A LOT LIKE FATE

CHAPTER 5: BAD HABITS

Two weeks after moving in to his new hostel, Daniel has come to enjoy the solitude of living alone.

He kept his movement restricted to going to lectures and coming back home. He has a course mate he calls for information only.

After his encounter with the girls next door, he almost never met them again. Not that he was complaining, he loved that they didn't see each other much.

Nafisat calls out his name sometimes when she walks by and he answers when he feels like but he never makes an attempt to open the door to greet her. He catches a glimpse of Mirabel from time to time when he is about to go out and come in, it's almost like she was avoiding him just as much as he was.

"How is school? Did you make any friends?"

"Yeah a few." He lied to his mother. She calls every other day to encourage him to have friends

"That's good. What is their name" He could imagine her smiling to her self

"Timothy and Akeem." Lying was better than explaining he does not need friends

"Thank God. Are they your course mate?"

"Yes."

"So what happened in school today?"

"Mom, you asked me this question a minute before. Like you did yesterday and the day before." He felt like she was having pity on him and he hated it. He wasn't complaining about his life

"Fine, I will not disturb you again. Do what you want"

"Thank you." He knew she was still going to ask him the same thing when she called next. But she won't call for a while now

"I just don't want you to lock yourself in your room like you did back here" she sounded sad

"Ok mom. I've heard you. I'm even going out today with timothy, I just didn't want to tell you till later."

"Good. That's what I'm talking about, go out, talk to people."

"I will."

When she hung up a few questions after, he continued his assignment that was not due for another one month. He heard someone talking on the phone outside, he listen as the voice got louder and clearer and then stopped.

"Daniel" It was Nafisat

"Hey, good evening." He said, not standing up from where he was sitting

"Good evening, how was lectures?"

"Nice, yours?" He said trying to sound interested

"Very fun. If you are free later, can you come over? A friend of mine is having a birthday party in my room"

"Ohhh. I'm sorry, I can't make it. I have plans this evening"

"Ok but if you come back early, you are invited"

"Sure, thank you"

"Okay, have fun"

"You too." He wished she was more like her roommate, minding her business

"Ok later."

"Later."

He listen till she closed her door
He made a mental note to fake his going out later. It involves opening his door, jiggling his key, closing his door loudly and jiggling his keys again. He had done it before and it works all the time.

Thirty minutes after his conversation with Nafisat, Daniel faked his escape and laid down on his bed to remain quiet till after the birthday party.

After staying next door from them, he knew they can be very noisy whenever their friends visit which they do almost every day.

Remembering what happened a few days back when they had two friends over, he knew because the walls were thin and they shout a lot. Nafisat called out his name but he pretended to no be at home by not answering her.

After about two hours, the girls started shouting. They didn't stop. He heard them open their door to go out but they stopped in front of his door and knocked.

"Daniel" he could hear them giggling to each other. A voice he didn't know shouted

"I told you he is not at home" Nafisat said laughing

"Daniel, we want to see you" another person shout. With grow an outburst of laughter

"I swear you guys are crazy". A familiar voice said laughing. Maybe Mirabel, he thought

"We just want to see your face" Nafisat shouted and laughed. They sounded drunk

He listened to them for about two minutes before someone else came out his room and asked them to keep quiet.

They shouted back at him before they returned to their room giggling like kid.

"Definitely drunk" He said under his breath after they had left

Nafisat has been inviting him over but he always rejected her offer. He thought with time she will stop but after two weeks, she has shown no sign of stopping. And he knew one of this days, he would have to go over just once.

He was thinking about how today being a birthday party would be an excellent time to and greet them. Stay for a few minutes and come back to his room.

"No, I'm not at home" he said to himself and immediately they was an outburst of music from their room.

The party has started
He closed his eyes and try to sleep

"I'm not at home, I went out" he reassured himself.

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Next chapter in a few.....