"You want to talk to the Trinity girls?!"

Jacob gaped at Simian from behind his glasses.

Ever since he'd laid eyes on the girls, Simian found small, insignificant ways to help Jacob out at the restaurant.

The restaurant was a tiny diner tucked within a sluggish business street. Adorned with wax wallpaper and well-worn tables, its busiest hours were when the University was in session and currently it was on break.

Simian with his head full of dark curls and hazel eyes sometimes drew in a smattering of lovestruck girls too shy to start a conversation but eager to stare.

Jacob's mother Fiona, the owner, was happy to have help and took to leaving early to run her errands.

"Those girls are crazy..." Wekesa commented, distracted by an online game.

Wekesa and Justin ignored Simian. They'd been in Kakamega for more than a year and were less excited than Simian and Harry, who'd recently been exiled.

"What's wrong with that?" Simian argued, placing himself by the window. He had become aware of the time. Every day he'd taken to watching the girls congregate at the large clock in the middle of the town square handing out fliers at noon.

Some people took them out of kindness, most ignored them.

The clock ticked to 11:55 AM.

Justin rubbed his temples, "You'll get used to it."

"How do you get used to that?" Harry responded sitting beside Simian.

The infamous white van pulled up by the clock tower. The Trinity girls began to alight.

"They just are so... different..." Simian mentioned, straightening his back.

"Weird. They're weird," Jacob retorted as he went over his Geography homework. It didn't matter how many times he, Wekesa, and Justin repeated to Simian and Harry that the Trinity girls were not to be messed with. It flew over their heads.

The Trinity girls belonged to the Trinity church and the Trinity church was not a place people liked.

It mushroomed out of nowhere, settling deep in the forested hills like a habit one couldn't kick. Followers started trickling into town to join the church. They spoke to no one. They went up the hills and never came back down.

The girls however, always came by the town square. Standing by a clocktower they gave out pamphlets that urged people to join the church and save their souls. Once in awhile a villager became a member of the church, selling all their belongings, leaving their family behind.

It was safe to say, no one knew what went on in that church.

This gave birth to odd rumours. Over time the stories grew more ludicrous. One moment they were blood drinkers, the next, they communed naked in the forest. Harry liked that particular rumour.

Whatever the reason, talking to the girls was bound to get tongues wagging.

Jacob was aware of the undesirable titles the townsfolk tagged the boys with behind their backs. Most people thought he was being polite talking to them. No good would come if people began to think he had been influenced by the crew.

His father would not like that, Jacob thought with a pang as he tugged at the sleeve, hiding his bruised wrists. The boys with their carefree attitude made living in the town bearable.

11:56 AM

The girls stood in a perfect line as an older woman loaded them with pamphlets.

"You're bored Simian," Justin concluded.

"Or horny," Wekesa guffawed.

"Maybe," Simian admitted, a wicked lopsided smile spreading across his face as he stared out the window.

"We're bored!" Harry shouted into the table.

"True," Wekesa shut down his game, "That's why I've decided we need to be more proactive."

"I can't drink anymore," Simian stated, " I think my gran's onto me."

"I've got a better plan."

The boys leaned in.

"Date a Trinity girl."

It was Harry who laughed first.

"Think about it, it's not like they'll agree," Wekesa posited, reclining into his corner seat.

"Then what's the point?" Jacob asked, a slight panic flushing through him, "It's not worth it."

Wekesa regarded Jacob's plaid shirt, black pants, and sweater combination, "Scared?"

"N-no," Jacob stuttered. It lacked conviction.

"Let me guess," Justin smiled crossing his arms, "You wanna bet?"

Wekesa grinned, gambling was his weak point; the reason he was sent into the backwoods.

"What happens if someone wins?" Simian asked.

"Confident, eh?" Harry prodded.

Simian crooked an eyebrow. He wasn't blind. Even he got surprised by own his reflection. The hazy eyes, chiseled lines of his jaw, and deep permanent dimples were the only good things his father left him. Of course, there was also the lying thing...

"I'm going to give you my car," Wekesa announced.

The room went silent.

Despite being a habitual gambler, Wekesa was filthy rich. He was the son of a retail tycoon whose empire expanded throughout the African continent. For some reason, his parents decided to leave their son in their fully staffed country villa in the care of his elderly grandma as a punishment.

Wekesa also had his pick of toys, amongst them, an all-black Mercedes G wagon whose starting price could set one back several thousand dollars.

"As if," Harry debated but the lust in his eyes was palpable.

"Wait, "Justin interjected, "What do you get?"

"I get to keep my car dumbass. Whose in!?"

Harry's hand shot up, "You only live once, right?" This thinking was the reason Harry was exiled to Kakamega. He did first and thought later.

"Harry, these girls are clearly in a cult," Justin persisted.

Jacob tugged his sleeve. If he won and sold the car he could leave this place forever... "Me."

Wekesa clapped, "Wow," Jacob didn't look like he'd ever talked to a girl his entire life, "Simian? Justin? Jacob is in. Jacob!"

"Lol, my guy," Justin smirked, "I'm not that bored."

"Good!" Simian exclaimed. It was an arrogant thought but Justin with his athletic physique, chocolate skin, and dark eyes was a close second to him. "I have one clause."

"Hit," Wekesa said.

"We get to choose."

Wekesa shrugged, "No complaints."

12:00 PM struck.

Simian faced out the windows. His eyes scanned over to the newer girl standing a slight distance away from the pack. She kept her head down, never smiling. A thick mass of curls burst from her head, framing her sharp face, rich dark skin, and large brown eyes.

"Her," he pointed with his chin.

A chill pierced through Jacob. He'd seen her before, many years back. He furrowed his brows trying to remember...

Then she looked straight at them.

*The bet is on! But an unexpected person makes the first move. Stay tuned for the reveal in the next chapter!*

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