My walk to the class building was cold, my teeth chattered every now and then and I regretted not putting on a hoodie. Goose bumps crawled up my arms and I rubbed them, darting my eyes from left to right.
I remembered I had rubbed my face with a vibrator yesterday and I almost gagged at the image. I knew our pastor preached against masturbation, but I had no idea there was even a tool used instead of the fingers.
"Hi." A boy with curly, black hair and the smoothest caramel skin I had ever seen flashed a one dimpled smile at me, snapping me out of my trance and gagging. "I'd like to invite you to the-" he hesitated and I gripped the handle of my backpack, waiting for him to speak. "Just read this instead."
He stretched out his hand that contained a flier that mirrored his honey brown eyes and I took it. I read through it and raised my head to find him still maintaining his smile.
"It's a bonfire-you know. Tonight." He scratched his hair and stretched out his hand once again. "My name's Kelvin."
"Hephzibah." I shook his hand. "I'm running late for class, I'd have to go now."
"What's your department?"
"Arts." I answered and began to walk with him beside me.
"Same here. What course?"
"Law."
"That's great!" His eyes brightened up and I found his expression a little cute.
I increased my speed and noticed Kelvin was still walking beside me, his curls bouncing up and down on his forehead. I halted and turned to face him with a frown plastered on my face.
"Where are you going?" My brows knitted into a deep frown as I took a liking to the black shirt he had on.
"To the class we have." He stopped to answer.
"You're a law student?"
"Yeah." A slow smile graced his lips followed by a light chuckle. "I'm actually in my second year and I was just accompanying you to class."
"Why?" I frowned even deeper.
"Because I need to share fliers."
We walked in silence and once we approached a boy with afro, we parted ways and I secretly wished he hadn't left me to walk to the lecture hall alone.
Finally, I was there and it was the class that I had choked in few days ago. The professor wasn't there, but there were a lot of students and zero seats. Kelvin caused this! I clenched my jaw and was about to break it before a warm hand tapped my wrist.
"We could share my seat." She looked softly at me and I resisted the roll of my eyes when I saw it was Evelyn.
"Thanks." I appreciated the second nice thing she was doing for me. In as much as I didn't want her to be scaring the shit out of me, I loved her kindness and baby face.
She moved a little and I sat, placing my bag on my laps. The professor walked in with beads of sweat on his forehead and a terrified look on his face.
"Settle down everyone!" He exclaimed, wiping off the sweat and clearing his throat. "Today we'll be looking at-"
I adjusted on my seat, feeling the iron poking at my ass and it was way uncomfortable. This got the attention of the professor and he met my gaze, but went back to what he was doing. His book was upside down and I noticed his shirt was rumpled.
"Is it me or does this man look like he has been doing something fishy?" Evelyn whispered and I shrugged.
He did look suspicious.
"It seems he has been making out in his office or something." Evelyn muttered.
I widened my eyes and blinked rapidly at her then a gasp flew out of my mouth, landing both of us in trouble.
"What's going on?" He jammed the marker into the covered and glared at the both of us, mostly me.
"Nothing." I shook my head, wearing a timid look. "The book you're holding is upside down and I think it was a roman Catholic Church not a Penticostal."
"You want to teach us?"
"No!" I refused, horror written all over my face as I couldn't muster the courage to speak in front of the crowd.
Why was this man good at giving me a tough time? It wasn't high school for Christ sake so what were the shenanigans all about? Holy field be nice to me for once!
"Come up." He gestured for me to get off my seat.
"But-"
"Don't waste my time, Hephzibah." He snapped. "Get up here and teach. Since I no longer know how to hold a book and what I was teaching."
I stood up, my knees shaking internally and my throat suddenly becoming dry. I gulped.
**************
I slumped on my bed and groaned. Evelyn placed my scattered books on the bed and stood quietly just watching me hit my pillow with my fist repeatedly.
"Are you okay?" She asked and sat up.
"No!" I breathed loudly. "Look at me."
I pointed at my ripped skirt and got up to change into something appropriate. Anger coursed through my veins as I remembered how I got the rip.
Timidly, I stepped out of the table Evelyn and I was sharing and shakily made it down the chair stairs. The professor had his left hand Akimbo, while the other had a marker that was stretched out to me.
"C'mon, take it." He urged and I collected it. "Climb up."
I glanced over my shoulder at the faces of the occupants of the seats and felt my bowels churn. I returned my gaze to the front and swallowed the lump in my throat. Just when I raised a leg to climb up, there was a ripping sound, followed by the gasps and laughter of the students.
My heart sank into my stomach. Quickly, I craned my neck to see that my slit had gone higher than it used to–up to my thighs and my black tights were visible to all.
"Hephzibah?" Evelyn's voice drew me out of my head.
"Mmhm?" I answered, arching up my brows.
"Would you be attending the bonfire night?"
"Hmm, I don't know... I'm not sure I want to be in a crowded area." I muttered, picking up my steel earrings and putting them on.
"C'mon, it'd be fun. We'd eat some marshmallows, sing songs and tell creepy stories." Evelyn listed, counting with her fingers.
"I don't-"
"Please," she said with poppy dog eyes and held onto my arm.
"You know that makes you look like an actual dog, right?" I said sarcastically and she laughed.
"Don't change the topic, c'mon Zibah."
I shrugged and nodded. Evelyn giggled, clapping her hands like a kid in pure excitement.
We walked out of my dorm with the intention of getting ourselves short bread and some mochas. The weather wasn't as cold as it was earlier today and it was perfect to me. Evelyn raised her camera and took a shot of our sun kissed faces.
"Two cups of mocha, please." We smiled at the waitress as we grabbed our seats.
I pulled out my phone from my bag and logged into my Instagram account that was under an anonymous account. Suddenly, there was a light tap on my shoulder and I spun. A smile tugged the sides of my lips when I saw it was Kelvin.
"Hephzibah, right?" He tilted his head to the right and I nodded. "Here for coffee?"
"Yeah." I answered shortly.
"You'd attend the bonfire night, yeah?" He arched a brow.
"Sure."
Evelyn glanced at his face and looked away, acting a little strange like there was something up her sleeves.
"See you there." He waved and sling his backpack on his shoulder.
Evelyn shuddered as she followed him with her eyes out of the cafe and it made my curiosity to bubble.
"You're friends with him?" She pointed, snapping her head back to my direction.
"He approached me with a flier yesterday, inviting me to the bonfire." I explained, giving her a confused look.
"Hephzibah," she started, holding my hands and squeezing them gently. "You have to be very careful with them."
"Them who?" I narrowed my eyes and my forehead puckered.
She glanced from left to right then focused her big orbs on me once again and leaned in to whisper, "The-"
"Here's your order." The waitress placed two cups of mocha and smiled creepily at us. Her lips were too plumpy for her face and it felt like she could swallow a whole of me with her mouth. I shuddered.
Evelyn released me and slipped a black straw into the chocolate goodness in front of her. The lady retreated.
"What were you saying?" I brought back her attention to a much important issue.
"They are-"
Evelyn was interrupted by the jingling of the door. Evelyn spun and once their eyes locked, she shuddered visibly before facing me. It was the professor and there was a strange aura that surrounded him.
************
The night was cold and we sat around the fire, listening to scary stories and singing songs. The place was crowded with fresh men and old students who were hosting the party.
"The canine elongated and sank into the woman's neck and she screamed!" Kelvin exclaimed, scaring few freshmen with a Torchlight held and pointing directly at his chin, illuminating his smooth skin.
He was done and now standing beside me. "Hey."
"It was a nice story, but not scary enough." I muttered and he stared at me in amusement.
"You think?" He arched a brow up. "Wanna hear what's scary?"
"Excuse me, may I have a word with you, please?" Evelyn held my arm, striding inbetween Kelvin and I.
She drew me from where he was and pointed at a tall tree where there was no light.
We walked behind a tree and once she was certain no one was there, she fixed her gaze on me and bore her eyes into mine. They turned black and she clutched my wrist, her touch burnt my skin.
"Be careful, Hephzibah. There are cult like activities in this school and they are very much interested in you. I've seen the thirst in their eyes when ever you walk passed them." Her voice was like the dead of the night.
"What do you mean?" I shook internally, heart about to combust in my chest.
"They want-"
"What are you guys doing?" Mandy cut Evelyn short by jumping out of one of the bushes.