We had finished eating and Uche took the remaining pills left on the table and popped two into his mouth before putting the rest in his pocket.
"We going home now?" I asked lazily and hoped they both said no because I didn't have the energy to stand up.
"Nah, let's wait a little," Uche said and rested his head on my thighs. Nick looked up from his phone, ready to say something annoying but I stopped him.
I played with his hair as he slept in my lap, he was tired and I knew. I became worried that if he slept any further where we were, it would be hard for him to sleep at night.
"He didn't sleep last night, I don't know if to wake him up so he can sleep tonight," I whispered to Nick but he didn't say anything in response.
He put his phone in his pocket and came over to where Uche was resting on me."Bring his head up," he instructed and I did just what he asked. I gently pulled Uche's head up to avoid waking him up.
"Are you gonna carry him?" I asked and heard Nick chuckle. He ignored my question and got Uche on his feet.
"Uche," he called and slapped him lightly.
"Huh?" Uche opened his eyes.
"Let's go home, come on." He stopped supporting him and Uche stood on his own and stared at me for a while before his eyelids started to shut again.
"Uche," I called him myself and he opened his eyes again."Let's go home. You can sleep at home." I wanted to take his hand but Nick stopped.
"I'll do it. Just carry his bag," He told me and crossed Uche's right arm over his shoulder, tugging Uche along with him on every step.
I got both their bags and mine and hurried to meet up."What the hell is in those pills?" I asked, wondering if it was what was making Uche so sleepy immediately.
"It's not the anxiety pills," Nick grumbled and pulled Uche along.
"So it's the food? We all ate together, how..."
"Julie, it's not the food, I..." Nick paused and sighed."Kay gave me some sleeping pills before you and Uche joined us. I slipped it into Uche's drink. He wouldn't take it on his own so I helped him."
"What!"
"Why are you that loud, we're on the road," Nick whispered angrily.
"You gave him sleeping pills?"
"I had to. You saw him today, he's not himself whenever his insomnia seasons come around. He'll sleep through the night today."
"And what of tomorrow? Are you going to put another one in his drink?!"
"He won't need to take another one for the week," Nick answered after we turned into our street.
"Isn't his dad around? How are we gonna explain this? How are YOU gonna explain this?" I corrected him because he did this all by himself.
He didn't seem to care about the worry I had."Uche's dad doesn't leave early for his job today so he goes in late afternoon, and comes home at midnight. Uche will be fine, don't worry."
We got to Uche's how and Nick had Uche stand on his feet again so he could unlock the door. Uche just stood there, eyes closed as he slept on with his head tilting once in a while.
Nick searched Uche's pocket but didn't find his house keys so he started to check around the porch. He checked behind the aloe vera plant pot sitting on the couch and found it.
He opened the door and I helped Uche go in. The first thing Uche did was slump on the couch he set his eyes on.
" What are you doing?" Nick asked angrily, leaving me confused.
"What?"
"You shouldn't have let him rest on the couch, his room is just up there," Nick replied and lifted Uche up again.
I watched him carry Uche to his room and drop him on his bed. He stood after to catch his breath before looking my way.
"He's fine," Nick noticed I was worried.
"So what now?" I asked.
"Nothing. We just let him sleep." Nick shrugged and started towards the door."Let's go."
"Wait," I told him and went and sat near Uche on his bed. I took off his shoes one by one and threw them to the nearest corner, then I arranged his head on the pillows.
"I'm downstairs," Nick said impatiently and left. I went and opened the curtains to Uche's window, making it possible for me to watch him from my room.
I was about to leave his room and shut the door but went back and pecked him on the lips."Goodnight," I whispered, not sure he could even hear me.
I walked in after Nick when we went home and I yawned."I'm so full, I'm not sure I'm going to be eating anything tonight." I uttered randomly but remembered.
I turned to Nick and his eyes were already waiting to meet mine.
"Fuck."
"Shit," We both muttered at the same time and hurried to the kitchen.
"What are we gonna tell your mum? We had food here, and we went and ate outside..."
"Nothing. She won't know about it," Nick opened the lid of the pot.
"You're gonna eat it?" I asked, imagining it and almost throwing up because I was so full and felt like anything that went in my mouth would make me explode.
"No, I'm gonna just throw it away."
"No, that's wasting food," I stopped him and covered the pot with its lid.
"So what do you suggest we do? She's gonna make us eat it if she comes home and finds it still here," he mentioned a possibility and I groaned.
"Then we'll just eat it I guess?"
"I'm throwing it away," Nick shook his head, choosing his option over mine; eating it.
"This is all your fault, you just had to take Uche to the diner," I blamed him and heard him chuckle.
"No way you're blaming me, I didn't ask you to come with me. If you had come back home instead of going with us, maybe we wouldn't have this problem, at least there'd be less food here."
I sighed, "When does she come home?"
"Six, six thirty?" He answered and waited to know why I asked.
"Six, great. It's five thirty already. Get me a plate," I told him and turned on the tap to wash my hands.
"You're gonna eat some?" He asked and I immediately glared at him.
"Give it to me," I grabbed the plate from him and took some good portion from the pot.
"You throwing it away?"
"No. I'll keep it in my room, I'll eat it later, in the middle of the night." I shrugged, not having any other ideas coming to my head.
"You're gonna wake up in the middle of the night and eat?" Nick snickered a question.
"Got any better idea?" I snapped at him and he kept quiet immediately.