P for Perfect

Chapter 6- Travis

You're a terrible liar- Osas

The anticipation for the opening party is building up. It's evident from the posters, the proposals and the decorations. Perfect Prefects that we are, the Council has gone far in the preparation. As I stand in the hall, accessing the large banner on the stage I can hardly believe I helped to put it there.

The hall is rid of people with the exception of Faith, London, Jibril and myself. Jibril and Faith are busy exchanging ideas to relay to the decorations committee. I think it's rather too late for the 'touch up' they're so eager to make. The party is literally 3 days away.

"Travis, did you bring the pins?" London asks from where she's standing near the punch table.

"Yeah, here you-" before I can finish though, she's already snatched it from my grip and gone back to setting it up. How does she move so fast? In order not to look so deflated I decide to busy myself with the balloons. Taking a comfortable seat the window I start blowing each, one by one.

The sad truth is that I like London. I say it's sad because I feel like it's just expected. I hate when people ask me, who's your crush? And I actually have to lie to them and say I don't have any. I shouldn't have any, aren't I old enough to not have a crush?

Well either way I do, and it's her. But she obviously doesn't even notice me. Like at all. When I'm talking with my dudes and she comes around she sees Alex and Umar but she doesn't see me. No matter how hard I try.

"Are you giving up so easily?" A voice in my head asks and I immediately shake my head.

"Of course not, wait-" I look up and find the 'voice' staring at me. I've always known Faith was not normal.

"Dude! Why'd you sneak up on me like that?" I yell, belatedly experiencing shock. Faith doesn't budge though, she takes one of the balloons and starts to blow air into it. Her balloon is way smaller than mine. It's also very similar to her head.

"You should try to make it a bit less obvious," she says, handing me the pint sized balloon.

"What?" I grunt, taking it from her.

"I don't want to spell it out for you to save your face. She wouldn't be my first choice but I can help you. If you help me." Her voice goes a tad bit too sinister for my honest brain, forcing me to look at her.

"What are you talking about?"

"You and London," she blurts out of frustration. "I can help you get a shot with her."

I consider her statement. She's aware of my crush. And now she wants to help me even though we aren't friends.

"And what do you get in return?"

"You help me, to get a shot with...Alex," the last part is a struggle for her to say. Rightfully so because the moment the words come out my eyes turn into saucers.

"What? You and Alex?"

"Shhhh! Ah, why are you so loud?"

"Sorry. It's the shock," I apologise, lowering my voice.

"Will you help me?"

"This is going to be private right? Just us two?"

"Obviously, I have way more to lose than you if it ever comes out," she rolls her eyes at me.

"Fine then. Deal."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"How does this look?" Umar asks, coming out of the dressing room in a dark tuxedo that is so starched his shoulders look like a straight line.

"Wow, this is first class quality," I nod encouragingly but he gives me a bored look.

"That's all you've been saying since we got here," he chides me.

"Maybe it's because everything in here is first class quality," I defend, giving him my innocent look.

"Seriously though, which one of them fits me the most?" He asks, already removing the black tux. This is a tough decision because this is Umar. Umar the Model, I'm not even kidding here. His body is just right and so he makes things right. Whatever he throws on sticks to him, be it our horrible uniform, sweaters, knitted cardigans, rags, whatever it is, you name it, he'll rock it.

Hence, I'm just gonna rely on my own preference.

"The blue one," I announce my decision once he's out of the dressing room and back into his normal clothes.

"Really? Don't you think it'll be too flashy?"

"You asked for my opinion," I remind him. He nods quickly in submission and takes our suits from the rack where we kept them.

"Besides, knowing those people someone will come to that party wearing a gold suit," I add. The thought makes me chuckle. Someone like that wannabe blogger Temi.

"I'm ready to go all out though, it's our last Welcome party Trav," Umar reminds me. Like I'd forgotten.

"So?"

"So we might never get to do this again, we've got to make it memorable!"

I give Umar a side look, tired of his smoochy talk. In the 4 years I've known him he has never cared to look at himself in the mirror but today he made me sit and watch him play dress up for half an hour. And he's chalking it all up to 'sentiments'.

"Abeg shut up and tell me who she is," I call him out, shrugging his hand off my shoulders.

"Ahan, who are you talking about?"

"You're telling me there's no girl, this isn't about a girl?"

"Well-"

"Yes or no."

"Maybe."

"I talk am!"

"Guy shut up okay? I don't know yet," he shushes me as if the people in the store care about his teenage crush.

"You don't know if you like her abi you don't know if she likes you?"

"I don't know if she likes me. I think she does but I'm treading lightly here," he explains. I give him a blank look.

"You're going to ask her to the dance right?" I ask flatly.

"Yes."

"Then how are you treading lightly?"

"You'll see guy. You'll see." His upper lips quirk up and he places his hand back on my shoulders, seemingly satisfied by just imagining what life would be if the girl in question agreed.

That would be nice wouldn't it?

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Ah, so you've officially met all six of them. What do you think? Drop the comments below. You can also check out my IG page @the_nerd_goldie for more aesthetics.

QOTD:
How many crushes have you had?

I've had only two, very boring of me:-)