- Hope's POV -

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Last update for today... Enjoy
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Baby wasn't at home when I heard knocking coming from his door. These past few days I'd been squatting with Baby until I find a better job with a nice pay. I wasn't going to be ahead of myself this time around. Any job even with minimal wages would be okay for me.

But, moving out wasn't my number one priority.

Fulfilling the promises I made with my family, was.

The thought roaming through my mind was how to sell the iPhone 13 Henry got for me. It was just few days old and obviously as good as new. I knew selling it would atleast cover the promises I made to my family and would still have little for me to go by.

Knock, knock!

The knock came in again yet I didn't bother getting up. I no longer talk to anyone in the compound aside from Baby and I obviously had no friends so who'd want to visit me? If it was Baby's friends, then they'd just have to go and come back later.

Baby was a good friend, someone who was there for me and respected my every decision. A decision to go by the name Hope Prince and no longer Cherry Jesus.

Why on earth did I even gave myself the name Cherry? I wasn't an agbalumo.

"Cherry, please open the door." And that was when it got to me, that voice. That voice completely stopped all thought enveloping my small brain. That voice came in with so much emotions I couldn't comprehend.

I thought of ignoring that voice but my legs had minds of their own as they strode over to the door and opened it. I sucked in breath seeing the face that threw my stuff out. Seeing the face that betrayed and exposed my secretes because of a guy that never knew she once existed. Seeing the face that pretended I wasn't even existing as she went on with her day to day activities, ignoring my ass out.

Cherry wanted to slap the shit out of Christy but Hope? Hope didn't want to stain her hands with the filth that was Christy. And right now, I was no longer Cherry.

"What do you want?" I snarled in anger, watching Christy fidget with her fingers.

"Can I c-come in?" She stuttered pointing at Baby's room.

"This isn't my room, I don't have the permission to let you in." I replied dryly. Baby wasn't home, he'd gone out to the studio to record his new single.

"I know you're mad at me Cherry but—"

"I know not this Cherry you speak of," I rolled my eyes, already disgusted at her sight. "I'm Hope, Hope Prince."

Christy felt shocked at my change of attitude while I stared at her boredly. I wanted her gone so I'd go back and resume my thinking. "I made a mistake and I'm sorry. Remember all the things I did for you? Favours I made for you? I practically sheltered, fed and clothe you. I even gave Baby his money without you lifting a finger. And if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have had your bodyguard job remember"

Was she kidding me? It was also because of her I lost that said job.

"Can't you just forgive me?" She pleaded. "I miss you."

I didn't know when I started chuckling then it blown into a full laughter. This wasn't the first time she counted Favours. This was literally the third time. She did it the first time we argued cause of Henry, then the second time we argued cause of Henry and now this?

"You know what you always do, Christabelle?" Christy was for my best friend. The girl standing in front of me was a total stranger. "You count favours. Why call it a favour when you remind me every second of it, huh? Don't call it Favours cause you did me none. Call it by its rightful name, a debt cause I'll pay you back every second of it. Calculate everything you've done for me and send me the bills."

I had no money but I needed to act tough. If I had to use the change I'd have left after I waybill my family's expenses to the village, then so be it. I needed her to shut up and stop counting her so call favours on my head.

"Ch_ I mean, Hope." Christy moved a bit closer but I stepped back. "I don't need all those things back. I did it out of the goodness of my heart. If I'd ever counted favours and upset you in the past,"  Christy fell straight to her knees which made my eyes grew wide. She was doing this in the presence of our neighbors. "Then forgive me."

"Christabelle, get up!" I hissed with venom. "Stop making  scene and get up now!"

"The fact that you're no longer calling me Christy shows that you are very much angry at me." Christy refused to get up. "I won't get up until you forgive me."

Why was she throwing away her pride for me? I had no intention to forgive her. She hurt me so much which was above any forgiveness. But like always, I had a soft spot for Christy.

"Get up," I sighed, my voice a bit softer but Christy still refused to stand up. "Get up, Christy!"

Her head went up to look at me and I saw her face sucked with tears and eyes red as blood. "Come in."

I walked into Baby's room with her stroking behind me. We both sat on Baby's bed with awkward air surrounding us. Once best friends became complete strangers. God, I wanted to laugh. This was so sad it was starting to get funny.

"I made mistakes and I'm ready to amend them." Christy finally broke the ice.

"Easier said than done, Christy." No matter how had I tried, my voice still had that cold touch to it when speaking to her. My phone beeped and I reached for it to see an update on Twitter from Henry. I wanted to ignore it but Christy must have seen the update so there wasn't any need hiding it.

I clicked on the notification which took me straight to the Twitter app and a picture of Henry and Yemi popped out. My breath cut just seeing the couple but there was nothing I could do. I knew I was signing myself for a long time depression when I started catching feelings for him.

"He's about to be interviewed with Yemi?" I made the screen of my phone go blank. "If you like him so much Hope, why don't you go for him?"

I turned to stare at Christy quizzically. "Is this coming from you? It's Henry we're talking about o."

"I'm over him, Hope." She sighed, patting my lap lightly. "I realized he wasn't for me. You both fit that perfect couple image. I made a mistake which destroyed our friendship."

"We aren't perfect," I looked down at my hands. "He's perfect with Yemi."

"He doesn't love Yemi," I looked straight at Christy with creased confused brows.

"That's serious allegations," I frowned deeply. "Just because I like Henry doesn't mean I want to stop him from loving someone else. I'm not you, Christy."

"I'm being serious," Christy growled in frustration. "Don't hate me but after I told Yemi your big reveal, I started to hang out with her and she started revealing things to me. Turns out Henry and Yemi are into a contract relationship. They don't really like each other, just fooling the world. Well Yemi does, but she isn't Henry's type. Sad to be her."

I watched Christy chuckle. "So you're her friend now."

Christy shrugged, "You could say so."

"Then aren't you stabbing her behind her back, exact same way you did to me?" Christy stared at me in pure horror and I didn't help but feel disgusted. "Aren't you betraying her by telling me this information?"

Christy breathed, rubbing her temple. "I thought doing this would win your trust."

"Same way you won hers? I don't want my trust to be won in such manner." I finalized my words in a stern manner which made Christy visibly gulp and look away sadly.

"What I'm trying to say is I can help you with Henry."

"How—"

But the door flew open and Baby walked in. His eyes grew as it landed on Christy sitting beside me. "What's she doing here? Worst on my bed?"

"Apologizing," Christy got up and moved over to Baby. "Forgive me?"

"Does it work that way? Do you think it's that easy?" Baby scoffed and I could feel the anger showing on  his face. "Funnily enough, I warned you. Told you how you should be the bigger person and let it all go but what did you do? You went and did what you wanted to do like my words meant nothing to you. All I wanted was for my best friends to settle and we'd be the funny loving family again but you ruined it."

"Didn't you see the mess you made?!" Baby yelled so hard, both Christy and I flinched at the same time. "Haven't you seen the horrible things you caused cause of your selfish desires? Not just to Hope and Henry who are obviously in love with each other, but to hope's family too!"

"What where you thinking outing her like that knowing fully well her family depended so much on her. Her family depended on that job!" The more Baby spoke with rage, the more it hurt me because he was speaking nothing but the truth. "How would she pay for her siblings school fees? Her sisters jamb?! Those girls could've been in the University two years earlier but because of lack of money they couldn't and now you did.... you did this!"

"I'm sorry," Christy sobbed louder. It was so loud I had to get up and hugged her. I was so surprise by my actions and I knew Baby was to. But what else could i have done? Cherry was good at holding grudges but Hope? Not so much. "I'm so sorry Baby, I'm sorry I won't be this reckless agai—"

"It's no longer Baby but Rotimi to you," Baby declared, voice still laced with anger. "Hope might have stupidly forgiving you cause of your water works, but I won't. I don't want to see you in my room when I get back and don't want to see you in my room ever again."

Baby gaze then moved to mine. "Text me when she's out."

A loud bang came afterwards indicating that Baby was gone. It wasn't like I had forgiving Christy, I haven't. But the way Christy kept sobbing beside me made me fall flat on Baby's bed while looking at the ceiling with great thoughts. All this was too much for me.

I began to feel headache in my stomach.

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What do you guys think Christy is up to or do you think she'd finally changed?

Was it wrong for Hope to listen to Christy and do you think Baby was overreacted?

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Word count :1884

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-Eddy