10|ℐᏉᎯℕ

   New-York? Business school? September? She's kidding–

   I TURN AROUND. Her eyes are on mine for some time. I think she said something, but I don't remember what.

   "That's Chinny's house," she says, pointing at a nice black gate. I pull over to a stop. Mike, Deji and Ike have also stopped. I hope Boma doesn't notice. 

   Chinny walks out in skinny jeans and a white polo. Her natural hair is pulled into a well prepared puff, showing off her long brown face, speckled by pimples regardless of the makeup. Her eyes are round and brown like coconut, shielded behind thick glasses. I have heard everything about her but I'm seeing her for the first time and I must say, she's everything I imagined Chinny would be, a razor mouth.

   I unlock the door.

   "Buns, your eyes are really yellow today," she says.

   "I've taken my meds, no more talking about my eyes, please?" Boma says.

   I changed her mood.

   "See person that somebody is caring for," Chinny sighs. "Please, better person," she's looking at me through the rear mirror. 

   "What's up?" I wave. 

   "Nice ride," she smiles. 

   "Thank you," I nod, smiling. She looks at Boma.

   "The way you people are doing, I hope I didn't walk into some funny shillingidingins?"

   Before I can wrap my mind around it, shilling. . . what?

   Boma asks, "what does that mean?" 

   "Shillingidingins?" Chinny pops her made-up eyebrows.

   "Yes, I don't get it," Boma says

   "You're not supposed to," she replies. Boma shakes her head. 

   Chinny continues,  "Ivan dear, Filmhouse or Genesis?"

   "I was thinking of Filmhouse, then ice-cream and we could do some shopping in the mall too."

   "You don't have to spend money like that," Boma says. 

   "It's fine, it's not like we're buying the whole store." I say and start the car. They start laughing.

   "Ivan, things happen very quickly when I'm around. Don't trust me now," Chinny says. I smile.

   It takes about twenty-five minutes to get to the mall. Boma isn't speaking to me, she's talking, but to Chinny. 

   I get a parking spot. The girls get down, they're chatting outside. I turn on the coms.

   "Guys, I'll handle it from here, you don't need to come in with us."

   "Sorry, sir. It's protocol. We'll keep a safe distance." 

   I turn off the com. Pick up my wallet and join the chatting girls. 

   The doors slide open as we approach. We don't have any bags, so we just walk through security. I spot a wrist watch shop.

   I'll check it out later. 

   Boma stops, grabs my hands and puts her head on my shoulders. Her hair smells like candy and vanilla cake.

   "I really didn't want to bother you guys on your date," Chinny says, twirling her glasses around her fingers. I'm wondering if this is part of the reasons she said I shouldn't trust her.

   "That's fine. Ivan doesn't mind." Boma says. She's looking at me in the way she isn't supposed to. I'm confused. 

   "You guys are so cute together. Ivan you're coming to our prom, right?" Chinny asks. 

   I look around and Boma whispers, "just play along." 

   "Yeah sure. Wouldn't miss it for the world." I say. It feels weird but good at the same time.

   "Aww," Boma purrs.

    Around us, people are huddling their grocery carts, some spare us a few frowns but nothing compares to the drawn faces of some teenagers standing a few feet from us in front of a gadget store. The boy looks especially pissed. I look back at Boma, she's like three inches from my face. I don't know what I'm getting into. I look back at the boy, they're gone.

   "They're out!" Chinny shrieks, Boma heaves a heavy sigh and looks away. 

    Like that?

   "Do you think he saw?" she asks Chinny

   "He looked like he was going to faint," she giggles.

   "Okay, what's going on?" I ask

   "That was Quincy, the idiot Boma didn't kiss. He's with Jacklyn now. The other two are Mabel and Confidence. "

   Boma keeps clearing her throat. I can tell she wants her to stop. Chinny doesn't.

   "Those idiots won't let Boma be. Jacklyn thinks because Quincy asked her to prom instead of Boma. She's better than Boma. Freaking fools. I can't wait till they see you guys together on Saturday." She rolls her eyes. "You're coming, right?" she turns to find two pairs of eyes fixed on her. 

   Mine is amused and amazed, Boma's is annoyed. I can't tell if it's from the Quincy story or the prom question.

   "Wow. That was a lot of info to grind at once." I say. 

   "I'm sorry," Boma turns to me. "I didn't expect to see them." She's looking at Chinny like she could slap her.

   "I'm sorry." Chinny pouts, running an imaginary zipper along her lips. 

   "It's not a big deal, but you shouldn't let them get to you." I say. 

   "I'm still sorry, it was weird for you," Boma says.

   "I swear I kind of liked it." I shrug with a smile. "Can I still hold your hands?" I ask

   "Compensation." She slides her fingers into mine. I'm gazing into her eyes and I'm thinking, HORMONES, the avid enemy of teenage love.

   "You guys are really–" 

   "Shut up Chinny. No more!" Boma says, we don't break eye contact.

   "If you keep staring at yourselves like that, you're breaking the damn rules today," Chinny says.

   The cinema is on the third floor, we take the escalator and I'm holding Boma's hands all the way. The place smells of fresh buttery pop-corn and all things sweet. There's a line-up of movie posters and people talking, 

   "Baby, you know I've always wanted to see this." A girl says to a guy. They look like one of those couples that do everything together and still break up in the end. 

    Another couple is with a baby in a stroller and there's a wailing kid pointing at an animation. 

   A woman walks up to us, smiling suspiciously, a little girl tags along with her. She touches Boma's hair. "Wow. I love mixed babies."

   I'm stunned by the rudeness. Chinny snickers like she's used to it. I can see Boma seething under the fake smile. 

   "Can my eyes be blue too?" The little girl asks. The woman quickly whisks her away.

   "Probably not. The eyes were traded for a father and I'm sure she'd rather have one," Boma says.

   Understandably. 

   One of the posters catch my eye. It has two people obviously teenagers, they're staring at each other like Boma and I just did. I like it, it's good for the moment.

   "I like this one," I say. They turn.

   "Romance?" Chinny asks with her face all twisted like I suggested a taboo.

   "I kind of like where the synopsis is going, I wouldn't mind seeing it," Boma says, my heart jumps.

   "Chinny I think it'll be thrilling. How can you not want to watch it?" I ask.

   "Hello? This sci-fi is what I'm going to watch." We turn to look at the poster. There's a man probably in his sixties holding a gun. There's also a woman in a red latex bodysuit holding some futuristic weapon. They look suspicious; we turn to look at Chinny, she's looking at us and we know she isn't changing her mind. 

   I don't want to make a choosing game out of this, so we end up watching the sci-fi and Chinny sits between us. 

   Two hours later, we're walking out of the cinema. Chinny is the happy bloom. Boma looks especially drained, with a pale face, and folded arms clutching her sides strongly.

   "Now was it bad?" Chinny asks

   "It was thrilling," Boma says, even her voice sounds strained. I want to ask if she's okay. I look at her and she looks away.

   "Nice ending," I say.

   "That's all? You guys are kidding me, I can't believe you." Chinny laughs. 

   "I'm glad you had a great time Chinny." Boma starts moving towards the escalator to the ice-cream store on the second floor. I follow behind her.

   "Wait. Were you being sarcastic?" Chinny catches up. We're standing in front of the store.

   "Yes, Chinny, it wasn't thrilling and I'm pretty sure the ending was whack," Boma says.

   "I'm happy you're happy, Chinny, and at least we watched something. Let's just get the ice-cream and I'll take you guys home." 

   I turn towards the counter, "Boma what are you having?" I ask. She doesn't respond. "Boma?" I turn around, and she's sweating a lot.

   "I have to sit. Just plain vanilla will do," she says 

   I follow behind her. "Bo are you okay? you don't look so good."

   "I'll take the largest cup with the waffles, a scoop of chocolate, coffee and butterscotch . . ."

   "I'm fine, just a little dizzy," she says.

   It's that movie. I feel dizzy too. "Should we just go already, we could leave the ice-cream." 

   "With white chocolate chips, coconut shavings and sprinkles. Do you guys do the chocolate syrup drizzle? I'm asking because the other store does,"

   We're both watching Chinny make her order.

   "I'm sorry we don't. Will that be all then?" the girl attending to her asks.

   "That'd be all." Chinny smiles.

   "Wow, she's really wonderful." I say and Boma laughs.

   "She ordered already. I'll just pass mine. Maybe some other time when it's just us." She says.

   When it's just us?

   I see Chinny walking down. "Buns, are you good?" she asks, Boma nods, "Ivan, hope it's not too much?" her smile is so bright.

   "Nope you're good!" I hand her my debit card. "Current." I say.

   She yelps in excitement. "Aren't you guys having anything?"

   "We're good," Boma says. 

   Chinny shrugs. "Your pin?"

   "Eleven. Eleven," I say.

   "As in my birthday?" Boma asks. I nod.

   "That's just too cute," Chinny rolls her eyes. I smile. Boma's cheeks flush.

   Chinny gets her ice-cream, it's like a mountain of goodness. The last time I had ice-cream looking this good was the summer before my father died and we all went to Disney world. Vacations didn't feel like a chore then, Tosin wasn't an ass then and my mother felt like my mother. We watch Boma for a few minutes. 

   "I feel better. Let's go," Boma says.

   We approach the doors again and I see the watch shop. They sell nice jewelleries. I look at Boma she didn't accessorize. Maybe she doesn't like them. 

   As we step out the doors, I squint. The sun is burning bright in the blue sky amidst slight winds. Lucky Chinny. The way she's into her ice-cream makes me feel like I should have gotten one for myself, but it wouldn't have been fair to Boma. I turn to look at her, she's holding my hand. I squeeze. 

   "They have good ice-cream here but it's better at . . . uhmm, Buns what's that store called again?" Chinny asks.

   "Knutz and Kream," Boma says.

   "Right." Chinny nods. "They have more toppings."
   
   "This one looks pretty impressive," I argue.

   "Knutz and Kream is better, trust me. Maybe next time we could go there," Boma says

   "And I'm definitely coming along." Chinny adds. But I believe not. Next time, it's me, and Boma, alone.

   "Ivan?" Boma squeezes my hand.

   "Mmm," I reply, and she halts. She's purses her lips with searching eyes.

   "Bo, you can tell me anything,"

   "I don't know if I want to," she says. 
Chinny is at least twenty feet from us, resting on the car.

   "So, there is something?" I ask, and she looks away, the wind tosses her hair around her face. Her arms are folded with no intention of moving the hair out, so I help.

   "Guys! It's almost three, get your chit chat done already." Chinny yells, we ignore her.

   "It's the Quincy troupe, right?" I say. I know it's not, but I want her to smile.

   She laughs. Double points! 

   Then it fades. "That's not it," she says. She looks everywhere but at my eyes as her lips quiver.

   "Then what, let me guess, you're dying?" I ask.

   She puts the hair in her face behind her ear, "why would you say that?" 

   "T-the sweating, the dizziness, your eyes," her face slowly starts to turn red. "Never mind I said anything, it was just a stupid worse case scenario kind of thing." 

   God, I feel so stupid.

   She doesn't say a word, her frown just keeps progressing.

   "Boma, I'm sorry. It just came out, it's the worst possible thing I could think of and you didn't give me much to work with."

   "I didn't want you to work with anything," she says, not yelling. "Never mind, just forget. I'm fine. I need to go home." She starts walking towards the car.

   "Boma, I'm sorry." 

   "What are you sorry for!" she turns around.

   "What I said."

   "We haven't even been friends for a month and you're already pissing me off. How could you suggest that?"

   "Bo, I didn't mean it."

   "Now! Please." She doesn't even look at me for a second. 

   I unlock the car with the remote. She gets in and slams the door. She's explaining something to Chinny. Chinny looks at me with those big coconut eyes through those thick bottle lenses and I feel stranded standing here with my heart racing.

   Mike and the guys are in the Hilux on the other side of the parking lot and they're watching me. 

   I can't believe it. Why did I even say that? Which normal person would suggest that? 
Today was supposed to be a good day. I've ruined it.

   Walking to the car feels like a walk of shame. I get in, knowing it's going to be a long silent drive, a drive of shame. I don't push it. I've done enough. 

~°~°~°~°~°

~♡Tamunosakiogaree♡~