?? MY BESTFRIEND MY LOVE ?
?Season 1 Episode 7?
A Story by Oluwatosin Odebiyi
It was past 6:00pm and I got to campus only to realize that this guy had been following me again. He was driving right behind me and I was surprised. I got to the parking lot, and got out to see him also get out of his car and then he approached me again and said I didn’t give him my number or a way to contact me, he wasn’t going to leave. I made a big mistake at that point, I should have just given him the number and left but I didn’t. I walked past him and refused to look back, and hoped in my heart that he wouldn’t follow me but he did. I got to my door and turned to see him right behind me. Then I asked, ‘so why? Why won’t you leave me alone?’ He said, ‘can I get your number and I’m sorry to tell you this, I like you and there’s no way I will leave here without your number.’ I didn’t want him banging on my door and I didn’t want him to come into my room so, I gave him my number. I found what happened so interesting and it just made me laugh after he left. I thought about telling Stanley when he came back but I shook the thought off with the notion that, he is a guy and that could make him insecure and jealous. And I didn’t want any insecurities in my relationship, and besides I loved Stanley so much and wasn’t going to jeopardize what we had by entertaining other guys, no matter how drop-dead gorgeous they were.
So, with the foodstuffs I had bought, I decided to cook. And when I began, there was a knock on my door. “Who is it this time?” I asked. I just hoped in my heart that it wasn’t Jide and luckily, it wasn’t. It was Larry; he smiled when I opened the door. This is what he said, ‘sorry, but I forgot to ask for your name.’ I shook my head and said, ‘Bola. You can leave now.’ Then, I banged the door and went back to cooking my meal.
Stanley came back, sometime later and helped with the meal. We ate when it was all done and then, we left to see some friends of his. They were playing “FIFA” and I just watched them and supported my “boo.” We had a great time there, and as we left the room, Stanley remembered what he said about confronting Jide, so he asked that we went to his room and deal with him. I smiled at the way he said it and we got to the third floor to meet him at his door. “Great, at least we didn’t have to enter his room to face his roommates, if only he has some” I told Stanley. He nodded and we walked straight up to him. Stanley called him,
‘Jide, I’m sure you are good. I came here to ask you as a gentleman to stay away from my girlfriend. She doesn’t like you going to her room and asking her questions. You are not friends.’ I watched as he said that and was taken aback about what Jide said in return, ‘so you expect me to stay away from her because you are saying so? Wow! Interesting! You both fooled me, and I won’t be surprised if she fools you too. I just realized it’s her habit. Or are you in an open relationship or something? You keep your relationship and she still goes around dating other guys? I’m sure the guy I saw her with today isn’t the only one after me. And I’m not done with her yet, so forgot about me staying away from her.’ After saying that, he opened his door, entered the room and locked it.
Stanley looked shocked, and asked who I was with earlier today. I held his hand and told him to let us go to his room and talk. We got there and I told him all about my day and how bored I was. He believed me and though I felt he wasn’t really okay with guys coming after me, he couldn’t help it. I’m not so unattractive, and I made it clear to him that no matter what, guys were going to come after me and try to win me. I told him to just trust me and that he was the only one I loved and no one could take me away from him. I hugged him and we made out after. The next day saw us going to church at home with my mom and his family. They were all so excited to see us and my mom asked all about my two days on campus.
After church, we went home and I filled my mom in on everything that happened. I mentioned Jide and all that he said and what my mom said was, ‘you should expect more from him. Bola, you keep growing prettier and there is no way he can stop regretting leaving you. All he can do now is to get jealous and later try winning you back. But let him believe what he wants; don’t let him get any closer to you. He was your first love so keep distance, or else you will crawl back into his arms and lose Stanley. And you don’t want that to happen.’ What she said made so much sense and I wanted to deny what she said about me crawling back into Jide’s arms if I made him get any closer to me. I thought I was over him, but I decided to just heed to my mom’s advice.
I stayed at home for a couple of hours and in the evening, Stanley came over from his parent’s and we left to campus together. He didn’t have a car like I did and so I made him drive anytime we went anywhere together; I just liked to keep him in charge. That evening on campus, he left to his room to study and I stayed in my room and watched a movie. Larry called me that evening, and though I was reluctant to pick up, my subconscious self said, ‘just pick up girl. You have no one to talk to now. Your boyfriend is studying and not available, it won’t hurt to make a new friend.’ So, I picked up and he sounded excited.
He told me he wasn’t expecting me to pick up and that if I hadn’t, he would have kept calling till I gave up and I laughed. He was just too stubborn and seems to be the type to always chase after what he wanted until he got it. I found that attractive and I told him. We spoke for not so long and I got to know he was a professional model and a blogger. I found what he did interesting and he told me how fun his job was and he was so nice to talk to, that I didn’t want the call to end. But it did, when he said he had to pick another call.
Larry was a nice guy and I couldn’t deny but I had a boyfriend and I forgot to tell him that when we spoke. I didn’t know what I was doing, I felt confused. I didn’t want to make any mistakes, but I wanted new friends and felt Stanley might not be there all the time and needed my own life too. When did I start wanting to be independent from my own bestfriend? I wondered.
I watched the movie and woke up the next morning not knowing what time I actually slept off. I had to go to my department that morning to get my timetable and so I quickly showered, dressed up, called Stanley and then I left to my department. I met a girl at the department and she looked like a fresher and looked so confused. I approached her and said ‘hi, I’m Bola and I’m a fresher. I came to get the timetable.’ She replied and said her name was “Rabby” and she was also fresher and we walked to the notice board together. She seemed like a nice person and I felt glad; I had made a new friend. She seemed fashionable as well, and it made me happy.
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