𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐖𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.

~NINETEEN~

“I wish you were here or I were there or we were together anywhere.”

                          •ORE•

“Issagoal!”

“Goal ball!”

“25-4! Omooooo! I beat you gan oh!” Jeremy yelled, fist pumping the air with the game pad in his hands. “I beat a whole football star! I don blow.”

“I can’t believe this!” — Fawaz.

“What?” — Josh. “How can you beat Ore? Man’s unbeatable! Been unbeatable since forever.”

“Not anymore,” Jeremy stated cockily and pointed to the screen. “Tu-wen-tee- faiv- fourrrr! Look at it, the proof, bro.” He marched to Josh and jeered his head towards the screen aggressively.

“Guy, commot your hand abeg, I don see am.” Josh slapped his hand away.

“Good! See, I beat him.”

I smiled and rested my back. “It’s because I let you win.”

Well, that was a total lie. I did not let him win. He’d actually won the game on his own. Because… I was distracted. My thoughts have been all over the place since…well, since, you know, the whole marriage thing.

The one week dad gave me had ended and this was in fact, the marriage week. School vacated on Tuesday and everyone had gone home for the Christmas break, well, everyone except SS3s— we still had our holiday classes starting next Monday. Today was Wednesday and the wedding was to start on Friday.

It was miserable, really.

Miserable how I, a whole Ore Jumai, could not do anything to stop myself from succumbing to my dad’s will. Miserable how I couldn’t leave even if I wanted to. Miserable that I was gonna leave my perfect life and sink into a whole new world of bondage. Miserable how — I didn’t wanna admit though — my life began to feel fake. Heck, who was I kidding?

My life has always felt fake.

Don’t know why, maybe I do, but the main point is; apart from the whole perfect boy façade thing, my life still felt fake. Like I was living a lie.

Jeremy had asked the guys and me to hangout today at his place. Apart from the fact that I never said ‘no’ to an outing, I really wanted to hang out, like cherish my last moments with them? But of course, they didn’t know that.

We sat in a semicircle in front of the Play Station screen in Jeremy’s room. No special effects on the décor. Just a typical teenage boy’s room. Painted a light shade of blue. Clothes stacked in a corner of his room, yes stacked in a heap. Posters of drums and drummers and footballers and his favorite musician. Then a foot-ball was on his reading table, together with his laptop, some books. Typical teenage boy room. Nothing fancy except the screen in front of us. 

The guys were all shocked because nobody ever beat me in this game — PES. I mean, I was the best football player in school which naturally made me the best in this game.

“Pssh, na lie! I beat you, I felt it in my bones.” Jeremy said again. Excitement and mock seriousness, glinting in his eyes.

“Fine.” I raised my hands in surrender. “You won. Fair and square.”

“Berra.” He smirked and crossed his arms.

“But how?” Fawaz asked, still shocked. “Abi I should play my own too, so I can break Jeremy’s record?” He rubbed his chin.

“Pele, I’m not playing again.” I chuckled. “Let’s do something else.” I dropped the game pad. Jeremy did too and turned off the screen.