God why!
I almost groaned as the fool breezed into my room early in the morning.
"What are you doing here?" I grumbled, glaring at Khalid who was busy munching on the chocolates I had wasted my blood and sweat on buying for mum.
Lade was next to waltz in, his phone held up in one hand, the other, held his black powerbank which was connected to his cellphone through a short cord. "Ay man, what crawled up your ass and died."
I shot him a glare too. "The fuck are you guys doing here?"
Instead of paying attention to my question, Khalid made himself comfortable on my already made bed.
Holding back a growl, I counted to ten. I literally made that bed less than sixty seconds ago.
"Dude seriously!" The idiot called out, his white and red, Airforce Jordans now sitting comfortably on my bed, much to my utter horror. "Your room is still ugly as fuck. You want some of my posters?"
"No." I ground out, glowering at his comfortable legs. "Get your fucking shoes off my bed Khalid."
Khalid flashed me a grin, before going ahead to dust imaginary sand off his shoes. "Hey! They're not just fucking shoes, they're limited editions, show some respect."
God, I was a second away from throttling his annoying ass.
At the other side of my room, Lade had already made himself comfortable as he laid back on the sofa, my remote in his hands as he surfed through channels.
He glanced up at me when he felt my gaze.
"Wassup? What are we doing today?"
Breath Somadina.
"We should hit the bowling alley." Khalid suggested. This time, he laid face down, his shoe clad legs, swinging in the air and dangerously close to my, fresh from the laundromat pillow cases.
"Nah, not there." Lade shook his head, eyes still glued to the TV. "Any place but there."
That had my attention in seconds. Khalid's too.
Lade never said no to going to the bowling alley. Like ever.
In his biased opinion, that was were the hottest and classiest girls in Beechworth hung out during the day. And that gave him an advantage to further explore his promiscuous ways.
Khalid sat up, a knowing grin on his annoyingly boyish face. "Let me guess, your demons have finally began chasing you eehn?"
Rolling his eyes, Lade dropped the remote after finally settling on a music channel. "What demons? The fuck are you talking about?"
"Isn't that your domain? Where 'all the hottest and classiest girls in Beechworth come out to play'" Khalid mocked, fingers forming air quotes.
Lade shrugged, turning to face us. "Well first of, that is the plain truth. Alley girls are hot and classy as fuck-"
"Hmmn?" Khalid hummed mockingly again. "Why aren't you wagging your tail and sniffing your way to the alley, like the dog that you are?"
One of my throw pillows landed on Khalid's face.
"What?" He smirked, sending the pillow back to Lade who caught it with quick reflex. "We all know what a dog you are Lade, which is why I'm surprised you're avoiding your own kennel."
At Khalid's statement, I couldn't help the smile that was tugging at my lips. Khalid was that friend who made up for his lack of strength with his quick wits.
Among the three of us, the guy was the tallest by a few inches and the lankiest. While Lade was built like Boulder due to several boxing lessons and random dabblings in sports, Khalid was all skin and bones.
The two when put in the mood were like David and Goliath. That is, if David was a lanky nigga with a few inches over Goliath.
"Guy fuck you!" Lade cussed out Khalid while I sort my working stool, staying a good feet away from them. "Can't I have a change of heart over random stuffs like the alley? We've been there over a dozen times since this month. Even Soma must have gotten tired of going there."
I shrugged when he looked at me. "Y'all count me out of whatever you're doing."
Lade rolled his eyes before dragging his attention back to a smirking Khalid.
"See, I'm not running from nobody alright? Just tryna give other places a chance."
"Hmmn," Khalid mocked again. "We know. Giver of chances. We know."
Lade glared at him, obviously irritated. "I'm serious."
Khalid nodded his head in mock understanding. "We know, guy. We know."
Sitting up from the sofa in utter annoyance, Lade glared fire and brimstone Khalid's way, while I shifted my seat further from them.
"Dude why the fuck am I trying so hard to convince you asshole! Like you're the one to talk after your little show with Candy."
"Shut up Lade, told you it wasn't like that!"
Lade was now smirking at an annoyed, almost embarrassed Khalid.
This was interesting. I raised a brow, attention rapt at whatever Lade was about to say.
"Wasn't like what? Oh I get," Lade taunted. "You two were playing hide and seek, you weren't avoiding Candy."
Lost, I stared between the two of them. "Who's Candy?"
Lade groaned out in mock frustration while Khalid hit his head on the plush foam.
"Dude are you fucking kidding?" Lade wailed in mock exasperation. "She was practically all over you last time you were with her!"
I scrunched my face in confusion. "Was she?"
The athletic boy groaned once more. "Yes you idiot. Shorty from the Bowling Alley. The one Khalid side stepped me for."
Khalid roll his eyes, while I took to remembering.
"Oh."
Hissing, Lade laid back on the sofa. "Idiot. I wonder why I'm friends with you."
I grinned, going ahead to let the stool work itself, rolling around. "We are not friends Lade."
The boy didn't act like I'd spoken to him, rather he faced Khalid, the taunting smirk returning to his face.
"You were saying..."
Khalid plopped back on the bed, groaning into a throw pillow he'd picked from the sofa. "Y'all drop it c'mon! We weren't playing any hide and seek." He turned to glare at Lade. "And I definitely wasn't hiding from her, unlike someone here. She was just being too sexual okay and I didn't want to take advantage of her when she was obviously inebriated."
That had Lade and I laughing in seconds.
"What?" Khalid asked, a pout marring his face. "Should I have gone ahead and taken advantage of a drunk girl?"
Lade snorted. "Even if she was as sober as a judge, you wouldn't have still done shit Khalid."
Khalid shrugged. "True too. She wasn't my type."
Sitting up, Lade shook his head, still laughing. "Guy, shut up. Last time I checked, you said bold girls were your type."
"Well, I said bold girls, not horny girls Lade. There's a big difference between the two."
Lade went ahead to let out another snort. "Why did you approach her then? Why? Because she carry?"
Khalid flashed us a toothy smile, going further to wiggle his brows. "It doesn't matter if she carry or not." He shrugged, nodding to himself, that toothy smile still in place. "It's a free world. Every girl deserves a chance at love irrespective of body size."
A throw pillow landed directly on Khalid's face.
"You lying piece of shit!"
Lade aimed another one his way, but Khalid was quick to dodge this time. "What? You think everyone is so vain like you?"
Kissing his teeth, Lade laid down back. "No red blooded guy overlooks a girl's body when he's coming unto her guy." He argued. "I know there's genuine connection and yada yada... But c'mon, attraction comes first. It's the packaging before the parcel. Even Soma here has a type."
The idiot sat up, resting his head on his arm. "Somzy, are you an ass guy or a boob guy?"
I took another spin from the stool, a smile tugging on my lips as I took in their eager faces. "I don't discriminate."
This time a throw pillow landed flat on my face.
I grinned, watching Lade glare at me in mock horror while Khalid was snickering at my words.
"Be serious, you idiot." Lade groaned. "There's gotta be a preference."
I shrugged, taking another spin. "Truth? Body size don't matter to me. Just have an active brain and I'm good," the guys tsked, doubt etched on their faces. "But..." I continued, watching them glare at me. "There's gotta be some appropriate flesh too. And like I said, I don't discriminate. I love equal proportions."
Lade was on me in seconds like a speeding Mack truck, throwing stuffs at me.
"Fool!" He fired.
"Why?" I stood, running behind the covered canvas in the room. "That was the truth now."
"Y'all are just Hypocrites. I can't believe I held my breath, waiting for you to say something reasonable."
"I'm serious about the brain part though-" I paused, same time Khalid fist bumped me, completing my sentence.
"Brain over boobs and booty. Amen."
Lade shook his head at Khalid in resignation. "Seriously dude, I don't know which team you're in."
Khalid grinned, making a peace sign. "Body positivity and brains being the new sexy bro."
Lade rolled his eyes, going back to settle on the sofa. "The two of you are still learning the ways of the world," I raised a brow while Khalid paused. "When you're finally in the real world, y'all will know that there are some necessities when it comes to choosing the right women."
"Just became you sleep with every dick and Tom with boobs and ass doesn't make you any smarter when it comes to women Lade." Rolling his eyes, Khalid laid back on the bed.
"I don't sleep-"
"Boys!" Mum called from outside my room. "Breakfast is ready. Come on downstairs."
That had us bolting to our feet in seconds as we made our way to the door.
"Who's that?" Khalid asked as we bumped into a drawing that we'd knocked over while fooling around.
Immediately my eyes landed on the used canvas, I was quick to pick it up, making a beeline for the storage room.
I'd gone ahead and followed my instinct, thus the drawing.
You know that impulsive feeling an artist gets when there's an inspiration that feels like it wouldn't come again if they let it pass by? Like an author with the words fit for a perfect dialogue in his book or a composer with the perfect line that completes his lyrics... That was how the drawing came about.
There was something aeriform about art. It gives a hint and when taken, magic is created. It was beyond normal... It was ethereal.
I'd gotten a clue and had let my fingers take the lead. However, the end result wasn't so satisfying.
Maybe, satisfying but annoying.
All I could see in the canvas after letting my fingers take the lead was Hair, luxuriant ones... Mischievous eyes and a dimpled smile.
I'd gone ahead and drawn her.
Of all fucking people!
Either I was going insane or I was about to have a slump. I hoped the latter was right by the way.
When I went downstairs and met Lade and Khalid alone at our very cosy dinning room, they both had questionable expressions on their faces.
Lade looked a little confused and deep in thought, while Khalid had this teasing glint in his eyes.
I glared at them, Khalid to be exact as I made myself comfortable on a vacant chair.
"What was that about?" Lade asked, his foreheads almost knitting together.
"What was what about?"
Khalid hissed. "Alaye, the drawing. The right question should be who was that. It was a girl right? Y'all tell me I wasn't the only one who saw it was a girl."
Lade nodded, concurring with Khalid. "Yeah, it was a girl and funny enough, she looks kinda familiar."
I rolled my eyes. "Of course, she looks familiar Lade, it's a girl."
He let out a low chuckle. "Insult yourself Soma."
"It was meant to be a compliment."
He flipped me the bird.
"But seriously," he persisted. "She looks familiar."
"Who's she?"
"Boys no talking while eating!" Mum's voice called out again, gaining our attention before entering our line of vision.
She had on bright, red pants suit, loosely clinging to her body and giving her, her usual classy look. Her face barely showed visible makeup, however, the red lipstick vividly making it's own statement made up for everything.
And as she began walking, we got a glimpse of leopard-skinned, red bottoms.
I smiled.
Mum and her signature deathtraps.
"We're not eating yet Aunty Vee-" Khalid was quick to say, before immediately covering his eyes once he saw mum.
From where I sat, he looked like he was pretty much writhing in pain as he groaned, causing panic to fill the room.
Mum almost ran to where he sat, face a mask of terror.
"Oh Lord, Khalid are you okay? Are you hurt? I think something must have flown into his eyes, Soma quick, get me clean water!" She rambled on and I was about to get off my seat in search of so called water when Khalid grinned at mum, his hands slowly uncovering his eyes.
"I'm okay Aunty Vee," his grin continued to widen as mum began narrowing her eyes at him. "Your glow was too bright, I almost hurt my eyes- ouch!"
Mum's hand landed on his skinny hand, landing again and again.
"Aunty Vee!" He groaned, finally feeling real pain.
"You gave me a start Khalid!" Mum scolded even though her eyes gave her away as they shun mischievously. "Don't try this again. What if someone got hurt while trying to save you?"
"Sorry. I just couldn't hold back myself." The stupid boy smiled sheepishly, while I took to hissing in frustration. "You literally set everywhere in fire when you walked in."
Lade face palmed himself, too annoyed to even speak.
Mum smiled, obviously used to Khalid's stupid jokes. "Silly boy. You must be giving the girls a hard time with your random flattering words Khalid."
Lade and I shared a knowing look.
Khalid beamed. "Trust me Aunty Vee, I give them more than a hard time."
I face-palmed myself, already tired of Khalid.
Mum made herself comfortable. "Really?"
"Yes Aunty. But you know I wasn't merely flattering you. Everything I said came from my heart." He clutched his chest, a goofy smile on his stupid face.
Beside me, Lade let out a groan, hitting his head on the translucent dinning table for dramatic effect.
Laughing, Mum shook her head, same time Mrs Mary entered the room with two lidded plates in her hands, causing the sweet aroma of flour and spice to fill the air.
I inhaled everything. She could ask for my birthright and I would gladly give it to her.
I gave her a thumbs up when she left the get the remaining dishes.
Few minutes later, we were digging into a hearty breakfast of pancakes, fruits and tea - coffee in Mum's case.
"I heard your voices down the hallway," mum began, neatly slicing her pancake. "You boys were really excited. What were y'all talking about?"
I shared a look with the boys as mum waited. Her eyes did that thing they always do whenever she was up to no good. They literally smiled with her like they were in on same internal joke.
When none of us could muster the courage to speak, she smiled, chewing a piece of pancake before looking at me.
"Soma's voice was resonating across the Halls. I mean, it must have been a pretty interesting conversation to get him to talk that much early in the morning."
I narrowed my eyes at her.
Knowing Mum, she could have been listening to us all these while behind my closed door as we talked.
Khalid nodded his head. "Yes Aunty Vee, we had a pretty interesting discussion this morning. We were talking about- ouch!"
"We were talking about your upcoming project!" Lade cut in, glaring at a wincing Khalid.
Mum hummed, that mischievous look in her eyes. "Really? I didn't think you guys were interested."
"Oh we are," he continued. "Infact, I heard about it last week from my mother. She told me about the new project the gallery was working on. How's it going?"
Mum smiled. "It's going pretty well. I'm still trying to convince some teenagers to join this year but it seems like it'll take some time." She took a sip of her steaming coffee. "that reminds me Lade, your mum came by this week. She told me that the Schools you applied to have reached back."
Lade nodded, suddenly focusing solely on his food. "Yes, they did."
Well that's new.
Mum was smiling genuinely, pure happiness filled her face. "That's great isn't it, I'm so proud of you. It's now up to you to pick a school of your choice."
Lade smiled but it never reached his eyes. "Yes."
"Great! I heard all three reached out. All offering your preferred course business administration."
Lade's hands gripped the utensils, his veins almost popping out in the process.
Yet he still smiled politely at my mum's congratulatory words.
"Your mum was so ecstatic that she'd bought dinner." Mum laughed, oblivious to what was going on. "You should have seen her. She's one lucky woman. While I'm here trying to convince my own son that online classes won't give him the real University experience..."
She rambled on as Khalid soaked in her every word with a smile and nod.
However, my focus was on Lade. Who'd completely lost his appetite at the mention of school, as he gripped his utensil so hard I was scared he'd hurt himself.
Something was definitely up.
•••