/CHAPTER EIGHTEEN/

SOMETIMES THE WORST
PLACE YOU CAN BE
IS IN YOUR OWN
HEAD
~🌺🌺

(Song; Never give up by sia🌺🌺🌺)

~LILY~

Stay at home, eat, write, read if possible, and sleep was what I had planned out to be my perfect Saturday though I knew that at the back of my mind it was far from perfect, it wasn't how I wished my Saturday would go.

It was finally Saturday, Nola's birthday party had arrived and while most of my classmates were busy preparing for the party, I was trying to keep myself busy by reading the book, Miss Belle gave to me on Wednesday. My mind drifted off to Miss Belle and the conversation we had together.

"What are your dreams and aspirations Lily?" She asked catching me off guard.

I looked at her face and thought about her question but I couldn't relay any answers to her, I was blank upstairs and my mouth couldn't even open, then she asked again.

"Lily dear what do you want to be in the future?"

"A business admin," I told her and she looked at me.

"Why? Why do you want to be a business admin?"

I thought about it for a while, asking myself that question numerous times in my head but I couldn't come up with a valid answer.

"I don't know," I answered her truthfully and she nodded.

"I'll ask you again, what are your dreams? What are your aspirations?"

I couldn't give her any answers, but it wasn't meant to be like that, the question she asked was simple, I just needed to tell her my future aspirations but I couldn't. Then I realized that I had none.

I didn't have a dream, neither did I have any aspirations.

"I don't know," I told her feeling embarrassed because I didn't have one.

"You've never dreamt of being anything?" she asked and I nodded in response. "Wow Lily, you know you're in your final class now and you still don't have a dream?"

I didn't say anything in response to her as my eyes started to water again.

God why do I cry easily?_ I lamented within me.

"Let's do something Lily," she said and I just gave her a nod. "Before the end of this term I want you to give me a list of things you love doing, then we would decide together and don't think it's too late to start dreaming."

I had a faint smile on my face as the whole conversation played out in my head, then I stood up from my bed, went directly to sit on my study desk and grabbed my pen and tore out a sheet of paper and started writing but I was still blank. I didn't know exactly what to write.

Five minutes later, I was still blank same as the sheet of paper, it was blank.

Ten minutes later, I was chewing on my pen as I thought of what to write but still my head was empty.

Some uncountable minutes later, I was almost sleeping because I still didn't know what to write. I gave up and angrily discarded the paper into my small bin. I was angry and furious at myself that I couldn't even do a simple task, I didn't know what I enjoyed doing, maybe I was really useless as people usually say, maybe truly I was a trash.

Tears cascaded down my eyes and I allowed it not caring about cleaning it because I was sad, just imagine, I didn't have a dream, then through my teary eyes I saw it, my book, My rap music book, laying peacefully on my desk. I smiled, grabbing the book quickly but my smile was short-lived as I reminisced how the book was given back to me yesterday, Friday.

I sat down in my class, minding my business as usual, most of my classmates were out of the class while the rest that were in the class were talking indistinctly.

Chase was in class also but he was reading at least that was what it seemed like. I was jobless so I decided to lay my head on my desk as usual when I sighted Samira and itunu enter into my class, they were walking towards my seat and for some reasons I wasn't really scared of them I just felt pity for itunu, her hand looked badly damaged as it was wrapped all over with bandage, then held in a cast. They got to my front looking at me, I didn't know what to say, either I should greet or ignore.

"Hey?" Samira greeted in a oddly low voice and I was shocked because she had never used a tone like that on me before but itunu didn't say anything as she just kept looking at me will a solemn look.

"Hi," I forced the word out of my mouth as I returned her greeting, Samira smiled at me and kept something on my desk, I looked down on my desk and saw my RAP music book laying on it. I was shocked at the same time I was happy, I looked up at Samira's face and she was still smiling at me.

"It's yours take it," she said and I quickly grabbed my book that I thought I wouldn't be seeing again from my desk, holding it to my chest tightly just Incase they wanted to collect it back. "Sorry," yes that's what I heard from Samira.

She told me sorry, I looked up at her face which still retained the smile it had been carrying. I was triple shocked.

Samira just told me sorry.

"Let's go," I heard Samira tell itunu who hadn't utter a word since she entered into my class.

"I'll meet up with you," Was what itunu told Samira who just nodded then left my class, leaving me with itunu. I reached for my school bag and kept my book into it while I could still feel itunu heavy gaze Poking holes into me. "Lily?" I looked her in her eyes but I couldn't keep eye contact because her eyes were intimidating, then she moved towards me and bent to my level.

I wasn't still scared but at that moment I wasn't just comfortable.

"Sorry," She whispered to me and I was quadruple shocked at that because itunu told me sorry but then she just had to ruin the moment. "Sorry? It's that what you're expecting me to say to you?" She continued still whispering as she released a soft chuckle.

I looked at her and she had that her devilish signature smirk on her face this time, then she brought her face to my ear.

"Don't think that this is over because I promise you that this wouldn't be the last time you would hear from me," she said and I trembled as I heard her words. "You know it's because of you that I've got a broken arm, yunno? I promise you that you would have more than that." And she left immediately she said made that statement.

I looked at her retreating presence as my mind tried to digest everything she'd said to me but my mind just couldn't digest them, then I looked to side and saw chase looking at me, he wasn't smiling, his face was expressionless, then he looked away back to his book.

I shook my head as I tried to erase the memories from my head. I flipped through my RAP music book, checking out all that I'd written in it, the lyrics that I'd written when I was sad, happy, angry and desperate, then I took my pen and started writing on one of the blank pages in the book.

*. *. *.

~PINK~

"Which is better?" Rayo asked still confused about the cloth she could wear to Nola's birthday party. "A spaghetti crop top or the body con gown."

I shrugged. "Wear the one that suits your mood."

"Seriously pink help me out here, I'm really confused, you're the fashion guru na," She said wiggling her brows playfully which made me smile.

I stood up from the vanity mirror and walked towards where she placed both clothes, I picked it up and assessed it. "I think you should go with the crop top and a Palazzo trousers, remember it's an old school theme party."

"I was thinking about that too," She hugged me and hopped into my bathroom to take a shower.

I went through my closet ravaging for what to wear but I just couldn't find something perfect for myself. Don't get me wrong. My clothes were much but most of them wouldn't hide the scar at my back and I wouldn't want to attract any attention towards my back.

I hissed as I gave up searching for the perfect cloth, and to top it all it was almost October, the period where the heat would attack at full force, so wearing something too covered up would be like wearing a cotton sweater in a desert.

"Madam, you're still searching for cloth?" I looked back to see Rayo cleaning her body with a towel.

"So quick? You've finished bathing?"

"Under how many seconds?" she asked in response. "Abeg madam go and bath jare while I pick out an outfit for you."

I nodded even though I knew I would still be the one picking out an outfit for myself. I didn't undress myself in front of Rayo as I picked up my towel and went into my bathroom fully clad.

I wore a robe on my body as I walked into my room. Rayo was busy going through my closet then as if on cue she turned and faced me with a smile gracing her face.

"Oya take this one and try it," She said handing me a spaghetti hand crop top that looked similar to hers. I shook my head because I couldn't wear it, most part of my back would had been left exposed. Rayo looked at me with a frown on her face as she assessed the cloth I returned to her. "Why? What happened to the cloth? At least it's new and it's similar to mine, so we could twin."

"I want something covered," She laughed as I spoke.

She pointed to me still laughing, "I can't believe it, Pink you want to wear something covered. Since when abeg?"

"You know I told you I'm trying to change my style," I said, hoping that would confuse her, I think it did because she didn't respond, instead, she continued going through my closet and I joined her also.

After almost thirty minutes of searching for cloth, I finally opted for a Denim jean jacket and a jean Palazzo, although Rayo kept talking about how hot I'd be inside the cloth because of the weather.

"... I've said mine ooo, instead of you to just wear that crop top," She said as I went into the bathroom.

I went to the front of the large mirror which was placed on the wall in my bathroom and I stripped myself of the robe covering me. I turned my back at the mirror so that I could get a proper view of my back and it still looked horrendous. The shape of the hot iron on my skin was still present, all in all my back was really ugly all thanks to Tayo...

"What the hell is that," I quickly grabbed my robe and wore it over my body, then I came face to face with Rayo questioning gaze. "Pink what happened?" She asked moving closer to me, "What the hell happened to you?"

I didn't answer her as she got closer to me, "Is that why?"

I looked at her wondering where she was heading.

"Is that why you don't change in front of me anymore? Is that why you don't wear what you loved wearing once? Is that also why you quit swimming?" She asked not breaking her gaze from me, but I didn't still answer. "I'm talking pink and I need answers,"

"Yes," I told her.

She nodded her head. "What happened? And why didn't you tell me about this? I mean we're best friends right? So why couldn't I be aware that my best friend has a scar on her back, why?"

"It's nothing serious Rayo," I told her looking for a easy way to end the matter.

"What are you saying Pink, it's nothing serious? Listen to yourself for God sake," She said raising her voice a little while I just looked at her dramatic act. "Pink you have a scar on your back and you say it's nothing serious? How did it happen?"

"it_" I stuttered looking for a perfect lie to throw to her. I just couldn't tell her that it was Tayo's mistake, I just couldn't. "I mistakenly lied down on the iron while I was trying to iron a cloth," I said the first lie that my mind could come up with, though I knew it sounded very stupid and absurd. I looked at Rayo who looked like she was trying to breakdown all what I'd told her.

She shook her head while my face fell because I didn't have a better lie to throw at her.

"That's bizarre, it's weird. How did it happen and when?"

I tried explaining with different lies that I myself didn't know where they came from. I just kept telling her what came to my mind. After minutes of trying to convince her she finally gave in and agreed with my initial statement about the iron burning my back, but she told me to make sure I did a plastic surgery on it to make it look more appealing and I nodded in response to what she said because I'd already considered it, I was just waiting to graduate from secondary school.

*. *. *.

We both were fully dressed and Rayo helped in doing both our make-up and I must say we both looked incredibly stunning. I walked downstairs alongside Rayo who kept talking to Jonathan on the phone, more like threatening the innocent boy to come meet us at my house so we could all go over to the party together.

"jona said he is outside already," Rayo said as she moved ahead of me while I trailed behind her.

We got outside and saw Jona leaning against the gate with both his hands inside his pocket, he saw us and smiled at us while Rayo went to hug him. He was dressed really causal, just a top and a jean with a face cap, without any accessories.

"Heya," He greeted me.

"Wassup?" I responded to his greeting.

"Good, and you guys look stunning I must say," he complemented and I could see Rayo cheeks were as red as a ripe tomato.

"Awnnnnnn thanks," I told him. "So where's your car?"

"I came with a Uber," he responded. "Was I meant to come with a car."

Rayo hissed. "Yes you were. See pink maybe Andy should just take us."

"I still want to go over to chase place. . ."

"Is he coming too?" Rayo asked and I could hear the shock in her voice.

I nodded. "I told him yesterday and even if he doesn't want to come, I would literally force him to."

"Have you called to remind him?" Jona asked.

"Nahhh, let's just take a Uber to his house, he would drive us to the party," they didn't say anything so I brought my phone out of my bag and ordered a Uber.

*. *. *.

The drive to chase house was very peaceful and quiet, the sun was already setting and his environment was really peaceful and neat. I'd only been to chase place only once but I still remembered the way. I rang the bell, waiting patiently for someone to open up but no one was answering, and I could see that Rayo was already getting impatient while Jona just looked unconcerned. I rang the bell again and the gate was opened.

A man came outside looking at us strangely. I told him that I was Chase sister but he didn't allow me in, until Nanny Theresa came and we were allowed inside.

"Wow pink it been long since have seen you ooo," Nanny to said as we walked inside the house.

I smiled not knowing what to say in response because I wasn't really use to Nanny Theresa. She had been chase Nanny since birth while Nanny Best was my own nanny since birth.

We entered into the house and Nanny Theresa left us and told us to make ourselves at home.

Rayo and jona sat on a cushion while I walked upstairs trying to locate chase room. I walked through the passage with two different doors, I knew definitely that his room was between one of those doors. I knocked on one of the door but no one was responding so I decided to knock on the other door, but just when I was about to, the door clicked open, and someone came into view. Firstly I came face to face with a naked torso, It was scarred, filled with healed cuts and bruises, but the ones on his stomach sent goosebumps down my spine which made me avert my gaze quickly, because that sight was dreadful and hair-raising at the same time one question kept popping into my head.

What happened?

I took my gaze up to his face, he looked worn out, sleepy, more like he had just woken up from his slumber. He looked at me with a familiar look while I smiled at him, he didn't smile back as he kept looking at me with an expression that was uncanny, but I wasn't bothered because that was how the initial chase used to behave.

A Chase with the odd behavior.

A Chase who wouldn't smile back at you.

A Chase with a gaze that could send one creeps.

A Chase with the aura of a. . .

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Who can guess what pink wanted to say? Who?

Also I want y'all to know that Chase is unpredictable ooo, the way pinky views him is way different. She has known him all her life as someone who doesn't smile, someone who doesn't talk, someone who's always eerily quiet and strange, all of a sudden he starts smiling at her and he even speaks to her so to her everything is overwhelming and though she's happy that he has been able to come out of his shell. She still finds his behaviors weird. Also who can guess chase mood? Remember his mood swings is still very much intact.🤭

So the party scene is coming up NEXT. Who is excited? Well I don't know about you but I'm sure that I'm excited 🤭🤭🤭🤭

Also pink was the one who borrowed CHAPTER now😂😂

So who can predict what would happen in the next chapter?

HINT (SPOILERS); blah and blah is going to be there. Blah is gonna mess with blah 😁

Ooops I just spilled. Sorry guys I just couldn't control my mouth. Abi I should tell y'all the ending of the book?

The ending of the book is.......

CONTINUE READING PEOPLE 😁😁😁😁

I WON'T TELL🤐
🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺