*THURSDAY*
We went to see Miguel two days ago, he's fine now. I've been apologizing to Cam but he wouldn't even bat an eye on me and it sucks. I'm very much exhausted. I'm sick of apologizing and getting silence in return.
I'm settled beside Jed in class, we've become much closer now. Cam sat behind us with Marina next to him, Miguel at my right, next to Devika.
Mr. Zeyes already made sure we sat next to the opposite sex and no same sex sat together, reasons best known to him.
"Alright class, I've a project for you all and it'll last for the semester, you won't have any exams or tests as this project would determine if you top up your courses and graduate. In order to achieve success, you all would be grouped together to work as a team. I call this grouping, pretend married". He says and everyone starts to chatter.
"Silence!" Everywhere becomes silent at his order. "Now, I made you all sit next to the opposite sex for this purpose, the person next to you would be your pretend married spouse for this project. There are rules, sex is not allowed!"
Jed looks at me and I look back at him, this did hurt me but I sort of liked it. I'm pretty sure it hurt Cam too.
"Sir, before you proceed I have a question I want to ask". Cam says.
"Go on".
"Can we choose our spouses?"
"No. Sit! Nobody gets to choose their spouse and that's final! Now, you'll be submitting summaries and reports, weekly summaries and reports of how everything is going. You have to act like a real couple, remember, sex isn't allowed! You have sex, you get disqualified and equally expelled from this institution. You think like couples, act like couples and give me weekly feedback. I want you guys to work together to come up with a topping app. An app that would help couples, an app that'll solve couple problems. The team with the best app would get the highest score. This project would end on the 20th of July, that's in the next two months, make good use of your time. Good day class". He says and exits the hall.
I break down, sobbing silently.
"It's fine Stace, I won't touch you. I promise, I won't hurt you". Jed says.
"It's not fine Jed".
"If you want we could swi-"
"And yes, before I forget, I know you all and your partners now, switching places isn't allowed. You switch, you get disqualified". Mr. Zeyes says.
Mr Zeyes is a very hard hearted man and he's unapproachable.
"Uh, I was going to say switch places". Jed says rubbing his neck.
"It's fine". I reply.
I go on with my day being moody and distant from Jed, I'm avoiding him. This project would give Cameron more than enough time to fall in love with Marina and it's a 2 months project, equally three months as we're still in the beginning of the month.
"Hey". Cameron says almost startling me.
"Uh, hey". I say smiling.
"I see you're okay with being with Jed, it's what you've always wanted, isn't it? I know how happy you are right now".
"What?!"
"Don't pretend Stacey, I know it's what you want".
I try really hard not to lose my cool.
"How sure are you it's what I want?" I ask, arms folded.
"Oh, it's actually what you want".
I roll my eyes.
"Really? I apologize to you and you give me silent treatment and now you show up in front of me, accusing me of being happy having another guy as my partner. Like seriously? Well, you know what? Before I wasn't happy with it but now I am". I say and walk away.
I know I hurt him but he hurt me too. I know I don't mean what I said back there but I'm really upset.
We haven't spoken to each other for 3 days now and all he can do is accuse me of being happy having Jed as my partner. I walk into the cafeteria and I meet Jed, he reserved a seat for me in our table. It usually consists of Jed, Miguel, Devika, Cameron and me but this time it wasn't just us, Marina was among, she sat next to Cam.
There was an empty seat in between Cam and Jed. I also realized that our circle expanded as I walk up to the table.
"Hey guys". I say settling down.
"Hey babes". Devika says.
I ignored Cam and Marina's presence.
I stretch over Jed to reach for the bottled water. It made Cam jealous and he just scoffed. I settle back down on my seat and start to devour my food. I was eating fast and eating much but I made sure I didn't make a mess of myself, I still observed that table manners.
Everyone at the table was staring at me.
"My life is so fucked up, yeah?" I say biting off a piece of my burger. "Today sucks". I say drinking my soda water. I heave a sigh. I pick up the fork from the table and dig into my pasta, eating it hurriedly.
"You should calm down Stace and tell us what's wrong". Devika says.
I pause for a moment and let out a laugh. "I'm sorry, calm down?" I ask and get on digging up huge amounts of pasta and stuffing it in my mouth. "Actually, there's nothing wrong". I say wiping my mouth. I grab the box of chocolates Jed gave me few days back, I didn't finish it. I kept some and so I take off the wraps from all and eat the chocolates at once.
"Jed, this is nice. Maybe you should get me some more when next you're coming to school". I say with a mouthful of chocolate.
"Okay". He says smiling. I could tell Cam was very much upset and irritated at the same time but I didn't care. I pop open another can of soda and gulp down half it's content. I open the wrap of chocolate and start feeding on it. I take the cotton candy Miguel had bought me and start eating it and then a tear drop escapes from my eyes. I stop eating and stuff the candy that stuck out of my mouth back in. I had already finished the candy and wiped my mouth clean. My hands on my head, I sniff and stand up to leave when Jed holds my hand causing me to halt. I wipe my eyes before turning to face him. I yank my hand off his grip and walk away.
The hallway was clear as everyone was in the cafeteria. I sit on the stairs sobbing. I take out my book and glitter pen from my bag and start to draw but then I pause and decide to write my dairy. I was having one hell of a bad day.
I sat there, my head leaning against the wall as I sobbed. I take out wipes from my bag and wipe my tears for the 12th time. There were wipes littered around me on the stairs. I walk into the library some seconds later, I needed to clear my head.
I take a book from the shelf, it's a comedy book and I start reading it. Within 10 seconds I had forgotten about everything and I was just giggling as I read the book. Time had passed, it was school over, I had been on this book for 2 hours non stop giggling to myself, I didn't even attend the rest of the classes but I didn't bother much.
It's 2:48pm and I'm on my way home....alone. I decided to walk home as my house isn't all that far from the school.
I sang some songs as I walked home. I borrowed the book from the school library and was reading it on my way home, giggling to myself and it attracted people as they glared at me like I'm mad or something. I ignored the stares and kept reading, I wasn't even watching where I was going to.
Beep Beep Beep
There was a car horning behind me, I had caused a traffic jam that I wasn't even aware of. I didn't know I was walking in the middle of the road. I kept reading my book and just then someone pushed me out of the road causing me to land on my back on the side walk.
"Ouch". I groan in pain.
"What were you doing reading and walking in the middle of the road?" Vaughn asked.
"Shit head! You've hurt me!" I say hitting him with my book and he starts running and I run after him too.
Vaughn is my younger brother.
We halt in front of Cameron's house panting. I look up to his window and catch him staring, I cuss under my breath and keep walking.
"You should've gone easy kiddo! I'm not a guy like you!" I say to him.
"You should've known better not to read and walk. Sometimes I wonder why you're my elder sister, you think from your braids". He says and I frown.
"I'm gonna kill you!" I yell running after him.
He runs into the house and up to his room, locking his door before I could even get any closer.
"You're sick sis". He says and chuckles.
"You better stay in all day, I'mma kill you if I see you!" I yell and walk away.
"Stace!" Gayle calls out.
"What?"
"Cameron came. He dropped something for you. Said I should give you this". She says handing me a box of chocolates.
"You can have it". I say and enter my room. I slam the door shut before she could even enter.
"It's for you! It's in front of your door". I could hear her retreating steps after which the loud bang of her door.
I unlock my door noiselessly and creak it open. I take the box of chocolates and lock the door back.
It looked exactly like the one Jed got me, just that this one had red wraps and no caramels.
"He thinks of Jed as a competition?" I scoff and roll my eyes.
There was a letter attached to the box. I quickly unfold it and start reading the contents. It drove me mad seeing that he didn't even apologize for treating me this way and he didn't accept my apology, instead he kept speaking of Jed and I. This is it, I can't do this anymore. He has a whole lot of ego that he can't even apologize. I was furious now. I change my outfit and storm out of the house.
I walk up to him with the letter and box of chocolates.
"What the fuck is this?" I asked.
"Chocolates....without caramels". He says.
"I fucking know about that! What's this letter supposed to mean? Are you that arrogant you can't even apologize? You know what? I'm done! I can't do this anymore. It's over". I say and turn on my heels to walk away.
"It's him, isn't it?" He asks. "It's because of him, it's because you want to be with him, isn't it?"
I turn around to face him and then I walk up to him.
"It's you! You're arrogant and inconsiderate. I can't be with you! I don't understand this whole thing of you seeing Jed as a competitor, this whole thing isn't a competition!"
"Then what's it? Can't you see? It''s all about who can win your love". He says.
"Oh really? And this is how you win it?! Excuse me". I say and give him back the box of chocolates and toss the crumbled letter at him before walking away.
I got home, curled up in bed crying profusely with no one to console me. I knew I'd never be the same again.