Dedicated to all ghost readers; I'm coming for you guys soon 😎😡

                               ~KUNMI~

Classes started in full force the next day and soon enough, we all got busy with classes that we basically did not have time for any other thing. Sophia, after her overly excited and grand entry in that her limited edition in the first day of resumption became quite solemn and withdrawn during the days that followed. She reminded me of the Sophia I met when I joined the school, the one with the impassive expression and blank stare. I did not what could have caused the switch. One day, she was chatty and overactive and the next minute, she was just there, barely existing.

What bothered me more was the fact that Adam and Kunle seemed unbothered by how she was acting. Was that how it worked for their clique? Wait for their friends to pull through whatever they were going through and just pick up afterwards? Or what?

I was worried about her; I found myself staring at her in class only to see her staring straight ahead, obviously lost and not even listening in class. Because I had gotten used to the other side of her, it was really weird seeing her this withdrawn and solemn and I realized that I loved that other, crazy side of hers. When I tried to ask Adam about her, about what could be wrong with her, he had mentioned something about her becoming fine in the long run. That pretty much confirmed that there was something going on with her. Aminah had mentioned it too and I really had to wonder what could be wrong with her; what could turn her mood on and off like a switch button.

That also reminded me of Adam and the days he wouldn't show up for classes, the days he acted aloof from every other person and every other thing except the Arts Studio and how his friends doesn't seem to exactly care. More like they were used to it and they didn't think there was anything they could do to help.

We were in class and it was a free period, Aminah and Kunle had disappeared to God knows where immediately the last teacher left, Adam wasn't even in the last class and Sophia who I was sure heard nothing in the class had remained on her seat, head bent down and eyes fixed on the fashion magazine that on her desk.

It took me like 15 minutes to realize that she wasn't even reading the magazine. Her eyes were fixed on a particular sentence on the magazine. I watched her, waiting for her to turn the page but she did not. Infact, she just sat there like a statute; unmoving and static.

"Sophia?"

I called her without thinking much of it but she did not answer; she even gave no indication that she heard me. Instant panic tugged at my guts.

"Sophia?" I called out again, my voice slightly louder and she turned to me abruptly. She looked a disoriented, her eyes vacant, blank and sad? Her eyes cleared up a bit when she saw that I was the one that called her and she leaned towards me.

"Are you alright?"

"Why? Are you worried about me?"

Her reply was instantaneous and a smile started to form on her face. I frowned, wondering what brought about the sudden change.

"You were worried about me, right?"

She asked again and I started to shake my head.

"You've not been yourself lately so I guess I was....."

"Awwwn, you were worried about me? Don't worry, I'm fine now."

She replied, all smiles. The impassive and withdrawn Sophia from less than 5 minutes ago was completely gone. Infact, it looked like I imagined the whole thing. I nodded slowly, looking away from her and I tried to focus my attention on the opened literature textbook on my desk. I was reading the second line when I felt someone eyes on me. I looked up to see Sophia grinning at me, head propped up on her raised palm on the desk. I found myself moving back a little on my chair, eyeing her warily and wondering what could be causing her to grin like a cheshire cat.

"What's wrong?"

I inquired, my voice lower than usual and she only moved closer to me, the grin on her face deepening.

"Where is Adam? I can't seem to find him anywhere."

I shook my head at her words, then I had to bite my lips to stop the color that was threatening to rise on my cheeks.

"I don't know. He should...."

"Why don't you know?"

She asked eagerly, interrupting me and cutting off whatever I was about to say. I started to say something in reply to her words but she beat me to it.

"You should know, since you guys have been sneaking off to god knows where since we resumed a week ago. Did you guys think I wouldn't notice? The things you guys have been doing behind my back. Hmm hmm?"

She asked, leaning even more closer to me and I had to lean back until there was no space to move to unless I had plans of falling off. I shook my head at this new Sophia who a complete contrast to the Sophia from less than 15 minutes ago.

We resumed over a week ago and Adam and I had spent ample time together, all the free periods, lunch breaks in the current Art Studio and old one talking about anything and everything. Most times, I'd watch him paint, watch him draw and with him, it was easier to forget every other thing, to forget about all the baggages, to forget about the weight of Tara's messages lying unread and definitely unanswered. With him, I just felt cocooned in peace and absolutely nothing else mattered but him.

I thought Sophia had no idea that we were going off together. She had acted like every other thing apart from herself were invisible and none existent even though I couldn't miss the lingering look she gave Kunle, a somewhat sad and wistful look and then, the most impassive look whenever Aminah was with Kunle and they were always together, holding hands, touching each other and hugging all the time that it was getting impossible to tell where Kunle ended and Aminah started.

Sophia was hurting real bad and one look at her would even confirm that. I wondered how she was holding up, smiling and laughing like this with me. She was still looking at me eagerly, waiting for me to answer her, to tell her where we've been sneaking off to.

What kind of girl? Oh God!

"Shouldn't you be reading that thing?"

I asked instead, pointing to the fashion magazine on her desk, anything to get her off my back but she did not even turn to look at the magazine at all.

"That? It can wait. This is more important."

Oh God! Why did I even talk to her in the first place? I should have known better.

"What could be more important than your fashion magazine? Just...."

"You and Adam, of course."

She interrupted again and I had to swallow my unsaid words. I watched the darker girl intensely, trying to figure out just one thing about her, to figure out one logical reason why she was this unusual.

"Where is that pretty boy by the way?"

She inquired again, looking around the class before looking back at me.

"I need to have the talk with you guys before it's too late. But you guys ain't even dating yet or are you guys dating and keeping it away from us?"

I shook my head, still trying to decipher the meaning of the first sentence.

Have the talk with us?

Have the TALK with us?

Really?

My eyes widened when I realized what she meant by that and my mouth dropped open at the fact that just when I thought she couldn't get any weirder, she just surprised me again.

The girl in question just sat there as if she just said the most sensible thing in the world. Her arms were crossed over her chest and one of her hands was raised up and she was tapping her lower lips with one of her fingers, an overly thoughtful look on her face.

"I think we should fix a date, don't you think? I love babies but I'm not ready to be a godmother at 16."

Aah!

Aah aah!

My mouth dropped open by itself I literally had to remind myself to close my mouth.

Fix a date?

To do what??

What kind of normal human being would even say something like that? She seemed unfazed by my reaction and it really seemed to her that what she said was normal.

I nodded slowly, coming into terms with what I've been missing all these while, coming into terms with what was wrong with Sophia.

She must have ran away from a mental asylum.

No doubt.

Now, that's the only logical explanation for everything about her because what? Fix a date? For the talk? Really? How could someone be this crazy?

"Wow! Lesbians Alert!"

We both turned simultaneously to see Ezekiel standing directly in front of my desk, an amused expression on his face. From the corners of my eyes, I could see my classmates look up at the intensity of his voice but most of them hissed when they saw that it was Ezekiel, knowing that nothing sensible would come out of his mouth.

"I've always wondered why the insanely gorgeous and beautiful Sophia wasn't attracted to any guy so it was this?"

He asked, gesturing to us and the distance between us. Of course, Sophia had shifted so close to me while she was sputtering her rubbish that there was no distance between us, that my forehead would press against hers if I should turn to look at her. I couldn't even shift if I wanted to and from the looks of things, she had no intention of moving away.

"I think I'm going to have to do transgender because of you then. I can't afford to lose you."

He continued, a solemn and painful look on his face. That made me to laugh at his sheer stupidity and playfulness. Sophia was laughing too or trying to keep herself from laughing.

"Please, Ezekiel, get lost."

She said, her voice breaking and cracking with suppressed laughter. The latter's expression morphed into that of hurt and he walked away solemnly as if he was really hurt by what she said only to him to scream at the Wura, one of our classmates for reading an obscene harlequin novel in class.

"God! That boy is a clown."

Sophia said, shaking her head and finally bursting into laughter. I shook my head and in no time, I joined in and we were both laughing at Ezekiel's sheer stupidity.

Feeling someone's eyes on me, on us, I looked up towards the entrance of the classroom to see Aminah entering the class, some sort of amused look on her face as she stared at us. I started to wave her over but she looked away from us to Tolase, who was sitting at the left corner in the classroom before walking off and joining her, making me to doubt if she even saw us in the first place.

                              *********

The whole school was talking about Sophia's birthday. It was more like everybody was looking forward to the party, even the juniors were eagerly looking forward to the birthday, as if there was going to be a party, as if they were so sure that Sophia was planning the biggest party of the year.

"Of course, it's Sophia's birthday. I can't wait to turn up."

"Me too ehn. It's definitely going to be an elite party. Imagine attending a party and getting to meet all you fav celebs, Shade Onam, Kosi Queen Dike, Triple J and the likes. Mehn, I just can't wait."

That was a conversation I heard between 2 SS1 girls and I shook my head, pitying them in advance. Even if Sophia was going to throw a party, who told them she was going to invite them? Who even told them she was going to invite anybody from school?

The conversation was just snippets of the main conversations going on in school. It was literally what all the students were talking about. Everybody seemed to he talking about it except Sophia herself, except Sophia and Adam and Kunle. It even looked like the whole school was talking about another Sophia Williams and not the one I knew.

I had no idea why they were that pumped about the party, especially when the person in question was acting nonchalant about the whole thing. She was just walking around the school as if they weren't even talking about her.

It was lunch break and I was outside the cafeteria, leaning against the wall and waiting for Adam and the rest. I wouldn't be surprised if Sophia did not show up. I wasn't even expecting her to. It's been more than a week since we resumed and we've not even sat together in the cafeteria, more like she hadn't even stepped into the cafeteria.

"Baby Kay."

God!

I shook my head before turning towards the direction of the voice. Think about the queen weirdo and she shall arrive. She was smiling at me and I shook my head again. The reason why she was always smiling at me was what I just couldn't understand.

"I feel like you were thinking about me before I called your name."

Well, no surprises there. She was a witch too.

"Looks like Adam is up to a strong competition if you were really thinking about me."

She said as soon as she got to me, that smile that seemed to be weirdly reserved for me on her face and I really facepalmed myself.

"I don't think so, do you Kunmi?"

Came the masculine voice that I'd recognize anywhere and anytime from beside me and before I could even turn towards the direction of his voice , I felt his hand on my shoulders, pulling me closer and I stared at his hand on my shoulder before looking at him, at his face, his smiling and way too pretty face. I found myself smiling and everything started to fade to the recess of my mind, Sophia that was standing in front of us, all the other students walking by and talking in whispers. For the briefest moment, it was just the both of us until someone scoffed, making me to look away from Adam to Sophia who who was looking at us with her brows arched up and a look of mock disgust on her face.

"You both are hopeless. Look at you smiling and grinning from ear to ear like love stucked teenagers. God! I can't imagine myself doing like that with someone's son."

She said, looking at us as if we had grown two heads and she actually shuddered before entering the cafeteria. I smiled at her retreating back. God! This Sophia!! I was actually liking this Sophia.

"Don't mind Sophia. She's a handful."

Handful? Handful did not even come close.

His hand left my shoulders and I started to walk towards the entrance but he grabbed my right hand, intertwined my fingers with his and he started to walk towards the entrance. I tried to pry my hand from his but he only held on tighter and I had to ignore the stares, the spiteful and disdainful stares from the girls. He seemed oblivious to all that or he simply did not care and he only let go of my hand when we we got yo where Sophia sat, alone, at one of the longest tables right at the center of the cafeteria and that was even to pull out a chair for me.

I smiled to myself before sitting down and Adam was about to sit down when the girl sitting across us scoffed again and we both looked up at her to see that she was staring at us blankly.

"Adam, I don't think you've ever pulled out a chair for me." She trailed off, appeared thoughtful for a while before she shook her head. "No, you've not."

Then she stood up, that weird beam starting to form on her face and I frowned, wondering what she could be up to. She couldn't possibly be thinking....

"Pull it out for me." She beamed, rather than said and I tried to mask my surprise by not appearing shocked or surprised. I should be used to Sophia by now, I should be used to her weird and unusual ways but really? She stood up from a chair because she wanted him to pull out a chair from her?

Kin gangan lo n gbenu omo yii?

I turned to look at Adam who appeared unperturbed and even more undisturbed at her words. It was like he was used to her, like he knew she was even capable of acting even crazier.

"Well, you'll probably stand till eternity then."

I chuckled to myself and Sophia opened her mouth to retort but was cut off by the sound of metal scrapping the tiled floor which meant someone was pulling out the chair for her. She started to turn back but whoever it was actually pressed two of his fingers to her right shoulder and he used that to push her down till she was sitting on the chair.

It was only after she was sitting down that I realized that it was Alex and he took his seat beside hers at the very minute she turned to look at him, eyebrows raised questioningly.

"Well, I pulled it out for you. Are you good now?"

"Are you Adam?"

"You're  welcome."

He replied her, looking away from her and throwing a chips from the packet he was holding. He nodded curtly at Adam and he mouthed comrade at me.

One of them calls me Comrade and the other calls me Baby Kay, amazing, isn't it?

Sophia was still looking at him with a look of mock disgust. She looked like she honestly felt sorry for him, all the while tapping the roof of her mouth with tip of her tongue. Then she looked away from him while muttering:

"This guy is honestly too weird for his own good."

Ehn? What? I tried to stifle the laughter trying to break free from my mouth. Who'd have thought there'd come a day when Sophia would describe someone else as weird?

There were indistinct chatters from all around us but I could still hear some of the conversations. They were talking about Sophia's birthday again and some girls sitting at the table behind us were even pointing at our table, at Sophia's specifically and talking in not so subtle whispers about her birthday. I looked at the girls closely, trying to remember if I had had an encounter before because they looked a little bit familiar to just be classmates. There were basically four girls and I noticed that one of the girls was staring intently at the space beside me. I followed her eyes to see that she was staring at Adam who seemed oblivious to that because he was looking at me. I looked at the girl again, a frown starting to form on my face, only to see that she was now walking towards us with one of the other girls.

I recognised them at that moment, they were the girls that invited Sophia over to their party last term, the ones she had ignored blatantly and I remembered how the girl who was ogling Adam earlier had latched on to him as if her life depended on it. They got to us and while the other girl took her seat beside Sophia as if she was actually supposed to sit down there, the leech crossed over to our side and she sat down beside Adam, purposefully dragging the chair closer to him so that she'd touch him not so subtly.

I kept watching her but I wasn't the only one watching her because from the corners of my eyes, I could see Sophia looking at her  like she so desperately wanted to slap her. Alex looked unperturbed, more like he couldn't even see anything other than himself.

"Hi, Adam."

Came the leech's small and modulated voice that I could tell was fake. This voice or rather the greeting seemed up jolt Adam out of his reverie and he looked away from me to the girl, his face contorting into a frown. He looked away from her almost immediately, his hand removing hers that was stylishly placed on his thighs and he leaned completely away from her. I almost smiled at her expression.

I did smile.

"Happy birthday in advance, Sophia. Do we get an invite?"

That was the other girl and Sophia just barely nodded curtly at her before she turned to Alex and she started talking in whispers to him. My face flushed in embarrassment for the two girls. At least, she even nodded at her today, she had totally and completely ignored her. The girl smiled at Sophia, probably grateful that Sophia even nodded at her and I watched as they both stood up and left. I was certain that no matter how many times, Sophia ignored them, they'd always come back.

There was something about Sophia and it wasn't even the fact that she was a celebrity; she was this kind of person you'd see and instantly like even without her trying; she was the kind of person that'd treat you like trash and you'd just keep excusing. Someone you'd see and suddenly think light and you'd crave that kind of light for yourself.

"Thank your stars you did not allow that girl to hold you today, I already told Kunmi to ignore you if you allow random girls to touch you anyhow."

Oh God! Was she always talking like this? Without filters? What kind of celebrity would.....No, what kind of normal human being would.. MOh God!

I shook my head, my eyes sending a cryptic message to her but she wasn't even looking at me and from the corners of my eyes, I could see Alex looking at me or rather at Adam and I with a raised eyebrow. His expression had remained impassive since he got here so I wondered why that got an expression out of him.

"I swear, the first thing I'm going to gift whoever ends up being your boyfriend is going to be a casket because he's going on a suicide mission."

Sophia looked away from Adam to Kunle who I was certain was coming towards us from behind me and from mild fury that crossed her eyes for the briefest moment, I knew Aminah was with him and she was probably latching on to him. I saw that I  were right when they came into view and it was only then that Aminah let go to sit beside me while Kunle sat down beside Adam.

"Come on, Babe, must you always over exaggerate? Casket bawo?"

"Don't mind him oo. Him and Adam are scaring off my potential boyfriends. They make people think I'm a demon or a devil's incarnate."

Sophia replied casually and while I tried not to be too surprised that she was really talking to Aminah, it was still really surprising.

Maybe, just maybe, they can have some sort of casual friendship.

"But please, why are not ordering? Are we doing some sort of hunger strike or what because I'm starving here."

"Aminah, really? Were you not the one who finished a whole pack of chocolate just before we came here?"

"Hmm hmm?"

She replied not so casually, leaning back on her chair and I really had to look at her. She was always eating and I wondered why all the foods were going to.

Some people really have it all.

"Really? Don't you get full? Where are the foods even going to? A baby even weigh more than you do."

"That's the spirit, babe." I wasn't looking at her face but I could feel and hear the laughter in her voice. "I'm just among the few lucky ones, it all goes to my brain, rather than my body."

I guess I'm among the few unlucky ones then.

Sophia actually scoffed but when I looked up at her, all her attention was on her phone, her fingers hovering on the skin.

"Isn't Sophia's birthday this weekend?"

"Yes but why are haven't we heard anything about the party or isn't she throwing a party?"

"Oh come on, that's not possible. Do you have an idea how long she has been going on and on about her 16th birthday?"

"I know, right?"

That was the not so indistinct chatters from the table not far from us and then soon enough, all that could be heard was Sophia and birthday and what they'd wear to a party that she wasn't even throwing. I could feel Sophia's discomfort or anger at the murmurs. She wasn't frowning or doing anything, she just continued to press her phone as if they all weren't talking about her but I could still tell that she was slightly annoyed.

"Oh Yes! That reminds me, Sophia, your birthday is this weekend. Why are we not talking about it? You're throwing a party, right?"

Sophia stopped pressing her phone and she looked up at Aminah, more like looked her over.

"No, I'm not."

She replied curtly before she went back to pressing her phone.

"But why? You've always been going on and on about your 16th birthday since we weren't even teenagers. Why the sudden change?"

Aminah asked eagerly, moving to the edge of her seat so she could lean on the table. A minute or two passed and I was almost certain that Sophia wasn't going to reply her until she did.

"It's none of your business!"

There was a stunned silence for a second, even the voices and chatters in the cafeteria ceased for a second. I looked at Sophia but the girl did not even look as if she was the one that just talked, she was still pressing her phone, still acting oblivious to the chaos that I was sure was brewing by the thick silence.

From the corners of my eyes, I could see Alex glaring at Sophia, his face contorted into a frown, a look of mild annoyance on her face.

Beside me, Aminah was still not saying anything. Even Kunle and Adam weren't saying anything.

"What are you......" Aminah started saying before trailing off into an mirthless, yet slightly amused chuckle. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what you heard. It's none of your business. Shouldn't you know when someone wants to talk to you or not?"

"Sophia!!"

That was Adam and there was a slight edge to his voice. He was warning her, I know, to stop talking. I wanted her to stop talking too.

"Why?" Aminah asked, a control firmness to her voice. I could hear her breathing, rushed and harsh.

"Because I'm some sort of puppet who will wait for you to come around and talk to her whenever you feel like, right? What the fuck is wrong with you!?"

She continued, obviously not ready to back down anytime soon and the other growing tension started to thicken even more.

"Maybe. You do act like a puppet most times."

Geeez

Sophia did not just say that but she just did.

"Oh really? That explains why one minute, you're talking and laughing and smiling with me and the very next minute, you're looking at me with so much venom and hatred. I've had to put on with this for this long but now, I think I'm just really done. I've had enough."

"I was never interest....."

"SOPHIA!!"

That was an unrecognisable male voice and I almost shuddered at it's intensity. It was only when Sophia looked up from her phone towards Kunle that I realised he was the one that just spoke.

"Stop. It."

He continued, breaking the sentence for her and she just kept looking at him, her eyes wide with fear, as if she couldn't believe he was talking to her in the manner.

"Stop what?"

She asked, her voice cracking a little. How she went from being stoic to this in a matter where of seconds because of Kunle was mind boggling.

"Are you really asking me that!?" He asked, his voice rising even higher. By now, more than half of the cafeteria was looking at us, obviously interested in what could be going on on our table. I couldn't see Kunle's face but I could see Adam looking at and probably silently asking him to stop talking but I knew he wasn't going to.

Looks like the thread finally snapped.

"Stop talking to her as if she is a child, as if she owe you something, as if you can just talk to her anyhow you want and get away with IT!!!"

I shuddered at the intensity of his voice and I subconsciously leaned back on my chair. I could see Adam holding Kunle's shoulder, still trying to calm him down. Sophia was just looking at him, her expression bewildered, she looked like someone that just teleported to two centuries ago; she looked like someone who was experiencing something that was unimaginable.

Maybe it was really unbelievable; Kunle talking to her in this manner.

"Aminah obviously adore you and you treating her that way, that ridiculous way is just not it and you know it. Giving people a tough time just because you have some things going on isn't fair at all."

I was watching Sophia and I saw as her expression went from shock to hurt; how her eyes suddenly grew glassy with tears; how her lips quivered, how she was trying to compose herself and how she was failing, miserably.

Then she stood up and walked out, her shoes barely making a sound on the tiled floor.

The silence after she left was even more paralysing and even louder. The cafeteria was filled with more than a thousand students but I was sure that if a pin should drop, we'll all hear it; loud and clear.

Beside me, Aminah was just sitting, face buried in her palms. Alex's eyes were on Kunle who I still couldn't see his face and for the first time, his expression wasn't impassive; his expression was something else; something, I still couldn't decipher.

Adam exhaled loudly behind me just as the whole cafeteria started talking in loud whispers again, obviously talking about our table and Sophia.

"While I understand you, I think you over did it. You should know better than that."

That was Adam to Kunle and he squeezed my hand gently before he stood up and left.

I just sat there, still trying to wrap my head around what just happened.

Well, do you really think he overdid it?

I'm sorry in advance but my babies will hurt each other, break bonds, sever ties and probably cut each other off. I know it's bad but it's necessary, teenagers grow through all these things. No relationship/friendship is safe in this book and like I said, it's one of those things so don't hate me too much.

Shit happened, Poor Sophia 😔😔😢😢 and honestly, what do y'all think of the argument? Don't pick sides because someone is your fav character and whatnot.

Who do you think is the most observant character in this book? 🤔🤔🤔

Sorry for stalling. I don't even know what's going on with me but I won't stay away for that long again and for the people that checked up on me ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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