Too Good to Be Real

Chapter 52

"I told you I didn't like him." Asa said between mouthfuls of food. "My instincts are never wrong."

Oma had thought she'd have another long period of depression after her breakup with Asher, but she ended up feeling even better than she'd felt with him. After her little outburst of breaking his TV, she'd smiled all the way back to her hostel room satisfied she'd hurt him to some level almost as much as he'd hurt her. She didn't even miss him, at least not yet.

"You really broke his laptop as well?" Asa hollered with a mouth full of food, repeating the story Oma had already stated more than twice. "I wish I was there!"

While listening to her amusing story, Asa sat before a banquet of junk food, eating and mixing unhealthily. Oma knew she was making up for all the months she'd been on a diet for her sports which she had still been denied of in the end, but even this was too much.

"Asa, what does one even do after breakup?" She asked, now beside Asa and eating her food.

"And I'm the best person to ask because I'm single." She gave a fake cry. "One day I will be remembered and my enemies will be put to shame."

"You're so dramatic." Oma was laughing.

"First thing single people do is laugh." Asa said with one finger in the air like she'd just dropped an indisputable quote.
"That's one thing you forget how to do when you get into a relationship."

*******

On Sunday, the day before, she went to church for the first time in months. She convinced herself it wasn't because she wanted some kind of closure so she could pass her exams. With Asa going with her, she didn't feel like such a bad person.

In the evening, Obi called her for their usual reading session. She sat thinking, knowing Nathi would surely ask about her relationship with her cousin with whom she discussed everything. She wasn't ready to discuss her love life with Nathi, who didn't know when to drop things. Asa had exams the next day as well and she offered to go with her, stating that if Nathi saw her, she'd be too busy facing her to discuss Asher. Oma was elated.

When they got there however, Obi was alone. He didn't look so excited either although he acted genuinely pleased to meet Asa. Oma could see through him. He was bothered about something. Now she wished she hadn't brought Asa, as she would have enjoyed reading with Obi alone.

"Nathi couldn't come." He simply said after the introductions were made. He didn't state why and Oma didn't even want to know.
She did notice that Obi was awfully quiet throughout their reading session but he kept shooting her short glances, as if he was trying to tell her something.

When it was ten o'clock, Asa announced she was going to bed and Oma happily bade her goodnight, happy to have Obi all to herself again so she would tell him everything.
But to her dismay, Obi said he was going to bed as well as Nathi was waiting for him. She sulked and wished he hadn't told her why.
Consoling her, he assured her the next day's exam would be so easy so she could sleep for as long as she wanted.
She was just about to go back when Asa called to tell her Femi was spending the night and was using her bed. She hung up and stayed back in class.

She couldn't read, only think. The realities of all that'd happened between her and Asher came crashing down at once and she began to cry, wishing she'd never agreed to go to this school.

***

On Monday, she woke up with a headache but managed to get to class on time for the exam. She entered the class from the back as usual and did a background check to find her couple friends. She only found one however, Nathi. She was arguing loudly with someone and all eyes were on them. What a start to the day, she thought.