Before Alisha woke up, Kaira was already dressed and ready for the day. Alisha stretched and yawned lazily, standing up.
"Good morning, little girl," Kaira greeted, but Alisha didn't respond.
"Alisha, good morning!" Kaira tried again, this time earning a scornful look from Alisha as she headed to the bathroom. Kaira knew Alisha was still upset about the previous night, but she pretended not to notice. She sat on the bed, waiting for Alisha to finish her morning routine.
As soon as Alisha emerged from the bathroom, she asked,
"What time did you sleep last night?" But Kaira didn't respond.
"I guess you didn't sleep at all," Alisha added, her tone still burning with annoyance.
"I'm sorry, Alisha. Let's just forget about it," Kaira said, attempting to smooth things over.
"Let me make you a cup of tea. We still have leftover bread" Alisha said buttoning up her shirt.
"Let's just go to school. We can eat when we get back," Kaira suggested.
"I'm sure you're not serious .You're not talking to me right? You need to take your medication," Alisha reminded her .
"Okay, ma," Kaira replied reluctantly, knowing she had no choice.
They each had a cup of tea, and Kaira took her medications. As they stepped out of their room, Kaira's phone rang, and she answered with a hint of anxiety in her eyes.
"Good morning, Dad."
"How are you, my dear?" her father asked.
"I'm fine, Dad," Kaira replied.
"Are you heading to school?" he inquired.
"Yes, I'm on my way, sir," Kaira responded.
"Remember, you can't fail any of your courses. I'm paying your fees, and I expect better than just any results," her father warned sternly.
"Okay, sir," Kaira said, her voice measured.
"Have a nice day," her father said before hanging up.
As they got to school, Kaira's exhaustion had reached the peak and she dozed off in class, a habit that continued throughout the day. This was her routine until the examination period drew near.
A week before the exams, Kaira's studying habits intensified. She sacrificed her afternoon naps and nighttime sleep, pouring over her notes and diverse textbooks.
"Kaira, I'm going to keep telling you to take it easy." Alisha warned.
"I can't afford to fail, you know that." She replied worn out
The exam period flew by, and before they knew it, they had finished their last paper. As they packed up to head home, Kaira's anxiety surfaced.
" Alisha… you know ..I'm scared of going home," she confessed.
Alisha's curiosity was piqued.
"Scared? What do you mean?" She dropped her backpack on the bed, her eyes on Kaira.
"Never mind." Kaira hesitated.
"You really need to go home and rest. You've lost a significant amount of weight over the past few weeks. I mean.. look at you.."
"It's fine" Kaira said as if her door of words was sealed.
As they packed their bags, Alisha's excitement to head home made her on cloud nine, while Kaira's expression was a mix of happiness and anxiety. After finishing up, they headed to the motor park to catch a bus. The four-hour journey home was hectic, especially for Alisha, who had to support Kaira, who slept on her shoulder the entire trip.
As soon as they arrived at the bus stop, Alisha gently woke Kaira up. As expected, Kaira's mom would be picking them up. Just as they were standing there, a guy who had gotten off the same bus stood beside them, eyeing them briefly before striking up a conversation.
"Hi girls!" Jerome waved at them, flashing a friendly smile. Alisha waved back enthusiastically.
"Hi!" she replied.
Jerome took a step closer, extending his hand for a handshake.
"My name is Jerome. Nice meeting you."
Alisha reciprocated, shaking his hand.
"I'm Alisha, and my friend is…" She turned to Kaira, who was still facing sideways, seemingly uninterested in the conversation.
He didn't press for an introduction. Instead, he smiled at Alisha.
"Nice meeting you, Alisha. Where are you guys heading to?"
"We're waiting for our mom to pick us up," Alisha replied.
Jerome chuckled, "Guess your friend didn't want to talk to me." He teased, nodding towards Kaira.
"No, don't mind her. She's actually not like that. She's just stressed out, I think." Alisha smiled.
"Oh, really? Can I have your number? I'd love to be friends." Jerome showed his interest in them.
"Sure, it's a free world." Alisha agreed. She reached for her phone, but it was dead. "Kaira, can I use your phone?" she asked, holding out her hand.
Kaira handed over her phone without a word, still looking sideways amidst being shy coupled with little or no concern. As Alisha was about to return the phone, Kaira's mom pulled up in her Volkswagen.
"Hi guys! Hop in," she said, her expression curious about the scene being displayed before her.
Kaira quickly snatched her phone back from Alisha, and they both got into the car. As they drove off, Jerome waved them goodbye.
" And who's that boy?" She asked with a firm voice that sent chills down Kaira's spine.
"We met him there, and he wanted to be our friend," Alisha spoke as if ready to give her more details excitedly.
"A boy wanted to be your friend? How can a boy and a girl be friends?" The excitement on Alisha's face melted immediately she noticed Kaira's mom's serious look .
"I'm sure Kaira was foolish enough to give him her number. If your dad checks your phone and meets any rubbish there or any unknown number, just know you're done for," she said, yelling without holding her breath.
"No, ma'am. Kaira didn't even say anything. I used her…"
"Don't try to cover her up, Alisha. I have been looking at you both before I pulled up in front of you."
"Mum, I really didn't even say a word," Kaira protested.
"Hey, young woman! Who are you to speak to me like that? Is that how you go about doing rubbish in school?"
Alisha exchanged glances with Kaira and kept quiet, probably understanding why Kaira was reluctant to go home. She had just came back, and it wasn't even about school gossip first, as she did with her own mother. She had expected a warm welcome but was baffled by what they met on ground.
Alisha was the first to get out of the car as soon as they arrived at the estate. Alisha bid Kaira goodbye, gesturing to her that she would call her later. Since Alisha's house was just a ten-minute walk from Kaira's, she figured she could easily check in on her as usual.