Romancing reality

Chapter 6

As I stepped into our shared room at Moremi Hall, the familiar scent of lavender air freshener greeted me. Angel, Precious, and Joy were sprawled across their beds, their eyes lighting up the moment they saw me.

"Look who finally decided to grace us with her presence," Angel teased, her voice dripping with playful sarcasm.

Before I could respond, Joy burst into the room, her face alight with excitement. "Guys, guess who I just saw stepping out of a flashy car?"

Precious, ever the gossip enthusiast, leaned forward eagerly. "Who? Spill!"

Joy pointed dramatically at me. "This madam here—Radiance!"

The room erupted with gasps and laughter. "Radiance! Who's the guy? How did you meet him? Is he cute? Is he rich?"

I raised my hands defensively, laughing. "Coming from you guys who spent nearly a day outside? Can't you see I'm tired?" I attempted to climb onto my bed, hoping to escape the interrogation.

But Angel wasn't having it. She grabbed my hand and pulled me onto her bed. "Oh no, you won't. Don't leave us hanging. Give us the full gist!"

I sighed dramatically. "At least let me change first."

They agreed but set a timer, counting down the minutes as I changed into more comfortable clothes.

When I returned, Joy had laid out snacks as if we were about to watch a movie. We all burst into laughter at the theatrics.

Settling in, I recounted my encounter with Henry, trying to downplay it. "We're just friends, nothing more."

But they didn't believe me, their grins widening with each detail I shared.

"That's all. Can I go to bed now?" I pleaded.

"Nope," they chorused. "Let's watch a movie!"

Precious pulled out her laptop, and we decided on "Titanic." I grabbed my pillow and a box of tissues, bracing myself for the emotional rollercoaster.

We spent the night munching on snacks, laughing, and crying together. In that moment, I realized how lucky I was to have such dramatic, wonderful roommates.

The soft chime of my alarm nudged me awake, and to my surprise, a sense of excitement bubbled within me. Perhaps it was the luxury of a free morning, with no classes until two. I indulged in a leisurely bath, savoring the quiet, then warmed up the rice and stew I had prepared the previous day. As I ate, the idea of sketching something new danced in my mind.

I gathered my sketchpad and pencils, settling by the window where the morning light spilled in. Flipping through pages of half-finished drawings, I searched for inspiration. Just as I was about to start, my phone buzzed—a message from Amiri.

Our conversation flowed effortlessly, filled with shared jokes and playful banter that was how I ended up not drawing. Then, out of the blue, he asked, "Are you mine already?"

I paused, heart fluttering. "Not like you've asked me to," I replied, adding a series of blushing emojis.

He responded with a laughing emoji. "Lol, I'll officially ask you out this weekend."

Even though he'd mentioned it before, reading it again made me blush. Thank goodness he couldn't see my face through the screen. We chatted a bit more before he went offline.

Lying back on my bed, I pondered the possibility of us dating. Our interactions had mostly been online; perhaps being a couple would make me feel more at ease around him in person. I sighed, staring at the ceiling.

Suddenly, an image of Henry flashed in my mind—his confident stance, that captivating smile. I found myself smiling. "Funny guy," I thought. With that, I drifted into a light nap, dreams filled with unexpected possibilities.

The evening sun bathed the city in a warm, golden hue as Henry stood on his balcony, savoring the view with a glass of red wine in hand. The gentle breeze tousled his hair, and the wine's rich aroma complemented the serene atmosphere. His lips, slightly stained by the wine, curled into a grin as he recalled the information Ken had unearthed.

Earlier, he had tasked Ken with digging into Amiri's background. The findings were unexpected. Amiri, it seemed, was not the charming gentleman Radiance believed him to be. He was entangled with a girl named Stephanie from their faculty—who, intriguingly, was also a friend of Radiance. The irony wasn't lost on Henry.

*"She has no idea,"* he mused, taking another sip. *"This just got interesting."*

As he stood lost in thought, the click of a camera shutter broke the silence. He turned to see his friend, John, grinning mischievously with his phone in hand.

"Man, I'm going to treasure this photo," John teased. "You, smiling like that? If I take this back home, girls will be lining up."

Henry frowned, feigning annoyance. "Don't you dare." He turned and walked back inside.

John followed, still chuckling. "Is she really that intriguing?"

Henry paused, a genuine smile playing on his lips. "Very intriguing," he admitted, raising his glass once more.

The game had changed, and Henry was more than ready to play.

The breeze filtered gently through the open balcony doors as John flopped down onto the couch, stretching lazily.

“Alright, man, enough of the mystery girl talk,” he said, tossing a cushion at Henry. “Let’s play chess—it’s been a while.”

Henry chuckled as he placed his wine glass down. “Are you sure? Haven’t you had enough of losing to me?”

John rolled his eyes. “Not this time. I’ve been practicing.”

They set up the board, and the game began. One round turned into two, then three. Each time, Henry claimed victory with calm precision while John grew more visibly frustrated.

By the fifth loss, John slumped back with a dramatic sigh, pouting. “Maybe it’s just because I’m not ready. Today’s not my day.”

Henry leaned forward and smacked the back of his head playfully. “Stop pouting like a woman.”

John rubbed his head with a scowl as Henry stood up, stretching. “Come on, grab your coat. Let’s go get dinner. My treat.”

John shot him a look. “Were you expecting me to pay before?”

They both burst out laughing as John grabbed his coat. Moments later, they were out the door, the night unfolding ahead of them.