CHAPTER 2

Falling In Love With Evil

I leave for the cafeteria but I run into some guys from class on my way there.

“Miss Smarty pants! So you and your English boyfriend think you are better than us.” He says as he mimics the things we were saying but I decide to ignore them and attempt to walk away but one of them holds my wrist so tight I find myself crying instantly.

“You are hurting me.” I say crying and they laugh.

“Get your filthy hands off of her.” Timothy's voice echoes but they laugh at him.

“Or what?” Jonathan says laughing.

“Or I’ll kill you.” He says with a cold look and his voice cold as ice. He has a frown and his look is just deadly. He seems callous to me.

“Oooh! I'm scared” Jonathan says, still holding my wrist so tight but what happens next shocks me to my core. Timothy has his hands sinking in on Jonathan’s throat so tight that for a second I think he is going to kill him.

He looks like a lion ready to pounce on his prey or a vampire thirsty for blood.

“Are you ready to let go?” he asks Jonathan whose face has turned red and he slowly nods.

He finally lets him go and Jonathan coughs out like an old man whose throat is dry from all the smoking of 40 years.

“Are you okay?” he asks me and I nod and he takes my hand as we leave for the cafeteria.

“Thank you.” I say and he smiles.

“Any guy in my position would have done that. You into literature I see.” He says this time giving me a full smile and for a moment I am lost in his eyes. He snaps a finger in front of me.

“Do you have a problem of staring at people or what? It’s really creepy you know.” He says looking concerned but I laugh.

“Honestly there is something about your eyes that just has me hooked.” I say and he laughs at me.

“Oka-y I don’t know if that’s a good thing.” He says laughing and we go to the cafeteria where we get food and sit down.

“So do you stay here or in the suburbs?” I ask him and he chuckles.

“Well I stay in the suburbs but I take it you stay around here and pretty close from school.” He says and I laugh at him.

“How do you know that I stay near school.” I ask him and a smirk curves on his lips.

“I saw you walking to school so I assumed you stayed around here.” He says and I nod.

“So how is London? I'd like to go there someday.” I ask him looking into his black eyes, then my eyes travel down to his small lips as he chews . He laughs probably aware of what I am doing.

“Well London is great, it’s beautiful but it can be extremely cold at times. I'm sure you'd want to visit art museums and stuff like that.” He says and I nod.

We eat our meals in silence then after that we go to our next classes.

“ I need to get to my history class but I’ll see you after that. Give me your number so I can call you after my class . Where are you headed to anyway?.” He asks me .

“I am going to my criminology class. It’s just two classes away from yours.” I tell him and he nods as we walk down the corridors. We reach his class and he enters and I proceed to my class.

The class really drags and the only thing on my mind is Timothy. Never have I felt like that for someone . I am totally drawn to him.

The siren goes off and we pack our stuff. He calls me to tell me that he is waiting for me outside my class and I tell him that I am coming.

He asks me to show him around the school since we both don’t have more classes to attend. I show him around and after that he offers to drive me home.

“Thank you Tim for saving me from those guys.” I tell him as we drive and he smiles not taking his eyes off the road.

“Stop thanking me Azande we are friends now so don’t fret it.” He says and I laugh.

“What’s so amusing?” he asks and I smile.

“Your accent is so cute, makes my name sound like a character from a book.” I tell him and he laughs hard this time. The sound is weird but comforting. His eyes actually warm up and aren’t as dark as they were.

We finally reach my house and I give him a hug.

“Thanks for the ride Tim. I'll see you tomorrow.” I tell him and he smiles as I get out of the car.

“I'll see you tomorrow.” He says with a dashing smile as he winks at me.

I enter the house and head to my room. I throw myself on my bed and smile.

“Timothy Wickham!” my mind drifts off to him.

“Azande, uphi?” (Where are you?”) My mom calls for me and I go to her. She is sitting in the living room watching television.

“Mom, I didn’t realize that you were back already. How was work?” I ask her and she tells me about her day at work. She is an I.T specialist. My mother is pretty young I was conceived at 20 .

“Well how was your day? How was school?” She asks me and I smile.

“My day was great mom, I made a friend today. He is new at school, all the way from London, can you believe it? That’s cool right?” I say excitedly and she laughs at me.

“Someone is super excited today! Seems like you like him.” She says laughing and I smile.

“Mama he is unique. Different and unusual. He is unbelievably good looking and there is something inviting about his eyes. He is just enchanting If I may say and I have been consumed by him ever since I saw him today.” I say and my mom shakes her head in disbelief!

“This is a first! I have never heard you talk about someone like this. Do you like him?” she asks and I look at her totally confused.

“Mama, honestly I don’t know. I know that he fascinates me and that he is a mystery I would like to unravel but I don’t know if I do like him or not.” I tell her and she holds my tiny hand into hers.

“That’s okay. Give it time, you will realize whether you like him or that you just like him as a friend. Please make me coffee I need it I am so tired.” She says and I nod and head to the kitchen.

We watch the news and I look at mom as I hand her the cup of coffee . She seems disturbed then the news remind me the reason why she is sad. “This day marks 19 years since the men in the army were ambushed by enemies and fought till their last breath.” The reporter talks and I see tears stream down my mother’s face. My dad was one of those soldiers that were martyred on that day. My mother’s first and last love . They had just gotten married and my dad was to come back after an assignment and they would look for a house and get ready for my birth. It was a very tragic hit for my mother and I don’t think she will ever recover.

I sit next to her and lay my head on her shoulder.

“Mama please don’t cry. He gave up his life for his country. “ I say teary and her silent cry soon breaks into a loud sob.

“I know baby he was a very brave man. The bravest soldier I’d ever met and he was a good man. He loved us so much. He was so excited when I told him I was pregnant he made a calendar, he began counting down. He was going to be the best dad.” She says sobbing which makes me cry even more.

Later in my room I get through with my school work then lay on my bed just to be disturbed by my phone vibrating.

“Hello?” I answer really not in the mood for a phone call.

“Aza It’s Timothy.” His voice echoes through the phone's speaker and I feel my heart race. I suddenly have an urge to pee I sit up straight.

“Oh Tim. You alright?” I ask him and he tells me that he is fine and that he was checking up on me.

“Why do you sound down though? What happened?” he asks me with a voice full of concern.

“Today is my Father’s death anniversary. 19 years now.” I say as I feel my throat itch and a lump form.

“Oh my God I didn’t know. What happened? I am so sorry for your loss.” He comforts me and I sniff.

“It’s okay. I didn’t even get to meet him. He was a soldier and was martyred.” I tell him and I feel an old wound open up .

“I am so sorry for your loss and if there is anything I can do for you please do tell me. What time do you have classes tomorrow?” He asks me and I tell him that I have classes later around 2pm.

“Okay , can I pick you up tomorrow morning? We will go for Breakfast and see what we do with our day till class starts.” He asks me and I feel like jumping on the bed.

“That would be nice thank you. You can pick me up around 8am I’ll be ready by then. Okay?” I tell him and we talk for some more time and hang up when we done.

I jump on my bed! What the hell is happening to me? I have never felt this . I have never been this excited to talk to someone before. I am really not experienced in these things so I just don’t know what it is.