Chapter 6: The Party
1281 Words
Ada didn’t leave Room 12 for two days after The Base.
She told herself it was because of the BIO 111 test. But really, it was the text. “U looked good in red. My offer stands. 100k for one night. D”
She blocked the number. Deleted the message. But she remembered every word.
On the third day, Lisa knocked. She wasn’t smiling.
“We’re going to a party tonight,” Lisa said. It wasn’t a question. “Faculty of Law is hosting. It’s outside school. Big boys will be there.”
“I’m not going,” Ada said. “I have to read.”
“You read every day. You’re still hungry.” Lisa tossed a silver dress on the bed. “Wear this. Or go in your church wrapper. But you’re coming.”
Ada looked at the dress. It was shorter than the red one. Strappier.
“Why are you doing this?” Ada whispered. “Why me?”
Lisa stopped. For a second, her face was soft. “Because I see me in you. Two years ago, I was you. Soaking garri. Walking. Saying ‘God forbid.’” She picked up the dress. “Then I got tired. Now I’m not.”
She left the dress and walked out.
The party was in a house off campus. Not a hostel. A house. Two stories. Bright lights. A pool. Music so loud Ada felt it in her teeth.
Cars lined the street. Lexus. Benz. One G-Wagon. Boys stood in groups, drinking from plastic cups and shouting. Girls wore dresses that were basically tops.
Ada pulled at her silver dress. It kept riding up. She felt naked.
Lisa grabbed her hand. “Stop fidgeting. Act like you belong.”
They walked in. The inside smelled like perfume, smoke, and Hennessy. A DJ was shouting into a mic. "ABSU! Make some noise!”
People were dancing on the couch. On the table. In the pool.
Ada had never seen anything like it. In her village, parties ended at 8pm with prayer. This was 11pm and just starting.
“Relax,” Lisa said, handing her a cup. “It’s just juice.”
Ada sniffed it. It smelled like oranges. She took a sip. It was sweet. Too sweet.
Lisa disappeared into the crowd. Ada stood alone, holding the cup, trying to be invisible.
“You’re new.”
Ada jumped. A boy was standing next to her. Not like Desmond. This one wore a plain black shirt. No chain. No rings. He had a book in his back pocket.
“I’m Samuel,” he said. “Final year. Law.”
Ada clutched her cup. “Ada. Medicine. First year.”
“Medicine?” He smiled. Not the way Desmond smiled. This one was… normal. “That’s tough. How are you coping?”
Before Ada could answer, someone called his name. “Samuel! Oya come! The drinks are finishing!”
He looked torn. “I’ll be back. Don’t move.”
He disappeared. Ada exhaled.
He was nice. Normal. Maybe not everyone here is like Desmond.
She was wrong.
“Drink with me.”
Desmond was back. Same pink lip balm. Same gold ring. He held two glasses of Hennessy.
“I said I don’t”
“It’s a party, Ada.” He stepped closer. His cologne was choking. “Lisa said you’re shy. I like shy girls. They’re more fun to teach.”
He tried to put his hand on her waist.
Ada stepped back so fast she bumped into a table. The cup in her hand spilled. Orange juice splashed on her dress and Desmond’s white shirt.
“Ah! Are you mad?” Desmond shouted. People turned to look.
“I’m sorry, I”
“You’re sorry?” He grabbed her arm. Hard. “You just ruined my shirt. Do you know how much this cost?”
Ada’s heart was pounding. “I didn’t mean to”
“Leave her alone.”
Samuel was back. He wasn’t smiling anymore.
Desmond laughed. “Samuel. Look who it is. Mr. Holy. Don’t you have moot court tomorrow?”
“I said leave her alone,” Samuel repeated. His voice was quiet, but everyone heard it.
The music kept playing, but the circle around them went silent.
Desmond let go of Ada’s arm. “She’s Lisa’s friend. She’s one of us. Don’t act like you’re better.”
“I’m not acting,” Samuel said. He looked at Ada. “Are you okay?”
Ada nodded, even though her arm hurt and her dress was sticky and she wanted to disappear.
“Let’s go,” Samuel said to her. “I’ll take you home.”
“You’ll take her nowhere,” Desmond said. “She came with Lisa. She stays with Lisa.”
Lisa appeared then, like she smelled trouble. “What’s going on?”
“Your boy is misbehaving,” Desmond said, pointing at Samuel. “And your girl is pouring drinks on people.”
Lisa looked at Ada. At the stained dress. At Samuel’s clenched fists. She sighed.
“Ada, go to the bathroom. Clean up.” Then to Desmond: “She’s new. She didn’t know.”
“And you,” she said to Samuel. “Don’t start. Not tonight.”
Samuel stared at Lisa for a long time. Then he looked at Ada. “Do you want to leave?”
Ada wanted to say yes. She wanted to run back to Room 12 and never come out again.
But Lisa was watching. Desmond was watching. All the girls in short dresses were watching.
If she left with Samuel, she was weak. If she stayed, she was… what?
“I’m fine,” Ada whispered. “I’ll clean up.”
She walked to the bathroom with her head down. The whispers followed her.
"That’s the JAMBite Lisa brought.”
“She poured drink on Desmond.”
“Samuel likes her o.”
In the bathroom, Ada looked at herself. Mascara was running. The silver dress was ruined. Her arm had finger marks.
She washed her face.
She washed her arm. She tried to wash off the night.
When she came out, Samuel was waiting. He held out a hoodie. “Yours is wet. You’ll catch cold.”
Ada took it. It smelled like books and soap. Like safety.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Don’t thank me yet,” Samuel said. “Lisa won’t like this.”
As if she heard her name, Lisa walked up. She looked at the hoodie in Ada’s hands. At Samuel. Her face was blank.
“Party’s over for you,” Lisa said to Ada. “We’re leaving.”
Outside, the air was cold. Lisa didn’t speak on the Keke ride back. When they got to Samaru, she finally turned to Ada.
“You like him, abi?”
“What? No, I”
“Samuel is a good boy,” Lisa said. “Too good. He’ll tell you to pray. To fast. To wait. He won’t give you money. He won’t solve your problems.” She touched Ada’s cheek. “Desmond is a bad boy. But bad boys pay. Good boys preach.”
She went into Room 14 and closed the door.
Ada stood in the dark hallway, holding Samuel’s hoodie. It was warm. It didn’t smell like Hennessy.
Her phone beeped. Unknown number again.
“U shouldn’t have spilled my drink. But I forgive u. Offer still stands. 150k now. D”
Ada didn’t delete it. She stared at it.
150k.
Then she looked at the hoodie in her hand.
Bad boys pay. Good boys preach.
For the first time, Ada wasn’t sure which one she needed more.
- Writer
