Hey everyone. In accordance with my previous post, I promise to update today. It was really hard as I felt I cut of this book entirely but I'm getting back on track.

Thank you very much for being patient with me. For those of you who put this book in your reading lists, I appreciate. Those who DM me, I thank you. And those who vote, God bless you. The silent readers, I salute you.

God bless every single one of you.

Nnamdi

"JOSHUA?!"

I watched as Efe looked in shock as a boy who looked at least 17 ran towards us. Fair skinned, tall and fairly good looking. His white T-shirt and denim jeans were rumpled from all the running.

"Efe, what are you doing here?" The human requested and did a good job at not noticing I was standing right there.

She rolled her eyes and looked back at him.

"What are you doing here?!" She threw back at him with an amused look.

Without even giving a second he was already spitting words.

"I came back for you, my love. Please come back to me na. Haven't I done enough? All these years in school and they didn't mean anything to you? Not one bit?" He begged.

I never knew this idiot but I was already starting to dislike him. If he liked her, she should have said it since. Not coming here and behaving like an arse.

As if just noticing my presence, he looked up and stared at me. Eye for na eye. Literally analysing me like a computer or checking me like am experiment.

"What is wrong with you?" I asked the idiot.

He was taken aback. Probably thought I was dumb. But his cringed look gave way for a scowl.

He ominously mumbled something under his breath all while tightening his fists. The motherfucker was trying to intimidate me.

"Look at this peasant talking to me! You think girls like her move with guys like you? I mean, you look so wretched and dirty."

The idiot was calling me wretched. His grave would be the first thing I deal with after I kill him.

I wasn't going to give him that satisfaction his words getting to me. He had to play a bigger game than that.

"I just pity the woman who gave birth to you. She just wasted nine months of her life for a piece of trash like you." He rounded up with a devilish smile.

It was all fast, too fast. He didn't see it coming. I didn't see it coming. As both my hands were on his neck, squeezing every form of life that was bottled in him. I lifted up my hand and gave him punches that could put the world's best wrestler to shame. After the third punch, my hand felt warm and wet. I looked on it and saw blood.

He wasn't dead yet. Oh no, I wasn't done with him. But I was pulled back by the girl who somehow got me into this mess. I didn't even get a scratch but the latter has bruises and blood crawling from his mouth and dancing on his skin. The collar of his white shirt was already a crimson red.

"Next time think before you talk!"

He started coughing and Efe ran to him to help him up but he pushed her away instead. He looked so bitter and cold. Like my Grandma's bottle of Agbo.

He stared at Efe with so much acrimony and dare I say hurt at that moment.

"Now I know you really hate me! I will make your life miserable! And to think I was once in love with you! It wasn't worth all this!" The injured boy screamed.

Efe should have checked this guy's temperature because he's running mad.

The half injured boy then slowly turned his face until he was directly looking at me. And I literally saw fire and brimstone in his eyes.

"And you, I'll make sure you pay for this! I'll make sure you pay!"

He started limping away from us. Efe was about to hold him but I pulled her towards me. She suddenly looked at me like she wanted to kill me.

"Why did you beat him up? I guess he said some hurtful words but why?!"

She still had to ask that stupid question. I was getting through already.

I looked at her face. Reminiscing every detail about her question. About all the time I spent with her. About the punches I gave someone's child because of her. About literally running away from Grandma for this girl.

Was it worth it?

"Nnamdi, I'm sor-"

"Save it." I cut her off.

I took a step away from her and another step and another one to I was walking away from the entire scene.

Footsteps were all I heard until she screamed out.

"Nnamdi wait!" Of course that ticked me off.

"WHAT!" Tears rolled down my eyes and my once tightened fists loosened up. The veins popping out of my head started blending with my skin and my once red vision became blurry.

Something warm touched me. No, it wrapped me. That it was Efe, and she was hugging me.

Me, Nnamdi the dirty boy.

Me, Nnamdi the unwanted child.

Me, Nnamdi the son of a drunkard.

Me, Nnamdi the boy who was starting feeling something for Efe Naborhi but wasn't sure what those feelings were.

"I'm not mad at you Efe." Assurance laced my voice.

She rose her face up from my embrace. "Okay." Was her very reply.

Breaking the hug, I gave her a light kiss on the forehead.  I didn't want to do it but I did it.

"Please don't leave me again." She begged.

I chuckled.

"Who said anything about leaving?"

She held my hand and we walked away from that compound as the evening was approaching.

The road was suddenly quiet as most stores were beginning to close up. We decided to ignore the motorcycle as we enjoyed the peace and quiet.

A manageable bench at the side of a POS kiosk was the best place for us to sit. There was a nail poking out at the extreme end of my side the bench hence I was forced to scoot close to Efe who looked like she has something on her mind.

"Why did Joshua's words hurt you so much?"

Should I tell her?

"Well... My mom was a millionaire in those days. Having everything but love. That was when my father came in. He was like a Prince charming and wooed her. She fell in love with him and got married. Then my father started embezzling my father's wealth on material things and this enraged my mom. She loved him and still stayed in the marriage."

I looked at her to she if I wasn't wasting my saliva and she nodded for me to go ahead.

"I was three years old when she had enough of my dad's antics. She left him. She left the house. She left me."

"My dad became poor again and went back to my grandmother who was bent on getting his life on track and refused to let him in. But for the sake of her grandson. And that's where I lived until this day."

I let it all out.

Would she still regard me after this?

"I-I'm sorry?" Her face was scrunched up as she spoke. Her face was still and motionless. Her thoughts were active at that moment. She then gave a sigh which she thought only she could hear. But I couldn't lie to myself, Efe was beautiful no doubt. But could I say that I loved her?

Love was even too strong a word, let's go with like. Or was it just a mere attraction? I couldn't tap my finger on it, but then on, I knew this girl got me hooked.

"Why are you helping me?" Her voice broke mirror of thoughts.

Why was I helping her? I didn't know.
It sounded stupid. But I wasn't sure.

"I don't know." Those three words were exact representations of how I felt.

"Why don't you know?" She persisted again. I did the best thing I knew. I ignored her.

I knew she was fuming beside me as the bench was vibrating. I felt like jumping into an active volcano or jumping into a river filled with Piranha fish.

"Nnamdi, I want an answer." She paused suspiciously.

"Why. Are. You. Helping. Me?"

Each word was a bullet flying through my organs causing a great impact and shock to my skin as well as making me loose my balance aside the fact I was sitting on a bench.

I tried to avoid her gaze but she kept looking and looking and looking until I almost lost my sanity.

"Fine, I'll talk!" My mouth was too big.

She then relaxed and tensed up again. Probably glad that I'm opening up yet afraid of my answer.

I knew that whatever answer that I was going to give, would cost me my somehow friendship with this girl. And so, I gave the worst answer I could muster.

"I am helping you because I want to get away from home. I wanted something to distract me from my reality. I just wanted some breathing space for once in my life."

There was no reply. I wasn't looking at her. It was quiet and somehow scary. I managed to face her head on and I regretted that decision immediately.

I could almost see fire in her eyes. Her fists were tightening, she furiously bit her lips and I feared she could bite them off. She then gave me the most scariest glare I had ever seen in my entire life.

"So you were using me? You look advantage of me? You used my distraught against me! And I thought I could rely on you."

"And I thought that maybe I was starting to like you! I was having feelings for you! I thought you were a good person. I guess Joshua was right, people like you don't move with people like me."

I didn't say anything, I didn't look at her, I didn't ask of she was okay. I didn't apologize, I didn't pat her back, I didn't go on my knees and beg. I stayed still. And her heart got even more broken.

I heard sniffles and I managed to look down at her. Her eyes were misty and red, her cheeks tear stained. Her lips were puffy from all the chewing and her look spoke many words.

"Get out of my life! I don't ever want to see you again!" She screamed at me.

She ran away and I didn't chase her.

I didn't call her back.

I didn't run after her.

I stayed there on the bench and wallowed in my guilt.