Adaeze

4

I was on the game when I got a knock on my door.

I pressed pause then got up to answer it.

Hopefully it's somebody telling me that the food is ready. It's been like fifteen minutes.

I opened the door and saw her standing there with her hands behind her back.

"Um...Hello." she greeted.
"Hi."
"Your name is...Koda. Correct?"
"Yea." The way she said it was cute. I had to hold back my laugh because I didn't want her to think I was making fun of her but I have a habit of laughing at cute stuff.
"I was wondering if you could help me with something." she stated.
"Okay."
"I um...I would like to hang this." She showed me what she was hiding behind her. It was a poster. "But I don't know if I can put a nail through your wall so I just wanted to know if you had something else I can use..."
"Do you want tape?" I asked.
"Tape. Tape is fine." she nodded.
"Okay." I walked past her and to the hallway closet where we keep all of the interior house hardware.

"If you want it nailed to the wall, I can nail it. I promise they won't get mad." I told her.
"No, no, tape is okay."
I snickered. "Okay."
I grabbed the roll of tape and turned to look at her.

"Can you...hang it?" she asked.
"Yea." I nodded. "I can hang it. Where do you want it?"
She used her fingers to gesture me to follow her and I walked behind her to the room.

We got inside and she pointed at the wall she wanted it on and handed me the poster.
I walked over to it.

"Right here?" I asked and held the poster against the wall.
"Mhm."

"GUYS, LUNCH IS READY!" my mom yelled.

I ripped off a piece of tape for one corner and attached it to the poster and the wall. Then ripped off another.
I saw her enter my peripheral view.

"How tall are you?" she asked.
"Uh...6'3 I think."
I saw her take out her phone and start typing. I kept adding tape to her poster until I got to the last corner.

I finished and looked to make sure it was even.

"Oh, you're tall." she stated.
I looked at her.
She showed me her phone and I saw that she'd converted the height I'd given her.
I snickered. "Yea, I am."
"Very cute."
"How tall are you?" I asked her.
"One moment." she said and held her finger up at me while the other hand typed.
I laughed fondly and waited.

"5, 7."
"5'7?"
"Yes."
"Technically you're tall too."
"Yes, but I'm shorter than you."
"Yes, you are." I chuckled.
She looked at the poster on the wall. "Very good."
"Thank you." I replied.
"If I need anything else, you'll be who I go to."
"Why? Are you scared they'll mess it up?"
"No, I like looking at you the most." she smiled at me.
My eyes widened.

"KODA! ADAEZE!" my mom yelled.
She turned around and started walking out of the room.

I hadn't moved for a minute before I realized then hurried downstairs to eat.

I got to the kitchen and saw everyone had one of those sandwiches from my mom. Easily one of the best things she makes. It's like she used to work at an italian deli or something, I don't know how she does it.

"Hey, what took you so long? I thought you'd be hungry." my mom stated.
"I am. I was helping Adaeze hang up a poster."
"Oh okay. Good." She handed me my plate and I moved to the table.

Tatum, my dad, and Adaeze were already sitting down and eating.

I sat down across from her.

My mom came and took the seat at the other end of the table across from my dad.

"So Adaeze, what's it like where you're from?" my dad asked and ate a chip.
"Did you live in a hut?" Tatum asked.
She laughed with a hand over her mouth.
I'm glad she could find humor in that stupid ass question.
"No, I lived in a house. A very nice house around the size of this one."
"I'm sorry about him." my mom stated.
"No, it's okay. I was told a lot of people would think that."
"What was your favorite thing to do back home?" my mom asked.
"Me and my baba...or father...would farm a lot in the backyard. So I really liked harvesting with him. Other than that everything I liked back home is the same that I can do here. Like hanging out with my friends or going swimming."
"Oh! We have a pool in the backyard. Did you bring a swimsuit?" my mom asked.
"I did. I was hoping there would be one somewhere."
"Yea, we have a big one underground."
"Did you have a lot of pets?" Tatum asked. "If yea then what kind?"
I sighed.
"I had a dog when I was little. But unfortunately she passed a few years ago."
"So nothing...outlandish?" Tatum asked.
"Pardon?" Adaeze asked.
"Like nothing wild-..."
"Bro shut up!" I spoke up.
"I was just asking!"
"Stop just asking!" I responded.
He sucked his teeth and ate his chips.

"Are you an only child?" my mom asked.
"Ah, no. I have an older brother. His name is Akin."
"Did you two fight like these two?" dad asked and sipped his drink.
"Oh, all the time. He is a handful." she giggled.

She's like...really really pretty. Really fucking pretty.
I understood how the guys felt, they were just kind of gross about it but she is...really pretty.

"Koda."
I realized I was staring and looked at my dad. "Yea?"
"You two should probably explore campus before the first day huh? Don't want her lost and late to class."
"You'll be the one showing me around?" Adaeze asked me with a smile.
"Yea." I nodded.
"Don't worry. He's not a big talker but he's sweet. He'll make sure you know where to go." Mom stated.
Don't make me sound like a bitch.
"Yea and unfortunately this one talks too much." Dad said and ruffled Tatum's hair.
Adaeze giggled.

"When do you think you should go over there?" Mom asked.
"We can do tomorrow. Hopefully the doors are open." I stated and took another bite of my sandwich then a chip.
"Does that work for you Adaeze?"
"Yes." she nodded.
"Perfect."

I looked back at her.
After Dylan and Tatum's reactions to her, I feel like I've been tasked with the job of bodyguard.

"You haven't seen the rest of the house, yet, have you?" my mom realized. "Koda will show you that too, whenever you're ready."
She nodded. "Okay."

Bodyguard or butler?