CHOICE

The feelings just couldn't go away, bundled my head on the wrapped round spaghetti jollof and the crunchy chicken. Stock my fork on and off it, slowly in deep thoughts.

"Zucha, what's bothering you" My mum had to break the silence for my dad was so engrossed with his dinner that he forgot I was even there, lavishing the meal without a thought of his next.

"Am fine, mum" I quietly replied still bent down.

"Then eat your food and stop making her less worried" my dad promptly spoke without any eye contact whatsoever.

I could feel that she wasn't comfortable around me and needed to know more about my attitude.

There I was sitting down with the thought of what I needed to know, but just can't place it right.

"why Alfred" I spoke without any reasoning for what I just said, my dad wasn't bothered about what I said, he continued his meal without any further delay and my mum just sat there and laughed for a bit.

"That's your Father's name," she said with a crazy gesture like I wasn't thinking straight at the time.

"Why can't I answer my family name Alphasas" without any holt in my voice.

"We don't want you to answer that" quickly he stood up and left the dining table, what I said wasn't important to him and my mum never saw it that serious either. Her facial expression was like that wasn't serious at all, I hurriedly left the table without eating and off to bed.

All through the night my thoughts on Zina and her brother, my surname and the frozen experience I saw in the forest got me choked up in thought, I had begun to fall in love with this girl but the strange occurrences I get when am close to her makes my love even heavier that I just can't let go of her.

"I should have followed them" I whispered those words with the thought of knowing her and the household better, "Why did I chicken out" still sobered and regretful.

The morning came up as fast as I could, leaving me with a slight headache and a rumbling stomach.

When I got to school, Richard and Derrick were already waiting at the lobby, without delay I cut up with them and then my locker before heading to the classroom.

"Zucha!!!Zucha!!" the voices in my head or the sound of a female voice I hear louder, I pondered.

Derrick shrouded my back with a knock on my head he said.

"Your girlfriend is calling you "They both left immediately without waiting for me. I gulped a bit when I saw that Zina was the one chanting my name from afar, I was dumbfounded but notwithstanding I held myself and gave her a wave while waiting.

"Hi, was calling you" She blushed a bit trying to catch her breath.

"Are you okay" snapped me for saying that.

"Yes, I am" she smiled a bit.

"Okay, I wanted you to come to my house today after school, can you?" she leaned on the locker by her side waiting for a response, I was speechless and hoping it was a dream, this was the girl I was seriously chasing after wants me to come to visit her.

"I..-"Just then Junior rushed into our conversation, facing Zina with a daring look

"Babe, I've missed you" He bends forward to peg her but she bluffed it

"Please, Junior I will talk to you later" Then she turned to me with a gesture for me to reply.

"Why the attitude, I told you I slept off and my battery went down" Junior fidgeted

"Really? Is that all you can say? After keeping almost all through the night, you slept off"

Zina yelled at him and pushed him away without delay.

I needed to give her a reply but the relationship she has started with Junior is something I wasn't comfortable with, then I ask myself if she wanted me to be in her place as a friend or a boyfriend.

"Please, am sorry, okay I will buy you lunch today and a gift" Junior felt remorseful over his attitude.

She was elated by those words, she walked closer to him and gave him a deep kiss on the mouth without considering my reply, afterwards Junior left with a wave while I watched in awe.

She rushed back to me with a smile she pleaded for my answer, I was too mute to speak, and all I did was nod my head in affirmation of whatever she wanted of me.

"Okay, I'll see you after school hours"

She left smiling, I was devastated that Junior had already started dating her without my knowledge, I had no other option but to choose either to be a friend to her or an enemy, I see no reason why she would want me in her house seeing that she already has someone in her life.

I buried my head in shame as I walked down to the classroom.

It was a revision week for the senior year, all through the classes I wasn't paying much attention, all my thought was on the kiss she gave Junior and their romantic night, I pondered deeply and wished I was Junior

"This guy is smooth" Derrick whispers

"What guy?" I quickly turned in his direction with the hope of seeing someone encouraging

"Junior of course" Richard loudly said without any feeling but I was touched by those words, watching how Zina and Junior spend time together in class and their romantic gesture when a teacher is in class makes me want to puke.

"Guy, you have been friend-zoned" Derrick laughed out loud sheepishly making me feel so bad and unacceptable around them, I took my books from the desk and left for the library.

"Wait up!" Richard shouted he beckoned on me to come back but I was already gone in thought and discontinued my ears from hearing any sound around.