Chapter {7} Destiny

"The research is due next week. Failure to submit on time will lead to an instant fail," Mr Heywood said as I quickly scrambled to write down what he had said, not because I didn't have a book to get the information from but because the big English inside caused my head to spin, so that's why I had to write everything down.

"The information is in the textbook," Nio chuckled. Yes, we were sitting next to each other because I came to the realisation that he was not the problem but I was and I needed to keep my thoughts guarded at all times as Philippines 4:8 said;

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.

So, I had no right to put all the blame on him.

"Hello, Earth to Destiny," He said waving his hand in front of my face, removing me from my rather important thoughts but I just had to blush as I watched his mirth-covered eyes look over at my shy ones.

"Uhm, yeah. I'm on Earth." Stupid, stupid. Out of all words that I could say, I just had to say I'm on Earth.

I was then startled by a deep, velvety laugh. It was so rough but gentle at the same time if that even makes sense, Nio had the most beautiful laugh that I felt a laugh of my own ramble from my chest like some sort of trigger from his contagious laugh.

Many heads turned to look at us as we laughed, the looks we had varied from amusement to confusion to anger?

The girl that I had learnt was Samantha, looked angry and hurt. She viciously grabbed her sparkly-pink bag resembling her princess pink outfit before storming out of the class, a short brunette followed her out as well. Running after her. Murmurs broke out, as people whispered about what had just occurred.

My laugh quickly melted away as I looked at Nio, who had also stopped laughing and was rather focused on the door that Samantha had just stepped out of. I could not read his expression.

"Enough, silence!" Mr Heywood commanded as the class fell into an unnerving silence with the occasional turn of pages.

"What just happened?" I eventually asked Nio who just shrugged in answer before turning to his textbook. So he was basically telling me that he didn't care or he didn't want to talk about it.

An hour passed by and neither of them made an appearance, the clock tower chimed making me worry but I had already said a short prayer for them and I was sure that the Lord would cover them with his blood and watch over them.

"Bye," I said to Nio, as I strapped my bag onto my shoulders and took my textbook.

"Bye," He said more enthusiastically with a dazzling smile. It seemed like he had forgotten about the entire incident and I didn't want to seem too meddlesome, although I had and am still bothered. I smiled back at him and left the class.

Walking to another class, my eyes and ears were focused on the buzz and swarming people I was yet to know but the Lord knew.

Sometimes it just amazed me how the Lord knew each and everyone on Earth, all seven billion people. How he knew our likes and dislikes, troubles and cries and even the hairs on our heads, literally everything. What was even more amazing was that he didn't do it out of moral duty or because he had to but he did it because he wanted to, because he desired to know us and have a relationship with us. What an amazing God we serve!

That went from a sob story, not really to a praise story so quickly. Well, I guess I should have given you a heads-up. I tend to do this a lot, one moment I am thinking about something then the next I am thinking about God. But he fitted so well into this context as Samantha might've had problems and those problems God knew about, she just had cast them unto him , tell him and he would handle the rest.

How I wish I could actually tell Samantha all these words but me being the shy girl I was, limited me from being able to bring more people to the kingdom but that's something my heavenly father and I were working on and I believed that he was working on me and giving me spiritual growth with every passing second after all he said, Call unto me and I will tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

My beautiful thoughts were interrupted by a good-looking man who just decided to walk up to me. He smiled and I smiled back. Blink one, two, three...

"Hi," He said, with a small cute smile. His fair complexion brought out his dark blue eyes and messy mop of blond hair. He was a stranger but had this calming nature to him and his American accent put on some more points for him.

"Hello," I gave him a tiny smile as I quickly paced out of the potentially dangerous situation, I mean why would a complete stranger who did I mention was a complete stranger come up to me and start talking to me?

"Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable, it's just that I'm new here and I don't know my way around here and you just looked more approachable," He explained as I stopped my step. I then toke in his appearance and indeed he was holding a timetable. Now I felt bad for giving him the cold shoulder and making pre-judgement before getting to know him.

"It's fine, so may I please know your name?" I looked into his deep blue pools. I wanted to at least know who I was talking to.

"Samuel and you my beautiful lady are?" He asked in a fake British accent paired with a fake bow, making me chuckle and laugh.

"Destiny," I shook the soft hand that he had held out.

"Nice to meet you, Destiny," He grinned.

"Likewise. Sooooo... Which class are you supposed to be going to now?" I awkwardly asked.

"I'm supposed to be in Physiology, taught by Ms Williams?" His brows were furrowed as he read out his timetable.

"Oh, surprisingly, I am also going to the same class so we can walk together. It's actually not that far," It was a surprise that the class he was looking for I was going to. Wow.

"Really?" His eyes lit up and his playful demeanour was back and I could hear the excitement in his voice and prominent accent.

"Yep."

*****

"So, she was like, 'Can I have your report'?" He impersonated what I think his mother sounded like.

"And I replied and said, 'I ain't not having it.' " He said with a shrug.

"And she asked why."

"Then I replied and said 'my friend borrowed it' here comes the nice part. 'he wanted to scare his parents',"

By the end of the joke, I was laughing uncontrollably, tears at the corner of my eyes. I toke deep breaths before regaining my composure.

"Did that really happen," I asked, still breathing in and out.

"Yep," Samuel replied with a firm nod and smile.

"My mom would've taken off her slipper and beaten me up," I honestly said.

I remembered when I was ten years old and I bullied a girl named Nosipho at school and when my teacher finally called my mom after numerous attempts to stop the problem and when she found out she was so furious that she waited for me to return home. Come my return, she took off her expensive slipper and then beat me on my butt like nobody's business.

"Ohhh, is she those strict moms?" A frown formed upon his lips.

"Nuh... She just wants what's best for me and a mother always knows what's best for her child," I smiled, and after years of that incident, I learnt that what happened shaped me into a better person.

"You speak so highly of your mom," There was a bit of sadness in his tone which he hid behind a smile.

"As I should, what about you? Don't you think like that about your mother?"

"I used to, before she abandoned me, pops and my little bro for another dude, not daring to look back," He said nonchalantly as if he didn't care but I could see the pain swarming in his blue eyes.

"I am so sorry," In situations like that, I never knew how to respond.

"No need to apologize, it ain't your fault," He smiled.

Our class was over so we were just conversing and getting to know each other and I found that he was a hilarious and kind-hearted person who I could just talk to and start laughing.

We parted ways with a goodbye wave and a final joke.

I found Sienna in the hallway, eyes glued to her cellphone screen and earbuds in her ears as she slowly bobbed her head from the back to the front.

I knew calling her would just be pointless so I jogged over to her and covered her eyes with my hands.

She started moving her head before removing her earbuds and that's when I let go of her. As soon as she saw me she jumped into my arms and we hugged like we were long-lost sisters.

"Girls!" My best friend called.

We turned to her as she rushed over to us, she pulled Sienna into a kind embrace, yes Thato had apologised for her attitude before and now they were like two peas in a pod. Which made me happy cause maybe we could be like the three musketeers.

"So, who was the handsome man you were talking to just right now? Laughing too must I say," Sienna asked in a suggestive tone.

"Which man?" Now Thato was curious. Me with a man? Never in her wildest dreams.

"He's just a... classmate that just needed help going around," I replied honestly.

"Really?" They asked in unison.

And that's how my day went.