New flame

Chapter 34

"Who calls on Monday morning?" I say to no one in particular, the moment my phone begins to buzz. I don't have time to pick it up or even check who it is.

I am already late for my morning class and here I am in front of my full-length standing mirror, tieing my Windsor knot, being dressed in a navy suit.

After that, I hurry to put on the jacket and reach for my pair of white sneakers. I do prefer a suit with sneakers to loafers, oxford, or any type of shoes.

I spray on my cologne and catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror before grabbing my laptop bag, key fob, and phone and I finally make my way out of the room.

Dashing downstairs, my phone buzzes again and I check to see that mom is the one calling. I do not think twice to pick it up this time.

"Mom, I hope everything is okay for you to call me this time of the day and week,"

"What do you expect?" She retorts. "You barely return my call and messages,"

"You should know I'm busy these days," I try to defend. I'm now in the living room, walking my way to the front door.

"Oh! Busy with a house chef,"

I scoff in surprise as I heard that from her.

"How did you know that?"

"Everyone knows about it in that mansion," She answers and I roll my eyes.

I'm sure Olivia told her about Karen and me. How would she feel if I told mom about her and Jeff? It would just be immature for me to do that.

"About what mom? There is nothing between us," I say and she chuckles a little.

"Well, I will be happy if there is something..." She is saying and I quickly cut in.

"Well, I'm late for class," I retort. "I will have to call you back,"

"You have to make a promise because you never stick to your word of calling me back,"

"Of course, I promise this time,"

"Okay then, talk to you later," She replies and hangs up while I let out a deep sigh of relief.

I raced down to my department some minutes after and I hop out of the car, swiftly to meet up with the lectures. Unsurprisingly, the class has started by the time I got to the lecture room.

Professor Awe keeps silent the moment I walk into the room, I can see everyone with his or her PC on the desk in front of them. I have nothing to be scared of since she is one of the nicest lecturers I have ever known.

"Sorry to interrupt the class," I apologize as every eye on me. "It won't repeat itself," I add and slip my eyes to the professor which meets her gaze.

"Have you ever come early to my class before me this semester?" She inquires, frowning her face at me. I nod slowly, gesturing no, and the rest of the class burst out laughing.

"And he has never sat in the front during your class ma'am," Tolu, our assistant course rep adds, and the rest couldn't stop laughing.

I roll my eyes as I have nothing to say to that. I have always liked the back seat in the class, right from a young age.

"This should be the last time you come late to my class," Professor Awe warns.

"Sure," I assured with a smile, knowing the semester is almost over and I will be free.

I start to make my way to sit at the back.

"He can't even prove the assistant course rep wrong by sitting in the front for once at least," Professor teases, and they all laugh again.

I try to ignore them and still take a seat at the back. I shake hands with John who is beside me.

"Can we continue after Michael's disruption?" She lets out and the rest of the class chorused yes.

"It seems this woman likes you," John says quietly to me as I am unzipping my bag to bring out my PC.

"Obviously," I say, not looking at him as I gently place my laptop on the table.

"I mean more than like," He whispers and this makes me stare at him. "For her to be nice to you, probably she wants to fuck you one day," He adds and I scoff.

"You dey craze," I say in pidgin, meaning he is crazy. He chuckles while I focus back on turning on my Laptop.

I look thoroughly to find Scott but I can't see him. He does sit in front and that is the reason you won't see us together when the lecture is going on in class.

"Have you seen Scott today?" I whisper to John and he nods no. This makes me look worried.

It is hardly rare to see Scott skipping class, especially in a compulsory course like this.

I spent all my time with Karen yesterday, cooking some sorts of meals that I didn't bother to go to his hostel to study as we normally do on Sundays since we are done with tests.

We chatted last night, and he even reminded me of today's classes but now he is the one skipping class.

While the lecture is going on, I keep calling him and texting him but he never picks up or replies to my text. 

I call again and shows he has switched off his phone.

I know something is wrong and if not I came late to this class, I would have walked out of the class to check out on him in his hostel. I try hard to wait till the class ended even though I do not concentrate, I am only thinking about Scott.

As soon as Professor Awe walks out of the class, I pack my stuff and get up to leave while an indistinct conversation begins among us.

Something else comes to my mind the moment I lay my eyes on Becky who is chatting with our colleagues. Becky likewise Scott is also one of our scholars who currently has a GPA of 4.0.

She and Scott are somehow close in terms of studies, birds of the same feathers flock together as they say.

Besides that, both Scott and I know Becky likes him more than a friend but my buddy would always complain to me that he would never date a girl taller than him while I would laugh my ass off, hoping that one day he knows that love does not care.

Love doesn't care about age, height, who you are, or where you are from.

"Hey," I interrupt their conversation.

"Hey," Becky replies with a smile. She is a fair lady who is just a bit taller than Scott.

This is what I do tell my friend that Becky is just a bit taller than him but he would question me about her wearing heels and she will be taller.

"Have you seen Scott?" I inquire and she furrows her eyebrows in confusion. I have no idea what gesture she is making.

"You don't know he is not feeling well?" She throws back a question at me. Now, it's my time to raise my eyebrows in confusion. I nod no.

"Excuse me guys," Becky says to our colleagues and she starts walking me out of the lecture room.

Scott looked well to me the last time I saw him after our test on Saturday.

"I have no idea," I say, worrying.

"He is diagnosed with typhoid fever and they have to admit him on Saturday evening,"

"What!" I exclaim in shock. "So it's that serious and he can't even inform me, we still chatted last night,"

"He is the only one to answer that," She replies and I try to calm myself from being furious about him hiding it from me.

"Is he admitted to the UCH?" I inquire and she nods yes.

"I was willing to check on him after this class, we should go together," She suggests.

"Sure," I agree.

"Let me go and get my backpack," She says. I nod okay while she starts leaving.