A/N: 

Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy😗💕  

Good morning ✨💕. Sorry for the long wait,  here you go✨

I was going to do a double update but then I realized you'll have to wait an eternity for that😂😭 .

Who missed Toyo's mother?😃

~22 - FRIENDS, FAMILY AND ACQUAINTANCES°

~Toyo

The drive back home wasn't smooth. It wasn't calming, it was nothing like a normal drive in the evenings, having the cool breeze, touch you softly, gently, whispering in your ears, causing your nerves to relax, your eyes falling shut as you enjoyed the serenity that it brings.

Instead, I felt my heart race, so fast I was sure my rib cage would burst open any second. My palms became sweaty, sweat forming beads across my forehead even though the AC was on and working. It felt like we were in pursuit.

You know when robbers steal from a bank and they have a whole lot of police cars chasing after them with intense speed? Of course you know. Haven't we all seen these in movies?

That was exactly how I felt. Except we were the robbers, and there were no police cars chasing behind us. Instead, we were driving straight to the police station to maybe turn ourselves in.

"Are you sure you're okay?" The look of worry that marred his face almost had me chuckling. He looked like he was about to cry.

He didn't turn his head in my direction at all. Not once since he hit the road after picking her up at the parking lot of Yummy Delights.

I had frantically dialed David's number, and he wasn't picking up. I was scared, it was getting dark and I was all alone in a place I knew nothing of, where I had never been before and I decide to follow a stranger there, only to get stranded.

I am indeed foolish.

"You sure are," my subconscious was quick to agree.

"Toyo?" He called my name, louder this time and I involuntarily hummed in response, causing him to turn his head towards me.

"Are you okay?" He asked, probing softly with his eyes, before looking back ahead. He needed to focus on the road, his hand on the wheel moving swiftly in small arcs.

Was I okay? Well, I knew he was most definitely referring to the Austin situation, and honestly, I couldn't care less. But yeah, I asides that, I was far from okay.

I took another quick glance at my wristwatch, it read seventeen minutes past ten. I closed my eyes, feeling chills go through me, goosebumps sprouting on my skin.

Mother...

"Hmm?" He prodded when I failed to gives response.

I nodded even though I knew he couldn't see me before replying, "yes, I think I'm fine, Precious."

He gave me a look that showed that he didn't believe me, but he chose to keep shut.

Apparently, David was out with Amaka, and wasn't going to leave his date to come and find me.

Quite understandable. Very understandable, in fact.

So, instead he got Precious to come pick me up. And I really appreciate his presence because that parking lot was as scary as hell.

Damn, I couldn't. It had this very scary quietness, an eerie feeling lingering in the air that made my heart skip multiple beats. It felt like I was being watched, it unsettled me. I didn't feel safe. I was scared to hell and back, turning around continuously to make sure someone wasn't coming at me from behind.

It wasn't even funny.

Austin is what he's been termed to be. A heartless soul. How the fuck can someone leave a girl in such a deserted place at such a time? I fail to understand.

He reeked of nonchalance, his bored eyes staring at me like I was the most uninteresting thing. That one sent a jab to my chest.

And when he raised his voice, telling me not to sit in his car, like I was some prostitute on the road, begging for a lift, I nearly died.

Then the warning of being nice to people? So all that was because I called him out on his nonsense that day on the road?

Man needs to fucking chill.

Spoilt rich kid indeed.

Spoilt hot rich kid, my subconscious was quick to butt in and I almost groaned out loud.

The car slowed its pace, followed by a loud honk, alerting the gateman that we were here, but I was quick to put my hand over Precious's own, stoping him from driving further into the compound.

She could me waiting for me right there in the compound for all I know.

"You don't have to," I said, sound as convincing as I could, feigning a smile, trying to silently tell him I was fine.

"Just drive home, it's late," I pressed when he was starting to slowly shake his head, cutting off whatever he was about to say.

His shoulders slumped defeatedly, a sigh escaped his lips and I didn't fail to see the look of concern on his face.

"I'm fineeee," I drawled, bringing one of my hands to his cheeks, patting it not so subtly before poking his nose with a finger like it was a button, causing a soft chuckle to escape his lips.

"You're such a mumu," he said in between his chuckling.

"Your favorite one," I replied, punctuating my sentence with a casual shrug, grinning widely.

"Okay, I gotta go," I announce , reaching for my bag in the backseat, before he pulled me into a quick hug, and I exited the car.

"Good evening," I hear the gate keeper say, and I threw him a small smile, moving as fast as my legs could carry me towards the mansion.

I took out my spare key and unlocked the door, dreading my every action, dreading every second, as I walked in.

It was dark, calm, pin drop silent.

It sounded like everybody had gone to sleep and it scared me so much even when that should have been a moment of relief.

I took the stairs up, trying to hastily tiptoe my way to my room, which I successfully did.

I shut the door close, pressing my forehead to the door, releasing a breath I didn't know I was holding.

Only to turn around and see someone sitting on my bed.

The night lamp on the bedside table was the only source of light in the room. Dim, but bright enough to see that it was her sitting there, staring at the wall before her like it was the most interesting thing in the room.

She sat there in her baby pink two piece nightdress, that was a long satin strapped gown, and an equally long night robe. A bonnet that looked like it could fit two people's head sat on her head.

She was the description of elegance, poise. A woman in her early forties that slayed anything and everything she wore.

"Oh," she finally spoke, like she was just noticing my presence, in realization and shock. But I knew better.

"My lovely daughter," I cringed internally at her choice of words, knowing fully well it was all sarcasm. She had the most blank expression on her face, still staring at the wall, blinking a few times.

I went still.

"Would you like to be a good girl and tell me exactly where you've been?" The odd calmness her voice held had the knots in my belly twisting, my stomach churned, goosebumps sprouted across my skin.

After seconds of my sudden dumbness, she whipped her head in my direction and I stumbled back.

The expression on her face has morphed from just a blank stare to full blown anger, her eyes digging holes in my skin, burning it. Her eyes dark, holding no form of softness.

"Would you tell me or you want me to force it out of you!?" She howled, every sound reverberating through the room, her eyes pinned dead on me.

"I—"

"You what!?" She cut me off abruptly. She never lets me speak, never lets me defend myself.

Sighing, I opened my mouth to speak again, "I went to a restaurant. Yummy delights. That's where I was," I managed to reply without stuttering, my voice coming out as low and shaky.

"With who!?" She wasn't done.

"I went on my own," I lied through my teeth, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other before my eyes finally settled on my shoes, staring at them intently like they were the most fascinating thing in this room.

"You lie!" She shouted, standing up from the bed, moving towards me with such speed.

My heart raced, did backflips, threatened to burst open my rib cage with the way it was hammering against it.

The got to where I was, grabbing a fistful of my hair, pulling me further into the room with it and pushing me to the ground.

"You think I'm a fool? Ehn, Cassandra? Tell me!" She rapped out not letting go of my hair.

I was kneeling before her now, my hair being yanked at, hard. I could feel the pores on my head hurt immensely, immediately giving me a mad headache.

Tears started to blur out my vision.

"Talk!" She raised her voice, pulling further at my hair and twisting it, eliciting a loud groan from me as the tears started to pour down, small gasps escaping my lips at intervals.

"You don't want to talk?" She said with a chuckle, freeing my hair and pushing me to the ground. "I'll show you this night! You don't miss with me! And after messing with me, you think it's okay to lie!? You're mad! Very mad!"

She screamed in my face, punctuating her last word with a sounding slap to my face, causing my forehead to hit the edge of my study table, sending sharp zings through my head, causing something liquid like to trickle from the side of my head.

"I will show you that—" she was saying, but the soft knocks on the door interrupted her, cutting off the rest of her sentence.

"Who on earth is that!? Can't you see that I'm busy!?" She screamed at the person and everywhere went silent and the only sounds that could be heard we're out not to subtle breathings.

"Can't you speak!?" She spoke again when the person at the door went silent.

"Ma'am, you have a call downstairs,they say it's urgent," I was sure it was one of the maids, and I was grateful to this person for choosing the right time to call.

She let out a sigh, her voice calm when she spoke again, " I'll be down in a minute," she said before turning to me.

"We're not done yet," she said, pointing her index at me before turning around to walk out of the room.

I let out a deep sigh, standing up from where I sat on the ground, moving to my vanity table.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, my hair was everywhere, not to forget the throbbing ache in my head, tear stained face, and blood dripping from the side of my head.

I felt my leg weaken, finding it difficult to hold my weight causing me to hold on to the table for support.

And I let everything out, cried, letting the fresh tears flow, my lips quivering, my shoulders quaking, my nose dripping catarrh as ugly sounds escaped my lips.

The weekend eventually passed, time was slow as a bitch but God did. Apparently, it was a business call and it kept her busy the entire weekend.

I sat in the vast garden of the school, trying to enjoy the serenity, holding an opened school not on my lap so I wouldn't be disturbed unnecessarily, giving people the impression that I was reading.

Everybody was reading, it was only a few days to our tears and MHS wasn't going to go easy on us as we were finalists and needed to be well prepared for our external examinations.

I tried to free my head, letting it wonder to happy places as the cool breeze flushed against my skin, butterflies flying around the garden. It was really beautiful.

"Hey," a small but oddly familiar voice spoke, but I was too focused on the blue butterfly on the blue flowers, thinking about how beautifully their color blended perfectly together.

"Tee?" She probed, causing me to turn my head in her direction, my brows cocked.

Recently, she's been seen around Emeka way too much, it was starting to look suspicious.

Not like it bothered me or anything, I was just worried for her.

And not to talk of the way she's been trying to be overly friendly with me. It was really weird. Honestly, I don't know what to make of this. I have nothin against Farhana, but her hovering around me unsettles me.

"Hmm?" She hummed, smiling at me in a way that said she had been waiting for my reply. I didn't hear anything she said and I couldn't care less.

I stand up from the bench, packing my stuffs in my bag and walking out of the garden. 

A/.N:

I don't have any plenty things to say, lay down your thoughts for me, oh ye readers 😗🌸🔥 

I get exam this morning 😂🤲🏽 So I don bounce  

Till when next,

Ciao😗🌸💕✨