ANDREW'S POV
You know what bothered me most about having friends who didn't know what the word boundaries meant, it was exactly that. It pissed me off when the three musketeers as Pierra referred to them together with Ned took it upon themselves to cheer me up. In their definition that meant a party which was the last place I wanted to be. It had been four against one so I had I lost by a landslide.The guys had decided to abduct me and drag me to the party because according to them I was too mopey and was killing their vibe. They could have just left me behind to wallow in my sadness but that wasn't an option for them either.
It's not like I wanted to be sad, I just was. It had been two weeks since I'd confessed the truth to Pierra and I had not been able to sleep, eat, work or study well. She was in my head all the time and it was messing with my performance both academically and professionally. She had stopped coming to the Tuesday morning class and I even stopped catching glimpses of her to and from class. I knew for a fact that she was still going since the stall keeper she bought Corn puffs from told me she took the extra packet I paid for every day. I had no idea how she was managing to escape me but she was doing a great job of it and it was getting frustrating. I had thought about visiting her apartment but I chickened out everytime.
"Still thinking about her?"Ned shouted over the loud music as he dropped himself next to me on the sofa.
He shoved a plastic cup filled with keg in my hand as if he didn't already see the one in my other hand was still halfway full. I didn't like keg but it was cheap and the best option for broke university students who still wanted to have a good time with the right kind of buzz.
"I'm always thinking about her."I confessed draining the half filled cup before tossing it away.
"I thought you confessed everything, why didn't that fix things?"Ned asked the same thing I'd been asking myself for the past two weeks.
"I guess I messed up more than I thought I did."I replied giving the only reasonable answer I had been able to come up with.
"Have you apologized?"Ned asked.
"How can I apologize to someone who doesn't want to be found. She's determined to stay away from me and I've got to admit she's doing a really good job of it."I admitted the frustration I was feeling seeping into my voice.
"I know you haven't visited her place yet you know where she lives. Why is that?"Ned asked.
Before I could reply Cass did it for me as he sat next to me on the other side"Because he is a wuss and is afraid of rejection."
"Yeah that."I replied slumping back on the sofa.
"That's why I don't date or allow myself to catch feelings. It turns good men like me into... this."Cass admitted pointing a finger at me.
"Sheesh thanks Cass, feeling the love."I replied sarcastically.
"You're welcome bro."He laughed and I shoved him away from me.
"Don't listen to him Andy, when you find a girl you really like you fight for her no matter the cost. Great girls are rare and true love is even rarer. If you really like this girl then you've got to fight for her." Ned advised and both Cass and I turned to look at him with shocked expressions on our faces.
"Since when did you become a love guru?"Cass asked speaking for the both of us.
"Stop looking at me like that and I'm speaking for experience. I lost a special girl once and I regret it to this day. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to get a second chance but until then I'll always regret not fighting for the first one and letting her go. Don't repeat the same mistake I did dude, you'll regret it forever."Ned explained with a sad and lost expression on his face as he got up, patted my shoulder comfortingly before disappearing into the sea of drunk dancing of students.
I'd known Ned my whole campus life, he was two years ahead of me but he was a great guy and had helped me set up my photography business in campus. He had graduated with a degree in Actuarial Science, yes he was incredibly smart, but had decided to open a tattoo parlor instead. He hadn't dated seriously in all the time I'd known him but he wasn't a fuckboy like the three musketeers. Guess now I knew the reason why, Ned was broken.
"Wow that was deep and unexpected but even I have to admit that he is right. Alfred, Cliff and I have not been lucky enough to find something real like you did with Pierra so we don't know what it's like to be in your shoes. I saw the pictures you guys took on your date and you looked really happy. Don't give that up man because now your biggest obstacle is gone. Think about it."Cass said before getting up and following after Ned.
He had been referring to Bishop being out if the picture. Three days after my confession with Pierra I had a package delivered to my room. It was a new camera better than the one I'd sold and twenty thousand shillings. I'd then run into Bishop at the tattoo parlor and he didn't say a word to me, just ignored me like he had before my date with Pierra and I realized that she had talked to him and asked him to back off.
Since Bishop seemed to have backed off I had gotten even more motivated to fix things with Pierra but she was avoiding me and I had no idea what do anymore. Ned was right, I could go to her house but just like Cass had said I was scared of being rejected again.
"I'm so done watching you feel sorry for yourself. Here, chug this then get up and either go get your girl or find another one but no more sulking on the sofa."Cliff demanded shoving a cup into my hand and standing there to make sure that I actually drunk it all.
He didn't leave me alone either and since I didn't have enough courage to go face Pierra I made my way to one of the kegstands so I could get wasted. My friends had dragged me to the lame party, it would be terrible of me to let their efforts of cheering me up go to waste. I couldn't get my girl back so I chose getting stupid drunk and with any luck I would pass out and come to in a world when everything was perfect and I had Pierra back.
The world wasn't perfect and you know why, it's because two hours later I was wasted, but still conscious enough to know what I was doing.
"Hey hey hey where do you think you're going?"Ned who was more sober than I was asked stopping me at the door when he noticed me trying to leave.
"I'm going to do what you said and get my girl back."I declared with a winning grin.
"No you're not, at least not like this. You're drunk and that is not the state to win over a girl in."He argued and I pouted.
"But you said...."
"I know what I said. This was a bad idea, stay here let me go get the rest of the guys and we can all go home."Ned requested and I nodded trying to hold on a smile from the plan forming in my head.
"I'm serious Andy. Don't go anywhere until I get back with everyone else."He demanded and I nodded vigorously but had to stop when the world started spinning faster than it already was.
Ned analyzed me and when he determined he could trust me, he walked back inside to look for our friends.
"Loser."I laughed because as soon as he was out of sight I dashed outside with only one goal in mind.
I was going to find Pierra and make things right.
I was drunk and couldn't form any cognitive thoughts so I decided to just wing it. I tried poetry once and wasn't too bad at it, maybe it was the night to polish that side of me to help me argue my case.
The party had only been a short distance away from Pierra's hostel building so I got there as fast as my staggering legs and double eyesight could get me. I was grateful for the well lit sidewalks that helped navigate my way better.
"There he is. Andy I asked you to wait."Ned yelled behind me just as I caught sight of Pierra's hostels.
My foggy brain told me that they wanted to stop me yet all I wanted was to get to Pierra so I picked up my pace. My coordination was terrible so I wasn't really going fast and they easily caught up to me.
"Are you trying to get us arrested? This is rich people territory."Ned scolded blocking my path.
I could see four of him and they all seemed strong so I didn't bother trying to fight my way past him, I'd loose.
"These guy's are rich people."I commented pointing behind me to the three musketeers.
Cliff was wasted and was being supported by Alfred and Cliff who were drunk too but not to that extreme.
"Yeah but not Pierra level rich."Alfred argued swaying on his feet.
He was drunk but still had to support his even drunker friend, so glad I wasn't in his shoes.
"I'm going to see her and you guys can't stop me."I declared a little louder than I intended and Ned quickly shushed me.
"Stop yelling and you aren't going to see her. We are going home and you will talk to Pierra tomorrow when you are sober and of sound mind."He advised trying to speak some sense into me but I was having none of it.
"You were the one who said that I should fight for her yet right now you are stopping me."I argued getting even more frustrated.
Ned looked conflicted switching gazes between me and the rest wondering what to do. My drunk mind refused to give up on the chance in front of me. I missed Pierra, yes we had only gone out once but that was enough for me to form and emotional connection to her an I wasn't willing to let that go.
"Let him go Ned. A drunk mind speaks sober thoughts, he has to let it out sometime and we both know he won't do it while sober."Cass argued hoping from foot to foot as he tried to support Cliff.
Ned thought about it for a few seconds before nodding "Fine but if it blows up on his face its on both of you."
I hooted happily grateful for the support of both my friends.
"Thanks guys, I'll go make this right."I declared turning around my mind focused on one destination only. Pierra's room.
I moved a little too fast making me stumble on my feet. I landed on my knees and I struggled to get myself up. Ned saw me struggling and helped me stand.
"You are definitely not going to make it to her room like this but since you're determined to talk to her I'll help you out."Ned offered draping my arm over his shoulders supporting my weight.
"Thanks man."I expressed.
"Just doing what any good friend would do. You guys wait here I'll be back after I get him up there."Ned instructed so Cass and Alfred sat Cliff down.
"Do you know her room number?"Ned asked and I bit my lip in concentration thinking about it and came up blank.
"Fuck it's going to be a long night."Ned cussed as we walked through the gate.
Pierra never told me her room number but she told me she lived on the top floor which was the second floor. It was definitely a hustle getting my stumbling self up those two flights of stairs but with Neds support I managed. It was after midnight meaning it was very late to be knocking on random doors. We found one that had the lights on and a guy having his own fun with his friends as advertised by the loud music directed us to Pierra's room. It was at the end of the hallway next to the stairs that led to the rooftop.
Thankfully her lights were still on so Ned set me against the wall and knocked.
"Do you even know what you're going to say?"Ned asked and I shook my head.
"Nope but I'm going to speak from my heart."I replied smiling.
"You're only confident because you are drunk but that will actually work to your favor. Good luck man, I hope she hears you out."Ned said patting my shoulder encouragingly.
Ned knocked again and a minute later the door opened revealing the beauty who had been driving me crazy. Ned was hiding me from view and since the hallway was dark Pierra couldn't see me yet so I took that chance to admire her. She was wearing a sports bra and tiny shorts that ended just below her ass exposing her bare thighs to me. Her hair was in two puffs tied off messily and her hands looked wet with foam on them. Why would she be doing laundry at midnight?
"Hi."Ned greeted.
"Hi, may I help you?"Pierra replied looking confused.
"Sorry to disturb you but I believe you know my friend here."Ned declared standing aside so Pierra could finally see me.
Her eyes widened in surprise but only for a second before she narrowed her eyes at me crossing her hands over her chest.
"What are you doing here?"She asked glaring daggers at me.
"Just hear him out. See you man, I've got to go see the rest of the guys home."Ned said turning to me.
"Okay bye."I waved swaying on my feet so I had to lean on the wall for support.
"Bye? You're not leaving him here are you? He's drunk."Pierra protested.
"He was adamant, nothing I could do to stop him."Ned shrugged before giving her his polite smile and skipping down hallway.
"You can't leave him here."Pierra yelled again but Ned had already disappeared into the night.
"You're going after your friend."She declared turning to face me.
"Not until we talk."I declared a surge of confidence pulsing through me.
I walked, more like stumbled as confidently as I could past her and entered her room.
"You can't just walk in like you own the place."Pierra said sounding annoyed but I was already halfway across her room.
I heard her grunt before she closed the door and her footsteps approached me. I knew she was not happy to see me but I was determined to talk to her and win her back.
"So, do you have any food? I'm starving."I asked looking around the room.
Oh yeah, I was there to talk but my body and mouth had different ideas.
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