PARTY POOPER

On Saturday things were going smoothly. I spent some time at Constance's party before heading inside for Vincent's or rather Stephen's. Constance loved my gift so much and I was glad. It was a spray painting of the sunset at the sea.

I was surprised at the turn up at Stephen's party because Monday was the beginning of the mid term test. I thought everyone would be busy reading. Everyone from the science class was invited and very few from other arms. Amanda was the only girl from science class that didn't come for the party though she was invited. Jessica said Amanda told her that she was going to visit a family friend with her family. Aliyah only honoured the invitation because her junior sister was a friend to Constance.

Aliyah was clad in jean trousers, a black polo and a white hugging long sleeve underneath with her Hijab on her head of course. Aliyah was the first Muslim I had seen on trousers. She laughed at me when I told her that. Chijioke wouldn't stop clinging to Jessica at the party. She was very very very pretty in her red lace mini gown. She was on packing gel this time and her boots suited her legs. I wouldn't blame Chijioke.

When Vincent saw the mini gathering, I knew he wasn't pleased. But he acted like he was and thanked his friends and disappeared. . .poof.

Some hours into the party and I hadn't seen Vincent. I had thought he was at Constance's party at the back of the house until Alec came to ask Stephen who was seated beside me (and had been clinging to me ever since I arrived) if he had seen Vincent.

I should have stayed back and tried talking to Jessica who had been behaving like we had a problem but I went with Alec and Stephen in search of Vincent. I should have stayed back and said hi to Aliyah's siblings but I chose to go and cause trouble.

We were supposed to head up the stairs but  they paused. Alec looked at me then Stephen.

"She's been coming here on weekends. There's no way she hasn't gone up the stairs or into his room," Stephen said running up the stairs. "I just hope Ayo hasn't done something stupid."

Alec mirrored his actions. "This was not a good idea?"

"I don't know bro. I don't know."

I followed behind them. Stephen opened Constance's room and Alec opened the room opposite it. They did the same for other doors. Alec opened Vincent's room. It was very dark inside. I spotted small platform on the wall at a corner. Candles burned brightly on top it illuminating some objects on it and a framed picture. I wanted to ask about it but common sense told me not to. Stephen checked his bathroom, came out and shook his head. The next unlocked door was definitely his father's room. The place was a mess. Pictures including framed ones and clothes were were scattered about.

Alec shut it immediately.

"He can't be here," he said. The two boys looked at each other in the eyes as if communicating something.

"Let's check!" Alec said with urgency in his voice. "I do not like what I'm feeling."

Stephen shook his head. "We've done enough by coming up here and poking heads into every room. Ayo won't forgive us if we do it."

Do what? I was tempted to ask but again common sense wouldn't let me. I just hoped Vincent was alright.

"Steve-"

"If he's there and we barge in, he's not going to forgive us."

"And if he's not there? Stephen I don't feel good."

"Let's check the quarters, if he's not there we'll come back and check."

They ran off totally forgetting about me. Their mistake. I went back to Constance room because something had caught my attention. On her bed was a solved Rubik's cube. I left it to admire her walls which where decorated with her arts. I smiled at her funny but talented mix of colours. My heart swelled when I realised my painting on the wall, she didn't even waste time. The sound of glass chattering startled me. I rushed to where I heard it from and pushed the door open. It was Constance's bathroom and Vincent was on the floor weeping. An empty bottle of alcohol broken on the floor.

"Vincent!" He had picked up a shard of glass and held it tight in his hand. He wouldn't open his hand so I bit his wrist and that did the trick. "Oh my goodness."

I held his chin and held his lulling head to look at his eyes. He was drunk as hell. I heaved him up from the bathroom floor with difficulty.

"Do me a favour and get your drunk ass off the floor," I said through gritted teeth. For a lean boy, he had weight.

"Why did they do it?" He wept. I was able to drag him off the floor, lead him into the room and drop him at the foot of Constance bed. I pinched my brows as I stared at his blood covered palm. I went into Constance's bathroom to get a bowl of water. I saw two towels, a red and a white. I  took hold of the red one. It looked old. I felt Constance wouldn't mind.

I wiped the blood off his palm and managed to tie the towel round his injured palm. I looked at Vincent who stared back at me with clouded eyes.

"Why would you hurt yourself?!" I was beginning to let out my concern. Vincent only wept

"I need to find Stephen," I sighed standing erect.

"He shouldn't have planned this party," Vincent slurred. I looked at him before carrying the bowl of water turned pink by blood.

"But he says it's for your good," I said walking to the bathroom to flush the blood. That's all he told me.

For his good how? Stephen didn't say.

"I'm not worth it."

I stood in front of him with hands on my hips. I watched Vincent's self pity session with a frown. It was the last thing I expected from him. I sat cross-legged in front of him.

"Do you want to talk?" I chided myself for actually being concerned instead of mad. He was supposed to be at Constance's party but he was in her bathroom getting drunk and trying to waste precious pints of blood. I was beginning to care a lot about the girl. The way I wouldn't stop smiling when she thanked and hugged me for my gift made me realise that. Constance had this. . .charisma, this thing about her that made one love her on the spot.

"Do you want to talk to me?" I asked again.

"No!"

I was taken aback by his outburst.

"Vin-"

"No! Go away!"

I stood up in anger. I was trying to be nice and he was yelling? At me?

"Well you're supposed to be with Constance now but here you are being pathetic!"

"You know I can't be there. You all do. I feel so. . .so.  . .so guilty," Vincent sobbed, holding his head in his hands.

I knew what? Nothing. I wondered who he thought he was speaking to. I wanted to say I didn't know but I stopped myself. Something was wrong with Vincent. I got to know it right there and then. Just loosing his mother couldn't be the only thing eating him up but then how sure was I? I had never lost a parent. I didn't even have any.

"You're guilty because you haven't told her?" I tried to ask softly. Luckily, he would understand what I meant.

"But how can I tell her? She's so young and. . .if I tell her she'd end up like me. Sad, tired and pathetic. She's too young to be like that. She would hate me."

"You have to tell her. It's important. She would only hate you if she finds out too late. Constance would be expecting a call, a gift from her mother-"

"It's already taken care of," Vincent interrupted me. He was studying his wrapped hands with clouded eyes.

I squatted in front of him. "See Constance won't hate you. But she may if she finds out herself. You're lying to her. I don't know how you manage to make her think that she speaks to her mother but know this Ayodeji, it's not proper."

Well, see me giving a pep talk.

For a split second he looked at me with sober concentrated eyes when I called his Yoruba name. He placed a hand on my cheek and stared at me with a look I couldn't understand then he started laughing. Laughing like he had lost his mind.

"Ro, why do you talk like her?" His voice cracked when he said, "I almost just mistook you for her. Oh God." He started another round of weeping. I started pitying him.

Vincent Ayodeji Adebayo, what exactly is wrong with you?

"I'm going to get Stephen. Please stay put." I didn't want to end up hugging him. I managed to lock the bathroom before leaving so that he wouldn't try hurting himself with the glass shards.

Where would I even find Stephen? I thought as I raced down the stairs. I went into the crowded common room downstairs filled with hormonal teenagers. The loud music threatened to cause me headache. I wondered about Mr. Adebayo. He must be so lenient to have let the party happen in his presence. It was then that it dawned on me that I hadn't seen the man since I arrived but I shoved the thought behind me, there was something else on ground.

After skimming through the people and I couldn't find who I was looking for, I tried to search for any familiar face. I spotted Israel sitting at a very secluded corner sipping from a red cup. I didn't talk to him much but at least I have talked to him before. Before I could get to him, a girl appeared from literarily no where and straddled him. When I got closer, I realised it was Olamide. Her short flay gown was already at her hips exposing so much thighs which was Israel's doing. I fought the urge to gag at the way Olamide sucked his face like she was sucking juice from an orange. They eventually stood up and exited the premises together.

As I turned away from where the duo had been, I fortunately spotted Chijioke walking in, with hands hidden in his pockets of his jeans. He had rolled up the sleeve of his long sleeved grey T-shirt and exchanged his timberlands for a pair of dope white crocs. He looked forlorn.

"Chijioke!"

Even the person few feet from me wouldn't hear it so I rushed over to him.

"You need to follow me upstairs. Now!" I didn't wait for him to say anything before rushing out. When he asked behind me what the problem was, I only muttered 'Vincent' and he asked nothing else following furiously behind me.

When I got to Constance's room, I stopped on my tracks. Alec and Stephen were in the room so also was Constance. They only noticed my presence when Chijioke stomped into the room.

"Are you done impressing Jessica?" Alec asked. He was furiously wrapping Vincent's palm with bandages. He didn't look up to acknowledge us neither did Stephen. He just watched Vincent with sad eyes while patting Constance repeatedly. Constance was crying loudly in Stephen's lap her shoulders shaking violently with each sob. I noticed she clutched the bloodied red towel. Chijioke gradually stepped into the room.

"Stephen what happened?"

Vincent raised his head to look at Chijioke. I noticed the look of pity cross Chijioke's face as he stared at his friend.

"Constance hates me," Vincent chuckled bitterly. "You wanted me to tell her." He pointed at Alec, Chijioke and Stephen. "You all wanted me to tell her. I told her her mummy is dead. I told her I killed her mummy. I was the reason-"

"Shut up!" Chijioke yelled at him, his hands clenched into fists. "Vincent shut the fu–just shut up or I'm going to beat sense into you right now!" Alec was done with the injury and was heading to the bathroom. I shook my head trying to avoid tearing up for Constance. This was my fault. I made Vincent say break this terrible news to her. But he wasn't supposed to tell her today! Of all days!

I should have known better than reasoning with a drunk person.

I took slow steps towards Constance avoiding Stephen's intense gaze. I knelt in front of the girl and opened my arms for an embrace.

"Constance." She left Stephen immediately and fell upon me.

"I don't hate Ayo. I think he actually hates me," she cried on my shoulders.

"Constance he doesn't," I said in a small apologetic voice. "This is my fault. I swear I didn't mean for him to tell you like that. I didn't even know he was going to tell you. Please stop crying."

Stephen peeled Constance from me gently. "You have to go back to your party."

"What's the use?!" The young girl screeched and ran out of the room with the blood stained towel. Alec followed her.

Chijioke came close to me. He emitted this scary aura that I didn't know he could emit. "What exactly were you trying to tell Constance?" I knew Stephen wanted to go after Constance but he let Alec do it because he wanted to hear what I had to say.

"I told Vincent to tell Constance about her mother while I was attending to him." I didn't want to mince words. I made sure to tell them straightforwardly. I needed the scolding.

Chijioke cried, "How could you?" The same time Stephen asked. "How did you know?"

"Please let me go home."

"For real. You ruined Constance's day and you just want to go home?" Stephen asked incredulously.

"What do you want me to do?! Turn back the clock!" I breathed heavily. "The damage is done. I shouldn't have come here."

Alec came running in. "She went into her mother's room."

Stephen cursed before heading out. "Tell my mother what happened. She has to come. Dismiss the party. They should all go home and read." Alec nodded before leaving.

Chijioke looked at me and I looked straight back into his coffee brown eyes. "Your mouth Naya. Sometimes you shouldn't just speak."

"I was only trying to help." My voice didn't sound strong and hard like I wanted it to. It was small.

"I'll take you home with my driver-"

"No!" I interrupted. "Sorry just. . .you can drop me at Eremi junction, I'll find my way from there."

Before we left, Chijioke tucked in a passed out Vincent on Constance's bed.

I should have stayed home.

Nairobi didn't even apologize, who noticed😕, this girl sha.

Happy New Year to y'all.

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Your girl,

Ann