Ken

Things are messed up.

Things are really fucked and messed up and it's all moving too fast for us.

Yobanna wouldn't pick up his phone, it's being three whole days and he wasn't anywhere to be found, even when we went to his house, we were always denied access.

I had dropped probably more than 10 messages, the highest I've ever dropped in someone's dm in all of my chatting life and none were replied.

It was crazy you know. One morning we all woke up to the news and it had escalated real fast and somehow Yobanna was dragged into it and that was the annoying part, what in the world did he do?

So what if his mom was caught having affairs with others? Yobanna wasn't his mum and that's why I had exited the class group chat, along with my friends.

My classmates were simply brainless. You know, chickens with tiny brains and I wondered how they turned out like that.

Myself and Precious, we were returning from the staff room and heading back to class, Precious wore his emotions like a  robe, I could see how worried he was about Yobanna even though we didn't really speak about it. We all avoided the topic like a plague.

We got to the ever noisy passage where my classmates were jumping around, the hyperactive ones exchanging hugs and stuffs like that, voices competing which would be the loudest, girls blowing fake kisses around, the usual stuffs.

There was no where I hated in school more than this very long passage and it didn't help that my class was at the beginning. So I had to walk pass at least 3 classes before getting to mine.

Every class had two rooms assigned to them,First two class was for Technical students, second was for commercial, third one for Art and last for science.

I was going to pass peacefully with Precious when a guy, my classmate said somethingfrom the window where he was surrounded by his friends.

"Isn't that the friends of the sluts son?"

I didn't know he had turned to a comedian with the way the three guys surrounding him bursted into laughter.

I was going to ignore them but Precious stopped in his tracks as though an invisible hand had pulled him to stop dead in the middle of the passage.

He turned as though controlled by something and walked to where those boys were

"Can you repeat what you just said?" Precious asked looking calm and at the same time the aura around him screamed danger.

Guy, can't lie, I was surprised, Precious was like the peace loving type, he didn't fight, he didn't make trouble, didn't like to cause a scene or anything, he just wanted to smile and be sweet always but this Precious standing before the group of four guys was a different one.

The fool who had said that stuff was Jerry. Media mogul parents, controlling one of the biggest news houses in Nigeria. Jerry was a spoilt brat but he never crossed my path (I really should consider rapping).

"What are you gonna do sissy?" Jerry asked him, he had rolled his sleeves up and gotten down from the window.

"Beat me?" His eyebrows were quaked now as though daring Precious to punch him.

I was standing just 5 feets away watching all these. I didn't know what Precious was up too so I just had to watch and observe first. I was already clutching my fist in annoyance,I had promised myself not to fight,if I exchanged words with the fool,I sure was going to burst his lips.

"Guys how could I have forgotten—" He touched Precious shoulder and then laughed. I watched Precious stiffen.

" They say birds of the same feathers flock together. So Precious is your mum a baby mama or a slut?"He asked a smirk on his lips watching Precious getting riled up.

They all started laughing, the whole passage was quiet save for few giggles here and there.

I was going to rush to punch the bastard but Precious was faster. Like I said, Precious never fought, I have never seen him fight before but this punch, it was so fast, so accurate, it had the bastard on the floor before I could say jack.

"Jesus!" Someone gasped from the crowd.

Jerry was on the floor with a bleeding nose, the impact so hard he couldn't shake off the pain. I swear I could see the flash of surprise and pain on his face.

"You don't get to insult my mum,you don't get to insult Yobanna's mum,you bastard!"He kicked the idiot on his chest and he rolled on the floor while everyone kept watching.

I was going to pull Precious away but the idiot who was groaning in pain was also chuckling like a psychopath.

Jerry was up on his feet again, cleaning his nose and struggling to stand.

"Wow, never knew you could throw a punch" The bastard actually said with a smile on his face.

"But seriously though Precious I wasn't lying, Yobanna's mum is actually a slut and punching me isn't going to change that fact, so why the fuck are you riled up?"

He was smirking, trying to get on Precious nerves.

I decided it was enough.

"Guy let's leave here" I told Precious and tried to take him away. Precious was literally boiling looking at just his facial expression. I knew we had to leave.

"Oh wow, Ken the peace maker, if it isn't the dullard who thinks his better than everyone else in St Louis. No seriously–" Jerry faced the students watching us and laughed, wiping the blood coming from his nose. He looked like a mess.

"Is this really the guys girls keep tripping for?What's so good about you all? A sociopath and bully, a sluts son–"

God,I couldn't take it anymore,I covered the distance between the fool and I and covered his face with a punch,he fell flat on the floor and for a minute I hoped I didn't knock him out cold.

The whole passage way was on fire, loud whispers and conversations. It seemed as though the roof would be brought down any minute.

Alhamduli,the bastard was alive. I crouched on the floor and raised his bloody face and spoke to him. Precious had done quite a damage to his nose and his left eye looked pretty bad. Generally it was a bloody mess on his face.

"In a hundred years Jerry,in a million years even, you'll never be a match for myself,Dozie, Yobanna or Precious"

It was supposed to end there but the three idiots had to rush at me.

Red!red!red!

It was chaos on the passage way. People shouting and screaming out their lungs,the noise so deafening I was sure the whole school was going to assemble in our passage. It was as though I was fuelled with so much suppressed rage and I took it all out at once on the bastards.

***

Zion

"Mum,can I talk to you for a minute?"

My mum was typing on her phone and then she looked up.

"Yeah sure baby, what's up?" She placed her phone aside and came to meet me on the couch, facing with so much interest.

We were both in the sitting room,the brown decor looking so homely. The television was switched on but no one was paying attention to the muted MTV channel.

I looked a lot like my mum save for her curly hair and brown eyes. She was also quite slender and honestly,she didn't look like my mum since she had me at an early age,she looked more like my elder sister.

"I'm all ears babyyyy" She reminded me. She sat as though she was getting prepared for yoga.

"It's girls stuff" I gave her a quick head up and she nodded.

" You've never discussed girls with me,I'm excited" She really was,you had to see her eyes.

"Really mum?" I chuckled "Other mothers aren't this excited about having girls talking with their son, you really aren't Nigerian" I teased the British woman and she slapped my head.

"You just had too" I whined as I rubbed the back of my head. We both laughed.

"Okay so I hurt someone. I didn't want to mum,I was just so foolish and caught up in childish revenge and stuffs."

And then I told her about Selena and my feelings for Cynthia since forever and Yobanna.

"At the beginning I wanted to just get Selena to hurt him but I discovered she's actually a sweet soul. I don't even know what to do anymore I swear and everytime I try to talk to her I lose all my confidence and stuffs"

Mum took a deep breath.

"Zion Ayo. I raised you better than this young man. I raised a gentleman and not a beast or petty human" Her British accent was so strong right now

"I'm so sorry mum"

"From all you've said, Selena is in love with Yobanna just the same way he is in love with her—wait, Yobanna,the teen model?His your classmate?"

"Yeah"

" Crazy stuff. Crazy. Look baby, you'll just have to apologise to your friend. You messed up big time and you know. Even if she doesn't ever want to be friends with you, at least you'll have to make sure you apologize"

"About your crush,  I raised you to know your worth. Mate,you are handsome as hell—"She touched my chin, looking right in my eyes

"–and really talented,you didn't come to this life to chase love alone, one sided love ain't healthy. You have to understand just because you have good intentions for people doesn't mean they just return such feelings. Clearly she likes someone else, there is nothing you can do to change her mind, what do you do? You move the hell on,do you understand?"

"Yes boss" I gave a mock salute.

"Look baby you've got to do what's right and stop running away from things you've got to fix, if you mess up, man up and take responsibility for it, if you are supposed to apologise, do it. It shows the kind of man you are when you can try to make amends. You owe Selena an apology."

She was looking at me warmly right now and then she pulled me into a hug.

"Thanks mum"

"Mum" I murmured against her chest again.

"Yes baby"

"Have you got a man?"

Her shoulders stiffened immediately and she was quiet for a minute and soon she was out of the hug, her face flustered and different emotions racing all over her face.

"Baby–"She stuttered and I could see the heat raising on her face.

"Mum you don't have to deny, I mean come on, the calls?You are always texting and smiling like a teen, you seem happier stuffs like that..."

"So do you have a man?" I asked again even though I knew the answer already.

My mum sighed and then took a deep breath

"Okay. Yes.  We've known for 6 months. His name is Frank,his a doctor and I like him"

"Okay" I responded and was going to stand up but my mum pulled me down.

"What the hell do you mean by okay? baby,come on,what do you think? Talk to me"

" What's the point,what are we talking about?You are in love obviously with him"

" Zion—" My mum was going to say something but I was still talking

"Mum at the end of it all you are going to marry him and stuff,what do you want me to say?"

My mum rubbed her hand over her temple and I knew it that she was already having a hard time.

"Zion I know it's not really easy on you but he knows about you,Frank wants to meet you,his an amazing guy I swear. I was going to tell you all about him long time ago but I didn't know where to begin"

"I know how this stuff plays out mum,I know I'm probably being selfish right now but it's always being me and you, one day you'll have to choose between your child and your husband,it always comes to that–"

She held my face and stared right into my eyes cutting whatever I wanted to say.

"Zion look at me, I love you more than anything on earth and nothing can change that, absolutely nothing,your happiness means the world
to me baby and you know it. I know you are angry cos you thought I'll have a chance with your dad. Zion your dad and I aren't in love anymore. I thought I was going to change him,I thought he was going to stay faithful to me but no, things didn't work out baby and I'm done trying to fix things and if you love me Zion you'll be happy for me—

I love you baby and you know it and I would never stop"

"Promise?"I asked wondering why my voice sounded so weak.

"Promise"She whispered.

"His good looking though. Frank. Stalked him on IG. I want you to be happy mum and I hope Frank makes you happy enough"

My mum kissed my cheeks with this huge grin on her face.

"Is he the reason you've been trying to cook egusi soup for days now?" I was chuckling even though my mum was trying hard not to smile.

"I mean yesterday egusi soup that eventually got burnt and some salty jollof rice today,are you doing wife material things?" I was still laughing and my mum was rolling her eyes at me.

She wasn't angry because we both knew she couldn't cook to save her life. I just grew up with her knowing we had chefs who cooked our meals.

"Shut up you chicken. Cooking is just something I feel everyone should learn,male or female. It's a life skill and I've not really tried hard to learn. Maybe it's time I give it a shot. Who knows,I might just be the next biggest chef, nothing is impossible"

"No offense momma, just give up and concentrate on your shoe business"

"Ode!" She slapped the back of my head and we both bursted into laughter.

****
A/N

Best in updating late, I'd probably take that award home😩...

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