ALONE

CHAPTER 16

She stopped the car right in front of the garden, "see you tomorrow, bye", she said to me and drove off.

I stood there watching the car, 'this was an amazing night', I said to myself.

I tiptoed into the living room.

There was no one in there and I was thankful for that. With quick steps, I rushed to my bedroom before I could be seen.
I was tired.

I couldn't bathe or even take my clothes off, I laid on the bed and fell asleep.

My alarm clock rang, I checked the time with squinted eyes, it was already time for my morning duties. I wanted some more sleep but I knew better than to waste a second up here.

I hurriedly went downstairs into the kitchen, it was a mess, a big mess.

I sighed.

I began to clean, everywhere was so messy, it took me a longer time than usual to finish up.

Thank God it was Saturday, I had no school or anything important.
I made sure everywhere sparkled before returning to my bedroom.

I bathed and went back to have some more sleep. 

A knock came, before I could gain consciousness, the door was opened and a figure walked in.

"What are you still doing in bed? We're going to be late, go and get dressed", the person spoke.

That voice, I could recognize that sweet tender voice even in my sleep.

"Sophie?", I called out her name.

"Put this on", she said, ignoring me. She seemed skeptical about the black dress she held in her hand.

"Jo, get up and get dressed, what in God's name is wrong with you?", she yelled at me.

I stood up quickly and ran into the bathroom for a quick shower.

Within few seconds, I was out.

I took the black dress from her and wore it, it was a short dress. It exposed part of my thighs, it had a V-neck revealing a little cleavage.

"This is too much Sophie", I complained.

"You look good, sit", she ordered and I sat.

She wanted to restyle my hair but I stopped her.

"No, my mom loves my pony tail", I said.
It wasn't a lie, my mom told me how outstanding it makes me look all the time, so, it became my favorite hairstyle.

"Oh, OK then", she said.

It was really funny how she thought I was talking about Maria.

"Make up?", she asked.

"A little", I answered. We looked at ourselves in the mirror and laughed.

"Where are we going to?", I asked.

"Seniors dinner, I told you", she replied with a frown.

"Oh", was all I could say. 

We arrived at the venue and walked into the hall.

We were confronted by a large crowd, people dressed in style.

The sight was so breath taking.

We walked around, taking pictures with people we knew and smiling at everyone.

"Wait here, I'd be back", Sophie said to me and walked away. I was left standing alone, I looked round to see if I'd see a familiar face but there was none I saw.

" hey", I heard a familiar voice say to me.

I turned to look at who it was, it was the boy I kissed yesterday at the seniors party. My eyes widened and my cheeks became red.

I looked away immediately, avoiding his spell bounding eyes.

He smiled at my action.

"Cute", he whispered. "Are you here alone? Where is Sophie", he asked.

"She'd be back soon", I replied.

I didn't know what I was feeling, a tingling sensation in my heart, I couldn't explain it.

Was this what Vivien said was love?
He made a plate for me and the tingling sensation increased.

"Let me take a group picture. Wait here and don't move", he said to me and ran off.

My lips curved into a smile.

I was hungry but I knew I couldn't feast on this good food in my hands, so I munched on it slowly.

My left hand went to the back of my neck, I thought it was just a normal body itch but it wasn't. My left hand went there again and this time, I couldn't control it.

I dropped the plate that was in my right hand and scratched my neck.

I tried suppressing it but it itched the more.

I couldn't resist it anymore, I stalked towards the exit.

"Where are you going to?", I heard Sophie's voice from behind.

"I nee.. I need to go right now", I stammered, the itch was becoming unbearable.

I didn't wait for a reply, I ran out of the door and began to run back home. It made me so uncomfortable, I almost cried.

It was terrible.

I ran to my bedroom immediately I got home.

I undressed and began to itch the spot, it wasn't stopping. I went to the mirror to take a look, the area had already turned purple.

Just when I was about to return back to my sitting position, I felt fire in my spin, it was as though hot lava was poured into my spin. 

I groaned in pain.

I couldn't feel my legs, my legs were numb.

"No, this can't be happening", I said in disbelief.

I touched my legs severally but I couldn't feel the touch.

I inhaled and exhaled. I didn't want to believe that I was going through paralysis. I laid on my bed looking out the window. Tears dripping from my eyes.

The only question I could ask myself was why, why everything was turning out this way. I never imagined for once that my life would be like this but here I am, suffering for no explainable reason.

I heard a thud on the window and I fidgeted.

I thought it was a squirrel or a bird.

I heard it again and this time, I stood up to check it out.

"What is Sophie doing here by this time?", I asked no one. I looked beside her and saw someone else, taking a closer look, it was him.

"What are they doing out here this late?", asking no one again. I opened the window and went down using a pipe.

'This is easy, I could escape from my window', I thought.

"Sophie, it's late. Why are you here?", I asked, walking closer to them.

"Smarty wanted to see you, I had no choice", she said.

I looked at Smarty, he had a smile plastered on his face.

That tingling sensation returned again, I don't know if this was love but if it was, then I wanted to be in love.

He took my hand and we walked to the garden, there weren't seats so, we sat on the grasses.

"I told you to wait for me, why did you leave?", he asked.

"I'm sorry", I said, because I couldn't tell him about anything going on in my life right now.