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10: The bitter truth
Nothing interests me.
The guys are filled with enthusiasm as they take turns playing a game of PES, Mariam talking with two girls at one corner of the living room.
I'm seated on the armchair adjacent the guys, my legs pressed together as I ask myself over and over again why I'm here. Nothing was stopping me from going back home when I saw Mariam at the gate except my coconut head.
Eric only said a hello, not even sparing me a glance as he furiously played against the guys, making a mockery of every one of them that steps in to challenge him.
My pee threatens to spill, so I maintain a tightly closed laps. I don't know why now. Why of all times my bladder chose now to be a bastard.
Despite my efforts, I can't hold it in any longer. I've been waiting to see if Eric will lose, but it's obvious I
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“You told me you didn't give him your number,” Eric says.After our eyes locked, he came and asked me to follow him. Mariam, who had just walked out of the canteen, didn't look so happy to see us together. But I didn't mind her as I followed Eric, mouthing an apology to Caleb when he saw me leaving from afar.We're in one of the empty halls close to where we receive lectures.“I didn't think it'll turn out like this,” I say, unable to meet his gaze.“You didn't think it'll turn out like this?” Eric repeats, disappointment clear in his tone. “Dora, what did I tell you when that man first called you aside? I said that man is worse than the devil's incarnate. What did you think that meant? That it was just a metaphor I was toying with?”“I'm sorry.”
Finding Us 13: A thief lives with us
My dress is missing.First, my underwear. Now, my dress. Anger stirs within me, flooding my veins even as I try to stay calm.I love that dress. I made it myself. That dress is the first complicated dress I ever got right on my own, and now, it's missing.As I rummage in my bag, I'm on the verge of tears.It has to be here somewhere, I keep telling myself. Yet, as I dig deeper into my wardrobe, search my bags and hanger, I realize that it's nowhere amidst my stuff. Even my drying rack is empty.Storming out of the balcony, I try to think up a prime suspect amongst my flatmates. There's no way my dress could've grown wings and flown away. Someone must have taken it. But who? Who could've stolen my dress?When I knock on Amanda's door, and she says to come in, I immediately strike her off my list.The only furniture in her room is the flatbed she
Finding Us 14: Yoruba Demond
“You still haven't told me why you threw that fine flower away,” Annie tells me while we're talking — with Amanda included — in the living room.I'm still contemplating my reply, when Diamond storms into the house, sending all of us to our feet.Upon seeing her swollen cheeks and tears leaking from her black eye, we run toward her.“Diamond.” I gasp as she covers her face.“What happened to you?” Annie asks.“Blood of Jesus,” Amanda says with her hands over her mouth.Diamond doesn't answer anybody as she goes straight to her room and locks the door.The three of us exchange puzzled glances, each asking a question of our own with no one to give us answers.***
Finding Us 15: “I don't owe you anything”
The men in the living room have every girl confused, except Diamond who's ecstatic as she tells them where to put the rug, chairs, TV and tables of different sizes.“Diamond, what's happening here?” Annie goes to ask Diamond while we trail her.“Can't you see what's happening?”“I can see what's happening, but what I don't understand is... Did you buy all these?”“No. Charles did.”Charles? Her boyfriend.I can't believe how easy Diamond is; this guy literally pounded on her, leaving bruises that prevented her from leaving the house until they were completely healed. Rather than dumping his ass, she's here smiling like it's totally normal to be pulverized by your fellow human being, as long as they've got money to satisfy your needs. It's quite s
Finding Us 16: From a different perspective
All that rings in my head is, “I don't owe you anything, so no”, thus, making it hard to grasp a word Eric is saying.Maybe it's true he doesn't owe me anything, but I simply can't get over his straight face and the tone he used. It's what's messing with my brain. It's what has me realizing Eric will never see me as someone more than just a friend. It's what has me understanding that I should just give this whole thing up.Eric lets out a groan, his eyes shut tightly as he leans back to look at him.I stare at the equation he's been trying to teach me for the past thirty minutes, refusing to meet his gaze because I know I'll only see the frustration I'm causing him.“What's wrong?” he asks, shutting the book I'm staring at, and it forces me to look at him.I return my gaze to the book.
Finding Us 17: What are you scared of?
I can't sleep.Not because Eric is right beside me, but because my latest revelation won't stop taunting me. It makes me feel stupid. No wonder Eric will never like me. I'll only be weighing him down.This thought has had me up for a long while, only staring at Eric when he takes a deep breath. Why in the world did I think a guy like Eric will like someone like me? My brain cells aren't even complete, neither are my facial features something to write about.If I'm a guy and I have to choose between myself and Mariam, I'll definitely go for Mariam. Not only is she beautiful, but her brain cells aren't as dormant as mine.“You can't sleep?” Eric's voice startles me.He inhales deeply as he turns over to lay on his side, his fist under his cheek.“I
Finding Us 18: Scared of the worse
The look Annie gives me when she opens the door prompts me to explain myself in details. However, she stops my rambling with a snicker and tells me I don't owe her an explanation. Then she walks away and starts to sing aloud.Amanda's voice is loud in prayer while Diamond's Bluetooth speaker is turned up so that it somehow overshadows the girls' voices. It's the usual noise I'm subjected to every morning, but this time, it doesn't annoy me. Instead, it makes me smile.I woke up feeling better. Although there's the fact that I'm a useless friend to Eric, I don't know, something about our conversation last night makes me feel a little... useful.The girls are all finished and are on their way to school by the time I'm done, so we leave together.“Ehen, Zhaki came last night to tell us that we should
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