«««««Soma»»»»»
"I'm dead! I'm dead!! I'm dead!!!" I yelled immediately i stepped into my room, releasing nada of the pent up tension in me.
I heard a familiar groan, "Who killed you?" She asked.
I ran to Oluchi's corner just as she gently slipped her blanket off her body, "Ohh! You are here." I asked with surprise.
If I knew she was here, I wouldn't have bothered going to his place at first.
"Yes I'm here so who killed you?" She asked again and yawned loudly.
I sat on her bed and resumed shaking my legs consistently, "God! I'm so dead; I'm never going to show my face to the world again." I said and slapped my head over and over again.
She assumed a sitting position, "What happened nah?" She inquired inquisitively.
"No! No!! No!!!" I was still hating and regretting, the next thing I heard and felt was a knock on my head. Ouch!.
I flared, "Ahhh! Do you want to injure me?" I yelled at her as I held the sacrificial part of my head.
She shook her head, "You can't just wake me from my sleep for nothing. Start talking." She ordered while snapping her fingers.
"We almost kissed." I blurted.
She knitted her brows in confusion, "Who is the 'we'?" She asked.
"Nonso and I!!" I yelled unconsciously and buried my face in my palms, "I feel so ashamed of myself." I muttered.
"Calm down! So you didn't even kiss him and you are already dying so if you had kissed him, by now we would be talking about your burial rite." She joked.
I shoved her shoulders roughly, "I'm being serious!! I don't know how we got ourselves in that state but..."
She interrupted, "If you want to talk, you calm down and don't jumble your words." She sighed and said, "I'm all ears."
"Okay, so he confessed his feelings for me and.... and I refused him. I told him I wasn't ready and... and." I blabbed and stuttered uncontrollably.
"And...." She drawled on the word, signifying me to continue.
I held my breath and spewed out the rest, "And I picked my bag to leave then; I looked at him and... and... and I tried to kiss him." I blurted and collapsed with my back on her bed.
"Ohhh! So you initiated it!" She affirmed with wide eyes.
See! She too didn't expect such from me.
"And he rejected me. I'm such a fool." I returned to slapping my head physically, "I'm a big fool!!" I reviled.
"But I thought you said you rejected him?" She asked.
"I did. I told him I wasn't ready for any relationship but then we were so close that I lost my senses. I felt so.... I just.." All the adjectives and adverbs I knew couldn't just qualify or modify my feelings.
"Okay that's enough!" She said and pulled me closer to her, "Come here." She said again.
I moved closer and rested my head on her bosom while she patted my head and back with her two hands, "Your brain and your heart were obviously on different levels. Your brain says 'No' and your heart screams 'Yes'. It's not your fault alright." She explained in a very calm soothing tone.
"I should have had more self control." I muttered.
She sighed, "Yes but we all make mistakes. Why did you refuse him at first and then initiate a kissing session."
I released myself from her grasp and tugged with the hem of my shirt, "I'm scared. I'm not sure either, it could be infatuation; Lots of people mistake infatuation for love which can lead to drastic mistakes and regrets and..."
She interrupted and pulled my back to her, also drawing small circles at my back. "Shhhh!... It's alright. You would be alright, this is just a phase and it would surely pass." She assured.
"Hmm..." I replied unconsciously as I felt my tension slowly evaporating.
"Just close your eyes, Clear your mind and try to sleep okay. You've had a stressful day." She said and resumed patting my back slowly.
I shut my eyes and also tried to shut out the guilt but it was so damn hard.
I don't want to be an object of ill fate all the the name of attraction and infatuation. I have more important stuff that needs my attention and not some dumb male.
I choose to be focused on my dreams and no distractions this time.
"Ollie." I called.
"Yes dear."
"If he really likes me then why did he reject me?" I found myself asking again.
"I really don't know, he may have a good reason though. Just sleep." She replied.
******
I woke up to the shrilling sound of my ringtone. 'Sweet but Psycho by Ava Max'.
With my sleepy eyes, I picked the call without bothering to look at the caller ID.
"Hello." I started with a grumpy voice.
"Good morning Pumpkin." A familiar jolly voice responded from the other side.
"Ethan? Is it morning already?" I asked in a grouchy manner.
How long did I sleep?
I took a glance at the wrist watch that's still on my wrist which is weird because I don't sleep with my watch.
The time was exactly 8:00 am and I'm on Oluchi's bed too. I didn't even change out of the dress I was wearing yesterday!.
Was this the level of my laziness and tiredness?
"So sorry to disturb your beauty sleep but I have some news for you." He said.
I rubbed my eyes and yawned, "Okay go on."
"Alright. So I talked to my brother and he's willingly to do it." He blurted.
"Do what?" I asked in confusion.
"You requested for a confrontation. Isn't that right?" He asked.
My eyes widened in realisation, "Ohhh Yes! Very true! So he complied?" I flowed with the news.
"Yes but he's a very busy person. I had to work my ass off before he agreed."
"So what now?"
"He has a meeting by 10 so technically speaking you have just one hour to get your ass over here."
I intuitively leapt down from bed, "One hour!! I just got out of bed!!"
"This is the best I could do for you pumpkin and coming to a compromise with Nathan can be so difficult, you just have to bear with me okay." He said in a soothing tone.
I damped the beads of sweats that have formed on my forehead with the back of my palm. "Okay. So where do we meet?" I asked.
"The usual spot. Bye." He said and hung up.
I rushed to my corner and opened the curtain. Oluchi was wrapped like a Christmas present in my blanket.
"Who was that?" She asked with one eye open.
"Ethan. He said we have one hour to meet him." I said and grabbed my towel from the hanger.
"One hour?" She exclaimed.
I began searching for a suitable wear, "That's what I said too but we don't have much of a choice. So do me a favour and call the guys." I said.
She ignored me and wrapped herself very well with blanket, "I still want to catch some sleep. I couldn't sleep last night because you keep making incessant incomprehensible noise with your big mouth."
I quickly dragged the blanket away from her body and not surprising, she was just in a pink bra and black panties, "Oluchi! It's Saturday. You can sleep all you want when we get back and I don't sleep talk." I said while pulling my vest over my head.
She sluggishly stood up, "Yeah whatever! I'll just call them." She picked up her phone on the table.
I began making my way to the bathroom with my towel tightly wrapped around my chest, "Alright then. Wait! One more thing." I paused.
"What?"
"Don't call Nonso." I blurted.
"Why? He suggested this so I see no reason why he won't be called." She knitted her brows and stomped her feet.
"I'm not comfortable yet. Things may get awkward and that's the last distraction I need now." I said.
She rolled her eyes, obviously not ready for an argument. "Yeah whatever! I still don't support this. We need a guy's presence and a car." She said and emphasized on the word 'car'.
"Abel is a guy and we can use the public bus. Besides I'm not sure the car is even his." I twitched my lips.
She walked towards me and placed her both hands on my bare shoulders, "Don't be jealous dear. The fact remains that he has a car and you don't." She retorted mockingly.
"Dhhuurrhh! Who cares?" I did a perfect 360° with my eyes.
"You of course. You are the one in love with him." She walked away, shaking her tiny waist in the process.
I shook my head with pity for myself. She could be right though.
******
"My legs are killing me." Helen lamented as she removed her heels and walked barefooted into the designated restaurant.
"If only we had used Nonso's car! That stupid conductor and the useless bus driver wouldn't have driven away with our money!." Oluchi spat, obviously not happy and satisfied.
"Why isn't he here again?" Helen queried.
Oluchi turned to me and eyed me eerily "Ask the mistress." She said.
I sighed, "Guys I'm sorry. Lets just find a place to sit." I said and we did just that.
"Easy for you to say." Oluchi muttered beneath her breath.
Turns out that Abel was still on his home vacation so it was just me and the girls. Although they would probably rip my head off later for denying them a smooth car ride.
Prevention they say is better than cure.
"What says the time?" I asked as we sat on a round table with 5 chairs at one corner of the restaurant.
"Food o'clock!." Helen blurted and we all stared at her like we'd seen a ghost, "You denied me breakfast." She added while pointing a finger at me.
"Sorry again." I said.
"Five minutes past nine." Oluchi responded.
"Okay, we are right on time." I sighed loudly.
"Since they are not here yet, Can we order something that is not water?" Helen opted with hunger written clearly on her face.
"If you have enough money please sponsor us." Oluchi added, gesturing to Helen.
"I'm so hungry." Helen muttered as she gently dropped her jaw on the table.
"Whatever you order would be on me." A voice uttered from behind us.
I can swear that I've heard that voice somewhere before.
We all slowly turned our heads to the direction of the voice and indeed we were stunned.
I mean, how can identical twins look so different. This person standing in front of us is the direct opposite of Ethan in terms of looks.
He had this bad boy look and he's also very handsome with curly hair and a spotless face and facial hair that came from both sides of his temple to assemble just beneath his jaw.
Oh my God! I can't stop staring!.
"You are Nathan?" Oluchi asked also looking stupefied.
"Hello ladies." He greeted with an honest smile.
Oh my! He also has dimples!
I am loving this already.
####
Ghen!!! Ghen!!! It's your girl again.
How do you see this chapter? Be honest please.
Least I forget, another chapter would be up in a few hours so don't stray too far.
Please don't forget to tap that star at the bottom of your screen. Bye!