I Did Not Want To Fall For You

Chapter 21: Cries

Nonso and Kaito sat in an uneasy silence after Kamsi left.
"You should say something," Kaito hissed, "You were the one running your mouth when Kamsi was here."
Nonso finished off his meal, "And I'll run my mouth again if you want me to. Why are you still angry?"
He scoffed, "I am not angry." He stuffed the used takeaways into a large nylon bag.
"You are pained then," Nonso mused smugly, wiping his mouth clean with a serviette, "If you still have something to say then say it, latest big boy."
He was truly pained, "Because I don't like to talk too much, o kwa ya? You didn't even say sorry."
"Why should I say sorry? I was only saying my mind, it's not my fault they put a padlock over yours."
He bit his lip to stop himself from saying something insulting. It was just normal Nonso, testing him so he could know everything he was thinking.
"Fool."
It was a light suppressed rumble then it was a peal of uncontrollable laughter. "Guy," Nonso forced out between laughs, "you are angry oo. What happened to Kamsi said it's bad to be insultive?"
"My girlfriend is not responsible for my actions."
"So she's now your girlfriend, no longer Kamsi."
"You would understand if you had a girlfriend." The blade-like words rolled out of his mouth comfortably.
Nonso pressed his lips together then shook his head. "You are still angry. Fine, I am sorry."
He smiled mirthlessly.
"I shouldn't have accused you like that in Kamsi's presence and made it seem like you are cheating on her when I am not sure if you are..."
"Nonso," He called warningly.
"What? When you don't tell me stuff, how am I supposed to know if you are sincere to her? I'm sorry sha. I was angry."
Kaito wasn't even looking at him anymore.
"Guy, I am sorry," He sighed, "You know I love you. I said those things out of love."
"MK, wats up?"
Nonso looked behind him to see MK coming up to them. He eyed Kaito. He just professed his love for him and all he could do was give his attention to someone else. Someone he didn't like for that matter.
MK came to a stop at their table but he didn't shake the hand Kaito offered. He looked them up and down as if sizing them up.
He raised a brow, getting irritated. He was never a fan of MK's praised superiority.
"I am doing you this favour because you have done me favours in the past," MK said gruffly to Kaito, "If you love your girlfriend, you'll go to the back of TD lab now. And you, Nonso, be careful."
Kaito sat up, alert with suspicion. "What's happening at the back of TD lab?" He asked but MK was already walking away.
He looked at Nonso who mirrored the same anxious expression on his face. Not Kamsi, not his Kamsi. He got up instantly and began to run.
*
His legs took him as fast as they could to the Technical Drawing lab. He couldn't hear anything, couldn't see anything except her. If anybody laid a hand on her, he would... he would murder them himself.
He heard the loud struggles before the muffled cries and then the scampering of feet when he arrived. He looked around frantically for her, his vision adjusting harphzardly to the darkness, but when he saw her, Nonso was already by her side. He turned and made for the fleeing perpetrators instead.
*
Rage. Rage burned through his veins when he beheld her crumpled self. He couldn't see much under the faint rays the moon offered but he could see her trying desperately to cover herself. She scrambled off the ground and began to run.
"Kamsi, it's me, it's Nonso!" He shouted, going after her. She stopped, staggered and he caught her before she could fall.
"I am sorry, I am sorry, K, I didn't know. I am so sorry," He whispered bitterly, wrapping her in his arms. She was covered in sand and she was trembling from head to toe.
"Samuel and Dozie and Onyebuchi," She whimpered, "they... they..."
"It's okay," He said grimly, "It's going to be fine." Through the corner of his eye, he saw the faint outline of two figures struggling with each other.
"It wasn't Danielle, it was me," She sobbed, "How can they think of doing such?"
He patted her back. To be honest with himself, he hadn't taken the news of Onyebuchi's plan seriously, he hadn't been able to fathom how Buchi of all people would want to do such. Danielle didn't take it seriously too, Kaito also didn't. Now actually seeing them carry it out and to no one else but Kamsi, made his blood boil in anger.
"Did they touch you? Did they... do it?" He asked with great effort.
She shook her head, "They tore my house wear, they were brutal, they slapped me, they... they..." Her words got choked with tears.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," He sighed deeply.
It wasn't long before they heard the approaching footsteps of a good number of people. The news had probably spread and people were coming to see for themselves.
"Nonso, get her out of here," Kaito ordered, his breathing heavy. The sound of a punch followed.
There were two entrances to the lab area, he guessed they would both be used so instead, he took her deeper into the lab area, to the clearing in the bushes.
She stepped away from him when he began drying her face with his hanky.
"I'm fine," She mumbled, wrapping her torn house wear around herself. She was very grateful that she put on a concealing singlet and tights long enough to pass for shorts that morning or else, she would be in an even greater embarrassment.
"I can't see," Nonso said kindly, "And you don't have to feel embarrassed in front of me or your boyfriend."
Her legs were weak so she lowered herself to the ground. He followed, sitting close but giving her enough space. They could hear the distant noise of a growing crowd.
"Please tell Kaito to stop," She sniffed, "he'll get in trouble."
"You are in this trouble somehow because of us."
"I was the one that insulted them," She said lowly, hugging her knees. Her next words were filled with much hatred and tears. "If I don't report them tomorrow eh, I'm a bastard. If I don't soil their names in the mud, then my name is not Kamsi. And if no one believes me, I swear, I'll... I'll stab them to death, I'll make sure..."
"Kamsi, it's okay," He said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. She flinched then relaxed. "They'll believe you, we'll make sure they believe you. Let him do the beating for you, we'll get in trouble together."
She tried hard to muffle her cries. She sat up and cleaned her tears then hugged her legs again. She was restless. She stretched out her legs and raised them again then she leaned into him and let him hold her.
"I'm sorry," He said.
She didn't muffle her cries this time.