68: "IF YOU ARE NOT SURE OF ME, WHAT ABOUT DANIELLA?"

"Just pack it here," Clara told the driver as we arrived at the restaurant.

Few people were taking their meals, it seems most of the people stayed at home to watch the streaming of the funeral.

Damien was at the entrance of the restaurant waiting for us just as he had promised.

We alighted from the Nissan and made our way towards Damien.

"Hey, dude?" I greater him.

"Damn, did it require that much respect?" Asked Damien while looking at other music members who were still getting out of the Nissan.

"Wanted to give a good image of the school," I told him.

Clara waded past me and quickly hugged Damien then placed a peck on his cheeks.

"Hello babe," she greeted. While wiping some lipstick off his cheeks.

"Hey, are you okay?" Asked Damien while holding her waist.

Clara looked at me then back to her boyfriend who was now busy playing with a strand of her hair.

"Everything is fine, just funeral fever," she said.

Damien nodded and went to say 'hi' to the other members.

"Are you still mad at me?" I asked Clara after seeing her focus on her phone.

"No, am just checking some post on Instagram Davids," she said and showed me her phone.

"Okay, if we are good am happy," I told her smiling.

"Let's get some food and think of how your arm is going to be chopped," she chuckled while patting me on my shoulder.

Damien walked us to the seats that were at the beachside, they were cool, you could see the water beneath the seats, the water was clear and it drew a magnificent picture.

Dad must have inspected this area and decided on these sides.

"Dude, I thought these sides are for the reserved and VIP?" I asked Damien while he was showing everyone where to seat.

"This is what was paid for, so we must treat our guest as per the check!" He said while signalling for Victor where to seat.

"Dude, can we like just remove our shoes and sway our legs while eating?" Asked Victor after seeing the scene.

"Haha, unless you want your legs to b fish's food it's okay to remove your shoes," mocked Damien.

Everyone else laughed at his statement. Though fish don't bite they will tickle a little thinking that it's food for them.

I left with Damien to get help the waiter and waitress with food. It was self-service so it was not going to be a big hustle for them.

"Good afternoon Mr Marcus," I greeted Damien's uncle who was inspecting the food before sending it.

"David's come here son," he said while opening his hands wide for me to get in.

"I am a girl Mr Marcus!" I told him in a fake cry.

"Silly me, I keep forgetting, but the way you look is perfect, beautifully handsome if I may say," he said in his Italian accent.

"Thank you Mr," I replied while looking at the tray of food that was being escorted out.

"I've seen your performance in the funeral and I must say it's emotionally perfect," he said.

Wow, he watched the ceremony and managed to notice us with our singing. 

"Thank you, we are now hungry and am gonna follow that and get something," I told him while pointing at the tray that Damien was holding.

"Okay, make sure you see me before you go home," he said and I nodded while running off with juice glasses in my hands.

The food looked delicious even before I tasted it.  Steak, fries, salad and juice. I just admit that the order was good to make us full.

Damien ordered everyone to stand in a line and do their service.

"Victor girls first," cried Clara when Victor stomped the first in the line.

"Sweetheart, not now am hungry!" Said Victor while placing fries in his place.

Other boys gave him a look but he didn't care, instead, he went ahead and served his food.

The other girls followed, Clara filled his place with steak and a little salad I gave Damien a look and he just laughed. "She has some really bad cravings," said Damien while pouring the juices in the jar.

"She will soon gain weight, it's good for her," I said and picked the jars filled with juice placing them on each table.

When everyone was done, Damien and I decided to fill our plates too and went to join our fellows in respective tables.

Natalia was still quiet, she was munching her food silently without talking. I don't know what happened to her and I swear I didn't do anything to her.

"How do you find the steak?" I asked her to strike a conversation.

She didn't raise her head, instead, she picked a fry and dipped it into her sauce and nodded her head.

Clara and Damien shot her a look when they didn't hear any sound from her.

"Guys, about the weekend picnic next weekend are you guys ready?" I asked them to try and ease the situation.

Clara shot her head up from the food in front of her. 

"Picnic? What are we Davids? 5?" She asked with food in her mouth.

Damien laughed at her and she almost checked on her food.

"Clara, come on, we are going to do lots of activities, swimming, bowling, zip lining," I told her while handing her a glass of juice.

"Thanks," she mum led while taking the glass.

"It's a good idea ben, don't you think?" Damien asked Clara who was drinking the juice in huge gulps.

"Wait, the term she used at first sounded childish, am in babe," said Clara placing the glass back to the table.

"Natalia what about you, you can bring your friends along," said Clara while munching on the fries.

Natalia didn't leave her head up, instead, she went on with eating her food like there was no conversation taking place around her. 

"Am feeling uncomfortable," 

The way she is behaving, she is always happy, chubby and talks a lot, but ever since we climbed into the Nissan, she has not said a word.

Natalia what is wrong, you are making me worried," I asked her in a low tone.

She pushed her food in front the gave me a look. Disgust, I'm pleased.

"Uncomfortable?" She asked in a plain tone.

I pushed my food aside and picked her hands, "come," I told her but she removed her hands from mine quickly.

"I don't want to, am fine!" She said in a harshed tone.

Clara and Damien were just staring at her not knowing what was wrong with her. I bent down and whispered to her, "Not now Natalia, please we need to talk," 

I held her hands and she followed me outside.

"What now Davids, eh?" She asked as soon as we reached outside throwing my hands away.

"Natalia, please stop being this way and tell me what is wrong with you," I asked her trying to calm her down.

"You know what is wrong Davids, you know what is wrong stop pretending like you don't know," she shouted poking my chest.

Her anger could be detected in his voice. She did not break down because that will have been hard for me.

I lifted my hands and carefully placed them on her cheeks, caressing them gently. I didn't mean anything, I just wanted her to be okay. She leaned into my hands and calmed down.

"Why did you touch her that way?" She asked after some time.

"Wait is she talking about the incident with Daniella?" 

I removed my hands from her cheeks and looked at her, "is she falling for me now?" Natalia is beautiful trust me, she has humour, brains but am not into her and the feelings she has are just nothing, she may be obsessed with me but she doesn't love me, plus I love Daniella and not her but how am I going to tell her that it's not her it's Daniella.

"Can you please look my way for once Davids?" She asked startling me from my thoughts. 

What will I tell her now, how will I explain to Natalia that she is delusional and she doesn't love me? Or maybe am the one delusional about Daniella, maybe am trying to male her someone she is not, maybe she loves Vin and never loves me but am trying to force her to love me!

"You see you can't, you love her and you don't have any feelings for me," she said breaking down in front of me. 

I bent down and reached her position, "No Natalia, am here with you,  but I don't want to say something I don't mean yet," I said to her while holding her right to stop her cries.

"But if you are not sure of me, what about Daniella?" She asked.

"Am I?" I don't know what am sure of truly, am I sure that Daniella was meant for me or like my ex she will go leave me? Or Natalia is the woman who is chasing me and loves me but is busy pushing her away from me. 

They say, the ones that we love are not the ones that love is, but the ones that love is are the ones we chase away!

******†******†******

Thanks for reading, I love you.