Chapter 27: Twenty-Seven

Kimberly

I never expected the person that would show up in my house will be Anaya. As early as 11am. Why is she here though? I thought she never wanted anything to do with me again and even the greatest question is how did she find this place.

One of the housekeeper came to call me that someone was waiting for me outside. I was wondering who it could be because not even any of my friends in my previous school knew about this place.

I opened the door, her back was facing mine. She turned slowly to look at me .

“Hi,” she said simply, no smile, no other expression, just a simple hi.

“Hey,” I said simply, totally confused.

She walked inside, and I subconsciously left the way for her to go in.

Her eyes darted over the house and I couldn’t miss the surprise in her face. Yeah, anyone who stepped into this house for the first time will be actually amazed.

She walked around the house, her eyes searching everywhere like she owned the place.

“Wow! So you really live in this house,” she says simply.

I didn’t say anything, just staring at her.

“Uhhhm,” I hesitated, scratching the back of my ear.

“Why are you here?”

She turned to face me.

“To see you off course,” she said simply.

“How did you even find this place?”

She look at me with that dazed expression on her face.

And my mind zeroed back, it was then I realised she has actually been here before.

“Can we go upstairs.. to your room,” she demanded, her eyes shifted upstairs.

“Fine.”

I started climbing the stairs and she followed.

We got to my room. My mum wasn’t in.

“Where is your mum?”Anaya asked, her eyes darting all over our room.

“She went on an errand,” I answered.

“ You can sit,” I pointed to my study chair that serves as the only chair in our room, while I went over to sit on the bed.

“ So you really live here with Xavier,” she said, searching over her shoulders to look at something.

“Yeah …”

My brows drawled  together in confusion. Why is she here asking that question like she wasn’t aware before.

“Why are you even here?” I asked flatly.

She sneered.

“Oh well, you know you’re supposed to be apologising and not questioning my presence,” she said twitching her lips up a bit.

What the hell?

“You know I did that already, I wasn’t even at fault, I was just trying to let peace reign,” I said all in one breath.

“Relax,” she said calmly.

“I’m not here to fight you,” she added.

Then her face lit up.

“After much consideration, I have finally think about you and I have accepted your apology, which means we can go back to being friends,” she rambled.

What ? After weeks of ghosting me. I texted, I called, no reply. I saw her in the hallway and tried to talk to her but she would see me and just walk away like I was air.

And now we should suddenly go back to being friends?

Do I really have a choice to say no. We do need someone to lean on, right? And right now I really do feel lonely.

I heaved a deep sigh, my shoulders slumped at my side.

“Fine… we can go back to being friends,” I said, forcing a smile on my face.

She smiled widely. Then she stood up from the chair with an open arm moving forward to meet me.

“A hug?”

“Sure,” I opened my arm and hugged her tightly. I have really missed her bear hug, i wouldn’t even lie about that, she gives the best hug.

We broke away from the hug and she went to sit on the chair.

“I’m really sorry about your suspension,” she said, her expression full of pity.

I sigh,“it’s fine.”

“But you didn’t do any of that, I wonder who is behind all these.”

I shrugged,“I can’t even guess.”

“Or is it her?” She leaned forward on her chair, and eyes widened.

“Who?”

“Cassie of course,” she shrugged off one shoulder with one hand in the air.

I exhaled.

“I don’t even want to accuse anyone at this point, I can’t get into any more trouble.”

“I just want to finish up with this suspension and go back to class,” I added.

“Right!”

She stood up from her chair and crawled into the bed with an excited expression on her face.

I shifted back, an incredulous look on my face. Anaya could be so full of so much energy on a regular day. I wonder how she manage to do all of that.

She grin from ear to ear.

“So tell me, what is it like to be on the same  roof with Xavier.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Oh please.”

“Come on, I want to know,” she whined.

“Ana, it’s nothing serious. I mean we work for them,” I shrugged.

“Hey,” she sneered,“I know that’s not true,” she said, slapping my shoulders lightly.

“ Have you guys like …” she started to say, with a smile on her face, and she fixed her eyes on me with a kind of knowing look on her face.

“No!” I yelled, with my face in total disgust.

“We aren’t even close to that extent.”

“Come on, you  don't have to be shy around me,” she rolled her eyes.

“Anaya,” I called out.

“What?” She questioned, her eyes fixed on me like she was totally clueless.

“When did you start exhibiting all this craziness ?”

“Come on, I have been like this all along, you still haven't gotten used to me.”

She doesn't even bother beating the allegations.

“So your suspension is ending soon, what have you been up to being at home?” She questioned.

“Nothing really, just trying to do some self-study and also with some little help from Andre.”

Her expression falters.

“That’s good,” she smiled softly, but it didn’t reach the corners of her eyes.

“What about you? How has school been so far, like classes and all that?”

“Fine,” she said simply.

Just fine?  Nothing more. This isn’t Anaya.

Why did her expression falter so quickly? How did she switch just so soon?

Her eyes darted to the window.

“ I really should start going, it’s getting late.”

She started to get up.

“Anaya are you okay?” I questioned, genuinely curious.

“Oh yeah, I’m fine.”

“It was nice coming over,” she smiled softly, but I knew it wasn’t genuine. This wasn’t Anaya’s smile. It isn’t that wide smile that got her chin stretching.

Did I do something wrong?

We walked to the door and I followed her to her car, her driver was already waiting for her.

“Thank you for showing up for me today, I really do appreciate it,” I said simply.

She nodded. Just nodding. Then they drove off.

I went back into my room. Laying with my back on the bed. My eyes fixed on the ceiling, still thinking of what I had said wrong that had made her switch up so fast from bubbly to just neutral,and then cold.

I stood up from my bed, grabbing my phone and scrolling through it absentmindedly. When Andre’s message popped up on my screen.

Andre: What's up, did Anaya come to see you?

I jerked up, my eyes widened and then I typed

Me: yeah, how did you know?

Andre: She asked me about you.

I froze. Asked him what exactly.