I tapped my pen on my textbook as I waited for Vincent in the library. A familiar teacher was also tutoring a junior student who looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there.

We had mathematics and we were done for the day. We just had to go through his exercise I had marked before we went our separate ways, only to say more than hi and hello on Saturday. Vincent said he wanted to use the gents so I just sat at the table enjoying the breeze from the open window beside me. The library's air-conditioning was faulty according to the librarian.

It was when Vincent pulled a seat and sat down that I knew he was back.

"How did I do?" He was referring to his exercise.

"Well. Five out of ten."

He nodded. "Time for corrections then."

I didn't fail to notice the bitterness in his tone. He had been trying hard recently to impress me for reasons best known to him. I wasn't complaining, if anything I appreciated the energy. He even got me lunch during break period. I still couldn't get over it.

"Before that," I dragged. "Constance's birthday is tomorrow." It came out as a statement though it was intended as a question.

"Who told you?"

"She did. Last Saturday."

I had made it a habit to spend enough time with Constance. The girl had lost her mother and she didn't even know. I felt terrible for her. I had not gotten the courage to advise Vincent to tell her the truth. I was going to made sure I, Constance and Vincent did things together before I left for home. It was obvious Constance's and Vincent's relationship was strained and Vincent was trying so hard to hold it together.

Vincent hummed and said nothing more. I was used to his not having anything to say. He was the perfect description of a man of few words.

"I want you to help me give her something,"  I said. I unzipped my bag and brought out a sorry excuse of a wrapped birthday present.

"I've not wrapped a gift before," I said as an apology for the mess. I had never even given a gift to anyone except Richard. I was definitely getting attached to Constance.

"Um. . .thank you for this," Vincent said putting the present in his bag. "We're celebrating the birthday on Saturday."

He didn't say he was inviting me so I guessed he meant for us to forfeit the session on Saturday.

"Should we make up for it tomorrow?" We had made it a routine to have sessions only on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays instead. Since mid term test was next week. I felt we shouldn't forfeit any session.

"Tomorrow's Constance's day." He gave me a look that said dumbass and I face palmed.

"Right." I gazed at the wall clock. "Let's do the corrections and wrap up today's session."

*

I sat outside the door of the room staring at the door opposite ours while contemplating. Dinma had thought it nice to bring a man home so i had to sleep outside with my best friends for life, the mosquitoes.

Stephen had invited me for Constance's birthday party. I wanted to go and I didn't want to go. Stephen said he planned a party that Vincent didn't have any ounce of knowledge about and had invited some of our classmates too. When I had asked why he'd do such a thing, he claimed that it was for Vincent's good.

"He needs it," he told me.

I sighed rubbing my head in frustration. Constance would love to see me there.

When did I get so attached to her?

"Nairobi do you want to go for this. . .party?" I asked myself.

"Yes. For Constance and not because of hormones." The door to our room opened and a leg clad in a worn out sneakers stepped out. I looked up to see his face and I shook my head. He was a young boy. He would not be older than I am by anything more than five years. Our eyes met and he eyed me.

"Zuzuru gị pụọ ebe a," I said harshly in Igbo. He cost me a manageable good night's rest. "Get out." I didn't speak igbo fluently but I knew enough insults in the language, all thanks to Dinma.

I went back into the room and saw Dinma squeezing already rumpled cash into a saving box. I shook my head at her before going about my morning business.

*
I stood at the bus stop where I usually waited for Vincent's driver. How could I forget to ask for directions? I didn't know how to actually get to Vincent's home with bike or taxi.

Since I knew the name of Vincent's estate, I decided to ask for directions on how to get there. Then I'd call Chijioke. He was the only one whose number I had. I went over to a small kiosk to ask for directions. The smell of sharwarma that assaulted my nose threatened to make my empty stomach rumble.

They better share food.

My stomach rumbled more at the thought of party jollof. After following the directions given to me, I arrived at the estate's gate. I considered using the estate's taxi to go to Vincent's place but I wasn't very sure of his address.

"Hello Naya Bear!" Chijioke answered when I called. I could hear music in the back ground.

"Please stop calling me that!" I said, smile evident in my voice.

"Whatevs. I hope you're calling because you're coming."

"I'm at the estate's gate. I need the address."

"Address?" He asked. I was going to answer but he interrupted me. "You are not getting any address miss. We'll be there in five. Or probably ten. Just know we're coming."

"We who-"

He had cut the call. I placed my phone in the pocket on the old leather jacket tied on my waist. I paced about the gate waiting for we. The security guards were already throwing me weird glances.

"I'm waiting for someone," I told them.

I was feeling how long my soft curly hair had grown, something I did when I was bored. A man probably in his mid thirties was telling me how beautiful I looked and all that crap. I would have tried to ease my boredom by having a decent conversation with him but he kept licking his lips like a starved child in front of a feast. It was disgusting. I blamed myself for wearing a jean short that hugged me and stopped close to mid thigh. A flashy black BMW parked beside me and I suppressed a groan. I was going to insult someone soon.

"Naya Bear."

I turned my head to the already wound down window. Chijioke was smiling at me and Alec, a brown skinned boy from art class and a member of Vincent disbanded clique, waved at me from the drivers seat. Alec normally hung out with the guys. The man was still standing in front of me.

"Babe, this man is harassing me," I said to Chijioke. He looked at Alec whose eyes were wide then looked outside the window. Front and back till his eyes met that of the man. He looked at me then back at the man. I fought the urge to drag my palm down the length of my face.

This boy.

"Is he your boyfriend?" The man asked.

"She just called me babe. You are not dumb. Are you?" Chijioke said stepping out of the car. Alec did same.

"S-sorry man. I just wanted to. . .I'll just go," the man said entering his car and driving off.

"That white Mercedes Benz is bae!" Alec said looking dreamily in the direction of the man's speeding car.

"Get in the car idiot," Chijioke said to Alec while he opened the car's door for me. "I won't be surprised if you get married to a car."

Alec laughed. "Our kids would be cyborg's that can transform to cars. It would be awesome." He had already turned the ignition before Chijioke entered the car.

"Awesome gini?".

Chijioke stared at me through the rearview mirror. He observed me, looking above the transparent rim of his glasses which I found funny. A cheeky grin sat on his face. "Naya, I don't remember asking you out or you asking me out. I don't drink so you can't say I was drunk when it happened. So when exactly did Naijioke happen?

Alec barked a laugh startling me. "That's a terrible ship name."

Chijioke mimicked his statement before saying. "I didn't ask for your opinion mister." He looked back at me this time around. "As I was saying when did Chirobi –"

"Please stop," I chuckled. "I had to tell him I was waiting for my boyfriend but unfortunately it still didn't have any effect on him."

"If you wanted him to stop pestering you you should have just given him your number, wiggle you brow at him and say. . ." Alec brought his finger to his ear like a phone and feigned a girly voice, ". . .call me. Nobody cares who has a boyfriend or girlfriend. They don't even care about husband or wife."

I chuckled.

"He didn't even crack a joke and she's laughing," Chijioke said feigning jealousy. I smacked his head and Alec laughed.

"Don't be jealous, swiri" Alec said. "I'm Alec by the way. A classmate from the art class–"

"He has a nauseating addiction to cars and he has a girlfriend, Ruona. We're currently sitting in her so please don't flirt or we're all going to die."

"Bro!" Alec laughed. "You're stupid lots."

"Ruona is pretty," I said.

"Thanks swiri. We appreciate."

Alec later blamed his car addiction on the fact that his father was an automobile engineer working for Honda and the man was also a huge distributor of different brands of cars.

"I probably inherited it from him," he said.

When got to the close, I made sure to note its name: Adebayo close. I wasn't surprised. Vincent's house was the only one there. John, the dog's caretaker came walking out with the dog.

"I want to take a walk. Decided to take her with me," he told Chijioke. A girl ran out from the house to meet John. She had a smallish stature but she was pretty. Her short braids tipped with brown wooden beads covered her face as she bent to catch her breath.

"Are you going home?" Chijioke asked her.

"No. I want to stroll too. I'm tired of dealing with those little devils. Christ!"

I smiled. I might like her.

"Who's she?" I asked when Alec drove fully into the compound.

"Winner. The housekeeper's daughter. Haven't you met her before?" Chijioke answered.

"I wouldn't be asking you about her if I have."

Alec didn't park under the carport because it was full.

"Did the party move?" I asked when we got down from the car. The house looked normal. No hormonal teenager or tiny brat was in sight.

Chijioke gave me an amused look. "To the back maybe."

I spotted Stephen coming from the side of the house. He was on baggy jeans and a bulky top that said 'sober thoughts' in bold fonts. He had a durag on his head, a pearl ring on his lip and three heavy looking chains adorned his neck.

We're finally free but some people still just want to taste slavery, I rolled my eyes.

"Is Vincent back?" Chijioke asked him coming to stand beside me with his hand stuffed in the pocket of his jean.

"No." Stephen was looking at me in an unnerving manner. I knew Vincent went to the gym on some Saturdays. I doubt he actually worked out. He didn't have a gym body.

"You're creeping me out," I told Stephen.

"You just have a way of dragging my attention whenever you're not on uniform," he said a small smile playing on his lips.

"Oh brother," Alec rolled his friend's attempt at flirting. "Do you think he's stalling? Maybe he knows."

"He's stalling but he doesn't know. He's stalling because of Constance," Stephen said fiddling the pendant of one of his chains.

Chijioke sighed and scratched his head. "He hasn't told her about–" he paused and looked at me. They all did. I knew what Chijioke was going to say but they didn't know I did.

"But how could he keep it going for so long. It's not proper," Alec said. Stephen shrugged and Chijioke made eye contact with him to stop talking.

Hellooo. . .

So what do you think is going to go down at this party?

Who's coming together and who is falling out?

Share your conspiracy theories💀

Vote. Comment. Share.

Thanks,

Ann.