Because filler chapters are necessary and hints need to be give and stuff like that.
***
"Maybe she is just feeling a little under the weather." Through that wooden door that separates my room from the entire house, I hear my best friend try reason with my father.
It's almost like he doesn't understand. He never does. To him, there's no such thing as being sick enough to the point where you have to stay at home. That's just impossible. It's an excuse in his eyes. Now, I am not exactly sick. Matter of fact, I am not sick at all. I am just a bit overwhelmed with life at the moment, so staying at home seems like the best option.
My mum would have let me stay, in a heart beat. Just saying that I'm sick would have been enough for her.
I sigh softly and lay my head against my pillow, pulling my blankets further up to my cheek.
"She is not sick. Just yesterday, she was fine. Not a sign of sickness, now suddenly, she is sick? I don't believe her." That's my father's voice.
I can imagine Andrea trying to think of something reasonable, believable. She knows my father all too well. She's experienced his difficulty since first year, three years ago. She just has to say the right words and he will believe her. He always does, anyway.
"Let me talk to her and see what's up. Maybe... maybe she can't exactly tell you because, you know, she's a woman? She might be embarrassed to say that she's menstruating."
I chuckle a bit, shaking my head as I mutter; "And that I'm in a lot of pain."
"And... that right now, she's in a lot of pain."
I lift my head with a grin and look at the closed door. She's definitely my best friend for a reason. It's like we can hear each other's thoughts and read each other's mind. I close my eyes to hear what my father says.
It's quiet for a bit. Then, he releases a soft sigh. After that, I hear his walking stick hit the wooden floor. "Go in there and talk to her. See what's wrong with her. If it's very bad, then maybe... she can stay. But only for today. You tell her that. Only for today!" He hisses in a whisper. "But find out first if she is sick... or... bleeding... or something."
I can bet it's awkward for the both of them. I huff, placing my head against my pillow once again. I don't understand why he has to be so strict.
"I'll speak to her. See how she is feeling. She can't lie to me, so don't even worry about that. I'll know if she is really in pain or not. Then, I'll come and tell you."
Again, my father releases a sigh. "Okay. Fine. You'll find me downstairs."
It's quiet for a bit. I take it as a sign to feign pain and I whine loudly, turning over to my side and I pull the blanket over my head. I then remain quiet, anxiously waiting to hear what happens next.
It's not long before I hear my bedroom door open, along with footsteps and the walking stick hitting the wooden ground every other step from the outside of my room. As soon as the door is closed and I can presume Andrea is in my room, I lower the blanket and turn to look at her, who grins at me as she shakes her head.
She has her hair high in a bun, strands of red hair embrace her face on either side, and she has a whole matching red dress. Mini dress for that matter, but that's exactly Andrea's style, so I cannot even be surprised at this point. She wiggles her fingers at me and shakes her head again as she heads to my window. She opens the curtains and then the window.
"You, little miss ma'am, are an actress. I cannot believe you're skipping school, and uni only started this week."
"I really don't feel like going." I mutter, sitting up before leaning my back against the wall.
I watch as she sighs and sits at the foot of my bed. She eyes me for a moment before pouting. "Why?"
"I just don't feel like it."
"So, I'm going to be all alone because you don't feel like going to school? How is that fair?"
"Girl... you know..." I sigh, scratching my scalp over my bonnet. "I just don't want to be around human beings right now."
I mean, after yesterday and what happened in the bathroom, I surely do not want to show my face at uni today. I need a break from that boy, and it's sad that it's only the first week and already, I'm having issues. All because he won't leave me alone with his folklore. I don't even want to remember what happened yesterday, but how can I even pretend? That experience was out of this world, just being in the restroom with him, and I fear he'll find me again and do the same thing. I don't want that.
So, I just won't go to uni today.
"You know, sooner or later you're going to have to come clean, so you might as well tell me what's going on right now before I run to your father and tell him you're really not sick." Andrea decides to make herself comfortable by laying on her side on the bed. Her eyes watch me expectantly.
I sigh, heart thumping and stomach clenched as I think about it. "So... okay, I should just tell you from the beginning. Take it from the top, right?"
"Preferably."
I then lick my lips and scratch my scalp again over my bonnet. "Okay, so... New Year's Day. The night of New Year's Eve. This is after Banele breaks up with me, telling me he doesn't want me and he doesn't like me and I'm not a good girlfriend, all of that. I go up to the balcony. I'm crying, obviously, you know?"
"We promised that we'd never cry over boys." She throws in quickly.
"Yes, yes. I know. I broke that promise. You have to understand that I was hurt. He took me from the comfort of my house, made me think I'd be having a good New Year's with him, and then breaks up with me in front of his friends after telling me I opened my legs for him way too easily." She rolls her eyes, showing signs of clear frustration. "So, I'm up there, crying. This is moments away from the clock striking midnight. I'm crying, I'm crying, right? Suddenly, this drunk boy comes out of nowhere. He literally accuses me of ruining everyone's vibe because I'm crying. Say's it's ironic I was crying in the club."
"Stupid. It's not a club."
"It's not a club! That's literally what I thought! I think I even told him that." Andrea nods her head. "So, then, I'm literally losing my mind. I'm telling him things like... people cry, and that I was in a bad place so how dare he make me feel bad by telling me I was ruining people's vibe. You know? I'm telling him this and I am crying. In front of this boy."
"Gert!" She laughs at me.
She's literally the only person I let laugh at my misery, and that's only because I always laugh at her and her misery too. "Well, yeah. I'm crying and telling this boy this. Suddenly, he disappears."
"Like, ghost?"
"Literally." I nod my head at her. "One moment he was there, the next he was not. I toss my ring aside—"
"I was wondering what happened to it. I figured you got rid of it after you and Banele."
"Yeah, I thew it because I felt it was pointless, now that him and I were over. So I'm like, I can't go home. Banele was the one who brought me here, so he is the only one who can take me back home. Mind you, I didn't even want to go to that party, but he said we'd have fun and it would be nice and all of that. So, I go looking for him. I find him. I literally call him, but he's literally avoiding me."
"You're lying."
"Honest, Drea. He avoids me. His friend then tells him that I am calling him. He comes to me and I demand he takes me home. You know what he says?" I pause, watching as she shrugs her shoulders with her eyes wide and ears obviously eager to hear it. "He says something like, 'oh... that's why I broke up with you. You're stubborn. I told you to find your own way home.' He literally gives me money that obviously isn't enough and says I must find my own way home. I literally left my phone at home, who was going to give me their phone at that time?"
"Oh my word, he is such an ass. I promise you when I see him today, he will not hear the end of it." Andrea bitterly spits at the thought of him.
"Don't even worry about him. I don't think he's coming back to uni. I didn't see him yesterday or the day before."
"Too soon to say. Maybe he will show up today."
I hum. "But anyway. So that happens. I literally am like, I have to walk home. Imagine that. It's literally past twelve midnight, where anything coud happen to me. I'm crying and I'm walking on the street—"
"Are you serious, Gertrude? You seriously walked home?" She gets to a sitting position, anger swelling inside her eyes and frustration radiating off of her. "What?"
"No! So, yes, I am about to walk home, like I am on the street and walking. Then suddenly, a car comes out of nowhere. Guess who it is? It's that same jerk who told me I was ruining people's vibe. He literally then follows me for a good ten minutes maybe, before he tells me again to get in his car. I finally decide to, because I mean, free transport and he wouldn't leave me alone!" Andrea nods eagerly, waving her hand for me to continue. "He takes me home. He makes small talk here and there, whatever. But now, I finally get home and we're literally by the gate. He gets out and starts saying a bunch of nonsense. Guess what happens after?"
"Oh my goddess." She mutters, covering her lips anxiously.
"He kisses me—"
"You're lying!" She screams as she shoots up to her feet. "You're literally lying—"
"Be quiet! My dad will come up here!" I grin at her, quickly moving to sit on my knees before I reach over to grab her wrist in order to make her sit back down. "I am being serious. Andrea, he literally kisses me on the lips. Like, I do not even know where he found the nerve to do that, but he does. He kisses me!"
"And what after that?"
"I slap him, of course!" I hiss at her.
"What!"
"Andrea. I just got out of a relationship. I was crying heavily, not so long ago. He kisses me? That's literally taking advantage of somebody when they are down."
Andrea laughs, throwing herself against my bed. Her boobs literally jiggle when she lands on her back and she claps her hands in shock and amusement. I chuckle at her, shaking my head as I bring the blanket over my legs and watch her. Her laugh is contagious, almost like a grown baby's laughter or something.
I wait for her to calm down. She does, but then looks at me and starts laughing again.
"Stop. It's not funny." I say, despite having a grin on my face.
"I'm sorry. I-I'm sorry." She calms down, placing her hands on her stomach and turns to look at me with a silly grin. "So, that's why you don't want to go to school?"
"No... that's not why." I sigh, scratching my neck this time. "Turns out... he is in our university." Andrea gasps as she sits up and stares at me with her wide green eyes. "I know. I saw him first on Tuesday during orientation. I then saw him yesterday. He..." I pause, thinking twice about going into detail about what happened. "He... approached me. He was just talking out the side of his mouth and I didn't want to entertain it more than I clearly already have been. He obviously remembers me and he thinks we're meant to be. So of course, I am not going to uni today because I know when he finds me— and he will, I just know it, he will not leave me alone. He is obsessed with me."
She laughs softer this time, shaking her head before subconsciously fixing her bun. "Just when you thought you were done with men."
"I am."
"But they don't seem to be done with you. How old do you think he is?"
"Well, if he was telling the truth, he is in first year student."
"He's nineteen? What the hell is a nineteen-year-old trying to bag a whole twenty-three year old?" Andrea screams behind her hand, laughing once again at my tragedy. I scoff at her. I can't believe she finds this funny.
"You're asking me? I also want to know the same thing! He literally said we were mates!"
Andrea's laughter dies down until she has only a small smile. Amused, curious too, and she tilts her head. "He said you guys are mates?" I roll my eyes at her after nodding. "What... what kind of mates?"
"Certainly not the friend, buddy-buddy, kind of mate." I mutter as I shift backwards until my back is against the wall yet again. Now I see my best friend have a moment where she bats her eyes in thought. She even takes a deep breath and hums. "You don't believe it, right? There's no such thing as—"
"Of course I don't. It's just strange that he would even say that." She waves her hand dismissively. "Did you... get a name?"
"I care very little to get his name, Drea."
"Okay, good. And... maybe you staying at home isn't such a bad idea after all." She grins as she now gets to her feet and adjusts her dress. "Now, I must head to uni. Alone, that is, because my best friend is running away from a boy." She teases, sending me a dirty grin as she heads towards the door. "I'll tell your dad that you may have a fever as well, so maybe he lets you stay tomorrow as well. Try and stay in your room for most of the day. Oh, and," She pauses by the door and glances at me. "Do not be laughing out loud at tiktok videos. It will obviously give it away."
I give her a thumbs up and smile. "I love you, best friend."
"And I love you. This will cost you, though."
"Name your price."
"I need a day to think about it." She grins and opens the door. "Enjoy home."
"Bye." I mutter, waving a bit when she spares me a final glance before closing the door. I sit still for a moment, hearing muttering obviously between herself and my father, and just moments later, I hear the front door close.
With a small hum, I get under my blankets and then pull it to my chin, turning my back towards the door, just as the door opens. I instantly freeze.
"How are you feeling, baby?"
Ah, dang. I hum, faking a groan of pain. "Oh... daddy... I am in pain. It's so sore."
"I'll give you something to clean your stomach, hmm? Andrea said you have a stomach ache, maybe from the amount of junk food you've been eating." My eyes widen, because what the hell? "I'll give you something to make sure your stomach is clean. You will go up and down to the toilet. I'll also give you water so you can hydrate your body, hmm? This is why I say you must not eat junk food. Hai, but you don't listen, Gertrude. Not once do you listen to me, hmm? You must first suffer before you listen to me, eh?"
I have to roll my eyes. "I'm sorry, papa."
"You will be sorry after this medication. It will teach you a lesson and will leave your bum-bum very sore because you will be pooping a lot. That will teach you a lesson. You know what, this girl just does not want to listen to me. She doesn't." I hear the door close, but even still, I can hear his complaints as he walks away from my room.
I quickly reach for my phone from the side table and unclock it, instantly going to Andrea's chat.
Me: I cannot believe you told him I have a dirty stomach?
I glare at the screen, watching as she types back.
Drea: :) :)
Drea: Lessons need to be learnt the hard way. Maybe now you'll stop skipping school because of boys.
Drea: I love you
I groan, placing my phone back on the table and then throw my head against my pillow.
Oh well. I guess pooping is better than facing that jerk of a boy with the blue eyes.