,,A THIRD TIME.

chapter one

It is Friday afternoon. Probably 2:40 or 3pm. We're coming out of a very hot classroom  because for some reason, the fans in it are not working. We're students from two different departments and we're taking a course together. We're all first year students.
    Most of us are heading to our dorm rooms while few of us are going home. A lot of us are all super excited,probably because there's a party or club to attend. I mean, it's Friday. I on the other hand, am walking alone; heading to the hostel. I'm not super excited about any party because there's none to attend. I'm not sad about it either because it's nothing new. The closest I've been to a party was last semester. A classmate's birthday party was celebrated for by one of the presidential candidates in my faculty. Campaign strategy, I'm very positive.
I'm currently walking in front of the boys' hostel and they're all looking at me. I'm worried if I'm looking awkward or something closely related to that. So, I look at one of them in the eyes to see where his focus on me is. You won't believe it, boys can be stupid. I'm wearing a VERY LONG dress. It is transparent from my thigh down to my legs. Are they looking at my legs?  What kinda pleasure are they getting from looking at a girl's legs?  I'm not embarrassed at all, I smile at them and they look confused. I'm mostly a bitch.  Quiet one. I don't have friends  and I'm not bothered about it. People don't talk to me, they just stare and it's cool for me. They have this funny impression that I'm proud which I wouldn't dare deny or try to change. I feel good because I'm not even some departmental Queen and they're already always talking about me,hating on me but also wishing to get to know me. I'm almost at the hostel, I'm a block away from mine.
"Ella" a voice calls from behind,it's a girl's. "Ella" she calls again. I ignore it, if she calls a third time I'll respond. "Ella, wait up". I look back to see who it is. Oh! Crap. It's my colleague. Beulah. She gave me a ticket three weeks ago. A ticket for some show that's supposed to take place.... Oh my gosh, Today. I feel bad because I have no idea where the ticket is and I have even paid for it.
"what's up " she says, smiling. "you coming? "
"Um, actually, I lost the ticket so I don't think so" I tell her, trying to look funny.  She's not happy,I can tell. But it's not because I'm not going, it's because I didn't pay for it. I feel guilty so I tell her I'll find it. I'm really not going to find it because I'm very certain someone stole it or I forgot it in the waste bin. I remember another colleague who offered to sell it at a lower price earlier on but I declined, I guess I'll just call him and ask for it.
I'm not really interested in this show because I'm gonna wander or sit alone there. I try to tell her I may not come but I'll definitely pay for the ticket later. She tries to convince me to come and I don't get why. I tell her I'll go dressed like this so she'll feel irritated and say "never mind" but she doesn't.  Instead, she gets confused why I think this show is some small and local gathering. She's really trying hard to get me to go. We're not even friends,so I really don't understand why she's doing it. I mean, she comes to my room once in a while to give me movies from her phone and we both are crazy about a teen celebrity,Zendaya Coleman. But that doesn't make us friends,right?
I finally accept to go and all of a sudden I'm very excited to go. I go to my room, pull off my dress,grab a towel and pail to fetch water at the tap. I'm rushing to take the water to the bathroom,it's even splashing. Am I rushing because I'm finally going out or because I'll be late? The show's in an hour's time,so,i guess both. I'm out in less than six minutes. I clean up myself and apply lip gloss and powder to my face. I draw my brows since the natural one is scanty. I'm done with make up but something's missing. Oh, no... "what to wear, what to wear, what to wear"... I say repeatedly without even realising that I've changed three times. I'm really surprised that two of my roommates are also going.  Two other ones are going for a campus fellowship, one of them is my bunkmate and she doesn't  even pray so why's she acting all miss reverend sister. One of the two others remaining is never around and the other one is a book worm ,so I know she's in the library. I hurry to Beulah's dorm room because we're going together. As I get there, she's dressed  but still doing make up that appears to be nude but is taking a lot of effort. I'm wearing a really short skirt and a knee length black stompers,i begin to feel like I'm some high school chick so I hurry back to my dorm room and change into a Jean trousers. My blouse is an acclaimed crop top,it is net and white,I'm wearing a tank top inside. It looks red or pink. I don't really know the colour but it doesn't disagree with the colour of the design on my stompers, so I'm wearing it anyway. My bag is pink. I look at the mirror in the corridor,i smile because I look good and mature now. I go back to Beulah's room, it's  getting late but I ask her to contour my face anyway. She does and gosh,you need to See Me. I look innocently hot. I don't really like the innocent part,so I pull off my hair band and let my hair loose. I'm on twisted braids and I'm letting my hair down for the first time since I made it. Bang. Bitchy. But somehow, my small face manages to still look innocent. It's not my fault, I was born like this.
Beulah and I walk out of the dorm room together and I notice five of our colleagues waiting out here. They're all boys. I don't believe this. We're going together? I know I'm supposed to be mingling with my colleagues so I can have a social life but hey, I don't fuck with my peers. A few of them are mature in age but all of them are mentally immature. I'm really uneasy right now but I have to play along, Beulah's paying for the cab. Immediately, Anthony appears. He's tall and dark and hairy. He's very handsome. He's also my colleague and we were both born on the same month, so we get along a lot. I'm happy to see him because I won't have to force myself to talk to the others and he doesn't like them either.
    A cab can only carry four passengers so Bella, Anthony, I and one of the other boys enter one and the others find themselves in another. We arrive there twenty minutes later but we're late. The venue is awesome. There are colourful lights everywhere and beautiful people in every angle. I don't feel bad because I'm not looking bad either. It's  a cake auction. Bakers from all over the country are here. Wow, Beulah was right. This is not a local gathering as I thought and thank God I didn't come looking as I did then. We go in and it gets better. One of our colleagues who was here before us laughs and tells us we're really late and we may need to buy cakes to get to eat them. The free ones were eaten an hour ago or so. I'm really not bothered, one of my roommates' boyfriend is a Baker, so she'll bring his cake back to the hostel.  I'm sorta concerned with meeting a FRESH guy. YASSSSS...., I see my crush.  I've been crushing on him for weeks now. I even stole his number from someone who knows him so I could be looking at his profile picture on Whatsapp. I don't call or chat with him. I pass his direction with Beulah and Anthony to get his attention but I'm disappointed as I hear him mumble something gibberish. Did he just say he's disgusted that first year students are all over the place? Fuck him. I swipe my phone open immediately an delete his contact. Who the hell does he think he is. I move out of the building with Beulah and Anthony, she says she wants to meet her cousin outside so I follow her. I don't want to be stuck seeing that idiot inside.
    Beulah's cousin is cute. He looks familiar but since I don't go out, I don't bother to ask him if we've met somewhere. He's looking at me from my legs to my head. I'm uncomfortable. He's smiling at me and I'm really lost. He turns to his cousin and they say something I'm not interested in. He decides to introduce himself. He shakes hands with one girl that came out with us and tells her he's Bruno. I'm really laughing in my head, " Bruno "? Seriously?  Sounds like a dog's name.
Wait, wait, wait... This guy is really someone I know,but from where? Oh! Shit. We've been chatting on whatsapp . I smile confusingly and point a finger at him as he's about to shake me. He smiles back and I confirm in my heart that he's the guy I've been chatting with. Now I now why Beulah was really determined to take me here. Where did he get my number from?  I'm about to get angry as I ask Beulah with a fake smile on my face, Bruno immediately interrupts, Beulah denies giving it to him.  I let it go for three reasons.
I haven't paid for the ticket yet.
She paid for the cab and

He probably stole the number from her phone. Guys do that a lot,even I have done it once. He's in a hurry to go because he has to take his very young cousins home. He's even driving?  Could this night get any better? I should go out often, I tell myself .
W

e take some pictures with Beulah's phone and I'm surprised at the end of the day that I actually interacted with my colleagues. It's almost ten and the hostels are locked by 10:00pm so we start leaving the premises. I like Bruno but it's nothing serious. I don't want to flirt with my colleague's cousin. OK,maybe a little. I'm really drawn to inquire about him. She tells me he just graduated from a private university in Lagos. Performing Arts major. Nice. I don't ask further questions so I won't seem too interested. We get to the hostel really exhausted. I pull  off my shoes ,wash my face and remove everything I wore till I'm left with panties. I fling my clothes on my box. I'm not about to arrange or fold them this night. Tomorrow's Saturday, so I climb my bunk which is directly  under the fan and light. The light affects my eyes a lot and I already have issues with my eyes but I don't wear glasses. Never seen a nerdy bitch. I cover myself to my face with my blanket because if I ask to put off the light I'll be ignored, I'm the most junior in my room so I don't bother. I sleep off in minutes Time. I don't snore.