WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS SENSITIVE
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"WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" I heard Dili ask as I stood up dusting my skirt.
"Restroom, why?" I raised a questioning eyebrow to his direction.
"Oh nothing, I just thought you were leaving me here alone" he said with a short laugh. I only stared at him for a while before saying.
"You're going to wait here for me?" I asked surprised. This was the first time anyone had ever thought to wait for me concerning anything.
"Uhm yeah" he gave me a 'duh' look, like as if my question was stupid.
"You know you don't have to wait right? You can leave anytime you want" I mumbled before I started walking towards the direction of the library door. I know I sounded kind of rude but it was just the first time that anything like this had ever happened to me and I didn't know how to take it.
"Don't worry I'll wait. I want to wait!" He yelled out after me. For goodness sake, this boy didn't know anything about keeping the library rules, or he knew and just decided to completely ignore it. Thank God we were in a secluded part of the library.
On reaching the girls toilet I immediately went to do my business and came out of the toilet stall. As I was in the process of washing my hands I heard a bang from the restrooms door direction. Immediately I spotted Adaeze. She and her two other friends, Runke and Hadiza were not too far behind her.
"Rica" was the first thing that came out of her mouth.
I didn't even know when I groaned out in frustration "What is it?" A fickle of surprise passed through her eyes before she smirked.
"See this girl o" She turned to say to her friends while laughing "Na me she dey talk to like that?"
(Pidgin English translation: Is it me she's talking to like that?"
"No na it's can't be you na, unless she no dey well for head" was Hadiza's response.
(No it can't be you, unless she's not well in the head)
"Abi" Runke added.
"Anyways forget about that sef. The main reason I'm here is to warn you to stop talking to Dili" Adaeze growled out.
"And why should I do that?" I wanted to punch myself the moment those words escaped my mouth. Why did I even say that sef, did I have a death wish?!
"Ah, Hadiza na true you talk o, this girl actually dey craze" Adaeze chuckle but it wasn't out of amusement, she looked beyond angry.
(Hadiza you were right, she is actually crazy)
I gulped as three of them started to take slow threating steps towards me which made me take equal steps back in return.
"It's like you've forgotten your place Fatty. Let me refresh your memory" The immediate smirk that covered all their faces shook me to the very core. Right there and then I knew they were going to do something horrible to me, just like they always did in the past....
"What are you guys doing, get away from me" I pathetically said.
"Runke" Adaeze called out loud.
"Yes" A grinning Runke responded.
"Get me water" was what she instructed.
"With pleasure"
Before I could even try to make a run for it Runke brought back a bucket of water with her. What am I saying, I couldn't even make a run for it because they were completely blocking my path. There was practically no escape.
"Hold her" Adaeze laid out another command. And just like every other time her two friends obeyed her like mindless idiots.
"Stop it! What are you doing!" I pathetically struggled tears filling my eyes as they firmly held me in place.
"This is for you thinking you can become all buddy-buddy with Dili" and with that she dumped the entire content in the bucket on me. Runke and Hadiza released me and they left, I could still hear them snickering until it finally faded away into the distance.
I turned to look at myself in the mirror. The girl that stared right back at me looked like shit, my eyes puffy and my uniform looked like it had seen better days. All in all, I looked terrible.
"Pathetic" I mumbled as tears rushed down my face.
"You really are pathetic Rica" I whispered to my reflection.
Deciding that I didn't want to stay in school any much longer, I rushed out of the restroom not bothering as students in the hallway stared at my sorry state. It's not like it was the first time they've seen me in this type of condition....
I bursted through the library door in a haste rushing to go and get my bag. I reached my destination and quickly carried my bag. I ignored Dili's open stare. So he actually waited like he said he would.
I ran out of the library as if I was on fire. But I was stopped by someone's hold on my hand.
"Rica what happened?" Dili held me back by the hand as I was attempting to leave. I tried to struggle out of his grip but it was incredibly firm.
"Leave me alone Dili, I'm not in the mood" I muttered not daring to speak louder than a whisper, afraid that if I did I might just burst into tears, again.
"I don't care if you are in the mood or not Rica. Tell me, who did this to you" I turned to face him about to tell him to piss off but the look on his face made me to stop. He looked beyond pissed. Why though? It wasn't like he was the one that got water poured on him.
"Nobody" I mumbled.
"Don't lie to me Rica. Do I look stupid to you? I said who did this to you?"
"Does it really matter? And why do you care, it's none of your business!" I shouted out in frustration.
"Of course it does matter!" He widened his eyes when he said this, like I was even crazy to ask him such a question.
"And i care because it's concerning you Rica" he said softly. My features softened a little at his words.
"You shouldn't" I said.
"I shouldn't what?" A confused expression overtook his face.
"Care about me" I said with a sad chuckle.
"Everyone deserves to be cared about Rica, Everyone" He's eyes held pain as he spoke those words. I averted my eyes from him because his gaze was just way too intense.
"Now please just tell me who did this to you" the desperation to hear my answer was as clear as day in his tone.
I sighed and turned my gaze back to him "It was Adaeze and her friends, happy?" He didn't look all that surprised by my answer. After a short time I continued.
"It's actually nothing really, it's a normal thing. Welcome to my life" I said with a sad smile and just like i usually do, I left him standing alone in the hallway.
.....
"Mr seye, you're sure that was what my mother said?" I asked.
After that uneventful event that went down in school I went home immediately, thank God my principal was flexible enough to allow me go home that early. Although they did contact my parents concerning my actions. Like they would be bothered to care.
Presently it was evening and I was being driven to a restaurant to meet my fiance to be. Apparently both our parents had thought it wise for our first meeting to be in a restaurant where we would have dinner.
"Yes Ma, she said that you are going alone to the restaurant and that sadly she and your father won't be able to accompany you" Sadly my ass.
"Alright, thank you" I mumbled.
After five minutes Mr seye called to my attention.
"We've reached ma'am" we were presently packed outside of an elegant looking restaurant. The building practically screamed 'money!'. I wasn't really bothered though, afterall my parents were stinky rich, they could afford it.
"Thank you Mr seye" I said and got out of the car.
Entering the restaurant I was asked for my reservation. I just dropped my name, well more like my surname, and I was immediately ushered to a more scheduled part of the restaurant. On entering, the first thing I saw was a table and two chairs opposite to each other, A guy was sat down on one of the chairs already, I couldn't see his face because his back was faced to me. But for some reason his hair looked incredibly familiar.
I didn't look at his face until I sat down on my seat, and boy was that a mistake on my part.
I choked out with widened eyes.
"Dili?"