"Are you going home after this?" I asked Dawn during our last lecture.
"No, I'm going to Rodney's place." She replied.
"Can I come with?" I asked. "Please?"
"Sure." She agreed. "There's Mario there, you might like him."
"His roommate?" I beamed but only for a second. I let go of her and stared at my hands. "I... Are you trying to give me a guy?"
"Is it wrong?" She asked. "Maybe he could give you enough attention so that you can stop being clingy with me."
I grinned at her, wrapping my arms around her arm. "You're my only love. No one can replace you."
"No, no, nope. I have a boyfriend, thank you." Dawn said trying to pry me off her.
"That little guy with cute rabbit teeth? Why would you date that little man?"
"I love him. He's my little man." She lowered her eyelids. "Also, you're also a little short kid. Why would I choose you over him?"
"I'm cute," I made a cute face.
"You told me he is cute before I started dating him."
"Mmmh... Whatever." I held her tighter. "You'll always be my soulmate."
A couple of minutes later I tapped her. "Dawn, how long before this lecture ends?"
"One hour thirteen minutes."
"What?" I gasped aloud making a few heads turn. I buried my face in her shoulder and whispered. "It has only been forty minutes since the class started? It felt like two whole hours already."
"I know right? I feel like leaving right now."
"Me too." I told her. "Let's go."
"No, Adey. Sit through the lecture."
"But I'm tired." I leaned on her and started moaning. "Let's go Dawn. I feel like I'm about to die. Please. I can't breathe in here. If I spend any more minutes I'll get sick." My head." I placed a hand on my forehead. "It hurts. Dawn..."
"Alright, alright. Stop it." She started packing up her books.
"You don't want to sit with me anymore?" I sat up, my eyebrows furrowed.
"Not that, we're leaving the class." She replied. "It's pointless being here when all I can hear is you whining, isn't it?"
"Oh, what would I do without you Dawn?" I rose after her as she left the lecture hall.
"I think I need new friends. Being with you makes me lose academic focus."
"I love you too." I told her, wrapping my arm around her waist.
"I'm starving. Let's get some food." She said.
"Yes, ma'am."
As we searched for an exclusive place to settle for lunch, my phone which was with Dawn vibrated with an incoming call.
"Who's calling...?" Dawn checked the caller ID. "Mr. Bad Guy is calling. Is that your boyfriend?"
"Give it here," I took the phone and accepted the call. "Yeah?"
'Where the fuck are you?'
I paused for a while, double blinking. No, he must have been high or something, or perhaps I was taking his tone from a wrong POV.
'Don't you dare ignore me.'
"I wasn't sure you were speaking to me." I replied.
Ash laughed. 'Pardon me, I must be going crazy today. I have been hearing stuff and saying stuff. Could it all be hallucinations?'
I sighed when I detected the underlying sarcasm. "Hi, my love. How was your night?"
There was no response from his side so I continued. "Are you mad because Princessah didn't text you good morning today?"
'You bet.' Ash said from the receiving end. 'Come to me. Now. I miss you and I want to see you.'
"I'm at school now, I'll come after I knock off." I told him.
Dawn reached over to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear. I smiled at her and mouthed, What would I do without you, sweetheart?
Rolling her eyes at me, she said, "You'll die. I'm your everything."
Before I could reply to her, Ash said. 'Are you at school or busy visiting your other boyfriends?'
"Hello, sir? Where did that come from?" I asked, my heart picking up speed. Could he have found out about El? No, that was not possible. No one knew about El and I except Dave and Leo and they were not fond of Ash. I must have been paranoid because of guilt.
'You know what I'm talking about.'
"Ash..."
'Princessah, come to me.'
.....
"Ash," I said an hour later as I walked into his apartment.
He was in his bedroom, shirtless and staring out the window.
"Are you okay?" I asked when I got no reaction from him.
"You're fucking around right in my face."