I was at the side of the house lighting up with my perfume in my left hand and my lighter in the right also holding onto my joint. Carter hated the fact that I smoked weed and despite all of her efforts to get me to stop, I wouldn't. She couldn't stay around me when I smoked because she played Lacrosse and did regular drug tests, I was fine with that because I always preferred to smoke alone. I heard a car door shut and I knew that was the driver, my mother would be out any minute. I took one last deep drag and held it in for awhile, tonight wasn't gonna last forever and before I knew it I'd be back home wrapped up under my comforters in my expensive bed sleeping soundly. I outed the joint and placed it and my lighter back into the old and beaten up Altoids tin finding its place back under a rock in the side garden but not before taking out a spare gum that I had for these situations. I sprayed my perfume around me making sure I got good coverage before placing it back in it's hiding place and walking off.

I stood beside the front door waiting. Marvin, the driver, waited in the foyer for my mom. I could hear her bickering to herself asking where I was.

"Ma'am she might be outside waiting on us," Marvin said greeting my mom at the bottom step and taking her hand.

She walked outside to see if I was there or not, I stood with my back straight staring into a compact mirror trying to look bored.

"Mother, do you plan to spend the whole evening staring at me?" I asked nonchalantly.

"You are right my dear, Marvin come along now. We don't want to be late for our dinner with the Ekuban family." She said swinging her hips on the way to the car.

We always drove together like this for meetings and dinners, anything that meets the public eye. I stayed silent for the whole journey. CJ was texting me back but she wasn't her usual self, I hope she's not giving up on me now.

Me: I love you okay? And I need you, please don't be mean to me I can't stand the thought of you being distant. It hurts.

Pretty boi 💍💕: I love you too Zim but I don't think I can carry on like this anymore.

I just poured out my heart to this bitch and that's how she responded? Maybe it's the weed why I'm behaving like this but that shit hurted.. she never got my vine references anyways. This was gonna hurt like a bitch tomorrow when I wake up and realize that my babe is no longer mine. We just graduated from school and this is how she wants to move on? Better she had told me that she planned to skip town for university without me, I'd understand.

The car came to a halt and so did my thoughts. I was almost on a high, I was that level where you weren't exactly high but you also weren't exactly sober. I'm just chill and I hope it gets me through this dinner. I waited on Marvin to open my mother's door before I opened mines and got out. I walked around the car and went to stand by my mother's waiting side so that we could present ourselves together.

"Reservation for the McGlashans and Ekubans" my mother said. Yes, she changed my surname from hers to her married name. As I said, she didn't know who my father was.

The receptionist didn't check the list, she smiled and motioned for us to follow her. We trailed behind her like ducklings following the mother duck, I silently laughed at nothing in particular. Once we got to the table the men, which included my step father Richard, Mr Ekuban and probably son Ekuban, all stood greeting us while Mrs Ekuban sat still with a smile on her face. She was dressed in an African cultural print with a turban on her head, I liked the flex. I could see myself in a pants suit in that same cloth but instead of a full on head wrap I'd use it as a bandana. Maybe I should get into fashion, I was quite the fashion icon both feminine and masculine. If I couldn't get my way of being masculine then I'd settle for androgyny since it's the next best thing.

The smile on my face wasn't forced, it was a result of my chillness. I shook their hands and gave Richard a small hug.

"You look stunning as always my beautiful daughter," he said helping me into my seat after he helped my mother. That adjective rang into my ear as it always did.

"Thank you dad," I said smoothing down my dress.

"Thank you for patiently waiting on us Mr and Mrs Ekuban." My mother said. Why didn't she address the boy?

"It is our pleasure," he said. That accent, I knew it by heart. I've never been to Africa but you could tell the difference by the accents and that was definitely a Ghanaian accent.

"I know that Richard has met my son, Kwashie but let me formally introduce him to you and your lovely daughter." Mr Ekuban rested his hand atop his son's shoulder giving it a firm squeeze.

"Hello," He said giving us a small smile.

"Hello dear, my name is Sophia and this is my daughter Zidania." She said giving him a smile as well.

I was already cheesing like an idiot and I was sure by now that I seemed a bit too happy to either of my parents. He was staring at me so I nodded a small greeting. He started whispering in French to his mother and I smiled because I knew French and the bits and pieces that I caught onto I translated them but the word marry and her stuck out the most.

His face was up in a scowl and I couldn't understand why, his mother hushed him and turned her attention back to us. I usually allowed Richard to order for me while my mother would order whatever she felt like. Richard always surprised me, he said that if it was up to me I'd be eating the same thing every time and I honestly saw nothing wrong with that. Instead of wine like everyone else I ordered Scotch on the Rocks and told them to keep it coming.

They conversed over our heads about work and longtime partnership. They've known each other for years, it seems. I kept feeling the son's eyes on me and every time I looked up he wouldn't even look away he just continued to stare me down with the same disapproving look on his face. Well I'm sorry if I'm not to your liking sir because I'm a fan of clits and not dicks, so if you like me or not doesn't really matter to me. I scowled at him and continued to finish my meal, how was I getting the munchies? I never smoked that much. I pushed my plate away once I was finished eating and slowly sunk in my chair sipping on my drink.

"Sit up in the chair properly," my mother said through gritted teeth. I rolled my eyes and complied.

"So, darling! Your mother told us that you speak our languages," Mrs Ekuban clapped her hands together getting my full attention.

"Yes ma'am," I responded still holding firmly onto my glass.

"Wot din de sen?" Mr Ekuban asked with a look of curiosity on his face.

"Zidania, my name is Zidania." I was confident in my answer because I've spent the last three years learning their native African tongue.

"Ca va?" Mrs Ekuban asked in French.

"Ca va bien, merci. Et toi?" I responded with the same amount of confidence knowing I studied French for just as long.

"Ca va," she said with a satisfied smirk on her face.

"Zim, darling." My father said. I turned to look at him and he had that expression on his face, the one where he'd hide something from me and then buy me a gift to make up for it.

"I have something to tell you." He fully turned his body to face me with that same smug expression on his face. Richard knew that I hated not knowing and he was putting me in a very uncomfortable spot.

"You see, you're mother and I signed a contract with the Ekubans three years ago when we got into business with them. We plan on opening our own law firm and we want to put it under a family oriented platform." He said. I knew he would explain but the lawyer in him always withheld important information.

"So to have both of our families joined, we agreed on a marriage." He smiled.

"Okay, who's getting married? Can you please convince mom to allow me to wear a pants suit? I hate dresses dad," I said low enough for only him to hear.

"I oppose," Kwashie made his presence known on the other side of the table.

"You," My mother said in her usual cold tone.

"Me? Will I be a bridesmaid?" I looked over at Richard with pleading eyes trying my best to stall from the obvious truth.

"You'll be the bride, my sweet child." Richard said giving me a wide grin.

"I still oppose," Kwashie repeated but I still chose to ignore it.

"Hush your mouth child, don't you see the girl is already distraught?" Mrs Ekuban said.

I've never really cried before in my life. I never saw the need to, I guess not until now because the unfamiliar sting and watery eyes came from nowhere. Why did I decide to smoke before coming here??? Shit..

I looked up at my step father and he was still smiling, I knew my mother had a satisfied smirk on her face that for once I didn't have a snide remark up my sleeve. The Ekubans looked worried and that fucker Kwashie wouldn't stop scowling at me.

"I'm g-" I started but my mother had something hard and cold pressing into my side before I could finish the full sentence.

"Don't embarrass us Zidania, you will do as you are told and you will represent this family," she hissed lowly and I knew I was the only one who saw the change.

My breath hitched at the back of my throat, my palms are now clammy and even though the air conditioner was working perfectly fine in the open space my knitted eyebrows had perspiration stuck between the hairs. I had to leave...

"Look, I don't know what you expect to hear from me right now it's going to be a big no from me chief. I'm sorry but I don't think I can marry your son. Dad my biggest apology goes to you," I said before standing up and quickly turning away.

"You aren't my suitable bride anyway, you wouldn't fetch a handsome prince nor brideprice back in my home land." That was Kwashie making his presence known again.

I didn't care, I had to leave. I needed to be in the arms of the person who loved me right now, I had to be with Carter Jones.