The American

CHAPTER 4

Today is a good day so far, and I hope it continues like that. I just finished praying, Asr, and I am on my way to the library to meet Ethan. We have not started anything on our assignment even though we both agreed on what we would do. Ethan has been very difficult, and that’s why we have not progressed. Today I hope to convince him to allow me to have a say in our assignment so that we can finally start getting something done.

I arrive at the library and see Ethan at our usual spot. It is kind of weird having a usual spot at the library with Ethan, but since we started working together, we decided always to meet up there. I walk over and take a seat in front of him.

“Hi,” I say, grabbing my seat and also dropping my things on the table

“Good, you are here; we can finally start. I have already laid out all the things you are going to do, so get at it,” Ethan says, placing a piece of paper in front of me. I look at the paper, and Ethan has practically made all the decisions for our assignment. 

“Ethan, are you being serious right now. I clearly told you last time that you don’t make the decisions for us. We make them together. 

I am not doing anything on this piece of paper. We are going to decide what each of us is going to do together,” I say with a lot of emphasis on the word ‘Together.’

“Why can’t you just do what I say for once without complaining?” Ethan says, sounding frustrated and annoyed

“I think you know the answer to that,” I say, crossing my hands over my chest with a lot of determination to make Ethan understand that he will not make the decisions for us. I must have a say in what happens in our assignment.

“Fine, if we must make the decisions together. Please enlighten me with yours because I doubt they are any good,” Ethan says, also crossing his arms over his chest and relax back in his seat.

“You would be surprised with the ideas I have,” I say and start pitching out my wonderful ideas to Ethan.

Ethan, being Ethan, did not agree with some of my ideas even though he knew they were good. A good few minutes go by before we are able to decide everything for our assignment with both our inputs. I know what I am supposed to do, and Ethan also does. We plan to start now because time is not on our side to start any later. 

While working, I get hungry and decide to get something to eat. I walk to a cafe nearby and buy something to eat. I also buy some for Ethan; I hope he likes what I get. It seems unusual to be getting food for Ethan, but I can’t get food for myself and not get any for him. I feel it’s wrong to be eating, and he just to be watching me. I think it has to do with my background. Back home in Nigeria, we have this culture of always inviting the person you are with to join you in your meal if they are not eating. I think that is what is rubbing off on me right now. If I were not brought up like that, I wouldn’t be coming back with food for Ethan with the way our relationship is.

I get back to the library and walk over to our spot to give Ethan his food and continue working.

“Here, I got you something,” I say, placing the food in front of him. I got a sandwich with coffee for him. I got the same for myself.

“What is this?” Ethan says, looking at the bag of sandwiches like it’s dirty

“It’s food; I went to get some for myself and thought you might want something to eat too” 

“Really, and why would you do that?”

“Because it’s a normal thing to do. I thought it would be nice.” 

“You thought it would be nice,” Ethan says, getting angry. He gets up from his seat and stands in front of me.

“Yes,” I say and take a step back because Ethan is a bit too close for my liking. I can hear his heartbeat and feel his breath on me from how close he is standing in front of me. 

“Who the hell do you think you are to be nice to me? You have no f*****g right. Never in your life think about doing anything for me, b***h. I don’t want it; keep it to yourself,” Ethan says, raging in my face with a lot of anger and hatred all over him.

I freeze in my spot due to the tension between him and me. His chest is rising and falling so fast; I fear he might do something to me. I close my eyes and pray dearly to Allah; he does not let his anger get to him and hurt me. I have never in my entire life experience such anger from Ethan. Never has something like this ever happened. I am baffled about why he behaved like this. The fact that we were not even fighting and he expressed such hatred towards me makes me more confused by the second. 

I don’t feel his breath anymore. I slowly open my eyes and look around. Ethan is nowhere to be seen. Alhamdulillah, I was so scared he was going to do something to hurt me. What happened today has made me very curious to find out why Ethan hates me because for him to get so angry at me for trying to be friendly towards him. Could only mean there must be a serious reason why it happened, and In Shaa Allah, I will find out why.

So much has happened in the past few days. Ethan and I continued to work together on our assignment like that day never happened. Which I am kind of grateful for, but I also want to know why he did what he did, but I know he won’t tell me himself. I plan on finding out what caused him to act like that on that day, one way or another. We have been working really hard to program an operating system that has never been created. We don’t really have enough time to top it off, so we are both working as fast as we can. 

We are currently still at the library, trying to do as much work as possible before going our separate ways for the night. We plan to finish our assignment tonight In Shaa Allah. We are almost done, and hopefully, it will get running today, but I don’t think that will be possible once we hear the librarian’s voice.

“The both of you have to leave; it’s time to close the library,” She says, walking up to where Ethan and I are seated.

“Oh, Mrs. Benjamin, please could you give us a few more minutes. We are almost done,” I say, pleading with her and also expecting Ethan to do the same, but he acts like she is not standing in front of us. ‘Typical Ethan’  

“I wish I could, my dear, but I have to get home soon. It’s getting late, and both of you need to take a break.” 

“There is really nothing we could do to stay a little longer,” I say, giving up all hope of finishing our assignment tonight.

“Nope, there is none, my dear.”

“Alright, let us get our things and meet you at the door.”

“Okay, I will be waiting for you guys.”

“Ethan, she said.....” I am about to tell Ethan what Mrs. Benjamin said because he acted like he was not listening, but he cuts me short

“You don’t have to tell me what she said. I have ears, and I know how to use them,” Ethan says, getting up from his seat and starts packing his things.

“Aha, sorry,” I say, hissing while rolling my eyes.

We pack our things and walk outside with Mrs. Benjamin. She bids us good night before stepping into her car and drives away.

“I wish we could have finished it tonight; we are so close to getting it done,” I say, voicing out my thoughts.

“Come with me,” Ethan says and starts walking towards his car

“Where are we going?” I ask as I stand in front of his car. He drives a black Range Rover Sport. 

“Did you bring your car with you?” He asks, totally ignoring my question

“No, Khloe dropped me off” I didn’t feel like driving today, so I did not come with my car.

“Good, now get in,” Ethan says and walks over to the driver’s door and gets in his vehicle. 

I stand at my spot and think to myself if it’s wise to follow him or not. I don’t trust Ethan one bit, and I don’t know if I want to die this night. For all I know, he might be taking me somewhere to rot. 

“Are you coming or not?” Ethan says, already sounding annoyed with my hesitation. I don’t think too deep about it and just walk to the passenger’s door and get in. I wish to get our assignment done tonight because I know if I don’t, I won’t be able to sleep. I pray dearly that he is not going to do anything harmful to me tonight.

We drive for a little while before finally coming to a halt. I don’t know where we are, but I look outside and see cars parked everywhere. I am guessing we are at an underground parking lot. I step out of the car, and I don’t move from my spot because I don’t know where we are. I thought he was taking us somewhere like a library that works 24 hours, not here, wherever here is. 

“Ethan, where are we” I voice out my curiosity

“Do you want to get our assignment done tonight?” Ethan asks 

“Yes, I do.” 

“Then come with me,” Ethan says and starts walking towards the elevator. I follow behind him, and we take the elevator to the fifth floor. That was the number Ethan pressed. 

We step out of the elevator and arrive at a corridor with doors everywhere. I follow closely behind him, and we stop at the last door by the right. He opens the door and steps in, but I don’t. I ask myself why in God’s name, I followed Ethan here. I don’t think I was using my brain when I stepped into his car. I should know of all people not to follow the person you dislike anywhere; they might just kill you. I think it’s because I want to get our assignment done tonight by all means and assumed we were going to a library; that’s why I followed him. I am about to turn back and tell Ethan we should just finish tomorrow when he drags me inside.

“Come inside; what are you doing standing there,” He says, pulling me into the room. I close my eyes and scream, expecting him to hit me or something, but nothing happens. I slowly open my eyes to find Ethan looking at me like I have two heads.

“What was that for,” Ethan says 

“Nothing, nothing,” I say and take a look at where I am. I can’t believe where Ethan brought me.