, or beating the hell out of them. I did not care, but I needed not one disrespecting me, and especially Kate when at the moment she ain't even here to know what is happening.

"Your girl chills in our car, dude.., relax man, we know her more," Billy stated. I don't know why he kept pushing the topic, but I felt irritated when I heard the word chill. I knew these boys, no one chilled in their car without a reason, they were 'Bad' real 'bad'. I realized when I hang out with them the last few days.

The girl would just be taken in the back by one of them, and despite her pleas, they heard nothing. It was like they never knew when a girl said stop. It was like they never listened. 

She would plea for... 'do not touch, no, it is in a car, stop... your friends are watching and everything,' but they cared not. Why would they anyway? They would just say 'just one touch, just one, we are good people, we won't do you harm.'

"What do you mean by chill?" I asked quietly, scared that they would say something.

"Nothing, dude, ask Funzy," Billy stated and left me staring at him.., as if seeking more information.

"They're just lying," the queen bee stated. One thing I wondered, the queen bee never really enjoyed their company. She never not once even entertained them, even after one of them tried hard to get her attention. She barely even showed them one. This girl knew what she wanted... she really did.

Anyway,

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

My heart is a green light battery,

My brain is happy,

My soul is light,

As I chose to leave the class before those fuckers would spoil my mind with stories about Kate.., ooooh fuck its sunny I found myself stating.., and Why wouldn't I invite Kate for a swim? I had already been paid the previous week, so you know what's up.

Buzz, buzz...

"Hello."

"Kate," I started, smiling from ear to ear.

"How are you doing?" She started, and finished with "Love."

It had been a month since that day I asked her to be mine. We had spent much time together, everything, but I had not engaged her with any act she barely wanted.

"I'm fine, darling. The skies are blue, the sun is radiant, and I thought of us going for a swim or some picnic," I stated, of course, anyone seeing me could see the happiness in my eyes.

"Okay, pick me up at the main gate," she stated, and I knew it was done. This time it was me hanging up. I liked being the person hanging up; it just gave me the notion that she really cared about me and everything.

Anyway, after picking her up, I had many ideas of where to take her. The only issue was we were heading through public transport, something that I apologized unintentionally about. 

I told her, "my car has been hit and my parents have not accepted my plea to reach out to the insurance." 

God, I don't know why I lied. 

I just felt inferior when Billy told me about having a car. 

Most of the people on campus had a car, some great cars, others simple ones, with some having random bicycles. But for me, I did not even feel the need for a bicycle, despite my mother sending me money to buy myself one.

We were never the richest of families, I accepted that.

I had not told Kate much about myself. All she knew was I was mixed, a person of color, as some racists would describe us. She knew this because of my appearance.

However, I knew a lot about her.

Her father was a lecturer, her mother a businesswoman.

A great family indeed.

She lived around the bay, so she was more of a summer person, unlike me who liked winter much better. And she liked water, which was why I chose to go swimming with her today.

I had planned not pretty much…, it was just a random idea that popped on my mind.

"It's beautiful," she stated when we entered the place. Its name was Asser Levy or something. It was recommended by Luke; he had recommended it before he started his gig, he said it had nice views.., anyway,. It was a beautiful place... maybe not better than the places she may have ever gone to, but at least it was somewhere she could just have a swim.

"I did not bring my swimsuit," she told me, hiding her face as if embarrassed that she did not tell me or have an idea of the place. But I just said, "Oh..."

"Where would you like to go? I'm sorry, I did not think about that," I stated.

"I feel bad," she stated, and this made me also feel bad.

"Would you like a movie tonight then, some virtual movie out?" I asked, and then imagined something beautiful. "Do you love hikes?"

Speaking, we were just somewhere at the center of the pathways that enclosed the pool. Everyone was looking at us, especially the fact that we were fully dressed, with me wearing my sneakers.

 I don't know what I was really thinking... I had not planned anything for real. Sometimes... sometimes, anyway.

"Virtual movie out can do, but not today. You barely even planned," she told me, and I felt a little bit irritated. 

The fact that I had used up some of my cash even made me feel worse. But I just did it out of anger that she would weigh me against the mounts that the other guys had. I hoped she would see me not as I am, but as someone who has a predestined future. 

Anyway, she just grabbed my hand and helped me out of the recreational area as the sun burnt our scalps, not caring if we had sunscreens or not. But my skin was a little hard; it took some hell of sun to bring blisters onto it.

So, I called an Uber, and it took us to our residential area.., as we were neighbours.

Any man in my position would be mad at themselves, especially maybe when she said that she did not have costumes, I should have offered to buy her.., man, I failed…, but I really did not have the idea of that, it was something that abruptly came into my mind, next time, I shall make it memorable, I promise, I said to myself, as I helped her enter my apartment. 

She was free to feel comfortable in my room.

"I hope the swimming thing does not affect you." She stated, looking at me, as I closed the door behind me.

"Barely,…" I lied, and then added, "I just did not think it through much,…" 

"What do you mean?" She asked, as she sat at one of the sofa that Luke had bought some weeks back, after his gig…, and then I went on to give her some water, and a little juice that was still fresh in the fridge.

"I mean.., I just.., the sun.., you know." I stated, as I sat next to her.

"You don't have to try much Zen..," she stated, as she grabbed my right hand and reaching out to my chin, which had little to no beards, "Your efforts are enough." She added.

"What if,.. what if am.., what if you..," I was trying hard to question.., to put in something.., to talk out something.., but I feared she would see the insecurity I had within me,..

"Its okay…," she stated, and then for the first time initiated the kiss.., it was soft, real soft, I chose to go with her pace,..but I knew soon, we would, I would be fighting with her for dominance,.. but before it became hot, she slightly caressed my chin using her thumb, and slightly slipped her full slender hands to hold my neck as she stopped the kiss and looked at my eyes.., I was just staring at her lips, Damn..,.., leaving little kisses on my chin, she quietly stated in my year, 

"am all yours.., am all yours." 

Fuck.., was what my head stated.., where the fuck did she learn these nasty tricks..,

anyway, I just let her do what she wanted,… and after stating that she went back to drink her juice as if she stated nothing.

Damn.., she bold.

I like bold shawrieess.