Ungainly

Chapter 2

2.
Twinkle, twinkle, hey I'm single.

I woke up in a brightly lit room, surrounded by the warm embrace of a plush velvet couch. It took me a few moments to realize that I had somehow ended up in someone's living room. As I tried to get up, my entire body ached and protested. A young girl was sitting in an armchair at the centre of the room, engrossed in watching 'Sofia the First.' When she noticed me, she turned around and said, 'Let me go get my sister.' She scampered away before I could respond, leaving me to take in my surroundings. I slowly spun in a circle, taking in every detail of the living room. I noticed a silver clutch perching on a glass table near where I was standing. It was my purse. I grabbed it quickly and opened it , checking to see if everything was intact. My debit card, a hand mirror,a pack of band-aids, a R.E.M beauty lipstick, a Fenty lipgloss, mascara, eyeliner and eyeshadow. And five one thousand naira notes were nestled in a different compartment inside the purse.

But my phone was missing.

Just then,a slender girl with gold braids and a pinched face sauntered down the stairs, heading towards me. "How was your beauty sleep? That was a close shave. If it weren't for my cousin, Brian. I was scared you were going to go into a coma or something. You were asleep for almost two hours. We would have taken you to the hospital but I don't know how to drive. Neither does Brian", Pamela said, swinging a familiar Samsung phone in the air.

My mouth hung open. I was lost for words.

"Darling.The good thing is you're alive. You owe him one.  My cousin". There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice but I ignored it. She had just saved my life. One way or the other.

"Thanks", I said, snatching my phone - which looked like it was going to drop- from her.
"Do you have any pain killers? I have a costume party to attend. Dammy's hosting it. I need to not look like someone who just escaped death".

She rolled her eyes and disappeared behind a glass door.
She reappeared with a tablet and a glass of water. "I didn't poison the water",she said with a smirk. Ignoring her,I popped two pills in my mouth, swallowing them without the water and gave her a big smile.
"Can I come?" "To the party".
"Maybe", I said in the sassiest way I could muster. "Thanks for hosting me. I have a costume to buy".

I dropped my phone in my purse and sashayed towards the door. I could feel Pamela's eyes boring a hole in my back of my head. "I owe Brian one. Tell him that", I said as I opened the door and stepped out ,not bothering to close it behind me.
It was a long walk to the gate of Pamela's house so I whipped out my phone from my purse and composed a messenger group text to Jadesola and Halima,my two BFFs.

"Literally almost died. On my way to shopping for dammy's party. It's going to be lit🔥🔥. You girls coming? You should".

Halima replied: "Cooking with Mom tonight. Won't be able to make it😕"

I replied: "You're so boring 🙄"
Jadesola: "Yes. Jason is going to be there💃. You'll miss a lot"
Halima:😭😭.

I shoved my phone back in my purse and left my arch enemy's house,
banging the gate shut,really loudly.

I arrived at Dammy's house at half past six. I took an Uber.
I was able to find a perfect fitting Barbie costume that showed some flesh. The kind that Dammy liked. A boring-looking boy was standing at the entrance of the gate. He was dressed like Captain Hook in "Jake and the Neverland pirates".
I snickered when I got a close look and saw that it was Eze okoli, one of Dammy's close friends slash minions. He had an eye patch over one eye and was obviously struggling to see with only one eye. When I was about to go in,he spread his arms out to stop me from going in.
"Uhmmm... What's your stress?" Eze was a weirdo. He was fond of doing silly things.
"Dammy said I should make anyone who came late, stand outside for ten minutes".