Hey!

I want to say, I don't believe anyone would be awake by this time, but y'all know how to shock me sha 😂❤️

Enjoy your read, Loves! Oh and shout out to ElsaRay4. This update is here as promised ❤️ Happy Birthday (even if it was yesterday 🥺❤️) I LOVE YOU!❤️❤️

Oh, and lest I forget, I and Iyanuoluwa-Temi   are doing a crossover with our books. If you didn't know, know now sha. If you remember Dawn and Ansel that Marcus and Dabi met back then in Wonder Coast, I think you'd love to check out "Almost Unfixable"! Those characters belong to her, and as a matter of fact, she has gotten to the part of her book where her characters met Marcus and Dabi on that day of Wonder Coast! 🔥🔥🔥

Y'all should check it out, Tem Tem is inarguably a boss!🔥🔥🔥

~DABI~

For all I knew, I was living in Dream World.

That's how it felt to me, like I was in a realm void of troubles, and all I wanted to do was stay there for an eternity, stay far away from this brutal reality, and lose myself in everything that had to do with him, for all the days of my life.

Marcus did that to me. He made himself the calm in the midst of my storm, and it was the most beautiful thing.

He was always taking me to a world of Oblivion when I was with him, and with every thought of him, every thought of even his mere existence, there was always a sweet feeling, lingering around inside my chest, swarming all over my heart; It was a feeling so sweet, so strong, so powerful and irresistible, that it almost turned sore - but in the most orgasmic kind of way.

It literally overwhelmed me. Lingering in there, and from my heart, mercilessly wracking through my entire body in multiple shivers that caused goosebumps...

And sometimes, tears.

What we had was so beautiful, it made me want to cry.

I wasn't sure what the most memorable thing about Last Night was - Was it the joy and undisguised feeling of freedom I felt there with everyone, most especially with him, or was it when we danced together? When it seemed like I was possessed by this powerful spirit of boldness, that did not even let me think twice before I danced my heart away in front of Marcus Acha. I felt so free, so fluid, so courageous, and he was bringing that out of me without effort. Bringing out the best in me and I loved every moment of it.

I was dancing to and with a whole Marcus Acha.

A boy, who once upon a time, I could not even dare to look him straight in the eyes, let alone, dance with him.

I found the experience  so wholesome - Like that was whom I was fated to dance with. Like it couldn't have been more meant to be.

I didn't feel even an ounce of nervousness, I was as free as a bird. 

I think I may have even grinded onto him?

Thinking about that was so embarrassing now.

Or, was my favourite part when he asked me to be his girlfriend?

It still felt unreal to me till date. Thinking about the fact that a boy like him wanted to be with a girl like me that much. Thinking about the fact that he was mine, and I was his'. Thinking about the fact that were in a mutual agreement to love no one else, but each other.....

It felt surreal then, and still did, now. 

I was Marcus Acha's girlfriend. Saying it over and over in my head just made me giggle sweetly to myself for no reason, it was so sweetly amusing to me and I didn't know why.

I figured that my favourite part of Last Night may have been our kiss.

It most definitely took the cake.

The whole thing was just magical -  Everything about it, his hands on me, his lips that sent me to a different dimension, the passion he emitted, the raw ecstasy I felt, the world that we both had suspended ourselves into by just one kiss, was something I couldn't wrap my head around.

How could he be such a good kisser? Just... Wow.

If I was going to feel such rushes of energy like that every time other time we are going to kiss, then hell, I may as well have a heart attack soon. I wanted to relive the moment over and over, and every time I thought about the fact that this boy was head over heels for me, all I could wonder to myself in all earnestness was....

Why? Why me?

Why me of all people?

"Aurora, Love."

I felt sweet chills run through me as goosebumps dotted my skin the moment that familiar rough, but tender hands grabbed me softly by the waist from behind.

"I didn't know you were awake," His deep, gruff morning voice were like music to my ears as he rubbed the tip of his nose against the skin of my neck, chuckled sweetly onto my skin - an action that made me laugh sweetly as he sent more shivers around my body , holding onto me with those strong, yet gentle hands.

I was by the Fridge right there in their Dining room, and just one step ahead to grabbling some cereal on the counter until Marcus had walked in on me.

"Yeah, I got hungry," I told him, blushed even harder as he started to playfully sway me softly, his face resting down on my neck all the way.

The Acha's residence had their workers come from Home, because according to Mama Acha, they had their own lives to live instead of being confined to the homes of the people they worked for. For that reason, all the cooks, cleaners, drivers, and virtually everyone who worked for them had a special kind of work schedule.

For starters, they all had different days of work, each one having to work about twice in a week, and that explained why I kept seeing different faces. They also divided their work time as well, and some of them worked morning to afternoon duty, while others worked afternoon to evening, and Mama Acha had assigned them to come from home, so as early as 6am, the morning to afternoon workers were here, and as early as 7pm, all the evening workers were all gone. I barely saw any of them, it was rare, but I figured they were just strictly about their work.

It was still half past 5 in the morning, and none of the workers were around. There were no cooks, and I was very hungry.

"So, I decided to come here and get some Frosted Flakes or something," I told Marc, behind me.

"Oh?" He barely seemed much interested in what I was saying, but responded anyway, and went straight ahead to bless me with a kiss on my forehead, a simple kiss on my forehead that suddenly switched up and escalated, and without warning, I was spurning around to face him, and his soft kips were on mine, smacking against mine suddenly and so unexpectedly, as he had me to himself, ever so intensely like he was trying to mark me as his'.

He stopped almost after he started, short cutting the bliss and ecstasy that was building up so fast, and just held onto my waist, looking down on me with the most warming smile ever, and big, brown eyes that held all the admiration in the world.

I noticed he hadn't gotten rid of the hair too. Last night, I had played with his afro and did them into tiny twists, and he had not gotten them off yet. As a matter of fact, he had tied it all up in one peanut sized bun at the top of his head.

Needless to say, this mini god was simply gorgeous.

"Eat." He said to me, biting down on his lower lip, looking me thoroughly, "I just wanted to come and see you, and I guess I couldn't resist." He almost talked in whispers, like he didn't want someone else overhearing us.

I laughed at that, and wondered what it was about me that he couldn't resist. I was all eye bags and morning breath.

Not knowing what much to say, I only held my gaze up back at him as my cheeks burned.

"It's Sunday," I reminded him, "You guys don't go to church here?"

My statement slightly amused him, and he answered me.

"My mum would have to be mad if she lets us miss church for even a day," He answered me, I chuckled, "But, we have evening service today - It's sort of the theme, so we have all day until 6pm."

"Oh," I understood.

Their family went to Church here, that was cool. However, that was something I could not relate to. My Mum read the bible often, prayed and cried out loud so many times Dad and Delilah were out on a date, and sang out gospel songs when she was cleaning in agony, but Church? Nah. I don't even remember going to one ever in my life.

So, I was a bit curious.

However, before then, we made the most of the morning together. After having our baths and freshening up, we had breakfast together, and that was by far the most fun breakfast I have ever had because all the way, Marcus kept telling me all sorts of absurd stories and ridiculously baseless jokes, and I had, at a point, almost choked on a string of spaghetti.

He nearly ran mad and rushed with over-exaggerated anxiety, he got me a glass of water and started to literally force me to gulp it down as I laughed and choked at the same time. I didn't know which was funniest - the fact he made me choke with his nonsense, or how scared he looked like I got hit by a trailer or something, or the fact that in his state of panic, he was literally drowning me with water and no breathing space.

We had also spent time in his room for a change. I insisted I was bored of the room I was given and he took me to his room, on request. Marcus had to be the neatest person I had ever met in my life, because his room looked so organized, and so neat, that it was hard to believe that someone actually inhabited it. It looked so new and scented so nice - Like floral, amber, vanilla, and just a tad bit of Cedar - It scented just like him.

All we had was fun. We talked and laughed and play wrestled on his bed. Unfortunately, turning the room of his that I know had stunned me with its high level of organization and neatness into a hell mess, sheets on the floor, bed out of its place, and pillows all thrown to the floor.

Mama Acha nearly had a heart attack when she walked in and saw it.

We didn't know how to begin to explain to her that it was NOT what she was thinking!

Marcus also showed me how to game, and we used his console too. Of course, I failed miserably no matter how much he tried to let me win. I was practically hopeless.

We decided to highlight the day by going to a park - a theme park. It was on my request. We went through all the fun rides there, and all the way, we couldn't stop screaming out our hearts, filled with thrill and excitement. It was all fun and games until I threw up after the ride on the water side rollercoaster, and Marcus was a whole mess. The guy nearly got another heart attack, and needless to say, that was the end of all the rides for us.

He didn't let us try another one, and to make it up to me, he got me ice-cream and cotton candy, and we ate together on the grass by the river, and talked about Zendaya.

We called it a day some time around afternoon, and just so we wouldn't get too exhausted before church, we insisted we headed back home.

"I see you kids are having a good time,"

We were just walking in through the front door, and Mama Acha whom we had easily sighted from the Living Room, was there in the dining full of arranged plates of food, setting some packs of serviettes by the sides of it, and welcoming us back with a warm smile and a dark robe and bonnet on her.

I smiled back when Marc smiled at me, and taking his outstretched hands, I walked with him towards his kind, ever so warming mother.

"We had a lot of fun, actually," He answered for us, casted me a look, "Right, Aurora?"

I blushed, I couldn't help but do so every time he said my name. "So, right."

Except for the part where I threw up, I guess I could call it one of my best days ever.

"Well, that is fancy," Mama Acha hummed in delight, dropped the last pack of serviette, and started to take dainty, elegant steps down the brief dining step, in an attempt to walk towards us, just as we did her, "And it just happens to be perfect timing when you walked in. So, come on in here, kids, and buckle up." She hugged me and Marcus in one brief motion and gestured for us to follow her in with her hands.

We were walking with Mama Acha and it seemed like the laughter and vibes from our little outing was still lingering off in Marcus because all the way, he didn't seem to be able to stop the jokester and play play attitude in himself from making me laugh by bringing up rubbish that made us literally roll on the floor all through our outing - The boy wouldn't stop whispering all sorts of gibberish and inside jokes into my ears, not just in an attempt to make me crack up behind his Mum and humiliate myself, but also in a quest to get a reaction from the woman.

It worked.

I was laughing in hushed sounds, ti-he-hee-ing and ta-ha-ha-ing, continuously, nonstop, desperate in my attempt to avoid belt out laughter that would have been loud enough for three houses away to hear. And as expected, Mama Acha had noticed, turned her back to look at me and Marc with the most confused look on her face.

That got us rolling. Marcus and I couldn't contain it as we fell onto the floor, tearing up from laughing at her, and quickly, it started to seem to us, like messing with Mama Acha was fast becoming a hobby.

"I really hope the both of you are okay sha," Mama Acha just dismissed us with a playful eye roll, unable to help it herself from laughing just a little as she watched us on the floor.

It was fun here.

It was really fun.

And as a matter of fact, it was all fun and games....

Until we heard the doorbell ring.

I couldn't know if it was just me, but it almost seemed like the temperature of the entire living room dropped down intensely and suddenly for a second, stopping my heart for a moment as the sudden and unbearable chills in the air, seeped into the pores of my skin, spread through out my whole body in one merciless rush, and without a second thought, froze me over, and immediately.  

Everyone else had turned to the door too, at the sound of the door bell. That would only mean they heard it too, right?

I mean, for the first time in my life, I wanted it to be all in my head. I couldn't fathom what kind of visitor they would have at a time like this, for God's sake, nor how I would explain to them why I was here, and what for.

"Who's that?" A confused Marc turned to ask his Mum like somehow, she was psychic and would be able to tell in a heartbeat who was behind their door.

Much to my surprise, Mama Acha seemed to have some guesses.

"It must be them," She waved it off, gesturing for Marc to go and get it, "Again."

It was like I was a fish out of water the way my mouth hung agape.

She sounded so casual about 'them' being at the door, and meanwhile, all the sirens in my head were just going off over and over again, the reality of what was about to dawn on me was slamming me left right and centre, back, sideways, front, EVERYWHERE! I didn't even realize that I had starting sweating until one of my strings of sweat dripped down and onto my eyelid, and I realized that it was no joke that my head was indeed hot. It took me less than a minute to become a whole wreck.

Marc had noticed, looked to me, and took my head, assuring me with his hands to stay calm and it was no big deal.

I begged to differ. My body was at the most deadly alert, and even though I stayed put, I could feel the merciless and uncontrollable, nearly even painful thrashing of my heart against the walls of my chest.

"On it." He said to his Mum, stood up from the floor, and headed for the door.

I was still on the floor, dying and resurrecting over and over, suffering with a deadly stroke that may have been threatening. I couldn't even breath properly at this point.

It was like in slow motion. Marcus walked to the door, my heart was bearing, he put his hands on one of the knobs of the two way doors, my heart was still beating, and when he opened the door, I felt a few heart beats missed their turn...

"MAN LIKE ACHA!!!—"

I japa.

"Dabi!" Mama Acha had exclaimed in shock at my speed to jump over three steps and a whole couch, but that was not even my business.

Pressing onto the couch that I was hiding behind and holding onto dear life, I reached out to the appalled woman, revealing just a quarter of my head and pleading her with my eyes to not say anything about me to the visitors, and she was quick to grasp the gist, all thanks to the glory of God.

And talking about those visitors....

Judging by the nearly deafening noise they had barraged themselves in here with, and the familiar, almost painful chants they showered on Marcus, it became clear to me. 

It all became clear to me.

One, they were boys. They sounded like boys. And two, there was no confusion or arguments there that those boys who just barged into Marc's living room were from Castron High.

I held a hand to my chest as I stayed there, behind that couch and I immensely, more than ever before, prayed the Lord my soul to keep.

I wondered. I just wondered. Why? Why on earth wouldn't Marcus tell me that he had classmates over at his house sometimes? I should have figured. I should have known! A guy with the popularity ranking of Marcus Acha was definitely going to have classmates over at his damn house! 

"Brah, so you actually thought you could avoid me forever!-"

"Man like Acha! What's up, naw! Been a while! Let's catch up, bro!-"

I peeped.

I peeped in to see the owners of the voices that I was hearing, and that may have been an awful idea because in that instant, on getting a clear and vivid look at the two boys, my heart fell and rose, then lodged in there in my throat while I choked silently.

"God forbid." I muttered to myself. My heart, a beating mess.

Standing there in Marcus Acha's living room, were the two of them - Sean fucking Ayomide, and that bastard called JJ.

I started to feel faint.

Literally, my head started to spin and my body was failing quicker and quicker by the second, and I saw myself passing out soon if I didn't hold myself together.

I wasn't even sure which was more disturbing to my spirit - Was it seeing and being in the same presence of Marc's seemingly bipolar, screw-losing, intimidating best friend? A strange boy from School who more or less acted like I was completely invisible to him? Like I was basically a roaming ghost, or a mere tree?

Or, 

Was it the fact that the other one was here too? That hulk sized infamous bad boy School whom I have dearly despised for as long as I could remember, especially after he had made me feel so humiliated in that Yure's party where he had pushed me to the ground after I only tried to follow up a dare? And then, on top of that, having the audacity to laugh at me when his 'boss' Kaniru George nearly strangled me to death yesterday in School, all because of mistaken identity.

I could not wrap my head around the fact that the both of them were here. Especially since Marc had told me that he was not even sure a person like JJ was still his friend anymore? Why did he lie to me about that? Why was JJ here now with Sean?

Marcus, however, looked thoroughly confused.

"What are you guys doing here?" He stepped up to block the path of the two boys before they drove themselves further into the building.

Sean Ayomide raised a brow in a classic 'What the fuck', eyeing his best friend up and down, seemingly astonished by such a question being thrown at them.

"You almost sound like you're not happy to see me, brah," He looked Marc and his guarded gestures over in a quick moment of observation.

Marc was so confused, I almost felt bad for him. He was about to speak and say something in protest, but whatever it was was cut off at Sean's attitude of disinterest to hear him out.

"Shift, abeg. I'm coming inside." The darker boy hissed and muttered stubbornly, cornered round his confused best friend that stood in his way, and bounced into the living room, throwing excited and almost exaggerated greetings to Mama Acha on the dining table, and that bastard JJ was bouncing in along with him, throwing hypes at Mama Acha and descending upon the food on the dining that I knew was meant for me and Marcus.

I was so annoyed by that. On top of everything he had done to me, he still had the guts and effrontery to now eat my food!?

Marcus was still staring at the two boys from where he stood, seeming to be trying to put mental equations in place to calculate the possibilities of their existence here and now, as he watched Sean talking ever so vibrantly with his mother, and JJ, busy with eating my food.

I was so mad, yet so scared. I sat there on the floor, biting my nails, and wondering how on earth or outside earth I would get out of this mess that I had gotten myself into.

Marcus seemed to have an idea.

I, with my big head, was the one who ruined it for him.

As Marc has taken bold and confident strides towards the boys, looking as though there was a brilliant idea in his head, I tried to adjust myself to see what was going on and what the hell he was up to.

Biggest mistake I ever made.

I heard a screeching sound and would have squealed at the intensity of it if I didn't bite down hard on my lower lip and press my hands to my hands tight to my ears, and it only took me a moment of feeling a bit more space than usual hovering around me, before I realized at a go that I had accidentally, with body weight I didn't know I had, pushed the leather couch away from myself when I had tried to adjust.

In simpler terms, my back was no longer resting against the couch, and even though, it may have been hard for anyone to see me through such little space, I clearly and unintentionally had caused them to hear the noise and figure out that someone was hiding behind there.

It was the silence in the Living room for me.

I could have heard a pin drop.

"Wetin dey behind that thing?" It sounded ghetto, so I put two and two together and realized it was JJ who had spoken, questioning the others around him about what was there, behind the couch.

"Forget it, it's just-"

As a matter of fact, I wasn't even helping Marcus conceal for me.

Holding myself together and trying to stay still and not move again, I accidentally stepped on my own toes, tripped over myself like a stupid loser, and fell face flat onto the floor.....

Completely and shamefully revealing myself to Sean Ayomide and Jeffery Jarah.

"God forbid." I spoke onto the floor in whispers, shutting my eyes hard, refusing to dare look at any of them, and compromising to just stay there on the floor like I was dead.

The Living Room was a grave yard.

I could only but imagine the shock on Sean and JJ's faces, even though I could not look at them. I didn't need a saint to tell me that, through their silence, they were simply utterly and profoundly dumbstruck, completely stupefied and shocked senseless.

And as a matter of fact, no matter what any son of Adam was going to say to me, I was not going to stand up from this floor. As far as I am concerned, I am simply dead.

"Dabeluchi!" I heard Marc shout out my name in panic and I heard footsteps, fast paced footsteps that made it clear to me that Marcus was running towards me.

Great. Just gloriously and excellently great.

"Dabeluchi, are you okay?" Marc's hands were all around me, pulling me up to himself in a state of panic, and as much as I could, I tried so hard, continued with everything I had in me to continue acting unresponsive and dead.

"No bloody way!" I heard JJ comment audibly, aghast.

My eyes stayed close, my body numb and weak, feigning this death that I was pleading to come to me by all means.

"Dabeluchi! Dabeluchi! Please, wake up! Wake up, please! Don't do this, please!" Marcus was still panicking so bad, despite the fact that his friends were in shock, picking me up and shaking me in fear, trying so hard to revive me, as though I was as essential to him as a kidney.

This was so convenient.

"Dabeluchi!" Marc kept screaming my name and it dawned on me harder, second by second, that the more he called my name out loud to his friends, the more they were certain that indeed, it was Dabeluchi Aurora Orji that they were seeing with their two eyes.

"Take me upstairs fast!" I muttered to Marc through gritted teeth and forcedly shut lips, while body stayed lifeless, "Take me out of here, now!"

Marcus got the hint fast and was fast to pick me up like I weighed a feather, carrying me in his arms bridal style, and sprinting upstairs with the speed of a jaguar.

"Why did you lie to me?!" I jumped down from his arms and SCREAMED at him the moment he had gotten me upstairs to the room and shut the doors.

"What?" He was utterly confused, "How did I lie to you?"

"You told me JJ wasn't your friend anymore," I accused him.

"I thought he wasn't!"

"And why didn't you mention that Sean would be coming over?!"

"That's because I didn't know he would be coming over!"

"How won't you know they'd be coming over? They're your friends!"

Marcus broke into a sigh of tiredness, tore away from me with speed, and face palmed in utter frustration so hard, I thought he's slap his soul right out of him.

"Oh, God, what's happening?" He sounded so frustrated and confused, moved to the door for solace, pressing a balled fist onto the door and resting his forehead against it.  

He stayed for almost five minutes, muttering gibberish like 'That boy doesn't hear word' and 'Fuck this shit' - things I couldn't quite decipher its meaning, as he cursed and cursed in more frustration.

I started to calm down.

I sort of felt bad for him.

"Sean isn't supposed to be here," He turned around to tell me, "I didn't expect to see him here, considering he was so angry with me yesterday-"

"Really?" I cut in.

"-And with the way things are, he should be locked down at home and in hiding until his Mum gets a solution for his case!" He told me.

"Hiding? Wha-" It was my turn to get so confused, "Hiding from what? What's going on?"

"It's a long story, Aurora, I have to-" He was making a move to leave in midsentence, sort of in a hurry for something, and I wanted to understand properly what was going on.

"Why won't you tell me?!" I asked him, sounding a lot more personal that I intended to.

Marcus stopped walking, as though for my sake, and as the soft hearted person I had understood him to be, he seemed to have a resolution in his head as he turned back around to me, and gave me a sad, understanding look.

"Tell me what's happening with Sean," I asked him, politely, "I mean, you can tell me anything, right?" I maintained eye contact with him as I said those words and it worked. 

 Sighed in consideration, my mini god came back to hold my hands, tenderly.

"Dabi, you know there's nothing I won't do if you ask it of me," He said softly to me.

I nodded. Gently.

"I wish I could tell you everything right now," He said, "But, I have to go and talk to Sean and understand what's going on before it's too late."

I was quiet. I said absolutely nothing.

"After all these is sorted out, I will tell you everything you need to know," He said to me.

It sounded like a promise.

"Okay." I softly agreed.

He kissed my forehead softly, before stepping out of the room.

~ACHA~

I had to have a talk with Sean.

The moment I left Dabi back in the room, the next action I took was to rush down stairs, and find the boy, and make him give me reasonable answers as to why he felt it so strongly to endanger himself for no apparent reason.

How on earth does the brain of Sean Ayomide work?

"Baby? Baby! How is Dabi? Is she okay?! How is she?-"

My mum was nearly jamming into me on the stairs as she dashed like a lightening bolt, panicking in fear, and I almost pitied the woman.

"She's fine," I assured her, calming her nerves, "Dabi didn't really pass out. She just faked it. "

"Oh," Mum took a moment to breathe well in realization, "Oh, thank God!"

I agreed with that. Thank God. Because when I thought something bad had happened to Dabi, I felt my whole life flash before my eyes in a nano second. 

"If she's reacting like this because of Sean and JJ, can you imagine what she'd do when your father walks in on her?" Mum worriedly made a note, paused for a moment to look at me and ask to confirm, "She knows your Dad may be coming back home today, right?"

"I did, I told her," I told Mum.

I only hoped she remembered. Nevertheless, after what she told me last night about having her toxic home and it being the reason she ran away, I decided that until I had properly figured out a plan to help her, she was staying in this house - whether my father had a problem with it or not. I would find a way. I would find a way to keep her here, even if it would mean hiding her presence from my father, while he was here with us.

I could pull that off for Dabeluchi. I'd do anything for her.

"And your friends?" Mum mentioned the duo, "Are they also aware that your father is coming back home today? You know he particularly does not like that JJ kid."

I knew that. Sean knew that. We all knew that. So, that was more to the reason why I couldn't genuinely understand why Sean would even bring him to this house.

I really hoped Sean was okay in the head.

"I want to talk to Sean," I told Mum, "You can just stay with Dabeluchi and make sure she's okay, I'll be back in a minute."

She didn't stop me and I parted ways with her, and started to make my way downstairs to the boys in the Living Room.

A part of me already started to commit today into the hands of the Lord - The way things seemed to be spiralling, I wasn't sure what would come off of it.

God, abeg.

First things first....

I spotted him so easily from his back view the very moment I walked into the Living Room.

Sean Ayomide - The kid was already so occupied and shockingly, having the time of his life apparently so. I could see that he had already made himself so comfortable in my own home, balancing himself the largest couch, with legs resting like a big man on the glass table, a wine cup in his hand, and the TV remote controller in his other hand, as he drank up from the wine that specifically belonged to my father, and flipped from channel to channel on the TV that he had also dominated, without anyone's permission, and without giving a shit in the world what anyone was going to say about that.

This boy was something.

He was alone too, supposedly, and that surprised me, having that I had expected to see him with JJ. However, the younger boy was no where to be found in the Living Room.

Only God knows where he had disappeared off too, and considering how large this house was, I decided looking for him would be a waste of time. As far as I knew, JJ could be anywhere in this huge mansion.

And as a matter of fact, his whereabouts was the least of my concerns at the moment.

"Sean." I called my best friend by his name.

The TV had frozen on the channel, Trace Naija, and while Burna Boy and Don Jazzy played on the screen, I realized that Sean had frozen for a quick moment.

A very, precise quick moment.

I mean, because the next second, the darker boy had tossed the remote on the table where his legs rested on, and was turning his head my way, in one fast head motion.

"Oh, now, you want to talk to me?" He said, looked me up and down.

I couldn't tell if he was mad at me or not, it was so weird. He looked so neutral and unfazed, as he spoke to me.

I stared at him for an awful amount of time, trying to decipher what on earth to respond to that.

Suddenly, he scoffed. But not bitterly, more of amusingly. Like, he was waving off every bit of grudge he may have been holding away, and flashing me a quick, welcoming grin, he said to me, "You're still my guy, sha. Come and sit down, let's watch the Trace Countdown, brah."

If I tell you that Sean's ability to wave off things at his own will didn't surprise me, I'd be a liar.

It was a normal behaviour Sean had to get over things faster than he got angry about them, but it still always caught me off-guard. Meanwhile, I appreciated that he was not angry anymore, but I could not just ignore the fact that he made a risky move by leaving his home to come all the way here.

I needed to address it.

"You know you shouldn't be here, guy," I said to him.

Thankfully, Sean did not pretend to act like he didn't understand what I meant by that.

"Well, I went out with JJ to Gomery," He only shrugged nonchalantly as he told me, uppercutting me hard with such a cutthroat revelation.

Meanwhile, the boy seemed undisturbed, feigning unbothered at its peak, as though he was completely unfazed off the fact he was putting himself on a suicide mission.

 "And as a matter of fact,"  He even dropped the wine cup upon the table after sipping from it like this was as casual a conversation as it could be, balanced himself more comfortably on the couch, and looked at me with a poker face, "Nothing happened to me."

Was he being serious?

"Well, it's not the smartest thing to experiment anyway-" I said to him.

"And, I don't really understand why you would care." He came right back at me, calmly.

What Sean just said cut me off without a warning.

What, now?

There was a confused frown on my face and for a moment there, I said nothing more and did nothing more other than just stare right back at the kid who moped at me like he was just oblivious to the fact that he just shot a bullet at me. He moped at me like what he said was surfaced, when it so wasn't - Like he said something as basic as 'Blue is a colour'.

It was almost weird because that sounded like a dead on attack, and if I didn't know him better, I'd say he was still holding grudges. But, I knew him. And besides, he looked anything, but angry. Just as natural and neutral as he could be.

"What do you mean by that?" I couldn't help, but ask to understand.

"I don't know, I'm just surprised you care," He answered without a heartbeat, "You don't even talk to me anymore on a norms, so I just didn't expect you to be bothered."

That made me feel.... Somehow. Guilt? Was it guilt? It felt like it.

All I know is that I felt really bad, and for a moment, it dawned on me how much I had been accidentally and honestly, unintentionally, shutting Sean out since I had occupied my whole self all around Dabeluchi and everything that had to with her......

I shouldn't do that.

"You're still my friend," I reminded him calmly, "My best friend," Further elaborated, "Of course, Sean, I'd care. Why would you think I wouldn't?"

I knew Sean to be the least most emotional person for the longest time now, so I didn't expect him to share sentiments with me. As expected, he barely made a sound, dismissed everything I just said with one unbothered look away from me, and cleared his throat to change the topic. 

"I didn't go to Gomery because I was experimenting," He started by telling me, "Yesterday was generally an awful day for me, and JJ just wanted to make me happy. Fortunately, he was there for me.-"

That statement was so simple, but made my heart slash more with guilt. 

I could have been there too.

"I got some big news too that day, and I also wanted to celebrate," He explained further, "So, I heading out to Gomery wasn't such a bad idea." 

"Big news?" That caught my interest, "What big news?"

"Yesterday, some NBA scouts came all the way from S.A yesterday-" 

Sean started off telling me and I had not even heard the rest of it, but my mouth dropped open in shock on hearing that.

Scouts? From the National Basketball Association? Here, in Nigeria? Woah!

"Yeah, well, they are interested in picking up Bball Talents from all over the country to draft them as soon as they graduate," Sean explained to me, "And, long story short, Nana had been active and working towards getting their attention and I guess it worked. He sent me a message last night, telling me that they had specifically invited just me and him from the entire CH Basket ball Team and accepted for us to team up and play with a local team next week, here in Lekki Crown. If we impress them enough on that day, Nana and I will get drafted into the NBA."

I was so blown away, I can't even begin to explain.

I was so flabbergasted that I was speechless. I was so happy, hearing this that my whole body was on fire, burning from the excitement, burning from the joy, proud and elated about the grace that was surrounding my best friend. 

I mean, this was such big news! I couldn't even imagine how happy Sean was to hear this. He looked so joyful and proud of himself, and I knew within me that even if he had long given up on taking basketball seriously as a career, there was always that part of him that wished he wouldn't have to leave the idea behind. And on an opportunity like this, I knew he would jump at it without looking back. He would take it with open arms and probable tears in his eyes.

"The day of the game also happens to me my birthday," He told me with a joyful smile, "I think that's right about the best birthday gift I'd ever get."

"I am so happy for you, this is BIG!" I told him what he already knew, "Bro, getting into the NBA will just be the ultimate success story. You'd be famous, my guy! You'd be so damn famous, bro, like the next Lebron James or something! This is EPIC SHIT!"

"I know," Sean said, that happy and warming smile lingering on his face, as he adopted a rather calm demeanour that surprised me a bit - I mean, considering, that he was the kind of the person that would most likely tear down the entire roof, and shake the foundation of a building on getting a news like this.

That is when I realized....

He probably did all that yesterday.

And, I wasn't even there to be happy with him.

"That was one, out of a lot of things I wanted to tell you yesterday, but you never showed up as you promised you would." Sean said to me, nodded a smile at me and looked away, went right back to the wine cup he had dropped on the table.

He brought back last night up so effortlessly, and sipped from his cup and stared at Doja Cat and Sza on TV, feigning innocence and obliviousness to how he just guilt trapped the fuck out of me.

Again, that sounded like a clear attack.

All I didn't understand was if he was intending it so, or if, he was just being genuine and raw about how he truly felt, just as Sean would normally do so. It was typical of him to have no problems saying his entire mind - be it good or bad.

But, I couldn't help, but note...

Something was off about Sean Ayomide's entire demeanour.

Something was terribly wrong.

With a face so neutral, nearly creepy, he moped without an ounce of emotion on the explicit sensual girls on the television, and said absolutely nothing to me, kept that chilling silence between us - A silence that reeked so badly of unspoken and bottled up words and emotions.

It was clear to me that Sean Ayomide had A WHOLE LOT to say.

But, he kept mute. Stared at the TV. Sipped from his wine cup. 

And for a moment, I thought to myself....

What if there was even the slightest possibility that Sean Ayomide was truly not yet over what had happened Last Night? 

"Bro." I called out to him, he didn't particularly budge, so I continued, "I'm going upstairs, I'll catch up later."

"Sure cool." He surprised me by answering even though I had thought he was not listening.

I nodded and turned around to make my leave.-

"I didn't know you still brought girls over."

I stopped on my tracks.

Froze, actually.

Sean was obviously the one who had spoken behind me, and as a matter of fact, I was certain a hundred percent that he was talking about Dabeluchi.

"I don't still bring girls over." Was all I answered when I turned around to face him.

Sean was smiling at me now. Leaning with an arm over the head of the couch, he tilted his head to me with that signature smile, marrying his dark face.

And the more I watched his smile, the creepier it got.

"You don't bring girls over?" I was not sure if he believed or not, but he shrugged it off easily and said to me, "Hmm. Okay."

Our conversation started to get weirder than I bargained for.

I nodded again, and turned around a second time to leave his presence.

"Oh, and cool hair do, brah. Looking good."

I stopped again on Sean's voice behind me.

"Thanks," I turned around again to face him, to face that weird smile that plastered on his face as he made such small, meaningless talk, "I just got it done."

"Oh, yeah, really? Where? By who?" He questioned further.

By Dabeluchi.

It was Dabeluchi who twisted my hair into small locks last night - when I laid on her lap and rested in her bosom, when I should have been heeding to my promise to Sean.

As a strange discovery, I was almost twinning the sort of hair style that was known as Dabi's signature - the lock twists, or in other words, dreads. Anyone could have easily picked that up. Anyone including Sean Ayomide.

"It's not necessary," I dodged the question with an awkward laugh.

Sean didn't laugh with me. His eyes showed impassiveness and deadness, and yet, his lips were still outstretched in that weird smile that I had long deciphered was fake.

On my avoidance to give an answer to his question, he said nothing more and stayed quiet, looking at me. Didn't break that weird demeanour of his, for even a second.

"Okay." 

It took an infinity before he finally replied with just that one word.

The atmosphere was so uncomfortable, I actually cringed.

"Umm... Sure... I- I'll just be on my way now." I nodded him goodbye a third time.

"You do you, brother." He gave a thumbs up and bade me farewell.

I fell into step, hopefully for the final time.

"One more thing though."

My saliva thickened and the blood that rushed through my veins, paralysed me quickly into a quick stop.

"Yeah...?" I turned around, asking with my heart in my hands.

Sean looked a bit more neutral now. That wild smile was gone and replaced with a little twitch, tugging there at the corner of his lips, flicking it like a light bulb going on and off as it seemed he tried to put that smile back on his face - an action that was suddenly so hard for him.

I hoped Sean was okay.

Was he? Was he running mad?

"I'm listening," I said to him.

Sean opened his mouth to speak, and out from it came one question that slapped me dead on the face. Hit me like a merciless bulldozer, and left me completely aghast for a whole moment.

"Are you sure there isn't anything you're supposed to be telling me?"

Sirens were all over my head, screaming 'ADA, ADA, ADA!' over and over again, and my mind was a mess of fucked thoughts and banters, screaming and glaring the obvious red that was this entire messed up situation.

Meanwhile, Sean just sat there and looked at me with a calm expression on his face.

Unable to handle more of this pressure at a moment like this, I turned around and walked out of the Living Room.

All the way, I felt it.

I felt Sean Ayomide's eyes boring holes into my back.

SPILL EVERYTHING YOU'RE THINKING, FEELING, AND ASCERTAINING FROM THIS!

I enjoyed writing that scene so much, Sean is a total vibe 😂🔥But, he scared me a little, lmaoooo. What do you think is going on in Sean's head and what would you have done in Acha's position??

Oh, and writing Dabi's POV killed me 😂💔 I always wanted to mention my love for her, but I keep forgetting. Everytime I write about her, I laugh so damn much! She's so dramatic and entertaining, even for me as a writer 😂 And that thing she did, faking death after she was caught by Sean and JJ - ICONIC SHIT! I would totally do the same thing, on God!😂🔥

As a matter of fact, this chapter was divided into two and I am soooo sad I didn't get to show you the other parts I planned for this entire scene. It's crazy! But hopefully, if I have time tommorow, I will type the next chapter and update for you guys, most likely on Sunday or Tuesday (depending on when it's ready).

In case you're asking, Dabi and Sean are legit going to have a little jam session in the next chapter, and I CAN'T WAIT TO WRITE THAT SHIIIIITTTTT!!!😩😩😩🔥 Y'all just prepare sha, because e go mad 😂

And of course, JJ still dey, and he may annoy tf out of you guys in the next chapter too, but we meuve🌝❤️ I can't wait to show you guys the next chapter, it's itching me to write, but I know I have to sleep, so tommorow, we go see sha👌

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT MY COLLAB WITH Iyanuoluwa-Temi. She has gotten to the Wonder Coast part where the crossover with my book and her book "Almost Unfixable" happened - where Dabi and Acha met Dawn and Mr. Ansel 😌💖 (That book is worth a read, if you're not reading it, I don't know what you're doing on Wattpad ✌️)

Anyway, SEE YOU!!!!❤️♥️