LIKE STARS

Chapter Twenty Seven

They all sat down at the balcony as they looked down at the activities going on. Semiloore's head was buried in Nathaniel's shoulder. She raised her head after sometime as she glanced around.

"I am sure you guys are much curious" Semiloore said.

"Its fine if you don't want to say" Joshua said carefully.

"Actually before it was fine but now I think you guys should know" Semiloore said.

"Semiloore... " Nathaniel started but Semiloore smiled at him.

"Alright" Nathaniel said after a while.

"Your curiosity must have intensified after hearing what Bolanle said right?" Semiloore asked and John nodded in spite himself.

FLASHBACK.

"Yeah,he's quite hot and rich too"

"Whoa!"

"But he's quite respected than half of the professors here"

"Why?"

"Professor Joseph is quite blunt and sincere"

"Yes I remember the first class he had with his students" Bolanle continued.

"He told them he was going to maintain a strict student and teacher relationship with all his students. He further said he main reason be transferred here was because he was in a scandal in his former uni with a student who had liked him and the matter was quite big and he had lost someone very dear to him"

"He said that?"

"Yes. Everyone was surprised that he was actually able to say such a thing. The students respect him way than all those bearded professors"

"That's real courage mehn"

"He......re.....ally...... said that?" Semiloore asked with an edge in her voice.

"People wanted to hear the full story but he didn't say more than he lost someone who was very dear to him and he was very bitter about it"

"He.........really...said that in public?" Semiloore stuttered.

"Yeah,he did. Whoever he had lost,I really did feel his pain".

Semiloore swallowed her saliva as she tried desperately not to let the tears at the brink of her eyes fall. This action did not go unnoticed as all of them stared at her weirdly.

FLASHBACK OFF
Semiloore sighed "I'm sure most of you are wondering if we dated right?" She asked.

"That's....right we are" John replied.

"I can't date a guy five years older than me talk less of someone who is almost 25 years older than me" Semiloore said trying to lighten the tension and it did help.

"And am sure you are wondering who Joyce is? Its my mom. My mom meet Joe when his grandma wanted to undergo surgery. He was an orphan with surrogate parents and by the time he found his real family it was just his grandma left so he really cherished her and when she fell ill and she needed to undergo surgery,it was my mom's team who did the surgery. It was successful and that's how they started talking and going out. We hated him,I and Tam,we thought he was just using her but he never was. They started dating and one day we realised that Joe was real. He let us call him by the pet name mom called him,he took out a lot,he attended every function with us and we were happy until one day when a scandal broke up when a girl had said he slept with her. There were chaos because the accuser was a responsible student or so they thought and matter dragged on. Mom didn't belie Joe no matter how hard he tried to prove his innocence. Things happened and after they broke up,some weeks later Joe was proven innocent and actually the girl had been trying to get Joe date her but he had refused repeatedly so she wanted to implicate him and destroy whatever relationship he was having which worked.
Mom didn't get herself for a long time,there were times she murmured his name while sleeping and as for us,we were too attached to him and as well we were hurt,a lot of events happened and we had to move. Seeing him again reminded me of many things again,the memory we shared and it was so painful"

The boys were lost in their own thoughts and none said a word.

"I feel pathetic and really it hurt as well when he left but what could we do. It was mom who pushed him away. She said she didn't want to see her face ever again"

"So he never showed up again"

Semiloore wiped the tears running down her cheeks "I've never had a birthday party since Mom and dad disappeared all we did was buy a cake, sing,watch movies and others but Joe,he organised a huge birthday party for me and Tamiloore,and for those moments I felt I could have a dad again but just like that my hopes were crushed" Semiloore said.

The wind blew softly as the boys stared into space after the revelation. Christian was probably the most affected as he spaced out and the next thing a tear slid out of his face as he hurriedly wiped it off.

Sometimes fate was cruel,just what kind of fate was that?

For John,he finally understood the saying that said "the brightest smile hold the worst scars" who would have thought that such event had happened in her life.

For Joshua,he was just feeling numb was had blanked out. The wind seemed to be carrying him along.

Nathaniel checked his wristwatch and turned to Semiloore only to find out she had fallen asleep on his laps.

"Guys let's go and sleep"

He easily carried her and walked upstairs to the room. John knocked on the room door and Maria opened it.

Her eyes widened when she saw Semiloore, "When did she leave the room?" She asked no one in particular.

John scoffed as he peered inside the room "You were too carried away by the film you were watching and didn't notice that your best friend was gone almost an hour and half" John replied.

"Huh?"

"Make way" Nathaniel said to her as he stepped into the room and placed her on the bed.

Funny enough, Semiloore tightened her grip on his neck and refused to let go. A soft laugh escaped his lips.

"Arrgh.... Semiloore I need you to let go" he whispered and after a while Semiloore released her grip and curled up.

He drew the covers over her and straightened up as he turned to the girls looking at him wide eyes.

"Look after her" he said and stepped out of the room.

"What happened to her?" Maria asked.

"What kind of friend are you? Huh? At least you know she hasn't been stable for quite a while now,shouldn't you always be by her side? Shouldn't you always be watching out for her?! Instead you sat down with a movie that wouldn't benefit your life or make you grow any taller!" John growled,he was really letting all his resentment on her.

"No instead you sat down with an India film,Married again, of all films huh? She had a panic attack and left the room and someone who had no ties to her called us while you were enjoying your movie huh? I don't understand why she still sticks to you when you are like this. So annoying" John added.

"John that's okay" Joshua chided.

"We'll let you know the situation tomorrow for now watch her"

Maria was already on the brink of tears. John eyed her before walking straight for their rooms

"I apologize on his behalf, none of us is in our right state of minds" Christian said as he walked off too.

"Watch over her okay!"

Maria nodded in reply as watched as the remaining two walked away. Maria let the tears lose.

She never been screamed at like that before, John didn't even bother to mince words as he spoke bluntly. Maria opened the door and sat down in front of the sleeping figure.

Her tears increased as she kept wiping them but they wouldn't budge. She didn't even realize she was gone. How could she have not noticed? She drew the covers a little upward as she smacked herself. She should have been there for her.