The Girl

chapter 9

I didn't have much of a social life. In fact, most of the band members didn't, except Sam. My life pretty much consisted of music tuition, band practice, study, sleep and school. Although I do have 278 followers on a barely updated Instagram and 97 friends on an abandoned FaceBook, I'm pretty sure it doesn't count. As you can tell, I am not particularly popular, nor were my friends. We mainly kept to ourselves.

Today, I decided to walk to school. It was a bad idea. With my six exercise books and the weight of the four textbooks I had to carry, I was a tad slow. When I turned my wrist over, I realised if I didn't speed up, I was going to be pretty late to first period. 

Ever so slowly, I started picking up my pace, going from a slow nana walk to a brisk stroll to a slight jog to finally, a half-hearted sprint thing. It must've been funny to the pedestrians, seeing a teenage girl in a ridiculous uniform and a bulging backpack jiggling and skipping and flailing all over the footpath in an attempt to run. I mean, if I saw myself run, I'd probably laugh and make some jokes, being the mean person I am.

"HEY PURPLE, NEED A RIDE?" screamed my saviour to my side.

"Oh my god, thank you," I huff to Jordan, who's giggling a little bit in his seat. "What's so funny, huh?"

"You loo-ooke-d li-like a-a-an oc-oct-o-pus o-on the foo-ootpa-path!" he giggled in between breaths.

"Shut up and drive, already!" 

"Okay, okay! So how's Chipo?"

I was the only one out of our group who had a significant other but, being the loving and busy person I am, I forgot.  

I was silent for a minute before I answered Jordan's question.

"He's meant to be coming back from South Africa on the 21st," I say quietly, feeling guilty.

"Why are you so quiet all of a sudden?"

"I may or may not have forgotten about him during the past month."

"WHAT! HOW CAN YOU FORGET YOUR BOYFRIEND!?"

"Shh, don't scream it out to the world!"

We were silent for a while, both of us still trying to understand what was going on.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Purple."

"Don't worry, I am too."

~~~

"Guess who?" a deep voice asked me, covering my eyes with their hands.

A wave of guilt rushed across my entire body as I realised who this boy was.

"Oh my god," I started to squeal, the volume level rising with every syllable, "is it Harry Styles?! Lord knows I've been praying for that boy every damn night. And is it finally my lucky day?!"

"Missed me?" he questioned as he uncovered my eyes and turned me around, facing him.

There stood in front of me my little dark-skinned South African boy. Back into our school uniform and back in routine... a week early?

"Aren't you supposed to be back on the 21st?" I asked Chipo.

"Babe, it is the 21st." he told me slowly as if I were I a child.

"Fuck. I have my bio exam today." I exclaim in horror, "Can't you go back to Africa? I liked it better when you weren't here."

"I missed you too," Chipo chuckled, kissing me on the forehead then proceeding to tuck my head underneath his chin as he hugged me.

He's not actually that little.

"Do you want to come over tonight?" I asked my words muffled by fabric and flesh.

"Sure," he replied, still in a tight embrace with my small body.

~~~

Chipo drove us home. Luna stayed home today because she felt mentally exhausted.

"Chipo?"

"Yeah?"

"Nothing."

Chipo looked down from the road, to look at my face. He smiled before focusing back on the road. He put his hand in my lap, grasping my small hand in his.

"Your hands are so little, Vi"

"It's because yours are big."

"Nope, your hands are tiny!"

"Pfft, they're a perfectly normal size."

"No, they're smaller than average."

"I don't think so."

"Yes, they are."

"Ugh, fine. They're only a little bit small. No need to rub your big handedness in. Slightly smaller than average hands are annoying."

"How so?"

"It's harder to play chords with."

"Nerd." he laughed.

~~~ 

When we reached home a small while later, I was glad to see that my mother and Andy had gone out. We climbed the stairs hand in hand and moved into my room, closing the door. We cuddled chest on chest, forehead on forehead, lips on lips.

This continued until a soft knock was heard at the door followed by my mother informing us it was time for dinner.

It was a quiet dinner. Partly because Chipo was too stunned about Andy to talk, Andy was shovelling food in his mouth, and the fact that my mum wasn't too fond about Chipo. Luna was sleeping.

Chipo went home right after dinner. He said a polite "thank you for having me" and was off.

When he left, I tried to study but I couldn't. I was stuck feeling guilty about Chipo; he was my boyfriend and I had forgotten about him as soon as he left. 

We had been dating for a couple of months but, during this afternoon, I realised why I had forgotten Chipo in the weeks he'd spent in South Africa. It was passionless. There were no sparks, no fireworks; when I was with him, it didn't feel special.

Yet, every time I was with him, he convinced me, with words, it was special. He'd tell me how beautiful I looked or how he couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with me, and I just ate it all up and believed what he was telling me.

I made out with him because we didn't have anything to do. I kissed him because we wanted to kill time. I was in this relationship because I was bored and liked having the idea of someone to love. Except, I wasn't even close to loving him.

My love life was emotionless and monotonous. And apparently, he reciprocated these feelings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i thought i'd spare you a chapter of band talk and give you an insight to violet's life. 

much love, 

boomboxed