«««««Soma»»»»»
"Hello! My name is Winner. Though people say it's a boy's name, I don't really care but I have other names you can call me like Somuadina 'my native name' or Soma for short..."
"What is she writing?", Someone asked. I turned from my table to see my roommate 'Oluchi' looming over me, trying to see what I was scribbling on my book. I quickly closed the book.
"Ahhh!! Why did you close it?", she asked with open palms, she wasn't happy that I restricted her.
"It's nothing jare, just don't worry your head", I lied. This book is a diary, My sister gave me as a gift.
Oluchi crossed her arms against her chest and huffed "Ehnn... Are you sure?"
"Yes Madam Lulu, by the way...". I turned my body on the chair to face her properly because she was standing, "Don't you have lectures today?"
She scratched the back of her head and dropped her buttocks on my bed, "By 9am". She replied.
I gave her a quizzical look "And what does the time says?".
She reached for my phone lying at the edge of the bed and double tapped it, "Ewo!! It's already 8:30 and we are supposed to have quiz today." She said as she sprang up from the bed. But she slumped right back on the bed. "But I'm tired." She groaned loudly.
I shook my head defiantly "Abeg carry your big bum bum to class before you destroy my bed."
She sluggishly stood up and walked extra slowly to her own part of the room. I chuckled at her demeanor.
"Can you please help me with one sachet of your Golden Morn. Just one please." She pleaded as she sat on her bed.
"No problem." I stood up and walked to my cupboard to fish out the sachet cereal for her.
She collected it from me with a huge smile on her face, "Thank you love."
I nudged her side playfully "It's only when it comes to food that you would remember I'm your love."
She frowned and her mouth formed a perfect 'o'. "But that's not true...Soma love." She teased.
I tightened my lips together just to prevent the laugh that's already creeping on my lips. "You are wasting more time." I snapped.
She ignored me and teased on "Lover Lover."
"I'll report you to Sammie." I threatened her with her boyfriend.
She opened her palms in defeat "Okay okay I'm going." She retrieved her toiletries from her cupboard and dashed to the bathroom but not before saying "Love".
"Oluchi!!" She slammed the bathroom door while laughing like a maniac.
I fell on her bed in laughter too.
Oluchi can be an annoying ass roommate but she is also fun to be with. If she just reduce her partying and flexing.
'Believer' by Imagine Dragons filled the room with it's melody.
I looked at the caller ID..it was 'Big head' my best pal calling.
"Helen Good morning.... Lecture?... Oh my God... I'm on my way already." I cut the call and started searching my closet for any available decent clothes to wear.
I thought today was a lecture free day. I totally planned to wash my one week pile of dirty clothes today.
It's not as if I'm a dirty person but there's just no time to wash the damn clothes.
What was that thing about going back to one's vomit again?.
Because that's exactly what I did. I miraculously found clothes to wear but I had to go back to my hamper of dirty clothes to fish out my one and only black socks.
Oh my God! That smell.
I think I threw up in my mouth a little. There's no way I'm going to wear my new babies without socks.
Today is not going so well.
Immediately Oluchi was done in the bathroom, I quickly entered and by the time I was done she was already gone.
I dressed up in a very simple red skirt and a matching floral shirt.
As long as my nose doesn't travel to my foot, I'm perfectly okay.
I took one last look at the mirror and admired myself a bit.
I'm a bit tall, I'm not slim neither am I fat. I'm just in the middle. I don't do much make-up. Just a little powder and lip balm.
I hung the strap of my bag across my shoulders and left the room.
I don't stay in the hostel, I stay off- campus but I still prefer walking to school. My best pal Helen strongly kicks against it but I really don't care.
As long as I have my earphone on. I can do anything.
I finally got to the hall where the dreaded lecture is supposed to hold. As usual the hall was bubbling with students doing their various activities. Some where gossiping loudly, some where eating their faces in corners they think is hidden, they have no idea that they are giving people a free show.
Everyone with their own problems.
I lowered my head as I walked into the hall. I don't have much friends infact I don't even want much friends. They would just be a bunch of distracting elements.
I scanned the hall with my eyes for Helen and when I saw her I walked straight to her. She always reserve a seat beside hers for me.
As soon as she saw me, the corners of her mouth lifted to form an innocent smile, "Soma!! Thank God you are not late." She engulfed me in her bear hug.
I removed my earphone, dropped my bag on the table and sat down on my reserved seat. "Good morning to you too. I'm so tired." I leaned backwards on the chair and stared at the ceiling.
"You are always tired." She replied. I turned to look at her and she was smiling. Smiling as if she just won a million dollar.
"Why are you smiling like that?" I questioned with knitted brows.
"So you haven't noticed?" She said and was still smiling. Wider this time.
"Noticed what?" She started wiggling her brows. This girl is definitely up to some kind of mischief. "This better not be one of your pranks because I'm so not in the mood."
"So you haven't noticed the new meat?" She asked again, confusing me the more.
"I've officially given up on you." I surrendered as I shut my eyes.
"God!! You are so naive. I'm talking about him." She pointed something. I turned to see what's making her smile like a small mad woman.
It was a young guy. And from the way girls are clustering him and effortlessly trying to get his attention... He's pretty good looking too.
"Ohh.. I'm guessing he's new." I asked Helen while still admiring his perfection.
"Of course he is and guess what?"
I turned to her "What?"
She whispered in my left ear "All the girls are talking about him." And began to giggle like a baby.
I hissed loudly "And I was thinking you wanted to say something important."
Of course they would all talk about him because everything in their empty skull is all about men.
"But he's cute joor... Look at him... He looks rich and he's so handsome too. He's going to fall for my charms sooner or later." She said with dreamy eyes while eating up the poor poor guy with her eyes.
Even Helen has been infected.
I took another look at him with the aim of finding that special thing they all see in him. Then his eyes met mine and he waved.
I think I'm imagining things.
I turned back to Helen "I'm guessing you are one of those girls." I asked and made air quotes.
She scrunched her face and stared at me "Can't you just appreciate someone for once."
"And who should I be appreciating?" I asked bluntly.
"His good looks of course." She said and immediately returned her gaze to him again.
I seriously don't find anything special in men or even males in general. To me they are just a bunch of species that are imperative to balance our ecosystem.
I sighed and rolled my eyes "Helen you seriously need Jesus."
"And you need Christ." She snapped back.
Our dreaded old lecturer entered the class which made our little discussion come to an abrupt stop.
"I hate this man." Helen whined with a scowl.
I sighed again "The feeling is mutual. I can feel my eyes closing already".
I tried my best not to fall asleep. Even though it was so hard because almost half of the class had their heads on the table, the others were busy with their phones and the remaining were pretending to jot down important fact like me. Whereas I'm currently drawing spongebob on my book.
It's not our fault but the fault of the lecture, it was just so boring and all I kept on hearing were glucose, fructose, maltose, trutose, tosetose and any other thing that ends with 'ose'.
Biochemistry have never been a likeable course to me.
After about two hours of pains. The lecture finally came to an end as the lecturer left the class with his ugly looking bag.
I tapped Helen beside me who was already in Disney land.
"Aunty.. wake up!" I screamed a little in her ears since the tapping wasn't helping.
She immediately leapt from her seat like a mosquito and screamed in shock "I wasn't sleeping!"
I couldn't help but laugh uncontrollably. How I wish I had her on video.
Good thing the class was noisy.
She sighed and gave me a death glare as she comported herself "When did that man leave the class?"
"Not too long ago." I replied and began packing my books. "Our next class is in two hours so I'll be going to the library now."
"This your brain ehnn... When does it ever take a vacation. Just come to my room and rest a little." She suggested.
I shrugged "I have a lot to cover up so there's no time to lazy about."
She yawned in a way that says 'BORING!!'. "Okay then 'Madam cover up'..." she made air quotes, "I'm going to my room to continue my sleep so in case I over sleep make sure you call me." She started packing her books too.
"Alright then"
"Read for two". She said as she left the hall.
The library is just beside the lecture hall, so I carried a few of my books in my hand, hung my bag and walked towards the library.
"Hi." Was the first thing I heard as I entered the library.
I turned to see where it was coming from and I saw the new guy waving at me, "Hello." I waved back.
This is so weird. Why is he talking to me? Does he even know me?.
He jogged towards me "You must be Soma right?" He asked with a curious look.
"Yes.. How'd you know my name?" I asked with a confused look.
"I asked around." He shrugged and winked.
I must confess that this guy is really handsome, his vocabulary is so well polished compared to mine and his curly black hair is literally begging me to touch them.
"Ok so you are the new..." He cut me off.
"Yes.. I'm new and my name is Nonso." He said and smiled. What a cute smile.
I held my textbooks closer to my chest and smiled back "Ok.. So Nonso what are you doing here? And most importantly how can I help you?" I went straight to the point.
"I came to get my identity card"
"Have you gotten it?"
"No. I was asked to come back tomorrow"
"Don't mind those..."And I was interrupted again.
"Guy how far?" I heard someone behind me say. I turned to know who it is.
It was no one else but Abel. He walked to Nonso.
"I'm cool." Nonso replied.
Able eyed me eerily "What are you doing with this thing?" He squeezed his face as he asked Nonso.
Wait did he just call me a thing?.
"Excuse me!!" I snapped at him but he totally ignored my presence.
"Come on that's too rude. She's not a thing." Said Nonso.
Able started laughing like a mad man. "You are even defending her." He uttered between laughs. "I'll advice you as a friend to stay miles miles away from this thing..."
I can't take this any longer. "Able.. I am not a thing neither am I contagious so stop this childish behavior of yours." I said with a very stern face.
I figured that he's probably acting this way because I turned him down when he asked me out.
Thank God we are not in the library proper.
He turned to me and took little steps towards me with a very serious indignant look. "And the next time you ever interrupt me again in your miserable life, You would have yourself to blame."
I was more than shocked at his comeback. My mouth fell open.
What have I done to deserve this? Am I the first girl to turned down a guy? Or is it something else?.
Nonso dragged him by his arms away from me "Abel, That's enough. Let's just go." He turned to me "I'm so sorry about this. I'll see you around."
Able purposely pushed me by my shoulders while Nonso wasn't looking.
My mouth was still hanging open. I felt so belittled.
Able used to be so nice to me even after I rejected him a month ago. What happened?
