Yobanna
Mattew house
1:00pm

I didn't tell Mattew I was coming,I pressed the doorbell twice.

"You didn't tell me you were coming" He looked surprised and shirtless too.

I didn't answer him,I just side stepped him and walked into the house which looked neater than the last time,music was playing loudly from his home theatre, usual Mattew.

There was a bottle of unfinished champagne on the table and immediately I sat down,I took the bottle and gulped it down,so fast, feeling the heat at the bottom of my stomach,so fast until Mattew snatched it from me.

"Whoah,calm down young man,what's wrong with you?"He wasn't yelling,he was just fitting into the big brother role.

"You can't just walk in here and finish a bottle of champagne,you are not mad" he told me casually like the bottle was more important,he kept it aside and returned back to peep at my face.

"What's wrong?" He asked softly now. I wasn't responding,I just fixed my eyes on the blank television. Totally ignoring him and trying to block the loud music.

And then he snapped. No,his voice was still dangerously low,the kind that gave someone chills.

"It's 1pm and you are supposed to be in school but you are in my house,I'm not the coolest big bro but I don't encourage truancy,so fucking speak up or I throw you out" I swiped my head at him and he looked fucking serious,so dead serious and Matthew always kept to his threats.

"I don't know,just tired" I found myself replying like a child.

He eyed me wearily.

" Did your parents throw you out after what you did?" He asked and I knew what he was talking about,he was talking about the dinner party.

"No" They couldn't dare. My dad had travelled the next day and my mum,I couldn't care less.

"I was proud of you anyways" He chuckled. His eyes dancing with unexplainable joy,like he really was proud.

"For once you stood up,I would have been disappointed if you agreed,your dad really gat guts trying such shit in public"

" You knew that he didn't tell me?"

" Of course,you were so fucking clueless,your face said it all,your dad,it's the guts for me"

The way he pushed our dad as my dad,like he had totally washed his hands off him,off the family,off them, only Zara and myself were his family members.

"I didn't know I could blow up like that, like..." I couldn't find the right words to express myself

" It's high time na,there comes a time in the life of a human that he can no longer tolerate some stuffs,the breaking point,you got to your breaking point"He was slouched on the chair sideways,like half of his weight was on the chair and the other on the arm rest.

And then we went quiet again

"She's mad at me" I broke the silence

"The shawty you kissed?Do you know her?" He ran his hand over his beard

"Yeah,my classmate"

"Mehn,her life must suck now probably,you weren't totally right,like though things could have been better,I don't support the shit you pulled with her,you could have just walked away though"

I didn't respond,I was tired.

"So she's ignoring you?"

"I find it annoying"

"Because you are Yobanna and you aren't used to being ignored but this girl doesn't care if you are Yobanna"He teased,he was laughing at me and somehow I found out he was saying the truth no matter how annoying it sounded

"She's mad at me,she wouldn't look at me,she's ignoring me,she probably doesn't want to see me ever"I rambled and Matthew was chuckling,like his upper body really vibrating,was he ever serious? Was it funny?

"What's funny?" I asked him, eyeing his looks,the tattoo on his hand.

"You look smitten,you sure you haven't fallen hard?"

" You don't know what you are saying"I tried to defend myself, suddenly alert at the accusation. "I just feel guilty, that's all"

But that glint was still there,like he was mocking me. He stood up and walked to the kitchen and returned to the sitting room with a box of pizza and yogurt.

"You must be hungry" He simply said,like we weren't having a conversation about the girl I wronged.

"You didn't say anything about her,about how I can redeem myself?" I reminded him, Mattew confused me most times

He only scratched his beards and then rubbed his hands over his thick mass of hair,the one he had dyed back to black,for once I was proud of him.

"You know I don't like talking too much baby bro,maybe a month from today,we will have this conversation again and maybe you'll know where you stand"

What was he talking about? Sometimes Matthew spoke English in a Chinese way.  Very annoying.

He resumed his position back on the couch and ignored me, pressing his phone and laughing at something.

"So you aren't going to help me?" I found myself asking.

" I didn't kiss her bro,you did"His eyes were on his phone and he was chuckling, probably lying to a girl.

Annoying brat.

I took over the lid of the pizza and helped myself to it,maybe I would apologise and make things better, Nick's palace it was. I was going to wait till 5 but my ear drums were beginning to ache.

"Mattew can you reduce the volume at least"

"Nope" he laid emphasis on the p,I sighed, I was definitely leaving by 5.

***
Nick's palace
Selena
5:00pm

Grace didn't spare me the first few days I resumed work

"Later you'll be acting as if there's nothing going on between you both"

But there was actually nothing,how could I explain to the hyper active girl.

My fellow workers too didn't spare me, occasionally throwing glances, asking how come we kissed each other, asking of we were dating,it suddenly was annoying,I found it annoying. It was all his fault,the stupid boy.

And then that evening,my boss, Nick had called me aside to his corner where he was sitting.

"Selena" he had called me, calmly and softly. I knew we were probably age mates but he was my boss and Nick hardly spoke to us except it was important.

It was his make shift office, really small and comfy, a small table, chair, an artifact and nothing else, just bland because he hardly used it.

"I know I might not always be around but you are still my staff and if there's anything I hate then it's bullying"

He paused and then I raised my head from the table and noticed he was looking at me quietly,as though he was trying to read me,my very next move,his gaze was unsettling.

Bullying? He knew of Cynthia.

"Someone told me about it, someone warned me not to allow it happen again ,and I wouldn't want to fall out with that person. Selena, you should have spoken up,you are my staff and no one,I mean no one is allowed to come in here and bully you and go Scot free,it's my duty to make sure of it"

I nodded.

The dark boy tapped his hand on his table for a while.

"Someone wants to talk to you, don't worry, you both will have the conversation here"

" Did I do something wrong sir? "I asked.

" Far from that"he chuckled trying to communicate to me that it was a friendly conversation "And please call me Nick,sir makes me feel old" He added and I smiled.

I stood up and left and then I heard someone walk in,it was him, Yobanna and I felt the room becoming smaller as though he sapped all the energy and space,you know he was tall. Probably why and I knew I wasn't ready to face him.

I stood for a while trying to think of ways to leave the room,it was hard to ignore him I knew but I didn't want drama or trouble.

He was wearing a black shirt over his joggers and his hair,his hair was lower than usual,I noticed how his eyes didn't leave me,we stood for a while, quiet,each to his own thoughts.

I thought of the kiss,again.

Ugh,I couldn't stay in the same place with him. I rushed to run out but he was fast,very swift even,his hand clasped my wrist, stopping from moving any further.

"Wait, please" His voice was no longer cocky, just a little louder than a whisper,the plea in his voice.

I noticed how close we were now,not so close but still I was uncomfortable. I found my heart racing,I just wanted to leave.

"Let me go, please" I said as quiet as I could.

" At least hear me out"He begged. Our eyes were still locked. God,how could someone's eyes be so soft,i wasn't supposed to stay.

"I admit I was wrong,I shouldn't have pushed you into my family's problem,I shouldn't have made such rash decision,I shouldn't have, I'm sorry"

I didn't respond. I didn't want too. My throat was clogged like my heart.

" Selena..." He called my name, probably he wanted to know if I heard him at all.

"You think sorry fix it all don't you?" I asked calmly,I couldn't believe my own voice. How raw it sounded,laced with something like anger and pain

He seemed surprised for a minute.

"You think because you said sorry my life would become better,do you know what happened to me after that night,do you? Do you know the tongue lashing I've gotten from St Louis students,do you know how many text messages I've gotten from your fan girls who I don't know how they got my number,the discomfort I felt that first week,you were in your house weren't you?" I asked him and he was still looking at me,I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

I knew my eyes were glassy,my step mum had flogged me till I nearly lost my breath,flogged me till I could cry no more cos I was accused of being a slut.

I didn't tell him what Cynthia did to me because according to her,I had embarrassed her,I didn't tell him how she had messed up my clothes,how she had made a video of me,how she had slapped my head severally,how I cried,I felt like I was seeing it again, flashing through my eyes.

"Sorry doesn't fix everything for some people. I don't blame you,I really don't,you have everything working out for you and that's why you think you can do anything you want and say sorry"

I looked at his palm that was clasped on my wrist,eyed him and pulled my hand out and walked away.
**

Selena's crib

The train pulled to a stop and I got down,plugged my ear phones in and walked home quietly.

I didn't stay till the end of work, Nick allowed me go probably after seeing my glassy eyes.

The house was quiet except for the music playing from Kim's room,I wanted to walk to my store and lie my tired bones down.

After my outburst,he had left,he had left in his power bike, not even glancing at Nick,I assumed Nick understood and also allowed me go.

Somehow I found myself going to Kim's room,I didn't know why, probably I could pour out my eyes to her,she was becoming softer only towards me, the night her mother had flogged me, she was out and when she returned,I could swear she was ready to bring the house down.

My step mum was surprised, Kim never showed emotions,never showed how she felt but twice,twice she had gone violent,on my account, because of me.

It warmed my heart the same way it scared me.

I stopped at the over washed curtain and peeped in first and then I saw Kim. I was transfixed.

I said I've seen different shades of Kim,the quiet one,the one that broods,the one who listens to Billie Eish and read dark novels,the violent one,the emotional one but this one,this one was another shade.

The Kim that dance,the Kim that dances is a happy Kim

She was dancing to some fast beats in front of her mirror,still in her over sized clothes, today was Friday,she had probably returned from wherever she goes on Fridays.

I never saw Kim as a flexible person,she wasn't chubby,no she she wasn't,she was just there,but still those moves,I couldn't dream of them,I wouldn't dream of them.

Kim was fast, moving her legs and waist in sync to the song and then the smile,it was priceless,I've never seen her so happy,so engrossed,so engaged and at once I forgot about my sadness.

I've seen dancers,I've watched dance videos,a thousand and one dance videos both foreign and African but Kim was everything to me,the sync,the balance, flexibility,the energy ....it was contagious and something I started wishing I could join her. Kim,what couldn't she do?

I watched her more, taking in all her steps and then somehow she found out she was not the only one in the room.

And slowly she turned towards me and without warning,I rushed into her arms,like I was waiting for her to turn. She didn't seem surprised,she simply wrapped her hands around me. She didn't ask questions,seemed as though she understood without me uttering a word.

***

I like Matthew 🥃🍺