If Only

Chapter One

"CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!"
The words of a group of strangers cheered me on. Wheezing, I picked up the beer-filled large glass mug before me, my fifth one. With a mighty cry I smashed my lips against the cup, downing it's contents as fast as I could. The crowd chanted louder, and I swallowed faster. Finally, I finished and put the mug on the rickety wooden table before me with a bang. In seconds, I found myself above the ground, swept up in a frenzy by the wild youths around me. I yelled out with glee, cut short by a loud burp and a cough. I felt victorious; the only female at the party who could win the drinking challenge. I was dropped to the ground suddenly by the crowd and with a laugh I-

"Ade!" a voice yelled over loud music. Startled, I turned to face my friend Angie. "Now is not the time to zone-out. We need to find Emma before this party virtually swallows her up". With that, she yanked me off my seat, walking away from the corner we were seated. I sighed to myself, wishing she had let me complete my mental version of the event we were at.

We were at the annual estate Christmas party, our first time actually. Hosted by the son of one of the richest women in the neighborhood, it was packed with teens in various stages of drunkenness and...em... nakedness.

It was an outdoor party that had started around ten pm, and as we passed we watched youths dive into the pool, clothes and all. Parties like this are common in Nigeria, especially in areas like ours.

We eventually found Emma, who I must say smelt like a drunk dog. She smiled lopsidedly, offered us seats and ordered our drinks; Orijin for Anjie, who had never had alcohol before and thought the best time to experiment was at a party full of horny teenagers, and a Fanta for me, now saddled with the responsibility of her babysitter. As we sipped our drinks, I noticed a handsome boy staring in our direction, gloved hands crossed in front of him and hair shaved stylishly. Discreetly, I adjusted my red and black, body-hugging dress that stopped around my thighs. Raising my chin a bit more, I narrowed my eyes a little, giving the effect of cat-like eyes and crossed my panty-hose and black flats clad legs. Showtime.

I'll just say my efforts were in vain; he had eyes only for Angie. I turned my head away from them, hiding my embarrassment and thanking my stars my dark complexion prevented me from blushing. He eventually turned to me and said hi, but I gave him a dirty look and said, "Sure, because I just sat down or just became legally noticeable." He laughed and apologized, eventually trapping me in an interesting and forgiveness-inducing conversation.

As we talked a group of boys walked towards us and sat a little away from us. They were with the first boy, whose name I'd learned was Joseph. It was obvious though, that Angie had caught that fish...

To be honest, I came to the party for mainly one reason; to get a new "handbag". That's another term for boyfriend.

Hey, don't you think it's a little unfair that guys can call females "key chains", but females can't be creative with such "terms of endearment"? Exactly.

Anyway, after a few minutes of taking selfies by the pool, which I personally thought made them a little odd as it was nighttime, one of the guys came and sat beside me.

We hit it off that evening. The alcohol the MC had eventually sneaked me repelled any traces of nervousness in me, almost as much as I was repulsed by his flirting attempts laced with bad alcohol breath. His name was Yanmi, average height, slightly muscular and very cute eyes. He seemed calm, but I could sense a daredevil bubbling beneath the surface, especially when he smiled at me; charming and disarming, with a hint of trouble.

A few hours later, we left the party, labelling it "dead". Angie and Joseph came along, as well as one of his other random friends. We strolled around the estate together, each pair enraptured in conversation and the last, in his phone. Yanmi and Joseph had to leave though; they lived outside the estate.

At the gate we said our parting words; Angie's giggles foretold a happy ending for her and I, as I whispered my number into Yanmi's ear, his arm wrapped around my waist, sensed likewise for myself.

As I watched the yellow and black striped keke the loner boy hailed for them drive away with them, I noticed the boy stare from the corner of my eye.

His clothes we're basically black; the only splashes of color were his red face-cap and the checkered shirt he wore over his t-shirt. I turned towards him fully and waved a bit, causing him to smile at me a bit. Angie tugged at me, urging me to move. I did and we walked away from the gate, leaving the boy standing alone outside the estate gate.

A few steps later, I stopped. "Angie," I started, "Do you know him?". "He lives next door Ade..." she replied. I turned around and saw him walk in through the gate, heading our way.