PRESTON

     I was hurt. I mean,  who wouldn't be.? Yes, I made her wait for me like a fool, but I'm pretty sure she understood why, but forgiving me was a thing for her. Probably she was tired of men leaving her standing. That was a mistake that will never repeat itself. I hope.

It had been two weeks since the incident, two fucking weeks, and things were getting harder. I discovered we were in the same class and it was stressful as hell, trying to concentrate with her around. I could not even concentrate, seeing that I always tried sitting beside her, always trying to apologise and charm her at the same time. But she made one thing clear, " I have forgiven you, but friendship is out of the way". Bulshit, she still gave me dead glares. You would think bookaholics didn't know much.
Today was different though,  I started out jokingly, but ended up serious. I was doing my best to make her forgive me and be my friend. I saw how she was affected by me, she gasped and looked away when she looked directly into my eyes, if that was not affection then what was it?. I was getting pissed, so I showed her hurt eyes and told her I was sorry. But that did not work in any way. She side tracked me and left.
I stood infront of her locker, hurt. Bile rose on my throat, but I ignored it, I was not going to act like a fool. I had had enough, God knows I tried my best with her. I was not going to apologise or do anything else, she could go to hell for all I cared.
I left the class and went to the refectory. On a normal day, while entering, I will check her out, but today was not a normal day, so I just went straight to my table and sat down,  with my head on the table. I was not even hungry, just hear because of the rules. #If you are caught out of the refectory during meals, you will be exempted from eating for a week#. Really, like they even provided good food here. My friends and I rarely ate, mostly because the food was like junk, and we would rather starve than have running stomachs. We mostly bought out food from the canteen during break, since the seniors had taken everything from the trunk. Bastards. But one just needed in, not to start causing troubles in school.
Today was Friday,  which meant we had to eat fried ripe plantain and beans, that was my favourite, but I was not in the mood. My friends did not bother talking to me, because they knew, you don't talk to me when I am angry. I'll snap.
While we waited for the table captains to come in with the food, I rested my head. The refectory had been divided into ten per table, girls separated from boys. According to them, boys were scavangers, so they should scavange on their own food. Table captains were also appointed on each table, and most,  if not all of them, were lower sixth students. My table was two rows away from Lelah's. Since form one to four students had their own refectory, the rest of us had ours and there were four rows, with five tables each.
My head stayed on the table, and I was sure the bell for silence was rung, and a someone was saying something. These people, always showing off. My head snapped up when I heard "the piano room will be open. Brother Will, will be there to sign new comers into the club". I could not repeat the mistake of last time, so I just smiled. Atleast something to take the anger away.
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     After lunch, we went to the dormitory. We were so excited, it had been long since we even used our voices the right way. This was one reason why we stuck together, why we loved each other, our voices when we sang, could melt even the devils heart. That was a fact you could never take away.
" Its been fucking long man" Michael said. No matter how excited I was, he was happier. Music always calmed him, since his dad started distancing himself,  Michael picked up music, then we all decided to learn something, and most of our interest was on the piano. We grew up from when we were eight years old, and we were already three friends who could sing and play the piano. It soothed us, because to say the truth, we all had our own issues. Can't say that much for Harry.
"Yeah man, this will sure be my best day in this school so far. Well if we're not counting last night" Harry said, and smirked. Jerk. He really had no big problems, so his life was okay. He was the worst of us, if you thought Michael was a flirt then you were wrong, Michael just joked around, but Harry was the real deal. His smile alone could melt a woman's pant, because that was all he ever wanted. In your pants. He had been flirting with this African beauty in form four since the rest of the school arrived. Apparently he had been admiring her since it was just us, but could not take it anymore. He came back Thursday night,  after preps last week and boasted of how he had charmed her into kissing him, and last night she gave in. In the high school "reading room". You don't want to know things that we're being done there. You will think she was a virgin, fifteen years old. He was so happy he slept with a grin on his face, with a total " its been long,  and this is just the beginning", when we asked him why. I don't think I will ever treat a woman that way, I've been in one relationship, and that was enough for me. This thing for Lelah was still so strange to me. I did not even know what was going on.
"We better be quick before something stops it".
" yeah" they both replied.
     After doing our laundry and cleaning our bed spaces,  we took and bathes and were off to the piano room before anything could stop us.
When we got there, it was already open, so we got in.
We were the only ones present so we arranged the piano and took our sits. We did not let Michael work on the piano because, it could all end in tears. He was a slow and sorrow guy, so Harry took it. Let's face it, I was better with the vocals. When all was done, people were already coming in, and Lelah was among. She took a sit opposite me and looked directly my way. I could not help notice the way my heart skip for a second. If she wanted to play with me, we'll do that shit. Before we started singing, Amelia, an upsixth girl,  probably the time keeper, I don't know, who had been flirting with me since they arrived, sat directly infront of Lelah, and I could not help but smile at the scowl on Lelahs face. Let the games begin. I started singing, and the only song that kept ringing in my head was 'Perfect' by Ed Sheeran. I looked directly at Amelia while singing, but my heart knew who I was singing it for. From time to time, I'll look at Lelah, and wink, and she fake a smile. Gotcha bitch. How does that feel. I kept singing, and stressing on the word "Perfect".
When I ended the son with" darling you look perfect tonight",  I noticed our eyes were locked. That was when I noticed I had been looking at Lelah and not Amelia,  all this while. We remained like that like forever.
The room rumbled with applause, and we broke eye contact. When I looked around, I saw that many people had gathered in the room and were clapping for us, that was when I noticed Amelia was right infront of me. Thank me, for sending the wrong information.
A single clap now came from the door behind us.
"Wow, wow, wow" Brother Will said amidst clapping.
"That was great" he continued, smiling broadly.
"Thank you brother",  we all said.
" Why did we not notice these voices last singing practice? Except you were hiding it?" It sounded both like a statement and a question. So, brother Will was a seminarian from one of the seminaries in Yamandi, who had been sent on a pastoral year to help direct this school,  and help the principal, since he was already getting old. The school was qovernment owned,  but since catholics assisted a lot, that was why it had a catholic name. Brother Will, was not too tall, he was dark and slim and had a very good accent. His voice alone left you frozen. He was quiet,  but knew everything happening around. You had better not lied to him or taken anything for granted. It was always the quiet ones. His slap could send you straight to hell, if you doubted, ask Lynn in form five.
So, we either lied and said we were not heard,  but he was sitting beside us that day, or we went with the truth, that we were not singing, and get a very cruel punishment.
"We were not loud enough" I said. I looked at Harry and Michael and they nodded. Thank God, they were with me.
"So, I would be angry right now, but I'm not. Don't know why. Why were you not loud enough?" He asked, with his hands across his chest.
"We were tired from working" Harry quickly said. Lies, the music sucked.
"Really?" He inquired, with a raised brow. Silence.
"Okay,  everyone, take a sit". Three of us looked at each other,  either we just got lucky, or we were in big trouble. Shit.
We signed into the piano club, a few notes were learned, rules were given and we went for evening prayers.
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Just want to thank all my faithful readers. I'm grateful. Enjoying the story so far, let me know in the comment section.