chapter thirteen

"So are you going with Stewart?", Keisty asked when we had seated in the car. I  tried to get a slight glimpse of her face but she was looking out the window.

"Um, l don't know Keisty, l think l should think about it", l replied in a sombre tone.

"Don't hold yourself back because of me, if you like him it's fine", she said in a very flat voice. I couldn't tell if she was happy about it or not.

"It's not that Keisty, l don't know. I don't feel like l want to", my voice came wavering at the end. I could feel the same emotions that l had tried to bury start to surface again.

Keisty turned from the window and looked at me. "Arielle, how can it be so confusing. You literally cried when he promposed to you. I could tell from..."

"It's not that Keisty, l didn't know what to feel at the time. I got a jumble of emotions and ended up crying", l paused for a little sniff, " l don't want him to think of me in that way ".

Keisty looked dump found for a while. Her eyes were scanning my face as though l was an alien. She then leaned forward towards the dashboard and drew out a soft wiper then handed it to me.

There was a moment of silence. She gave out a very low sigh which sounded like a sigh of relief that wasn't intended for me to hear .

"Fasten your seatbelt", she ordered me. "I can't go with you straight home. If mom sees you like this, she might think that l have been pinching you all the way home".

A smile and a low snicker forced itself to my lips despite my low mood. I tried to get back my pouty face because l wasn't in the mood for jokes.

Keisty noticed and started laughing. I frowned at her, she couldn't be seriously laughing at me right now. "Keisty l don't see anything funny", l murmured crossing my arms.

"I'm sorry, you know, l think for a wife you might make a good one because you are easy to please", she said when she had stopped laughing.

I tried to not think of her statement in a perverted way. We made our way out of the school premises into the highway.

Keisty stopped in front of an ice cream inn. She switched off the engine then looked at me. "You know what, let's get some ice cream, helps lighten up a bad mood day"

I felt my depression being lifted up and joy started replacing it. We often have ice cream for desert but when someone buys you one to make you happy, it becomes special, more than just the cool delicious taste but also the warmth that swells in your heart.

The inn was bright lit with white vivid lights on the ceiling although the sun hadn't set yet. There were small round tables and chairs, almost like a little restaurant. The air was cool and refreshing. Large LED screens were giving animated adverts of the flavors, all at once ice cream was the only thing l wanted now.

"What's your favorite flavor?", Keisty asked as we leaned against the counter side by side. How sweet.

"Mmm", l looked at the different cream flavors being blended in glass tubes. "Vanilla strawberry but could l also get a chocolate coating".

"Sure!", the guy who was serving shouted from the cream blending machine.

I turned to Keisty, "what's your favorite?"

"Vanilla caramel sprinkled with crushed nuts", she then turned to look at me. "But today l want to try the one you love ." She turned to the guy who was serving us and shouted, "make it the the mega cup and scoops for two!"

I looked at Keisty, it was like hadn't known her before. She was showing off a sweet side of her that l didn't know she had. She noticed me then turned to face me but l quickly looked away.

The ice cream guy handed Keisty the delicious looking ice cream with its spiral shape on top. He handed me two soft printed tissue papers with our scoops wrapped in the middle. He winked at us before turning away. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

Keisty suggested that we should eat on our way so that we won't be late. We set in the car and Keisty placed the bowl on a cupholder in the center. I gave her her scoop and tissue but she surprised me when she took mine too.

She leaned to me then tucked one end of the tissue in my collar making a bib out of it.

"Ow Keisty l'm not a baby", l half complained but amused.

"No, this is how I can express my care to you ", she said straightening the folds.

"Thank you, for everything Keisty. The care and buying the ice cream, it's so sweet of you", l said with my most heartfelt gratitude.

"How to always cheer up a sad girl, get her some ice cream. It always does the trick". She said it like she was giving a lecture about girls.

"Keisty you are sounding like a player now", l teased.

"No sane person would play on you though. As for me, on you l have declared the queen of hearts".

"Keisty!", l gasped completely overtaken by her shift in personality.

Keisty chuckled as she ignited the engine. We were soon back in the highway heading home scooping from the same bowl. Keisty was using one hand to stir the car whilst her other was busy going from the bowl to her mouth.

"Keisty, is it safe for you to eat and drive. Won't it devide your attention", l asked concerned.

"Well, they never said don't eat and drive, they said don't drink and drive", she paused," Unless.."

I started to sense a bit of mischief in her voice which made me curious.

"Unless what?", l asked.

"You want to feed me whilst l drive. That way l will keep both hands on the steering", she said with a sly smile.

"Unbelievable, Keisty where did all the charm come from? Now l can see you are a potential player".

We both laughed.

I was in my room putting on night clothes. A knock sounded from my door and l went to open it. Deborah was standing a safe distance from my door as always.

"Miss, could l please have your uniform"

"Sure", l said then reluctantly went to grab my uniform which was still on the bed and handed her.

I sat in my room replaying the day's events in my mind. After a while Deborah came back informing us that supper was ready. I went to the table and was the first one to arrive. I sat on my chair as always next to Keisty's. Soon enough, Auntie Yolei and Deborah and Keisty joined the table.

It was a light moment of talking and laughter especially when you would have missed each other for the whole day. Auntie would tell us of the funny things that happened at work. We told her of the Miss Aquila nominations and the coming promenade.

"Oh Arielle, before I forget", Deborah said extending her hand towards me on the table. "I found these whilst I was cleaning your uniform".

My heart lapsed as though it wanted to come out of my mouth. I looked at her hand holding the little scrunched papers then looked at her face trying to convey a message have you read it?

"Ah, thanks", l said nervously reaching my hand for the small papers.

"What's on them sweetie?", auntie Yolei asked noticing my reaction.

"Nothing special, it's almost kind of silly", l lied.

Deborah was about to drop the papers into my hand but Keisty playfully pushed my hand aside. The little balls of paper rolled on the table. I quickly moved my hand to grab the papers but Keisty beat me to it. She grabbed the papers then hid her hand behind her, laughing all the while.

"Keisty", l whined trying to get back my papers from behind her.

"Are these note from your lover or your crush or maybe vice versa", she teased.

"Girls stop that, no games on the table", auntie Yolei said in a scolding tone.

I withdrew from Keisty not wanting to cause too much suspicion. She took the chance to unwrap the papers and started to read them loud.

"Please save my contact and just send me a text ! Oh this guy looks desperate wait but this looks like a lady's handwriting", both Deborah and auntie Yolei laughed.

She took another paper and unwrapped it. My face turned white with horror. I knew what was coming next could never be good.

"Auditorium after school, don't let anyone know it or else you will regret it, ha what?"

although I was now staring down the table, l could feel everyone's stare heavy on me. A deafening silence settled around the table for a moment. I wished l could just sink to the ground.

"Arielle baby, look at me", auntie Yolei coaxed me with the sweetest voice l had ever heard. I looked up at her. She locked her blue eyes in mine. Her gaze was so stead and deep but piercing, l could not look away. When she started speaking, l felt like I was being hypnotized.

"Sweetie, is there something you had forgotten to tell us?", she asked. I opened my mouth to say something but l couldn't. My lips only quivered with nothing coming out.

"What's wrong honey?, is there someone bothering you at school", she said placing her forearms beside her plate on the table and leaning forward a bit but without taking away her eyes from mine. "Are you afraid, did the person threaten you not to tell anyone?"

The silence became uncomfortable. I hadn't seen Keisty's face but I could sense she was more shocked than worried. Deborah's palms were lightly pressed over her chest, a worried look spread all over her face.

"Arielle dear, we will have to converse for this to work, you can just nod or shake your head and l will know the answer", auntie Yolei until now have l noticed how patient she is maybe it's because of working with so many patients.

"Did you go to the auditorium?", l nodded. "Did you meet the person?", l nodded again. "Were they many of them?", l shook my head. I saw her face loosen a bit with relief. "Do you remember the face?", l shook my head. "So the face was disguised ", l nodded. "Did the person force him or herself on you?", l nodded.

A gasp came from Deborah but she quickly clasped her mouth with her hands. I felt Keisty fidget in her seat. Auntie Yolei remained composed although l could see tiny red veins forming in her eyes with rage.

"Do you want us to talk about it somewhere?", she asked me noticing the tension in the room. I knew 'somewhere' was none other place but her bedroom which l did not want to go to because she would flood me with many questions in private. Even worse, l thought of the possibility that she might want to scrutinize me to see if l am still intact. So I finally decided to use my voice.

"Um, no. Nothing serious happened to me, l promise. I was just pushed down and straddled upon but nothing happened because that's when Keisty and Stewart came in. The person then  disappeared and l didn't see of the person anymore" , l said now in desperation to make myself clear.

A loud bang on the table caused me to turn my head. Keisty stood up in fury and charged towards me. I wanted to run away but like wind she was already before me. She gripped me by the collar of my nightgown and yanked me over the dinner table with so much force that my head swam in dizziness for a second. The plates made a clattering noise in response to the jerk.

Auntie Yolei and Deborah briskly stood from their seats and ran to my rescue at the same time. I just looked at Keisty whose eyes were red and tears rolling from them down her cheeks. She was gritting her teeth and her hands were still gripping my collar with so much firmness that her knuckles were white.

"Arielle!, that was what l was asking you but you refused to tell me. The one favor l ever asked from you was not to keep things to yourself, but look what you are doing to me", the more she was shouting at me, the more she was leaning towards me causing me to lean down to the table. Her salty tears started falling on my face. "Why do you do this to me, will you be satisfied to see my heart ripped out". She then slackened her hands off my collar, they were now shaking.

Auntie Yolei and Deborah came and gently tried to pull her back but she hed nuzzled her head on my chest and was now crying. It made me break into tears too but l didn't cry out loud.

I set up on the table and hugged Keisty's head to my chest. She melted into me like she had no more strength left in her bones. I felt her whole body begin to shake.

"Keisty l'm so sorry, l didn't mean to hide it from you", l said stroking her hair.

"Lier, where you ever going to tell me if it hadn't come to this?", she muffled between my chest.

"I could have eventually", l tried not to lie.

"Arielle, yesterday in the garden you promised to be open to me",

"Yes but that was just yesterday night", l tried to reason. "Keisty please forgive me and trust me to turn over a new leaf. I promise that it will not happen again."

My pleading words seemed to have got to her because all her shaking stopped. She rose from my chest and looked at me.

"Promise?"

"Promise"

She stepped away, that's when l noticed how weirdly we were positioned. She had been between my legs all the while.

I looked as Keisty murmured a good night to auntie and Deborah then left the room. We were just left looking at each other. After a moment l also murmured a good night and went to bed.