TO HAVE AND TO HATE

CHAPTER 14

GABBY

‘So why didn’t you come with your car today? Why should your boyfriend be the one to pick us from school? We can always get on a cab back to your place,’ Tessa whines for the hundredth time this afternoon. Class ended about twenty minutes ago but we are still at school waiting for Nico to pick us up. I asked Tessa to come home with me today on the pretext of having her help me work on an assignment, in actual sense we are just heading to Nico’ house so we can all spend some time together. Nico wants her to hook up with his best friend and even though I don’t like Leon I think this double date thing is a good idea and Tessa needs a man, she is too serious with life. You would think she is fifty instead of seventeen.

‘Is this your boyfriend even coming?’

‘Tessa child, he just texted, he will be here in a few minutes.’

‘I should have already been home by now if I allowed my mother to pick me up. I thought we would use a cab to your house then you drop me home later when we get done with assignments. I don’t like waiting around like this, you know I am…,’

‘Time conscious?’ I ask, cutting off mid-sentence. ‘I know best friend and on behalf of my boyfriend, I apologize in advance. Relax, he will be here soon and please be on your best behavior when D shows up.’

‘You know I don’t like him; I don’t even know why you keep bringing him around me.’

I laugh. It doesn’t even get me upset that she talks about him like this. Tessa hates Nico and doesn’t even do much to hide her dislike for him, she thinks he is a bad influence and that I can do better when it comes to men. Well, she doesn’t understand because she has never even had a boyfriend before, when she gets to have one, she will understand that the heart wants what it wants no matter how chaotic it might be. I am two years older than Tessa so I get to experience things earlier than she does. She made a promise to her parents to only start dating when she turns eighteen and like the obedient daughter that she is, she has kept to her word.

You know Tessa is my opposite in every way, she is reserved and controlled, she is so serious with life and loves school so much. On the other hand, I am bold, impulsive and carefree. Tessa is the child that every parent wishes they had. Despite all her seriousness about life, I love this girl to death, she is like the sister I never had. Our friendship is weird but we complement each other and create a very balanced friendship.

‘Nico is a good guy, if you give him a chance, you will get to know that.’

‘I don’t even want to give him that chance.’

‘Fine.’

‘If he is not here in the next few minutes, I am ditching you.’

I roll my eyes. ‘You want me to fail?’

‘You have never failed Gabby. What happened to the people you pay to write assignments for you?’

I laugh, ‘I just want to take school seriously for once. I just want to do an assignment alone, with your help of course.’

‘Okay fine. I am only doing this because I want you to start doing assignments on your own.’

‘I know bestie.’

My phone vibrates indicating a new text. It’s Nico saying he is outside. I don’t even know why he took him this long to drive from his school to ours. Nico can be so irritating sometimes but I don’t want to admit that loud.

‘He is here, let’s go.’

‘Finally.’

We grab our bags and head out to the car park. I get into the front seat and lean in to kiss Nico, ‘I lean in to give him a kiss and he smells like floral perfume. I frown, my heart already boiling with anger but I don’t want to start an argument with Tessa in the back of the car. Nico was probably with some cheap girl at his school before he drove here to meet us. I hate that we don’t go to the same school and I am not able to monitor his movements.

I lean back and buckle my seat belt.

‘Hi Tessa,’ Nico says.

‘Hi,’ she responds casually.

‘How was school baby?’ he asks, starting the car.

‘School was okay. You?’

‘It was amazing.’

‘Yeah, I can see that,’ I mumble under my breath.

‘What?’

‘Nothing.’

We drive in silence for a few minutes before Tessa speaks up.

‘Where are we heading to? I thought he was driving us to your place, Gabby.’

Silence.

‘Gabby, I asked you a question.’

‘Well, I was hoping we could do the assignment from his place.’

‘Why?’

‘I didn’t clean up the place before coming to school. So, his place will be more conducive.’

My parents are on the Copperbelt so they rent me an apartment in Mass media.

‘We can clean up before we do the assignment.’

‘Or we can do the assignment from an already clean apartment.’

‘Gabby, you know I hate this right.’

‘Babe, he will not eat you up.’

‘Why should I be forced to go to your man’s house? I don’t want this; can you please drop me right here and I will get a cab back home.’

Nico laughs, I know that laughter. I know he is about to act silly so I signal for him to shut it otherwise the plan will backfire.

‘Fine, we will go to my apartment but we have to pass through his first.’

‘Why?’

‘That’s where my car is. I slept at his house and he dropped me off this morning because I didn't feel like driving.’

‘Fine.’

*

EllaB

The August Girl

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