FALLING FOR THE NEW BOY( A NIGERIAN STORY)

Chapter 19- I hate you

I stood there at the center of the football pitch. What had happened to me in these courts? I can't even play football and Damien forced me to. I was just hoping for Tomiwa to come out from that hall with whatever he is doing there with Mariam. But I didn't see any sign of him coming.

Nothing!

It was a little late, so I guess he isn't coming. But after sometime, I started seeing his shadow before I saw him finally.

Oh, now I can recognize his shadow?

I bent over to touch my toes and sighed loudly.

"I'm going to win you Damien." I challenged.

"Try." He said sarcastically.

My hands were shaking so much that it was affecting my legs. I tried my first attempt and I missed it. I fired it again but I still missed it.

"You can try better than that." I think I heard Tomiwa say. But the voice didn't sound practically encouraging.

Damn!

I took a better aim, forcing my legs to be steadier. Boom! I strike hard and it hit the post. Everyone hyped.

Suddenly, I noticed that Tomiwa didn't hype, but was busy with Mariam. She should really start going home. I'm tired of seeing them together. Really!

I was unable to find and put those words that were disturbing my head. Images of Mariam and Tomiwa was irking me so bad. It was also flashing through my mind, the way Mariam was looking at Tomiwa. Not in a normal friendship way but she was like looking at him in a... I don't know how to put it into words.

I wanted to punch her, punch her in a way that no one would question my authority over her, but I didn't want to do it just because I don't want to start a fight with anyone.

Whenever I thought of Mariam with him, my heart started pounding and left anxiety in me.

I still have an economics project awaiting on me. I need to focus more on it. Whatever was pushing me to doing things I don't want to do should stop now. So, I left the field and went back to the prep hall and waited for the recreation to be over.

+++++++

I managed to fall asleep when house mistress woke me up that it was time for night prep. I hit my head on the table and rubbed the pain off my head.

I was so confused because we don't have night prep on Wednesdays and Fridays.

With confusion, I led myself to the hall. When I got there, I turned to the back door and found only Tomiwa in there. I wanted to scream.

"Shhh." He said, putting his fingers over my lips as he led me in further.

He gave me a seat to sit down and we kept giving ourselves strange looks for hours.

"What's going on?" I asked confusedly.

"What's going on is that we need to talk." He said and I shook my head.

"What is there to say?"

"Plenty...you need to listen to me okay?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Just listen."

"That sounds...urgent." I couldn't find the correct words to say.

"Yeah it is. So here It goes." He said.

"Okay, I'm listening." I said not sure if he's going to apologize for everything. Damien may have told him.

"I think I like Mariam."

"WHAT!?" I almost screamed.

A weird feeling came to my existence as I almost started crying. What the fuck did he just say?

"You what?" I, half yelled, "please tell me this is a goddamn prank?"

Is today April 1st or something. Why is he playing with me like this? Like.. like.. like.. What the hell!?

I looked at him and I found our that he was really serious about this.

I gasped, and my hand flew over my mouth. My heart was pounding like someone was hurting it so deeply.

"It's not a prank, and I'm fucking serious about this. I just want to ask for your opinion if I could ask her out."

"Jesus!" I looked at him in shock.

"Since you are not in support with me, I guess I'm leaving now."

Another gasped escaped my mouth as I watch him leave my sight.

What am I?

Just a dumb waste that anyone can use and dump in a trash.

The hatred slammed into me as I took a deep breath.

I'm not crying for this. I'm more than that.

Before I knew it I felt water running down my cheeks.

I can't cry. No way. I won't cry.

I cleaned my cheeks and went straight into the hostel, took a warm shower and forced myself to sleep no matter how much it really hurts.