27| ℂℋℐℕℕᎽ

   Albert pulls me off the stage while I watch them disappear into the Galleria. “Yes, what?”

   “Have you seen Boma? Heard Quincy was looking for her,” he says.

   Maybe I'm just being paranoid. 

   “Chinny!”

   “Hmmm, yes?” I look at him slowly. Still unable to shake the feelings off.

   “What’s up with you? You're just zoning out.”

   “Do you think she’s acting weird?”

   “Who? Boma?"

   “Yeah. I have this knot in my chest each time she looks at me.”

   “I’m sure it’s nothing,” he says rather impatiently.

   I size him up and down, hissing.

   He rolls his eyes. “Okay, if you feel so strongly that something’s wrong, maybe you should talk to her.”

   “And tell her that I feel something bad is going to happen to her?”

   “Then maybe you should just pray.”

   My mouth hangs open for a moment before I take a deep breath, “I feel like you’re not taking me seriously. I’m really scared here and you're. . .”

   “Shhhh. Boma’s fine. You probably feel this way because she now has someone else in her life that’s not you.” He tries to kiss me.

   See this one.

   I stop him. Slapping his hand away from my face. He heaves and rolls his eyes. 

   “You think I’m jealous?” I ask him.

   “Yes.” He says frustrated. 

   "So why were you tugging me again?" I ask. He looks like a small child who was denied love.

   “Quincy was looking for Boma.”

    I scoff. “So he actually came?" I hate that boy and I'm not going to juice it. "What does he want with her?”

   “I didn’t find out and he was fuming.”

   “Fuming?” I ask.

   “He looked like trouble.” He emphasizes the trouble.

   “Then we should find them first.” I say.

   While I can’t shake off my knot, I don’t know what Quincy is up to. So we walk towards the Galleria, and I see them walking towards us. Boma starts smiling.

   I have the most beautiful friend ever.

   “It isn’t what you think Chinny, Ivan made me do it.” She says. The way her voice faints when she says his name has me praying that he doesn't hurt her.

   “Really it looks like you both just had to let out some steam.” Albert says. I laugh, Boma turns red, Ivan clears his throat. 

   I laugh. “Doesn’t matter if you were hypnotized or just drunk in love–"

   “You won’t believe who came all up in our faces." Boma interrupts me.

   “Quincy?” I guess based on the fact that he was looking for her.

   “Jacklyn.” She says. I can’t help but hiss.

   “Well Quincy was looking for you.” I say.

   “Me?” she scoffs.

   “And he looked angry, like mad pissed.” Albert adds. 

   “At who?” Ivan asks. The way his brows arch makes me stutter. 

   “T-That’s why we had to find you guys first.”

   “HEY!” is what I hear followed by a gbim! Ivan holds his jaw.

   Albert pulls me out of the way as the second gbim! rains through the air.

   I blink repeatedly before looking up. Boma looks mortified, nobody else moves. I see Quincy flexing his bloody fist. His white shirt slightly wrinkled and uprooted from his dark blue trousers, his afro a bit more unruly than usual.

   Did he just punch Ivan? 

   My haze clears when Quincy darts towards Boma. I lunge forward, Albert pulls me back. 

   “You wouldn’t dare.” Ivan says, casually licking the blood on his lips. “You throw a pretty good punch, but you wouldn’t touch her.”

   “And who do you think you are to tell me what I can’t do?” Quincy spits.

   “Back off now and you’ll escape with minor injuries. Touch her and only God will tell your fate.” Ivan says. He’s quite calm for someone who just got punched.

   I’m watching this scene out of a movie unfold before me. My heart is racing. Boma looks like she needs a hug. Albert has me pinned.

   “Leave me.” I say.

   “Stay here, you don’t need to get caught up in that,” he says.

   “That. Is an idiot. Threatening. My friend!”

   “Just chill okay?” 

   “No!” I pull myself away from him. What does he mean by ‘just chill’. I’m wondering why he’s acting up, when the fight erupts behind me.

   I turn and it’s Quincy who’s on the floor, Ivan has him straddled, throwing multiple punches at his face. 

   “STOP. IVAN! STOP IT!” Boma cries.

   “DON’T COME CLOSE BO!” he yells back at her and doesn’t stop punching Quincy.

   I run over to Boma her makeup is liquefying and she says, “Chinny, Ivan’s going to kill him. He isn’t even listening to me.”

   “IVAN!” I yell out. He doesn’t even flinch.

   "IVAN!" 
 
   “KOLA!!” Boma screams and he stops. 
Quincy looks like a pulp. Ivan cleans his bloody fist on Quincy's white shirt.

   “Bo,” he stands up. She looks scared. I’m terrified, I’ve never seen a fight like that.

   Did Ivan just beat Quincy?

   “Boma, I’m sorry." Ivan reaches out to Boma. She doesn’t take his hand. We’re shook.

   Jacklyn rushes to raise Quincy up, he slaps her hand away and spits blood. The bouncers walk in. My confusion rises exponentially. 

   “Let’s go.” Ivan yanks Boma’s hand and they start walking out. He hands her his pocket square, she takes it and wipes her eyes. I’m still shaking.

   I can feel Quincy's shame, at least he isn’t dead. But no tik tok, no prom king.

   God I need to throw up.