Lillian walks out of the bathroom and into her bedroom smiling, obnoxious of her surrounding she was thinking about her date or rather outing with Reuben yesterday, it was so much fun, every single second they spent together was the time, though she hasn't fully relised it yet but the more time she spent with Reuben the more attached to him she gets, yesterday after the outing they exchanged number and this morning she woke up to Reuben's call, they had spoke briefly and then she had ended the call promising to meet at, yesterday Reuben had asked her out and although she turned him down she couldn't deny the fact that they were acting no different from a couple.
As she left for school that day she couldn't help but wander how it all happened, at first she just wanted Reuben around for the fun of it, she wasn't into him like most girls in school but with time it began to look like she wasn't any different from the other girls.
When she got to school she saw Saraphina seating at the left end of the class, but Reuben was yet to come.
"Well that's just how he is afterall, always coming in last" she thought as she walks towards her seat.
"Hi Saraphina"
"Hi Lillian, how was your weekend"
"Oh splendid and yours?"
"It was great, you seem rather unusually happy today"
"I do? I didn't realize that"
"Hmm okay, so what happened"
"Nah, I'd rather not bore you with the details" Saraphina stares at her curiously, it was obvious that she was hiding something but if she feels like not sharing then she has no reason to pry.
"If you say so" said Saraphina.
"So by the way, did you do the assignment that we were given last week?"
"Yeah of course, didn't you do yours?"
"Of course I did, I just wanted to know if you did yours so that you could help me go through it and see if I was correct" just then Reuben walks in as usual dragging attention to himself, he looks around and when his eyes met with that of Lillian he smiles and walks towards them.
"Hay Lillian, how are you doing "
"Am fine thanks and you"
"Am great, what's up with you Saraphina"
"You are late again you know that right?"
"Am fine too thanks for asking"
"Yeah right, you won't stop coming late until I report you to your mom"
"Cut me some slack would you, I just got here"
"Yeah and that's the problem, not that you don't get up early, but rather you prefer coming to school late, you are even making a habit of it"
"Sorry mom I won't do it again"
"Yeah as if you haven't said that like a hundred times before "
"I assure you I will come early tomorrow just don't tell mom yet'' Lillian smiles as he watches Saraphina reprimand Reuben, she was acting like her own Mom, always ready to instruct.
"She would make a splendid mom" she thought.
"Hay Lillian I'd like to go to the library, care to join me?" Asked Saraphina.
"No thanks, I'll pass" said Lillian.
"What about you Ruby?"
"Nah maybe next time"
"Yeah like you'd come next time"
"You never could tell I just might"
After school when Saraphina got home her mom informed her that Reuben's mom called saying that she won't be coming home early today so if Saraphina would be kind enough to help her make dinner before her husband got home, that's if it doesn't inconvenience her"
After Saraphina finished her chores at home she decided to go help Reuben's mom make dinner, when she got there and knocked Reuben answered the door.
"Hay" said Saraphina.
"Oh hi Saraphina, I've been expecting you, I almost thought you weren't coming anymore"
"You knew I was coming"
"Of course, my mom called to let me know that you would be coming so I better behave"
"Oh am glad she didn't forget to warn you to behave" she walks into the kitchen, being a childhood friend with Reuben she has became more of like a daughter to his parents, so as to say she comes and goes whenever she sees fit, apart from that she already knew the corners and crannies of the house like the back of her hand.
A few minutes after she went inside the kitchen to start cooking, she came out to the leaving room only to find Reuben watching TV.
"I thought you said your mom told you to behave?"
"But I didn't do anything"
"Exactly, that's the problem, you aren't doing anything when you were supposed to be helping me out"
"Come on now Saraphina you ain't going to make me join you in the kitchen are you"
"I sure would" there was a long silence between them. Reuben sighs.
"Sometimes I wander you and mom who is worst at ordering me around" he mumbled. Saraphina who heard what he said smiled.
"Did you say something?" She asked.
"Nothing that's worth repeating, never mind. So what should I do?"
"Chop those meats for me please" he takes it and begin chopping them into smaller sizes, Saraphina stares at him then smiled.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Nothing"
"Yeah, like am going to buy that, you're mocking me aren't you, you think I ain't doing it right"
"You said it yourself,. Here please fetch me a cup of water from the tap over there" he collected the cup and when fetching the water from the tap, a thought crossed his mind and he smiled, while passing the water back to Saraphina he tripped or rather pretending to have tripped he poured the water on her, but Saraphina was no fool, she knew he did it on purpose.
"I'm so sorry, i really mean it, it was an accident" he said.
"Don't fret, it's not a big deal" she said, then she walks to tap fetch some water and then while coming back she pretended to have slipped then poured the water on Reuben.
"Hay, what'd you do that for?"
"Am so sorry it was an accident" Reuben smiles.
"Nah, that was no accident, you did that on purpose"
"Really! Yours was an accident so why isn't mine an ----" before she could complete her sentence Reuben poured her another one.
"Hay, that water was dirty"
"Really? Sorry it wasn't my intention" said Reuben.
"Why you!" Saraphina pours him the water she used to wash vegetables and Reuben did the same and in a jiffy they both splashing water all over the place.
"Hay wait seems like the food is burning " said Saraphina.
"Really, you know you haven't even finished choping the chickens"
"What! I almost forgot because of you"
"Hay, don't try to lay the blame on me, you were the one who started pouring me water in the first place "
"Yeah right, tell that to your mom when she gets home "
"You don't have to use my mom to threaten me everytime" just then they heard the door bell ring, they both stares at each other in bewilderment, none dares to go answer the door, it was after it rang for the third time before Saraphina braced herself and then went to answer it.
"Hay, where are you going, for all we know it might be mom"
"And so?"
"And so look at all the mess we made here, do you want her to come see the kitchen like this "
"What do you expect me to do? You expect me to just leave her outside there"
"Even if you want to let her in, try clean up a bit, you reek of fowl meat"
"Yeah said the guy who poured me the water he used to wash chicken"
"Just go up and clean up, am sure my mom would have some clothes that will fit you, after that, you can go answer the door" Saraphina leaves and Reuben started cleaning and arranging the place, few minutes later she returns.
"So who was it?"
"Your dad?"
"Dad!!"
"That's correct, he was kinda angry though, wanted to know why I was dressed in your mom's clothes"
"And what did you tell him''
''I told him that I mistakenly spilled the water that I used to wash meat on myself so you gave me this to change into''
''Oh I see ''
"He also wanted to know why it took so long to come answer the door so I told him that I was in the shower and you were helping me in the kitchen, although I didn't specify what you were doing that you couldn't spare a few seconds to come open the door"
"Well that'd be right since you weren't with me then I suppose"
"In other words you will have to come up with something to tell him if he ends up asking you"
"Huh, that's unfair, what would i tell him now"
"That's up to you, but at least for now we are out of trouble"