CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: TRUTH OR NO TRUST
"I don't care if you don't like me," Vanessa spat out, her words cutting sharply through the quiet tension in the room. The three of us froze. Victoria looked the most surprised, her eyebrows shooting up as if she couldn't believe what she just heard.
"Well, I don't have any word for that," Morayo said calmly, her eyes scanning Vanessa from head to toe, like she was evaluating whether she had just heard correctly.
"…And I know, that is what you don't expect me to say," Vanessa added, smiling slightly, her confidence unshaken.
"For goodness' sake, what is that even supposed to mean?" Morayo asked, both confused and furious at the same time.
"I just know that… you were shocked when I said it," Vanessa replied, tilting her head slightly.
"And so what?" Morayo asked, raising a single eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.
"It's the truth," Vanessa stated firmly.
"What is your problem? Like… is that brain of yours even working? How many times do you expect me to hear that?" Morayo's tone grew sharper with every word. She looked away briefly, focusing on Victoria and me, before returning her gaze to Vanessa. "And for your information, I don't care at all… because I don't like you either."
I took a deep breath and added my part, not holding back. "And yeah, the main reason we wanted to talk to you was for you to leave us alone. We don't care if you don't like any of us."
Vanessa's eyes narrowed, her lips pressing into a thin line. "What is wrong with you two? I'm sure you influenced Victoria as well," she said, frustration creeping into her voice.
"Nah, they didn't influence me at all," Victoria said firmly. "I've been noticing your behavior and had been ignoring it."
"For Christ's sake, what behavior? What behavior have you been noticing?" Vanessa asked, confusion evident on her face. Her voice carried a mix of disbelief and annoyance.
"You are a liar, and you are so hard to trust," Victoria said without hesitation, her tone flat but resolute.
Vanessa's expression shifted. "After telling you guys my worst secret?" she asked, her voice tinged with hurt. I was almost certain the only reason she looked pained was that Victoria, not us, had disapproved of her.
Was that even the reason for her insistence on friendship? Was she trying to win Victoria over? The thought made my stomach churn slightly. Was Vanessa… a lesbian? That thought alone was enough to make me recoil—disgusted at the mere idea.
"Telling us that does not mean anything," Victoria said, looking away, her voice soft but firm.
"How are we even sure you are not lying about that?" Morayo asked, folding her arms across her chest, her stance challenging.
"Exactly," Victoria and I responded in unison.
Vanessa blinked, confusion flickering across her face. "What exactly do you want me to tell you guys again so you can believe it?"
"I don't actually want to hear anymore," I said, looking away and dragging my box from under my bunk.
"Me too!" Morayo agreed, mirroring my action with a shrug.
"Me three!" Victoria added, her voice resolute.
Vanessa's brow furrowed. "Let's remove that one and tell me what other reason," she said, shifting the topic as if she was deflecting.
"About not knowing John," Victoria broke in.
My head snapped toward her. What? Does Victoria know that John and Vanessa know each other? John hadn't even answered me when I asked, so I wasn't sure if they had any prior connection.
Morayo and I exchanged shocked glances.
"What about that?" Vanessa asked, trying to defend herself, her tone defensive but unsure.
"You lied about not knowing him," Victoria said firmly.
"What do you mean by that? That is the truth—I don't know him at all!" Vanessa protested, her eyes wide.
"Not knowing someone means you haven't spoken to the person before, or you don't know anything about the person," Victoria explained slowly, as if talking to someone stubborn.
"I haven't done any of that!" Vanessa replied, voice rising slightly.
"That is a lie," Victoria said pointedly, her finger emphasizing her words, annoying Morayo and me at the same time.
"What? How do you even know if I'm lying or not?" Vanessa asked, disbelief etched across her features.
"Are you not Vanessa Obi?" Victoria asked, her eyebrow raised sharply.
Vanessa's lips curled into a nervous laugh, "Lol," but there was no real humor in it.
"Don't even answer before you lie," Victoria continued. "That mole under the bridge of your nose even makes me recognize you."
Morayo and I were shocked. How could Victoria know that detail? Was Vanessa hiding more from us than we thought?
"Mole? This is a birthmark," Vanessa said, her tone defensive, as if Victoria's words were an insult.
"There are some moles that people are born with, so you can call it a mole or a birthmark. Same thing," Victoria replied, her words measured.
Vanessa's patience snapped slightly. "What is your point? Just hit the nail on the wall like Morayo did!"
"Don't ever, don't ever in your life point at me!" Morayo snapped, shooting Vanessa a glare.
"Don't ever call my life!" Vanessa shot back furiously.
"What if I do?" Morayo challenged, stepping closer as if daring her to continue.
"For goodness' sake, Morayo and Vanessa, stop!" Victoria shouted, her voice rising in frustration.
"Yeah, let's finish one before you finish the other," I added, trying to mediate before things got out of hand.
"Whatever," Morayo muttered, still eyeing Vanessa warily.
"Vanessa, say it to my face: that you don't know John at all, that you haven't met John before today in class!" Victoria demanded, standing firmly in front of her.
"I haven't, for crying out loud, met John before today in your class," Vanessa said, looking Victoria directly in the eyes.
"I knew that you would lie to my face," Victoria said, looking away and sitting on her bed. "I didn't want to believe what Morayo and Floral said to me, but after what you just did, I now believe them," she continued, disappointment heavy in her voice.
Vanessa shrugged. "What I sha know is that I am saying the truth," she muttered, the Nigerian slang 'sha' emphasizing her uncertainty and maybe frustration at not being believed.
Victoria shook her head. "There was a time, even before you came… John and I talked about many things, and part of it was disappointing mistakes," she began, trailing off, her voice low.
The room fell silent for a moment. Vanessa's confident facade wavered ever so slightly, and I could see that the cracks in her lies were starting to show. It was clear now—truth or no trust, Vanessa had reached a crossroads, and she couldn't charm her way out this time.