All At Once

Mr. nonchalant

Few days after the Noah breakdown, the unexpected happened
Grey was back, who is Grey? Grey was my first after highschool sweetheart, we met online and unfortunately we've never met in reality, he's currently in Rwanda. Two years ago, in October 2022, we met, and we started dating, online of course, but things didn't work out properly and we stopped talking in January 2023, it did hurt, but I wasn't too attached since we've never even met, so everyone moved on like nothing happened.
This is June 2024, I'm in my room, staring at this text from Grey, speechless, shocked. I once heard once you have a glow up, everyone that fumbled you comes back, how true is that anyways? Of course I did have a major glow up, my IG went from nerd to baddie once I met Trevor so what can I say? I never blocked Grey, we still followed each other everywhere, so yes, he did see. Grey is an influencer/content creator, with thousands of followers, he was low-key popular when he was here in port Harcourt, so well, we were opposites.
"Hey Belle, it's Grey" Time stopped moving as I saw those words from a foreign number. I had to sit,
"Grey? Oh my God" I managed to text back.
"Can I call you?" He asked, I smiled, he called. We spoke for a while and caught up. Then we continued texting.
"It wasn't easy getting over you, I was on your IG everyday, staring, at you" He said. "I know you might have a man now, I'll wait for you"
I honestly didn't know what to say, wait for me? What did he mean by that? Suddenly the almighty Grey misses me and wants to wait for me, how delightful!
I did miss him too, to be frank, but that was 2023 Belle, things have changed, I can't even remember when last I thought of him, but oh well, keeping him as a friend wouldn't hurt.
"When will you be back to the city?" I asked him.
"Probably November, once school here closes, I'd be home" he said "would you like to pick me up from the airport and show me around, as friends?"
I laughed "sure". The conversation ended on a happy note, and yes, something inside me still wanted to see what he looked like in reality. Yes I knew he was very tall, like 6 feet above but I wanted to see, so sure.

**************************

Wednesday June 19th

"Omo let this people be done with this doctor come and see us na, we have test by 2 and it's 1:40" that was me, David and Prisca standing in the school hospital, trying to round up our freshers medicals once and for all. The medicals started since May, the beginning of second semester but our trio finally remembered to do it now.
"Which test do we have again sef?" I asked.
"It's maths" Prisca said.
Prisca and David were like peanut butter and bread, I was like the odd one out, you know that saying 'in every trio there's a duo', they were the duo, they didn't even have to say it, it was quite very obvious. I only hung out with them that day cause apparently, I was alone and lonely.
"I'm tired of waiting here, Prisca come first let me show you something, Belle we'll be right back" David said pulling Prisca and they left. You see what I was saying? What did he want to show her that he couldn't show me? Fucking David!
I sat there waiting and wondering, hoping to be done with the whole process that day. I couldn't beat loneliness, of course it followed me there, I was technically alone. Not until I saw the class jock, Frank.
Frank was hot, he wasn't handsome but one of all those guys that you'd find weirdly attractive. He was known for not saying more than 10 words per day. Girls found him attractive, he had tattoos all over his sleeves, up to his neck, he drives, he throws money around so why not? And to be honest, I did find him attractive once in first semester.
The only encounter I can remember having with Frank was one time in March, I and Oroma were sitting on a long bench under the tree waiting for the next class, when him and his friends came to sit around too (he never walks alone). That day I had this fake tattoo sticker on my neck I bought from my friend that sells in class, and he noticed it.
"Hey" he called out. I and Oroma acted like we didn't hear him. "Hey, you, girl in blue dress" which was me apparently. I turned.
"Oh hi" I said quickly.
"Cool tats" he said smiling "when did you get them?"
"Oh these?" I asked touching my neck "these are just temporary tattoos, not real"
"For real?" He asked, him and his 2 friends got up and walked closer to us. He touched my neck.
"Woah, that's cool" he said again, I smiled "I'm Frank"
"Belle" I replied
"Are you guys twins or sisters?" Efe, one of Oscars friends asked. I and Oroma get that a lot, people say we look alike, though we obviously have a lot of differences, so we decided to play along all the time.
"Yes, we're sisters" Oroma replied.
"You should get a real tattoo tho, it'd suit you" Frank said to me and left with his friends. We laughed as they walked away.
Speaking of Oroma, we didn't speak all through out May, I wasn't avoiding her, I just felt a need to isolate and rebrand. Of course she told a few people that I didn't want to be her friend anymore, but honestly I just really wanted to be alone and sink in my loneliness for a while, I don't know if it was a part of the whole Noah depression phrase. We've sorted things out now tho, at least now she understands I need my me time every now and then.
"Hey" the voice snapped me out of my thoughts, it was Frank sitting next to me.
"Hi" I said.
"Belle right? I'm sorry I used to mistake your sister a lot for you" he laughed clumsily.
"Actually she's not my sister" I laughed "we were just messing with you guys that day. We're just good friends"
"Crazy. But you two really do look alike. The other day I saw her, and I thought she was you, I then looked closer and realized you're fair, she's darker, that was how I could differentiate" He said. Why was he talking to me? And does he always talk this much? Yuck.
"Oh woah that's cool" I laughed dryly. He didn't know what to say again so we sat silently for a few minutes until he broke the silence.
"Don't you think we'd be late for the test?" He asked.
"Oh my, it's 2 already" I panicked.
"Don't worry I just texted one of my guys now and he said they haven't started, let's just wait for 15 minutes and if no one attends to us then we can leave" he said.
Excuse me, we? Who the fuck do you think you are Frank, my knight in shining armor? Lol
"Okay" I replied. After much awkward minutes, he broke the silence, again.
"You know, I've been looking for you ever since that day"
"Me? Why?" I asked.
"To get your number" he said stretching his phone towards me, I didn't take it. "come on, pleaseeee" he begged. I took his phone and put in my number. I wondered where Prisca and David were, yep, they had ditched me.
"We should talk later, I really like you" he said.
"Already? You don't even know me" I replied looking at him.
"Yes I do, you might not know it, but I spent my first semester watching you, trying to get to know who you are, and yes, you suit me, I like you" he said. It going to give Mafia boss and princess type of love story.
"Okay" I managed to say.
After few minutes, he got up
"I think we should go, test is about to start" he said.
"Thanks for the information" I said walking out of the hospital and walking to class. He ran after me.
"Wait I can drive you, I brought my car"
"No it's fine actually, I can walk"
"Come on, don't be a loser, hop in" he insisted. I sighed. This was the popular Mr nonchalant acting all lovey dovey around me.
We got to our department soon and I got down, many of our coursemates were outside and they all stared at me as I got down from the almighty Franks car. Can y'all take a chill pill please, it was nothing!!!!
"Miss Belle" the course rep called out my name "I can see your doings oh". What doings? I rolled my eyes and ignored him, nosey people everywhere.

It was an open book test, you could use your textbooks but no phones allowed. The test went well and soon it was over. I walked out of the building, a little part of me hoping to see Frank but no, he was gone. I got a text that moment, from him.
"Had to leave, didn't write the test, I'd sort it out later with the course rep, I'll call you later"
I didn't reply, I just saved the number. I wish I hadn't that day, I didn't know what was coming.