Chantel and Cynthia ran to the car park and found Chantel's mother sitting at the driver's seat of her car. The door was opened and her legs were hanging out. She was typing away on her phone, replying a message one of her clients had sent her, when Chantel and Cynthia arrived.
"Hi mom. I'm so sorry I kept you waiting. I encountered some issues on my way to my dorm but it's solved now. I'm so sorry mom," Chantel apologised to her mother.
"It's okay, dear. Hey, is that a friend of yours?" her mother smiled at Cynthia.
"Good day Ma," Cynthia greeted her.
"Good day. How are you, dear?" Her mother smiled.
"I'm fine, Ma."
"Good. For years I have been trying to get Chantel to make friends with people her age to no avail. I am so happy that finally, she made a new friend." Chantel's mother said, excitedly.
"I have two friends actually. Adiepena is back at the dorm and this is Cynthia, mother," Chantel introduced the two.
"It's nice to meet you, Cynthia. I really would have loved for us to continue chatting right now, but, can you girls help me bring out the rest of the stuff? It's kind of hot out here."
The girls happily helped the older woman pack out everything else she bought for Chantel. They took the rest of the things to the dormitory. When they got to the dorm, Adiepena had already finished drying the clothes and had cleared all the bowls. She was already in their room, sprawled out on her bed, reading a story book.
Chantel and Cynthia led the older woman into their room and helped unpack all the things they brought. She sat down by her daughter on her bed, as Cynthia sat by Adiepena. Chantel introduced Adiepena to her mother, and her mother happily responded when Adiepena greeted her. The ladies had a hearty chat and laughed throughout their conversation. The girls felt so free around Chantel's mother and asked her anything that was on their mind, which she answered happily to.
Soon, it was time for her to leave. She kissed her daughter good bye and walked out. The girls offered to walk her to the car park. When they got to her car, she picked her purse and brought it out. Then picked out some money which she shared among the girls. The girls were happy, especially, Cynthia and Adiepena. Chantel and the girls left the moment her mother drove off.
Chantel was happy her mother had come to visit her, even if it was just for a few hours. She was sad though, that her mother had to leave. She went back with her friends to their room and they just could not stop themselves from saying nice things about Chantel's mother.
"Your mother is really good. I like her," Cynthia said.
"Me too. She is so cool," Adiepena seconded.
Chantel laughed at that. Her mother has always been a good person and very likable by everyone who she came into contact with. So it was natural for the girls to feel this way about her.
They continued to chat, when someone they were not expecting walked in with two of her friends right behind her. Nadia walked up to Chantel and stood in front of her, just to make her feel intimidated.
"So, after the strong warning I gave you, you still had the audacity to flirt with my man?" Nadia, held her waist and posed like she was shooting a TV commercial.
"I...i don't know what you are talking about. Which man are you referring to?" Chantel managed to say. She was tired already from all the washing and carrying books around and she was not yet ready to face Nadia.
"You don't know what I am talking about? I see. Let me spell it out for you. Kevin is my boyfriend and I don't want little girls like you around him. Don't play with me little girl, otherwise you will get seriously burned."
Chantel was confused. She admitted she liked Kevin, she did not really know if it's love or not and already she is facing opposition. Chantel knew the kind of girl Nadia was. She had seen those kinds of girls back in the junior high school. Girls like Nadia always had a way of bothering Chantel and that made her very uncomfortable.
"Senior Nadia. I did not know Kevin was your boyfriend. We met just today. I am sorry, but I have no intentions of stealing him from you, or anything."
"Oh, so the little girl knows how to talk back." she lowered herself so that she and Chantel would be of the same height. "I am going to say this, stay away from Kevin. Do not even as much as look at him. He is mine and mine alone and I don't like to share. The day I ever see you around him, you will regret ever being born."
She turned and left the room, with her friends following her. Chantel was shaking. Nadia always had a way of making her feel inferior and her bad experiences from junior high school kept flashing through her mind.
"What just happened?" Adiepena asked, furiously.
"I don't get that senior at all. What is her problem? Who does she think she is?" Cynthia was angry as well.
"She is a senior, so she can do whatever she wants. I just don't get why she hates me so much," chantel said, sadness evident in her voice.
"The fact that she is a senior does not mean she can do whatever she wants. She can't continue bullying you like this. In fact I am going there to tell her my mind." Cynthia said and headed towards the door, but Adiepena quickly stopped her.
"Cynthia come back. Don't put yourself into more trouble. I think the best thing to do is to stay away from her and that boyfriend of hers. She is trouble, I can sense it. Let's just concentrate on our books and forget about her, and everything will be fine."
Cynthia took in a deep breath and came back to sit beside Chantel. She put her hand on her shoulder and tried to console her. "Adiepena is right. Let's forget about her and concentrate more on our studies. Don't worry, we will always be here to protect you from girls like her. Everything will be fine."
Chantel smiled a little. "Thank you girls for being here with me."
They all hugged Chantel and began to laugh amongst themselves.