Hello, hello!

The reads of this book have been going up so fast, thank you all for reading this book!❤️

And I think you will love this chapter 😌❤️ {Song for the chapter is Untold Truth by BTS, I listened to it while writing and it went so well. Don't forget to check out the Media above, it inspired me in a way for a scene in this chapter too!}

Carry on.....

~ACHA~

It was not easy to drive while Dabeluchi sat there, right next to me.

I simply couldn't concentrate.

The night was still young. It was barely a few minutes into six, and the skies were starting to darken and traffic was not being so friendly with us, as we tried to navigate our way through and get to her Dance Class in time for her shoot.

Over and Over, I had adjusted the hoodie of my brown trench coat, and looked to the rear view mirror to ensure there were no stains on the clean white turtle neck I wore inside - an action that had subconsciously grown on me overtime with practice, but all the same, I couldn't fail to notice that Dabeluchi seemed oddly quiet.

She looked worried actually. Of course, she was worried, we were late. She should have been very worried.

It made me worried too.

I couldn't help it; Everything about her affected me so much. Way more than I knew it should have. She tied me down with every emotion she felt, and made me feel it too. If she was happy, I was happy, and if she wasn't - like now - it affected me as well.

I wanted to calm her down, and no matter how much I assured her we would make it, she was still very disturbed. There was nothing more I could do, and no matter what I said, it wasn't changing the fact that we were stuck in this uncooperative traffic, with a line of unmoving cars ahead of us.

So, I extended a hand to Dabeluchi.

She didn't notice, so she didn't take my hand.

She was still busy staring ahead, afar off into the traffic as though she could in some way, use telepathy to coin things to go her way.

So, I made the move and grabbed gently onto her hand, took it softly in mine, and said nothing more as I held her.

Even merely touching her hand had an effect on me.

Holding her felt unreal. Like I was holding a goddess, and not a human being. That feeling you get when you touch a celebrity - you know they're human, but it still feels unreal, like in some way, they maybe are not. Our hands fit into each other so perfectly, it was Art. And just by touching the girl, I felt a rush. A rush of something that felt like electricity, but cooled like waves of chill. 

It wasn't normal to feel this way by just touching a human being.

What on Earth is this girl doing to me?

How does a human being make you so shamelessly and hopelessly obsessed?

"Aurora," I called her, but goodness, her mind was far gone.

She didn't respond, and I didn't call her a second time. I let her live to her fullest in her world of oblivion. I mean, it gave me time to worship everything that defined her.

She was so beautiful.

I had noticed the hair do earlier this morning when I brought her back, but I was too into making sure she was okay, than fully appreciating it. It was the first time since we met that I had seen her on weaves, and I wondered when she had the chance to get it done - Maybe while she was out with her friends last night. She looked nice on weaves. She looks nice in anything, basically.

She also wore a dress this evening - one out of the few I had bought for her, it was a slightly colourful short flay dress that had sunflowers of different shades of the colours of the rainbow designed all over it. Seeing her wear a dress was new too.

Although, her hair was a bit messy. I could tell she hadn't brushed it, and it made me chuckle. That one wasn't new at all.

I didn't mind anyway. I mean, I had always loved that raw, untouched beauty Dabeluchi had. Before I met her, I had never been much into girls who didn't prep themselves well - Mostly, because personally, I always have been someone to take critical care of myself, and ensure that everything about myself was touched up in one way or the other.

But Dabeluchi didn't even do as little as apply powder; It was rare. Even in this period of the year we were in that Harmattan was close by, she didn't even bother with lip balms and didn't care if her lips or feet looked chapped. She didn't even brush her hair at all.... But then, it still shocked me beyond words how someone could be so compelling without trying. Dabeluchi made looking raw be the most beautiful thing in the world.

Her lips were moving now, and I stared, mesmerized and-

"I said the line is moving, why are you ignoring me?" 

I read her lips and was instantly slapped out of my reverie and back into reality.

"Sorry." I chuckled, and rotated the wheel to get back on the road that was now steady, although slow.

I was driving, and I felt that she was staring at me all the while.

If only I could tell what she was thinking.

Most of the ride, she had seemed bothered, and although I knew it was because we were slacking in time, I also felt that there was something else on her mind.

But each time I asked, she denied it.

We got to the Tsoede Arts Building - The building where Yukerya had rented Dance Studio in, and as I parked outside so me and Dabi could go in, I laughed a bit to myself, remembering the first time I had gotten here, how scared I was of staining my all white outfit because of the dust in the place, and how horrifyingly ugly and dilapidated that building looked - I had legit wondered how possible it was for human beings to even dare inhabit such a filth.

And even after three months after showing my face in here, I could conclude one thing....

The building was still ugly as fuck.

But, oh well, I guess if there is something I have learnt so far, is what to never judge a book by it's cover. The building was ugly, but the people were nice, and may I say, they had started to grow in on me, the same way I knew they were growing on Dabeluchi.

"Here," I smiled warmly as I extended a hand to help Dabi come down from the car.

"Thank you,"  She took it, giggling softly as she blushed and it was the most adorable thing ever.

Made me want to hold her and protect her all the days of my life.

Her mood seemed to have switched quite fast. All through the ride, she was quiet, and coming here, it almost seemed like a burden had been lifted off her shoulders.

However, I spoke too soon.

Because it seemed the moment she realized how happy she was, she shut down again.

"Something on your mind?" 

I chipped in that question to start up a conversation while holding her hand and helping her up the crooked stairway.

"Just one thing." She answered.

I was both shocked and excited to get an answer out of her.

"Really?" I looked to her, "Share?"

She surprised me even more by doing so.

"I just want to know..." She hesitated for a moment to watch her step, and I carefully helped her, and she asked, "How dangerous is it to get in trouble with Kaniru George and his gang?"

The question took me so off-guard.

"Excuse me?" I frowned in confusion.

"JJ is your friend, isn't he?" She looked at me, an innocent and slightly eager look in her eyes as though she really wanted to find something out.

I wasn't sure why that was of interest to her, but I gave her an answer.

"He hasn't spoken to us for a while now," I answered her.

I honestly wasn't sure if JJ saw me and Sean as his friends, at this point. Since that misunderstanding he had with Sean, the day that Kaniru had passed out that awful threat, he had not uttered a word to us. If I said I wasn't disappointed, I'd be a liar.

"I'm not sure," I rephrased my answer to Dabeluchi.

"Oh," She had said, stayed quiet for a few seconds, "I thought he was your friend, so I thought that maybe you may have, through him, known some things about Kaniru and co."

What the fuck?

"Dabi, I'm not friends with those boys." I made her understand that, "And why would you want to find out things about Kaniru and his boys?"

I was so lost.

Did she know something about Sean? Was that what has been on her mind? Was this what this was all about? Was that why she was asking strange questions about Kaniru and his boys?

"I am not sure why you would want to know anything about them, but so far I know, getting into trouble with them is not quite something to look forward to," I answered Dabi.

"Do you think they are capable of taking a life?" She asked again.

"Dabi." I had a mental gasp, "What's going on?"

I was indeed puzzled.

"I just want to know." She only said.

"Does this have anything to do with Sean?" I had to ask at this point.

She whipped her head so fast to me, and looked at me like I spoke Korean - Complete and utter, almost shameful confusion.

I guessed whatever reason she was asking these questions had not a single thing to do with Sean.

"Sean?" She said his name, "What's up with Sean and Kaniru?"

"It's a long story," I told her.

"And you won't tell me?" She quizzed.

"It's a really long story," I genuinely told her, "Sean just has scored to settle with them, that's all."

Dabeluchi looked a bit pissed, as though she wasn't happy that I didn't give her full details?

But come on, would I start that kind of long story here?

And hey, if I were to be fair, there was a LOT she owed to tell me.

A part of me softened up however not long after, when I realized that she was just honestly probably going through a lot, and didn't mean to be so easily triggered.

If only she could talk to me....

I don't know what moved me to, but I was compelled to hug Dabeluchi.

I don't know what pushed me, but I just hugged her. And she stayed there in my arms, like all her worries were suddenly gone and she found peace in me, and I didn't let her go for a long, long time.

"How's your Mum?" I asked after I had let her go.

We were so close to the Dance Studio, and I could tell because I felt the ground beneath me rumbling with the bass of a song I couldn't clearly hear, that I knew was coming from a short distance away.

"You talked to your Mum, didn't you?" I asked Dabi.

"Yeah..." She answered me.

"And if I asked you to tell me something else, would you be honest with me?" I further inquired.

She was quiet for a moment, and then afterwards, she answered in a softer tone.

"Yes."

Good.

"Tell me about Nancy," I asked politely.

Dabeluchi completely acted like nobody was talking to her.

She just walked straight forward, eyes ahead, and the blankest look in her eyes, staring far ahead at something with a void, vague look in her eyes.

It was like she was a ghost.

Or a robot.

She just completely shut her batteries down.

"Dabi?" I called her.

Like a light bulb, she flicked and turned to me. 

"Why aren't you saying anything, Marc?" She asked me, with wide attentive eyes that showed eagerness to hear me out.

Bloody hell?

"I did,"  I looked at Dabeluchi, appalled, "I asked about Nancy."

Her mood quickly turned sour.

She visibly stiffened.

"Who told you about her?"  

I was confused, because after what my Mum told me, I was expecting Dabi to act oblivious to the name, Nancy.

"My Mum overheard your conversation over the phone," I didn't lie to her, "She was a bit worried that-"

"Your Mum should not be worried about a terrible woman like Delilah."

The F-?

"I don't know how much she may have told you about her," Dabi continued, swallowed hard like this topic was too much for her, "But, Delilah is not a good person."

"I wasn't asking about-"

I could barely finish that sentence, and the door was slamming open in our faces as a bunch of boys and girls from Dance Class were pulling me and Dabeluchi into the class, in hyper and exaggerated welcomes and excitement, throwing us without warning into a Hall full of standing cameras and cast equipment.

"Woah," I was a bit taken back by the everything around me and Dabeluchi - the maddening rush of excitement that the entire class was filled with, the many, very many camera stands that were mounted at so many corners of the Hall, the Lights - New L.E.D lights that illuminated a stunning purple and blue lightening around the place, and the loud, sweetly deafening sound of Love Nwantiti Remix that blared out so loudly from the loud speakers and shook the ground beneath me.

Shockingly, the music, no matter how loud it was, did not swallow the screams and applause that the entire class was exploding with on our entrance, and although I had been originally taken aback, I easily blended in in seconds, and since I had already learned everyone's names so easily, with Dabeluchi's hands secured in mine, I exchanged pleasantries with Emeka and the afro pop dancers, Precious Osas and the other mad break dance machines, Yusra and the ballet girls, Eghe and Abby and their group of hip hop stars, and virtually, the entire population of the class that all accepted me in so easily, from the first day I had walked in here.

These people were obsessed with me and Dabeluchi, and I mean, OBSESSED!

Their energy was mind-blowing, and I had never seen anything like it before. Not even in Castron High. I knew Lagos people were mad, but these guys? Nah, these guys raised the bar.

And it melted my heart to see that Dabeluchi, the one girl who I knew hated attention more than anything, did not even look the least bit disturbed by the crowd surrounding her. 

There was something so pure and beautiful about how happy she always was, being here. It was immeasurable. It made me happy too.

"PENGEST COUPLE IN LEKKI!"

Naomi, Dabi's little statured friend was jumping out of a crowd of people who more or less would have looked like giants close to her, and running towards us like a little smurf to throw herself into us, in a big, welcoming hug.

"Oh my God! I am so happy you guys made it!"  She was holding onto me and Dabi with those tiny hands of hers, "And, Dabi! We were just about to start shooting!"

"Are you serious? All these while, I thought we were late," I chortled, nudged Dabi, "See? You were worried for nothing." The girl just smiled and shook her head, and I could tell she was relieved.

We didn't have much time to talk anyway.

Yukerya appeared in no time. 

"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! PLACES, EVERYONE! WE START SHOOTING IN FIVE!" The woman was clapping and instructing her students to order, and everyone, in a bubble of jumpiness, ran to set themselves in places.

The class was a bit rowdy as some of the girls and boys whom I supposed were shooting first were coming out from the other side of the Hall, all wearing matching tracksuits, and grouping themselves into a waiting area for their turn to shoot .

The place was so noisy. It was a mad house, basically.

"MARCUS!" Yukerya had called out to me above the noise, startling me for a moment, "I'M SO HAPPY YOU MADE IT TODAY!" She flashed me a big welcoming grin and a wide thumbs up from her distance, and then, looked to Dabi by my side, signalling to her, "COME ON IN, DABI! YOU NEED TO CHANGE OUTFITS, YOU AND YOUR GROUP ARE UP FIRST!"

Dabi nodded to her, a slightly nervous look in her eyes, as she turned to me, shouting above Love Nwantiti and the noise all over the place, "Wish me luck, Marc!"

"You definitely won't need it," I assured her, gently squeezed her hand to let her know she's got this. 

Dabeluchi definitely got this. The girl was a masterpiece of Dance. I had never in my life seen a better dancer. She didn't need luck. She single-handedly choreographed her whole group's dance, and I was more than certain that she was going to go up there, and destroy this dance shoot without mercy, own it like she ought to. I trusted her.

"Thank you," Dabi was grateful for my kind words, and there was appreciation in her eyes.

Eghe and Yusra, Dabi's excited dance partners were pulling her backstage, and in no time, the girls were done with their outfit changes and were jumping into the center of the shoot, having the entire class shake and rumble with mighty applauses, chants, and screams on their entry, and unlike the two girls with Dabi who stuck their tongues out and gave crazy hand gestures with their fingers to appreciate the eager and excited, Dabi was rather shy the whole time, blushing on all the love and attention, and waving to everyone softly as she walked in with them.

I was suddenly nervous for Dabeluchi, which was normal. I knew she was going to kill it, yet, I couldn't help but feel that thrill and slight nervousness as she positioned herself there, in the middle of Eghe and Yusra as their lead dancer in front of all those cameras, waiting for the beat to drop so they could burst right into action.

And, then, the beat dropped.

And so did my heart.

I saw a totally different Dabeluchi.

"My God." I was in complete awe of the girl.

I had seen her dance so many times. So many times that I had lost count, but each time, I saw her dance again, it was like a refreshing, new feeling. It felt newer, it hit more different.

The beat playing was foreign, it wasn't a song, it was just an afro pop mix sound that dropped with vibes and energy, and Dabeluchi made sure to give into that energy for all that it was worth.

It was so fascinating to watch her dance. It was a thrill, getting stunned every second by something new she did, a new unexpected move she made, and every mind-blowing form she composed her body to literally dissect every part of the beat she danced to, and moving her body in ways that were just unfathomable to me. 

Dabeluchi danced like she was telling a story, keeping you guessing and excited to see what she would do next. It was something I couldn't explain. The other two girls were good, but what made me puzzled was how they danced the exact same moves Dabi danced in sync, but still, did not do it the way Dabi did it. Dabi made it look so good in a way that was almost creepy to watch, and somewhat unconventional, but fascinatingly and addictively pleasing to the eyes.

This girl was talented. So damn talented, and it was too much for words to explain. I knew every one else could agree with that too, for one all the guys who had gathered around me when the shoot had started were all psyched by the performance, and Dabeluchi's talent was being singled out the most.

{A/N; Video above - Zoom in for better view and Imagine the girl in the middle is Dabi😌❤️ From the first day I set my eyes on that girl, she gave me dancing Dabi vibes, so you'll be seeing her a lot oo 😩🤞}

The energy the whole class showered on Dabeluchi and her dance partners was just absolutely mind-blowing, and never have I ever seen people so pumped and excited the way they were right now. The cheers and screams and hypes could have blown off the roof, and I wouldn't even mind because that performance deserved it.

Dabeluchi had ran towards me, filled with a rush of energy that was still lingering from her intense dance session, and she had thrown herself into me in a hug, and I didn't realise that the cameras were following her up until she had gotten to me, until the entire class was hooting and whistling and showering the both of us with overhyped and may I say, hilarious praises.

The Dance Instructor had jumped in right after Dabeluchi and her team, and the class was vibrating with even more energy. I could easily understand why a woman like Yukerya was their Dance Instructor because she completely owned that whole stage with her solo performance, free styling to a steady paced song like Issues by Julia Michaels, yet not failing to match the addictive energy and contagious vibes that Dabeluchi and her team mates had left the stage with, causing a whole lot of commotion from her mind blown students who just could not contain themselves.

{A/N; Imagine this was Yukerya's performance, yooooo, this woman is actually Yukerya in my head, she just gives the vibes I'm looking for in their Dance Instructor 💫}

This entire Dance shoot was everything.

And as performance to performance rolled by, and none of them, seizing to flop for even a second, Dabeluchi sat with me, making ourselves comfortable on the floor with a group of other dancers around us, who hovered close by, enjoying the whole show.

This was everything.

And Dabi wasn't even dull. She wasn't exactly as loud and crazy as her dance classmates, but she definitely was not just sitting there and moping, she was genuinely enjoying her time here, occasionally laughing when someone praised too much, and constantly, after every two minutes, tapping me excitedly to see whenever someone danced something that impressed her - As if, I wasn't watching the whole entire thing with her.

She was happy here. She always was. I loved seeing her happy, doing what she loved in a place she was totally comfortable in. Her happiness was contagious, and I didn't even need a saint to tell me that this was one of the things that were a great source of escape to her.

Looking down for a moment on those wristbands around her wrists - Those wristbands she always wore, and never got off. Those wristbands that covered those cut marks on her wrists that I had accidently seen one of these days, I only wondered what on earth it was that Dabeluchi was going through that she needed this kind of escape from.

It was my mission to find out tonight.

I was going to find out, and I would try to help her the most I could. I'd give my best shot. And even if there was a possibility that Dabeluchi had a problem that affected her mentally, I would still put in everything to help her out it.

And if by any chance I was walking into fire, if by any chance loving Dabeluchi and putting down everything I had for her was going to be a mistake.....

Then, maybe, just maybe, Dabeluchi Orji would be the best mistake I ever made.

*****

The Hall had emptied out soon after it was all over, and as a normal practice that the people of this class had adopted, they were moving out in flocks and onto the backyard to hand out in the space of grass there, chill and listen to cool music from Speakers, and patronize the Suya and Fish barbecue sellers by the road sides.

Meanwhile, Yukerya had been occupying her favourite dancer - that is Dabi, of course - with small talk, praising her and other dancers for a good job well done, and playfully reprimanding me for not being with them for the few days I had missed.

It was love anyway.

Sooner, the entire Dance Hall was empty, and it was just me, and Dabeluchi whom I was waiting for over ten minutes to wear a pair of sneakers. 

"All done!" She chirped, and sprung up to her feet as though showing me the final product of her little dress up, to comment on.

I stared at her in disbelief for a second and in the next, I felt it rising up in me and even though I had slapped my hands onto my mouth, I couldn't stop it from exploding right out of me.

I was talking about laughter.

I laughed at Dabeluchi.

I actually laughed at her so bad.

Dabeluchi had changed her outfit to the dress she had come here with - that colourful flay one I got her, and all of a sudden, she had insisted that she was going to freeze to death if she didn't cover up and she decided the best way to was to wear some shoes, sneakers actually, over the pair of white polka dotted socks that she had already worn beneath.

She looked so silly in the most adorable way. I couldn't help, but laugh.

"Stop laughing at me!" Even she couldn't stop herself from laughing at her own self, as she rushed over to me to throw hands onto my chest, weak punches that bounced off me without having me feel a single thing.

I let her attack me if it was going to make her feel better, but all the same, she couldn't stop me from laughing at her, and she went all ballistic, laughing and thrashing her hands around, playfully assaulting me and I found myself, holding my hands a cross to my face as she lashed out, running around her to miss her hits as she chased me with a goal, and eagerly, both of us, laughing so hard at ourselves for no reason, we ended up falling to the ground in one loud THUD! 

If anyone asked us why we were laughing so hard, even down there on the floor, we could not have a solid reason to give. 

Maybe it was our way of making the most out of the little time of peace we both seemed to have at this moment. It was our way of using it to it's fullest, laughing to our heart's content, and feeling every bit of that happiness that seemed to have been far away from the both of us for a long time.

It was worth a laugh - a good, refreshing laugh.

So, we just kept laughing, and laughing, and laughing, and laughing, and we didn't stop for a long, long time.

"Aurora?"  I had called her name as we just sat there, alone, on the ground.

She looked at me, and never had she even looked more beautiful under the dim, yet multi-coloured lighting of the room. Tilting her head to stare back at me as though she saw a mini god and not a human, her eyes glistening a beautiful hazel I had only but noticed, as she heeded to my call, she smiled me a warming smile that found a way to penetrate into me and fill me up with an unreal, almost spiritual measure of peace.

"Yes, Clyde?" She had answered. Her voice was low, soft.

"I was so proud of you today," I told her, "Watching you dance was the most beautiful thing."

"You say the sweetest things," She laughed softly at my words, looking away from me as I noticed her cheeks heat up as she smiled so hard.

"I mean it," I found back my eye contact with her, locking her in my gaze, admiring her, "I thought my heart would explode from the thrill. You were amazing!"

She laughed the most adorable laugh, covering her face in her hands as she did so.

"You know you're not so bad yourself," She threw me back a compliment, "I know a dancer when I see one."

I laughed at that.

"Until I met you, that last time I danced was when I was 12," I told her as a matter of fact.

"Why did you stop?" She asked me.

"Well," I answered her, "My father did not give birth to a dancer."

She laughed.

She actually threw her head back laughing like I said a joke.

"Well, your father seems like an interesting character," She commented.

"Trust me, you wouldn't want to meet him," I laughed, but God knows, I meant it.

"Oh, come on," She playfully threw a weak punch on my shoulders, "I'm sure he isn't that bad."

The girl had no idea. I just let it be, and didn't further the conversation more than that.

"I'm just really happy that you decided to let the world see your talent," I genuinely told her.

She looked up at me, beaming innocent adorable eyes at me.

 "The last time I talked with you, you were skeptical to let anyone outside your Dance class know you could dance, and I know how much you have been running away from Social Media and all the attention since Wonder Coast," I said to her, "And now, look at you - Joining a contest online and putting yourself out there. I am most certain that with what I saw there this evening, the judges won't think twice about giving you a pass, there can't be a better dancer than you, Aurora."

"I only did it for Yukerya," She told me, shrugged, "I am still uncomfortable with coming out and all, but unfortunately Yukerya needs money to open a new site for Dance Class; These Tsoede Art Building have been thinking of seizing this place from her, and renovating it into a nursery school, and winning this is the only way she can get enough money for a new site."

"Isn't that illegal?" I frowned on hearing about the seizing of property, "I mean, she rented this place, it's not right to take it away just because they feel like."

"Yukerya doesn't have enough money to sue," She told me.

"What if I help her?" I suggested.

"Sweet gesture, but I don't think she will accept that kind of easy money, Marc," She told me, "She is confident that even if we don't win ultimately, we would be runner ups with cash prices. And instead of wasting that money on a court case that may not even bring her justice, she could just start all over in a newer, better place."

"Sounds fair enough," I heard her.

"Yeah." She only muttered, and for a moment, there was a peaceful silence between us.

Until out of the blue, Dabi just jumped right up, and I watched her walk towards one of the benches by the corner of the Hall, right directly under one of the chandeliers, and I wondered why she would just abruptly want to sit so far away from me.

"I like this place!" She called out to me from the distance.

She just sat there, sitting with her back slightly hunched over as she spread her legs apart under her dress, and rested her hand at her sides, on the bench, for some kind of support.

She sat right under the brightest chandelier, it wasn't lighted, but having it had long, thin, silver coloured bulb strings hanging from it, it did a good job at reflecting the dim purple and blue lights in a way that the dots of rays decorated Dabi's body like beautiful glow lights, dancing all over her flawless skin and giving an aesthetic foreignness to her entire being.

"Come and sit with me," She beckoned me with a soft smile.

I obliged without arguments.

"It gives me Euphoria vibes," She told me as I sat by her on the bench, watching the lights dot my skin just as they did hers.

"Yeah?" I smirked, "So, you're a Euphoria fan?"

"Of course, it's a good show," She nodded to that, "Maybe my favourite - Either that or the movie, Work it."

"Oh, I've heard of that movie," I agreed with her.

Dabeluchi looked to me.

"You haven't seen it?" 

"Nope."

"We'll see it together one day," 

"I'm down whenever you are."

She smiled in victory.

"My favourite part of the movie was when the two lead characters dance to Wow," Dabeluchi told me, genuinely enjoying talking about the movie with me.

I didn't know the movie, but it interested her to talk about, so it interested me to listen too.

"It was just magical," She said, "I mean, the whole movie makes me lose myself in the world of Dance. Dance is an art, you know? Anything that makes you lose yourself in it's beauty is Art... And, haven't you ever just lost yourself completely in something that makes you happy?"

It was a rhetorical question, I knew for a fact.

Dabeluchi and I practically did that with each other - We lost ourselves in each other.

I watched her pick up her phone and quickly started to surf through it. 

"What are you doing?" I asked her when I noticed her walking to the Loud speakers to plug in her phone, abruptly stopping the song playing, Unspoken Truth by BTS that was playing.

"Listen to Wow by Zara Larson and Sabrina Carpenter," She said to me, smiled a shy smile afterwards and added, "Maybe we could dance to it too."

I didn't oppose anything she said, I just watched her do her thing, and son, she was back again, joining me on the bench.

"You'll love it," She promised me.

If she said so, then I knew it so.

And indeed, it was a thing of pleasure to watch, how Dabeluchi was so wrapped around her love of Dance and this song - It had barely even started, and she couldn't stop herself from moving her feet ever so daintily and rhythmically to the piano instrumentals of the song. 

"Baby, I'm not even in a gown,

"I'm just in a T-shirt on the Couch...

The first verse had begun and Dabeluchi had picked up with the movement of her feet; She was sitting with me, yet her feet were making magic, rhythmically circling their way around the floor, in a careful, fascinating, and creative manner, curving the outsole of her shoes around the dots of light on the ground, each time never losing eye contact with me, as though such creativity of dance was such a subconscious act for her.

 "The way you want me makes me want you now....

She was still sitting next to me on the bench, eyes glistening sweetly at me, face glowing in the light, and feet, busy doing more magic, tapping onto the ground softly like an experienced ballerina, moving tempo to tempo, beat to beat, drawing patterns on the ground, playing with the glow lights that now danced along, around with her happy feet.

Dabi was just dancing with her feet to the sound of the music, not putting much of an effort, but still making everything she did as captivating as ever.

"The only thing you have to say is.....

"Wow."

I felt her soft hands cup gently on my face the moment the beat had dropped, along with my heart and every ounce of will power I had in me to restrain.

"And I feel this way...."

Like Dabeluchi had put a spell on me and blew her charm straight to my face, I stood up when she got on her feet, following her every movement, walking towards her while she walked backward along to the music....

One step....

Two steps....

Three steps...

Four Steps....

Simultaneously moving backward and having me move forward towards her, I let her control my pace with those soft hands under my chin, as she called me to her, preparing me for what she was about to show me.

"With no chemicals....  

The beat came as a thumping sound, and Dabeluchi teased with a bold hand to my chest, an action that surprised me from her, compelled by the sound that came off sounding like three consecutive heartbeats -  I didn't know if it was from the song, my heart, or both -  But according to the sequence of it, she jerked her chest and shoulders softly in tune and in sync to it - an action that I didn't know how, was contagious enough to make my body do same.

"In my system, babe, it's incredible...."

She was surprising me with her boldness. She had become so free to dance with me like this. That was all I could think as I saw Dabeluchi who once wouldn't even let me be an arms length close to her once upon a time, was dancing and twirling all around me ever so gracefully, circling my form as she swayed all around me,  swaying around and around, moving to every beat of the song.

"When you're touching me, yeah, that says it all...."

Shocking me even more by making an even bolder move, Dabeluchi was losing herself in her world of Dance and backing herself against me like she was legit about to grind. And I felt her fingers caressing the top of my ears as she reached out behind her with one of her hands, wrapping it around the nape of my neck and ears, and in reflex, my hands ran through her body, in one swift motion, softly caressing the skin of the sides of her, feeling the tenderness of this goddess, through the soft fabric of her pretty dress.

"You said it all... Yeah..."

By now, I was holding onto her waist, firmly, yet soft enough to not hurt her, and I let her spring free as she danced on me, swaying her hips from side to side for all that was worth, and whether knowingly or knowingly, moving herself onto that part of me that was making me lose every bit of patience and self control I had by every second that ticked and tocked.

"Baby, I'm not even in a gown....

"I'm just in a T-Shirt on the couch..."

The bridge of the song hit hard and Dabeluchi and I danced in sync - She started to move first, dancing like a fallen angel, and on realizing quickly enough that she was doing those small steps of slow dance she had once showed me once, but in a somewhat faster, more contemporary, and slightly customized, and more creative style, I joined in with her, and together, we effortlessly moved to the music as though it was made just for the both of us.

"The way you want me makes me want you now..."

I couldn't explain it - The surge of electricity I felt dancing with her. The chills that ran through me for the moment of the song where we just stayed still and it felt like the world had stood still along with. Or the wave that ran through me in rushes of excitement - excitement that threatened to turn me into a mad man.

"The only thing you have to say is.."

"Wow."

The chorus dropped in and Dabeluchi quickly surged herself off me to dive into it, springing free as she tore herself away from me, twirling, flying into the air like a bird, spinning on all her graces, and STUNNING me by the moves she burst out next, dancing like a girl beautifully possessed....

"Make your jaw drop-drop,

Saying my drop-drop-drop,

Make you say 'Oh my God',

My drop-drop,"

That was her part to solo and she gave it no mercy. Dabeluchi DESTROYED it! And I just stood there in absolute awe, mouth hung open in disbelief at this girl as I watched her dance and dance and dance, like she was created to dance, moving her ever so rhythmically, carrying her body around in an effortless display of addictive visuals, moving her  body in ways that my mind couldn't even fathom, grasp or understand. Mercilessly stunning me with such a talent she was blessed with.

Make your jaw drop,

Make you say 'Oh my God',

And you never felt this type of emotion,"

By the time the chorus repeated itself about two or three times, or probably for an eternity as it felt so, I had no idea how long I had danced with her. We danced like our lives depended on it, dwelling in the comfort and surging rush of each others arms, holding onto one another for dear life, losing ourselves in the euphoria of this moment, dancing together, for what felt like forever.

I wanted this to be forever.

"In a crowded place, can you just imagine....

..... The way it all just happened,

Take loving me to a new extreme,

If you can't have me, you don't want no one,

you don't want no one..."

We went on and on. 

"I got all my friends, asking what it's like,

To be loved like this, to be recognized,"

And On and On.

"Behind the scenes, you make me vulnerable..."

And On and On.

"You make me so vulnerable.."

Everything about this moment was everything - The lyrics of this song, the sound, our movements, it all took a heavy toll on me. In respective order, it hit different, touched my soul in ways I couldn't put in words, rocked me with adrenaline, and like a drug, blocked out everything that ever threatened the peace I had. I wanted this to last forever. I wanted to stay forever in the bosom of this goddess, and dancing, losing myself in her till thy kingdom come.

Oh, the Downfall of a Man...

And even after we were done, I can't say how long it was that we stayed, wrapped onto each other, strapped onto ourselves in a breathless hug, holding each other for dear life, the only supporting us on our feet was the mighty force of energy that hovered around us, like a reaction to our chemistry that was invisible to the eyes, but a magnetic, powerful force to our body.

God knows how long we stayed there together in the arms of one another.....

And in that moment, I was compelled to do it. I was compelled to ask this girl the one question that I had wanted to build up the courage to ask, since we came here.

"Dabeluchi Aurora Orji," I said her full name, it was sweet velvet to my tongue.

The damsel had her head resting on my chest, with her arms around my neck, and mine, around the small of her back, and on hearing me call her name, she took her head up and pierced me with the most beautiful eyes.

I locked my gaze with hers and said the words.

"You will make me the happiest guy in the world if you say yes to being my girlfriend.... Will you?"

Dabeluchi looked shocked beyond words.

"MAD! MAD! MAD! MAD! MADDDDDDDDDDDDDD!"

We both jolted in surprise when one voice shouted above our music, and it was followed by a swarm of noises from Dance mates who were pouring themselves into the classroom like a swarm of bees and locusts, giving themselves all away that they had been eaves dropping on us, the whole entire time. 

This entire scene got so dramatic, like a marriage proposal, and everyone was screaming, cheering, applauding, and calling out to Dabi to say yes, over and over.

Dabeluchi looked like she was tearing up, I could have been wrong, but her eyes seemed to be brimming with tears as she was stuck in between laughing at her silly, hilarious dance mates who urged her on, and being in shock and disbelief all the same, and of course, indescribably happy that I had asked her.

It was clear as day to me that I was the first guy to ever do so.

She couldn't even speak, she was too overwhelmed. She nodded, nodded so quickly and  vigorously, accepting my request, and the whole class was exploding with excitement as I pulled the crying girl into my arms in a warm hug, holding her as she laughed and cried and laughed and cried and laughed and cried into my chest, nonstop.

Finally, Was all I could tell myself, Finally Dabeluchi Aurora Orji was officially mine.

*****

Summer Walker was on repeat all through out the entire night, and the air of the night didn't fail to give off those lazy RnB vibes.

Dabeluchi and I had so much fun with the other Dace mates,  I had joined the others at the backyard, and on request, I had also paid for everyone's Suya and Barbeque and after having the time of or lives, sprawled across the grass, siting around with each other, telling stories, making jokes, laughing, talking, and dancing,  I decided to isolate Dabeluchi from there, not so that we could have our alone time, but also because I knew I had to get answers from here, before my Father showed up, unexpectedly at home, one of these days.

"Hey," I had settled down with Dabeluchi on the grass, dropping onto the grass, the heated up tinfoil wrap that had Suya in it for her, "I got some more as you requested."

Dabeluchi was already laying down on the grass, lazily, and not taking what I got for her.

"I'm sleepy," She whined at me like a little child.

I chuckled, laid down on her, and resting my head upon her lap, "Yeah?"

"Yeah.." She whispered, and sat up for some reason with my head still on her lap, and just as I was about to ask what she was doing, she just reached into the mane of hair on my head and started fondling with it, teasing her fingers like a comb through it, and playfully coiling lumps of strands of it into little twists and locks.

I let her.

I let her do what she wanted with my hair.

"Your hair is longer than mine," She commented. More to herself, than to me.

There was silence between us as Trevor Daniel and Summer Walker's Falling filled the air, and meanwhile, for the longest time as Dabi took her time, with every single lump of strand of my hair,  and I just knew I had to talk to her sooner, and not later.

"Aurora?"

"Yes?"

"You never really told me what happened. Why you ran way."

I was only hearing Summer Walker's part of Falling, as Dabeluchi stayed quiet, and let her silence drown me, even with the song playing out through the loud speakers.

"Dabi?"

She took my head in her hands, held it like a ball, and raised it up from her laps.

Surprising me with that action, I turned to look at her.

"I didn't mean to bring it up now, but I just don't want my Dad to walk in on you, without a solid explanation," I told her. Looked at her and narrowed my eyes, "Are you okay, Aurora?"

"I'm just thinking of how to tell you." She answered me.

I sighed of relief, sat closer to her and held her hands gently in mine, and assured her, "Start anywhere, I'll understand," Looked her in the eyes and smiled at her with my eyes, "I mean, I'm your boyfriend now, right?"

That made her smile. "Yeah."

I waited for her to let out her word.

"I ran away from home because it was too toxic for me," Dabeluchi told me.

If there was more, she did not say it. But this one sentence was enough to break my heart completely.

I could only imagine. In reflex, my eyes travelled to that wristband around her wrists, and I couldn't even think up what to make of it.

"I'm so sorry," I said to her.

"Don't be," She said, "All you're guilty of is being the kindest human being I've ever met."

I smiled at her, "You know you can say more though, I am all ears for you."

She seemed to hesitate for a moment.

"Every moment I spend with you is an escape for me...." She spoke, looked me in the eyes and held a gaze with me as she added, "I don't know, but I hate to ruin the peace and happiness I've been feeling tonight by talking about the things that suffocate me every moment of my life the one moment that I don't feel suffocated."

I completely understood her.

"And trust me, today has been one Saturday of Madness." Dabeluchi told me, and I was not surprised to hear that. I knew something had been on her mind all day.

But she didn't talk about it...

And in a way, I understood why.

Dabeluchi and I had made an unwritten pact between ourselves for all I knew, a practice that had grown in on us. We had never talked about our problems before, and that was because the only moments we had complete and total peace, free from anxiety and problems, was with each other, and subconsciously, we just became unwilling to use up the little time we had to be happy, to sulk to each other about our problems. 

"But, all that has changed now because of my boyfriend," Dabeluchi smiled sweetly at me, and in that moment....

The last thing I could do was resist her.

~DABI~

Marc stared at me like he was about to kiss me.

I had a feeling that he may have been hesitant for a moment, thinking I wouldn't want to, because of how I failed to reciprocate when he kissed me last time. So, with my eyes, I gave him permission to go ahead, a small part of me, feeling some form of nervousness mixed with thrill.

I wanted this.

Pulling me into him, he started with a soft lip bite, an action that surged through me like electricity, as he seemed to be testing the waters, giving me a moment to breath onto his velvet soft lips, as though in some way, he was trying to tell me that he was going to make it my last.

And as I foreshadowed, the next minute, Marcus Bruno Acha completely obliterated my soul, my body, and every damn thing that I was made up of when his lips fully claimed mine.

God damn it. The boy was a master of this art. He kissed me like he was worshipping me, giving me all he got like his life depended on it. He was the king of sensuality - a god at evoking off you, such mind blowing, almost unbearable pleasure, giving you a sensation you wouldn't forget in a hurry. And doing that with a single kiss.

There was no telling that Marc was experienced in the art of kissing a girl into oblivion, and without holding back, he killed me steadily. He knew what to do with every part of his body, his hands, his lips, his tongue - He held onto me, strongly, yet carefully, wrapped his rough, but tender hands softly around the side of my neck, perfectly and skilfully curving his fingers around my neck firmly enough to pull me into his kiss, demanding me into him, but at the same time, letting it all flow in a pace and motion that I could keep up with.

Marcus's kisses were talking - His tongue danced around with mine, played with mine, teased mine, caressed mine, and boy, he sure knew how to use his tongue! He made sure to taste everything I was made off, passionately moving his head from the left to the right, trying to find the best angle, the best pleasure, the best of everything he could give me.

He would get slightly rough from time to time, kissing me ever so urgently like he was trying to draw my soul right out of me, and then, he would slow down again, and go slower, kissing hard, but slow, more passionately, and he was switching up from time to time, like he was experimenting between all measures of pleasure, fighting to pick between the dilemma of kissing me until I was breathless and weak or kissing me until I lost myself and forgot my name.

Marcus took me out of this world and brought me back.

Just with a kiss.

And forgetting everything that ever plagued my peace ever, I kissed him back, learning from him, doing as he did to me, picking up lessons and delivering back with intensity, completely letting the moment swallow me whole. Swallow us both whole.

We may have kissed for hours that night, and as a matter of fact, neither of us was willing or ready to stop.

Damn.

I think I felt my heart stop multiple times as I wrote that scene, like I was the one being kissed, lol. I swear to you, Marcus took over my keyboard, because it's can't be me that wrote that kind of scene sha.💀🐧

And my loves, for everyone who's been asking to see Sean, expect him in the next chapter, I promise ❤️💫 (I won't lie, I'm actually surprised at how much people started liking him so much sha, but oh well 😂👌)

However, the next update would most likely be on Friday because my whole week is booked, but on the bright side,  thinking about the craziness that chapter is going to bring you, maybe it's worth the wait 🌝❤️

Ciao, Amigos!❤️