Yo!🤞

Update came a day early!❤️❤️

Oh, and quick warning; Slow down and read this chapter, because it tells a LOT and low-key foreshadows ❤️❤️.

~ACHA~

"Have you heard from your friend, Sean?"

There was a ton going on on my mind when my Mum's voice just barged into the barrage of thoughts in my head, taking me completely off-guard for a moment.

"Have you?" She asked me, stood there at the door of my room with folded arms, as she waited for me to answer her question.

I couldn't count how many times Mum had asked me this question today already. She asked me in the morning, and before I went to School for Saturday Lessons, and  after I had brought Dabeluchi home from School that same day too.

Dabeluchi - I had been so worried about her since I had brought her back from School today.

I wasn't in School today, I didn't bother going. Dabeluchi called me up soon after the Saturday Lessons were done and dusted, and when I had gone to meet her in School, she dropped me a text that she was in the School clinic, told me a haphazard story about the Twins dropping her there and staying with her for support, and before I could fully grasp her point, I was already growing a massive headache and an unhealthy anxiety level.  

The twins were not with her when I got there, but I didn't find it difficult finding her anyway. However, the moment, I did - The moment I found Dabeluchi, laying on that ward bed, face onto pillow, and hands, sprawled weakly upon the sheets, and her breath, slow and deeper in her sleep, I thought I was going to run mad on the spot.

I remember feeling her skin upon mine and I was shocked when the temperature of her skin had stung me, appalled at the alarming and sudden measure she had been consumed by fever - or at least, I suspected it was Fever, her body was hot. Too hot.

But, she seemed fine when we talked over the phone in the morning...

What had happened?

Dabeluchi refused to tell me anything.

I begged her all through out the ride home and most of the time, she shunned me with a baseless and clearly unbelievable response, claiming she was 'okay'.

She swore she was fine and it was only after a little bit more pressure that she eventually let out the word, telling me that she had started a terrible fever in School, and having the thought that Dabeluchi would never lie to me, I was going to have believe her. 

Until I noticed that not only had she looked increasingly disturbed through out the entire ride, but also, most of it, she constantly kept moving from side to side and aching from what I had perceived to have been back pains. 

So, I knew she was lying. I knew something had happened. I only wondered why she wasn't telling me.

She seemed already too distressed, and the most I could do was pressure her less, and just hold her. So, all through the ride, I sat with her in the back seat, holding her closely to myself, and cuddling ever so gently, trying to be as soft and tender as I could to avoid holding her, and she stayed with me, in my arms.

Slowly, slowly, she had fallen asleep on me. I held her dearly to myself, feeling every thump of our heart beats resonating between us, as she snored so softly on me, resting her head perfectly onto my chest like it was a comfortable pillow, and cuddling me back with the softest, smallest hands I had ever known.

I carried her up into her room myself and tucked her into bed myself, and left her to have as much rest as she wanted to.

Hopefully, she'd be better when she awakened and we would talk.

I had grown so attached to this girl that the littlest thing wrong with her was enough to get me into a complete state of disarray - it was capable of making me not to be able to function properly.

And that was exactly what had been happening with me since I had tucked her in - I had lost every bit of peace I had in me, hoping she would be fine, and wondering what must have gone wrong.

And now, not only was the worry associated with Dabeluchi's sudden and mysterious decline in health bothering me, but now, Mum didn't want to give me peace with her excessive questions concerning Sean. 

I already started to regret telling her what happened with me and Sean Last Night.

The same night that Dabeluchi had disappeared with her friends and stayed the whole night out without telling me.

At the end of the day, each time Mum asked me how me and Sean were, it just kept reminding me of Last Night.

"Sean is alive and well." Was all I told my Mum.

"Baby?" I didn't see her face, but her accented tone made me know that she had most likely raised a brow I didn't catch at me, "I know he is, because I called to speak with him today, alright? Now, will you answer the question I asked you? Have you heard from Sean? Have you spoken to him today?"

"Sean will continue to be fine if he keeps staying at home," I chose to say instead, pretending like I did not still understand what she was asking, "He knows that the only way he will be safe from those boys is if he stays away from School for the mean time, and that's what he's doing. His Mum knows what's going on and she is an avid lawyer, so while she is securing justice for her son for the death threats, the house is being guarded with the best form of Security there is. Sean will be just fine."

God, I really hoped so.

I wanted him to be fine, and I knew with the measures taken, there are no possibilities of him getting harmed - as far as he stayed in lock down - but yet, why was I still not comfortable? Rephrase; Why was I so uncomfortable?

"Sean isn't speaking to you till now, is he?" Mum's voice interrupted my thoughts yet again.

I paused for a moment as she decided to hammer the nail right on the head.

"Tell me the truth. "Mum said to me, and I was exasperated, pulled my hoodie down from my head and ran my hands through my thick bush of hair and she started to walk towards me to join me, sitting on the bed, "Baby? Tell me the truth."

"His last text was that Last Night," I did, "When he was told me he needed to talk and spelt out that it was an emergency-"

Most times, whenever Sean demanded to see us like that in the name of an emergency, it was no emergency, we just ended up going to Gomery and sometimes, with JJ. That was where Sean had all his fun, and I guessed he didn't just want to be alone. So, having he was stuck at home this time around, I figured the venue would be his house.

I was certain I was coming and I told him so. 

That same night, Dabeluchi had disappeared on me without a word and my Mum and I had spent the entire night trying to find a way to reach out to her.

In conclusion, I completely and absolutely forgot about Sean and his appointment.

"I texted him this morning, and explained it to him that an emergency came up last night, and my guy left me on read," I told my Mum.

"Give him time, okay? It shouldn't be a big deal, you simply got tasked at that moment and I know he can eventually understand that," My Mum said to me.

It was almost unbelievable really how much Sean Ayomide was trying so hard to show me that he wasn't ready to talk to me. I would legit text the guy, and right before my eyes, my message would tick seen, and stay on seen. And the most painful part is that I can see the 'online' header, right there, glaring before my eyes as my messages consecutively tick read over and over -  like Sean was trying to make it ever so clear to me that he was deliberately ignoring the shit out of me.

Well deserved. I deserved it anyway. I messed up.

"Have you tried calling?" Mum asked, "If messages are not working, you give a call. I spoke to him earlier this morning, you know."

"Well lucky you, my calls keep getting busied," I explained to her, "Knowing him the way I do, I am certain he cuts the calls as they come in. It's a waste of time trying to contact him."

I really did deserve it anyway.

This wasn't the first time I had bailed on Sean, and it wasn't the second, and it wasn't the third. It wasn't even the fourth. And honest to God, it was not intentional. In the beginning, it was just carelessness, I agree; I had appointments with Dabeluchi and forgot everything else. But as time went on, it got more serious. Starting from the first day I had to pick Dabeluchi, and then, when I had to help her get some clothes and items, then again to Last Night when I needed to find her after she went missing . . . .

I know, no matter what, it was no excuse to constantly leave my friend hanging, but what else on earth could I do in those situations?

"Sean will come around," I sighed, assuring my Mum so she wouldn't think anything more than she should.

"I hope so," Mum said, "You two have been friends for so long, I shouldn't expect something this little to become so serious-"

"He'll come around," I assured her again, softly, "Sean gets mad easily, it's normal. And sometimes, he may go a bit overboard, but I assure you, he gets over it even faster..... He will come around. C'mon, he's been my guy since day one."

...He's been your guy since day one and you still have the audacity to keep that kind of secret from him for so long?

 I face palmed with two hands as my guilty conscience came back with a bite to the ass and a slap to my face as I recalled the fact that I had not yet had the courage to break my best friend with the truth.

"He also ignored me when I texted him that I wanted to pay a visit today," I told Mum, "I really wanted to be there, Mum, above all, I want to see how Sean is fairing with everything going on..."

But now..

"With Dabeluchi's condition, I don't even know if I will be able to make it," I told her, "If I leave her like this and go off for even a second, I won't have any peace of mind. I have to make sure Dabeluchi is okay too-"

"I understand you, Baby, but you have to understand that it's not possible to be everyone's saviour at the same time," Mum said to me.

"I wish it was," I let out.

She only laughed a commiserating laugh.

"Well, unfortunately, there's only one of you," She spoke gently, "And look, you act like you don't have me sometimes. I have a feeling Dabi is just feeling down due to some natural female circumstances, and It is something I can handle, okay? It's not your job-"

"I could try still," I insisted. I meant it.

"Go to Sean," Mum insisted instead, "I will take care of Dabi."

"Mum-" I tried to hesitate.

"Trust me," She held my hand.

"I do, I do trust you," I said to her, "It's just that I want to be there for Dabi, especially now. What if it's not her period as you suppose, what if something goes wrong and I'm not there for her?"

"You worry so much, I start to wonder if you weren't a Mum in your past life," Mum laughed at me. She actually threw her head back and laughed.

"Mum, you don't understand, I love that girl, I love her too much," I was forced to laugh through my anxiety, shaking my head at my Mum who was talented at making anyone laugh in any situation.

"Look at my seventeen year old baby trying to make me of all people understand what Love is," She sassed me playfully, pulling onto my cheeks - an action that tickled me a little and made me flinch and laugh even more.

"I understand how you feel," She assured me, "But, baby, if there is one thing I have learnt all my life of being lost in love is that you are free to have as much fun as you want when there's someone in your life, but at the same time, you should know your priorities and follow it ahead, so you never make anyone else who's been there all the while ever have to feel left out of your life - And no, I don't mean you should put your friends over Dabeluchi, I am only saying that you should never forget to always make sure to give everyone their place."

"I understand," I muttered.

"I'm glad you do, and I hope you also understand that you failed Sean in that aspect, and thereby, you have an obligation to make it up to him," She further explained, "If you consecutively keep postponing that too, I can assure you that your friend Sean may just be a ticking time bomb waiting for you."

Sean... A ticking time bomb. I could only imagine.

"I'm here for Dabi too, so she won't be alone," Mum said to me, "And if anything goes wrong, trust me to call a Doctor over. I will take care of her, I am a Mum after all, that's what we do, okay?" She nudged me and I smiled with a gentle nod.

"Believe me, you're overthinking it. Dabi would be just fine, she just needs to rest." She assured me still.

"Okay," It took me a lot to agree, "Okay, fine, I will go to Sean's place and leave Dabi to your care."

"As you should," Mum ruffled my hair like I was a dog, and immediately my hands dashed up to hold her hands, effectively stopping her hands from doing further damage to this hair that took me ages to comb out this morning.

She understood what happened and what I was trying to prevent and that was enough to get her rolling on my bed with laughter.

"What's all these one, biko?" Of course, how could she miss an opportunity to make fun of me for it, "So, I can't touch your hair again? Is it because I don't insist you cut your hair? Do you boys your age are on low cut and you're here rocking that afro and packing hair cream inside your hair as if they're paying you to advertise hair goals!"

"Whether they're paying me or not, don't touch it again!" I fired her again, jumping from the bed that Mum was scattering the sheets in from laughing and rolling, and heading for the vanity mirror to stick that large afro comb into my hair and get down to business.

My hair had grown a lot since I started keeping it at the beginning of the term.

Of course, I had made conscious efforts occasion to occasion, having that it was the beginning of Ss3, and I had to make a statement that would get people to single me out, but most of the time, I genuinely just sat back and watched that mane of hair sprout on my head, and now, it had been barely three months, and if I stretched a chunk of my afro hair, I could see its length stopping somewhere around the nape of my neck.

And when I also noted how much that moustache forming at the top of my upper lip was becoming more and more obvious day by day, I started to realise that I had grown quite a lot these past three months.

A lot has happened these past three months.

And at this point of it, I had a girl like Dabeluchi Orji, who before these three months happened, I barely even knew her name, living here in my own home.

"Baby?"

I turned back to Mum, who was lot more quieter now, sitting there on my bed.

"Yeah..?" I answered her.

Mum had a soft look in her eyes, like she wanted to say something to me, but was not sure how to put her words.

It made me a bit worried, to say the the least.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

She seemed to take in a breath or two, and I waited until I heard her say to me, "Your Father called."

I wasn't sure why but those three letter words took all my peace away from me in an instant.

I had stumbled back for a moment, and supported myself from staggering and falling to the ground, by slipping into the chair of the reading desk by the vanity mirror.

"And?" I asked her, felt the weight behind that one word I uttered and shuddered slightly.

"He is still on his business trip, and the Medical conference had been kicking off quite well..." She said.

I listened with a mercilessly beating heart.

"But until this morning, their conference in Rome was cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, and he called me to tell me that they were talking about booking their flights back home." She told me. 

That was an uppercut.

"Your Dad will soon be home, Marcus," Mum said, "And not only are we both going against his words by keeping Dabeluchi here, we do not even have a reason for housing the girl under your father's roof."

"We do have a reason, she's homeless," I said.

"Why is she homeless?" Mum snapped with that question.

There was a rock in my throat, and I swallowed hard to push it down.

"Mum, I-" I rubbed the back of my neck so, so uncomfortably, "I don't know."

Mum seemed to realise that she was putting pressure on me, so she sighed, and took a more gentler approach to her tone.

"Look, baby, I understand all you want to do is when someone in need and that's a kind heart you've got there," She said to me, "But, for all we know, Dabi could be running away from something that is a lot more serious than we think. Something that could even get you in trouble, in the long run." 

"She's not a criminal," I argued.

"I didn't say she was, I'm just saying that it's not smart that we're having to keep her here without understanding the proper reasons as to why we have to," Mum stamped.

"She promised to tell me in due time," I said, "Dabi will tell me everything when its time."

"Your Dad will be in Lagos tomorrow, you don't have time." She gave me a reality check.

A hard one that was difficult to come to terms with.

I stayed there on that seat, consumed by so many thoughts and swarmed in a deadly lake of confusion and dilemmas.  My mind was fucked.

I had to talk to Dabeluchi. I knew I had to. But then, what was the guarantee she would tell me. If she wasn't going to tell me anything, then I couldn't force her....... And I definitely wouldn't let her out on the streets as well. I would never do that.

"I don't want to make this hard for you, baby," Mum said to me, "I am only concerned."

What am I doing...?

"I want Dabeluchi safe too, but I just don't want to end up being an accomplice to anything I am not sure of-" Mum was saying.

"What are you talking about?" I asked her.

She remained quiet.

"Mum, what are you talking about?"

"Forget I said anything." She deadpanned.

"You can't be serious," I looked at the woman.

"I don't want to start putting possibly false ideas into your head about Dabi," She insisted.

"Well, you have to finish what you've already started," I retorted.

We stared at each other, gazed at each other for what seemed like an eternity, and I noticed the shift in her attitude as she looked away from me.

"Yesterday, Dabi asked me to make a call to her Mum and I observed something really strange happen."

I listened.

I wanted to hear this.

"Dabi's Mum, over the phone, kept talking about a girl called Nancy.-" Mum started.

"Nancy?" I repeated the foreign name.

"Yes," Mum nodded, "And I didn't get the details correctly, but either this Nancy or another woman called Delilah was supposedly, wound up in the hospital, seemingly in terrible shape."

I digested that piece of information.

"Dabi's Mum seemed distressed," Mum continued, "And all the way she was talking about this Nancy girl, Dabi wasn't saying a single word."

That made me feel a lot creeped out than it should have.

"It was like her brain was on a lock, she just stared at the phone as her Mum's voice sounded through the speaker, staying absolutely mute through out her Mum's whole banter-"

What the-?

"And then, the craziest thing happened; Her mum asked Dabi why she wasn't responding, and Dabi answered that she - her mum- wasn't saying anything."

"Ehh?" I frowned in confusion. Sat up for this.

"Her mum threw a raging fit," She went on nonetheless, "She was screaming at Dabeluchi saying that it wasn't true, that she had been talking about Nancy the whole entire time, and she knew that Dabi was well aware of that fact—"

"Then, why would Dabi pretend she wasn't?" I asked Mum, as this all was not making any sense to me.

"She eventually claimed it was network issues," Mum said.

"Oh," I nodded, understanding better.

"But, baby, I clearly didn't believe that, because the whole entire time, the phone was on speaker, and I could hear every word her Mum was saying," Mum said.

"So, it wasn't network?" I asked.

"This was no network issues, baby, Dabi was clearly filtering her own mother's words." Mum answered.

But why....

Why would she do that?

"Even after her Mum had assured her she was alive and well, she did not stop talking about Nancy," Mum continued.

Who the hell was Nancy, for God's sake?

"And then, in the middle of her Mum's entire rant, Dabi just hung up the phone, stared at it for an awful amount of time, before giving it back to me," She was saying, "I asked Dabi why she cut the call on her mother and she claimed that her Mum wasn't saying anything."

That is.... Odd.

"And then, to make matters worse, to prove to her that I heard everything her Mum was saying I brought up Nancy, and she completed acted like she had never heard of anyone with that name before." Mum told me.

I only stared at her in shock.

"I told her I heard everything because she had left the call on speaker, and she denied doing that. She claimed she had put the call off speaker!" She rapped on.

"I don't even know what I make of this," I was honestly appalled.

"I wasn't sure too," Mum told me, "So, I decided to have a one on one talk with Dabeluchi's mother, herself."

"Did you?" I asked.

"I called her the same day," She let me know, "And I first inquired personally about how she was doing, and she told me she was fine and thanked me for housing Dabi. We talked a lot, I used the fact she was an Igbo woman like me to spark conversations between us, using our native dialect, and then, when I thought I had talked enough with her to get personal, I asked her about Nancy-"

"What did she say?"

"She denied ever knowing a Nancy."

"Wait, what?"

"I was honestly shocked."

I sighed of exasperation.

"I knew she was lying through her teeth, I just didn't understand why," Mum admitted.

What on earth were they trying to hide?

"I decided to ask about Delilah," She said, "I mean, while Dabi was on the phone with her Mum, everytime the woman talked about Nancy, Dabi would change the topic and talk about Delilah, so I figured, they were connected in some way, so I proceeded to ask."

I was on my toes of curiosity at this point.

"The woman hung the call on me without saying a word." Mum did the final reveal.

It didn't make sense to me.

Why would Dabi and her Mum act like that?

Most especially, why would Dabi run away from home after someone wound up in the hospital?

"I was honestly confused for the longest time, but I started to put pieces and pieces together, and realized that I may have figured out what was going on," Mum said.

I looked to her, my facial expression clearly giving her a 'go ahead'.

"Back in the university, I studied Psychology - a course that God in heaven knows I cared nothing about, but at least, in times like this, it's gotten in handy," She said, "One of the reasons why I particularly learned to be so accepting of Dabeluchi is because I used to know this girl once who reminded me a lot of her."

"Well, I didn't know that," I noted.

"Her name was Regina, and she was just 21 when she lost her entire family in a plane crash, and that affected her badly," Mum started.

I felt my heart rip in two.

"That's awful," I said.

"Not as awful as what the tragic news did to her," Mum said, and her voice was in such low whispers, so unstable and wavering I felt she was on the verge of tears.

I wouldn't stand the thought of having my Mum cry, so I rushed to sit with her as she told her story, gently wrapped my arms around her in comfort.

"Regina loved her family so much that she couldn't bear the news that they were gone. She couldn't understand the news. She couldn't accept it...." Mum said, pitiful eyes gazed upon the ground as she recalled her past.

She lifted her head up to face me with sad sincere eyes as she told me, "She never did."

I didn't understand what she meant by that, but I let her go on.

"She stayed with me for a while and most of the time, she believed my off campus home was her family house, and her Mum, Dad, sisters and brothers were all there with her. Sometimes, she would even communicate with them, play with them, and laugh around with them as though they were all around her....."

That hit me hard.

Broke me entirely.

"I took my course more seriously than ever and dug deep until I understood what was actually wrong with Regina," Mum told me.

I listened to her.

"I learned a lot about a mental illness called Schizophrenia, and I remember, most of those nights at home, I couldn't sleep in peace, knowing that my friend Regina was losing her sanity, created false realities for herself to handle her grief, and manipulating her own mind into believing what wasn't true and no matter how much I tried to make her understand, she just kept filtering everything I said and -"

Mum broke there and I held her, whispered to her that it was okay. I didn't want to have her cry because I  made her recall a bitter experience. I hated to see her cry, it killed me.

"Have you ever wondered if Dabi..."

She didn't need to finish her question, but I understood.

And honestly, yes, Dabi wasn't exactly the most usual person around, but calling her mentally unstable would have been going a bit overboard, right?

But, with all my Mum had told me concerning the call, I started to get increasingly worried.

And it was like, in that moment, things started to hit in a more different light.

Once in a while, Dabi talked to herself. I had noticed, but i thought that was okay. I mean, everyone did that, right?

But then, to think of that day in class when Mr. Harry brought Dabeluchi in, and she threw a fit, screaming that the class was on fire....

And then, not to forget, that same yesterday after Dabi had made a call to her Mum, and my mum asked me take care of her after she was having a migraine breakdown, our conversation was one I could not really understand, but I had brushed it under the rug.

I was almost done dressing up for school that yesterday when my Mum had called me because of Dabi, and we had the weirdest conversation ever.

"Where's your Mum?" She had asked me, "She was making breakfast downstairs, wasn't she?"

Now, that had taken me off guard because my Mum doesn't even cook.

"No, she wasn't," I had denied it, "She just left the room literally a second ago. She was with you."

Dabeluchi had looked at me, seemingly shocked.

"Don't shit me." She had cursed at me.

I was stunned to say the least.

I didn't understand why she was acting so surprised when my Mum literally was with her, a few seconds prior.

"My mum was just with you," I said to her, narrowed my eyes at her blatant confusion as I wondered out loud, "Are you confused, Aurora?"

She had said nothing more, and eventually had sighed, overwhelmed by something, as she scratched her head and reminded me that her head hurt, and I remembered that she just had a slicing headache some minutes ago and was most likely suffering some kind of strange aftermath of it.

But it didn't end there.

"Your Mum's making breakfast and we're not helping her-"

Dabeluchi kept on talking about my Mum and breakfast.

I started to get very concerned.

"Aurora, are you okay?" I had cut her off in mid-speech, asking. I had to ask her.

I wasn't sure what I said wrong, but Dabi seemed taken aback by it. The girl had actually jumped from my arms, shocked out of her mind, eyes nearly bulging out of her sockets.

"What did you just say?" She had asked me in her state of shock, and I was increasingly getting confused, myself.

What did I say? I remember asking myself.

"Aurora, I Just asked if you were okay, that's all," I genuinely told her.

Her reactions were out of proportion.

"And where is all these talk about Breakfast and my Mum coming from? Who gave you that idea? My mum doesn't even cook." I had said.

And I had laughed. I had laughed about it because this was ridiculous.

"But you're the one who said she was making breakfast all morning," She defended herself seriously, "I didn't come up with the idea, that's what you told me."

It was a joke.

It had to be a joke.

I took it as a joke.

And I played along with her thereafter.

"Yes, Aurora, and that's what she's been up to all morning," I came right back with sarcasm, a gentle teasing smile on my lips as I forced myself not to explode in laughter, "Relax, soon, she'll be done with breakfast, and we'll eat and be gone to School, okay?"

I had hugged her afterward and waved the entire conversation off without much care.

But, now, hearing all these?

What if Dabi was actually, genuinely confused about the events of that morning, and I took it as a joke?

This made me feel like I knew nothing about the girl that I claimed to love.

It kind of hurt.

In a way that made me feel sort of guilty.

"Where are you going?" Mum asked me when she noticed that I was stepping out of the room.

"I want to check up on Dabi," I told her, "Afterwards, I'll be going to Seans' as you advised."

Mum seemed glad to hear that.

I walked into the room that we had handed over to Dabi - My sister's room.

And I came with food for her.

The room was cold. Freezing, to say the least. And Dabeluchi was there, on the bed, very much sound asleep, and for a moment, all I did was stand there, with the tray of food in my hand, and stare hopelessly at the girl who had my heart wrapped around her little fingers.

She looked so beautiful while asleep, and so peaceful too. She slept so peacefully, as though innocent of the fact that she had me at her will and mercy, completely and totally enthralled and obsessed with everything that had to do with her.

I love this girl so much, so fucking much, it makes me want to cry.

Stepping in quietly and silently enough for her to not notice and be disturbed from her sleep, I headed for the little desk drawer by her bed, and made to drop her food for her for when she makes up. There was a note with it, and I had informed her that I was stepping out for a while and I would be back, alongside with an 'I love you' message.

The top of the drawer was messy when I got there, with Dabeluchi's school uniforms scattered all over it, and after taking a quick mental look of how messy the entire room actually was, I just chuckled softly and shook my head. The sweetheart was busy sleeping peacefully in a room like this and I was sure she hadn't even had her bath yet.

Kissing her sweetly, I dropped her food for her and started to quietly tidy up the room for her.

I held the uniforms in my hands so I wouldn't forget to drop them off in the laundry, and I used my free hand to put things in place, here and there - I had put her school shoes carefully where all the flip flops and slippers were meant to be, I picked up the stray nylon wraps and snack wraps and threw them in the bin, and I arranged everything that was supposed to be on the desks, properly, including her school bag and text books that were littered all around it.

And then, in the middle of my cleaning, I heard a sound from Dabeluchi - A sound that sounded more like a shiver.

I stopped, whipped my head to her on the bed and she seemed to still be fast asleep. Quickly, I was able to notice that she was slightly shaking in her sleep, and I understood what was happening to her. 

"She's cold," I noted to myself.

This room was cold indeed. I took the remote and turned off the air conditioner, stood and  watched Dabeluchi calm down from her shivering as the room's temperature started to pick up a little bit, and when I saw she was calm again, I adjusted the duvet around her, covering her properly so she would feel even better.

She looked so adorable as she snored lightly, having no idea I was covering her up. And when  I noticed that slim thread of sleep drool running down the side of her lips, I reached out for the box of wipes on the desk, and gently helped to wipe the side of her mouth clean.

She moved her head slightly, flinching in her sleep when the wet material touched her face, and yet again, for another moment, I stopped again.....

And just lost myself, admiring her in her sleep.

Watching her melted my heart by the second, and I couldn't fathom why she had to be so beautiful.

This girl was so beautiful. How could someone be this beautiful?-

"Hmm-mmm...."

Dabeluchi woke up.

Right onto my creepy face staring at her in her sleep.

Well, fuck.

This was sure going to get awkward fast, but luckily for me, she didn't seem to particularly get creeped out by me. If anything, her still sleepy eyes narrowed, slightly confused for a moment as she probably tried to make out my face, but as soon as she did seconds after, she laughed sweetly and blessed me with the most adorable smile ever.

I smiled too, relieved I didn't scare her.

Latching onto my hand with those small, cute hands she had, she used my body as a support to get herself to be able to sit down on the bed, and for a moment after, she just sat there, smiling aimlessly, slightly still drowsy with sleep, and there was that comfortable silence between us, as I waited for her to adjust to her wake.

And suddenly, without notice, she jumped on the bed, alarmed and filled with an insane panic.

"Oh, shit, shit, shit! What's the time!" She shouted, hysteric as ever and I backed up, caught off guard, of course.

Well, for someone I thought who was down with a fever, she was active.

"4:44pm," I answered her in on quick wrist watch glance, and held onto her to steady her from freaking out too much, "Why? What's wrong?"

"Yukerya!" She called out the name of her Dance Instructor, and immediately it hit me.

It was supposed to be today.

Dabi had been telling me about the online contest their class had signed up for and it was today that was supposed to be the shooting day - This evening, apparently.

And I had promised over and over that I would follow her there.

While I was still coming to the realization, Dabeluchi was already up and on her feet, dashing like the Flash into the bathroom and trying to get ready fast.

I wouldn't lie, her agitation was almost funny, but I wouldn't dare to laugh at her when she was struggling with time like this. She barely had twenty minutes to prepare, as a matter of fact.

My only problem now was that all I planned to do was give Dabi her food, leave, and be on my way to Sean's place...

But, how could I miss a day like this that was most likely so important to Dabeluchi?

"Argh!" I heard Dabeluchi scream from the bathroom and I laughed because I knew she had dived head first into that cold shower without being patient for it to heat up, and I couldn't help, but laugh at her plight.

But, oh well...

Maybe I would use this opportunity to thoroughly talk with Dabi and get some answers to questions I was looking for. 

I was ready for whatever she wanted to tell me and honestly, I couldn't bring myself to think of anything that Dabi could have possibly done that would make me see her differently. 

I honestly didn't care honestly,  even after my Mum's assumptions of her, nothing has and will change. I would still accept Dabi however she came - no matter the shape or form.

If anything, this only proved that fact even more to me.

I had never been so sure of it like today - I wanted us to be official.

May I say, the way Acha loves Dabi makes me completely weak. 🥺❤️

I mean, I know I'm the writer and all, but I swear, sometimes I feel these characters write themselves and Marcus Acha is just one sweet human being, and his love for Dabi is just... It's just so pure and unconditional and incredibly heart melting. I honestly wish was a real person. If I had one wish, it would be to break into the fourth wall and meet him, like spend a day with him or something, and just hug him or something because he's just such a beautiful person 🥺 But oh well, he lives rent free in my head, so I can work with that.

On side note, who can smell impending chaos ahead? 😂

I mean, it's just banging on the door like a bastard and I can't wait to see you guys reaction to it.

I most especially can't wait to open up this Acha/Sean chaos for y'all to see, and all I have to tell y'all sha is that you see that Sean Ayomide??? You see that guy???? That nigga is a MAD MAN! I swear, Sean is a fucking retard, but I swear to God I LOVE him despite everything!😂😂🤞

And in all honesty, he is a ticking time bomb as Mama Acha said, so it's not like anyone can fault him for anything.

And as for the whole Soma fiasco, don't worry, I haven't forgotten. You will soon get to fully understand what is really happening on that end, and you guys may be short of words for the things you will find out sha, but oh well, this should be fun😂❤️

See you later,guys. I can even shock y'all with an update tommorow, but it all depends on my mood. So, let's hope God keeps this fiery spirit inside me sha.🤞