I kept my eyes glued to him, like I had seen something really captivating and truth be told, he was really attracting.

I studied his looks and he looked like someone I knew, but I could not point out who in particular.

Almost when I was about uttering a word, someone interrupted me.

"Nelson!" We both looked towards the direction where the voice came from. To my surprise, it was Benjamin. He was standing at the staircase, with Chuka, Faith and some strange girl beside him.

I felt a pang of jealousy when I sighted the pretty looking strange girl, who stood closest to Benji. What if it was his girlfriend? I thought.

There was an engulfing silence which occurred amongst us that needed to be broken immediately.

"Hey cousin." Finally, Nelson decided to quench the heated silence. Cousin?! No wonder he looked like I'd seen the face.

Nelson walked gracefully towards Benji and they both shook hands, hugging each other half way. They all greeted each other, with a big smile on their faces.

I turned away to continue what I was doing with my phone, but Benjamin and the strange girl kept on popping up in my head, therefore, making me lose concentration. They were so close together that I wanted to strangle the girl to death.

I turned back to look at them again and this time, I felt my heart break into pieces. Benjamin hands was placed over her shoulders and hers over his waist.

The sofa felt hard, like I was sitting on stone. I stood up from the sofa and went to meet Joy who was gisting with her friends. I needed to get my mind off Benji at the moment.

"Ruby, where have you been?" Joy smiled, drawing me closer to her.

"I should be asking you that." My voice came out deep but audible. "You left me standing there all alone and you ask me where I've been?" I sounded hurt, angry, depressed, lonely, sad, just name it. I guess I was letting my emotions have the best of me.

"I..."

"Let's just drop it Joy." I cut her off immediately. I didn't want to press the issue. "So, what were you guys discussing before I interrupted?" I said, lightening up the mood.

"Uhm..we..were just..." She looked straight. "Isn't that Benjamin?" We all looked at the direction.

"Yes, it is." I stated, dryly.

"Let's go and greet him." She sounded excited.

"Okay."

She stood up from where she was sitting and was walking towards his direction, until she noticed no one was following her.

"What are you girls still waiting for?" She turned back to look at us.

The two girls rushed to meet her, but I was adamant. I wasn't going to meet him whether she liked it or not.

"Ruby! Come nah."

"No, I'm not going anywhere. You can all go. I'll greet him when I want to greet him." I said, firmly.

"Are you this wicked? It's his birthday and not yours."

"Like I don't know." My hands folded around my chest.

She hissed before leaving my presence.

-----

It was getting dark and still, I hadn't talked to any of them neither have they. Joy on the other hand, never came back to me. So I was forced to talk to a few of my friends in lesson and still a shocker to me, Amaka and I were talking like we have been friends since preschool. If you would ask me how, I would say, life happened. It was still surreal to me how we were conversing.

"It's time to cut the cake!" A young looking guy said, standing in front of the living room, grabbing everyone's attention. He should be in his late twenties or so, and looked a lot like Benji. Probably, he should be his uncle, cousin or brother.

"Woo!" Ladies screamed, although, not all because I wasn't part.

"So let's welcome our celebrant!" Everyone clapped including me. However, I wasn't settled. I was a bit nervous to see him.

Benjamin walked to the living room, looking strikingly handsome. He had changed into a different outfit. The strange girl was still with him, looking very beautiful too. She also had changed into a different outfit.

They marched to where the cake was, like they were getting married, with Chuka behind Benji being the best man and Faith at the strange girl's back being the bride's maid. Everyone applauded, with the music playing giving us or me in particular, a chill vibe. Instantly, I felt a sense of deja vu hit me.

They had cut the cake and distributed it to everyone who cared to have some. And now, It was dancing time!

They ushered us to the dance hall, outside the house. The house was large, so it had so many corners. I wasn't so surprised though. The hall was very large, it could contain all or even more.

Everyone got in and started to party. People were displaying different sides of them. The music was luring and I was so certain that every being hearing the sound of the music wouldn't just stand and look, either they moved their bodies like they were in church or they danced like it's their last.

I was no exception. I was dancing like I was the music itself.

"Ruby! So you can dance?" Amaka asked surprisedly.

"No, I'm the holy art thou girl." I pouted my lips and continued to dance like there was no tomorrow.

"Take it easy." And with that, we both laughed.

We kept on dancing, non stop, and I noticed Benjamin was looking at me, which made me boost my dancing steps. He moved from where he was and walked towards my direction. I turned away so he wouldn't see me looking at me. My heart leapt for Joy, thinking he was coming to me which he might, because he was coming towards my direction.

I swayed to the music, energetically.

"Hey, hey! Take it easy. Don't fall." The person saved me from falling. I stood up straight to look at the person that saved me from almost falling and my face fell. I was disappointed. It was Chuka.

"Oh, Chuka." I stated, dryly. I looked around carefully to see where Benjamin was and he was with the strange girl and Faith. Who could this girl be to him? I felt jealous and sad.

"You came." He stated the obvious.

I folded my arms. "Yes I did." I feigned a smile.

"Are you angry with me?" He met with my eyes.

I adverted my gaze from him. "No I'm not." I said, firmly.

"Then what's with the attitude?"

"What attitude?" I looked at me, my eyebrows in fraction.

"This." I pointed at my face. "Your answers are rather blunt, if I do say so."

"Oh really? Well, that's because of you!" I turned to leave.

He held my arm, drawing me back to him. "What did I do?" He sounded remorseful.

I told him what he sent to me on Facebook, that I didn't like it and after which, he apologized.

"So that's why you didn't even come to greet me today." He smirked, making him look really cute.

"If I can remember, you also didn't come to greet me. So we are even."

"Okay, let's drop that. Do you care for a dance with me?"

"Haha, I care. I mean, you have a babe," Emphasis was laid on the word 'babe.' "And you want to dance with me? No, that's not happening."

"She wouldn't mind." He shrugged.

"Have you asked her?"

He scratched his head and smiled sheepishly at me. "But common, just one dance." He begged.

"And ruin what you guys have probably struggled to build? Nah, that's ain't happening."

"Not like she doesn't do same." He muttered.

We stayed quiet for a while before I decided to ask the question that had been bugging my mind since.

"Who's that girl?" I pointed at Benjamin.

He turned back before asking. "Which girl?"

"That girl beside Benji, not Faith."

"Oh, that's his sister." He spilled it out nonchalantly, not knowing what he had just done to me. It felt like an heavy load had been lifted off my heart. I felt relieved and super elated. "Any problem?" He furrowed his eyebrows.

"No, not at all." I smiled.

He looked at me mischievously. "So the dance?"

"Why are you so keen on dancing with me? There are so many fishes in the ocean. Besides, you are cute and you can woo any girl into dancing with you, with just one smile."

"But it's you I wanna dance with."

"Well Chuka, I don't mean to be rude, but I don't dance with guys. I dance with only ladies."

"Haha, we ain't rocking each other or whatsoever it is. We are just going to dance together."

"As far as I know, a guy and a lady can't dance together without having body contacts and most definitely, rocking each other."

"Okay fine, have fun." He walked away from me without turning back to look at me. I felt bad, sincerely. But what could I do? I couldn't force myself to do what I don't want to do.

I looked towards Benji's direction but he wasn't there, neither was the two girls there.

I checked the time on my phone and it read: 7:36pm. What! I'm late! I need to go home. I struggled my way out of the dance hall. To tell you, it wasn't easy escaping without having body contacts with their sweaty body. I felt irritated, but I made up my mind to shower first thing when I got home.

Finally, I was out of the dance hall. The outside was thronged with less people. My heart jolted when I sighted Benjamin and his sister outside, talking to some folks. Oh, why now? I finally knew the strange girl was his sister, so I wasn't bothered. She was good looking, must say.

I then remembered I hadn't wished him a happy birthday and I couldn't just leave without doing that. I mean, I can't come for someone's birthday party and don't wish them a happy birthday, that would be immature and abnormal on my part. So I had to do it whether I liked it or not.

I cleaned an unimaginable dust off my cloth and walked majestically to his direction. I cleared my throat getting closer to him.

"Benjamin." Attentions were drawn to me which kind of boosted my confidence. His eyes starring intimately at mine.

"Yes?" He sounded surprised and happy, probably because of his birthday, so let me not think much of it.

"I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday." I smiled.

"Wow, that's so nice of you. Thank you so much, I really appreciate." He returned the smile, which made my heart go 'aw.'

"Probably, I'm the only one without a gift for you. But like they would quote, the best gift one could ever have for his or her birthday, is the presence he or she gets from the loved ones." And I ended my stated with a sincere smile.

He closed and opened his eyes and what I saw made me gasp. His eyes were teary. He wasn't crying, but tears welled in his eyes.

"Thank you Ruby. I really appreciate." He pulled me in for a hug. Wow, did what just happen just happened? He released me from the hug and we bade 'bye.'

My heart leapt for Joy. I yearned for more of it, like an obsessed bitch. I wanted more, if possible a kiss from him. His feel felt so great, like I was in heaven.
Why did he have to release me so quick?

A smile was plastered on my face throughout my journey back home.

* * * *

Well, what can I say? So sure none of you saw this coming.

The party is finally over. What's your take on this chapter?
How was the party for you?
What do you think is going to happen after the hug that Benji and Ruby had?

This story is one to read and share with friends. Don't be stingy oh, share this story to your friends.

Keep the votes coming.