BEAUTIFUL ME

PART TWELVE

"THE STORY" 

BY UMORU PRAISE

The quad decided to split up to get information quicker and faster on the story

Sofia called the Quad hoping to finish up the talk they had five days ago

*****

“Why don’t we just split, instead of going in pairs as usual, let’s just go individually. What do you think” Eli suggested

“It’s not a bad idea” Tony concurred

Alex quickly made the first claim “Okay then, I’ll go over to Sofia” 

“Why Sofia” Quinn gave him the suspicious funny look

“What… I just like the way she talks, it’s nice. If you like believe me or not, I don’t care”

“Okay then, I’ll go to Jeremy” Eli said “I think he would open more to a female”

“And why does it have to be you, Quinn can go instead” Tony gave the jealousy tone

“Awwnn how sweet” Quinn spoke sarcastically “well I am going to search for some friends of Malia and Jeremy to see what I can find out”

“I’m not going to ask him out, I’m just going to ask him some questions. So calm down alright” Eli beamed a smile towards him

Alex shifted his gaze to Quinn who felt suffocated

Quinn took her bag “alright I got to go, see you guys later”

“Wait up. Let’s go together” Tony said as he took his bag. Quinn gave him a look

“I’m left to go over to Malia so let’s just go together”

“Let’s give each other a call in case of anything new” Eli added

“I never got to say thank you for what you did for Lil, it means a lot”

Tony started a conversation with Quinn on their way

“You don’t have to thank me, I didn’t do it for you, it was for Eli and besides. I’m not even supposed to get any thanks, my dad and mum did all the work and so did you one way or the other”

She gave an indifferent tone to the conversation

“Actually you do deserve some thanks at least, if you hadn’t called your parents, the funding wouldn’t have been easily possible and as for me, all thanks actually goes to my mum. I will be forever grateful to that woman for what she did”

Quinn gave a side smile “it seems your mum really likes Elizabeth to have done such a thing for her. She must really consent to your relationship with her”

Tony couldn’t notice the expression on Quinn’s face as his smile engulfed his face, making his eyes squeeze together as he grinned

“yeah, Lil and my mum even started building a relationship of their own the very first day I introduced Lil to my mum…” he hesitated “I’m really happy I met her you know, she makes me feel good and that’s why I never want to hurt her or see her cry... You know that feeling when you love someone so much and you never want to hurt them…even if it means giving up something or everything…” Tony looked at her for a facial response

“Yeah... I do” Quinn responded soberly

Tony ruffled her hair in a humorous way

“Hey, I just did my hair! Bone straight are pretty expensive you know” 

They busted into an open laugh.

“Quinn I’m sorry I haven’t had time for us, I know we haven’t been the closet as we were before. It’s all my fault and…”

“What are you apologizing for? I understand Eli is going through a lot and you need to be there for her. This is not the time to waste with a best friend whatever”

“Tony brought her closer placing his hands on her shoulder “whatever time I spend with you isn’t a waste. Cause apart from being my bf, you are like my cute, sweet, adorable baby sister”

“Where you get to bully me around right?”

“Exactly, that’s my job. And to make sure you don’t end up with riff raffs”

Quinn strayed from his grip “oh sharap (shut up)”

“Oh my God Quinn those boys have started following you” Tony ran towards her “Quinn give me their number, how dare they…”

*****

(Sofia)

“After Jeremy and I graduated high school, we couldn’t continue our relationship because we were going to different colleges and we weren’t ready for a distance relationship. But even after we started college, we were still talking, making videos and anytime we come back home for the holidays, it always felt like we still had feelings for each other. So after a year, I decided to surprise Jeremy. I thought of a way we could continue our relationship and be close together…”

Alex said out the obvious surprise “so you transferred so you could be with him and fulfill you romantic fantasy” 

“If you want to put it that way…” Sofia felt embarrassed

(Jeremy)

“To be honest I was so shocked when I saw her. I didn’t know what to do or say, but deep within the shock, I was happy to see her. At that time, I haven’t come across her (Malia).”

“So you guys just picked off where you left off?” Eli asked

“Nooo…” Jeremy chuckled “I still had a sense of feeling for Sofia, but I wasn’t ready to start of a “relationship again. Funny enough, we never actually discussed it, we were just pretty close”

“So you are saying you guys were like best friends or something” 

“Pretty much” 

“So what happened to you two when Malia came into the picture”

“What was supposed to happen? I liked her as a friend and I love…loved someone else more than a friend”

“So what happened when you told Sofia about her…?” Eli asked

(Sofia)

“But all of as a sudden he started talking about some girl. He kept on ranting about Malia every single time we met. Most times it would be so frustrating but I would just endure it because if I pushed him away, it gave Malia full custody of him.”

“So you continued enduring that much?” Alex asked

“Yeah I did. I had no choice”

“So how come Malia caught you two …”

Sofia caught in “I knew you wouldn’t let it slide” Sofia clasped her palms on her face embarrassed

“I wish I never did that…”

(Jeremy)

Jeremy laughed as he recalled

“Sofia didn’t take my feelings for her (Malia) that well

“I mean we dated in high school for three years and when we finally get to see each other every time to revile our feeling the more, a year and a half later, someone else came into the picture. I guess she didn’t want to give up without a fight…and she did the weirdest thing”

“Not all ladies can endure that you know” Eli said resting her back on the chair “and what do you mean by the weirdest thing” Eli’s wanted to be certain they thought alike

“I was surprised to see Sofia at her (Malia) vicinity. I asked her what she was doing there, but she just danced around the question and then from nowhere, she kissed me. I mean who does that, that doesn’t even happen in the movies these days”

Eli busted into laughter “Jeremy please I can’t laugh and cry at the same time”

(Sofia)

“I thought if I had done that, things would improve between us.”

“Wait” Alex was flabbergasted “let me get this straight. You knew he was going over to Malia’s place so you tailed him. You felt or wished that after kissing him and Malia seeing the scenario, things would go back the way they were between you guys thinking Malia would be out of the way after witnessing that?!”

Sofia didn’t let her eyes meet that of Alex because of his disgust in his eyes

“But yet your plan didn’t work. And that still baffles me to a point?” Alex exhaled

(Malia)

…

Malia smiled 

“Are you smiling right now?” Tony asked “you caught the guy you were dating making out on you with another lady and you did nothing?”

“Who said I did nothing, I didn’t just react to it the way everyone expected.”

“So then what did you do when you caught them?” Tony asked

“I think your question should be what happened before that” Malia said