"Did you draw this?" The instructor became doubtful. I knew this was the point where I lied to him but I couldn't, not after discovering it was easy for people to tell when I was lying.
"No way she drew that," One of April's friends commented and got some other eyes to turn to me.
"She did, sir." Uche lied for me.
"Uh huh," the instructor nodded."Good work then, Julie. Keep this up and maybe we'll have another best art students asides Uche and Perry." He said and left with my sheet still in his hands.
"I can't believe he bought that," I whispered to Uche after he left.
"Oh he didn't," Uche chuckled.
I got confused," What do you mean?" I asked.
"He knows I drew that, he just let it slide so he has something on me when he wants to convince me to represent the school." Uche explained."But I already got too much on my plate, math quizzes, debates, and..."
"Just quit them then," I told him since he sounded tired of those competitions.
"I can't," he sighed , and looked around to see if everyone had taken their eyes off us before pulling his chair closer to mine."If I turn them down, they'll just call my dad."
"Then just tell your dad you don't wanna go," I shrugged and saw him smile before heaving another sigh.
"Oh," I just said when I realized how his relationship with his dad was. And then, suddenly, I wanted to know about his mum, things would surely be different for him if his mum was around.
I should tell him about my parents, maybe it would get him to talk about his too, his mum particularly. But then, I didn't like to tell people about my mum, they always judged her, and sometimes me too. Fuck it, I'm just gonna tell him.
"My mum is an addict," I muttered, hoping he heard me so I didn't have to repeat it. I looked up to see if he was going to judge her with his facial expression but he was giving me an 'I know that's look."Do you already know?"
He nodded to my question.
"What?" I asked, really surprised.
"Nick mentioned it one time."
"What?" I asked again because all I could hear from his words was that he and Nick had talked about it.
"No, we didn't really talk about it. He only mentioned it when he was telling me how you were gonna come stay with your aunt and him."
"Oh," I just said and looked to the ground. Here it was, shame. I was starting to feel ashamed of my mum's history. Back in the city where I stayed with her, that's all our neighbors ever thought of when they saw me walk by. I've grown to feel ashamed when talking about my mum. Even my grandparents say these awful things of how they believe my mum would ruin my life if I stayed with her more.
"I figured that's why you were mad about my pills," he took my hands in his so I didn't fiddle them aggressively anymore.
"Yeah." I just said.
"You wanna get out of here?" He asked and got me to look up at him. Was he serious? We were in the middle of a class.
"Don't worry, the instructor's cool with me leaving. He shouldn't mind if I leave with you." He told me like he had just read my mind.
"Everyone will see us leave," I mentioned a problem.
"You're gonna tell your aunt about us tonight anyway," he shrugged without a care in the world."Nick will find out and so will others, who cares." He smiled and pinched my cheeks.
I watched him get on his feet and picked up his bag. He then picked mine up and held out his hand for me to take."Come on," he urged me when he saw that I was a bit hesitant to take his hand and leave with him.
Fuck it. I placed my hand in his and let him pull me up. He had the sweetest smile ever when I agree to leave with him.
Interlocking our fingers, he lead me through to the front of the class where the instructor was. I felt my face heat up with a feeling I couldn't describe. It was fear, of the many eyes on us. It was anxiety, Uche was holding my hand and carrying my school bag with his. It was also a thumping heart.
Uche spoke with the art instructor and somehow convinced him to let us leave. Uche smiled at me before leading me to the door. I took a quick glance through the art room. Not many eyes were in us like I thought. Just April and her friends. And Kim. Nick was too immersed in his drawing.
I laughed when we left the classroom. I don't know why I did, I just did. Maybe it was relief of knowing that the situation was less that I thought it was in my head.
Uche took my hand, still interlocked with his, to his lips and kissed it."Where are you taking me?" I asked while following him.
"Library," he winked at me, and I swear no one could make a wink sexier.
"Library?" I questioned but followed still.
We had gotten to the library already. He didn't answer my question, he just greeted the old librarian, so I did too. Uche lead me to the end of the library, where the last book shelves were. The section was empty.
O my gosh. I read this once in a book, where the boyfriend fucks the girlfriend in the library. I bit my lips. Did Uche want to fuck me by bringing me here? The thought of it brought that tingling sensation I've been having recently when I imagined him doing the smutty things I read in books.
He let go of my hand and reached for the top of the book shelf directly in front of us, then he took out a textbook. A big one. It looked heavy but he held it in one hand and took my hand again to head for one of the reading tables in the library.
"I found this some days ago," he said excitedly when we sat and started to look for a chapter in the math textbook."It'll make it easier for you to understand the topics we've done so far."
Fuck. No, he just didn't. I had forgotten he was giving me math lessons. Urrgh. I thought...