PEER PRESSURE

A flash fiction by Omoya Yinka Simult

‘It is only Samuel I can give her phone number,’ he says.

I smile comically where I lie supine on the portion of the bed. The joy of having someone trust in me this much fills my heart. Of all the four other boys in the room, Blessing has singled me out. It is the Lord’s doing and marvellous in my sight. Praise the Lord!

‘Why?’ asks Bayo with palpable scorn in his voice.

I want to shut him down and tell him it is not his business. I want to tell him to pocket his jealousy, but Blessing is already clearing his throat to give an answer to the question I find rather contemptuous. I sigh and let my tightened fists relax.

‘Well, because he is the only inexperienced person here, and I know my girlfriend is safe around him, unlike the two of you,’ Blessing answers with a stinging satirical tone.

Initially, I think that is some sort of kind compliment, so I raise my eyebrows with pride and take a condescending look at Bayo. George suppresses a laughter, quickly covering his mouth with a cupped hand. Bayo cannot hold the urge anyway, so he suddenly bursts into hysterical peals of laughter. Both of them are laughing hard, their eyes becoming more tear-laden. They laugh uproariously and point at me with their fingers. Sola does not join in the seeming madness. He just looks at me pitifully and shakes his head slightly. Blessing breaks the wind quite loudly, meaning he might have been laughing very hard too. He is now rolling on the floor, also pointing a finger at me, giggling.

I do not know why they are all guffawing, but I feel a veil of shame being pulled over my face. I am befuddled in their alien world. I try to fathom what it is they point at. I see nothing else, save for myself. Undoubtedly, they are laughing at me.

‘Eh, shut up, you all!’ I bark with a commanding tone, but my voice betrays me. It trembles, as though I am on the precipice of breaking down.

Silence reigns. I look into their eyes to unravel the equivocal expressions in them. Their eyes are blank. So, I blink my eyes quickly. I blink them again and again. My friends sense the losing battle I am fighting to keep the tears back. They point at me again and begin to laugh, this time more loudly, more heartlessly. The embankments of waters in my eyes give way. The tears cascade down my hilly cheeks in ceaseless flow. I am not sure which is more torrential: the heavy rain or my sorrowful tears.

‘Blessing, we shall see,’ I howl amidst tears, ‘give me just two weeks and I shall become even more experienced than you in this. You fool!’

They laugh on, paying no heed to my firm decision, their mocking fingers pointing at me still, taunting me.

I am @omoyayinka on Twitter.