My legs carried me forward. I didn't know where exactly I was on campus, until the outline of the Sports Complex made itself visible through the fog.
I climbed up the short staircase and into the building, startling the security men on duty.
"Jesus! What happened to you, boy?" One of them quizzed in utmost shock.
It was then that I remembered that I hadn't cleared off the mud and grass stains on my face and clothes.
"I... fffell," I managed to say through chattering teeth.
"Here." The other man walked over, holding a blanket. "This will keep you warm for now." He draped the heavy material round my shoulders. "The swim team locker rooms are still open. You can head in and freshen up, clear all the mud on your face."
"Th-thanks." Holding on to the thick material, I took the familiar root to the swim court, trying not remember the times Akunna came here to deliver a message or to leave something. There was even a time he'd brought me supper here.
I've truly lost someone special.
Stepping off the last stair, I slowly slipped past the double doors, entering the corridor that led to the locker rooms.
The door was partly opened and a few voices wafted out, pause for a bit. The security men didn't tell me that some people were around. As I drew closer, I decided to take a peek inside before letting myself in. His back was facing me, but I knew exactly who he was.
"Men," Nana Kwame yawned, turning around with an empty backpack I immediately recognized. It was the same backpack they'd stashed their drugs in and hid in the janitor's closet. "Too bad we had to get rid of the rest of the coke. That shit cost a lot of money."
"Yeah I know, but it's for a good cause." Ethan showed up, looking disheveled, like he had been through hell in the last couple of hours. "Right now, everyone thinks the fat guy died because he was sick. But it's only a matter of time before the police find out that he was drugged, and we can't let them trace it back to us."
My throat suddenly felt constricted, increasing my heartbeat tenfold. Those last two sentences echoed in my ears like church bells. Drugged... Then whole scene played before my mind's eye. How Princess went paranoid after Akunna had drank my mocktail. I could see the horrid look on her face and it made me stumble backwards in fright. Princess knew! She knew that there was something in the mocktail, and that was why she reacted that way. Oh God, how the fuck did I not realise this sooner?
In an attempt to lean against the wall for support, my body hit a nearby fire extinguisher, coating the air in the rhythmic sound of metal hitting cement. I tried backing away, but it was too late.
"Who's there?"
Before I could even think of what to do, Ethan pushed past the doors, eyes widening at the sight of me. "Akwasi? What are you doing-"
"You drugged Akunna?"
The sheer look of horror swarming up his face from the realisation that I'd heard everything, made me lose my hold on the blanket.
"You shitfaced asshole!"
Ethan came tumbling down as I pounced on him, throwing punch after punch. Rage dissolved every molecule of self-control I had left inside me. All of it was gone. All of it was gone because the person I called my childhood friend killed my brother and roommate! "How could you?" I screamed. "How could you fucking kill him?"
Thick arms curled round my torso. "Dude, that's enough, stop!" Nana Kwame attempted to yank me off, not before I elbowed him hard in the gut. He immediately let go, however, Ethan took advantage of the opening to deliver his first blow and to throw me off of him. My side hit the tiled floor in throbbing pain. As I pushed myself up, two drops of blood travelled out of my nose. I shot Ethan a death glare.
He'd managed to get back on his feet, spitting out a blob of slimy blood. "You fucking idiot!" He sniped. "If you hadn't let that dumbass nerd have your drink, he wouldn't have died! So this is all on you, not me!"
I thought I was angry earlier, but when another wave of pure vexation coursed through my body, it showed me what real anger meant. It made me growl like a bull, giving me a second wave of energy to charge towards him. He threw a punch, and I swiftly dodged it to throw my fist into his gut.
"Oof!" He crouched forward, and that was when I grabbed his shirt collar and pinned him against the wall, staring right into his bloodshot eyes.
"Now you listen to me! You are going to tell the police everything you did to Akunna the-yeoww!"
Ethan had stomped hard on my foot, causing me to back away.
"Not on your life!" He spat in my face then punched me again.
My head was vibrating, but it still managed to catch the thundering sound of footsteps echoing into the corridor, and it wasn't long before they reached us.
"What's going on here?" The security man who'd giving me the blanket yelled. Nana Kwame stood at his side, glowering at me. I didn't even notice he'd taken off to go report us.
"He started it!" Ethan pointed an accusing finger at me.
"He killed Akunna!" I blurted out.
"What?" Surprise touched the man's features.
"He's obviously delusional!" Ethan remarked, and I lunged for him, only for the other security man to grab me and push me back.
"That's enough!"
Ethan stared, trying to suppress a growing smirk.
My hands itched to kill him. I wanted to grab his neck and stuff all the drugs he'd ever bought in his life down his throat so he would experience what it felt like to die by those bloody substances, the way Akunna did.
All the time I'd spent trying to figure out what went wrong yesterday, he was the cause. He was the one who did everything and he was trying to cover up his tracks.
My hands coiled into tight fists. I swear to God, Ethan. You'll pay dearly for this.