Ours

Chapter 2: Spotted

Najat and I got to the class right on time. It was a normal lecture that ended with another load of assignments to complete. I guess we don't get to complain seeing as our final exams is fast approaching. Our only solace is that there will be no more boring lectures and plenty assignments in about two months to come because we will be graduating from school. Oh the joy the mere thought of that brings. As we were strolling down the corridor, najat brought up an upcoming party in one of the halls. She's been trying to get me to attend one of those parties since we met in the first year of college but every time my answer remains no! Well, I guess until today. She made some pretty good arguments. First off, we were almost about to graduate, my CGPA was already built and I needed to loosen up a bit. After thinking about it I decided to go because yeah, I could use some fun now. Her joy knew no bounds that she even promised to buy me Dulcy's, the nicest ice cream on campus.

The party was scheduled to take place on friday night and I agreed to get ready at her end. I got back to the hostel to meet my roommate eating some hot jollof. I dumped my backpack somewhere and joined her totally uninvited. I told her about the party I was attending on friday and surprisingly she decided to join us because just like me, she's never attended any before. We both promised to leave if things were too much for us to handle. Inwardly, I was glad she was coming along because I had already planned to spend just thirty minutes at the party and now I could use Tilly as an excuse to leave without Najat getting annoyed. Thursday passed by in a blur and Friday was here. After my normal routine of lectures, library, hostel, I was finally in najat's room with Tilly at exactly 6pm. I may seem like the nerd type but trust me when I want to get my A game on, its a whole lot of sauce.

Since it's the only party I will ever attend on campus, I decided to look extra nice. I wore a black midi dress paired with army green heels, with my natural hair styled in a puff. Tilly and Najat both wore midi dresses as well but blue and pink respectively. After taking a lot of pictures trying to get the perfect angle, we set off for the party at 8pm. It was being hosted about 30 minutes drive from Najat's end. We booked an Uber ride and were on our way to partyyyyyy! Well basically, najat because Tilly and I were going to spend just thirty minutes there. As we neared the entrance, I couldn't help but wish I had stayed at home. The noise was too much and there were a lot of people. But as I scanned the faces, my big doleful eyes fell on a familiar face. The face I've been daydreaming about since that fateful Thursday morning at shoprite, two years ago. Silently, I thanked Najat for dragging me to the party. Dressed in a pair of trousers and a button up shirt, he certainly stood out among the crowd of teenagers. He was dressed as though, he was at a business meeting. His facial expression depicted annoyance as he scanned through the crowds searching for someone it seems. Najat has always been the life of every party. At this point all I could see was her weave as she danced to some loud upbeat songs. Tilly kept trying to hold a conversation with me but my mind and eyes were fixated somewhere else. At this point, I was just thinking of how to get rid of Tilly.  As if Vanessa could read my thoughts, she came around and pulled Tilly into the midst of the crowd to dance.

I smiled to myself as I watch them get lost in the crowd. Now, where is my prey? I thought. I scanned the whole room about three times but still no sign of him. It is as if he disappeared into thin air. I can't believe I lost him again. The party was ruined for me. I decided to get some fresh air and so I headed outside. As I rounded the corner, I could hear two voices arguing. One seemed to be complaining about how the other doesn't take his lessons seriously. The other was just proving stubborn. As I neared the area where the voices were coming from,  I realized it was him. As I thought of how to approach him and make small talks, my phone's screen lit up with a face time request from my bestie AJ. I quickened my steps in other to get away from the scene and answer my phone. "Herhhhh! Ahh! You made me miss a great opportunity , madam. Do you remember that guy I told you about two years ago?" I commented.
"Yes, yes I do. Your crush who doesn't know you exist. Hahaha. What about him though" I told AJ about how I've been seeing him recently and how I've never tried to initiate a conversation until today which she ruined. We talked for hours about the most random things and a little gossip here and there. It was difficult being away from each other. AJ was already an accomplished fashion designer at age twenty five and married to Yaya, a very cool and down to earth guy. They were expecting their first child in some few months. I was still on the phone when Tilly came and asked that we leave since she was bored. I tried to find him in the crowd but once again, he was gone. Just like that. Immediately we got to our room we both slept like heavy logs because we were so worn out.