Heartbeat

CHAPTER NINE

VIANNE POV

I tapped on the table before me continuously with my eyes fixed on May as she went to take our order, we are currently in the cafeteria during our lunch break.

It has been days since the incident with her crazy boyfriend, that night she cried her eyes out but she eventually recovered and since then we have been closer than before, going for classes together, having lunch, showing me around the campus, I am already acquainted with a lot of things here and May is healing slowly, she's going back to the chatterbox I met on my first day here, and that's my joy, who would have thought that so much will happen in such a short span of time, and now I even have a friend here.

Ever since then, I haven't crossed paths with Seb, which is not so much of a surprise to me, I don't go out.

But I at least expected that maybe he will come looking for me, I mean I haven't yet given him back his phone since he dropped it that day, does he really not care for it.

Apart from the phone, I wanted to talk to him, I wanted to know more about him, the kind of person he is, and most especially his connection in that place.

it's none of my concern, I could be better off without the knowledge, but I was too curious for my own good.

I decided I was going to find him and give him the phone and probably ask him some questions, I mean it's not bad right?? he doesn't talk much, I've only seen him say a few things, very little, even in that tense situation at the shady bar, he still did not deem it fit to talk or he just didn't want to help us.

Over the past week I have pondered on this thought, I really wanted to know, what he was thinking about at that point in time, I even told May about it, but with the information she gave me about Seb's history of communication, it's going to be a fruitless effort even if I tried, but I still wanted to try nonetheless.

My thoughts was interuptted by May as she trotted in, with our food on the tray as she dropped it on the table, immediately sitting down beside me.

I looked at the food on the table and sighed heavily... okay, I think I need to do something about the culture difference here, the food especially, like what is this...

the dishes here are great and all but I seriously need to find a Nigerian restaurant here, because omo I wan chop egusi soup wey beta kpomo dey Inside, I never chop eba since I con here.

May noticed how I was staring at the food, and quickly asked

" ugh.. don't you like the food, you haven't even tasted it yet, or do you have an allergy"

I smiled and replied

" it's fine, I just suddenly want to eat a food from my country, ugh.. it's like a craving."

" ooh it's fine, I think there's a Nigerian restaurant downtown, we should go if you are free this weekend"

My eyes lighted up making her smile too as we bent down to dig in, the food is not bad, it's somewhat pasta like, I'v forgotten what May called it but it is edible.

After we were done eating, I stood up to pay at the counter, someone bumped into me, dropping a note in the process, I picked it up to give to the owner, but he had already disappeared by the time I looked up.

I looked at the piece of paper in my hand, words of a few lines were scribed in the paper, it's probably for someone, curiosity getting better if me, I opened it to read

"Don't bother trying to pay for the meal, you can't, come to the auditorium, we need to talk"

Okay this is weird, why does it look like the note is meant for me, no it can't be, I don't think I am fighting with anyone, and am pretty sure I have money in my account.

so I proceeded to give the person at the counter my card for the payment and it was declined, I tried again and it was declined.

okay there is a problem for sure, my card should not be reading insufficient balance now, it's not possible unless someone tampered with it, okay now am panicking...

I apologized to the lady in front of waiting to see what the problem is, I quickly went to May.

" please can you help me pay for our food, I have a problem I need to settle, wait for me here I'll be back".

She nodded with a confused look as I stormed out towards the auditorium.

I walked inside the empty auditorium I have learnt from May that it is used for singing and generally music practices.

Na Bi sat at the podium with her legs crossed she was on boots and extremely short skirt, that is not my concern at this moment, I wanted to know what this was all about.

I handed her the note,

" Is this from you "

she stood up

" I see you got my note"

so it's from her after all, " what do you mean by this note, do tell me...

did you tamper with my money"

The look on her face clearly shows it's true, what the hell, why would she do that ...I.. I didn't do anything to her.

Meanwhile she just walked casually towards me with her hands on her pocket, once close enough, she said

" well what do you think, you don't think I'would actually let you go after what you did the last time"

Now I am genuinely confused

She made a face of disgust while staring me down,

" don't act like you don't know what I am talking about b***h, did you think you can insult me and my friends and go unpunished huh??"

" Your friends??"

I looked around to find only Lucas at the end of the wall pretending his friend is not here harassing me for no reason.

I couldn't find Seb, but it's clearly his friends, who knows he might have even orchestrated it, explains why he did not help us out back then, he just doesn't care and wanted to take revenge.

I breathed in, as I couldn't believe what was happening, I mean what set of petty human beings does this, I know Lucas can hack and that's probably how my money disappeared into the air, don't they have enough money to be picking on me right now.And I am left to reason with this mad girl with no human compassion.

" Listen I didn't do anything to you or your friends, you guys were in the wrong, you mistook me for someone I wasn't and even harassed me, I let it go didn't I"

she shook her head no while looking at me

" That's the lie now, you didn't exactly let it go, you called me a spoiled brat, you didn't think I'll let that go did you ??"

"Hah!! I scoffed, so that is the reason for this whole drama, I can't believe this...

I looked at Lucas at the other end as I tried to keep my already rising anger at bay.

" What do you want"

She smiled with a smug expression on her face

" Apologize for calling me a spoiled brat"...

What the...

" On your knees "

I looked at her to see if she was joking, but she was not at the moment.

" are you mentally deranged, why should I do that, who do you think need to apologize on their knees huh..."

My anger now skyrocketed.

" Ooh you don't want to huh, then forget it then, why are you acting all high and mighty, you are just a scholarship student, just go down on your f*****g knees and apologize then I'll consider giving you the money, after all it's just gum money for me."

She sneered. I was angry, no I was fuming, I clenched my fist trying not to do anything reckless. I stared her down, and immediately stormed out of the auditorium, I knew if I stayed longer in that space with her, my shaking hands will surely be put to good use, I had left that path a long time ago, I don't plan on going back there again.

so I kept walking, I'll go and find a way to release this anger, remembering her words again brought back another wave of anger.

" I can't believe this..."

I fumed.

" ouch"

I bumped into someone, what is it with me bumping into people these days.

I looked up it was Seb staring at me, not apologizing for the effects of his hard body knocking me down, of course he won't apologize, he's just the same,

petty, entitled, spoiled brats of the same feathers.

I stood up dusted my clothes, he still did not say anything, but still not moving out of the way, which irritated me the more, what on earth is his problem.

" what!!!"

I yelled at his face now agitated by his blank stare, I think he swallowed as he mouthed.

" My phone"

It took me a moment to understand what he was referring to, I scoffed, of course that's why he is here, after ripping me off my living expenses, he now wants his phone huh, I could just give him the phone and pretend I didn't meet him today, but I was too angry to do that.

" Did you have to do that huh, you people already have money, not just money but generational money, what's the point of taking mine "

He looked confused, but right now I did care anymore, I took out the phone and pushed it I to his chest while leaving him still standing there.