Dive in
***
Sometimes, memories are the worst form of torture. Going through what you fear most over and over and over again in your thoughts, suffering in silence
Over time you would heal, the scars won't fade though but at least you can cover them up, that's what I've learnt to do
Some days I love the facade I put up, repulsive bitch capable no genuine feelings for anyone but myself. Other days I wish I was like everyone else and I had someone to love and someone to actually love me back
***
ERLING'S POV
(Erling Tobechukwu Kingston)
"Kingston"
"What is it?"
"We need to talk"
I roll my eye tiredly, since when do we need to talk
"I'm listening"
"Not here, the lounge?"
"Yeah whatever"
I let him lead the way to the open space between the two hostel wings, the night light giving the place a warm intoxicating illumination
"So?" I ask, expecting him to go on with the purpose of the meeting
"What is up with you?" He settles on the pavement closely adjacent to the wooden seat I am on
I shrug, not providing him any answers
"You see, this is your problem right there" he crosses his arms "since when did you start keeping quiet and bottling things up?"
I roll my eyes at his expression, not bothering to take him seriously
"Nothing is wrong, you literally just ordered me out of the court to talk to me, shouldn't you be the one speaking?"
He lets out a sigh while giving his forehead a massage with his fingers
"Okay since you don't want to talk, I'll do the talking"
I nod for him to go ahead
"Why didn't you tell me you couldn't swim anymore?" Aidan says, his voice sounding lower and calmer than it did at the beginning
My shoulders drop a little at his words making my expression falter for a split second before my face automatically retracts to its initial impassive look
"Erling" he calls, reaching his arm out to touch my shoulder but I instinctively move away to avoid contact
He retracts his hand with a sigh, folding them across his chest
I stare at the artificial grass beneath my feet with my mind completely blank of thoughts
He sighs for the umpteenth time as he gets up from the tiles, walking around the chair to stand right in front of me, I don't make any eye contact with him
"You know, we've known each other for almost five years now" he kicks the pebbles by his feet
"We've been best friends for almost five years now" he emphasises on the best friends "and yet I couldn't even tell you were hiding anything from me for weeks"
"I literally crashed at your place almost every weekend since the beginning of this term but I believed you each time you gave one excuse or the other for why I hadn't seen you practise
-in all our years of knowing each other, tell me, have I ever judged you? Or have I- I dunno- ever betrayed you when you told me confidential? Have I not supported every single decision you've taken all these years?
-but you decided to not tell me what the hell was going on in your life, I had to find out through Espn that you had been lying to me for weeks"
His words sting as he goes on, I can't muster up any reasonable answer to any of the questions he asks
"You might not think so, but as your best friend- the one who has had your back since day one- I think I deserve an explanation as to why you didnât trust me enough to tell me something as important as this"
I finally look up for the first time since he started talking, his face mirrors that of a father who just discovered the most disappointing information about his son
"I don't know" I say that, then immediately run short of more words to say
He stays quiet, expecting me to say more
"You don't know?" He asks with an incredulous expression "that's all you have to say?"
I slouch down the chair, supporting most of my weight with my elbow
"So that's it?" He folds his arms across his chest again "No more swimming?"
"I don't know" I give my most genuine answer
He lets out a frustrated sigh the same time his phone dings with a notification
He taps into his keypad, a confused expression worn on his face, I look away from him, playing with the silver ring on my index finger
"Are you and Trip still fighting" My ears peak up at the mention of her name
"Who says we're fighting"
"Come on" he rolls his eyes as he begins to type on his phone "everyone has probably noticed the silent treatment and tension from you two"
"There's no tension" I say
"Okay" he says in a mocking tone
He contorts his face in a confused manner and I guess he's currently chatting with her since he brought her up randomly but I don't ask
"I'll be back in a few minutes, don't make me look for you" he says as he puts his phone away, shooting a stern look my way
I flip my phone out of my pocket as he walks away, the sounds of jubilation from the gym can still be heard, Sheffield students have probably forgotten that they have two more rounds to actually be declared winners of basketball
I trust the team though, Bolton can't take that title- any title- this year
A text from Idara comes in, reminding me to send her a break down of the meeting we had with Miss Ummy since she wasn't able to attend .
"Poor Idara" I think to myself
Spraining her ankle was definitely not on her list of To-Dos this year- she was more excited to go on this trip more than anyone else since its our last competition in SIH
Aidan's last question before he left kind of brought up what I've been running from for days now- never thought I'd find it hard to talk to anyone- not anyone per se but you know what I mean
What has prevented me till now isn't shyness or fear, its embarrassment
Utterly embarrassed at how I completely lost my temper for the first time in a very long time, yelled at the one person I shouldn't have yelled at because I thought I didn't need pep talks and pity parties. At this point I wouldn't even blame her if she decided never to speak to me again
What broke me the most wasn't just the words that I spat out, it was the look on her face of shock laced with fear as her eyes became clouded with fresh tears when I stopped talking. I'd never seen her look that way, I caused that hurt
Then the school management
They all tried to be super encouraging and not wear their disappointments in me on their faces but I know deep down that I have fallen short of whatever expectations they had of me in the past. The principal couldn't hide her own confusion though, she summoned me as soon as she received the lists to ask why I wasn't enlisting
I tried to explain to her, I couldn't. Even I don't have an explanation to give myself. She felt- and probably prayed- that I would make some last minute change of decision to represent the school's swim team. I knew that wasn't happening
The coach was as impassive as he's always been except this time he didn't bother to concern himself with me as he knew we had no business together, he only focused on Justin who automatically became the captain and the team's lead swimmer. I didn't speak to members of the swim team, stopped attending training because I couldn't properly admit to myself that I wasn't a part of them anymore. It hurt, badly
Justin and I haven't crossed paths since the Valentine's dinner, I think he's deliberately avoided me throughout the week. He had the same thoughts as the principal, that I would make that decision to join the team last minute- I didn't
I've seen the looks some of the team boys give me, my immediate Juniors most especially. It's usually looks of many unanswered questions but at the same time fear to ask those questions.
Better for everyone like that
I heave a deep sigh, giving the hostel a visual sweep. I've never been a boarding student but I know SIH's hostel beats this.
They don't even have a reading room
Well Amanda did mention that all they did here was party, what would they need a study room for?
I find myself chuckling at the thought, a smile lingering for a while as I reminisce the memory
Maybe I miss talking to her a little- more than a little- but that should be enough reason alone to apologise and fix what I've strained
Aidan walks in, heading to his initial spot in front of me, my face immediately drops
"Just went to see Trip but I guess you don't care" he shrugs, waiting for me to ask questions
I roll my eyes at his familiar antics
"Why?" I ask
"What's your own? Can't I see my dear classmate and friend again?"
My nose scrunches up in annoyance as I regard him- he's really playing this game with me
"You know what, never mind, I'll just ask her instead" I prop myself up from the bench in a swift motion
He narrows his eyes, trying to conceal the smile making its way to his features
"Do you know where she is?" I ask him
"Can't say for sure but it looked like she went towards the academic block"
"Thanks" I mutter as I turn on my heel
"Waittt" he calls, causing me to stop mid motion and turn to face him
He takes two long strides to where I am before taking a proper look at my face
"Don't you have lip balm? See the way you're looking like a bricklayer"
My tongue automatically swipes across my lips to moisturise them- hmph they weren't even dry like that
"Fix your hair it's starting to look messy and adjust your shirt it's not tucked in properly" he reaches out to adjust my loose tie
"Guy rest uh" I swerve his hands off, he's been so extra "It's Amanda not teacher's staffroom"
I turn around and walk away from him
"Tell me how it goes" he yells "and be nice"
When am I ever not nice?
The walk towards the academic block is a painful one, the adrenaline rush is almost making me want to run to catch up with her since she walks pretty fast but that would make it look like I'm desperate, which I'm not- yet
I take long strides till I get to the academic quadrangle, craning my neck to search the perimeter. The evening isn't quite dark yet but the area is completely lit up by light bulbs and solar street lights, making it impossible for anything to hide anywhere. I don't catch a sight of her so I decide to take the stairs up, she's probably in their SS3 class with her friends from here or something
That thought alone almost makes me back out but I didn't come this far just to come this far
I take the stairs, two at a time while maintaining maximum composure at the same time, I can't be seen fretting over anything at all. I glance through all the classes as I walk down the hallway. The first SS3 class is empty asides for that Chris guy and this Kelly girl I assume to be his girlfriend having some cozy couple time, I decide not to intrude their privacy so I walk to the B class. I meet a couple of faces, some familiar and some not. Three of them smile and wave, I return the gesture as I continue to scan through the classes, same result as the rest
I walk into the empty C class, deciding to try a different method
I tap the WhatsApp icon, search her name in the bar at the top then click on her contact
Her display picture has changed from what it used to be which was a picture of 2021 Messi in his full PSG kit to a picture of prime 2012/2013 Messi in Barcelona home jersey
She knows good stuff
I send her a text
Me
Hey
We need to talk
6:47pm
Sounds entitled
Me
Please
6:50pm
I run my fingers across my face, digging through my hair and pulling on a strand. I take off the band holding my hair in my pony tail, letting them all fall on my face
I drag one wooden chair across the tiled floors to the edge of the class beside the window, not exactly knowing what I plan to wait for and how long I plan to.
The time literally crawls, I've checked my phone for every notification hoping it would be her reply to my message. She has not even received it yet- offline as usual
I lean against the wall and I'm hit by a wave of dizziness, I snap my eyes open, shaking the sleepy feeling away
I tap on my phone screen, its almost 8 o'clock and the academic block is almost completely silent. I let out a yawn as I rub my eyes, getting up from the seat without bothering to return it to its initial position
I think of giving her a call but at this point it's starting to look like I'm doing too much- I mean we haven't spoken for over a week now but I'd rather not be a nuisance all in the name of an apology
The air is colder than it was earlier, I literally feel goosebumps rise on my exposed arms- should have brought my blazer along
The sleepy feeling immediately clears off as I step down the stairs, heading away from the classrooms. The light in the male lavatory is switched on so I head there, at least to get some water splashed on my face and adjust my appearance before the study session I have with the quiz team.
A voice from inside the restroom causes my senses to heighten. The person doesn't say anything asides one or two murmured words but for me to discern whose voice it is but I know for sure what I heard wasn't masculine
I scrunch my face up in disgust at the thought of what might be going on in there, my thoughts conflicted between going in and intruding on a private moment or turning back and having to walk back upstairs to use the lavatory- i can't walk all the way they'll just have to wrap it up
I turn the door knob, pushing it open, prepared to see the worst
My thoughts pause, I feel my heart pause too
My eyes scan the scenario, trying their best to interpret this as something else but what could be another explanation for what I see?
My eyes are fixed on Edmond, his fingers are no longer struggling to get his top buttons done, Amanda's hands which were trying to straighten her skirt are frozen mid action, her eyes expanded in shock just like mine were. One look at her in the eye and the blood in my veins boiled
I swallow as my throat is completely dry, every thought of mine now completely replaced with anger
I step aside, crossing my arms and waiting for them to walk by. I can't stand making eye contact with her- no not those eyes
They step out slowly, I feel Amanda trying to meet my gaze as they go through the door
God! I don't even know why I'm angry
The thought of it makes my eyes dart in their direction one last time, meeting her gaze
My throat stings a bit so the only sound that comes out is an annoyed scoff as I walk in, slamming the door behind me
I would like to believe that the main reason I'm angry is because Edmond- who is supposed to be in a committed relationship with Espn- is busy fooling around with someone else but deep down I know it's because I really thought- and probably hoped- that she wasn't hung up on him anymore and that the whole Valentine's day fiasco had severed any form of bond they could ever have
Why do you feel so hurt though?
I don't have an answer to that question, don't even want to think about the reason I'm more concerned than I should be
How could she though? She and Espn are friends, why would she betray her that way?
Or did I read things wrong? Maybe they were in here for a very innocent reason
Even my brain mocks me at that thought
I splash some water on my face, staring at my reflection in the mirror- I can't help but channel all my anger towards Edmond
What's so great about him anyway?
His looks? He's quite good on the face but I wouldn't score him spectacular. His charisma? He lacks in every sense of the word. Because he's a star athlete? Please I've bagged way more awards than he can imagine
"What the hell does she see in him?" I growl in anger and frustration
"Does she see in who?"
The voice startles me, causing me to almost jump. Noel traipses in, clad in a black round neck and white loose shorts, looks like he's ready for the study session
"Is everyone in class already?" I ask him
"We decided to move it to the dining since it's more quiet by this time"
"Okay, I'll join you shortly"
I wash my hands for the last time, tearing a piece of tissue from the hanger on the wall before moving to step out
"Come with this mood to the meeting and everyone will know you're having girl problems" he says as he makes his way into the third stall
I storm out of the room and away from the building, heading straight for the hostel
So much for trying to apologise
I don't bother speaking to anyone, I change out of my uniforms into a pair of grey joggers and a white round neck, sticking my feet still covered by socks into a pair of black Nike slides. I don't see my books on the desk so I assume Aidan carried them already, making my weight lighter as I strut to the dining hall to meet the others
***
Espn saunters in last, as bubbly as always- waving to greet everyone and offering a few hugs before she sits down. She high-fives Aidan while leaning in to Toke, squeezing her in a forced hug. The latter rolls her eyes playfully as she pries off her friend's tight fingers from their firm grasp
My eyes are fixated on her- is she always this happy because of how unaware she is about the things really going on around her? It's almost like she feels my gaze, she meets my eyes boring deep into her, making me break the awkward stare immediately.
Even if I had all the proof in the world and what I thought wasn't based on speculation and half evidence, I would be the last person to tell Espn of her boyfriend's misdeeds. I'd rather not bother myself with other people's relationship issues because when they come back together- which they do most times- I'll be the devil who tried to separate them
My eyes travel to Aidan next
Aidan Aniye, best in two timing and double dating. Best in 'love one, deceive ten others'. If I tell him about what I saw he won't have something reasonable. It'll be something in the lines of "join the race, its who gets to the finish line first". It's a very stupid thinking by the way but I guess that's what I'm stuck with as a best friend
If I wasn't paying extra attention to detail at this particular point, I wouldn't have noticed the brief- less than 1 second- eye contact he and Idara made. My eyebrows naturally scrunch in confusion- what?
A series of unwelcome thoughts flood my senses at the same time but I quickly push them down. Even in a million years it wouldn't happen, it's probably that awkward dislike she has for him that's springing up again. Nothing could possibly go on
Like they would tell you
I shake away the thought, even if Aidan tries to go behind me, Idara can't keep anything away from me
They don't make any sort of contact whatsoever throughout the session so I assume that was just a weird moment for the two. The team separates, the debaters moving to the other extreme of the hall to practice while the remaining of us stayed for the quiz. I crane my head around for any more details-
"Erling can you please focus" Toke says, bringing me out of my reverie
"Sorry" I mutter while sitting straight on the chair
Well let's get this over with
This session is way more intense than the previous ones, no one is taking this thing as a joke, I'm glad. The euphoric feeling the session brings pushes my recently disturbing thought to the most distant part of my mind, allowing me to fully focus on what we have at hand
"If we continue at this rate we have won the entire thing" Aidan says with a large grin worn on his face
I smile at the thought
"Of course, no school stands a chance" I reply proudly
"You seem so sure like other teams aren't preparing hard too" Toke says in a mocking tune, folding her arms with a smirk on her lips
"Abi oh, they're probably saying the exact same thing " Espn laughs out loud
Her laughter is quite contagious, causing the others to join in, eliciting a roar-like sound. I don't join in the laughing and howling, once again I'm drawn to watching her keenly to see if she'll break act even for a milli second or she's genuinely always bubbly and excited all the time. This time, I tear my gaze away before she catches me
We go on, practising for hours but to be honest, to everyone here we were just having fun. We are literally a coterie of friends- mostly- who enjoy studying and academic validation. Top 6 across the classes- positions bound to constant shuffling and reshuffling
Except the first and second positions though, those one are always occupied by Toke and I. We've competed since forever- kindergarten maybe- it's either I top the class or she does. I do most times but it's usually by a slim margin, just like last year when .3 percent separated us. I guess that's what really pissed her off the most. We haven't shuffled in the last three years, 9th grade up till now. She really wanted to clutch the title last year
Fortunately for me, even though she topped in more subjects, I had a wider margin in the ones I topped
Normally you'd think that is probably the reason the both of us aren't friends but no, it's not competing that came between us
"It's 12:16 guys, I think we should be going to our hostels now, we've done enough" Idara says, walking towards us with the support of one crutch
They finished practicing for their debate since, it was we that were holding them back from going since we all have to leave together
"Yesssss I'm about to pass out" Espn drawls as she stretches and yawns
I slap my textbook shut, getting up from my seat, the others follow suit. Aidan dumps his chemistry textbook on my desk noisily
"I carried them when we were coming, you'll carry them now" he pats my shoulder then spins on his heel
"You coming?" He asks over his shoulder
"Soon, I'll meet you at the hostel"
He shrugs and continues to walk along with the rest of the team
"How is your leg now?" I ask Idara who is currently being babied by Espn who offered to carry her books
This girl is too nice for her own good
"It's terrible" she says dramatically, attempting to raise the leg up
"Do you still feel pain?"
"No not really, the nurse even said I can discard the crutches when I'm able to move my ankle properly and see" the wiggles her feet, smiling in excitement
"Okay, we'll take crutch off but we'll keep the bandages on for the mean time"
"Fine by me, anything to lose this extra leg"
She starts to walk away with the remaining girls, walking with Espn who is slowing her pace
"Goodnight" I say to everyone, each person giving their responses
"Noel" he turns his head to my call, waiting for me to talk
"Do you need something?" He asks, turning fully to face me
"My sister says you give great advice so I want your opinion on something"
He leans against one of the tables, folding his arms in front of him
"I'm listening"
"Uh- so- if you saw something uh- weird" I pause, this is gonna be hard "if you think you saw something terribly wrong, between two people who shouldn't be doing those wrong things, would you confront them or tell the parties going to be affected by this act?"
I take a deep breath, that was the best I could do without letting on what exactly I was talking about
"So you didn't see what happened?" He asks after a moment of silence
"No"
"But you have assumed what you think happened" he looks straight at me for my reply
I nod
"It's not a baseless assumption though, it's just common sense" I add
"But you didn't see what happened?" He repeats
I blink severally
Is this boy messing with me?
"Involving whatever-" he air quotes "-affected parties you speak about may be unnecessary as you aren't completely sure of what happened"
"I am" I say with a straight face
"You aren't" he shakes his head disapprovingly with a sigh
"Confrontation is only wise if these people in question actually fuck with you, you feel me?" He raises an eyebrow, waiting for my response
I nod my head slowly, my mind processing numerous thoughts at the same time
While almost every inch of me knows I'm right and this isn't just a speculation, a fragment of my mind still wants to hope I interpreted wrong and it was just a misconception
I don't trust Edmond, in fact I know he doesn't have his eyes completely on Espn but I think I want to trust Amanda a little and believe she wouldn't do that- especially not to Espn
"You know what?" I say, interrupting Noel mid sentence of whatever he was saying "thanks man, you really do give the best advice"
I tap his shoulder slightly, offering him a feigned tight smile as I turn to walk away from the hall
True or not, I'll find out in the space of these few days we have here
***
AMANDA'S POV
(Amanda Aderinsola Akinde)
It's minutes into midnight and I've not been able to sleep a wink, I've been tossing and turning on this uncomfortable bed for hours since I came in. Maybe it's the nostalgia of competing tomorrow or maybe it's the series of events that went on today
My mind is going overdrive- which I absolutely do not need right now- with thoughts that shouldn't be this disturbing. Eddy's emotionally scarred face made my stomach twist in knots each time I thought about it. This was the second time I caught him bleeding from a wound, now I know his excuse the first time was a lie. Those injuries weren't from a 'fall' like he said last time, at least this time he didn't lie to my face
His body completely bruised and battered that way is just concrete evidence that he's being abused physically. That explains his sour mood since Sunday
Who could do that to him though
My heart thumps in my chest as my mind closes in on the possibilities- it's definitely someone in his house- his parents?
Oh no
It could be someone else, maybe his parents aren't even aware of what's going on with him. Are people bullying him somewhere?
I know whoever this 'bullies' are, they can't be students of Sheffield- no one would dare
Maybe he's in a gang or something
My head pounds from the thoughts flooding in, this isn't good for tomorrow
I glance around the room, it's just me and my third roommate who is fast asleep. Muna and Toke are out with their different teams having prep sessions for the quiz and debate competition
My mind darts to a specific member of the quiz team and I immediately feel the need to quench those thoughts, I have enough on my mind already and I don't need thoughts of an aggravating folk to occupy the remaining space left
I hear the door knob twist so I turn to face the wall, covering myself up to my shoulders with the blanket, I'm not in the mood for any midnight discussions, especially if it's Muna
Toke comes in, I don't see her but somehow I know the sound and frequency of her steps. Light, well calculated and never rushed steps
She walks over to my side of the room, the edge of my bed specifically so I squeeze my eyes shut. She lets out a sigh- probably when she sees my eyes aren't open- and proceeds to her own corner of the room. I really need to sleep but at the same time curiousity kills me, causing me to spring up and watch her back for a moment
"Oh you're back" I say as if just noticing her entry
She appears startled for a moment but I notice the obvious look of relief on her face
"Is there something you needed?" I ask, wondering what might be making her look all worked up
"Uh- my eyes" she says, pointing to them briefly
I squint, unable to see what she's talking about in the partially lit room
She walks over to my bed and that is when I notice her red, swelling eyes
"Oh my God" I exclaim, placing my palm over my mouth
"You need to take them off" I order, referring to the Amber lenses she has had on for three days without taking them off
"I know, I wanted to earlier but there's literally no privacy here"
"Privacy?" I yell "You're risking getting blind and all you can think of is privacy?"
"Shhh" she shushes me a bit then sighs "can you at least help me take them off? I've trimmed my nails so I can't remove them myself"
My jaw hangs open for a second then I catch myself
"Yeah sure" I say as I look at the few centimetres of fingernails I have
I have never touched contacts before
She sits on the bed beside me while I kneel so I can properly see what I'm dealing with. I pinch my index and thumb slightly, moving closer to the lens
Voices approaching cause her to immediately turn her head towards the door, aware someone is going to barge in in a few seconds
"Let's go to the bathroom" I say, noting her discomfort of doing this with others present
"That'll be a better idea"
She grabs her lens care solution and her phone, springing off the bed the same time as me
"What if we meet others on the way?" She hesitates in her steps
"I'm not following?" My confusion is spelt out on my face- meet others that what
"The bathroom is a long walk from here and I don't think I want people-
"I have shades" I grab my sunshades off the wooden reading desk and wiggle them in front of her
Her expression is of shock but at the same time a small smile makes its was to her features as she nods, Muna enters as if on cue
"Hi guys" she says gleefully
"Hiiii" we both say as I grab Toke by the hand and we speed walk out of the room
We enter the bathroom and luckily for us it is completely empty, she shuts the door behind us and twists the lock. Considering the difference in heights, we decide its a great idea for me to sit on the counter while she stands, that way I was at a better angle to see into her eyes
In less than five minutes I had succeeded in removing both lenses and they are being rinsed by the cleansing solution
"Finally, my eyes can breathe" she says while splashing some water on them, letting a deep breath of satisfaction out
I look at her eyes through the mirror, they are literally a very pale grey, almost white. Like an eye colour you only see in supernatural movies but this belongs to someone I know, standing right in front of me
"How bad is your eye sight without any extra lenses?"
She pauses for a while before replying
"I see colours but everything is literally a blur, you could lead me to slaughter and I wouldn't even know till I feel the knife on my neck" she says with a straight face, using her hand to search for the plastic container on the counter
I nod slowly, processing her information before jumping down to the tiled floors
"Shall we?" I ask her, grabbing a hold of her arm
"Shades?" She asks and I hand them over to her
"Shades in the night is definitely something to talk about" I say with a chuckle, opening the door to the bathroom with one hand as she is latched on to the other
We walk slowly down the hallway, pass a few people on the way muttering our hello's and hi's
"How's it going in there" I whisper
"Can't see a thing" she says in a low tone
"Almost there don't worry" i reassure her
We continue to walk slowly till a girl I recognize from Savannah high stops to greet us
"Hi- uh Toke?" She asks, directed at me
"She's toke" I say pointing at Toke "I'm trip"
"Oh great to meet you officially, I'm Ivy" she smiles wide, showcasing her pearly whites
I can't help but smile too, except mine is a rather impatient 'please stop talking' smile
"Is she sensitive to light?" She asks, referring to the Shades Toke has on
"Uh- no" Toke responds sharply "it's for my steeze"
Ivy and I look at her with similar looks of astonishment- which she can't see anyway- while she nods her head rhythmically, maintaining composure. Ivy giggles, finding her response very funny
"Nice to meet you once again" she extends her hand for me to shake which I do, she repeats the same gesture to Toke who is oblivious
"She's extending her hand" I say through gritted teeth
Toke extends hers too, swiping around for a bit before she finally makes contact with flesh and gives it a firm grip
"Nice to meet you too" She responds with a smile as Ivy walks off leaving the both of us in the middle of the hallway
We look at each other and burst out in giggles at the same time, laughing at whatever we just did
"That was crazy" she says in the middle of laughter
"You literally shook the air" I reply as we continue walking, stumbling a bit while laughing causing us to laugh more
My grin is extra wide, stretching from one ear to the other because for how many weeks now Toke hasn't as much as grinned but right now we're giggling messes as we approach our room
"That was something" she says as I push the door open, guiding her in
"You bet it was" I switch the lights on to see Muna has left the room again so we were the only two awake in the room
"Great it's just us two, now you can wear your glasses to see around before you settle to sleep"
She nods, digging into her hand luggage to bring out her glasses from their case, replacing the sun shades on her face with them
"Better, no longer blind" she says in a playful tone, the dimple on her cheek deepened as she smiles and starts to put her things in place
"Great, now rest those eyes, you'll need them tomorrow" I say, covering myself up with the blanket, this time ready to sleep
"Goodnight" she turns the light off
"Goodnight" I reply, drifting to my world of dreams
***
Shocked by the abrupt end of chapter? Don't worry this is part A ð I already wrote the entire chapter as one long ass chapter with almost 10k words
Move on to part B now it's a double updateðð ikr?