Chapter Twenty Seven

I had expected Davina's place to be a club house full of adults but I was awed when we walked into this graceful place, it was a full house of teenagers. I guessed immediately that they were out school mates. With the way they danced and cheered, it was obvious that everybody knew somebody.

The big hall was packed with drunk and high teenagers. The dance ground was on fire as the song being played in the background bang through the wall. For a moment I wondered why Damien would have invited me to this kind of place. I was too lost in the environment that I didn't notice I had lingered too much at the door. I felt Damien squeeze my hands.

"I see it's your first time here. Don't worry, it'd be fun."

"I forgot to tell you."I muttered. "I don't party. I can't... Stay here."

That social awkwardness. Really, I thought Davina's place would be better 

"C'mon Paige, they're all our school mates. Our class mates. The party was organised by the school, cause we're leaving."

I hesitated. He dragged me into the hall, having lost his patience. As we jostled through the crowd, I could not help but nothing the heat in the place, the noise the curse words that flew from person to person, the cheers, the aggregate dances, even the drunks' display. I felt nauseated.

"Where are we going?"I was forced to ask.

"We're here for something else. Gush! We're almost late."

What? I had thought it was a date. How dumb?!

What's the title again? Best friends. Who knows?

We finally got to the end of the hall and followed him through a door. The guys in the room wailed or rather hailed on seeing us. I could tell immediately that there were a music band, their dressing, instruments. I felt lost, disappearing into that door would not have helped. The cheers die down then Damien introduced me.

"Paige, meet my guys, my family..."

They didn't let him finish. Brood of gangsters. They behaved like footballers after scoring a goal. I saw another side of Damien, playful.

"Hey, Paige, nice to meet you."They shook hands with me.

"She's leading our presentation today. I've sent you guys the song, hope you worked on it?"

"Sure man!"

"Girl, you're genius!"One of them said, the other joined in. They were praising me. "You should join our band full time. Hey, we're the best in town."

"We're leaving this town soon man. What you thinking?!"Damien cut in.

"Whatever, you know you are welcome anytime."Another said.

"Let's get prepared guys!"

*

"That's was the hardest I've done in my life."I gasped when the party was over. I had meant everything about the party, our song, singing in front of that huge crowd with my pretty eyelids tightly shut, dancing with Damien and the other guys, since I was the only girl in their group. All of it was so new to me and I have the best moments in my life. For a while I thought I'd forget my sorrows. I actually did.

"Which part?"Damien who was fiddling with my hands as we walked back to school said.

"Everything. You should have told me I was gonna sing. I could have died of stage fright"

"You can't die. As long as I'm there" he teased. I realized he had my bag hung around his shoulder. I must have forgotten to take it.

"Oh my bag. Let me have it."

He jeered. "Forget it." 

"It doesn't look cute on you. C'mon"

"I don't care. So far it's your bag."He paused"Did you have fun?"

"I had the night of my life. Thanks Damien."

He smiled, I could tell he was blushing this time. How sweet.

"What are you thinking?"I was forced to ask, he was smiling to himself too much.

"You sound a lot like my brother, Kam."He paused."Despite his disability, he loved to have fun. He's said your exact words once."

 "What kind of disability? Is he the little guy on wheelchair?"

He cackled. "How did you know that?"

"My window."I laughed. "I see almost everything in that estate."

 "Cerebral palsy. His brain's not like ours."

The thing is I've never heard of that before but I wasn't ready to let him know. I can't behaved dumb all the time.

"Do everyone in your family have long hair? He does too, I know."

"It's our uniqueness,"He bragged. "Don't you like it?"

I wasn't going to say I loved his hair the most. Never!

"I prefer guys with less hair, like Liam's."

He was quiet for a long time and I could not help but laugh within. What's he thinking now?

"Why did you go so cold? C'mon I was just being blunt!"

"You're the first girl that'd ever said that to me. Everyone likes my hair!"He winced.

"Well, I don't. Is that a big deal?"

"Huh no. No."He licked his lip. "I guess your uncle doesn't like it too."

Why did he mention that name?

"Why do you think that?"

"He wasn't nice the first time I met him. He acted like we were sworn enemies somehow."

"I apologize on his behalf."

"No no need. I caused a controversy."

"No, I did."I paused. "About my uncle, I'd say that how he behaves, with strangers. I don't think it's about your looks."

"There might be more reasons. I asked my dad. He seemed to know a "Kam". I think they're rivals."

"What does your dad do?"

"He runs his family Tech company."He said. "Hey, we're not billionaires yet, so very much not like the Kams but we're trying. The company went bankrupt few years ago and my dad and his brother are bent on recovering it."

"I'm not a billionaire either."I pursed my lip 

"You are."

"It's my uncle who is. Not me."

"I'm not arguing. Your compound is the biggest in the estate and I hate to think you live there alone with your uncle. Doesn't he have a family?"

"He doesn't."

"Now I'm wondering why you hate him so much."

What?!