PRICELESS ONE
Priceless One - Episode 4
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The smell of strong liquor filled the atmosphere of Habib father’s house. His parents had travelled out of the country at separate times. Habib’s father went on a business trip, while his mother went to Dubai to buy some more jewelries to fill her store. So being home alone gave Habib the liberty to throw a party.
The party had started and they were all dancing, when Shalewa arrived.
There was a loud music playing in the background and everyone of them was dancing.
Shalewa noticed that apart from Chima and Habib who were smoking heavily, there were four more guys present in the party and each of them danced with a female partner, except for Chioma who had two male partners dancing with her.
This was the kind of party she liked to be present in, if only her parents granted her such liberty as this rich kids.
Anyway, she was here now and she planned to enjoy the party to the fullest.
Sandra was the first to notice Shalewa so she had to excuse herself from the dance to meet her.
“ You are right on time for the party Shalewa….. first of all, we need to find you a mà le partner for the night.” Sandra said and dashed off for a few seconds.
She came back with one of the guys who was dancing with Chioma.
“ This is Edwin; your partner for the night Shalewa….. so enjoy yourself to the fullest…… There’s drink available in the bar section and we have stick meats and peppered suya and some other varieties of refreshments.” She said hurriedly and resumed back to her dancing.
Shalewa focused her gaze on Edwin. He was tall, semi built, with a freshly cut hair, fashioned in the punk style that showcased his handsome features.
Hmmm! This girls really had nice taste in guys.
Edwin shook her hands and smiled. He asked her of her name.
“ My name is Shalewa.”
He smiled broadly, revealing his set of perfect white teeth.
“That’s a beautiful name…… Can I get you a drink?” He asked.
“ Yes….. but a soft drink please.” Shalewa replied with a smile.
Not that she didn’t desire to taste an alcohol at least for the first time in her life, but because she needed to remain sober when the party was over, so she could drive the car she came with carefully without damaging it.
She really hoped not to get into trouble tonight.
Edwin looked at her strangely and smiled.
“ There are no soft drinks here girl…..we only have alcohol available…… so what’s it gonna be?” he asked her.
“ Then I think I will just make do with water.” Shalewa replied, with a smile still on her face.
The guy chuckled unbelievably.
“ If you needed water, then there’s no point of you coming here because this is a place for intoxication….. and intoxication brings you pleasure…. I mean you feel alright….you love the feel ….. and you do your thing…” He said, with his eyes roaming through her body hungrily.
Shalewa felt a tinge of discomfort. She didn’t like the manner this guy was looking at her.
“ You know what?…. I think I feel alright now…… I don’t need any drink.” She said.
The guy moved closer to her and stared at her with a dark expression on his face that made Shalewa shivered in fear. She made a mental note to be careful with this guy because he looked dangerous.
“ Why does your face seem so familiar?….” he asked.
Shalewa shifted uncomfortably.
“ I don’t understand what you are talking about.” Shalewa replied in seriousness.
The guy held her gaze for a while before chuckling out loudly.
“ Come on girl…..loosen up…..you sound too stiff that for a moment, I thought you were a church girl……” He said amidst his chuckles.
Then he held her hand tenderly.
“ Let’s go get you a drink….. a soft drink.” He stressed, still holding her hands.
She nodded and sighed.
Maybe the guy was not dangerous after all. She must have misinterpreted his expression.
They went to the Bar section, not far from sitting room where the others were dancing.
Edwin located a jar of lemonade and poured it in a glass for her.
“ Thanks.” She said, collecting the drink from him.
She took a sip.
“ So are you a friend of Sandra’s?” he asked her.
“ Yes….. I’m the newest member of the dynamite squad.”
“ Oh!” he chuckled.
“ Sounds good.”
“Yes.”
He stared at her and bit his lower lip.
“ But on a lighter note Shalewa…. You really seem so familiar….. you look like a girl I have seen with a friend of mine named Tayo.”
Shalewa almost choked on her drink.
“ Are you alright?” he asked her.
“ Yes…. I think you are mistaken.” Shalewa lowered her gaze.
“ Ok then….do you want to dance?”
“ Yes.”
He took her to the dance floor and they rocked their body to the music playing loudly from the speakers.
The tempo of the music changed to a faster beat and they grew wild.
At this point, the gyration had grew more intense and everyone seemed to be under the influence of something.
Shalewa didn’t like the way Edwin touched her roughly, but she had to manage through the dance for fear of being called a church girl. Besides, the other girls seemed to be more comfortable dancing wildly with the guys.
She guessed she would get used to it someday.
After dancing for a while, Shalewa became tired and wondered how the other girls twisted their bodies non stop, without getting tired.
“ Are you alright?” Edwin asked, sensing her hesitations.
“ I need some air.”
He nodded and took her to the balcony.
The breathe of a fresh air, sent a wash of relief over her as she stood side by side with Edwin beside her. She was beginning to like this guy and the mysteriousness about him. Edwin to her, was like a mixture of roughness with a fraction of gentlemanliness, and she kind of liked it.
“ Are you a student of Hamsford College?” She asked him.
“ No….. I attend Dreamland College” he replied.
“ Oh! I thought as much….. I know I haven’t seen your face around my school.” Shalewa voiced gleefully.
“ Yes.”
“ So what class are you?” She asked him.
“ I’m an SS3 Science student.” He said casually, and brought out a pack of cigarettes.
“ Here!!.... Have it?” he handed her one.
“ No thanks…..uhm…. I…. I don’t smoke.”
He took a long stare at her with amusement in his eyes.
“ You don’t smoke….. you don’t drink…..you don’t dance!..... so what exactly do you do for fun?” he asked her.
Shalewa shifted uncomfortably.
“ Uhm…. I…..I….” She became short of words.
He moved closer, closing the gap between them. The dark expression resumed on his face and he ran his hands through her body.
Shalewa became afraid, predicting what his next step might be.
“ I think I want to return back to the dance.” She said and turned to leave, but he dragged her back with a force that almost made her loose her balance.
There was this look of mischievousness in his eyes. It had a danger warning written on it.
She shifted back fearfully but he followed her, until she was trapped to the wall.
“ What do you want?” She asked with a shaky voice.
He didn’t reply.
She knew undoubtedly that she was in trouble.
He suddenly pulled her to him forcefully, and with his hands, he tore her tan top into shreds.
Shalewa cried out and began to beg. She knew what he was about to do to her, and there was no one to rescue her in a large balcony all alone with a guy who was a lot stronger than her.
“ Please don’t!” She begged.
“ You should be good for something girl….. you cannot just be this beautiful and go scot free…. When you knew you weren’t ready for something like this….. you should have stayed in your house….. don’t worry,…. I will be gentle with you…..” He said and let out a d£vilish grin.
Shalewa attempted to run, but he caught her midway and tightened his grip on her and landed her two dirty sl@ps before pushing her to the floor. She wailed painfully and continued to beg desperately, praying in her heart that a miracle should somehow happen.
“ Please….. please ….. please….let me go….I promise to tell no one.” She was saying but he came closer and closer to her and grabbed her by the neck.
“ Lie down on the floor!!!” he commanded her with a cold glare in his eyes.
She obeyed gently and closed her eyes in fervent prayers.
Just then, she heard the voice of someone calling out her name. The voice sounded so familiar as it became clearer and clearer as the owner of the voice ascended the stairs and was headed to the balcony.
Edwin suddenly freed her from his grip and dashed away to an empty room.
Shalewa stood up immediately and ran out, but bumped into Sandra.
“ Shalewa where have you been?..... the girls and I have been searching frantically everywhere for you!!....” Sandra was saying, when she noticed Shalewa crying profusely.
“ Why are you crying?” Sandra asked in belwilderment.
But Shalewa walked past her.
“ Shalewa…. What is wrong with you?..... Talk to me!!” Sandra called.
Shalewa paused abruptly in her strides and faced Sandra. Her top was already in shreds.
“ I’m done!!!....... I want to go home!!!!”
***************
The sobs continued as Shalewa rested her head on the steering, trying to process what would have happened to her, if Sandra hadn’t intervened.
Edwin would have r@p£d her!!
She continued sobbing.
This was not what she envisaged when she applied to join the dynamite squad. She only wanted to be seen as a big girl, commanding the respect they commanded in school and get protected from any form of bμlly. But their way of life was far more wayward than she hoped to compromise.
She made up her mind not to attend their parties again.
Habib had given her another shirt when she asked for it the moment she ran out of the balcony down the stairs to go meet him.
He saw her shredded top and asked her what happened, but she kept sobbing. So he quickly went to fetch one of his shirt for her to wear.
Shalewa glanced at her wrist watch, it was some minutes past 1am already.
She wiped her tears dry and texted Tayo that she was on the way to his house, before she started the ignition and drove out of the compound.
By the time she got to Tayo's house, it was 1:30 am already.
“ Thank God you came early.” Tayo voiced, taking the keys from her.
He heaved a sigh of relief but was quick to notice her countenance.
“ What is wrong with you?.... Why are you looking like someone that fell down from the sky.” he asked.
Her expression became blank.
“ Nothing, I’m fine….. I’m leaving now.” She said and headed home.
Standing in front of her gate, she carefully opened it and sneaked in.
The front door was unlocked, which was exactly how she left it. She sneaked further into her room.
Now she was safely home and would never ever go to any party the squad girls invited her.
She exhaled deeply and switched on the light.
The darkness gave way to the illumination of the light in her room.
There in her very room, was her mother seated on her bed, staring intently at her.
She gasped.
DÃ¥mn!!!..... She was in serious trouble!!!
(Do not take credit or Plagiarize AMAH'S HEART stories)
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