Jeff took another sip and closed his eyes. Despite the sound of disco and pretty girls, he felt sad. He knew he wasn’t in a party mood or supposed to be at the party, but he dreaded staying home alone going through another lonely night, unable to sleep. Sighing, he raised the bottle to his mouth and took another long sip. 
When he accepted coming to the party, he did it not because it was his friend’s birthday bash, or the fact that the babes would be there in the dozens, but because he wanted to run away from home, and away from Maya’s memories. He knew he murdered sleep the moment he tried to… to rape her, no seduce her, no…. He could not find the right word.
Sighing, hestood to his feet and began to pace the floor. He knew he should not have tried luring her to bed or making love to her. “Hey, what the hell are you doing there?” Dick’s voice cut into his thoughts. “Come to the floor and have fun,” He glared at him. “Guess what?” “What?” “There are these girls I’d like us to check out. Man, they’re hot.” Dick is a fast-talking student of Ota University and a force to reckon with in his department, and in the entire Faculty of Social Sciences. His height and light complexion gave him that edge. It was Dick’spersuasion that had brought him to the party. Like Jeff and the rest of the undergraduates at the party, they were in one of those incessant ‘stay at homes’ embarked upon by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and which was dragging on to its second month. “I’m not interested in any girl,” he snapped. “Thanks all the same.” Dick, surprised, sat down beside his friend, wondering what must have happened to this lover of anything in a skirt. “Hey, what's the problem?” “Nothing.” “Don’t feed me that crap, dude. Something is wrong, what is it?” “I said there’s no problem or do you want to invent one?” He threw his hands up in the air. “Guy, bone that one, jareh. There is something wrong or why would you be sitting alone when everyone else is having fun?” “Look, I want to bealone," he mumbled and took a long sip from the bottle of beer. The lines on Dick's face furrowed. “I hope it has nothing to do with that babe? What is her name? Em… let me see… Maya?” He shifted. “No.” Can we hit the floor then?” “I don’t want to dance.” He cocked his eyes. “Guy, dis your own don too tire me o. Which one is this? How can you let a small girl like that put you in a straight jacket?” Jeff scratched his hair. “You don’t understand,” he groaned. “That girl is a bomb and the best any guy could ever wish for.” He lit a cigarette. “Guy, you’ve got to grow up; I don’t see what you’ve seen in that village brought-up." He shot him a look in the semi-darkness. He wanted to say something nasty but held back. He wouldn’t understand, he thought. “Thanks. I guess I’ll take that as advice.” “I’m sorry if I miss-yarned, but… but this girl has eaten into you,”he said and regarded him for a moment. “Look, you don’t know her. If you did, you wouldn’t say these things. She comes clean, different, unexploited, and set apart.” “I know, but I think you’re overdoing it. Well," he shrugged, “maybe that’s how falling in love is, if it is I don’t think I ever wantto fall in love. I mean, what’s the point if it’s only pain and agony one feels.” “Look, Dick, you don’t understand. I hurt her.” He came closer. “How?” “Hi guys, what’s up?” a familiar voice interrupted them. They looked up and saw Kenneth, his secondary school classmate and jambite- a name used for those still seeking admission into the university.  Hi Ken.” Dick shook his hand. “How’s it going?” “Cool men.” Hi,” Jeff said and made no effort to shake hands. “Jeff, what’s up?You’ve been evasive these days.Where’ve you been?”  “I’m okay.” “Have you seen Stella? She’s been looking for you.” He shook his head. “No, I don’t want to see her.” “Why? Had a fight with her?” “No.” “What then?” “Nothing.”  “Do you see what I mean when I said you’re overdoing it?” Ken turned to Dick. “Is he still brooding over that bush girl?”  He shrugged. “Search me.” 
Two girls walked into the venue. Dick was the first to see them. “Guys, did you see those girls?” he looked from Jeff to Ken, his eyes alive with interest. “Do you know who they are?”  Ken shook his head. Jeff didn’t even bother to look up. “Just a minute,” Dick said and went after the girls. “Ken, I don’t want to lose her. She comes different and clean.”  “I still don’t understand what you’ve seen in that bush girl.”  He shook his head. “Of course, you won’t.”  “If I ever get admitted into the university, I swear, I won’t have time for all these small shit babes.” “That girl is… is a virgin and I… I.” “Virgin?” he roared with laughter until his eyes were filled with tears. “You must be dreaming. Dewey eyed virgins are a rarity these days.” “Yes, but she is.” “Wait a minute,” Ken said and sat beside him. “You’re serious about this?”  He nodded. “You understand why I am crazy about her, don’t you? I… want to make our wedding night a perfect night. I intend to take her then.” “Ha-ha,” he laughed. “And you think she’ll wait for you or that these boys will watch and help you secure it? My friend, wise up and grab your share while you can.” “She’ll keep it. She's different.” “What makes her different?” he sneered. “Abeg, spare me that.Wait until she hit the big city, taste the campus life or get put under pressure, then you will see her true color.” “You are only saying this because you don’t know her. I… I wish ...” “Look dude, I don’t have to know her. I’m only speaking from the human psychological point of view and experience.” “Do you know the problem with you?” “No.” “You generalize a lot. Everybody isn’t the same.” “Okay, what makes her different?” “She is a born again.” His eyes narrowed. “Are you serious? Boy, you have bitten off more than you can chew. These born-again babes are a real pain in the neck. I’ve once had an encounter with one.” “It’s a difficult situation. She says she can’t do anything with me unless I become born again.” “But wait, how do you know she’s a virgin?”  “She is. I can swear to that.” “How do you know?” Ken sniggered. “My friend, sit up. She is only deceiving and putting you off. While you are here deluding yourself, a more ambitious youth may snatch her and that will be the end of it all. That’s if another dude isn’t already doing her behind your back? You can’t trust girls of nowadays.” His heart skipped a beat. “She’ll keep it.” “What makes you so sure?” “I tried…” Ken sat up. “You what? Tried?” He scratched his hair. “What happened? Did you do her?” He kept silent.  “Did you?” “She… she refused.” Ken threw his head back and laughed hard. “Oh, you mean you tried and f-failed?”  He nodded. “You fool, you have lost her. Why didn’t you finish what you started?” he taunted him. “You fumbled and such girls don’t tolerate rubbish.” He ran his hand across his hair. “Why did you say that?” “I once dated one. Do you know what led to our breakup?” “No.” “I tricked her into… into bed and it backfired. She threw me away as fast as a used toilet tissue.That was after 2 years running after her. It was painful.” He shifted. The insinuations and pessimisms were boring him. He picked up the beer and swallowed the remaining in one long pull. “I’m leaving,” he stood to his feet. “You are what? Leaving?” Ken cried. “You can’t be serious. Why would you want to leave? I mean, the party is just about to begin.” He shuffled his feet. “I don’t care. I’m no longer interested.” Everything seemed to have tired him and nothing meant anything to him anymore. He just wanted to be alone.
Hey, guess what?” Dick cried as he joined them, his eyes were bright and his face animated. Ken angled towards him, interest written all over his face. “Guess who those babes are?”  “Who are they?” Ken eyes were wide with anticipation; Jeff looked away. “The tall one is Hon. Umah’s daughter and her friend.” “Hon. Umah, the Commissioner for Health?” “Yes, yes,” he turned to Jeff. “Jeff, I need you to come with me and, keep her friend busy while I talk to the babe.” “I’m not interested in any girl, how many times do I tell you?” Dick’s countenance fell like a deflated balloon. “What’s the matter with you?” He stood to his feet. “Okay guys, I’ve got to go.” “Go?” Dick cried. “Why? Don’t you know parties like this don’t come every day?” He thought for a moment. “Okay, I’ll stay,” he agreed, not because they insisted, but because he dreaded going home, knowing he would be unable to sleep. “Good. Now, can we see the girls?” He shook his head. “I’m not interested in any girl.” “Well, please yourself,” he shrugged and left in search of the girls. “Since you’re not interested in any girl except your ‘bush’ girl, why don’t we hit the floor?” Ken suggested.  “No, thanks. I don’t feel like dancing.” He shrugged. “No problem. Me. I want to catch my fun," he patted on the shoulder, but just as he turned to go, three girls in skimpy dresses, heavily painted faces, and high heel shoes walking into the venue caught his attention. He let out a suppressed scream. “Oh boy, did you see those babes?” He grunted without looking up. “I think I’d better check them out, you coming?” He shook his head. “No, go ahead.” As soon as Dick left in search of the girls, he stood up and left the party.