"Fucking piece of shit!"I grumbled as I slammed my hand against the annoying device on my bedside table.
The most annoying thing ever created were alarm clocks but that's what made them effective enough.
I tossed the duvet off my body swinging my legs from the bed allowing the cold floor to jolt me awake. I rubbed my eyes to clear the fog around them before I reached for a cigarette from the packet on my bedside table and lit it. After the first drag I felt good enough to face any challenge that day. I knew smoking was bad for me but I ain't gonna start explaining how a nineteen year old university student loved the vice. And besides my life was my own and so I was gonna live it however I pleased.
After smoking the cigarette to the filter I tossed it aside, grabbed my towel and headed into the bathroom. I stripped off my make shift pajamas of short shorts and a flimsy tank top staring at myself on the full length mirror. My big brown eyes stared back at me with a haunted look. I looked like I hadn't slept in days but it was just one of those days. My light skin tone shone in the morning light streaming through the window. My dark curly hair was currently in blonde braids that reached above waist. I should have been cute considering my 5'3 frame but then not everything that glitters is gold. God had blessed me with a chubby body or to be more blunt, I was fat.
My best friend Hailee would kill me if she heard me say that because according to her I was just over blessed in all the right places. But Hailee wouldn't know what I was dealing with considering she had a slim build with a petite to die for figure. I wouldn't tell her that either though, her ego was already big enough but I also loved every bit of her.
To sum it up I had a ginormous ass and hips to match. The one thing I was grateful for was my flat stomach and size thirty eight perky breasts which were the perfect size, I didn't need another heavy burden to carry around. Don't get me wrong though I did not hate my body. I just wished for a smaller size sometimes, but who doesn't right?
I got into the shower and spent the next twenty minutes scrubbing, scratching and shaving. After I was done I turned off the shower wrapping a towel around myself. I walked over to the sink to brush my teeth and properly wash my face.
That didn't take long so I made my way back to the bedroom to get dressed for the day. After pulling on my underwear I decided on high waisted blue jeans and a white cropped top. To complete the look I paired it with white sneakers and left my braids to fall over my back freely.
I looked at the time and noticed I had thirty minutes to get to class which wasn't much considering I lived on the other side of campus at Aiden City hostels. I lived alone which I absolutely loved as I got to be my crazy self in my own space. The one person I'd have been able to live with was Hailee but she had a boyfriend and they lived together more often than not. I had no desire to be a third wheel.
I grabbed my keys, two muffins to substitute for breakfast and my bag before I left my house locking the door behind me. I was forced to take a motorcycle bodaboda to class because of the distance. I didn't want to take that whole walk alone.
***
I kept tapping my feet impatiently in class resisting the urge to chew my nails because I was experimenting with some acrylics and they looked too good to destroy. A few of my classmates had already arrived making noise as usual before the class started but the one I want to see wasn't there yet. I couldn't even judge them for the noise seeing as we were all pursuing Drama and Theatre studies at Maseno University, the only university in the equator in our third year. So yeah we were professional noise makers.
I already felt hungry again. Those two muffins went straight through me which was bad since I had to wait for four hours till I could get to eat again. We had two lectures, two hours each back to back.
Oh the torture.
I felt someone wrap their arms around me and from how tiny they were I automatically knew it was Hailee. Not that there was ever any doubt, nobody else in our class would have dared touch me that way.
"B, you'll never believe what just happened." Hailee exclaimed excitedly after we got the pleasantries out of the way.
"What happened?" I asked smiling knowing she was about to give me some crazy story.
She did not disappoint.
Hailee began to explain how she found out that one of the guys living in the same hostels as her was running for school president. I knew she was exaggerating most of the parts but I found myself pitching in.
Her stories are exactly what I needed before class to keep my mind off all the crazy going on in there. Hailee was the only person who knew me for who I was and I could be my real self around her. A few minutes later our lecturer entered arrived forcing Hailee to settle besides me as the lesson started.
I'd say those hours passed by like a charm but I would be lying because it felt like forever.
By the end, I was hungry, tired and fed up with classes being so long and our lecturers giving us such a hard time. The worst of all is I had to deal with a cranky Hailee. I loved the girl to death but she was very high tempered. She got angry when I told her she couldn't be rude to the lecturer even if they were rude first. She kept throwing snide and rude comments at the lecturer all through the last hour of class, under her breath though. It was exhausting getting her to behave but I didn't want her getting into trouble so I had to keep her behaved.
As soon as class was over Hailee dragged me to the food stalls outside campus for lunch. We both grabbed a mixture of bhajia and chips. Since the stalls had no seats we walked back to campus and sat at the edge of the field behind our classes and talked all through lunch. There was never a dull moment between us and even if we sat in silence it was the good kind of silence where both of us just needed a moment of quiet to ourselves but in each others company.
Soon enough it was time for the last class of the week. Surprisingly enough it was only a Wednesday but its how our classes were. We had classes for the first three days of the week and then freedom. Though I had dance rehearsals on Thursday morning at eight but I didn't consider that a class because of how much fun I had.
That last class was a unique one because all of the years from the first year to fourth year sat outside on the field to showcase different artistic items we'd been working on throughout the week. It was actually fun but at times so boring when people showcased shitty items. Hailee and I grabbed seats from one of the classes and took them to the field sitting where we had a good view of the makeshift stage but still able to talk without annoying anyone.
"I think its about to rain." Hailee whispered after the first years were done doing a recorder piece that they performed horribly.
"Wanna head home before we are rained on again like last week?" I asked her noticing the dark clouds moving in fast from the horizon.
"Yeah sure, I don't think I can afford to catch another cold." She agreed.
We sneaked out slowly through the back and sped walk till we were at a safe distance and slowed down. We were busy talking about the varsity elections on Friday when we were hit by fat water droplets from the sky. Thankfully we had covered most of the distance so we increased our pace before we arrived at the tarmac. We were headed different ways so after a quick hug and a promise to see each the next morning we said our goodbyes.
"Don't get too soaked in the rain. Leave that for your next man." Hailee teased winking at me.
Before I could think of a reply the cheeky girl skipped away. I shook my head laughing and headed home before the slight drizzle turned into a downpour. I still had another twenty minutes walk and I wasn't so sure if I'd make it. And I was right because soon enough I was drenched to the bone. My white sneakers were now brown with mud.
I felt like screaming but I chose to find shelter first. I had to wait till the rain died down before I walked any further. I found refuge under the roof of a kiosk that was beside some of the most luxurious hostels in Maseno. They housed the rich spoilt kids and a few lecturers. They were so exclusive that I had never been there and that's saying something considering I had been everywhere on the varsity and its surroundings.
I was feeling very cold and the shelter wasn't exactly helping me that much because water was running through completely soaking me. My white top was completely a see through by now showing my bra. Not that anyone was around to see and even if they were I couldn't care less. I took out my phone to call Hailee but I lost my grip and it fell into a puddle of mud. Fuck fuck fuuuuck. I picked it up slowly and watch helplessly as the screen whitened before it slowly turned black and shut down never to be saved. There had to be somebody out there conspiring against my day was progressively getting worse. My glasses were already foggy from the rain but I couldn't take them off because I would loose them.
A car pulled up a few meters from me and I squinted through my glasses to see better but there was no difference. The driver lowered their window and called out to me. I could tell it was a guy but I could not for the life of me describe how he looked.
"Hey, are you okay?" He asked concerned.
I couldn't see his face clearly but I could tell he was young from his voice and damn was it a voice. He had a deep soulful voice that not even the rain could drown out.
"Yeah I'm fine." I yelled back at him biting my tongue before I could be sarcastic and say something like "Do I look okay to you?"
He stared at me for a few more seconds and I started to think he was waiting because he actually wanted to help but then the gates opened and he drove in. Only then did it hit me that he never really cared. What a selfish prick? He was probably going into his warm house to drink hot cocoa while watching TV on his big ass screen while I died of hypothermia.
I looked down at myself and realized that I looked like a wet soggy block of bread and that was really sad. The rain just seemed to be getting heavier by the minute and I could barely see two steps ahead so trying to walk home would result in a lot of disaster. Hailee was probably already home and had called me a gazillion worried sick about me.
Why me?
I should have been home tucked into my warm duvet high on nicotine as I watched movies on my laptop.
A few minutes later the side gate opened and a figure under an umbrella walked up to me. I wanted to take off my glasses to see him properly but there was a big chance I'd drop them too or loose them. Though I did manage to recognize him as the guy from the car.
"Hey uuuummmh........." He started talking but the rest was interrupted by thunder.
"I didn't hear a thing you said." I shouted at him over the rain.
"I told you to come in with me please. The rain isn't gonna let up anytime soon and you look really cold." He shouted back.
"No thank you. I'll wait." I said dismissively.
He talked some more but I wasn't paying attention. He looked like he could help but one could never be too careful, it might as well have been a trick. I didn't want to put myself in any situation that I couldn't get out of. He gave me one long look before giving up and leaving and once again I was wet. I didn't realize that he had been covering me with his umbrella until he left. I huffed and rubbed my palms against my arms hoping to get some warmth but it didn't work out as I had planned.
Some time later the same guy came again and this time he looked determined. Well good for him because my resilience had also gone down a notch. At least I got a few more minutes under his umbrella with him.
"Look I know you don't know me but I promise all I want to do is help. I'm not going to take advantage of you because I know that's what you're thinking. If I were you I would be skeptical too but all I want is to help you." He said all in one breath as if he had been rehearsing it.
I really did need help and if worst came to worst I would scream as I pummeled him to death.
"Okay fine but if you try any funny business I will kick you so hard in your manhood you'll be ejaculating through your eyes for a whole year." I threatened him pulling the best poker face I could afford.
He lifted his free hand in surrender and I couldn't really tell but I think there was a ghost smile on his lips. "You have my word as a gentleman."
I scoffed "Gentleman my ass."
He held out his elbow and I gave him a point for sticking to his gentleman facade. I put both my arms through his for support mainly because I couldn't see where I was going and it was also very slippery.
God please let me be okay and if I die today let Hailee know I love her and my whole family too. Don't let my brother have my laptop and may all my worldly savings go to all the poor people. Amen.
It was a weird prayer but I just had to.