Christine Onyinye Nwafor

"So, what does this even mean?" I asked, the frustration in my voice audible.

Gbemi let out a low chuckle before picking up the heavy textbook we were using to study and flipping through the pages, her face scrunched up in concentration as her eyes roamed over the book. "Bingo!" She smiled when she found what she was looking for, pushing her glasses up her nose and beginning to recite the definition given in the text book as her finger followed her words.

I was losing focus at this point and as she spoke, her words entered one ear and flew out through the other. My eyelids began to lower themselves but I wasn't actually sleepy cause I was still aware of my surroundings. I was simply mentally exhausted and ready to be over with this session. The reaction was expected seeing as we'd been studying for over an hour now and there's only so much one's brain can take in.

For one of our courses, our mid terms was a project which consisted of our entire grade. Although it was an individual project, Gbemi and I had paired up to get it done on time; thankfully, that was out of the way now. After we finished that, we decided to study for our mid terms which we're currently writing.

So far, the exams has been nothing short of hard which I expected knowing how tough the school syllabus is, however at the back of my mind, I felt a nagging fear that if this is how mid term exams are, how would the final exams be? I didn't want to even get into it, lest I cause myself unnecessary anxiety. Instead, I focused on the light at the end of the tunnel. That light being that in only a matter of weeks, I'll finally be able to go home and see my family once more. Speaking to them over the phone and actually seeing them were two entirely different feelings and it had only struck me a few weeks ago that I'd never gone this long away from my family. Not even in Chapel Ground.

"Okay, I'm having trouble retaining what you just read." I told her finally, my hand held out to pause her reading.

Gbemi threw her head back with a laugh. "Me too, honestly."

"Great, I think this is a sign. Let's take a break." The quickness with which Gbemi shut the textbook closed made me burst into laughter.

My phone pinged then and I pulled out the device from my purse on the desk only to be met with a message from Remi. All too eagerly, I opened it.

Remi✨:
Where you at?

Me:
The library with Gbemi. I'm hungry but I'm forced to stay here and study, got a test tomorrow.
Wby?

Remi✨:
Studying too but I'm in my room. Gonna go run some errands soon tho.
What do you wanna eat?

Me:
You need company?
And I could do with some pizza rn fr. Why?

Remi✨:
Nah, focus, young lady👀
What kind?

Me:
Chicken suya...👀👀

I smiled as I replied although I was curious to know why he was asking. His reply came nearly ten minutes later.

Remi✨:
Just ordered a large for you both. Should be there in twenty.

My eyes widened slightly as I reread the text message.

Me:
Wait, what?!

Remi✨:
I should explain the process?🌚

Me:
No😂 why'd you do that?

Remi✨:
Cause my 'girl-to-be' is craving some pizza, that's why

Me:
Omds. Thank you!

Remi✨:
Anytime🤞🏽 now get back to studying, smart ass

"Smile any harder and your face will split into two." Gbemi teased and I chuckled before trying to get my face to act right but it didn't quite get the memo.

"I'm sorry, it's just-"

"Remi?" She asked and my brows shot up. "He's pretty popular in this school; Atlantic Cove's esteemed golden boy. People watch him, to keep up with his life, you know? And now you're a part of that. Although I'm pretty sure most of the girls who actively talk of him, my roommate included, are simply trying to keep you in their sights to make sure you don't steal the man of their dreams from under their noses."

I rolled my eyes deeply at that. "Can't steal from them what they don't have."

"Preach!" Gbemi hollered in a lowered voice and I chuckled. "So, you guys are dating?" She asks looking surprised, the curious edge to her voice not going missed.

"Not officially, no." I replied curtly. I wasn't comfortable talking about whatever Remi and I have going on, the reason being that it all seemed so new and fragile, and I didn't want to jinx anything by being too forward.

Talking to him these part few days has been nothing short of surreal and something made me want to keep everything that happens with Remi, everything we speak about, to myself. For just me and me alone.

"What about you though?" I ask to change the subject, but also wanting to know. "I hardly hear you talk about, or even see you with anyone. No one special?"

At that question she blushed deeply. I was surprised at the reaction to be honest cause I low key didn't expect the question to actually bear fruit. "That red! Okay, now you have to tell me."

Gbemi let out a soft laugh before containing it, a small smile playing on her lips. "I'm not seeing anyone, no. But I am interested in someone."

I tilted my head as I stared at her. "Do I know him?"

"You do." She supplied. "He's somewhat popular. I don't think he knows me though." She says the last part lowly but I hear her.

The sad undertone in her voice wasn't missed. I didn't understand why. Gbemi was beautiful. Her smooth light caramel skin was without blemish and her full lips were a feature that most girls wished they had. Her body was a bit on the thicker side and I could see her voluptuous curves despite the fact that she often hid them in plain, and sometimes big clothing.

I got the impression that she wasn't confident in her body and seeing as she's such a beauty, the thought saddened me.

"What's his name?" I ask straightforwardly curious to know the name of the blind guy who couldn't see how beautiful she is.

She hesitates for a moment too long. "Hassan Ibrahim."

My mouth hung open. "Light skinned Hassan? The one that hangs out with the three musketeers, that Hassan?" I sputter.

Gbemi chuckles, her eyes squinted slightly. "The three musketeers?"

"Regina, Samantha and Sade." I explain, shaking my head. "But is that the Hassan you're referring to?"

She nodded slowly, a shy smile on her face.

I gulped. I couldn't have guessed that, at all. As far as I was concerned, Hassan was a spoilt jerk who had no respect for anyone. I couldn't figure out what she saw in him but I wasn't about to actually express that thought out loud.

"I think he has a girlfriend though." She muses and I give her a questioning look. "Regina. Those two are always together."

The revelation confused me a bit because I literally only saw those two in the same vicinity during social events.

"I stay in the same hostel as Regina." She explained.

"Mm." I hummed as I thought about what she said. "Well, I don't think that they're dating. At least not officially."

She seemed to think about what I said before lighting up. "So, do you think I have a chance with him?"

I smiled at the genuine expression on her face, watching her bite her lower lip as she nervously awaited my reply. A mixture of emotions with hope being the most prominent swirled in her chocolate brown eyes. I couldn't ruin that for her, so I said with a shrug, "If he's single, I don't see why not."

My chest tightened as Gbemi grinned widely. "Do you think you can help me out? I know you guys talk."

"How do you know that?"

"I saw you two at the beach party." She said in a duh tone.

I'm guessing me telling him to go fuck himself looked like we are friendly to wandering eyes.

"I'll see what I can do." I quickly added, "No promises though."

She nodded and as she picked up the text book again I wondered if this could be a good thing. Maybe if Hassan has a good girl like Gbemi in his life he would be kept in check.

Or, a voice told me, it could be the complete opposite and he could ruin this poor girl's innocence.

I was broken away from my thoughts by the sound of my phone ringing and without looking at the caller ID, I picked the call and pressed the phone to my ears. "Hello."

"Hello, is this Christine?"

"Yes, this is she." I replied.

"This is Ade from the campus dominos. I'm outside with your order made by Mr Remi Adenuga."

My eyes widened slightly at that before a smile settles on my face. "Okay, I'll be out in a minute."

I hung up and was about to stand up when I remembered the library's strict no food policy. So, I looked outside the window before turning to Gbemi. "The sun has dimmed a bit, wanna go outside?"

She looked outside the window. "Um...yeah, sure." She said slowly.

Letting out a silent sigh, I stood up and we both made quick work of packing up our books before leaving the library after checking out.

I found the delivery guy standing on the steps leading into the building, I never even knew that they delivered pizza on this campus. And after exchanging a few words with him, I realized that they didn't. He was doing this as a personal favor to Remi. After he handed me the box of pizza, he left.

"I was curious why you suddenly felt like going outside." Gbemi joked and I chuckled.

We walked to a clear space of grass opposite the library building and settled under a tall tree. We studied some more while eating and then we called it a day. I caught the shuttle back to my hostel as Gbemi went her way.

I was walking into the building when my phone rang in my pocket. Pulling it out, I saw that it was Nedum calling. "Hey, babe," I said.

"Ah, thank God, please I need a huge favor." She rushed out.

"Sure, what do you need?"

"In my room, inside my closet there's this white nylon of satin materials. Please can you help me bring it to the Art Block?" She asked. "I know it's a huge favor but I really need it for this project I'm working on. I don't know why I-"

"Nedum." I interrupted her rant with a laugh. "It's okay. I'll bring it by in like twenty minutes."

She heaved a relieved breath. "Okay, thank you!"

We ended the call after that and I rushed to my room to drop my backpack containing my textbook. I wasn't about to haul that across school again.

After that, I washed my face and moisturized before heading to Nedum's hostel. Her room was empty and after thorough searching, I found the nylon she was talking about under her bed instead of in her closet as she had said.

I got to the Creative Art Department building over twenty five minutes later due to the fact that I had to walk since the shuttle came to the hostels at thirty minutes intervals.

The building was a tall one that had all the art departments in it: the sculpture area, ceramics area, textile area, fashion design area and some others. I'd only been here once before so I had to go to the sign board which had a map of the building pinned on it to know where to go.

When I found the Fashion Design room which was located on the third floor, I began the walk to it. I swear by the time I get home, I'll be slimmer than I was coming here due to all the unwanted work out that I've been forced to do.

"You owe me." I told Nedum when I saw her. I took a moment to catch my breath, my chest burning slightly from the cardio.

"I know, thank you so much!" She exclaimed, pulling me into a quick hug before collecting the bag. "You're a life saver."

"Mhm." I hummed as I took in the room.

The empty spaces that didn't have mannequins and sewing machines crammed into it had pieces of clothes strewn across the floor. Everyone was busy as they went about their business, some in pairs.

I approached the group Nedum was with, a few of them familiar to me from parties. "Hey, guys." I greeted them.

"Hey, Chris." A girl who I knew to be Amira said. She's a dark skinned beauty, her hair in braids and piled atop her head with a few hanging loose. She had on a HMS cropped hoodie and short jean shorts.

"What's good?" The only guy in the groups said with a head nod. I didn't know his name but he looked familiar. His long dreads reached his back and he had on a t-shirt that was three sizes too big for his slim body and equally as big sweatpants. The look made me raise my brows but I guess he liked the extra space between his clothes and his skin, none of my business.

There was another girl in the group, Kamsy, I think, but she was silent as she sat at the sewing machine, her rapt attention on her work.

"What are you guys making?" I asked after some time of watching them work. They were just cutting into materials and it almost seemed like they had no idea what they were doing but I knew otherwise.

"Prof gave us this project as our mid terms. We are supposed to create a whole collection of fashion statement dresses kind of, I'm not sure how to explain it." Amirah said. "But this project is literally our whole mid term grade so we are going all out."

"I can see that." I pointed out and they laughed. "Do y'all need some help?"

I wasn't sure if I was even supposed to be there but I got my answer when Nedum swept her gaze around the room before replying, "That'll be appreciated. We've spent so long coming up with the designs that we don't have enough time to actually sew the clothes. You can cut up that material over there."

I pointed at one and she nodded. I picked up one of the heavy, metal scissors but dropped it as Nedum handed me a measuring tape and told me to measure it first with specifics.

The process was painfully slow, however I didn't expect it to be anything but. It was quiet as we went about doing the work.

"I finally got the designs for the sweatsuit to my manufacturer." Nedum grinned as she informed me this when her partners left to get some stuff with only Kamsy with us.

I returned her grin, just as excited. "When did he say it would be done?"

"He'll be sending samples in a few days, but the first batch should be ready in less than a month. I don't want to go all out in case people don't actually like it."

After much contemplation, despite her reservations, Nedum had decided to start selling her own designs in her store. Before she'd just been selling clothes, but now she'd be designing the clothes as well and she was really nervous and uncertain if it would actually gain traction.

"Nonsense. People will definitely love it, those designs I saw were pure fire."

"I hope so." She bites her lower lip nervously. "Anyway, enough of that. How'd your day with Remi go? I've been meaning to ask."

I smiled at the devious grin she had on. "It was good. He took me with him to get a tattoo, and then we went to see his cousin. Mickey the fucking Soundgod, Nedum. I was so nervous!"

She burst into laughter. "I can just see it. I've heard of Mikey a lot since he and Remi are pretty close, but I've actually never met him. His music is pretty good."

"I've been a fan ever since my sister made it her mission to learn all his lyrics and I wouldn't hear word at home anymore. But I never dreamt of meeting him." I added, "We've been getting so close and I'm both excited and scared at the same time."

"Remi?" Nedum asks and I nod. "Why are you scared?"

"I don't know. I don't want to get hurt, I guess."

She hums lowly before speaking after a moment of thought. "I think for something like this, it's best not to expect too much, you dig? And if you do expect something, make it clear from the start. That's a must, especially when dealing with someone like Remi. I've known Remi for as long as I can remember and all his life, he has mostly encountered girls who expect specific things from him in an unspecific fashion, they always try to get what they want with cunning. Don't do that, don't be like those girls. If you want a relationship, be upfront about it. He shouldn't waste your time and I'm sure he'll appreciate the straightforwardness for a change."

I mulled over what she said, but she wasn't done. "He's in his final year. In a matter of months, he'll be leaving here for his masters. If y'all are just having fun and passing time, let it be known. If it's something more, let that be known as well, okay? Trust me, nothing is better left unsaid."

Her words struck a cord and left much to be thought of.

.
.
.
Words of wisdom?
I've always believed in being straightforward with what you want in this life, especially when it comes to romance. To avoid anyone getting unnecessarily hurt.

What do you guys think though?

After being told this, what do you think is the next step for Chris?

And the little gesture Remi made at the beginning of the chapter, was it one of convenience, or more?👀

Please don't forget to vote and comment your thoughts.

Until next time, stay safe💕