I couldn't just walk up to my parents and tell them I wanted to attend a concert with my friend. My request would be shot down before it even saw reasoning. I could already visualize the dreadful conversation going down in my mind…

Me: Mummy, I want to go out.

Mumci: Go where?

Me: I want to attend a concert with a friend...

Mumci: Odé oponu alayinironu. You want to go to concert when you have not gotten admission. You are not going anywhere. Concert in, concert ko. Is it not that place where all these young people will go and be doing nonsence all in the name of watching an artist perform?

Me: (Tries to explain)

Mumci: (continues her rant while giving me a death glare) you want to go to concert. When I say oya come let us attend fellowship, you will remember that your body is paining you. What time is it sef?

Me: *sighs in frustration* six o'clock.

Mumci: By six o'clock you want to go and join their madness. To end when? You don't have anything better to do with your time.

Then she'd turn her attention to whatever she was doing ignoring my presence altogether. Her silent way of saying I was dismissed. Mumci was insufferable like that. My dad would probably not say anything and ignore the both of us as a whole. So telling my parents about the concert was just a waste of words which was why I (with some help of course) devised a plan which would guarantee my attendance.

How could I not go? I was hyped over Imagine dragons. I had downloaded all their albums on my phone and listened to each track diligently- which was saying something because my phone was, well,MY PHONE- I had even gone as far as adding the possibility of their concert in Abuja to my new year's prayer points. Yes, I was that desperate. The worst part was that I had mouthed off to everyone who cares to listen that i was going to attend the concert. I couldn't just not go... My pride was at stake.

The plan was to go along with Dera and his senior sister, Oge, who was back home for a university break. I would ask my parents permission to spend the weekend at their house since Oge was back (which they'd definitely say yes to) and while I was there, Oge would ask their parents permission to let us hang out. Dera's parents were much more lenient than mine were and since Oge was regarded as a 'responsible' adult who could act as our chaperone, they'll let us go.

For some reason, the adults (my parents, included) believed that Oge should be our role model, as she was the 'perfect senior sister' I believed they were right but for an entirely different reason. She was no paragon of virtue and we knew that. The girl didn't even remotely have any interest in Imagine dragons, she only agreed to the plan because she was meeting up with her boyfriend who'd be attending the concert from Lagos. Definitely not chaperoning us.

Oge agreed to come pick me up by 3:00pm for my supposed 'sleep over' and as I predicted, my parents had no objections as it was on a Friday. As I hauled my stuffs in to the car, mumci kept saying how she hoped I wasn't inconveniencing them and how I should behave and stuff. I rolled my eyes. How typical. I was sure almost every child got this sermon when they were leaving to b with another family, even if it were for a couple of days.

"Oh it's no problem ma, she's practically one of the family," Oge mused, fixing the car keys into the ignition.
It was true though. They were a second family to me.

"Bye," I said waving half heartedly to my parents as we drove out of the gate. I saw them wave in response through the rearview mirror and then I settled in and made myself comfortable.

The drive to Dera's house wasn't entirely peaceful. As soon as we were out of my parents earshot, Oge turned on the radio and Cardi B's Bodack yellow started playing. She shot my a sideways grin before she started screaming out the lyrics of the song. It was actually manageable until she reached the chorus and took her voice a few octaves higher. The chorus didn't even need such high notes so why she was killing herself was beyond me.

Say Lil bish,
you can't fuck with me
If you wanted to
These expensive, this is red bottoms
These is bloody shoes...

I winced as she went off key. How anyone could go off key whilst sing  that song was beyond me but somehow, Oge had managed to do it. She wasn't singing, she was screeching. I was surprised her vocal cords were still able to function after such trauma when she decided to turn down the volume and speak to me.
"So, Ono, how far nah?"

"Thank god your vocal cord still works. I'm surprised it wasn't ruptured in the process of your screaming".

She briefly looked away from the road ahead to glance at me. "What do you mean screaming? Because I even gave you the opportunity to listen to this my sonorous voice".

The corner of her lips quirked into a smile,"you don't know I'm the next big thing".

I laughed. "Ah! Oshey mami! The only Ariana Grande competition. Tiwa savage cannot even compare, she has not reached your level," I replied mockingly.

Oge knew that couldn't ever hit the musical notes correctly to save her life but that didn't stop her from trying and failing woefully, hence her screeching. She was comic relief when it came to singing.

"Sha, I'm fine o," I said, returning to her original question. "Finished secondary school and all". I did a little dance from my position in the passenger seat.

"See this one, you and Dee are just the same. In fact all of you fresher's are just the same". She chuckled. "Congratulations on ending the last easy part of your life".

I shook my head in disagreement.

"Who told you that one? Life is only just beginning jare".

She snickered. "Oya now. Until then. I'll be waiting for when you'll agree to my theory".

I rolled my eyes."Mmhmm. As you are now professor of teenage studies".

She didn't miss the sarcastic tone of my voice and smiled, reaching out to turn up the volume of the radio as we continued our ride.

****

"Mummy!" Oge yelled as we entered into their house, "Onome is here o".

"Hian, did you fly? How did you people get here so quickly?" she said, coming out of the kitchen to embrace me while addressing Oge. She was still her work clothes but I noticed her shoes were replaced with a pair of bathroom slippers and her makeup was messy showing she had probably just come in from work.

"Good afternoon, aunty," I greeted when she let go.

"Afternoon my dear,how are you?" she asked.

"I fine. Let me go and drop my bag".

where was Dera anyway?

"Sure, go ahead. You know the way to Oge's room na. Let me call Dera to help you, Dera!"

Silence.

"Chidera!" his mum, aunty sally, called out.

"Yes mummy," came his muffled reply.

"Can't you see that your friend is here already? One day I will just collect all those games from you".

At that he came out of the sitting room where he had been playing, apparently too busy to notice my arrival.

"Haba, mummy. It's not as if she doesn't know where to go to o. She has been here plenty times and I saw her already," he whined .

"When?"

"Yesterday," he huffed in annoyance.

Aunty Sally scowled at him and smacked him behind his head. Oge and I snickered.

"Yesterday. Did you see her today? Come on help her carry her bag upstairs".

He shot me a glare.

"Let's go," he mumbled, walking up the stairs, away from the corridor which we were standing,towards the bedrooms.
I carried my bag and followed him up the stairs. The yeye boy did not even have the decency to help me out even after his mum's mini speech. Not that the bag was heavy, but that's what normal people did when visitors came over.

"I've told you to stop speeding. what time did you leave the house that you're back already?" I heard aunty Sally scolding  Oge.

"Mummy calm Down. I'm not dying now". Came Oge's muffled reply as I neared her room.

"Just be careful-" I stopped listening to their conversation and focused on my surroundings. We were on another corridor leading to the rooms.

"You're staying with Oge, right?" Dera asked finally turning to face me.

"Yup".

"You know where that is obviously. I'm going back down".

"Wait!" I said, halting his movement, "did you guys ask your parents already?"

"Before! Daddy's not in so Oge asked my mum. Trust Oge", he said, as his eyes lit up mischievously "anything that has to do with boys, she will do it sharp sharp. No fear, when it's time to move she'll let us know."

I smiled and shook my head at his retreating figure as I pushed open the door to Oge's room and walked in.

_____________________________________

Ode oponu alayinironu- fool, you cannot think

Oshey- weldone

Sha- anyway

Yeye- useless

Jare, oya, hian, Haba,- tbh, Idk their literal meanings..they re like exclamations used to make emphasis.

Hey!!!!!
I'm sorry for the late update, I've been so lazy to write...I honestly don't have any excuse😅😰.
So to make up for thaattt... Here's a long chappie just for you guys. Forgive me?  Of course you do*hugs every one*
I'll try to update quickly next time...
No, I don't have an update schedule, yet...I'm too lazy to make one and actually stick to it😟😟. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
I'll try to update quickly tho...don't forget to vote and comment...
It goes a long way in determining how fast I move. *grins stupidly* I can't help it...
Anyway stay healthy and eat lots of chocolate.

Corhob.
💖💖💖👣👣👣