CHOOSING.

19. Its not so bad.

The rest of my holiday passed by in a wuick blur. I held on despite being run off my feet with schedules from my new acting profession. My heart was still quite heavy with the discovery that I never had a friend in Ombachi. It weighed me doen on most days when I was not too tired. On the last day before I went back to the university, we formed a working schedule that wouldn't affect my academics, or of any fellow actors who were still in school. We would be shooting all day on Saturdays and all afternoon on Sundays. It was only an hours drive from campus so I was not overly worried about it.

I got back to campus late in the afternoon and trudged up the stairs to my room. I was tired and all I wanted was get into bed and sleep. However, I had to arrange my house first and unpack all the things I had unpacked. The prospect had me frustrated to no end. At our landing I found Matt leaning on the wall, hands in his pockets. I had seen him in that posture a million times before but at that moment, I had never been happier to see him. I reacted before I could think. I tackled him into a bear hug. Almost. Apparently, although he was one of the skinnier guys he was quite broader than me.

"Who are you?" He asked suspiciously when I pulled away. I was so taken aback by the question especially when there was no sign of dishonesty on his face.

"I am Soni, your neighbour since last semester," I said. How could he have forgotten me in a month?

"Nice to meet you Soni, am Mike. Matt is in his room," he said with a grin. Mike?

"Wait, what?!" I exclaimed. "There's two of you?"

"Yes, we are a phenomenal most refer to as identical twins. It is whereby..."

"I know what twins are," I interrupted. I walked to Matt's door, needing answers. "Matt are you decent?" I asked.

"Sure," Matt answered from inside. So it was true. I budged in in my momental anger.

"Why didn't I know you had a twin until right now?" I asked with a hand on my hip. "I even hugged the wrong you," I sighed and sank into a sofa.

"Am not that bad to hug," Mike complained.

"Still, you're not my Matt," I insisted.

"Hey, am taken," Matt said jokingly. I glared at him. "Okay, if you insist," he grinned. I really had missed that silly grin and I crushed him into a hug with only a second's notice. I then got to my feet and pulled him up with me. Okay, he stood of his own accord under my direction.

"Mike, you too. You're both going to help me unpack, as a punishment for not telling me you have a twin. You know I love twins," I chatted away. Luckily for me, they had no objection.

My house was covered in a thin film of dust and after thorough dustind, we started unpacking. In slightly over an hour, we had the house well arranged and habitable. My greatest achievement however was that I could tell Mike and Matt apart. I kept pretending not to just for sport and we all had a nice laugh out of it. Mike seemed to have taken to some of my house decorations. They were printed out cards with all of my favourite Bible verses one on each. They were in different designs and I placed each in a part of my house I felt it fit best.

"You are the born again neighbour Matt told me about," Mike said in understanding. I smiled.

"Yes, that is me," I said proudly.

"You are different," Mike went on looking slightly confused. "You are not overly serious or proud. You spent the last hour with us and although you did not join in our not so good talk, you did not act like we are the devil reincarnate. Are you really born again?" He asked suddenly.

"That she is," Matt put in. "She tried to get me to church until I asked her to stop unless she did not want to be friends anymore. And she stopped. Yet we are friends still," Matt said proudly. Mike replied with something but I did not hear anymore. My mind went back to Ombachi. I still could believe how harsh he had sounded as he said those last words on the phone. I knew I was not perfect but he had described me as something I had never been and would never be. He judged me before he gave me a chance to explain things out.

"Hey, why are you crying?" Mike's voice shook me out of my thoughts only to find tears falling from my eyes. Try as I would I couldn't answer with my throat closing up and more tears falling. Before I knew it Matt had me in a tight embrace and I let myself finally let it all out. I cried long and hard soaking most of his shirt with my tears until I had nothing left in my eyes and my heart was much lighter. Then there was a knock on the door. Mike went to get it and I attempted to make myself look decent.

"Matt, how are you?" Cathy said from the door.

"Actually, am doing great," Matt replied from beside me. Cathy turned her head around so fast its a wonder she stopped it from going all the way round in time. It was all so funny I started laughing. Cathy walked in and was followed in by Caleb.

"Caleb!" I exclaimed my laughter dying down. I had not expected him and I sat there just looking at him and feeling awkward.

"Wow, I have been your friend since forever but you pick Caleb over me," Cathy teased.

"I have not. I am just surprised to see him..." I did not get to finish my sentence.

"Whatever you need to tell yourself," Cathy said. "Now come here," she suddenly pulled me into an overly tight hug. "I missed your pretty little self," she murmured. Then she pulled away and pushed me towards Caleb, "say hi to your friend." I threw my arms around his torso and hugged him closely. He hugged me back and in that embrace we pit in everything words would never be able to say. As we pulled away our eyes locked and we smiled simultaneously as we walked over to the mats and sat on the floor.

Soon enough Cathy and the twins were chirping away either arguing away or discussing all manner of things. All Caleb and I had to do was put in an occasional opinion or arbitrate their verbal fights. Later in the evening we made supper together, had a delicious meal and they all left.

In the house all alone, I did not feel lonely. So what if one person thought I was all bad. I had friends who loved me and accepted me for who I am and did not judge me. I realised that stress had made it all feel much worse than it really was.

*******
Hey loves,
The book is so close to the end. Just one or two more chapters and an epilogue. Thank you for your support so far. I would never have done this without your help. You are amazing.