"And for someone who should have brains, you don't do a lot of thinking," I said angered. Why didn't he stop me a few minutes later when I was done with Alda.
"Who annoyed you this afternoon? You seem to always be in a bad mood and offending people has really become a habit of yours..."
"Did you really stop me just to castigate me?" I asked incredulously.
"No, I actually stopped you to apologize even though I really don't know what I am apologizing for. I can't just bear to loose one of the best friends I ever had and if you feel that I did something offensive then I am really sorry."
"That's really sweet and all..." I started saying but paused. Auti never really did anything to me but then he apologized just because he didn't want to loose our friendship. If there was really anyone who needed to apologize it would be me.
But as the proud asshole I had always been, I just didn't. I felt really terrible at that moment. It felt as if the universe specially chose that day to make me realize that I was a hideous monster.
"Actually I should have apologized. You are right, you had no reason to apologize. It's totally my fault. And I wouldn't normally say this but I actually missed you," I said with a smile.
"But this was definitely wrong timing cause I really needed to catch up to someone but I lost her. I wouldn't blame you cause the blame falls on me. If I had apologized much earlier, you wouldn't have stopped me now. So I guess I am at fault," I said shrugging.
"Yeah you are," he said shrugging and I playfully nudged him.
"But really though, the next time you see me running anywhere, please don't stop me. You could never really know if I committed some heinous crime and was trying to make a smooth getaway."
"Indeed!" He said letting out a small laugh.
"So everyone knows you are Ami Tara's daughter now. How did that even happen?" He asked as we walked down the path that led back to our class.
"I really don't know. That's actually the reason you saw me sprinting down the hallway. I heard that Alda has something to do with the whole thing. I really don't know for sure but she's probably the only one who could have. My roommate, Isa said that she saw her going through my things when I was at home and she also owns a similar bracelet to the one I found at home next to my phone so I think she also had access to my phone when it wasn't locked," I explained.
"Wow. That's crazy!" He commented.
"How's Aisha?" I asked after a while.
"She's fine," he said and then silence followed until we parted ways. Maybe our friendship had been fixed but perhaps it would never really be the same again.
****
Having an uneventful day felt really weird when something always seemed to happen. So it didn't feel normal for something to just not happen. But I had many relatively dry days afterwards.
Chiamaka came back to school although we never really crossed paths whether it was deliberately or not, I couldn't tell but I was glad that we didn't get to interact even though we were basically in the same room and class.
It seemed as if she really took a chill pill when she went home. But of course trouble loved me so much that it seemed to follow me around a lot and a lot people really hated me so I couldn't have expected peace that quickly.
After that Saturday lesson I didn't see Alda again. One Saturday afternoon after lessons as I and Alesscia were chilling in my hostel room, Isa came into the room.
"So have you girls decided what you're wearing to graduation?" She asked.
"I was thinking jumpsuits cause I really wanted to look different," I said when I noticed Alesscia wasn't planning to reply. I didn't know if she would ever like Isa but from the looks of it, that was likely not going to happen especially since we had just a few months to go.
"Actually a jumpsuit will be nice but jumpsuit shouldn't just be any jumpsuit. It should be an actual stunner. For example, you can rock a one sleeved wide legged one or off-shouldered looking all official kind. Halter neck would also be a stunner though and I have this animal skin pattern in my head right now which would look absolutely amazing," Alesscia said.
"You should have been a fashion designer instead of this singing you are doing. Leave me abeg, I am not wearing any jumpsuit," I said.
"I was looking through a couple of dresses I wanted to wear and started feeling really really sad. I am sooo gonna miss you guys," Isa said earning a look from both me and Alesscia.
'Miss ke?' I thought. I would actually be the happiest person to leave the school. The most perfect words to describe the feeling would be GOOD RIDDANCE!
"Where is Kaira by the way? I haven't seen either her or Alda for over a week now," I said.
"Yeah. I heard that Kaira had shit going on with her foster parents so she's like not returning again. I really don't know what the background story is but that's all I heard. And then Alda, I think I heard that she changed schools or something. She was also having problems with her step father. As I said earlier, I don't exactly know the details but that's the only part I heard," Isa said.
"I would really love to know which school would accept her when it's like a couple of weeks to WAEC," Alesscia voiced out the same question that was going on in my head.
Isa shrugged while I just kept mute thinking about things that only made me more confused. I guessed that both Alda and Kaira's reasons for doing what they did would remain a secret.
****
I was at home the day the rest of my classmates wrote their JAMB. Mother, Steph and Kylie were all there. Even Alesscia came over since she would be taking her JAMB on another day.
I was sitting in my room with Kylie and Alesscia. They both didn't really like each other so most of the times it was either me talking to Kylie or Alesscia.
They didn't even attempt to talk to themselves.
Alesscia started showing me designs of different purses taking her time to explain the intricate designs on each of them.
She showed me a particular clutch that reminded me of a purse I once had.
"Do you remember the purse I was with at your birthday?" I asked her.
"Not really."
"It actually had real diamonds all over it and it was one of the few gifts I got from gammy when I lived with her. But I accidentally left it behind after that drink you gave me. Any chance that I can still get it back?" I asked.
"That is a no. I am not on speaking terms with Devan and you left the purse at his house since last year. Even if we were still together, I doubt you would have gotten it back. It was probably stolen or maybe thrown away," Alesscia replied.
"You really are careless though. You threw away a purse which had real diamonds. Wow. You act as if money falls from the sky," Kylie commented.
"It wasn't my fault. If Alesscia hadn't given me the drink it..."
"So you are trying to say it's my fault?" Alesscia asked.
"No, it's not your fault. Let's just forget about who's fault it is. Kylie is just looking for what to say."
"You are right though. It isn't your fault. I blame your grandmother for spoiling you way too much," Kylie said. She had never really gotten over the fact that gammy called her a white stick and really detested gammy more than anything.
"Why would you blame her grandmother?" Alesscia asked her.
"Last I remember I was talking to my sister and not..."
"How far you and Ubaro?" I asked Alesscia stopping Kylie from saying something terrible to Alesscia.
"What do you mean me and Ubaro?" She questioned.
"You two aren't like dating or something?" I asked genuinely curious. The two of them had been extremely close lately. It almost felt as if they were secretly dating or something.
Even Silver had jokingly called her her sister-in-law the other day. Ifeanyi and Jessica also seemed to have gotten pretty close although I really didn't want to think about it.
"No, we aren't. If we were you would be the first to know. Besides I am sure Ubaro likes someone else," Alesscia said.
"How are you sure?"
"It is just kinda obvious I guess. The only problem is that I don't know for sure which girl he likes but I guess you can pick it up if you pay attention closely. And me and Ubaro don't just really match. Besides I told you that I wasn't interested in entering any relationships for a very long time. Or at least until I see you and Ifeanyi dating."
"You are still on that?" I asked incredulously.
"Yeah, why not?"
"If Ifeanyi is the guy she almost got killed because of I would advise that she stays a good thirty feet from him at all times," Kylie said with her eyes glued to her phone as usual.
"Don't even listen to her. You should just follow your heart but you don't seem to ever do that. You are just letting your head make decisions..." Alesscia was saying but Kylie interrupted her.
"Stop giving really dumb advises. Only brainless people let their hearts make decisions. If you use your heart to think what exactly do you think you need a brain for then?"
"What exactly is your problem with me?" Alesscia asked frustrated.
"I don't have a problem with you," Kylie said.
"No, you definitely do!" Alesscia said in a loud voice.
"Please don't mind her she is just a sadist..." I started saying but was cut off by Kylie.
"That's how you define your sister? Sadist. That's bad. And please I am not a sadist."
"You definitely are one because..."
"Alesscia please you guys should not start fighting," I pleaded.
"What makes you think I would fight with a child?" Kylie asked and Alesscia probably lost all her patience and the two started exchanging words.
As I was still trying to calm the both of them down, a knock on the door did the job for me. With a grateful sigh I went to open the door. To my uttermost surprise I found Kairaluchukwu Jasmine Ani standing at my door.