Diane was Emma's best friend. They've been best friends since Emma's first day of Junior high in New York City. Emma was in a foreign country for the first time in her life and she was nervous and excited at the same time.
It took her grandma weeks and lots of pleading on her behalf before her father agreed to send her. He was convinced she would drag the precious Da-Silva name in the mud if she was allowed to school outside Nigeria.
Even though Emma was excited to meet new people and maybe make friends, since she didn't have any in Nigeria, she was feeling nervous about attending her first class because of the socio-cultural differences of the two countries which were continents apart from each other.
Would she be accepted or would it be like in the movies where foreign students were bullied and always find it difficult to fit in? She however immediately felt at ease and happy during the class introduction when she heard the name Diane Olushola.
'A Nigerian!?' Emma thought happily to herself. Here's someone she could relate to and identify with in her class.
When it was Emma's turn to introduce herself to the whole class, she was able to speak boldly with confidence, like a true Da-Silva that she was. All traces of nervousness was gone.
Diane was the first to approach Emma immediately after the class was over. The new girl from Nigeria fascinates her. She was struck by the confidence, vivacity, humor, and charm with which Emma talked while introducing herself. Diane was born in New York and was excited to meet a girl her age who just came from her ancestor's country.
Diane who was a social butterfly was quite popular among some of the students. She introduced Emma to her friends and told her what was acceptable in school in terms of fashion so as not to look like a dork. As for her worry about getting bullied... Who would dear bully Diane Olushola's friend!?
Emma on her part told Diane all that she knew about Nigeria, Lagos State especially... Everything Diane didn't hear from her parents and didn't see on social media she learned from Emma.
The two girls were like inseparable Siamese twins from the first day of junior high up until they graduated from high school. They got accepted into the same university and registered for the same course, accountancy.
When Emma was eighteen, during her second year at the university, her father came to the State for a business conference unannounced. One of the many ridiculous rules and conditions that he gave to her grandma before allowing them to come to Newyork was for Emma to always come back home from school every Friday.
On this particular Friday, she was out all night and the whole of Saturday celebrating Diane's birthday. She came back home on Sunday morning to find her furious father who demanded without mincing words to her grandma...
"It's either she transfers back to Nigeria or gets disowned!"
He spoke to her grandma like Emma was not in the room with them. He didn't even say her name but chose to use a pronoun instead. Emma was hurt by his action. She felt he has been waiting to have that opportunity for a long time.
'Why did he hate me so much!? I was just at my best friend's house celebrating her birthday... What's the harm in that!?' She wondered to herself.
Emma chose to be disowned, to her father's surprise and annoyance before he stormed out of their apartment. If not for her grandma who kept crying and pleading with her... Emma would have been glad to rid herself of the name Da-Silva there and then. They never wanted her anyway so what's the point!?
Diane insisted and convinced her parents she would come back to Nigeria with Emma. It was a great opportunity for her to come to Nigeria for the first time and meet her father's family, mingle with the people and learn her culture.
Emma trusted Diane with her life. They were soul sisters, they had a deep soul connection from the moment they met. That was why she found it difficult to believe the first time Ty told her Diane was sleeping with Daniel her boyfriend. She thought he cooked up a story because she rejected him.
And she still found it very difficult to believe but decided to call Sheyi, the girl they both made friends with when they came back to Nigeria. She needed to get rid of the tiny seed of doubt Ty had sown in her heart.
The phone rang for quite some time and Sheyi finally picked just when Emma decided to stop calling.
[Babes why are you still not here now? Please don't tell me you're not coming again because this party is missing your vibes.] Sheyi's voice blared over the loud music Emma could hear playing in the background as soon as she picked the call.
[I'm on my way already. I'll be there sooner than you know.] Emma replied and chuckled before continuing. [Shey would you be a darling and hand the phone over to Daniel, please?]
[Sorry girl, Daniel is not here...]
[Really? What about Diane? Help give the phone to her then]
[Diane told me she was going to the lady's room some five minutes ago... I wonder why she's taking so long? Don't worry I'll go look for her and ask her to call you]
[Oh don't bother, I have an incoming call coming from her right now. I'll see you in a bit] Emma said and immediately cut the call.
There was no incoming call. She just didn't want Sheyi to alert Diane she was looking for her. Does that mean she believed her boyfriend was cheating on her with her best friend?
Just thinking about that notion made her felt a strange, coldness like feeling that tightly gripped and squeezed at the center of her chest.
'They are both not at the party!?' She thought with fear and recalled what Ty told her...
'They are alone together right now. They got a room at the Lakes hotel beside the club where we're having the TGIF party.'
'God please don't let this be true... It is not true.' She silently prayed in her mind as she grabbed her keys and wore her shoes.
'How can the both of them be missing at the party at the same time?... There must be a genuine reason for this. Yes, I'm sure they have a reason.' She unconvincingly assured herself as she rushed down to her car.
**+**
The TGIF party was held at the Lakes club and lounge which was owned by Lekan Beckley, one of the rich Lagos Island bachelor. It was a strip club that was normally frequented by the rich crème de la crème of Lagos Island and Mainland bachelors and bachelorettes.
To enter the Lakes was strictly by invitation. Parties like the TGIF could only be hosted at the lakes strictly by recommendation from a respectable regular of the club.
The TGIF party recommendation came from Abby, a 300 level Polymer and Textile student that also had a room in the same Scholar Suites hostel as Emma.
Abby who was envied by most of the girls who had a room in Scholar suites was able to give them the recommendation because she was dating one of Lekan Beckley's brothers.
The huge Lakes hotel building was standing right beside the Lakes club and lounge. Emma drove through the hotel's gate, park her car, and went straight to the reception, where truly a brown envelope that had her name written on it was waiting for her.
As she walked towards the elevator that would take her to the floor she was going, Emma was overwhelmed with the strange feeling of fear again, thinking...
'What if Ty was trying to get me alone in the hotel room?'
"Whatever... Let him try his best." She replied under her breath to the voice. Emma was sure of the self-defense class she took in New York. She felt inside her bag to be sure she still has her pepper spray.
'Let Ty give it his best shot then. She would make him regret his actions for the rest of his life' She thought grimly.