Mansion
7:00pm

Yobanna

I sat on the comfort of my bed, my large bed with the black duvet while blasting No call me back by Joeboy and Mayokurn and as expected, I sang along to Mayor's part.

Ping ping

I got the notification from Paris my manager and I clicked on the message.

Several photos from the photoshoot the previous day, recently I was made the brand ambassador for a new phone brand in town and so as expected, I was made to pose several ways.

The photos were good. Paris picked only the best. And that was why despite her annoying character, she still stayed close.

Another message

Paris
Do you like the photos?

Me
Yeah,not like I like a choice

Paris
Yeah that's true,you don't have a choice.

Told you she was annoying.

Paris
Do you want me to post it for you,I post mad captions

Me
You mean boring ones. I'll pass. I have some books to read

Almost immediately she replied

Paris
Be acting as if you serious,ewu

I chuckled a bit. Me? Ewu? Paris was mad. For someone older than me she sure was childish and funny. She didn't even take her manager work seriously,she made sure she played big sister to me than even the role of manager.

I posted the picture and tagged the phone brand. The normal "Linked up with Orlando Phones to make magic,Orlando phone now Nationwide" It wasn't that bad,it was totally what Paris would have posted. We were both boring. I chuckled to myself.

And then I frowned when I remembered her.

Was she always weak? I didn't hate Cynthia and I didn't hate the new girl but I was beginning to get slightly irritated. I wanted badly to ignore them,ignore the fact that she was being dragged to that place again. For a little while I was happy when she forcefully took her hands off from Cynthia's grip. But then I saw how swiftly she was dragged, like a sheep to the slaughter house,how her weak eyes looked at me and then even though I tried to mind my business,I found myself walking so fast to act as Superman.

Cynthia,she was never like this, though I never liked her so much but still I found a little goodness but as she stood at the passage way,i knew something was wrong.

I sighed and tried to play change the song to a Burna boys song when I heard the knock on the door,the knock was faint as though the person was skeptical about it,as though he or she had thought of it over and over about it and finally decided to give it a try.

I took my hand off my phone and waited for another knock and of course it came.

Somehow I knew who was there.

"Come in"

And the door swung open, gently as though the door was fragile. My mum came into full view.

Our eyes locked and I could feel the tension in the air,so thick you could cut it with a knife,we hardly spoke, she hardly came to my room.

She just stood there, looking at me and I returned the favor. My mum had to be hands down one of the prettiest women for her age,one would never believe she had birthed three children,she rarely wore makeup, sometimes I felt as though she never aged. Tall, really light skin and quiet eyes. Oval shaped face,pointed nose and a flawless skin. I didn't know how but she walked as though she was floating,so much elegance in one person and that was why I was mad at her, for several reasons I was mad at her.

"Yobanna" She started softly. She stood close to the door like a stranger and I didn't bother telling her to seat,she would have sat if she wanted.

"Have you eaten?" She asked and I eyed her wearily.

"Is that why you are here?" I paused and then I added "mum"

It felt strange calling her that.

She went quiet again and looked around my room,gone are the days when she could barge into my room and cringe at how disorganized it was. Now that was a distant memory. I didn't know if she was thinking of the same thing as she looked around.

Her eyes returned to mine and then I cringed at how dead they looked.

"Do you want something?" I finally asked,tired of the silence,tired of the atmosphere at that point,I was tempted to press play on the Burna boy's song staring at me from my phone.

"I wanted to congratulate you on your new deal,it's amazing how you secured it and...."

I didn't allow her finish.

" Thank you, I've heard you"I replied coldly. I didn't know if my words had effects on her but I watched as her shoulder slumped.

"Any other thing?" I asked. I was tired already.

"No."

And then she turned around to pull the handle of my door to walk out. I wanted to call her back,ask her a thousand questions,ask her why she kept doing stupid stuffs,ask her why she wouldn't let me be.

She wasn't going yet, though her hand was on the handle,her back faced against me,I knew she wanted to say something.

"How is Matthew?" The question finally came.

"His your son" Came my harsh reply. "When you see him,ask him"

Her back was still turned against me. The room was so quiet I heard my own breathing and hers. It was the real definition of pin drop silence.

"I'll ask the maid to bring your meal"

And with that, she was gone,the whiff of her perfume still slightly in the air.

I didn't bother to press play again on my phone,I felt exhausted,tired,weak and confused.

***
Clothing Lines
3:00pm

Selena

There was a large space for drying clothing in the neighborhood but one had to be careful so no one would take the clothes ,my clothes had gone missing sometimes but it was all part of living in a ghetto.

I was done spreading the white , thankfully there was space this evening.

I squeezed the excess liquid from CJ's shirt,yes his shirt,I still washed the shirt of the fool. I washed his clothes and that of his mum, Kim was an independent human.

I spread the clothe over the line.

"Madam,so you are here" Faridah called out to me with her loud voice, she had a scarf tied around her head with a smile on her face.

"Hmm,how come I didn't see you?" I asked.

"You were so engrossed spreading clothes na"Faridah chuckled,I wondered why she was extra chirpy today.

She proceeded to start spreading her own clothes on the line opposite mine.

"You seem extra happy today" I noted.

"Hmm,my mum got a better job"She replied and I smiled, Faridah's mum deserves everything good,every single thing good.

"I'm so happy for you" I said sincerely.

She nodded and continued spreading her clothes.

"Hope that Cynthia girl has not bothered you of recent?" She suddenly asked. She was with just a bucket that contained few clothes and she was soon done and we both walked to a pavement to seat,I needed to seat, washing all that clothe was exhausting,I had few minutes to spare and I was going to use it.

"You haven't answered my question yet?" She reminded me.

" She tried recently..."

" Ahh,walahi that Cynthia is so lucky am not in your school,I would pulled out her hairs,is she mad? Don't you think you should stand up for yourself,she's a girl and you are also a girl, what does she have that you don't?"She asked,I could feel her blood boiling already.

I wanted to tell Faridah that she had money that I didn't have,fame,big breast and butt,curves everywhere,a really spotless face,a clique but I kept quiet.

"Why your blood too dey hot?" I asked instead. "You didn't even allow me finish"

And then she chuckled briefly.

"But her plan didn't actually work because Yobanna saved me." I completed

" Wait a minute.."

I glared at her,she was so fond of interrupting me.

" Sorry"She chuckled again.

"Yobanna saved me from her claws and yes Yobanna the popular teen model that everyone knows. It happened at the cafe where I work but I'm just scared cos Cynthia would surely kill me the next time she sees me"I explained.

" Wow" Was the only thing that escaped from her mouth.

"How does it feel like attending the same school with him?" She asked.

" So my story is not important abi?' i asked, disbelief clearly laced in my tone. Really?

"Not that na. See ehn, don't worry,she can't possibly do anything to you now that Yobanna has intervened"

" You think Cynthia cares,she didn't stop even after the first time he saved me"

" So there was a first time?So you've been keeping secrets from me? I thought we were friends" one would think I was keeping a really big secret from her with the facial expression.

" Faridah it's not that serious" I tried to calm her down, God knows I was tired.

" It is,now start spilling"

"There's nothing to spill Faridah,I need to go home abeg" I replied instead and got off from the pavement. I wiped the dust off my black skirt and picked my two buckets.

"So you aren't going to finish the story" Faridah pouted.

"I have to prepare dinner"

" You'll be fine and I have a feeling that Cynthia would stop bullying you"

" I hope so"I muttered and waved at her.

At home my step mum was yet to return, CJ was nowhere to be found and Kim,Kim was in the sitting room reading some dark twisted novel. I knew it was dark twisted because that was all she ever read.

Kim was weird, quiet, always brooding and looking at one in a calculating manner. I didn't know why though she gave me so weird vibes but I preferred her to CJ.

There was some Bille Eish song playing at the background as she fixed her attention to the book.

She turned her head from the book to acknowledge my presence and then returned her head back to the book.

Weird.

I rushed into the kitchen to start preparing dinner for the family,egusi soup,that was what I was asked to prepare. All the ingredients were in the counter and so I began work.

The meat was still parboiling when i heard the front door swing open loudly.

"Don't tell me that that stupid girl just started cooking cos the way I'm hungry,I might kill her" I heard my step mum's voice loud and clear.

Just kill me

****
This story just started,I know I've said it like how many times and as I keep writing,I keep having more ideas and stuffs and I keep infusing them into the book.

And yes, Cynthia is going to a major character in this book.