Penfield's Greatest Swimmer

🌊~50

For the hundredth time today, I picked up my phone, expecting a return call or even a text from Princess.

Nothing came through. To say I was agitated was an understatement.

After our visit to her hall, I'd been calling and texting her non-stop, but I still couldn't get in touch. Knowing that Princess was deliberately ignoring and avoiding all my attempts to reach out was as frustrating as hell.

Tossing my phone onto the side of my bed, I emptied the box of books I'd packed out of my previous dorm.

After Akunna's passing and the vigil, the hall's management thought it would be best to change my living arrangements. So here I was, settling into my new dorm with Deon as my roommate. Unlike my previous room, this place had a balcony and offered a captivating view of the sun setting at dusk.

I pulled out the stack of books, ready to line them up on the shelf when an envelope slipped out and fell on the floor. I set the books aside to pick it up.

"Ok!" Shola clasped her hands. "I've completely emptied your suitcases and lined up your clothes in the wardrobe. I took the liberty to arrange them according to colour. Darker clothes are on the left and lighter clothes are on the right. Your swim gears are in the bottom drawer, along with all your other sports stuff."

She plummeted down on the bed beside me. I had a feeling she would've said more about the clothes if the card I had just pulled out of the envelope hadn't grabbed her attention.

My roommate's scrawny penmanship was hard to miss on the white surface.

When you two finally become a couple, please don't forget the people who helped you get there.

"Oh Akunna," Shola mumbled softly, when I flipped the card over, reminding ourselves of the first night we'd danced together at Val's day Twilight Dance, and it was all because Akunna made it happen. He gave us this moment. He was the one who brought Shola to the dance, he was the one who encouraged me to go after her, and he was the reason why I was even holding this picture.

"You know... when you think about it... Akunna is the whole reason we're together right now." My eyes felt watery all of a sudden. "If he hadn't dared me to talk to you at the activities fair..." the memory glowed in my mind's eye.

"Youuu," he tapped my nose, "like Shola."

Alarmed, my voice went a notch higher. "What? No, I-"

"Oh c'mon don't deny it." Akunna crossed his arms, smirking. "I saw the way you were making googly eyes at her. She's the reason why you joined the club, right?"

"I... I uhh...gmph!" I forcefully cleared my throat. But he saw through the act and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry, roomie. I promise you, by the end of the semester I'm going to make sure that you get to call Shola your girlfriend."

And he did. He really did.

The tears poured out of my eyes in waves, and even though Shola was on the brink of letting out her own downpour, she held them back and pulled me into a tight warm hug.

"It's alright, sweetheart." Her hand caressed my back. "Let it all out."

"He shouldn't have died, Shola." My throat hurt as I swallowed, pushing past the huge lump that had lodged itself in there. "He shouldn't have died. I... I wish I could turn back the hands of time, just to stop us from going to that stupid party..."