DOUBLE DATE

      The night came quicker than Ethan expected and he was helpless watching Faith go for the double date, but he had nothing to say nor do. They were to meet at Faith and Nora's favourite karaoke bar and Ethan fought the urge to follow Faith secretly, but that was stalking. 

      A few hours later, the two couples sat facing each other, Nora and Danny sat side by side while Faith and Noah sat side by side. Nora was clearly unhappy and she didn't do anything to hide it, she stared fixedly at Noah without a word which made Noah so uncomfortable and always squirm in his seat. Danny was trying to cover up by talking but he was going on and on about nonsense. 

      Faith was uncomfortable too because of Nora's attitude and she constantly tried to give Nora a sign with her eyes to stop glaring at Noah, but Nora's eyes won't trail to hers they only remained on Noah. 

      "Alright, can we make a toast?!" Faith said a bit too loud. 

    Nora for once looked at her. She grinned at Nora and spoke through gritted teeth. 

      "Nora, could you please pop the champagne for us?" 

      Nora took the bottle and popped it, Danny, Noah and Faith clapped and cheered. Nora dropped the bottle and Danny leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear. 

      "Babe, you don't have to show that you are not happy." 

       Nora's gaze still fixed on Noah, she replied.   "You know I can't pretend." 

       "But your friend is happy." 

        "Because she is not seeing through his lies." 

    Faith raised her glass and beamed with smiles.  "A toast to coming together and new beginnings!"  They all clicked their glasses. 

    Nora gulped down her drink, dropped the glass on the table and faced Noah, leaning her elbow on the table. She squinted at him and Noah didn't know where else to look.  "So Noah, a few questions." 

       "Nora!" Danny cautioned, but Nora didn't stop nor mind him. 

       Noah chuckled. "Well, there is no harm in a few questions, right?" 

       Faith leaned her elbow on the table and placed her hand on her forehead in exasperation. Nora shifted closer. 

      "So, why did you leave at first? Why are you back?" 

      "Babe!" 

       "Don't babe me!" 

        "Nora, what's the meaning of this?" Faith asked. 

        "You know I can't pretend that everything is alright," Nora retorted.  

        "This is not really your business, if she loves him then let them be," Danny whispered. 

        "So that when he breaks her again, she comes running to me crying? Who worried to death all those nights that she was broken? With each passing day who was worried that she might harm herself or do something that might be dangerous to her health? Me! Who cried with her when she sees him with another woman? Me! So I felt as much pain as she felt, you don't dare tell me it's their business, because when he breaks her again, it won't be their business alone, I will get involved, you will get involved... "

       "Nora, enough!" Faith snapped. 

    Nora stopped and stared at her.  "You know what? I'm going to the bathroom." She looked from Faith to Noah.  "Excuse me." she stood up and left. 

      "Excuse me, I'll be right back," Faith said and eased out of her chair. She followed Nora to the female restroom calling her but Nora didn't stop she caught up with her and held her arm.  "Nora stop! What is wrong with you?!" 

       "What is wrong with me is that I cannot pretend to be happy when I'm not." 

       "Why, Nora?" 

        "Faith, he is just here because you wear makeup and wear these skimpy revealing dresses. This is not you Faith. I didn't say change can't happen but let it happen at your pace. What happens when you get tired of wearing too much makeup? He dumps you again and looks for a sexy and sassy girl? What if that time is in marriage?"

       "You are not making any sense right now." 

        "Am not?" 

        "Noah is back for me, he is back for good and he is a good man with intentions, whether you admit it or not. It doesn't matter how I look. For the makeup, I put a dense one to cover up my puffy eyes from so much crying for my dear brother and he is doing everything possible to make things right. What happened to second chances?" 

       "Faith, you are everything he hates. You are hygienic and he hates it, you are natural and he hates it, how do you want to cope with him?" 

        "You know, for once in your life, you should be happy for me!" 

      Nora was aghast.  "I have always been happy for you..."

       "You are not my mother," Faith snarled. "So, stop acting like I need your permission to do anything I want." 

     Tears welled up in Nora's eyes. She shook her head before she spoke.  "No, you don't need my permission. I'm just being a friend." 

      "Keep it to yourself! You are engaged and about to wed, you won't tell me that Danny has been a saint all along..." 

      Nora kept shaking her head.  "No, he hasn't and I haven't either…" 

       "Good, that shows that tolerance is essential. Right?" 

       "Faith, we tolerate each other. There are things that he does that irritates me so much, there are things that I do that he hates so much, but we learnt to live with each other like that, we try to compromise not leaving each other to chase frivolities..." 

      "I don't need your relationship advice, keep it to yourself. If you were in my shoes, you would do the same. You just ruined my date and that's the only thing you do, ruin me." 

       Nora's jaw dropped in utter surprise and Faith started leaving.   "Don't come running to me when he breaks your heart!" she called. Faith gave her the middle finger as she walked away. She blinked severally to stop the tears from streaming,  she sighed softly, turned to the mirror, and took out her kerchief to wipe her eyes. She took out her lipstick and reapplied it. 

        Noah paced about in his living room and Faith sat quietly watching him. She could tell he was furious but she didn't understand his fury. 

      "You know you could bump your feet if you keep walking about like that, " Faith said. 

      Noah turned to her sharply and glared at her.  "You sat there and watched your friend insult me." 

      "What?" Faith chuckled.  "Wait, are you going to blame me for this?" 

        "You should have said something!" 

       "Holy crap! I should have said something? What would you have me say? In public? You would have preferred I create a scene there? What are you even saying?" 

       "You let her control you..."

        "Noah! Noah! Nobody controls me, I have a mind of my own! You are beginning to piss me off! Why are you mad at me? You didn't say anything at that table, you didn't even try to defend yourself. What? You expected me to do that?!" 

        "I am trying my best to make this work..."

          "So am I, Noah! So am I!" 

          "No, you're not. You do everything to frustrate my plans, you go out with other men and you let your friends look down on me." 

        "You must be crazy! I didn't call for this dinner!" Faith stood up.  "Why are you transferring aggression on me?! What should I have done, closed Nora's mouth with my palm to stop her from speaking or pluck out her eyes to stop her from glaring at you? How is this my fault? When you decided to go on a double date, you should have braced yourself for this. You should have known that Nora finds it very difficult to pretend...!"

     "Now, you are supporting her." 

      "Noah, I'm discovering new sides to you. Gosh! Is this even an argument?!" She started leaving. 

      "Where do you think you are going?" 

       "Home! Why, do you have a problem with me going home now?" 

        "You don't dare walk out on me! I'm still talking to you." 

        "I can't sit or stand here and listen to you heap your senseless anger on me. I am not your fool!" 

        "Don't leave that door! We are not done talking!" 

         "We are not talking, you are raving mad!" 

         "You won't like what I'll do to you if you try leaving that door." 

        "Is that a threat? I'll like to see you do it." She opened the door and left the room. She turned back when she was on the porch and saw him still standing there watching her.

    She walked towards his driveway, farther from where he would see her and stopped. She huffed and puffed, trying to stop the tears from flowing. What is wrong with everybody? Why is everyone frustrating her? Why is everyone thinking it is her fault? Maybe, there was something wrong with her truly. Dr Adriana might be right, something is definitely wrong with her. 

   She kicked off her shoes, threw her bag and sat on the gravel floor in  frustration. Pulling her knees towards her chest, she wrapped her arms around them, placed her head on her knees and wept.