The Real Me

Chapter 3. Awkward Encounters

Anastasia's Pov

The siren sound and clapping from our house mistress jolted me awake.

I groaned, stretching as I got out of bed, still feeling sleepy.

"Get up, everyone! It's 5 am. We need to prepare for church service. Hurry up and be there before 7,"

Our house mistress shouted from the hall.

"And nobody's using sickness as an excuse to skip church today. Even if you're sick, you'll heal at today's service," she added, making me stifle a laugh.

It was like she thought her words would make a difference.

If they wanted to skip church, they would, and she'd never know.

I glanced at Beatrice; she was already up, scrolling through her phone.

I wondered when she got back and if there was an inspection.

If there had been one, I doubted I would have slept through it.

The juniors in our room were likely doing their chores, cleaning the boarding house, since they weren't in their beds.

Our room had two juniors and four seniors, including Beatrice and me, plus two Form 3 girls who were busy preparing for their WASSCE exams.

As Form 2 students, we seniors handled most of the school work, while the Form 3 students focused on their studies.

After getting ready, Beatrice and I headed to the bathroom for our baths.

I didn't mention her outing the previous day or ask about her return.

It was a familiar pattern for me – I wanted to know, but felt it wasn't my business.

The truth is, I care deeply about her even when I don't want to and I sometimes felt a pang of jealousy knowing she had other friends apart from me.

We prepared for church and headed there together.

Beatrice was one of the ministers for the day, so we arrived early.

I admired her confidence in public speaking, a quality I lacked.

While she wasn't shy and could command a crowd, I felt inadequate in comparison, doubting my own abilities.

The church service was uplifting, with the pastor's sermon and prayers resonating deeply.

The choristers' songs and ministry added to the spiritual atmosphere.

As I sat in the chapel, I spotted Gilbert among the crowd, sitting on the boys' side with his friends.

He didn't notice me, likely due to the seating arrangement or simply not scanning the area.

After the service, I saw him chatting with Bridget, a colleague from my course but in General Art 1, while I'm in General Art 2.

What's more, she's one of Beatrice's friends.

I hoped to slip away without Gilbert noticing me, as I'm unsure of how to approach him.

Despite our friendship, I felt a lingering awkwardness, as if we were still strangers.

Our unexpected bond, forged through studying together, hadn't entirely erased the initial discomfort.

I wasn't sure whether to greet him casually or keep my distance.

And as if God hadn't heard my prayer and my hopes were in vain, he noticed me.

"Ana," I heard his annoyingly sweet voice calling me, making my heart nearly leap out of my chest as I halted in my steps.

I turned to him, forcing a smile while standing there awkwardly, my heart racing as if I had done something wrong and was about to be punished.

What is wrong with me? Why can't I just act normally like a regular person? But I know I'm not normal; what kind of person behaves like this?

"Good morning," he greeted as he approached, keeping a little distance between us.

"Good morning," I managed to say, surprising myself with the sound of my own voice.

"You okay?" he asked, concern etched on his face.

I simply nodded with a smile, not wanting to embarrass myself any further.

"I thought you weren't at church today since I didn't see you until now." he said pausing a little.

"I hope you're still coming so we can continue our reading," he added, rushing his words as if I might vanish at any moment.

So, he had been looking for me when he arrived but hadn’t spotted me.

A wave of relief washed over me knowing he remembered me as a friend.

"Yeah, I'll come, maybe around 12 o'clock," I replied, my voice finally steady.

"Okay, then I'll be expecting you," he said, flashing me a small smile before walking away.

That’s when I noticed Bridget was still waiting for him.

As they both made their way to the school building, she shot me a look I couldn't quite decipher.

I headed to the dorm with some friends from the boarding house since I couldn't find Beatrice.

After breakfast, she vanished into thin air again– that girl could wander off without getting tired.

As 12 o'clock approached, I still hadn't spotted her.

I got ready for my session with Gilbert on campus, putting on my blue checkered attire, the prescribed uniform for when we're not in class.

I grabbed my small tote bag with my book and phone and headed outside.

As I stepped out, I saw Beatrice emerging from wherever she'd been.

"Hey, Anas, are you off to campus already?" she called out from a distance.

I nodded, not feeling like shouting back.

"Oh, please wait for me! I'll change quickly," she said as she approached me.

"No, I'm late already, so just come when you're done. We'll be under the trees," I replied and walked away, not wanting to wait for her.

If I lingered, I'd likely end up waiting, and I wasn't in the mood for that.

I spotted Gilbert already sitting on the bench where we were yesterday.

His back was turned to me, so he didn’t notice me approaching.

"Good afternoon," I greeted as I reached him.

"Afternoon! Just decided to come early," he replied, placing his phone beside him.

I smiled and sat down next to him, leaving a little space between us as I settled my bag beside me.

"You have a phone, right?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Then let me have your contact." He picked up his phone and handed it to me.

I entered my number and passed it back to him.

For the first time in my 17 years of living, I hold an iPhone.

I was tempted to explore it, but I didn't want to overstep any boundaries, even as friends.

My own phone was a Tecno, which I received in my second year of high school, and getting it hadn’t been easy.

Just then, my phone rang, and I rummaged through my bag to find it.

"I'm the one calling, so save my number," Gilbert said with a smile.

"Oh, okay," I replied, quickly saving his contact.

"That's one of my favorite songs," he mentioned, referring to my ringtone – "Kingdom Come" by Tommy Lee Sparta.

"Yeah, me too, I like his songs," I replied, smiling genuinely.

I really did enjoy Tommy Lee's music; it resonated with me on a deeper level.

"So, where were we yesterday?" he asked, flipping through his novel.

"Chapter 13, I think," I said, pulling my book from my bag and opening the pages.

It suddenly struck me that Beatrice hadn’t arrived yet, making me wonder if she was even planning to come.