Lies

I walked in on Sara typing excitedly on her phone and frowned.

Who was she texting?

"Hey!" I called out from behind and she turned.

"What's up Cam?" She scrutinized me carefully and then pocketed her phone.

"You don't look too happy." She observed. "you're alright?"

"Yup." I replied, popping the p. "I'm fine. It's just the stress from last night, you know. I stayed awake all night doing assignments."

Her face scrunched up with a frown.

"Sorry. The beginning of a new semester is always like that. You remember how our first semester was?" She asked.

"I do. I think this one is all planned out. Who begins a new semester with assignments?" I snickered. "Who were you texting anyways? You looked happy." I asked.

Her face grew hot as her smile returned and flourished.

"That was Lucas. He made some silly statement." She said.

"You're texting each other already?" I scrunched up my nose in disgust. "Way to go, girlfriend."

She dipped her head. "You sound like it's a bad thing."

"No. Not at all." I hurriedly told her. "It's just that, I've never seen you engrossed in your phone this much. You like him that much?"

She blushed and pinched my arms. "Who said anything about liking him? I just appreciate his sense of humor. Nothing much."

I smiled.

"Calm down Sara, no need to be so defensive. Sense of humor my ass."

Sara turned bright pink and lunged after me. "Honestly Cam, I find him intriguing. You should get to know him."

"And that's how you start liking someone." I told her and ran off, certain of what would come next.

"You're so disgusting." Sara scrunched her nose and threw a book at me.

Being me, the ducking mistress, I ducked it easily. I've been ducking things from Miguel.

Try better next time." I told her laughing loudly and out of breath.

"I won't miss next time." She said, coming to stand next to me. "That excercise was needless."

I grinned. "You're welcome." I teased.

"Oh, please, shut up." She grinned. "Nice hairstyle by the way."

She reached out to touch my hair, but I brushed it aside, quickly. This was not just some random hairstyle. It was a protective hairstyle.

I brushed my hair and left it to fall across my right cheek. It was not that pretty, as Sara liked to exaggerate. Miguel had hit me last night, and left a purple bruise on my right cheek.

After trying and failing several times to cover up the bruises with make, I settled for using my hair.

I was not ready for questions I knew Sara would ask me.

"Protective much?" Sara smirked. "You won't even let your best friend touch your hair?"

I let out a loud snort. "Sorry best girl, I can't risk going for my first class with ruffled hair." I lied.

"Whatever. You checked out those youtube videos I sent you?" She enquired.

I nodded.

"I did. They're cool, but too revealing."

"Come on. They're just some back to school video ideas. Everyone wears those." She told me.

"Sara, I can't do something because everyone is doing it. They're cool alright, but it's just not my thing."

"What is your thing then?" She asked me. "Besides, what's up with you and long sleeves?" She asked dragging me along with her to class.

"I just like wearing them." I told her through my teeth.

Truth is, my body had scars, thanks to Miguel. Wearing revealing dresses would certainly give that out. People would talk, they'd want to know, that was embarrassingly enough.

"You're too boring." She smirked. "I'm craving this hot African delicacy I just tried it once, but I swear, Cam, I'm addicted. Wanna come along?"

"Does your delicacy have a name?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"Absolutely." She frowned, obviously trying to recall the name of the delicacy she spoke of. "It's fofo and okro soup. Quite thick and sticky."

"We're going to be late." I told her.

"Class doesn't start till about two hours from now. That's enough time." She replied. "Coming?"

"Like I have a choice?" I retorted.

She laughed out loudly. "You can't. No one can resist Sara Jin."

"Definitely not Lucas." I teased her.

"Say that again and I'd be tempted to hit you." She chided.

I groaned.

"It's the truth Sara."

"Whatever." She retorted, a small smile creeping up her lips.

"Oh mygod Sara, I hate crowded places. And the cafeteria happens to be one of them." I told her when we arrived at the cafeteria.

"That's why you're with me." Sara replied. "Another thing we have to work on."

"What?" I asked her.

"Your antisociality." She rolled her eyes. "What are you ordering?"

"The same thing as you." I said.

I placed my bag on the table and took out my phone,to keep myself busy.

"Really?" Sarah inquired, peering down at me. "It's a heavy meal, I must warn you. I'm eating only because I crave it so badly."

She held her tummy for emphasis.

"Good." I replied. "I haven't had breakfast,vans what you've described fits my ideal description. Order for two."

"No worries babe, bills on me." She replied, walking off to place an order.

She returned moments later, accompanied by two servers.

The aroma hit me even before the tray containing the dishes was placed on our table. My tummy growled loudly.

"What's this?" I asked Sara, pointing to the plate with a white stuff inside. It was shaped squarely and didn't smell bad.

"That's the fofo." She replied. "You're gonna have to wash your hand in the bowl with water, cut your fufu, roll it between your thumbs, dip it into your soup and swallow."

Following suit, I did as she'd instructed. Trust me when I say Sara had good taste. This one was proof.

The soup was spicy enough, and when the ball of fufu rolled down my truth, the feeling was heavenly.

"Careful Baby." Sara said observing me. "You don't want to choke on that."

"You're joking right?" I replied, mouthful. "How did you get to know about this dish?"

"Duh." She rolled her eyes. "The text I sent you during the holidays, remember? I spent my break in Nigeria. And you missed out."

How she ate this meal gracefully was something I didn't understand. The soup was thick and slimy. I had to be extra careful to avoid it drawling over my tee.

My eyes rolled in my head. "This is heavenly babe."

Sarah laughed, as if to say, I told you so. "Wait till you taste their jollof rice and this one they call....., can't believe I've forgotten it so soon. It starts with an A."

"Think hard girlfriend." I took tiny sips of water from my cup. "We're going to come back here and taste all of them"

"I think it starts with an A." Sarah said, taking her assignment seriously.

"Afang soup?" A voice said from behind us and we turned simultaneously. Lucas stood there, in all his beauty, smiling sheepishly.

"How come you're arguing over a delicacy, when class is in like twenty minutes?" He asked.

"Not arguing." Sara smiled, raising a finger. "Don't we have that same class together? Besides, how do you know about Afang soup?"

" Not only you go on vacations." He pinched her cheeks.

Sara tucked a stray hair behind her ear that didn't need tucking.

"Cam and I plan on trying that out on our next visit here, right Cam?" She asked me

"Definitely." I replied, neither looking at them.

I reached out for the bowl of water , but Lucas had his gaze on me steadily following my every move, so I just said put.

"You're not going to wash your hands, Cam?" He asked quietly.

I got up abruptly and almost stumbled on my feet but Sara was quick enough to save me from the embarrassment. "I wo-o- ul-d-d." I stuttered.

"You're alright, Cam?" Sarah asked me worriedly.

"Yes." I smiled. "We should get going. We have barely five minutes." I replied hurriedly.

I grabbed my stuff without waiting for a reply and hurried out.

"Cam-" Sara called, but I didn't turn back. I was too embarrassed.

I found the ladies restroom and got in, locking the door behind me.

Okay, I don't know what just happened there but Lucas was staring deeply into my soul, with this amused look on his face.

I knew what he thought. Is she fifteen?

"God!" I groaned out loudly. When would I stop embarrassing myself? I'd be twenty two soon, with nothing to show for. "Poor you, Camilla." I said to my reflection in the mirror.

I composed myself before exiting the restroom. I needed to find Sara and apologize.

I arrived a few minutes late to the lecture room and took my seat beside Sara.

We sat in awkward silence till the lecture was over and students exited the hall.

I looked around for Lucas and exhaled in relief when I didn't find him.

Turning to Sara, I said, "I'm sorry for running off like that. I was pressed and needed to use the restroom."

"That's what you just said but your body language speaks otherwise." Sara replied, piling her stuff in her bag furiously. "Even on a shallow basis, I know you too well."

I paused.

"What do you mean?"

"You need me to spell it out to you that you've just lied to me? What's going on Cam? Can you talk to me, we're best friends!" She half yelled. "You're always fidgeting, always scared to talk to people, and then, are we going to talk about the bruises on your right cheeks? You don't tell me things."

"It's not so, Sara." I replied, assimilating the fact that she saw the bruises on my cheeks. "I just have this phobia for boys."

"I noticed." She replied. "Why's that? Have you ever been sexually molested? And about the bruises?"

"Nope. I've never been molested. I just don't like boys." I lied. "About the bruises, I fell over and smacked my face while doing some chores. How did you find out about the bruises tho?"

She looked like she didn't believe my excuse but kept quiet about it.

"You were so excited eating, that you flipped over your hair. You're always so conscious Cam. Are you sure you're fine cause I don't think you are."

"I'm fine Sara." I lied again.

"What kind of friends are we Cam?" She asked.

"Best friends."

"Best friends that lie to each other?" She asked, refusing to look at me.

"No. Best friends that rely on each other. You're my lifespan." I replied.

Her lips quivered. She was attempting to hide a smile.

*You're trying to get me emotional, so stop. And just so you know, I'm still mad at you." She smiled, "Well that's a lie. I can never get mad at you."

"I know." I replied. "Sara, I know."

"Hurry so we're not late for our last class." She retorted, pulling me along.