Chapter 3: Chapter 3

The party was filled with so many people with gorgeous and beautiful outfits. Lora noticed many eyes were on her. She could tell it was because of her outfit and she felt a little out of place.

“I told you Lora, this is not a good outfit for a graduation party.” Catalina whispered into Lora’s ears and left her by herself to exchange pleasantries with other students.

“Hey gorgeous…” Lora heard one of the boys in her class say to Catalina as she walked up to him and could hear how Catalina laughed out sweetly in response to the compliment. She quietly walked to a table, pulled out a chair and sat down; she could see how Catalina jiggled along with some of the other students when she walked up to them too. She turned her gaze away from the students, most of whom where her classmates to look in another direction, her eyes wondered around the hall, taking a final picture of her last day in school in her memory.

She really did not have a lot of good memories about her school days because she wouldn’t have had any friends if not for Catalina; the rest have referred to her as a brainiest and had always found something to make fun of her with, it’s either her dressing, her hair style among many other things, some even made fun of her that she is married to her book, because if she is not in class the next place to find her was in the library.

The party became noisier as the DJ played a music that got the attention of almost everyone present, she could see Catalina and many others dancing in an open space they used as the dance floor, something she wished she could do but couldn’t because she feels out of place, to her she looked nothing like the students dancing there.

Lora sat down there alone at a table taking notes in her memory of those who are dancing and those who are not dancing, others who are either chatting in a group, drinking or taking pictures together.

She got up and went to the bar table, took a cup of drink and came back to her chair; her eyes went back to where Catalina was dancing. She is a little envious of her friend Catalina because she has lots of friends; she interacts effectively with everyone and she’s hardly alone.

Maybe because she has a well-rounded butt, big boobs and an easy going attitude; everything she puts on suits her perfectly unlike herself with smaller butts and boobs that seemed to be lost in her clothes. “it’s not like that Lora, it is because you are not wearing the right outfits,” a voice said in her head, making her to lower her head a little on her outfit which was a little too big for her, she could see what Catalina meant as she saw that she was the only one dressed in such outfit here. She lifted her gaze again to glance around the room, feeling a little bad for herself but decided to push the thought away from her head, she wore this outfit because she was comfortable in it, she reminded herself.

“How won’t Catalina be the center of attention and envy of other girls in school with such a lovely body?” She thought to herself as her gaze unconsciously rested again on Catalina who was still dancing. She pressed her lips together and looked away, trying to think about something else, so that she would not feel entirely bad here and gradually she began to stare into space at nothing in particular.

“Snap out of it, girl.” Catalina said as she snapped her fingers on to Lora’s face bringing her back to reality, she didn’t even notice Catalina coming close to her because she was lost in her own thoughts.

“Come on, we are in a party for Christ’s sake, loosen up and have some fun; this is not the time to wallow in your thoughts,” Catalina told her, feeling a little sorry for her.

“I am alright by myself here Catalina, go on and enjoy your party,” Lora told her and lifted the cup of drink she got for herself earlier and took a sip, trying to relax her face so that Catalina would think that she was alright.

Catalina gazed at her, knowing that she was not alright, and thought of how she could convince her to loosen up and party a little at least today, “look Alfredo is there on the dance floor with the others, come and join us.” Catalina said without thinking immediately she lifted her gaze and saw Alfredo dancing on the dance floor with the others. “go on, let’s dance,” she added and urged to come to the dance floor with her, pulling her hands even though she really did not like the idea that Lora would be dancing with Alfredo, she still wanted her to dance a little.

“No, thanks.” Lora said to Catalina. “I would just sit and watch; besides I can’t dance like you.” She added shaking her head in refusal and pulling her hand away from Catalina, she does not think she could dance with Alfredo here in the presence of all these people even though he was her boyfriend.

“Come on Lora.” Catalina said a little pleadingly, then sat on a chair beside Lora. “Look, Alfredo is having so much fun.” She added pointing towards Alfredo’s direction on the dance floor, making it look like she tried to urge her even though she knew that Lora would not agree since she had refused already.

Lora looked at Alfredo, feeling jealous as he was practically dancing with a lot of girls, he is really enjoying himself, she thought. “I can see that Catalina.” Lora said, her gaze still on Alfredo. “Besides he wouldn’t dance with me.” She told Catalina now looking at her friend. “You are the only one who knows about our relationship remember?” she said, and then lifted her head to gaze on Alfredo again.

“You can go and dance with him, I won’t stay long anyways; I’m meeting with the kids by 5pm this evening, besides I will be seeing him more often now you know, now that we will no longer have school.” Lora told Catalina, smiling a little sheepishly.

“Okay, suit yourself.” Catalina said, feeling a little irritated by her smile, she stood up from the chair she is sitting on “I am going to go have fun, because that’s what I came here to do.” Catalina replied, peering down at Lora.

“go ahead Catalina…” Lora said, nodding slightly too. Catalina shook her head too and without wasting more time she left Lora and went back to the dance floor.

Lora watched as Catalina danced with Alfredo on the dance floor. Looking at the way they danced with each other, one would think that those two are dating; actually they look cute together she thought.

Sometimes she imagined how it would felt for Alfredo to dance, walk or chart with her in public, apart from their usual meeting place, which is her parents’ house.

It still baffle’s her that the cutest, talented and most popular guy in school had been her boyfriend for three years now, she smiled at the thought. “Secret boyfriend actually.” She reminded herself as her smile slowly fade away. “Well I don’t mind being in a secret relationship with the most gorgeous guy in school.” She thought, smiling to herself again as she peered at Alfredo from the crowd, he seemed to be having lots of fun that he did not eve think to look for her, she said inwardly but then pushed the thought away from her head again, still not wanting to give herself any reason to be sad now. After all, what matters is that they loved each other and besides, this is their last day in school. Everyone would move on with their lives eventually. A voice in her head told her.

She looked at her wrist watch. Its 3pm already, almost time to meet with the kids, and she planned on giving them a surprise treat as a way of celebrating her graduation today.

“It’s time to leave this crowd where she didn’t fit in at all”. She said to herself, she picked up her cup and slowly finished the drink in it and with that, she stood and left the party without even informing Catalina, knowing that she wasn’t ready to leave this crowd just yet.

***

Lora put down her shopping bag on the table back at her house, she got quite a lot of things from the mall. “The kids would be so happy to have the things I bought for them this time.” She thought as she unpacked the bags.

She usually buys the kids she tutored in her house things to snack on after class occasionally from the monthly allowance her dad pays into her account for her up keep since she no longer leaves with him and her grand Mama Rosa in their mansion.

Her dad Lucio said she is old enough to leave by herself and that she can come visit the mansion occasionally; since she is all by herself, she decided to tutor her neighbors’ kids whose houses are few blocks away from hers to bring alive the house which seem dead at times.

She decorated the room they use for their classes a little with ribbons, balloons, and some flowers and then arranged the things she bought nicely on a table.

“This is quite a feast.” She said out loud and smiled to herself as she imagined the look that will be on the face of the children. “The kids would love this.” She said and smiled again.

She paused and stood by the table. “It would have been nice if Alfredo came to party with me and the kids.” She thought, her mind drifting from what she is doing back to the party; then suddenly, the picture of Catalina and Alfredo dancing together on the dance floor flashed through her mind, she could still hear their laughter resounding in her ears.

“Could those two be dating?” she questioned herself, then shook her head almost immediately banishing the thought. “Oh why can’t I be like Catalina, at least Alfredo would have been free to speak to me in public and not through text messages.” She thought, then sat down on a chair by the table her face becoming gloomy.

This thought saddened her, If only her parents leaved together with her like every other family, maybe she would have leaved a different life; she would have had lots of friends growing up.

She remembered her last birthday before her mama left; little did she know that that would be the last pleasurable birthday she would have growing up. She was six years old, lots of kids had been to her house with their parents and she had received a lot of presents then, but the next birthday was a terrible one; that was the year her mum left, her mum had left three months to her birthday and no one threw a party for her.

She didn’t get any present for her seventh year birthday, not even from her Papa because he locked himself up most of the time in his study and she never even got to see him for weeks and he had also stopped her from keeping her friends then, the following birthdays were pretty much less of a celebration because she had it with Grandma Rosa and the house keepers not until she left the mansion and began to celebrate it with Catalina, then later Alfredo joined in three years ago.

Lora’s attention drifted back to Alfredo, she didn’t know if this is what having a boyfriend feels like; she unconsciously looked up and saw her reflection in the mirror standing across the room, she walked closer to the mirror, looking at her reflection, she said out loud. “What did Alfredo see in me in the first place to approach me?” she asked herself. She bet she would be in a room and nobody would even notice.

She didn’t know how she managed to stay friends with Catalina because to her Catalina is a beauty, let alone being in a relationship with Alfredo… “Secret relationship.” She reminded herself again and this thought made her sad. Who knows if it was not because of her dressing and way of life that made Alfredo not to make their relationship public, she thought.

“Lora, Lora, Miss Lora!” She heard her name chanted from outside, distracting her from her thought. “Oh the kids are here…” she said and ran out to meet them.