LS: The Beginning (20 page)

Chapter Eleven

A Strange Moment

Quitting the basketball team was the hardest decision I'd made. To worsen the situation, the coach and team members begged me to stay. The coach assured me no one would request my blood, but I still had to put my foot down.
I loved taking risks, but not a stupid one. Being with Lisa would definitely
fill the void of basketball, I hoped. It took a while before I adjusted to not being on
the basketball team. It was because of the basketball team
Derrick and I became friends
. Now, I seldom saw him in college.

Stacey was getting used to driving my car. Only when Sharon
and I hung out I had the opportunity to drive it, because unlike
Lisa, Sharon had no car. She wasn't as wealthy as Stacey, Lisa or Julie. She had become my closest friend over the last few months, other than Lisa who obviously meant more to me. Though, we hadn’t become an official couple.

Eventually, I'd gained a little respect from Lisa’s parents
by keeping to my word, ensuring her safety, which I achieved by sacrificing my time and energy. However, it was worth it. Her younger brother loved
playing various indoor games with me and discussing his high school crush. Truly, Lisa’s crib was a place I could
call home. Everyone knew about my abilities, which made me comfortable, unlike in my own house where Julie visited on her free will, thereby restricting me from
doing specific things.

Lisa and I had experienced three months without eating or sleeping,
but
it had no effect on our bodies. In
fact, Lisa grew
prettier by the day. Not only did our relationship grow as we spent time
with each other, our abilities developed as well. At that moment, I could hear Lisa from miles away. I'd heard the sudden increase in Julie’s heart rate when she heard rumors
of Lisa and I living together, which was quite funny. Also, it took a lesser time to run to Lisa’s
house during the mornings. We talked telepathically for hours without having
headaches. Everything was going well except for the fact that I hadn’t told Lisa
about my feelings toward her.

On a cold autumn morning, I was seated in my room staring at the open diary in front of me. The word Sharon was scribbled on its page. I’d promised to hang out with Sharon but wasn't sure of what to tell Lisa. Even
though she wasn’t my girlfriend, I could never lie to her, leaving me with no other
option but to seek her permission.

“Hey Lee,” I said, as she picked up her phone.

“Hi,” she replied.

“How are you doing this morning?”

“I’m good, you?”

Her voice sounded just as it did the night before; soft and melodic.

“I’m okay.” I took a deep breath. “Lee, I called to inform you I'll be going out today, and I may not come over to yours.”

“I’m guessing with Sharon, right?” she asked.

 
Is she now able to read
my mind?
The thought of this disturbed me.

“How did you know that?”

She sighed. “Not your mind, silly. I read hers. She couldn’t stop
thinking about today.”

“Oh really?” I felt relieved. However, I couldn’t see why she read Sharon’s mind. What was she hoping to find? “So is this okay with you?” I asked.

“Yeah, sure, go have fun,” she said.

It didn’t require a mind reader to figure out Lisa’s
last words held a hint of jealousy.

“Call me if you need anything and I’ll be there in a flash.”

“Alright, bye,” she said.

She put the phone down without waiting to hear my response. I looked at the phone and shook my head, sighing. “Girls,” I said.

After a few minutes, I walked downstairs and out of the house, heading towards my car. As I got into the car, the smell of
my cousin’s cologne embraced me and I smiled.

Sharon had asked me to go over to her house. Usually we met at college and then went out from there. This time, she wanted me to meet her
mother. I wasn’t nervous because I viewed it as meeting a friend’s parent,
unlike in Lisa’s case.

On my way over to her crib, I stopped by a jewelry shop and got her
mother a diamond necklace. It was the first official gift I had bought anyone since I arrived
in Sloutenville. I was always loved making an excellent first impression.

Sharon was waiting outside her house as I drove into the small graveled driveway. Climbing out of my car, she ran and wrapped her arms around my neck.

“What took you so long?” she asked, drawing back from my cold body.

“Sorry, I had to check on someone.”

I was astounded when I read her mind
to find no trace of jealousy. She was truly an angel.

“Why are you so cold?” she asked.

Again I was forced to tell a lie. “I forgot to turn on my car’s heater.”

“Oh, I see. Well, my mother’s waiting to meet you.”

“Oh, I’m a bit nervous.”
How many lies in a day?
Stephen, my subconscious asked.

Sharon smiled. I could see the light flickering in her eyes.

“You shouldn't be. My mom doesn't bite,” she said, and showed me to the front door.
She saw the little gift bag I carried, but refused to comment on it.

As we entered the house, a woman was standing some meters away from the door.
Sharon looked very much like her mother. Surprisingly, her hair was coal-black.
She must have dyed it or something,
I thought. All my friends' mothers looked pretty young, maybe because my friends were their first born or in this case, an only child. Her mother’s smile spread across her cheeks as my outstretched hand shook hers.

“Hello, Mrs. Foster.”

“Hi Stephen, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” I said. I handed her the box that concealed the necklace. “This is for you.”

Her mother smiled with a mild blush.
What a thoughtful young man
, she thought.
“Thank you so much, dear, but you didn’t have to.”

“It’s nothing really,” I said.

She smiled in gratification.

Sharon took me on a quick tour around her house; she showed me her
family photo album and the awards she’d received. I was delighted to meet a family that wasn’t so rich. The two bedroom house Sharon lived in looked beautiful; although it didn’t have half of Lisa’s house’s facilities, it gained my admiration.

Later, her mother made the mistake
of
preparing lunch for me. I declined, but she persuaded me to eat with them. It had been months since I’d tasted anything
except water.

The dining room was small and neat, quite impeccable. It comprised of only a dining table, and few cupboards fixed to the wall. The table was made of wood, unlike Lisa’s and mine, which were made of marble and glass.

“How's the food?” Sharon's mother asked after few minutes.

I nodded. “It's really nice.”

“I'm glad you're enjoying it,” she said. “I heard you live alone?”

“Yes, ma'am,” I said.

“What about your parents?” she asked.

“They're fine. They live in Nigeria,” I said.

“So you're an international student?”

“No. I'm an American. My parents moved to Nigeria after I was born.”

“Interesting! What's your last name? Maybe I know them. Sharon told me but I've forgotten. It starts with W …”

“Wilson,” I said.

She paused for a while to think.

“Oh yeah, I know your mother, Rose. We attended the same high school,” she said.

“Oh, that’s good.”

After much discussion over lunch, Sharon's mom became fond of me. I glanced at Sharon,
who at that moment
was thinking her mother liked me because of the fact I was her close
friend or perhaps the gift I’d bought her. Reading her mother’s mind, I obtained a different answer. She felt
I was a young, rich, respectful and handsome man; qualities I had doubts about
possessing.

“Thank you so much for the meal, Mrs. Foster.”

I stood up from
the dinning chair, looking at my watch; my food barely touched.

“You’re welcome, dear. Call me Helen,” she insisted.

“Okay, Helen. We have to get going,” I said.

Sharon reached for my plate, but her mother insisted on clearing the dining room table.

“Thanks, Mom. Bye,” Sharon called.

“Have fun, dear.”

Sharon glanced at me, as we got into the car.

“Where are we going today, Mr. Wilson?” she asked.

“Anywhere her majesty desires.”

“I was thinking we’d go catch a movie, then go bowling, play a game of
pool … Hmm … then maybe we should go to the city bar.” She used her
fingers to count the number of activities for the day.

“I pretty much get the first three, but why the last?” I asked, glancing
at the road ahead.

“It’s been a while since I’d visited a club-ish restaurant, if such a word
exists,” she said.

I could tell she wasn’t being completely honest. I tried reading her
mind, but couldn’t retrieve much information. I only found out she had a surprise for me but she never thought of it, only hoped I’d like it.

“Okay, city bar it is then,” I said.

The bowling alley was rather empty; I guess it was because
we arrived during the day.

“I won’t let you win this time around,” Sharon said, as she slipped on her
bowling shoes.

I chuckled at the idea of her beating me.

“All right, good luck.”

Although Sharon was good at bowling, Lisa was a better player
. She threw the ball effortlessly, knocking down all the
pins every round. She’d cheat by distracting me from the
game, whereas Sharon was your standard player.

The game started with Sharon throwing the first ball. It hit four pins,
and then five pins on her second shot. “What are the scores?” she asked after each play.