NOT A DATE

Walking on the street of my hood with Chijioke made me notice so many things I had never really paid attention to. The way sewage water leaked into the street and formed stagnant puddles. How empty sachets of water and nylon spotted the whole street. The awful stench from the gutters and the naked buttocks of the kids as they played around the dirty floor and pretended to catch fish from the dirty gutters.

It was a total eyesore.

Even I was beginning to get irritated by the sight I had thought as normal before I was blessed with Regal high's scholarship.

One of the kids, a girl on worn out pink panties, kept staring at me and Chijioke and it unnerved me. I scowled at her but unluckily I didn't intimidate her.

"See as you face worwor monkey banana," she retorted loudly. I was speechless. It was one of those moments when a kid insulted you and you couldn't just say anything because you would look like a fool exchanging words with a kid. The girl went ahead to stick her tongue out at me and mocked me with her group of filthy kid friends. I just wished I could slap the laughter from their ugly faces.

"Are those kids jeering at you?" Chijioke asked, a sort of amusement in his voice.

I glared at him. Well, it was his fault. Why didn't he drive into my hood like I thought a rich kid would very much like to do? He unfortunately decided to be humble and order a taxi instead. And now we had to trek to a certain junction where our ride was waiting for us.

"I hate most of the children here." Constance was the only child that I ever really liked. Kids are annoying.

"Erm. . ." Chijioke trailed off.

I have been expecting Chijioke to throw a bad comment for ages but all he did was try to ignore how terrible this environment looked and throw small questions at me. Who was he trying to impress? I saw the look on his face when he spotted kids floating paper boats on muddy water. I heard him grumble about how they wanted to ruin his kicks when he had to hop over puddles on the road. It wasn't even rainy season and there were puddles, that was sure to piss someone off.

"You don't mean that. Do you?"

I just shrugged. We were already at the junction where we were supposed to get our ride.

"So what do you think about my. . .area?" I asked slowly making sure to take note of his facial expressions and body language. I was so uncomfortable at the reality that Chijioke was here.

Chijioke looked at me and rubbed his forehead. "You've been waiting for a nasty comment since, haven't you?" He chuckled lightly. "See the way she's looking at me like a hawk."

"It's weird na. How can you not throw a negative comment? It's impossible."

"I'm your friend and I'm sensitive too. I can't go around commenting on how wrong everything is there when I know you'd feel it," Chijioke told me walking straight to a grey corolla pack on the side of the road. "You grew up there didn't you?" Chijioke turned slightly to ask me.

"Y-yes."

Chijioke exchanged words with the driver. Figured he was our driver. I got myself comfortable at the back seat and felt the song playing from the speaker touch my soul. It was so calm and serene and I could even feel the artiste's emotions. It gave me goosebumps.  I was used to loud songs that only talked about stupid things and I was tired of it.

"Do you know this song?" I asked Chijioke when he entered beside me.

"Yeah. Eyo by Asa. I think" he listened for a while. "Yes it is."

"Wow. It's beautiful."

"Yes it is. Boss?" He called the driver's attention. "Do you have anything from Eminem?"

"Of course!" The driver proclaimed happily like he himself was tired of listening to what was playing.

Soon enough the car was booming with a loud music which I could hear nothing but curse words every three seconds. Chijioke and the driver kept doing a sing a long and hilariously biting their tongues where they couldn't get the wordings right.

"How do you listen to this and still don't say vulgar words?"

Chijioke stopped singing and shrugged. "I'm surprised too. I really am a gentleman."

*
Our ride stopped in front of 'Royal bits 'n' bites'. A small eatery that opened about a month ago on the route leading to school. It was about a forty minutes drive or more from my place. I have always wanted to come here.

I hopped out of the taxi with enthusiasm. I could literally perceive the sweet scent of confections even from my distance. When Chijioke settled the driver, he gazed at me with a cheeky grin.

"Can't wait to have a taste of heaven?"

I scoffed and rolled my eyes unable to hide my embarrassment that he had noticed my exaggerated happiness. "Heaven my foot."

Chijioke shook his head with a smile. He walked ahead of me and I followed admiring the beauty of the eatery's outdoor. Royal bits 'n' bites was just a bungalow painted peach and cream. It didn't have any fences separating it from the main road. The outdoor floor was covered with concrete tiles and flower beds and pots dotted the outdoor elegantly.

Immediately we stepped into the building, the sweet smell of sweet food hit me like a tornado making my stomach rumble in anticipation. I foresaw me embarrassing myself in front of Chijioke. Inside the building, the walls and floors were tiled. Smooth music (which Chijioke said was Jazz) seeped out of the inconspicuous speakers. I concluded on the spot that I liked Jazz. The air conditioning was on full blast and I shivered lightly. I was clad in a plain blue tank top and a jean three-quarter. As if Chijioke noticed my slight shiver, he offered me his bomber jacket which I accepted wholeheartedly.

"What do you want?" Chijioke asked me when we got to the counter. I glanced confusedly at the menu board trying to make a choice.

"Ice cream."

"Which flavour?" The girl at the counter asked kindly. I glanced again at the display of flavors seducing me behind the show glass. I never knew ice cream had so many flavours. I knew only plane vanilla, strawberry, chocolate and banana. I wanted to taste everything in the glass case, to be brutally honest.

"You can't make a choice?" Chijioke asked amusedly.

"Don't mock me," I huffed and clicked my tongue.

"Well, there's ice cream for our indecisive customers too," the girl smiled. "It's just going to cost you extra."

"That's not a problem," Chijioke bragged showing of his probably twenty eight teeth.

The counter girl smiled back. "A tub of undecided flavoured ice cream coming up."

"I want that too!" Chijioke chirped.

"No problemo sir. Wouldn't you like to add a bit or bite to your ice cream?"

"Okay, add a chocolate and vanilla cake for me. Nairobi?"

"Erm, same."

"Nairobi?" I quirked a brow. "It's unique and beautiful." When I said nothing in response, she disappeared through a door behind to get our order.

Chijioke jabbed my side with his elbow making me glare murder at him. "What did you do that for?!"

"You should have said thank you." He stressed the thank you. I just looked away.

Seconds later, the girl came out with our yummies and handed them over to us with a smile. She sure liked smiling.

"Thank you."

The girl was obviously taken aback by my thanks. She shot me a super sweet smile very similar to Jessica's. "You're welcome."

We chose a table close to the window which had plush red sofas as seats. Chijioke sat opposite me. I hastily uncovered my tub of ice cream curious to unveil the so called ice cream for indecisive customers. The fact that it wasn't from the glass case made me so eager to know what it was.

I didn't know when a grin broke across my face as I stared at my treat.

"What's up with the Cheshire grin?" I heard Chijioke ask. He was already eating his ice cream.

I shoved a spoonful of ice cream into my mouth and hummed in satisfaction and pleasure at the burst of creamy delight.

Really a taste of heaven.

"They mixed the whole flavor together!" I didn't know why I was feeling so happy but I liked it.

Chijioke chuckled. "Now I know how to please you."

I knew what he meant so with a mouth filled with milky glory, I said, "Please me any time any day, my guy."

"It's an ice cream sundae though. I didn't see it on the menu board. Must be new on the menu."

Getting over the euphoria of tasting something so good, I stopped rushing my ice cream. Silence settled between I and Chijioke as we ate our treats.

"Are you going for the basketball game?" Chijioke asked me later on. Our school was playing in a basketball competition soon and in that last assembly, they had urged us to come for the game to support our school.

"No. Obviously." I wasn't even dreaming of it.

"Why? It is usually fun."

"Fun for people who go with friends," I spat bitterly. Chijioke was silent for a while that I had to look up. He was staring intently at me.

"What?" I asked stopping my spoonful of ice cream halfway to my mouth.

"You have friends Nairobi."

"I don't."

"I think I have you figured out already."

I dropped my spoon at his declaration. I propped my elbows on the table and rested my jaw on my interwoven fingers. "Okay then. I'm all ears. Drop your theory."

My heart was beating like I had just ran a marathon. And why was that? I had no idea. Maybe I was scared that Chijioke had figured out all the insecurities I had so perfectly covered up by false confidence. He came to my neighbourhood so it was very plausible. Who knew what other things he knew? He must have been stalking me for ages. Maybe he had figured out that everything confident, tough and non-shit-taking about me was a thick facade and truly, I was just  an unlucky lady who the universe and it's powers hated.

Okay, maybe I was being extremely paranoid.

I waited for Chijioke to tell me what he thought he knew. To tell me how much he had figured out but Chijioke kept staring at me and it was becoming creepy.

"Still waiting, Newton."

With a small smile, he flicked his wrist in dismissal. "Fogerrit."

Though I was curious, I did as he said. Forget it. I didn't want any damn revelation that would complicate everything again.

But then what was his theory?

"Amanda and Stephen are playing. Wouldn't you want to support your friends?"

"Hol'up. Last time I remember, Stephen and I are on the stare down levels  and not friend levels. Do you support an arch nemesis?"

Chijioke abandoned his half eaten cake and dropped his hands on the table. "Stephen. . .he holds family close to his heart. Selfless to a fault, I agree. I don't know why but it has been like that ever since I knew him. In junior school when he and Vincent were not so close, even after Vincent made fun of his braces and glasses if Vincent needed any form of help, Stephen was always there. Stephen can even fight me for Vincent. It has happened once. Stephen has the philosophy that family should be number one no matter what."

And they weren't even blood. They were just cousins.

Chijioke stopped and stared at me through his glasses with so much intensity that almost tilted me off balance. "Stephen likes you."

I somehow managed to choke on the cake I was munching. Chijioke handed me an uncorked bottle of water that had been on the table when we arrived. After relieving myself, I shook my head. "You're being ridiculous. Stephen hates me."

"Stephen wants us to believe he does. He wants to make himself believe he does but he doesn't. Stephen like likes you. It amuses and baffles me at the same time to be honest," Chijioke said.

"Omo. No talk that kind thing jare."

"You can't tell me you never noticed how he looked at you. He even still looks at you."

"I've noticed nothing!"

Chijioke only chuckled lightly.

"It would be very disastrous if he actually does. Jessica would finally just kill me," I chuckled drily, using my fork to play with the last small slice of cake.

"Why?"

"Hanty likes the dude, probably obsessed. Can you imagine that she kept malice with me because we were together on Constance's birthday?"

"Really?" I noticed his countenance change suddenly.

"What's up?"

"Nothing," he replied taking my water and gulping it down.

"Don't even bother lying. There's something. What's the matter?"

Chijioke looked at me for a long time and let out a loud sigh. "I just understood why she had been rude to me that day too."

I sat up straight. "What do you mean?"

"Let's just say she said a lot of hurtful things that day and we were not talking but we're talking now though. I'm surprised she likes Stephen though. If anything I thought she had something against him. She doesn't even talk to the boy." Chijioke played with his fingers for a while. "He has the look and charm though. There's no way she wouldn't like him," Chijioke shrugged. I didn't fail to notice the disappointed look he tried to hide.

I immediately understood that Chijioke had not just been a gentleman with Jessica all along. He felt something more for her. Well that was fucked up. I guess fate didn't love him as much as I thought.

I didn't know what to say to him so I allowed us dwell in silence.

"On Saturday I'm coming to pick you up. We're going for the game," Chijioke said all of a sudden. I looked at him and every trace of earlier disappointment was erased and replaced by a huge grin.

How does he do it?

I half expected him to sigh sadly and declare that he wasn't feeling good again and wanted to go home. But instead he was smiling at me.

I groaned loudly. "How. Do. You. Do. It?"

"Do what?"

"You're happy again. You're always happy."

Chijioke laughed. "It's what her heart wants. I'm only disappointed that she would transfer aggression to me because she was jealous. I thought she was better than that. And again positivity is the key."

"I need more people like you in my life." I confessed. "People who would make me smile and laugh. People who would make still come up to me and talk even when I'm being a butt. People who would make me wonder how on earth I got so lucky to have them as a friend."

Chijioke rested his elbow on the table and leaned towards me with chin propped upon his palms. "This is you indirectly telling me how much you love me. Right?"

I cringed inwardly when he said love. Love was such a strong word. I've never admitted that I loved someone and I wasn't going to admit it now or soon.

"I'm indirectly appreciating you for still being a. . .friend, my friend."

"Oh my goodness. I'm blushing!" Chijioke came over to my side and threw him arms around me enveloping me in a hug. I didn't push him away or complain. I relaxed in the hug. "This is so huge coming from you, you know right?" I asked me. We were still hugging and I felt the vibration in his chest.

"I've decided to be more of an appreciator than a complainer."Maybe it would make my life less miserable.

The familiar tune of a ringing iPhone started playing and I heard Chijioke grumble. He moved over to his side of the table and picked up his phone.

"Hello?" His countenance changed slightly. "Nene?"

After some ramblings from the other end, Chijioke widened his eyes and the look after it was a maddened murderous glare that scared me. Kind of.

"THE BASTARD! I'm coming to wherever your foolish ass is now!" With that he cut the call. He pinched the bridge of his nose in rage and frustration before looking at me. It was so strange seeing Chijioke like this

"Nairobi. I have to go." He pulled out his wallet from his pocket, fished out thousand naira notes and passed them to me.

"What-"

"I'll see you on Saturday," he cut me off before rushing out of the place.

"Your Jacket-".

I guess I'll be keeping it.