SOC 101 (SUBJECT 1) | ✓

12

-AVOIDING ALL OF IT-

Exams had appeared in my life like a thief in the night, unsuspecting and quietly. All my head was full of in the exam hall was chicken suya. I've used my brain to eat, now it's all mush. I tried though, completed it at least even though I'm certain I wrote rubbish, mostly.

"Steph, how far? How was Mrs. Annie's exam for you?" Lolade asked. She was one of those friends I had that our friendship ended the second we walked out of class. 'Bye-bye' and 'see you next time'.

"It was really confusing," I answered, my hand going up to scratch my hair underneath the scarf. I didn't have it in me to make my hair yet, I was saving my money for a better wig. Not the type I had at home, though.

"It was for me too, I'm just happy we're done with that for now." She smiled softly before turning her head away from me and waving at her friends gan gan.

"Guess I'll see you around." I managed to say before slipping away and disappearing into the crowd of students.

Why did chicken suya forsake me? Couldn't the need to eat and taste the deliciousness wait till I was done defending the past months of my studies? Ikokuko ni mo se nau. It was nonsense I did na.

"Steph!" I heard, and I turned back to see an unfamiliar face. I squinted and waved slowly at the person only to get a weird look from her.

She stared as she jogged past me towards someone that was behind me and I wanted the ground to swallow me. On normal days, I won't even answer. Talk less of waving. Today that I decided to even try to make an effort, it wasn't me that was being called. What's all this nau?

Was my day getting me frustrated on purpose? Was this a sign? A bad omen?

I huffed as I walked past the duo talking o each other animatedly and laughing loudly, even their laughs sounded better than mine. I sound like an exhaust pipe dipped in fumes, very chaotic and choking fumes. Sad stuff right there hitting me in my chest.

I passed another route, my stomach growling as if it knew I was punishing it. No chicken suya today, we're both going to suffer. I walked into my apartment and laid on my bed, just thinking, thinking about chicken suya.

By the time it was evening, I found myself eating and chewing the bones of chicken suya. So much for self-control and punishment. People were getting addicted to weed or alcohol, getting their own high, and I got my high from eating chicken suya dipped in spicy sauce. All high na high.

"Ah ah." Was all I kept saying as I scrolled through Instagram. God whening and hyping up girls that were my age mates, rocking dresses and shoes my mother will tell me to not waste money on.

I had gone out of my way to check the price of one dress I had seen on one influencer I adored. I had cried, real hot tears. It was competing with my tuition money, that was how expensive it was. Though I wanted to be rocking them too, posing like all these alte jiggy jiggy people, like Deola and Ruth. Doing the back and front lean or acting like I want to fall, snapping on a container, all those aesthetic stuff. I haven't even put flowers on my hair before, I thought as I scrolled past a picture of a with a bunch of flowers in her hair.

Hei God, when?

I wasted my sub, losing my data on Instagram, but I was contented. Deola had started taking her pictures again, firing back harder after the 'homeless' looking phase we had all been through. Ruth had relaxed, going on more cottage girl aesthetic looks, and I loved how they had both improved and grown.

I found myself looking into my wardrobe too, for fine clothes, just to snap pictures. Man can not kill himself. I had nothing jiggy in particular, but I found my biker shorts and Adidas shoes. Pairing with layered chains and one of my big shirts, fuck shit. I looked beautiful.

I snuck out of my apartment, going to the upper part of the building with my foldable chair and phone, I was really feeling it this evening. No one really stayed up on the roof, so it was easy for me.

Timer selfies galore, the setting sun made everything look even better. Mhen, emi gan alte jiggy jiggy.

I loved the pictures so much that it was my first post on Instagram, see comments and likes. I wondered if this was how Deola felt proud and happy whenever she posted or she had gotten so used to it it barely fazed her. I couldn't know, we weren't friends.

I got a comment, and it was from Deola. My heart thumped. Selebriti commented on my picture. I was breathing deeply, pacing around my room before I opened the comment.

'Wow, you look so cool. Wanna hang out sometime?' Deola had asked if I wanted to hang out. Me o. I knew it was the clothes. She obviously didn't know we were in the same class and that made me sad.

Suddenly more notifications popped in.

'Wait, Steph? Oh my goddd, you look so good!' Deola had commented again and I could have sworn I felt my heart burst.

She knew my name. Deola knew my name!

All of this kept my head from falling off at the reminder hidden in the notification bar that the presentation was in three days.

~

Steph and chicken suya eh

Hehe, one more chapter to go and then the epilogue.

Who was your favorite character asides Steph?

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•.Tayme.•