Her phone seemed to be ringing endlessly.
Elizabeth, her roommate must have stalked off somewhere when Joseph had dropped her off at her lodge.
She reached out to her shelf, picked up her phone and tried a tired yawn. Her head ached tremendously, she could barely recall what had occured the previous night.
Although, she caught flashes and glipmses of Matthew's lips in her head. Had he kiis her, or had she kissed him?
Of course, she had came with Joseph to Chad's birthday party. Maybe, it was Joseph's lips displaying on the walls of her mind. Yet, goosebumps shot through her body when she recalled the words of Matthew's.
"Yet, you crave for me,"
Her emotions were betraying her. She had drunk herself nuts all because Matthew had brought in a new girlfriend. She was visibly jealous as well as shaken by what she had done. Maybe, she had wanted him to kiss her.
She shut her eyes at such ecstasy.
Then, she placed the phone close to her right ear, "Hello," she said into the phone without looking at the caller id.
"Hello, Lola. I've been calling you almost all night,"
She recognized the voice, it was her favorite cousin, Johnson. "Why, Johnson? I went for a party and I had to sleep all through the day. Shouldn't you be at work?"
"I called in sick today," he replied her.
"Why? What happened?" She asked, holding the side of her head, her head felt heavy, she felt as if her head was splitting into four equal halves.
"Ella came to see me yesterday."
"Ella?" She shrieked.
"Yeah, she drove all the way down here but we have broken up six months ago. Why would she go through all that... For what's worst, I was with my girlfriend," Johnson explained.
Lola laughed, sitting up, "Girlfriend? You never told me that you've already found yourself a new girl, who's she?"
Johnson laughed at that, "her name's Stacey."
"Stacey? She sounds like a good type. So, what's making you worried?"
"Wait, aren't you supposed to be in class?" Johnson asked her.
"We don't have classes till noon," she answered him.
"I'm into Stacey. She's the carefree kind of girl, sweet and full of smiles. Infact, I had my first date with her yesterday. She was supposed to . ..," he paused, "Ella appeared out of no where, ever since Ella left, I can't stop thinking of Ella."
"Why will you be thinking of Ella? Stacey is hurt, you need to go and apologize and clear up all misunderstandings. Ella is only an Ex. Stacey will understand."
Johnson nodded, "I know, I know but...I missed Ella. When I saw her, I wanted to hold her in my arms."
Lola sighed, pulling herself up, "Ella will recover from whatever heartbreak. Do you want her back?"
"No, I don't," he objected.
"Then, you have to move on, Johnson. Go and make amends with Stacey. I don't know why you simply stay home whining about how Ella had came to see you."
"Don't start with that," he taunted.
"I'm not pulling your legs, Johnson. I'm just stating facts. If you feel pity for Stacey, let her know. If you don't, clear up any sorta of misunderstanding."
Johnson scoffed, "my little girl is already becoming a relationship councilor," he laughed.
"I think I need to go to the school, acquire a degree in it and....," She played along, laughing in delight.
"Whose party did you attend?" Johnson asked.
"A friend of my boyfriend," she giggled.
"Boyfriend? I think I'm missing the whole gist. Matthew is your boyfriend?"
She rolled her eyes, "Matthew isn't my boyfriend. Joseph is, he's my colleague studying the same course as I am."
Johnson scoffed, "you sure you like this Joseph."
"He's a good guy, that's all that matters."
"Do you like him?" Johnson repeated.
Lola was quiet for a while, she sighed, "I do like Matthew a lot," she confessed.
"Then, why are you with Joseph?"
"Because he's cool unlike Matthew. Matthew is a Playboy. You clearly told me to avoid me and that's what I'm doing."
Johnson sighed, "If Matthew will change for you, he will do so only if he likes you. Maybe a chance with him is attainable."
"That chance goes to Joseph. I have to go now, Johnson. I need to wash up." She was actually cutting him off.
"I see what you're doing but that's fine." He said.
She laughed, after some more pleasant words with him, she cut the call.
*****
Johnson dressed up in a new outfit, doused himself in his masculine cologne, smiled back at himself in his reflection then started out to Stacey's house. From her previous description of her place, he luckily found her attending to Ghost her dog.
When she saw him, she smiled at him warmly.
"How are you, Ghost?" Johnson asked, squatting beside Stacey as he patted Ghosted ruffled hairs.
"What are you doing here?" She asked him.
"I came to see you, Stacey. I missed you," he said.
She scooffed, standing up to place the lease close to a rod. Johnson followed closely behind her then she stopped and turned around to face him.
"Johnson what do you want from me? That woman was clearly someone from your past, your ex maybe. What do you want from me?"
Johnson recovered from his momentarily shock, then he reached out to touch her hands, "Yes, she is an ex. I'm so sorry that I didn't come after you. I feel so sad....,"
"Stop with the stories, Johnson. I feel like you are one of those guy that toy with someone's feelings." She dropped his hands.
Johnson grabbed them at once, "no, Stacy! I... I.... I know that I was barely beginning to know you. But, I really do like you. I want you, I really do."
She pushed herself backwards, watching the expression on his face. "The Johnson I saw last night was clearly taken by this ex. She is someone who you intently want to keep. Go and think again if you really want me. I can't be a girl to be tossed around. When you're done with the thoughts, whatever you decide should be your answer."
Johnson was speechless, he hadn't expected such reply from her. She really surprised him. Saying too much wouldn't get to her, maybe she was right. He did need to think about his point of actions.
What does he really want?
"Stacey," he called.
She looked up at him.
"I'm never gonna let you go, neither will I give up on you." He told, came closer, pecked her on her cheek and turned to go.
******
Ella met Meliana later and was bawling her eyes out. All her efforts to get Johnson for herself had seemed furtile. What had she expected? That Johnson would embrace her and kissed her like he'd really missed her?
She still wanted Johnson, she missed him so much that her heart ached. Who was she fooling? that Johnson would have accepted her without giving a fuck about what she had done to him. She broke up with him, stating why she wouldn't agree to his plans of him moving to another town away from where he had grown up.
Meliana tried to pet her, after awhile she received a call from Jack. Then, she requested something from Jack when had Ella puzzled.
"You need to dress up. Clean up and look the bright girl that you've always been. Why cry for Johnson. Move on, babe. Clearly, Johnson has." Meliana told Ella.
"I'm ready to go back on my words. I need Johnson," Ella whined.
"Clearly, Johnson doesn't need you too. You need to wake up and do the right thing. Don't worry, Jerry will bring a gift for you."
Together, they got dressed in the evening, went out on a date. Jack brought his other friend, Lenon to the date, so it was a double date.
Lenon liked Ella at once and together they hit it up. They became quite chatty that the two got away leaving Jack and Meliana all to themselves.
******
Meanwhile, three tables across from them was Jerry dressed in oversized jacket, a pair of dark shades and a face cap, he sat covering his face with a newspaper watching his ex girlfriend and her new man.
Jerry had been stalking his ex girlfriend for a while. He still missed her. He intently knew that Meliana had been seeing Jack. He felt bruised that she was living fine without him. Although he wanted her back, yet he was still a coward for not walking up to their table.
All he could do was watch from afar.
And then some instrumentalists played some music while they danced at the dance floor and everyone was smiling at their love.
Jerry was certainly disgusted.
Was this the love Meliana wanted? He could do all that?
To him, all this was easy.
When he saw them kissed, his heart shattered into tiny pieces. Meliana was gone, there was no turning back. That kiss shared between Meliana and Jack explained everything better to him.
Sadly, he picked up himself accepting fate then turned to leave.
*******
"Did you remember what happened last night?" Joseph couldn't hold himself much longer.
What had happened the previous night was troubling him and he needed to speak up.
Lola looked up from what she was writing, looking transfixed at such a question.
"I do not remember all details, Joseph. But I do remember you took me home before I misbehave," Lola tried a smile before returning to what she was doing.
"You were drunk last night, Lola. That sight of you was clearly unbelievable," he went on to rant.
Lola stopped to watch him, she must have made a fool of herself at Chad's party for Joseph to say this to her.
"I do not remember all its details, Joseph. But I do appreciate you getting me home. What's gotten into you?"
"The minute Matthew and his girlfriend started playing love, you started drinking like your life depended on it,"
"I don't understand. Why will you assume such a thing?" She asked him, annoyed.
Joseph slammed his fists to the table which had Lola frightened to the bone, she watched his clenched fists, careful with her words.
They were sitting close to the cafeteria, away from prying eyes.
"Joseph, what has gotten into you?" She asked him.
"I've been patient with you, Lola for a long period of time. It is clear that you haven't gotten over Matthew. While I'm here begging for your love, he still wins your heart doing nothing. You hurt me so much, Lola."
Lola was puzzled as she watched his face, "I'm not inlove with Matthew," she denied.
"You still lie to my face, Lola."
"I'm not," she told him, her voice soft and tender, frightened by the new look of Joseph.
Just then, Mathew and two other guys passed by, he didn't stop to greet Lola as usual. But, Joseph watched her as she continued to watch him even while he had gone far into the distance. Even as he had passed by, Matthew had winked at her.
Joseph smirked to himself, gathered up his books and stood up.
"Where are you going?" Lola asked.
"I'm leaving you before I do something I regret," he told her.
What did he mean by that? Will he really do something to her, will he really hit her?
Joseph was certainly aggressive behind his gentility.
She watched him leave and did nothing.
Maybe, it was for the best.