Forever His

Chapter Twenty Two

Maya King

***

"How does it feel?" Andrew asked as he took my hand in his.

I smiled at the gesture, "it feels great." I grinned.

We just wrote our last exam and we were stepping out of the exam hall at the moment and Andrew deemed it necessary to come over and hold my hand as we walked out of the hall, I don't mind though.

Students around us started screaming or should I say rejoicing and faster than I can say anything cold water hit me causing me to shriek in surprise.

I should have expected this, FYB (Final Year Brethren)  rituals. Thank God I have spare clothes in my car.

Andrew pulled me to a hug in congratulation and I hugged him back, at this point he is soaked from head to toe just like me. We all exchanged congratulations while trying to get each other soaked.

I really don't know who started this trend of baptizing each other after exams especially as a final year student and on your birthday.

I don't really complain about the final year thing because university in Nigeria is a nightmare and should be celebrated once you are free from the claws of pain and suffering. What I don't know is why you have to get me soaked on my birthday.

I remember my first birthday in Nigeria, Funke and Adrian thought me the trend well, I was sleeping peacefully and the next thing was ice cold water on myself and my bed. I regretted giving them a spare key that day.

Apart from the cold water and beatings, I mean literal beating with a belt or something it was really fun. Okay no lies, the water and beatings was the main fun.

Funke engulfed me in a hug as she screamed in my ears, I wasn't hearing what she was saying but I didn't care, we were done with university.

We made our way to my car and Andrew was nowhere to be seen. I first opened my trunk and took out my bag where I had my emergency kit, Funke thought me this. I had supplies to last two people for two weeks, extra clothes, shoes, food and other necessities.

She always insisted I had a bag like that in my car because I never know when I would need it. Why she insisted so strongly, I never know but I believe it has something to do with her past, something she never speaks about.

Patience is a virtue.

I took out a pair of blue shorts and a black tank top for myself and yellow shorts and a white T for Funke.

We were going to the mall from here, Andrew is hosting a little 'party' at his place. A few friends of friends were coming and we need to get some stuffs for the party, drinks, food and the likes.

My seats were leather so they didn't get soaked as Funke and I sat. Funke was first to take off her clothes, her shirt first, squeezing the water out through the window before slipping on the dry clothes. When we got to the mall, she was now dressed in the dry clothes, her wet hair the only sign that she had a contact with water.

I always admired her hair, grown since birth, never cut for one day. Not only do I admire her hair but her eyes, a rare blend of brown and grey, my only friend with heterochromia and let me tell you, she is beautiful.

I was quick to change my clothes too, thanks to tinted glasses. When done squeezing the old clothes as dry as possible we hoped out of the car.

The guys were already at the entrance of the mall, waiting for us. Only Adrian and Andrew were here, the others were at Andrew's, setting up the place.

"This still doesn't hide the fact that you were soaked," Adrian pointed out as he ruffled both Funke and I's hair.

"Yeah we know, thats why there is AC in there, let's go." I took his hands off my hair and headed inside.

It's not like they were dressed in their clothes from earlier, obviously they changed in the car.

A bunch of necessary and unnecessary items filled our carts as we wheeled two to the check out point. What we bought so much stuff for was still unknown to us.

A lot of swipes and beeps and we were wheeling one cart filled with our items to Andrew's car. He popped open his trunk and in they went.

I dusted my palms when we were done, "see ya," I dragged Funke and soon we were in my car.

When we got to Andrew's house, the place was a bit transformed, the chairs and tables were shifted to the corners leaving enough space for a dance floor in the middle. A beer pong table was set at the far corner of the room and speakers an extra detail.

"I thought this was a small party?* Funke whispered in my ears as she dragged me to the kitchen where we set the shopping bags down.

We helped to set up the party and soon enough, the place was filled with a few familiar and unfamiliar faces.

I was being a social butterfly and greeting people that I probably will never see for the rest of my life.

Alan Walker's The Spectre came on and Adrian was by my side and dragging me to the dance floor. Me, him and Funke love this song so much, in fact Alan Walker is the only DJ that we all agreed to like together.

I was the first to introduce them to Alan Walker when we first met and they both loved him just as much I did.

I was dancing, carefree, I haven't had any alcohol yet but Jo and Maya promised me a drink tonight. As we danced and laughed at each other I couldn't help but be grateful for the friends I made while in uni. This past four years were though and I wouldn't have been able to make it without these people.

Deep down I felt like something was missing, what it was I wasn't sure.

I looked across the room to the beer pong table and Andrew was standing there his eyes trained on me and in that instant I knew what was missing.

***
I'm back!

Happy new month guys! Nigerian's happy late independence day to you, how did you spend your day yesterday?

Mine, I sat home all day.

When are you resuming school if you haven't already?

For me, till God knows when.

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