I MANAGE TO be silent all throughout dinner with my available family and our guest. Mother leaves a few minutes after and makes sure to tell the house keeper not to let Eni do anything so he could go to bed. I let Lebechi take my bed while I set up some blankets on the ground. It is not like the two of us cannot share, it is the fact that I don't want to be anywhere near her at the moment. I wonder how we will both head to the Gallery and refuse to think about it as I stare at the ceiling of my room. I can't sleep either, I may end up having that frightful dream again.

I should get those star things to put on my roof.

"A-Amadin? Are you asleep?" Lebechi breaks my comfortable (although it really is not) silence. I don't want to respond, but I find that I do.

"Yeah, I am about to be asleep."

"I can't sleep either," the girl responds too, her light voice is lighter. "I am really sorry if I did something or if it seems like I am doing something."

Now she acts like she doesn't know why I am mad at her? I sit up so I can look her in the face, "You are trying to take the place of someone irreplaceable, you are doing something."

Lebechi sits up too, crosses her legs and sighs briefly. The lights are turned off but the moon from outside my widow casts itself in her direction. I can see her face fall and her large eyes wear sadness.

"I promise you, I did not plan to do this. I knew Kaka, maybe not like you and Kitan did but I talked to her occasionally and around the end of SS1, we were both called to the Principals office as likely candidates to be Head Girl. I didn't want so I turned them down, she did so too. Although the principal told us that the time was still fresh, if we kept up with our grades, they would nominate us when the time was right to be chosen."

I never knew Kaka was once chosen to be Head Girl. I knew she was intelligent and outspoken, she was also friendly and pretty. She always told me every time a classmate or senior asked her out and when I asked her why she never said Yes, she would shrug and say she had to focus if she wanted to be Head Girl. So, her turning it down, even if it was just a consideration, was strange and new.

"When we got outside, I asked her why. I had to just ask because, it was Kaka, everyone loved Kaka. She said, and I remember it clearly; I know Kitan will be a prefect, that is for sure. . ."

Yeah, typical Kaka.

". . .and Amadin is likely not going to be. She did fail Math last term. . ."

Such a friend, I picture her brown eyes and her voice as Lebechi carries on.

". . .Kitan is psyched, he feels he is a natural born leader and he wants to impress someone, so he won't say no. But I don't want Amadin to feel left out. She would be happy for us, genuinely, but then, she really doesn't flow with other people our set, and half of the time is on her own if we are not with her, she is with a comic in a corner. I don't want my best friend to feel left out."

My mouth hangs open and I feel tears well up in my eyes. This was the reason why she did not tell me, because I will be far against her not accepting. Who, our age, in their reasonable sense would drop a prefect-ship position because they think their friend will be lonely?

"She said that?"

Lebechi nods, "Yeah. And I know how much her friendship meant to you, to the both of you. I. . ." she clears her throat, "I always envied the three of you and wished I had something even remotely close. And after. . .Kaka died, you were really acting abnormal, like a part of you was gone too. So, when I saw you with the ring and you let me, you know, tell you about it, I thought 'I can never be like Kaka, I can never have that bond with you, but I can try to be a good friend'."

I close my eyes, my brain hearing her name and 'died' in the same sentence after a long time. The first time I heard it, it was from Mother. She called me to her room, made me sit down and gave the saddest smile I had ever seen on her. I knew what that meant, I had prayed for it not to happen, especially since I was the one who had her head on my laps while Kitan and passerby's yelled and scurried around to get an ambulance to the site.

"This is why I try as much as possible not to act in a certain way I think she would have acted. I know you are mad because you think I am spending so much time with Kitan, but that is only because we have a common goal, to be good friends to you."

All of the anger I feel for her leaves because I believe her. "But you both have been talking a lot." I hate to sound like a girlfriend jealous of her boyfriends relationship with his female best friend, we were not anything even related to, yet I sound just like that.

"Half of the time, we talk about you, the rest times its either how to make your outfit much better and maybe add bulletproof, because Police Officers can be crazy enough to shoot you as a criminal, they shoot ordinary citizens sometimes, and sometimes we talk about how to tell you to stop naming random fight moves as earth this and earth that."

They talk about me? "You both sure do gossip a lot." I look everywhere around my room but at her. I want to ask what about me they talk about, but again, I don't want to seem like a jealous person.

"Yeah, he likes you a lot." Lebechi says straight, no humor in her tone. I shake my head mentally, not wanting to read any other meaning into her statement.

"We like each other, that is why we are friends. Enemies cannot like themselves." This prompts laughter from Lebechi, it is very serious that she almost falls out of the bed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She says after she regains herself. "He likes you likes you, beyond your friendship."

"Oh." I cannot say any other thing because I am trying very hard to process her words. Were they true? Did it happen recently? Or until after Kaka went? Because I could swear it was Kaka he liked with how he always went 'Kaka said this, Kaka did that'.

"And you like like him too." Lebechi bends her head slightly and has a smile on her face. I cough instantly, I have swallowed my saliva wrongly. She gets off the bed and quickly pats my back asking constantly if I need water. When I am okay, she kneels on the ground, beside where I am seated.

"Half of anyone who knows you both know you like each other, some think there is something secretly going on between you two. Kitan doesn't really know you like him, I did not tell, girl code." I laugh at that, genuinely happy the ring brought about a friendship between Lebechi and I that I did not know I needed.

"I'm sorry for being such a bad person," I tell her with my head bent down. "I really don't deserve your friendship."

She nudges me playfully, "Tah, you deserve a whole lot."

This feels like a good time, especially she said it again. I suck in breath and pray she does not lock up when I ask her. "I don't mean to pry, but Lebechi. . . why did you turn down your Prefect-ship positions?"

The girl beside me looks away, then sits properly on the ground. She does not say anything for some seconds and I think she will not give me an answer this time also. "You will think I am stupid."

What? "What'? No, there is no way. No one's reason to want or not want something is stupid, anyone who thinks that is stupid."

She chuckles briefly and then sighs. "I wanted people to like me."

Like her? Is she serious? She is one of the best students in the entire school, who would not like her? Even people who did not really like her, really liked her. "But people like you, you are smart, intelligent. . .smart?" I try to count on my finger but I cannot remember any other thing to say.

"You see," she laughs briefly, "The only people who like me in school are teachers and some juniors. Every other person thinks I am an asshole who thinks of herself only, while some also add to their thoughts about me, that I am a blow job giver or something like that."

I frown a little bit then sigh. "I'm sorry, I did not know it was like that with you. You just always act super tough, and yeah I did think you were an asshole some time ago," I admit, "But I always thought you were too good for that school, like you are so brilliant you should have a masters degree right now."

Lebechi manages to laugh, small but real. "Thank you Amadin, for letting me be a part of your circle."

"Oh please, my circle would have been only Kitan and I would have been bored to death. He is only about computer this and computer that, dark web this and shit."

"True though, he does talk a lot about his gadgets." We both sit in a comfortable silence. I close my eyes and remember the scene with Kitan, I need to apologize, I just hope he does come because now that I think about how we are supposed to go into the Gallery, I realize I have no idea on how to do so without getting seen.

"I think we should get some sleep now," I say. "I have no idea how to sneak in, but we'll find a way."

"About that. . ." she looks at me, "Kitan sent me what he was working on previously, to jam security cameras. I wanted to tell you, but I was scared. I can understand if you are angry with me for keeping such from you. I promise I did not mea--"

"Lebechi, Lebechi, it's fine, really. Kitan is angry at me, I know, but he came through for us." I smile knowing my best friend would not let any argument stop him from doing what he promised or was determined to do, just like old times. I remember when we were thirteen and I wanted to get a Justice League comic but the money I had was not enough and he promised to help out. Somehow, we got into an argument about who was better in the DC world; Batman or Superman. Of course, I went with Superman because he is Super and Kitan went with the Bat. I said words along this line 'you choose Batman because he is as dark as your brain that refuses to see clearly', he did not talk to me for three days but did send me some of his cash—through Kaka—so I could get the comic book.

"I'll set an alarm for 2am so we don't sleep off." Lebechi says then gets up to climb the bed. I nod even though her back is turned to me and then lay down on my back. My heart is free from all the anger but it is still heavy with fear of both my dream world and the real world. I can't close my eyes, not consciously.

"Would you like to watch a movie?" I sit up as I say that.

"I was just thinking of how to ask you," my guest says and I scurry to get my laptop so we could pick something, anything at all, as long as it will get my mind off the Possessions and my dream.

The alarm rings and I wake to see my system had stop playing the movie, also both Lebechi and I fell asleep in the weirdest way possible. She laid on the keyboard, one of her hand outstretched towards the edge of the bed, while the other underneath her body. For me, her back was my head rest and my legs dangled from the bed.

We get up (not without me grumbling) and hurry into our dark outfits so we can blend with the night. The house is quiet, so it is easy to go out the front door, but we don't do that because I fear the nanny may hear from the room allocated to her. So, we stand at our window and I make bumps from the wall that leads safely to the ground, although we fear that if I do too much, another set of Possessions would appear. I lead the way by placing my foot on the first and Lebechi snickers.

"This is freaky," she says not too loud, as I keep on making more path for us while I steady myself not to fall.

"Why?"

"It is past 2am, we are both in black and you are manipulating the wall like it is water, anyone who is awake and sites us will call us Witches." She laughs again and I join her.

"True."

We get down and manage to get outside of the compound, then we walk on in silence. It takes half an hour to get to the Gallery area during the day with the public transport, but there is none of that plus we sometimes have to avoid being seen by people who are still out on the streets, so it takes over one hour.

Finally, we arrive. The building is dark, save for two lights at the front. Also, I can see father's office light is on with the blinds drawn.

"So, we go in through the front, there's no receptionist," I tell my company as we face the building, "I am sure my dad and his people will either be in the conference room or maybe the archives."

"But the cameras?" She reminds me and we move towards the short wall of the compound.

"Didn't you say Kitan sent something?"

"Yeah, but can we use it. He's the expert," she puffs and I try not to feel miserable.

"He would have dubbed it down for us, he knows we're not as smart as he is." I smile at that even though I know she cannot see me clearly. I would praise the boy on his brilliance the next time I see him, I decide.

"You got that right," Lebechi and I both turn towards our left, it is very dark since the lights from the building don't get there, but we both know who owns the voice still, I almost shriek when he turns on a torchlight to show the grin on his face.

That's a cancellation on telling him he is brilliant.

"You know I did not mean you, not even remotely," I try to hide my excitement and relief while I shove my indifference in his face. The Nigerian-Korean breed casually works up to us, his everyday backpack slung on his shoulder and a black beanie on his head to complement his own dark outfit. I think I should have searched for an head warmer before embarking on this journey.

"When you know another Kitan, you can tell me that." His tone isn't exactly friendly, but there's a hint of humor in his words, which means he really is angrier than I thought. "I expected you both to be here earlier, but now's even better. I tested the jamming signal already, it works for thirty minutes like I programmed it, but the issue is how to get in exactly."

"The front door," I say as a matter of fact.

"Is locked. I tried it but it won't budge, I think they used manual key to lock it instead of the computerized system like before, which is strange and there is no time to pick the lock before the camera works again." He breathes out, standing directly beside me, his tall frame being just that—tall. I frown and look to the entrance, trying to understand why the front door of the Gallery would be locked at all when it is supposed to be a 24/7 open place. This means that what Father said about some things being stolen was more serious than I thought.

"Is there no other way to get there?" Lebechi's question makes me look at my group again. It was an official building after all, it is recommended and necessary that they do not have only one exit in case of emergency. And exits equal to entrance.

A smile finds its way to my lips and I respond, just the same time Kitan does with the same answer. "The back."

It takes us a few minutes to sneak around the compound, and I say a few minutes because Kitan had to rejam the security cameras while we stood and look. We get to the back entrance, which unlike the front door, is a single narrow space with a black aluminum door. Kitan bends down and zips open his back, searching through the items in it.

"Are you not glad he actually came," Lebechi whispers to me, "Imagine the two of us alone, trying to unlock this door, we would look like thieves that have no sense or Darey and his boys when you slapped them and they started wobbling without destination."

It is not like everything she says is funny, but the memory of how I slapped Darey makes me chuckle too loud, and I earn a glare from Kitan.

"Do take this serious, will you?" He stands up straight and walks to the door, wearing something in his ear and then bends over the key hole with his back to us. Lebechi and I decide we should obey the boy and stand still, not talking anymore until he is successfully open the door.

"Now, that is what I call magic," he grins too much and I am tempted to tell him to take this seriously too, but I hold back my words. I walk forward and pull the open, noticing it does not make a single sound. The darkness I see from where I stand should be normal, but it suddenly feels overwhelming, and annoyed, like something is inside of there, something we do not want to encounter. Before I can tell Lebechi and Kitan what I feel, my companies rush in, pushing me and shutting the door immediately.

"What happe--"

"Go, go, go." Kitan pushes in more haste, barely lighting up the room with his glow in the dark watch. Nothing is visible but we manage to throw ourselves behind what looks like a table. My heart begins to pound even though I have no idea what is happening.

"I think my jamming signal expired, she's coming."

"You think?" Lebechi asks, shocked to hear the supposed computer experts' words, but that is not what bothers me.

"What do you mean she?"

"Mrs. Rab—" Before Kitan can complete his words, the door we came in through opens up and a voice rings around the room at the same time, the voice Kitan and I were used to, the voice that belongs to the original third musketeer of our group, the voice I was sure I will never hear.

"Welcome, Amadin my friend."

•••

It's been months since I wrote anything concerning How to be a Superhero. I left it in the hope of completing after NanoWrimo last November, and then December came and it was a new story idea I began to work on. Then came January and I had to edit my now published book 'STARS IN A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT', then February came with school.

I am actually supposed to be on my writing break but how long can a writer survive without her baby. So, here's me going on an Unofficial break (shush, don't tell my brain I'm writing) to complete Amadin and the Gangs story.

Like I said, this is my first book with a fast plot that still makes sense.

Dear reader, thank you for being patient and look forward to chapters.

Lots of love
Omonigho.