David and Angela's bond grew deeper with each passing day. One could even make them out to be couples. However, David hadn't even asked Angela out and this surprised her a lot because any regular guy would have done so by now. It's not as if she was "sexually" attracted to him, so she chose to just go with the flow. All she wanted for them to be true and close friends.
With the Easter break drawing closer, everyone was excited about going home, especially the freshmen. Everyone wanted to go home and de-stress.
Angela for one had missed her family. Even though they seemed to get her nerves when they were all together, she did miss them after 5 months in school.
Today being Monday, Easter break starts on Wednesday. Having no lectures that day, both Angela and Maliah were at home all day packing the stuff they'd be going home with.
"I think we should go to Qwins stores and get gifts for our family members." Angela told Maliah who was about to have her bath.
"That'd be nice y'know." Maliah concurred.
Maliah was the first child of her parents. She had 3 siblings—2 girls and a boy who was the last born. Her dad was late but her mum was a successful business woman. She owned a lot of supermarkets at Jabua State where they stayed. She even had some in neighboring states.
Being the first child, Maliah had to grow up fast. Their mum was always busy so she took care of her siblings and even started managing one of her mum's shops that was close by.
"You know, my younger brother loves shortbread." She shouted from the bathroom.
"When are we going?" Angela asked.
"We could go today." Maliah answered.
"Uhm, I have a thing this evening." Angela said.
"I can't hear you." Maliah shouted.
Angela didn't answer, rather she waited for Maliah to come out. After Maliah came out, Angela was about to go in for her bath when Maliah reminded her that she was saying something.
"Yes, I said I have a thing with David this evening. How about we go tomorrow since we have the whole day free." Angela said.
"It's alright." Maliah said.
"About you and David, what's going on there? Are you guys in love? Are you guys dating or what?" Maliah asked curiously.
"Whoa! All these questions. For God's sake Liah how can I be in love with a guy I just met? And no, we're not dating."
"But you like him don't you?" Maliah asked.
"As a friend, yes, but that's it. I'm not attracted to him." Angela answered.
"Are you sure?" Maliah kept asking and this spiked Angela's curiosity.
"Yes I'm sure. Wait a minute, do you like him Liah?" She asked with raised eyebrows.
Maliah suddenly became shy. She pushed Angela into the bathroom and locked the door from outside.
"C'mon, Liah answer me!" Angela shouted from the bathroom.
"No, no, no. Uhm, Yes I think I like him, and not as a friend." Maliah answered.
Angela screamed from the bathroom and Maliah couldn't help but laugh at her. She unlocked the bathroom door and Angela ran out accusing her of ogling David whenever he came around.
"Liah, why didn't you say anything?" Angela asked.
"Well, I thought you guys were dating or at least that you liked him." Maliah answered looking so flustered.
"We aren't so you're in the clear. Go get him girl!" Angela said.
"He doesn't even look at me." Maliah said a bit sad. "It might turn out to be an unrequited love story." She added.
"Hey, don't worry about that. Just do you babe." Angela said before going back into the bathroom.
*****
While taking a walk to the nearest restaurant with David, Angela remembered her conversation with Maliah. She decided this was the best time to bring up the topic of their relationship, at least before they go on their Easter break.
"So Dave, have you heard the rumors making rounds in the lodge?" Angela started the conversation.
"What rumors?" David asked.
"That you and I are dating."
David laughed.
"Yea, I've heard that. Are you bothered about it?" He asked, concerned.
"Not really. It's just that I don't want to be sending the wrong notion about our relationship."
When he didn't say anything, she continued.
"I mean, there might be girls that like you and they might be staying away because they think you are taken."
"Well, I'm not complaining, am i?" David said.
"Don't you think it's not good to be sending out the wrong message?' Angela continued.
"Are you bothered about the rumours? Or am I coming onto you way too much? Do you need space? David asked her again, concerned.
"Hey, it's none of that. You know what, let's forget it, okay? It's fine." Angela closed the topic.
They got to the restaurant and while Angela ordered ice cream and cake, David asked them for semovita and egusi soup.
"I wonder how ice cream and cake satisfies you." He said.
Angela laughed while wiping off ice cream from her lips with the serviette.
"Don't worry, it's just an appetizer. I'll still order spaghetti and then shawarma to take home." Angela replied to him, putting on a serious face.
"I hope you're up for that?" She asked.
"Oh! You were serious?" David asked, surprised.
"You're surely not like other girls. I mean most girls fake a lot on their first dates. They pretend as if they don't eat a lot when most of them are big foodies." David added.
"Uhm, this is a date?" Angela asked, wiping her mouth with a raised brow.
"Is that all you got from what I just said?" David asked, laughing at her.
"Well, we're at a restaurant eating and then we're getting to know each other. So, yeah, it's a date!" He stated.
"It's not your ideal date, is it?" He asked.
"No, I mean, yes it is. But, I didn't realize it was a date till now. I didn't even dress well."
"What's your definition of an ideal date?" He asked.
"This is actually my ideal date. I love to dress casually so I can be free to eat anything I like. I love food, yay!" She answered.
He laughed when she said she loved food.
"Yeah, clearly you're a foodie." he added.
By now she was already enjoying her spaghetti and salad.
"Well, after the outing or eating, I also love the guy or my man or whoever taking me out on a date to take me to the movies— with popcorn. Then, I don't know how to swim but I also love staying in or beside the pool or beach." Angela ranted.
"Wow! You do know how to enjoy yourself." David told her.
"You said 'whomever taking me out' after you already said 'the guy or my man'. What does that mean? Are you bisexual or som'tin?"
"Whoa! Why would you ask me that?"
"Ha-ha! I'm just messing with you." He said laughing at her flushed face.
"A date can be between friends. Like, I can decide to take Liah on a date. Is that wrong?" she asked.
"No it's not wrong. I was only messing with you." David said.
"Well, stop!" she said while she playfully hit his arm.
"Ouch! That hurt." He said.
"Get out." She replied, laughing at him.
*****
On getting to their lodge, Angela and David bade each other goodbye.
Inside her room, Angela was hoping that Maliah was asleep. Unfortunately for her, Maliah was wide awake seeing a movie on her laptop.
"You didn't tell me you were going to spend so much time. Look, it is 9:15 PM. It's dangerous outside y'know." Maliah told Angela.
"I know, I lost track of time. Here's your hamburger." Angela said while she handed the plastic bag to Maliah.
"What else is in here? It's quite heavy for just a hamburger." Maliah said.
"Yes, I got shawarma for myself."
"Didn't you eat where you went?" Maliah asked.
"I did. This one is 'take home'."
Maliah laughed at Angela.
"Girl, you're hilarious." She said. "So how was the date?" she asked.
Angela entered the bathroom to have her bath but she left the door slightly open so she could hear what Maliah was saying.
"It wasn't a date! We only went to eat." She replied from the bathroom.
"What did you eat?"
"Ice cream and cake as appetizer, spaghetti as dinner and then the shawarma should be dessert. As for drinks, I had an apple juice with the spag and there's yoghurt in the other plastic bag. There's one for you too."
"Girl, you're indeed a foodie. I'm sure you can swallow an elephant when you're hungry." Maliah said, laughing at Angela.
"And I wasn't even hungry." Angela added.
They both laughed. By now Angela was done bathing and she joined Maliah in bed. They ate while seeing the movie Maliah was watching before Angela got back.
Once they were done, Maliah looked over to see that Angela had drifted off to sleep with her phone in one hand and the yoghurt in the other. She chuckled at the sight and on a second thought, she took a picture of Angela in that position. After that, she took away the phone and the drink. Then she adjusted Angela's lying position and then covered her up with the duvet since the AC was on.
Maliah suffers from insomnia most times so in order to sleep, she has had to play music using earphones and that's exactly what she did since sleep wasn't forthcoming.