I Am Black

Chapter 26: I Got A Broken Nose

Alexis's back muscles tensed. He kept silent, making me nervous. "Nothing" was his short answer.

The room felt tense, the air felt heavy and I wasn't sure I could handle the tense atmosphere.

"Em... Alexis, em... Um, why don't you want to tell me? What happened? "

He kept on cooking.

I narrowed my eyes and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Alexis..."

"Don't wanna talk about it" he grumbled

"Wetin sef,Alexis talk na." I asked tiredly.

He walked across me, carrying a rag. "I don't understand you when you talk like that "

"What is there to understand? Why can't you just tell me? "

He shook his head. I shook my head out of annoyance. "Alex, abeg na. Abeg just talk "

He put of the gas and walked out of the kitchen, climbing up the stairs. I followed nosily.

"Where are you going? Alexis, you must tell me today oh. " I said. "Alexis! Don't ignore me! "

"oh, ¿por qué niñas tan molesto?" he muttered under his breath, still walking away. I frowned.

"Alexis... " I held his arm and looked into his eyes, my orbs reflected sincerity and I saw just a ting of weakness spark in his just before it vanished. "Please... Talk to me. "

"Lo siento Hannah, usted no va a entender. Nadie lo hace. Ningún cuerpo alguna vez. Espero que usted entienda." he told me, before walking into a room and slamming it shut.

My throat felt clogged up. I swallowed hard and nodded to myself. Then I whispered, "I don't understand you when you talk like that".

What was this boy possibly going through?

My heart hammered and I did something I had never done before. "My name is Hannah Carnelian Crest. " I took a breath before I continued, "I was born in Benin city, Nigeria. On the 3rd of March 2003. I'm not an only child. Although after a while I wished I was. "

Nothing. No sound. Nothing.

"My father is one of the richest men in Benin, he is a politician. My brother is an Albino. Well... Kind of, the Albinism didn't really catch him, that's why he hardly squints his eyes in the sun. We used to be close, but I don't know what happened oh. He just stopped playing with me. I attended Igbenedion Educational Center, also referred to as IEC when I was in primary school. When I was going to secondary school I switched to Saint Mary High. I was friends with Damilola, one of my friends, since KG. She moved to Saint Mary with me. There we met Favor, one of our friends. Well... My secondary school life was like a train ride. I was really popular, who didn't know Hannah Crest? " I chuckled, leaning on the door, recalling old memories. Who really didn't know Hannah Crest? Yes. I was popular. But I wasn't popular because people liked me, I was popular because I was still bullied. You could imagine if you wish, even with money... Bastard money... I still got treated like trash. The bullying only got worse in Senior year because Yasmina, the bleaching bully, changed her tactics. She hurt Damilola so much and pushed her down the stairs. But she got away, because she had money. I had money too but I was too quiet back then... Too gentle. I let them walk over me and I still do. I needed a spine but where would I find one?

"I had gossipers because some people thought I was forming because I am rich. But do you know why I was always happy at school? It was because I had real friends. They were not fake. My parents aren't always happy together. They fight, they quarrel. But they make up. I don't know what I ever did to my brother... But we never made up. My mom used to always get angry at us when we fight. Even while rich, I wasn't a spoiled brat, I was spoiled to an extent, but... " I began laughing, "when I came here I knew that when my mother always called me spoilt, she was wrong oh! I am not spoilt compared to the girls that I have seen there oh. Since I came here, I swear to God, my eyes opened. I am really happy God gave me friends like all of you. I don't know where I would have been if you guys did not show up when I was drowning. I don't know what would have been happening to me right now if you guys weren't my friends. I don't know what would have happened to me then... If, if you guys weren't with me during the time that Scarlet left me. "I blinked back tears, "I wouldn't trade you guys for the world. Alexis... You can talk to me. "

He was silent. How was I even sure he was listening? I sniffed and nodded silently to myself... I had thought that would open him up. He didn't want to talk, I got that, but I knew that I had tried. With one last glance at the dark brown wooden door, I began to walk away until the door opened. He stepped aside, staring at the floor as he held the door open.

Hope bloomed in my heart.