Like Stars At Night

Twenty-Five

It was now officially nine months since I had last spoken to Daniel.

I saw him every day in school and our eyes would connect occasionally but I had never spoken to or tried to initiate a conversation with him.

The memory of our last encounter was a sufficient deterrent.

“Ok, I'm here, you wanted to see me,” Daniel said as he entered the Workshop.

“Hey!” I greeted and jumped down from the stool I was seated on, painting. “I didn't think you would show up, considering you've been giving me the cold shoulder.”

“Well, I was incentivized to be here,” he reached into his pocket and pulled out my A necklace. The one he'd given me for my birthday. “I believe this is yours.”

I had sent it to him with a note asking him to keep it or meet me in the Art Workshop. It was a last ditch effort to get him to talk to me.

“Thank you, I was half expecting you to not show.”

“Stop, Amarachi,” he took my hand and gently dropped the necklace into my open palm. “Just stop.”

“Daniel . . .”

“Please,” his voice strained. “It's just best if you stay away from me. I don't want to hurt you any more than I already have.”

Without another word, he turned and left.

During our English assignment, I tried to get a conversation going but all my attempts fell flat. Like ramming into a cold brick wall.

I stopped trying after that.

He was serious about quitting Creative Art. He hadn't attended another class which was good enough for me since I wasn't sure I could stand to be in the same room as him if he was just going to ignore me or stare blankly into space.

Sylvanus was right about Daniel going through something but without him talking to me I had no idea how to help.

So I didn't. I just watched as the boy that I knew and loved become a stranger.

Finally, after going through the motions as quietly as I could, I wrote my WAEC and before I knew it it was graduation day.

“Bitch!” Kenny screeched as she slid into my room, phone held high and Snapchat filter bobbing onscreen. “Smile!”

She took a quick picture and sank onto my bed to start typing furiously on her phone.

Her face was beat to perfection. The eyeliner on her flawless chocolate face gave her a feline look as the contour and highlighters brought out every bone in her face.

Since it was Graduation I had decided to let loose and get the makeup artist to do my makeup too.

Which I was now regretting since my face was stinging at odd corners.

“Ok,” Kenny dropped her phone. “I just talked Sylvanus out of showing up with a limo. When I was downstairs Uncle Chima said he'll drop us off. That is a whole lot better than being shoved into a car filled with boys, abi?”

I just shrugged and continued reading the speech I was to give as the Valedictorian of my class.

“Ok, what's wrong?” Kenny placed her hand down on the pieces of paper I was holding, effectively disrupting my attention.

“Nothing, it's just . . .” I sighed. “I'd been wanting this for so long but now I don't think I'm ready. To leave secondary school, for university, for life in general. I'm not ready to not see you guys every day.”