Me ✓

#6 - Me and My Hand

It was really scary tiptoeing around my house the next morning, I had in mind that the moment I made the tiniest noise, my parents would jump out and yell at me.

I felt like I was walking on really thin ice with sharp spiky things on it. Unfortunately, my mum not being home meant no food and I didn't really eat anything last night.

I grabbed a few naira notes and quickly left, taking full notice of the skinny light skinned man who was laying on the floor beside a few of his, as he called it, 'decorative' alcoholic wine. Someone would be getting hungover soon.

I waited earlier than usual for my school bus which didn't belong to the school. It was a private means of transportation which sometimes I wasn't a fan of.

Getting in, I sat beside Maureen and Rose who too were stuck in the dark blue bus. I knew they could tell something was up and I didn't really want to discuss this with anyone, not even Maureen.

"What happened to your hand?" My dark friends' eyes were glued to my newly bandaged palm and that beautiful question attracted more attention to me. Thanks, Reen, you so made my problems better.

I shrugged nonchalantly, "I was cutting orange," Rose furrowed her brows as my words confused her, "You said your mummy didn't like orange, so why would she buy it." Busted.

My brain fumbled, thinking of one lie after the other but coming up with nothing. I hissed and slightly lifted my nose quickly and back as to say 'forget it' "Abeg, nobody cares about how I cut my hand, so who watched Smackdown?"

And that was enough to lead them off-topic, my friends were filled with excitement as someone else on the bus summarized the fights that had happened.

The morning was a massive blurb until break time. I decided to visit my neighbouring class, Siri. Siri was basically another science class like Ekpe -my class- but less fun.

I easily spotted a group of people I'd grown accustomed to. The gift was leaned against Aisha who was involved in a heated game of truth or dare with Stephanie, Elsie, Caleb, and Aliya. "Hola fishes."

I caught the attention of Gift who hissed and smiled in response, she was a medium-heightened dark-skinned girl who loved to read books like me, she even wrote some.

Aisha was a Muslim like Gift but she was shorter and had lighter skin, they lived near eachother and were best friends but they bickered so much you'd wonder why they hadn't killed eachother.

Elsie and I had been in the same class before and we were kind of close, I liked her cute chubby smile and her massive brain, she was smart. Caleb, on the other hand, was smart but I didn't really know him, he was friends with Maureen and I talked to him a few times, joked and stuff but I wasn't sure if we were even friends.

Stephanie and Aliya were both dark-skinned and small-framed, pretty-faced and smart. I liked the group of girls and to be honest they were really fun to hang out with. "Partner in Crime. What's up." Aisha or Ayi called towards me and I grinned.

A while ago, I'd played one of those Facebook games that my darling friend loved to send into my DM's and had somehow gotten Partner In Crime after choosing a random number, ever since then she'd been calling me that. "My hand." I waved my hand in the air as a joke but the collection of gasps caused a frown to crawl up my face. "What?"

Finally realizing what they were referring to, I rolled my eyes. This seemed to be happening all day long, people asking what happened and I'd say "I accidentally cut my hand, forget it jare." Which was what I said to the group.

Gift narrowed her eyes at me before shaking her head and leaning into Ayi once again. "So, which one of you losers read my post?" I was an Fb ranter. That was someone who posted a bunch of nonsense rants about everything that happened to them.

Steph got onto the table in front of me and rested her back on the wall behind her, laying her legs fully on the wooden table. "I'm not on Facebook, so I can't."

I pursed my lips and made a face, "Was I talking to you?" I enjoyed teasing her a lot, it was fun. Steph looked me over before hissing and turning away. "Abeg, Please who is going to the kiosk, help me buy something."

Gift stood up, pulling Aisha with her, the light-skinned shorty grumbled as she was pulled away to help get other people -Steph- food.

In due time, I left the class. As much as I enjoyed their company, I also had classes to go to. A while later I heard squealing and laughter, out of curiosity I made my way out of the class.

That bright smile.
Those pretty eyes.
Those small feet.

I knew those anywhere in this bloody world and the moment they looked my way, we locked eyes and,

"Koko!"