Lily was sitting on the bonnet of Bech’s car when she saw the pair approach from the lane. She had been waiting for close to thirty minutes. She had searched the external premises for her friends but she did not find them. She had heaved a sigh of relief after she saw Bech’s car still parked in the lot. For a few moments, she had assumed they had left her too. How ridiculous.
Lily loved her friends dearly. They loved her, too, she knew. They had shown up and stayed with her in her most difficult moments. She had lost her entire family in a tragic accident. She had been fortunate, as it were, to have been in school when it occurred. In fact, she had been in a heated discussion with her group members as they prepared for their presentation the next day. As fate would have it, she could not show up for the presentation the following day. She had seen a gory sight on Facebook of an accident as she browsed the social media site early the next morning. She had felt sympathy for the victims; however, upon looking closely, the car had looked very familiar. When all her calls to her parents had gone unanswered, she got into a taxi to her parents’ house, where she met family members and many sympathizers pouring in to condole with them.
Lily shook her head vigorously at the thought, clearing that distasteful memory. She was grateful for the life she had now, and the two buddies who would stick with her through thick and thin. She smiled again.
Lily was not too shocked that they had made off alone that night. She had read the vibe off Jade many months ago and had even teased him about it. But Jade had vehemently denied being attracted to Bech, stating that he admired only her intellect. But Lily could see how he looked at Bech when he thought no one was looking, how he went out of his way to offer her his notes if she missed anything during their lectures… They never needed to meet in Bech’s house for anything, but Jade kept finding one reason or the other to go there. He had been a bit too aggressive with Bech or just too mushy at times. Lily perceived a long time ago that Jade couldn’t decide if he wanted to pursue Bech, which surprised her. Jade was a ladies’ man! Every girl she knew wanted her to create an atmosphere for them to ‘just chat’. They were falling over themselves to grab his attention, and he had courted a few and left them brokenhearted. Yet, ironically, the person he felt so much for was not even looking his way.
Tonight, as they were going for the show, Lily had perceived that vibe again. She sensed that Jade was going to declare his intentions towards Bech. She was happy for them: they made a lovely pair – even if all they did was argue all the time. They had positive energy all the time, and Lily was grateful to be a free feeder of their energy with all the darkness she came from. She didn’t mind if they courted; she understood those things. But she knew they would never leave her. With Bech and Jade, Lily knew there was always enough room for her.
When they finally got to where she was, she was prudent to stay silent. Something had happened between her friends. For one, Bech’s lipstick was smudged – she could have wiped it. But Lily knew. And Jade? He looked confused. For the first time, Jade wore his heart on his sleeve, and Lily saw plainly that even though they may have made out, things didn’t end up how they should.
She had a good sense to keep her thoughts to herself. There was a storm of emotions brewing in the car, she knew. Something was coming for them, she saw. And it excited her all the way as Bech drove them safely to their various apartments.
