Chapter 42: Chapter 42

Michael met George who has been waiting for him at the school’s cafeteria. He had lifted his gaze to the entrance a couple of times hoping to see Michael but did not, he was about to give up looking thinking that he was not going to show up again and wondered why their school teacher had asked to see him after class.

“Hey Mike.” George said as he stood up to give Michael a hand shake, “what kept you so long with Mr. Parker?” he added, taking his seat again and peering at Michael. Mr. Parker is one of their teachers who had asked Michael to see him briefly immediately after class and had refused to postpone it after Michael asked if what he wanted to tell him cannot wait.

“It was nothing that I can’t handle, George.” Michael replied, sitting down on a chair opposite George at the same table, and then called then placed his tray of snakes on the table too and immediately took a bite from one of his snack and started munching it trying not to think about what Mr. Parker had told him. He had told Michael to see him because of his performance in class lately which was poor and had asked that he sit up.

“What is the matter with you Michael? I hope you are alright, your performance in class is not what it used to be, and if you don’t do anything about it, it’s going to affect your grades.” Mr. Parker had told him earlier.

“I am okay Mr. Parker, I am working on it I promise.” He had replied to him and they began to chat a little more about other things concerning school.

“What was it about?” George asked, looking at Michael who began was still digging into his lunch like one who hasn’t eaten for days. George wanted to know why Mr. Parker asked to see Michael after class.

“Well, it’s something about my performance in class.” Michael replied with food stock in his mouth.

“Woo, I knew it.” George said giving Michael a shabby look.

“Knew what George.” Michael replied, lifting his gaze briefly at his friend with lots of food in his mouth. “What?” he asked again raising his shoulders a little, when he saw the look on George’s face.

“Eat slowly man.” George told Michael who choked on his food and sipped in some drink from his bottle of coke. “Sorry Mike.” He added handing him a serviette to wipe his mouth with.

“Thanks.” He said as he took the serviette from his hands and wiped his mouth.

“No I mean, sorry for introducing you to Brenda, it was my fault Mike that your performance in school got affected.” George said narrowing his brows as he felt guilty now after hearing that Michaels performance was not good.

“Hey, it’s not your fault, don’t blame it on yourself George, I am responsible for it.” Michael said, flashing a smile at George, seeing that he was blaming himself just now.

“Why are you smiling? This is nothing to smile about, yes I wanted you to have a little fun but not for your performance to surfer.” George said looking so serious.

“Hey, you should take a look at your face right now, chill man I have it under control, besides I met Brenda.” Michael said still smiling at George.

“You what? Are you two back together?” George asked his eyes wide open with curiosity.

“Back together? No man, I saw her in a café and guess what?” he asked winking an eye to George who gestured for him to go on.

“I have ended things with her and you know what, I didn’t even feel a thing.” Michael added sipping his coke and leaning his back on the chair he is sitting on.

“You ended things, for real?” George asked, peering at him skeptically and finding it a little hard to believe given how he was before, he knew that Michael was still suffering because of Brenda but denied it whenever he asked him how he was doing.

“Yes, I did.” Michael replied still smiling at him so that he could believe him.

“And you don’t feel a thing?” George asked again, now peering at him closely this time to see if he is making that up, Michael nodded in response and George can really see that his friend is perfectly fine, his response now was different was the ones he used to give him before now.

“What about Brenda, what did she say?” George asked again, peering curiously at Michael so that he could give him the full gist.

“Well I was sitting there at that café I started visiting recently, sipping my coffee and browsing through my phone and then all of a sudden I heard Brenda’s laughter as she walked into the café with this guy….” Michael said and pause for a while to sip his drink, he continued afterwards while George listened with keen interest to know how the story ends.

George heaved a sigh of relief after he was done with his story about how he met Brenda again, thankful that it ended the way it did and that his friend now has his life back. He had introduced Michael to Brenda not for anything serious but for the guy to have some fun, it was later he found out that Brenda had been with so many guys and she enjoys tolling with their feelings after they have become attached to her, but he was careful not to tell Michael as he saw how he was hurting because of her.

He is really happy now to see that Michael have moved on from her, he was really scared these past few weeks that he hadn’t been himself, clearly he’s okay now, he thought as he took a closer look at Michael, his smiles have returned back fully than they were these past few weeks.

“Well… welcome back, Mike,” He said, extending his hands to Michael who took it and thanked him.

Now they are going to look forward to their graduation in a more exciting mood. George thought, feeling very happy about the news he had just received.