After ending the call with Aimee, Jazz proceeded to put all her things away, arranging them nicely in her side of the large wardrobe.

"Ronke, can I have my phone?" Kelechi asked. Her dress didn't have any pockets and she wasn't carrying a handbag so she had asked Ronke to keep it in her handbag for her.

"Okay." Ronke dipped her hand into her handbag but only brought out her phone.

"What about my phone?" Kelechi asked again.

"I'm sure I kept it in here," Ronke said and continued to search her handbag. "I can't find it here, let me call the rest and ask if any one of them is perhaps with it."

After series of phone calls, neither of the others admitted to being with or even seeing the phone. Kelechi went crazy with worry and searched the room frantically. She searched Jazz's purse and even under the beds but didn't find the phone. Kelechi was downcast, she had never lost something so expensive before. She was always very careful and mindful of her things. How then did she manage to lose her phone?

"Don't worry Kel, I'm sure we'll find it. Let me just check my bag one more time," Ronke assured her.

"Wait, I remember taking the phone from you to check for any missed calls from the boys when we were at the boutique. Oh no, I must have left it there!" Kelechi said.

"Are you sure that's where you left it?"

"I am very sure, that's where I can remember being with the phone last."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but how could you be so careless Kel?!" Ronke asked.

"I don't know, I must have forgotten I kept it there before we left."

"This is very bad, and we can't go back there to retrieve it. Not like we'll even find it if we go there, by now someone must have found it and taken it. That phone is old story, just forget about it."

"How can you tell me to forget about it? That phone is very expensive and I know how much I begged my uncle to buy it for me. How will I tell him this?" Kelechi cried.

"He is going to find out sooner or later so why not just tell him before he finds out himself. He loves you and he has money so why won't he buy another one for you," Ronke replied.

"Just because he can afford it doesn't mean I should just misplace my phone anyhow."

"But you didn't misplace it on purpose, it was accidentally so I'm sure your uncle would understand."

"What if he doesn't understand and gets angry at me?"

"It's just a phone and not a million dollar ring, stop getting all worked up for nothing girl," Jazz said.

"I guess you guys are right, it's not like my uncle is going to murder me. The least he can do is scold me or punish me. How bad could it be?" Kelechi said, trying to convince herself.

"Good," Jazz said and went back to what she was doing. She quickly put something into her wardrobe covertly and turned to see Kelechi looking at her. "What?" She asked.

"What was that?"

"What??"

"What you just hid in your wardrobe."

Jazz chuckled. "It's just some of the cool stuff I bought at the mall. Do you want something?" Jazz asked to change the topic.

"No, I just thought there was something secretive about the way you put it in your wardrobe. Anyway, that's none of my business," Kelechi said and went to her bed to sulk over her missing phone.

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"Jazz, why don't you go outside where you'll find signal?" Kelechi asked as Jazz paced about the room with her phone in the air, searching for signal.

"I'm too lazy to go downstairs," Jazz whined and jumped into her bed.

"Okay then." Kelechi turned to Ronke who was hurriedly trying to complete her assignment. "And you, why are you just doing your assignment since Friday when it was given to us?" She asked.

"If I don't do it before my parents come, I may not be able to do it before tomorrow morning!" Ronke replied.

It was Sunday which meant it was visiting day. Visiting day used to be on Saturdays but some parents who worked on Saturdays complained in the PTA meetings about not being able to come see their children on visiting day because of their work so it was conveniently moved to Sunday so that everyone could see their parents and family members.

Ronke's parents, older brother and sister-in-law usually brought her a lot of goodies and foodstuffs because she was the last born. If they were to come now, she would be too busy digging into the things they bought for her and stuffing her face with food and snacks that she would forget to complete her assignment.

"You are right." Kelechi laughed and turned to Amarachi who was braiding Fatima's hair.

The female students were given hairstyles to braid each week and if you showed up at the assembly the following week without this hairstyle, you would be punished. Since Kelechi and Amarachi were the only ones in the room who could braid, Kelechi made Ronke and Amarachi's hair while Amarachi made Kelechi and Fatima's hair. This rule didn't apply to Jazz of course as she was allowed on Mrs Williams' instructions to wear her hair the way she wanted.

Just then a girl, who seemed to be a junior because of her baby-like features and voice, came into the room which was slightly open. "Senior Ronke, your parents are downstairs waiting to see you," She said and left immediately after delivering her message.

"They're here!" Ronke screamed and jumped up from the chair she was sitting on. She closed her exercise books and textbooks and gestured to Kelechi. "Are you coming?" She asked.

"Of course!" Kelechi replied excitedly and also jumped out of her bed, closing the book she was reading.

Since Kelechi didn't have any parents and her guardians didn't have time to come visit her, she always followed Ronke to see her parents whenever they came. It didn't take them long to like her because she was a decent girl and also Ronke's best friend.

"Let's go too so we can see if our parents are around," Amarachi said to Fatima as she finished her braids and stood up.

"Do you want to come with us Jazz?" Kelechi asked.

"No," Jazz deadpanned.

"Don't feel so bad, you know your parents can't come visit because they're far away. At least they send you money and call to check up on you which means that they care."

"Whatever."

"Okay, we'll be going now." They left the room and Jazz quickly went to her wardrobe and brought out a bottle of Guinness. She had snuck them into the shopping cart and covered them with some of the things they bought at the supermarket when the girls were busy selecting a birthday cake for Kelechi. And they weren't paying attention when Jazz was paying for the things they bought at the counter because they were too excited looking around. She then made sure that she secretly put them in one of her shopping bags from the boutique so no one would see it.

It's not chilled but it'll do, she thought as she took a sip and shook her head because of the very bitter taste. She knew she could get in trouble with the school and also with her parents but she didn't care as she continued to take sip after sip from the bottle.

Half an hour later her roommates came into the room and found her passed out on her bed with a bottle in her hand. They dropped the bags in their hands as Kelechi ran to her and found that the bottle was empty.

"This is beer! And she drank the whole bottle!!" Kelechi exclaimed.

"How did she even get this?" Ronke asked, examining the bottle.

"I don't know." Kelechi sprinkled some water on Jazz's face with her hands. Jazz opened her eyes slowly and giggled when she saw them.

"You're back," She mumbled.

"Jazz what have you done?!"

"Nothing," Jazz replied with a giggle.

"Oh no, we have fellowship this evening!" Kelechi shook her but she kept on giggling.

"So?" Jazz asked and Ronke facepalmed.

"How do we take her to the chapel when she's this drunk?" Kelechi asked Ronke.

"Calm down she's not even that drunk, let's just try to make her sober. Here, drink." Ronke gave Jazz the bottle of water.

"No, I don't want to drink water. I want more of this." Jazz giggled and pointed to the beer bottle.

"If you drink this water I'll get you another bottle of this," Ronke cooed and Jazz happily drank the whole bottle of water.

"So...?" Jazz looked at Ronke expectantly.

"Oops, the guy who was supposed to deliver it fell from his bike and his legs got crushed by a car so he couldn't make it, I'm sorry," Ronke said to her and she pouted.

"What do we do now? The water is not working!" Kelechi said, panic in her voice.

"It won't work immediately, it'll take a while," Ronke replied.

"I feel so sorry for the poor guy," Jazz said in slow motion and fell onto her bed, falling asleep instantly.

"So what now?" Fatima asked.

"I don't know, I've never dealt with a drunk person before." Ronke shrugged and covered Jazz with her blanket as they watched her sleep.

"Let's get rid of this bottle so no one finds it," Kelechi said and wrapped the bottle in paper and a plastic bag then discarded it in the wastebasket.

Mrs Kayode came into the room and the girls froze. "What are you girls still doing here?" She asked. "Get ready and come to the chapel, it's almost time for fellowship. And wake Jazz up," She added before leaving for another room.

"What? It's already ten minutes to four o'clock?" Kelechi asked, surprisedly.

"Let's hurry up and go!" Ronke said, searching her wardrobe for something to wear, as were Amarachi and Fatima. It wasn't compulsory for Muslims to attend the fellowship, but because Fatima's mother was a Christian, she would sometimes follow her roommates to the Chapel.

"But what about Jazz? Matron already asked us to wake her up. What will we tell her if she doesn't see her in fellowship, what if she finds out that she is drunk?" Kelechi asked and Ronke stopped what she was doing.

"Ugh, I didn't think about that," She said.

"Well think about it now, you're the expert at fabricating stories that are not true."

"Are you trying to say I'm an expert at lying?" Ronke asked with mock offense.

"I know lying is bad, but we can't let Jazz get into trouble."

"She should've thought about that before buying and drinking that." Ronke huffed.

"Please don't be angry, let's help her stay out of trouble because she can get expelled for this."

"It's not as if she'll get into much trouble, her dad is best friends with Mrs Williams!" Ronke folded her arms.

"Please, she's our friend, classmate and roommate. It's our duty to help her," Kelechi pleaded.

"I know she won't do the same for any of us but I'll just help her because she gave me a new pair of shoes and paid for all our shopping yesterday," Ronke said and Kelechi beamed.

They got dressed up and went to the fellowship, leaving Jazz in the room but making sure to lock it as they left. Two hours later they returned to the room and found Jazz passed out on her chair with two bottles of Guinness on the table and one half-empty bottle dangling loosely in her hand. They were shocked to say the least.

How on earth did she get these when they were out shopping together?

Kelechi took the bottle from her, keeping it carefully on the floor and sprinkling water on her face. She opened her eyes and grinned at Kelechi.

"Hey..." Jazz said but they could barely hear her.

"What is wrong with this girl for god's sake?!" Ronke flared up. "We have already told matron that she was having migraine and that's why she was sleeping and couldn't come for fellowship. What will matron think if she shows up here with pain killers and sees this!"

"Lower your voice so no one hears you," Kelechi shushed her but she would not have it.

"I'm done helping her, she clearly doesn't want our help. She's fine," Ronke snapped.

"No she's not." Kelechi gestured to Jazz who had slipped from her chair and unto the floor. Amarachi and Fatima helped her to her bed.

"Fine, I'll help cause you're asking." Ronke glared at Jazz as she tried to take the bottle from the ground.

"Come on, drink up," Ronke ordered as she gave Jazz the bottle of water.

"Will I get some more of this if I do?" Jazz asked and Ronke nodded. She drank the entire bottle of water and grinned at Ronke.

"Oh no, the guy who was supposed to deliver it got stuck in traffic and a helicopter crashed on his car, now all the bottles are broken, too bad."

"Oh no!" Jazz pouted. "I have to pee!" She screamed and ran into the bathroom.

"We need to get more water she can drink because apparently, one bottle of water is not enough to make her fall asleep," Kelechi suggested.

"Why did you wake her up in the first place??" Ronke asked, "Look, if you like you can buy an entire tanker of water for her so she can drink herself to sleep," She said and Kelechi gave her a "really" look.

"So what do we do with her now? It's almost time for dinner," Amarachi asked.

"We'll just lock her up like we did before and bring back some food for her to eat, if she can even eat in this state," Ronke replied and untied the hair scarf on her head.

"Yay! It's time for dinner! It's time to eat! I wanna eat!" Jazz screamed as she ran out of the bathroom and out of the room, leaving her roommates staring after her, stunned.

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Thanks for reading, voting and commenting. Thank you so so so much!! 💝

I hope you enjoyed this chapter? You can tell me what you think of it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Love,
Kemas ❤