CHAPTER 20: I AM UGLY

The party — young people drinking, smoking, dancing and rocking each other in a small room that had a dim red light. They held it in a guy’s house, which made it even more distasteful for Mildred. Why did she agree to attend a party so late in the evening? The party venue was a well-arranged sitting room and well-furnished for just a student’s home.

Nevertheless, it was still crowded, more than 20 people cramped up in a little space, and the loudness of the music was unbearable for Mildred. But what was most unbearable was the way the guys looked at her, and her dress even made her situation worse. It was too tight and boobs were almost popping out of it. She hated the way she was dressed and the way they looked at her. It reminded her of her cousin’s boyfriends who…

“Cheer up, it’s a party. You are going to scare the guys away if you keep frowning.” Sylvia stated in a loud voice as she dragged her to the centre of the room.

” I told you I hated parties, I want to leave soon. I can’t stay here anymore”

“You are funny, the party just started… so stop acting like a child and drink, dance and have fun with the guys! Okay?”

“I said I want to leave. I don’t like it here. Are you not listening to me?”

“Relax, Mildred. Stop acting like a naïve little girl. Gosh!. Let’s dance… come on. Free yourself up. Stop being so uptight!”

So many eyes turned towards her as Sylvia forced her to dance. Sylvia was wearing a bum short, high-heeled leather boots, and a top that was more of an underwear than a top. Her shiny cloth and Sylvia’s skimpy outfit made it hard for them not to be noticed even in a crowded place. Soon enough, more than 3 boys were all over her and Sylvia had magically disappeared; she wanted to panic. She hated all of this… she wanted to be in her hostel catching up with Gift, not here. Most of the guys were smoking or gulping down a pill or two and Sylvia was having a great time smoking with them and wiggling her bum on almost every guy on the dance floor.

The guys eyed her and she noticed they appeared to be older than her. And she knew then and there that coming to the party was a terrible idea. This life wasn’t for her. Her panic was increasing. She dashed out of the room to get some fresh air escaping from the mingling scents of 20 people smoking and drinking in a room, only to be accosted by a guy who had been staring at her earlier on.

“Pretty, The party just started. Where are you headed?” He asked in a really slow voice. He appeared to be half-awake and Mildred was certain he was on pills like the rest.

“Look, I don’t know you, so you don’t get to ask me dumb questions. Let me pass.” She responded angrily, feeling trapped.

“Really? Well, since you are headed nowhere, you need to go back to the party. We need more girls to come to the party and not leave. So, you are going nowhere!” He raised his eyebrows and Mildred could see he was very much awake and could harm her. He grabbed her by her hands, and dragged her into the party room as she struggled against him.

“Leave me alone!” She grunted.

“Shut up! Now, you must dance with me whether you like it or not. Let me feel your soft beautiful body on me. Has anyone told you that you are very pretty? Oh… here, no one cares here because we all just want girls. I guess I’m lucky I found a pretty one.” He whispered to her as he held her tightly on her waist while the other guys hailed him.

His rigid body rubbed against hers. He held her so tight that she could feel his breath and other parts of him she never wanted to touch her ever again. Mildred felt ashamed of herself. It was happening all over again, and this time, she still couldn’t save herself. And It was all because of Sylvia. As she endured the harassment, she searched all around for Sylvia and she was nowhere to be found. Has Sylvia left her in this lion’s den? Why? She thought they were friends, but alas, she has broken “The Girl” code again.

As the mysterious guy kept on grinding his manhood against her bum Mildred thought about how Sylvia had abandoned. She didn’t move and couldn’t move. All she wanted was for the ground to open up and swallow her. It was all too much for her, having bodily contact with a guy… she could barely breathe as her panic rose.

Through half-closed eyes, she saw that other guys wanted to dance with her, too. They were pleading with him to let them dance with her and he told them to wait for their turn, like he was in charge of her body and could do whatever he wanted with it.

“You are mine to do whatever I want. Are you not enjoying dancing with me?” He whispered in her ears and his words echoed in her head.
She wasn’t the only girl on the dance floor, but she was the only unwilling one. The number of girls there was very few, while the guys were twice the number of girls. Mildred figured out then why Sylvia had desperately wanted her to come.

From the conversations going on around, she understood that the party was exclusive to a certain group of boys. She didn’t know what they were called, but she had a feeling she was in a cult party. The way they greeted each other, the kind of songs they played and the occasional display of violence made her believe so.

One of the boys could drag any girl into the room any time he wanted. She could hear screams of reluctant girls being dragged into the dark rooms and she was afraid her own time would come. She was trembling as her stiff body stayed glued to the body of the strange guy she was dancing with.
But the school had banned cult activities on campus. How did these guys manage to continue with perpetrating their evil? The answer to that question wasn’t her problem. Her problem was how to get out of the disgusting situations she found herself in.

Different guys were dancing with her now, grubbing her breast and pressing their manhood on her behind. She hadn’t even noticed when they switched with the other guy. But she hated it all… she felt sick… the smoke, the confinement of the room all made feel sick and used. She had to get out somehow. But how? She cried silently in her head while trying so hard to keep a plain face.

A tall calm looking guy whispered to the guy who was dancing with her and soon they swapped places. The new guy was now dancing with her but he wasn’t harassing her like the others did. And he didn’t let any other guy come close to her and she had enough breathing space to think. He turned her face to his, and touched her cheek slightly like they were old-time lovers. She didn’t know why he was more interested in her face than her body, unlike the other guys.

“Are you okay? You look scared? Why are you here if you know you are not the sort of girl for wild parties like this? The harassment will get worse as time goes on. They are just getting started. Why are you here if you are afraid?”

Mildred stared at his dazzling eyes for a while, unable to answer. She thought she would throw up if she tried to say a word. Her head was feeling light, and she needed to get out.

“Please, I just want to go home, please I beg you.” She pleaded with him. He could see she was really frightened and tired, and he was touched by her helplessness.

Stylishly, he took her outside the party room, all the while pretending like he was going to take her to his room. He didn’t want the others to know he was taking a girl out of the party when they all desperately wanted more girls. Other guys didn’t notice since they were watching others break bottles and dance around in circles and enjoying themselves. And the guy who had forced her to dance was nowhere to be found, just like Sylvia.

Ken looked around the disturbing party with bottles scattered all around, blaring music, laughter and violence. And the party was so creepy for someone like him who happened to be there by accident. He tried to play along but if he didn’t leave soon enough they would find out he wasn’t a cult member.

So, he took Mildred outside before the party got even messier. Her hands clasped his tightly and he felt really bad for her. “ What was she doing here?” He wanted to ask again but he didn’t. They had to leave soon… there was no time for questions.

When they stepped outside, Mildred was enveloped in darkness and awkward silence. She was in an unfamiliar part of the school with a strange guy, Mildred’s frightened mind reminded her. She walked reluctantly beside him in the dark because he was her only ticket out of the party even though she wanted to bolt.

“It was already very late and soon the hostels will be locked. She couldn’t afford to sleep outside” The troubling thoughts disturbed her, she shivered then, and he placed his masculine warm hand on her back. She wanted to push his hand off, but his words made her feel safe.

“I have no intention of harming you. I promise. I don’t know what you have been through in the past, but not every man is a beast. I will make sure you get to your hostel safely. Trust me.”

That assurance from a strange guy almost changed the way she thought about men. But no, they could never be trusted. She still had her doubts about men, so she shrugged his hand off her back calmly. He was still a strange man in a quiet strange place and she couldn’t afford to provoke him.

“Why did you attend this kind of party? Don’t you know what happens at these kinds of parties?” His rich baritone voice jerked Mildred’s attention to him. But she said nothing in reply to the question and he didn’t any questions again.

They walked silently out of the area, which was in a remote place. There were no cabs and people strolling around at that hour and Mildred was afraid… What if her good Samaritan decides to hurt her? But he did nothing of that sort. He simply escorted her until they got to a major road leading to her hostel, his hands in his pockets as his eyes combed the whole area to ensure there was no danger awaiting them.

When they got a major road, he immediately called a cab for her and it took her back to her hostel. Before he let her go, they stared at each other for a while, and the strange connection between them was undeniable. Mildred had never felt so safe with anyone. She had never looked into any man’s eyes as she looked into his. On her way to her room, she remembered how softly he spoke to her and how handsome he was.

“Stay safe” He had said to her as his eyes smiled at her. Her heart fluttered as she remembered the way he had looked at her on the dance floor like he was in love with her. “love at first sight?… No way!” She laughed at herself.

But, still she wondered why he had helped her. Was he not a cultist like the rest of them? Why was he kind to her? And Why did she feel like she would love to see him again?

But she soon forgot about his kindness when she remembered Sylvia and how she had abandoned her in the lion’s den, how she had taken her to the most dangerous of all parties and left her all alone? Sylvia must pay for this… She wanted more than anything to see Sylvia on the floor begging for her mercy while she stood tall in front of her, her eyes glittering in anger. That was all she dreamt about when she slept that night… vengeance.



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