Late Eighteen

03| Chapter three

The weather was bright and brilliant, small greeny pastures and huge trees adorning every sidewalk. The buildings stood tall and mighty, their colours as vibrant as they were—crystal blue, mixed with just an hint of white. Students trooped in and out, some with friends either in groups or individually, some with a tired looking expression etched in their face, while some faced were plain expressionless.

"Ruth!"

My head automatically jerked towards the direction the voice came from. I saw Emma coming towards me, my friends—Micheal and Naomi—walking behind her, each with a scowl on their faces. They hate her guts, they see it rather useless to hang out with her.

"You're late!" Emma screeched beside me, I pretended as if something had fallen into my eyes just to roll my eyes.

"Sorry, my mum took most of our time," Michael raised his brow at me and I shot him a silent look. "Plus traffic too, it was really hectic."

She twisted her lips in disgust.

"What traffic? Have you forgotten that you're in America?" I mentally face palmed myself. That was the best excuse I could give? "I don't get it. You're rich enough to get a chaffeur, why can't you?"

"Stop acting racist Emma, not everyone's like you." Zoe butted in, coming to stand beside me, Zion sharp on her tail.

"Keep quiet, I wasn't talking to you," Emma snapped. "You know what? You're right. No one can be as influential and wealthy as I am. Not even your sister." She sneered the last sentence and I frowned.

"Wealthy as you are? Should I remind you that you live off your father's riches?"

"Oh shut it, you blacks are just as shallow as I thought you were," Her face became clouded in anger and I shrinker back in caution. "Ruth, handle them." She shot them a look of disgust before walking off.

"I dislike her. Point of correction, I hate her guts!" Naomi said in anger.

"Keep quiet please. Why couldn't you say anything when she was here? She's gone now, and suddenly the stitch in your mouth got loose, right?"

"Zoe!" I screeched. Naomi was older than her, so seeing her speaking to her in such manner surprised me.

Surprisingly, Naomi didn't say anything, she was staring into the woods silently. She knew Zoe was right.

"What? I was only stating fact. Such fake friends that you have." She hissed before walking off.

"Remind me why you hangout with her again?" Michael questioned but I waved him off. It had always been for the popularity, just for the popularity. But I couldn't tell them that, it would be beyond embarrassing.

"Forget it. We have a class in ten, let's get going."

And just like that, all of us started walking off to class. I lingered with Mike behind.

"So..." I began ask I walked alongside with him. "How do you feel that I leave for Nigeria tomorrow?"

I hadn't meant to disrupt his mood, but somehow I did and he stopped walking.

"How do you mean?"

"I mean—" I stopped walking too, turning to face him so I could see his expression. "I'm leaving for Nigeria tomorrow, how do you feel about it?"

"How do I feel?" He scoffed as his forehead twisted with anger. "You're asking me how I feel?"

I nodded my head, unsure and a little bit terrified. Terrified that I would no longer see him again, or experience all the fun things we do.