MISREAD

chapter 3

MISREAD

CHAPTER THREE

Monday

Zuri's POV

Monday morning came sooner than I would have liked.

I dragged myself out of bed, still feeling a little sleepy, and began preparing for college.

After showering, I put on my work suit and stood in front of the mirror, trying to get my hair into place. I gathered my afro and tied it up, leaving it neat and out of my face.

I took a few steps back and looked at myself.

I didn't have the perfect body, but I wouldn't say I was unhappy with it either. Everything was fairly balanced. Broad shoulders, an almost defined waist, full breasts, a decent backside and hips. My skin was caramel, and although I had my own little insecurities, I knew I looked good.

But if there was one thing I never really questioned, it was my face.

I had big almond-shaped eyes, thick lips, an average-sized nose and a cute forehead. I smiled at my reflection, satisfied with what I saw.

"Not bad, Zuri," I whispered to myself.

I picked up my bag, checked that I had everything I needed and headed out.

Tsholi was around, getting ready for her own day.

"Bye, roommate!" she called.

"Bye. See you later."

And with that, I left for my lectures.

The day went by like any other Monday. Lectures, conversations here and there, and the usual exhaustion that came with spending hours at college.

By the time I got back, all I wanted was to put my bag down, change into something comfortable and relax.

I walked into the room and placed my bag on the bed.

Something made me pause.

I couldn't immediately put my finger on it, but something wasn't right.

I began looking through my belongings, then checked the place where I usually kept my money.

I checked once.

Then again.

My money was missing.

I stood there for a moment, staring at the empty space.

Perhaps I had put it somewhere else.

I searched through my bag, checked my clothes and looked around the room.

Nothing.

My stomach tightened.

I knew I hadn't spent that money.

I checked my private drawer again, moving a few things around in the hope that I had simply overlooked it.

Still nothing.

I sighed.

Maybe I had misplaced it. I wasn't ready to entertain any other possibility, especially when I had no reason to accuse anyone.

I decided to leave it alone for the moment.

A little later, I picked up my phone and called my boyfriend.

We spoke for quite some time. He told me about his day, I told him about college, and somehow we ended up talking about all sorts of things.

But lately, something about him had changed.

He seemed distant. Our conversations weren't quite the same, and I often found myself wondering whether he was slowly losing interest.

I couldn't say I was deeply in love with him. Honestly, I wasn't even sure what I felt.

Sometimes I wondered whether I was with him because I genuinely wanted him or because I had grown accustomed to the idea of having a boyfriend.

Maybe I just wanted to experience what it was like to have someone.

I didn't have an answer.

Whenever we spoke, I made sure everything sounded fine.

If he asked how I was, I'd say I was okay. If he asked whether I missed him, I'd say I did. I never brought up how distant he had become or how sometimes I felt like I was the only one trying to keep our conversations alive.

I wasn't sure how to explain something I hadn't even figured out myself.

Besides, I didn't want to be that girlfriend who constantly questioned her boyfriend about his feelings.

So I played along.

If he wanted to believe everything was fine, I could let him believe that.

And perhaps, in some way, I wanted to believe it too.

During our conversation, he suggested that we meet up.

"Let's see each other," he said.

"When?"

"We can arrange something. I miss you."

I smiled faintly.

"Okay. Let me know."

We talked for a little longer before ending the call.

I put my phone down and stared at the ceiling.

I had a boyfriend, but I wasn't entirely sure where we stood. I had a roommate, but I was beginning to discover that living together came with its own complications.

And now, somehow, I couldn't even find my own money.

What a Monday.

I was still lying on my bed when the door opened.

Tsholi walked in, dragging her feet. She looked exhausted. Without saying much, she threw her bag onto my bed before practically throwing herself down beside it.

My heart sank.

I looked at her, then at my bed.

I wanted to say something. Anything.

But the words never came.

Why couldn't I just tell someone when something bothered me?

I wished I could speak up without having to rehearse the conversation in my head first. Even the thought of starting a conversation about something uncomfortable felt exhausting.

Sometimes, simply holding a conversation felt like a job.

I turned my attention back to my phone.

Maybe I was becoming too sensitive.

Was I only noticing these things because my money had gone missing? Had the missing money made me suspicious of everything she did?

I didn't know.

I didn't want to become the kind of person who judged someone over every little thing. Tsholi hadn't necessarily done anything wrong by throwing her bag on my bed. Perhaps she was just tired.

Still, I wished she'd ask before making herself comfortable on my side of the room.

I took a quiet breath and looked away.

There were so many things I wanted to say, but somehow, keeping them to myself always seemed easier.

---

Tsholi's POV

I was exhausted.

Honestly, this day had drained every bit of energy I had. All I wanted was to get home, take a shower and sleep. But first, I had to say goodbye to my boyfriend.

Speaking of boyfriends, I was beginning to get bored.

I didn't even know whether I loved this boy or whether I just loved the fact that he gave me lunch money and, well, his s*x game was fire.

I laughed to myself.

Oh, God. What was wrong with me?

Anyway, I wasn't about to start analysing my love life while I was this tired.

I finally said goodbye to him and made my way home.

When I walked into the room, I almost jumped.

"Oh, God! Zuri is home already?"

This girl was always home.

I looked at her lying on her bed and shook my head slightly.

I was genuinely starting to worry about her. Didn't she ever get tired of being indoors? Sometimes I wondered whether she had a social life outside college.

She was a nice girl, though.

A little uptight, perhaps. Too focused on her routines and always seeming to have something to do. But I didn't think she was a bad person.

Actually, I thought she was quite interesting. She just needed to loosen up a little.

As I dropped my bag onto her bed and settled down, something crossed my mind.

My mother had said something about Zuri earlier.

I hadn't quite understood what she meant, and I hadn't had the chance to ask her properly.

There was something about the way she mentioned that girl that had stayed with me.

I frowned slightly.

I would call her later.

For now, I was too tired to think about anything else.

---

Tsholi's POV — Later

When I woke up, Zuri was nowhere to be seen.

Oh, wait. I remembered her mentioning something about going to meet her boyfriend. I must have been half asleep when she told me because I barely remember responding. I probably just agreed and went back to sleep.

Anyway, that wasn't my problem.

I stretched, rubbed my eyes and sat up.

First things first, I needed something to eat. Then I'd take a proper bath and get ready.

My sugar daddy had said he was coming, and a girl had to look good, didn't she?

I glanced towards the kitchen.

The dishes were still dirty.

Oh, God. I hated washing dishes.

I walked over to the sink and looked at the pile. There was no way I was washing all that. Let me just wash what I needed and leave the rest.

Besides, I knew Zuri would eventually wash them.

That girl couldn't stand a dirty kitchen.

I smiled to myself.

But then I remembered something.

Zuri's mood had seemed a little off earlier.

Could she have noticed her missing money?

I paused for a second.

I doubted it. Zuri was the kind of person who would probably search every corner of the room before considering that someone else had taken something. She'd most likely convince herself that she'd misplaced it.

Oh well.

I had other things to worry about.

I checked my phone. Daddy was probably going to call again soon.

He wasn't exactly the best in bed, but the money made up for a lot of things. At least, that's what I kept telling myself.

I hurried to prepare something to eat, already thinking about what I was going to wear.

I needed to be quick.

The last thing I wanted was for Zuri to come back before I was ready.

I finally finished getting dressed and dolled myself up.

I stood in front of the mirror, admiring my reflection.

I had decided to borrow one of Zuri's pink bodycon dresses. That girl had so many clothes anyway. I was sure she wouldn't even notice one missing.

I turned slightly to check myself from the side.

Cute.

My backside was looking particularly good in that dress. Although, I really needed to work on my hips. Something about them just wasn't giving what I wanted.

I picked up my phone.

A message from Daddy.

I'm outside.

Perfect.

I grabbed my handbag and checked myself one last time before heading out.

There was just one small problem.

Trevor.

I really hoped Trevor wouldn't decide to come looking for me today.

Anyway, Trevor was my college boyfriend, and things between us were already complicated enough. The last thing I needed was for him to find out where I was going or who I was meeting.

I took a deep breath, checked my phone again and hurried towards the door.

Hopefully, everything would go according to plan.