Matthew's residence
5:00pm

Yobanna

I pressed the doorbell to his house, his really big apartment that was somewhere in the city, about 40 minutes journey from home, he was really far from home.

I pressed the doorbell again hoping he would hear the jingles admist the blasting of songs from his sound system. I was sure no one could have a nap if this boy was around.

And then I remembered I had a phone and dialled his number, twice, before he finally picked.

"I'm outside" I simply said and hung up. I couldn't be wasting my airtime on him.

It didn't take him 2 minutes and the door bolts were giving way, he swung the door open revealing his full self, the glint in his eyes, his red eyes, indication he was smoking before I called.

"Sorry for keeping you out little bro" He apologized and left me at the door,I made my way inside. I guess I didn't need an invitation.

Matthew was shirtless, his tattoo which he had covering his whole right hand on full display. His short hung dangerously on his waist and he was blasting some Roddy Rich song on his sound system.

Matthew was my mum look like, the same light skin, pretty boy with really thick lashes, tall, athletic with his tainted hair that I found really rough now.

I took a swipe round his apartment that smelled like whatever he was smoking. Nothing had changed,the same red couch in his sitting room,sound system,a centre table and white walls,there was nothing on the wall except a picture of himself, Zara and I .

The television was on displaying some American movie but the volume was muted.

"Water, beer or wine?" He asked trying to adjust his trouser.

"I'm fine"I replied.

He gave me a look to be sure I didn't want to change my mind and when I kept quiet, he ignored me.

"Thought you said you weren't going to take those stuffs any more?" I asked him.

"Guy is that why you came here? How do you expect a nigga to survive without some weed?"He asked me as though he was expecting an answer. He was pouring some drink for himself into a cup now.

I took two deep breaths slowly, trying hard not to call him an irresponsible big brother.

"At least the girls are not here today right? Aren't you happy?" he asked as though he was trying to gain some points or trying to be on my good side,I wasn't sure which.

Maybe he did gain some points today, whenever I visited Mattew there was always a girl or two and it was disgusting. I tried to muster it up, try to ignore the fact that they walked around half naked but I had it enough when one of them tried to make passes me, they all did make passes at me but this one was shameless and I flared up, really bad.

"I would soon become a priest because of you" He chuckled but my face still remained stotic and then he frowned too.

"How is Zara?" He asked.

"She's fine, she was disappointed you didn't come to visit her" I told him and watched his expression flutter, at least there was someone he cared about.

"I would make it up to her" He said and took a sip.

"Do your neighbors sleep at all?" I suddenly asked, the volume was unbearable now that it was a song by Naira Marley, some song I didn't know the name.

"They sleep with ear pods I guess" he shrugged non chalantly and I wondered how his neighbors put up with the whole noise and him.

Matthew reminded me alot of Ken, rough and he hardly cared about the opinion of others, he did what he wanted when he wanted, just that Ken was a mini version with little more empathy.

Matthew tried to adjust his trouser again.

"Don't you want to watch some stuffs, I just recharged the DStv Sha" he  told me and I didn't know what I wanted to do with the piece of information.

He ran his hands over his hair and I heard him mutter something like, I have to get an hair cut. He picked up his remote and unmuted the TV and then switched off the song and I could swear I heard his neighbors in their rooms huffing and muttering thanks to God.

It was a latest movie though, but I wasn't interested in the movie, I was thinking of alot of things. Matthew was sitting close to me and he noticed at once.

"What's on your mind? Are your parents still giving you headache? "The way he referred to them as my parents was so cold, one would actually think they didn't birth him.

"They are also your parents" I reminded him.

"Wahala for who get parents oh"He chuckled in response and hissed, I was sure he cussed under his breath too and we didn't say anything for a while.

"I don't know why you still stay in that house, I don't know how you do it but my offer still stands, you can always move in with me"He didn't take his eyes off the television.

I shook my head to show I wasn't interested, how was I going to live with Matthew? That was like signing a death sentence, Matthew that smoked, drank, brought women in and played loud music, how was I going to survive a week, he would probably promise and go back to his ways.

He turned to face me swiftly and narrowed his eyes at me.

"I know what you are thinking, I'll try to adjust if you move in, I'm not that bad"He tried to convince me. Yes Matthew was not bad, he was my best friend and big bro and still is, just that he had flaws, flaws that i didn't know how I would help,flaws that I hoped wouldn't land him in a bigger mess.

"I'll pass man, I'm good" I responded and he shrugged, like he knew that was going to be my response. He wasn't done taking the content of his glass.

"Do you have a girlfriend now?, you look fresher than normal"

When Mattew added girlfriend and freshness in the same sentence I knew what it meant.

"Guy free me jor" I laughed and he laughed too knowing I wasn't comfortable with his foolish talk about girls and freshness.

"Did you come here directly from school?" He asked and then I noticed that he had pierced his ears again, a cross earring dangling from his ear. Mattew.

"Kinda" I replied.

"That means you are hungry and am also famished and I've got nothing at home, that means we are eating out, I should grab a shirt, I'll be back" And he dashed into the room opposite.

Was there a time Matthew had foodstuffs in his house, he was terrible cook, he couldn't even make toast, who was I kidding, Matthew couldn't even boil an egg.

I took out my phone and swiped to see the messages from the group chat Precious had formed for four of us, Precious acted like a girl to be honest,I couldn't blame him,he was the only male in the midst of three girly girls.

Dozie had posted the sneakers he got recently,the one he wanted badly and I could see precious messages and crying emoji everywhere

Precious
Where una dey see this money na😭😫

Precious
Dozie cut soap for your boy na, everywhere just red like Yoruba stew😩

Precious
No be to organize GoFundMe for myself like this,this oppression dey restrict airflow.😥

The fool,he just bought a sneaker worth twice the amount we were seeing,he just liked acting broke.

I chuckled and I could see that Ken was typing something before my brother reappeared beside me and I switched my data off.

Mattew was muscular,his shirt clung on him and though I could see the tattoos,he looked a little bit responsible with the jeans and black shirt. He grabbed his car keys from the table and we were ready to leave.

The short journey to the restaurant was majorly silent except when Mattew had to ask which restaurant I wanted. Justin Bieber's songs kept us occupied till we got to the restaurant.

Breakfast to breakfast was inscribed boldly on the building. Everyone knew the restaurant, according to rankings it was one of the best in Nigeria and mehn,one had to be really rich to have a seat at least.

Breakfast to breakfast had to be one of the most beautiful restaurant hands down,the interior was maddd,glass walls ,the ceilings made in pure marbles and the the waitresses could pass as models.

I liked the sweet scent of food and the display of snacks through the see through glass. The building was cold as expected. There were lots of people,each of them occupying the two seat to one table,in some situation,it was there to four people on one table.

Matthew found a table for us.

"Are you cold?" He suddenly asked and I felt little again,the way his eyes were,like he was ready to go out to get me a sweater even when I had dozens at home, Mattew was that kind of big brother, annoying but soft.

"I'm good" I replied instead and picked the menu and when the waitress came,we both ordered for the same thing, coconut rice.

"This place just keeps amazing me though,they don't keep their designs for more than a month,by next month,the interior would be more doper"Matthew explained and I wondered how often he patronized this place,how often he ate here despite the bills.

Our order arrived and I dug in almost the same time with Matthew,it was good he still remembered his table manners though, Mattew that ate like a goat inside his house was eating so slowly,so prim and proper and I smiled,it was so funny to watch,so funny to think that we display our real self inside cos we know no one was judging us.

I was hungry no doubt but I still ate slowly,the restaurant was high class and I didn't bring a hoodie cos I knew I would run into celebrities too and though I could still notice some stares from a particular table,I ignored them.

"You are playing too hard to get" Mattew chuckled and sipped from his glass.

I smiled,I knew what he was trying to say.

"Because you are fine abi,you should spare the girl a glance at least,she have had her eyes on you since you walked in, don't break someone's heart biko"Mattew joked

"And how did you know?"

"Cos her friend have had her eyes on me since I walked in"He replied a tinge of cockyness in his tone.

"Whore"I muttered to his hearing and he laughed. I turned to meet the said girl's gaze on me,she was pretty no doubt and so to avoid breaking someone's heart,I smiled warmly at her and I swear I could see her turning red.

So someone cannot smile in peace again

"You are learning really fast" My brother teased me,he was smirking now like a proud teacher.

I ignored him and faced my food, Mattew was a bad influence abeg.

I tried  eating my food in peace when I raised my head and no I didn't look at my brother,I looked ahead,i looked at a young family sitting some tables from us.

A man,woman and two kids. They looked happy. I knew it was sincere,I could feel the happiness and family love.

I watched the young lady,the young mother as she wiped ice cream off her son's mouth. I watched them.

"You seem like you would do anything to be in their place" My brother's voice broke into my thoughts and then I returned my gaze to him.

I didn't respond.

"Sometimes life can be very unfair you know,some things don't just last and no it's not fate,let's just say, man decides to make crazy decisions"He had a sad smile and I could see how hard it was for him saying such stuffs.

I understood him without him uttering a word again, it was a bro thing I guess. I didn't say a word again, I simply sipped from my glass.

****
Two days later,I was the library, thinking of what my bro had said, feeling tired and sleepy as hell,I was about to doze off when I felt a presence beside me.

I opened my eyes that were threatening to close and focused them on the girl sitting beside me, Cynthia.

"You still sleep in the library" She paused. " I guess some things never change"

There was once a time,I still had little conversations with her.

"I was about to sleep,what do you want?" I asked her, hoping she would go straight to the point.

" I came to apologise" She muttered.

"You always apologise Cynthia.i don't think you should be apologizing to me though"I replied sluggishly and tried to find a perfect sleeping position thinking she would leave but I guess I underestimate her sometimes.

"But you are mad at me" she whined like child beside me.

I turned at once to face her,I noticed how she didn't braid her hair,she had tied her natural hair with something.

"I'm. Not. Mad. At. You" I spelt out each word for her,I really wanted her to leave.

" Why are you replying like that if you aren't mad at me?" She asked.

I took two deep breaths. I was going to yell at her if I didn't take the deep breaths. There was nothing as annoying as someone disrupting you when trying to take a nap.

"I think I would have to leave you here" I tried to stand up but she held my hand.

" I should be the one leaving" she said quietly and stood up. I stared at her and for a moment I saw how tired or probably weak she was,looks I saw in my eyes when I stared at the mirror but they disappeared as soon as they came.

"At least you aren't mad at me cos of her" She chuckled and left.

Weird.

Finally I could get some sleep,I placed my head on the desk before me and before long I was sure until I heard someone singing.

Not again

I have never been a fan of Wizkid,no,I didn't hate the nigga just that I listened to more of Burna boy and Mayokurn. Wizkid songs were on rare occasions but that didn't mean I didn't know any of his song.

I heard someone singing Ginger by Wizkid and Burna boy,it wasn't a boy,I was sure.

I stood up from my seat in search of the person who was at the other side of the aisle in the library,for goodness sake,the library was supposed to be the most quiet place in the school but look at me, trying hard to get some sleep.

I finally tracked the voice and I stopped in my tracks when I saw her.

She was singing the song word for word,her seat beside the window making the rays of sun shine directly on the book,she was singing so well. I paused watching her as she sang. Did Wizkid know he had an upcoming artist that was eligible to be signed?

Selene M. Donald

"You should keep it low,some people are trying to read and some people are also trying to sleep"I finally stopped her from singing.

Her hair was braided now, simple cornrows. She had an apologitic face now like a child caught in the act of stealing milk from the cone.

"Sorry" Came her frail voice,I wondered why her voice sounded as though she was scared to talk to me. She was matching my gaze now,her eyebrows twitching. I watched her place her two hands on the book she was reading.

I didn't say a word again and was about to turn around when I heard the bell,she parked up her books as though she couldn't afford to be late for any class. The notes and everything in one hand and she was set to leave.

"The bell went off" she informed me.

"I know,I'm not going to class" I told her and went back to my position and watched as she walked off briskly and soon her figure disappeared when she took a corner.

I brought out my phone  and typed;

Sleepy😴

I posted it on my status and I was yet to switch off my data when the replies started coming in. I was really tired though, I had stayed up doing loads of assignment after a late photoshoot. A boy gat to do what he wanted. I placed my head hoping that no one disturbed me and God indeed answered my prayer and soon I fell asleep.

***
Selena didn't get a pov this time, I wanted us to meet Mattew and though his not going to play a major role,you still get to see him sometimes and the next POV is that of Cynthia,and then Yobanna and Selena, it's going to be a long chapter I guess.

30th April💓

If you've read We meet again then you should know Breakfast to Breakfast,George and Catherine story,does that ring a bell?😂