Hey, everyone. Sorry for the long wait, but I promise it is all worth it!

I want you people to dissect this one oo, so take your time and read oo. I want to hear everything that you have to say!😌❤️

~ACHA~

I felt like I was in a dream.

This all felt like a dream. A terrible dream that I was practically begging myself to wake up from any moment from now.

But this felt real. This felt as real as it could be. I could practically feel every dangerous thudding of my heart and I could hear my own breath come off in haphazardness as I tried to control it, all to no avail.

Damn it, I could feel everything. And no matter how much I tried, I could not numb any of it, from that aching feeling in the pit of my stomach that bit by bit, turned to a disturbing feeling of nausea that was threatening to gut me on the spot. Neither could I tame those aggressive and invisible whips that slammed onto my back every time and second that I had gotten to a new understanding of and digested the full gravity and weight of what I had just done.

I don't know how I did that. How every second, somehow, I comprehended everything in a newer, more terrifying light.

God, please. Let this be a dream.

I held my heart in one hand and my phone in the other. And I watched time fly like a bird with new wings right before my eyes. Stared at the stupid time that showed on my phone wallpaper and watched as it add a stupid minute, over and over again, in what felt like mere seconds to me.

12: 08am.

"Oh, fuck," A groan of frustration left me as I ran my hand through my hair for the hundredth time already since 12am; I wouldn't have been shocked if I looked like a man gone completely mad.

But this was enough to make anyone run mad. This realization that you have fucked up beyond words and are left to face nothing but the impending doom of consequences, it could cause a man to run mad on the spot. Wasn't it?

And goddammit, I am that man. Shit, I was losing every bit of my own sanity right now.

"Marc..." She called me, her voice soft and hesitant as she caught up to me, circled her way around my frame, stepped up to my front to get into my view with her toes tipping high enough for her to stare up and catch my eyes in a lock gaze.

Aurora.

We were very close to the main gate of Greenland Park, by far segregated from the rest of the bonfire party that did not seem to want to come to an end tonight and it was only until she had stepped up in front of me that I had remembered that she was even walking by my side all along.

Or at least, trying to catch up with me all the while.

With eyes soft and meek, widened in concern and all ways, adorable, she looked up at me and blinked once, twice, then parted her lips to speak to me in a soft steady tone, "What's going on?"

Her soft hands that rested upon my arm were enough to lift some burden off me to an extent and her gaze on me never faltered for a second. She tried to keep eye contact with me, genuinely curious.

"What's happening? Where are we going, Marc?" She asked and I could sense the bit of panic in her sound. I could feel it too as her fingertips shook slightly, trembled upon the fabric of my shirt. "Why did you run off like that? Is everything okay? Marc? What's going on? Tell me." Her voice was surprisingly stable overall even if I could sense those bits and pieces of fear that stressed her syllables and I needed her not to worry about me.

"Aurora," I intended to call her name, but it came off in hazard breaths. I might have as well sounded like a walrus, but what gives. "I need to go, okay? I really need to go now. It's an emergency. I've really screwed up now and I have to leave and—"

"Screwed up?" Her lips downturned, eyes followed mine carefully, "What on earth are you talking about, Marc?"

"Sean." I told her.

"What about Sean?" She asked.

"Well, see the thing is, today—" I stopped myself on realization immediately. Groaned inwardly. Sighed in frustration. Then, corrected myself, pain oozing off every word I said, "—I mean, yesterday was his birthday. Yesterday, 20th of November."

She listened.

"That day was also a very important day for him too because it was the same day of his big game, Aurora," I elaborated, "One that's like the pacesetter for his dream career. It was all yesterday, and that's the major fuck up!"

Dabeluchi stared at me and said not a word, but she didn't have to. She was smart enough to connect the damn dots and her eyes said it all that she had come to the realization before I could elaborate it to her.

"You missed it." She said to me.

I swallowed. Hard. It hot different with every reminder.

"Jesus." Dabeluchi nearly stumbled on her own feet and I was quick to hold her when she staggered to stop her from tripping and falling.

Imagine.

If it was hard enough a blow to make her stagger, then what business did I have still standing on my feet? I should have fainted by now. Probably dropped dead even, if I were being real right now.

"I don't even know how that slipped my mind, Aurora. It's so messed up," I said to her through the thousands of sirens that blared nonstop in my head, "So, that was what I was forgetting all day,—" I slapped my forehead in a face palm, my frustration unlimited, "— So, that was it all along." I may have tangled the twists on my hair because each time my hands ran threw it again and again, I heard snapping sounds of my own hair now.

It all made sense. That was why I kept feeling all day like something was missing. The entire day was all bliss and wonderful and yet, I could not even stop myself from thinking that something was wrong and I got to find out about it in the worst way possible.

Sean's birthday and big game were on my mind when I woke up this morning. I could vouch that it was the first thing on my mind, really. I didn't know how, but somehow, it still slipped. The entire morning was like a whole world war happening live and direct in my own home and by the time that Mum and Dad started all that disturbing yelling, so much clouded my mind and so much left. Hell, I had even forgotten that something like School existed until Mum reminded me.

But I could still feel it. I could feel it down in my bones that there was something I was forgetting and this was it all along. How could I forget something like this?

"I don't even have an excuse, Aurora," I said to her. My voice, pathetically soft.

"Marc..." She sounded like she wanted to comfort me.

"I shouldn't even have an excuse," I said as a matter of fact.

I should have no excuse.

"What on earth will I say that can justify this?" I asked rhetorically, running a hand against down my head in another bit of frustration as I looked to Aurora like she'd have some sort of answer for me.

Of course, she didn't.

What could she have said? What could anyone have said right now?

"I can't even dare give an excuse for this," I scoffed at my own incompetence, "Aurora, I was literally in Nana's house with Sean the day before all of this and we talked about it: his birthday and the big game and everything and I just, I still, I—" I stopped, my heart nearly combusting from the immense disappointment that even I felt for myself and I buried my face in my hands and took in deep breaths.

I took in very deep breaths. Large ones, even. Forced them into my system to keep my system intact before my body broke down from all this. I needed air.

Dabeluchi's soft and tender hands never left my arm and there was silence between us as she rubbed softly, up and down, in a bid to comfort me while I went through this, and I had to admit that to an extent, it was working. Little by little. Bit by bit.

"So, what do we do now?" She asked. She sounded concerned. Very concerned.

'We?' That replayed in my head for a second. I did not want Dabeluchi involving herself in this.

"I go to see Sean," I answered her question, stressed on the 'I' for emphasis, "Before that, Aurora, we have to get you home. The last thing Sean would want to see is your face."

"Ouch." She said, backing up in the slightest.

"I don't mean in offence, I promise—" I was trying to say.

"I understand," She cut in.

She looked like she understood and I was relieved.

There was no way she wouldn't understand. For one, I had missed out on Sean's entire day and I could bet with everything in me that he was aware of my whereabouts the entire day. Dabeluchi and I have been trending everywhere: In the Class Group chat for our little display of affection and public love confession to all our classmates, as well as in virtually all the school pages, popular Nigerian blog pages and the entire Social Media for every little thing that we did here in the Bonfire Party...

So, it was only reasonable to assume that Sean had seen the exact reason why I bailed on him the entire day.

"As much as I don't want to involve myself in this, I can't help but feel like it's my fault,—"

"My God, Aurora, don't say that," I stopped her immediately, cupping her face in my hands to look at her, "Don't say that. It's my fault. This has got nothing to do with you."

"Please, let me come with you." She asked.

I shook my head in protest. "Aurora, no—"

"Please," She squeezed onto my arms, heavily insisting.

God, no.

I really did not want to involve Dabeluchi in all of this.

I really didn't. There were too many red flags glaring about the idea and I did not want to go against my instincts.

But, God, Dabeluchi did not look like she was going to take no for an answer. With every bone in her body, she was adamant. That adamance, I could see it oozing off her with a little bit of desperation sprinkled all over it, presenting to me a broken, pleading girl who would not sleep well if I said no. Who would lose every bit of her mind if I refused for her to stick with me through a time like this.

And with a heavy sigh....

I gave in.

*****

The gates of Nana's house had never made me feel more nauseated all my life.

No shit.

Our cab stopped right there in front of the house and from the outside of the gate where I stood, doing the four digit priced transfer for our ride, I glanced occasionally at those streetlights that stood there, hung around and shining on the cream coloured two story duplex that was Nana's house and I swallowed. Hard.

My nausea grew and I held back everything I ate in my stomach, disciplining myself to not let it all out, but with each realization that it was a matter of seconds before I had to step into that place, my anxiety rose and so did my thundering heartbeat and the hairs on my skin.

I had half a mind to turn back.

But, no, I couldn't stand to drag this longer. I had to face it. And as much as I did not want to. I had to face it now. 

"How do you know Sean is here?" Dabi asked me.

"I called Nana to ask," I answered as I instinctively took her hand to walk in with her, passing from the smaller part of the gate where the gateman greeted me briefly.

"Okay." Dabeluchi absentmindedly responded. She held onto my hand like it was a third somehow vital kidney as she walked into the compound with me, looking around everywhere like a girl new to a place, subtly alarmed.

She was new to this place. I mean, I couldn't assume that my girlfriend had ever been to Nana's house before, right?

I had to hold her dearly to assure her that everything was okay.

"Does Sean know that we are coming here?" She asked me again. 

Her voice. She sounded afraid. I was worried.

"No," I answered. "But Nana does. I told him we were stopping by together."

But why would Dabeluchi insist on coming here with me if she was so scared though?

"When we go in there," Nonetheless, I said to her, "Can I confront Sean alone?"

A bit of silence from her prevailed.

"Okay." She finally responded.

We walked in silence there on.

Hand in hand, Dabeluchi and I walked into the ins of the vast compound of Nana's house with a bid to get to the doorbell, having the fine glowing lights of those bright street lights that stood as watchmen over the house hit our skin as we walked in, and it was only until I had properly come into view of the front of the house that I had noticed something lingering there by one of the pillars that stood by the side of the house and I felt my life flash before my eyes in a haze.

"Oh, fuck." I muttered under my breath. Screwed. Absolutely fucked as I retracted on sighting the shadowy figure that I hoped and prayed was not who I thought it was.

Dabeluchi held on tight to me and hid about a half of her frame behind my back, thoroughly shaken and scared to the fucking core. 

Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God.—

"Preposterous!"

Huh? I frowned.

"Absolutely preposterous, Marcus Acha! Unreservedly inconceivable!"

Um.. No? That did not sound like Sean Ayomide.

It did not sound one bit like him at all.

"Are you being serious right now?!" Kelechi's face popped up in my front, her eyes wide in absolute terror and her pupils, dilating with all the immense shock that seemed to slam her second by second at my basic presence, "Are you being fucking serious right now?"

I cringed, hearing her cuss at me.

But, somehow, I couldn't blame her nor her reaction. Needless to say, the girl looked absolutely horrified for some reason. She looked like she was looking dead on to the face of a ghost other than Marcus Bruno Acha. 

"How could you bring her here," The tall girl asked me. She didn't have to look at Dabi for me to know who she was referring to. "Really? Marcus, really? Even amidst it all? How dare you?" 

I didn't even have words. I wanted to explain, but my words were not even forthcoming.

Kelechi looked at me like I was a murderer. Shocked and horrified. She was looking at me like I had killed someone with my bare hands and with that obvious look of disappointment that lingered in her eyes, I started to rethink coming here in the first place.

"Rubbish." With an appalled and humourless scoff that slashed me with immense guilt, the pretty and elegantly sassy girl briefly looked me up and down, turned her back to me with a hair flip, turned her back on me, and without even a second thought, started to walk out on me. 

Clearly, Kelechi Alice Uwa could not even stand me.

Reflexively, I ran after her. 

"Can you chill, please," I said as soon as I got to her to hold her back, corner around her to face her with desperation pathetically glaring in every move I made, "You, acting like this is making me more reluctant to be here right now. Hear me out first.—" 

"What are you doing, Marcus?" The colour of Kelechi's eyes seemed to be dying out as her voice came out in even more horrified whispers, "What is this, Marc?" She looked to me and to Dabi, who I instinctively knew was behind me, "Why did you brink Dabeluchi here? Marcus, do you even understand what's happening in there?" She gestured inside the house. Where I had learnt to dread so far, as it right now, harboured my darkest fears. "Do you even understand?"

I glanced back at Dabi who stood there, quietly.

"She insisted." I tried to start my explanation. "She insisted, and I agreed, okay?"

Kelechi stared at me like I was crazy.

"I really can't believe you right now." She scoffed in more disappointment and would have walked out on me again if I had not stopped her a second time. "Can you go home?"

I backtracked hearing that.

She looked dead serious anyway.

"I am not trying to be mean or anything. I am only doing major damage control," Kelechi said to me, "Don't walk in there. You don't want to walk into that right now."

Just how bad....?

"Come back tomorrow, Marcus Acha." Kelechi said, glanced briefly at Dabeluchi behind me and added, "Only you."

She attempted walking away a third time and I stopped her again.

"Kelechi, can you hear me out for a second?" I said, "I didn't bring her here to cause any problems. Dabi only wanted to be here because she felt guilty and she insisted—"

"Well, Sean insisted that you'd be there for him today and you didn't take any part of that into consideration, now did you?" She fired right back at my face and all my words died down in my throat. 

Guilt. Guilt. Shame. That was all I felt attacking me in a rush. "Kelechi, I forgot—"

"You forgot." She cut me off by repeating my words, appalled beyond words.

"That came out wrong. Jesus.—" I tried to reach out to her as I seeked an ear in desperation, disappointed as my own words were falling my hands on top of this mess.

"Don't touch me." She stopped me before my arm could reach her. For more emphasis and how much she could not stand me, she took an evident step back, shifting away from me.

Ouch.

"Nobody's happy with you, Marcus," Kelechi said to me. "Emeka and Dozie may come down here and pretend like everything is fine, but take it from me, nobody likes what you did today."

Neither did I.

"I understand that things come up here and there and there is probably so much to juggle up in your life right now, Marcus, but Sean is your best friend and yesterday was a very important day," Kelechi said to me and for the first time since she started talking to me, her voice was actually soft and with no edge like a knife to it.

"I made a mistake," I confided in her. "I made a mistake, Kelechi." Thinking about it all was even starting to add a headache to the long list of health complications that I had gotten since 12am so far. With a sigh, I looked to Kelechi who stared at me and waited for me to say more apparently. "Why didn't anyone call though?"

I could not even believe it that I had the bloody audacity to ask her that.

Man, she couldn't even believe it herself. 

"Are you seriously going to turn this around and blame us for not reminding you that the 20th of November was your best friend's birthday and basketball tournament?" She sternly asked.

I couldn't have felt more stupid.

"No, I.. I didn't," I was already stammering. My God. I was stammering. "It sounds foolish to even ask you that. I sound foolish. I—"

"Take it easy on him."

I stopped at the unexpected voice that spoke up from behind me.

"Kelechi, I don't like your tone on my boyfriend."

Swallowing hard, I turned around to Dabeluchi who just spoke up for me.

There she was, standing there, a few steps away from me and I wondered when I had distanced myself from her to that extent. With her posture firm and in her version of upright, she stared Kelechi dead in the eyes and spoke with a confidence that shocked me beyond my imagination.

"It was my fault," She continued. Dabi said.

No, it wasn't.

"I was the one who occupied him the whole day," Dabi was still speaking on my behalf, "Marc made a mistake today and I know it is really bad, but so far I know and have understood from his friendship with Sean, he always always has his best interest at heart. Marc did not mean for any of this to happen. Stop making it seem like he's such a terrible person."

Omoh.

Anyone could have been able to slash the tension in the air between us and overwhelmed, I pinched the tip of my nose as I sunk into it like an ocean.

Surprisingly, Kelechi did not even look like she wanted to fight back at Dabi.

Much to my shock, she looked like she was calming down.

"It is not your fault, Dabi. Don't say that." Her voice was calm. Very calm. She looked at me and away and added, "And Marcus is not a bad person. But let us not be misguided. We can't stand here and act like he didn't do a bad thing. "

That hit me, and hard.

"Good people do bad things too." She said for no reason. Her voice was quiet as she said this. And in the slightest, dismissive. 

Dabi did not even argue with her.

"And, we all called you, Marcus," She told me as a matter of fact. "All of us did. Your line seldom ever goes through these days. Check it and fix it."

I nodded quietly in adherence. "Okay."

"And, we texted you too. Specifically me and Dozie," She also informed me, "Half way through the day, and we started suspecting that you wouldn't show up. Emeka and Sean were busy so we took the time to bombarded your Whatsapp with messages, but you did not return a single one."

I didn't even remember having any of their numbers saved. Not Kelechi. Not Chido, either. That explained why they must have blown up my DMs and I did not respond on time.

"I felt it in my spirit that this would happen. That you'd forget." Kelechi said to me. Her voice was chill and so was her demeanour. "That was why I reminded you the day before, Marcus. And also dedicated my time to texting you every second that I got. Yet, somehow, you overlooked it all."

And I felt so terrible.

Nobody needed to even remind me at all. That was where my fuck up started.

"I..." I breathed in. I had to take in air to prepare myself for the answer I was about to ask Kelechi who stood there in front of me. "How is he?"

I held my heart in my hands as I awaited an answer.

"How is Sean?" I asked her. "How was the game too?" I breathed out, and in, out, in and out again, "And Jesus, the after party thing too? How.. Just.. How... How was everything? Most especially, how is Sean, abeg?"

"What do you think?" Kelechi calmly retorted, cocked her had to the side ever so subtly and I felt a knife in my chest at the rhetorical question that I couldn't bring myself to give an answer to.

I stayed quiet. I was quiet. And for the longest time, so was she.

"His game went well, Marcus. All glory to God." She started off.

Thank God.

"He and Nana did a pretty solid job and the crowd of spectators could not have agreed more," She told me. I drew the sign of the cross across my chest. "But, I am sorry to break it to you, but Sean was not in the mood for an after party."

I wanted to ask details, but I kept my mouth shut.

The thought of fathoming him in pain was too much for me.

"Can you imagine, Marcus," Kelechi started telling me something, looked at me with eyes that had the crystals in them shattering into bits as she stood there in front of me, breaking for my own friend, "Sean played the biggest game of his life so far, on his 18th birthday; that was a whole mark for him and he did not even feel the need to celebrate."

The weight in my chest thickened. Constricted within me. Rose to my throat and hooked in it. Obstructed anything and everything from going in or going out. I couldn't even do something as easy and basic as breathing. 

"Do you even understand how highly he places you?" She asked me.

"Kelechi.—" I wanted her to stop.

"No, Marcus, I think I have to make you understand," She insisted. "Sean got the chance to actualize his dream on his birthday. He had the world at his feet, cheering his name, praising him, presenting him with accolades. He got handshakes, even personal hugs from the biggest International faces of Sports. He sat with his role models yesterday. He had a whole fan base created off his name. In one night, fame and popularity attacked him with full force. He watched his name fly all over the media over something that he had long given up on. Marcus, you know his dad even showed up and Christ, you should have seen the huge smile on his face—"

His Dad came....... I swallowed hard.

However, I could not even begin to imagine how happy Sean must have been. I couldn't even imagine it. I couldn't. 

"And yet," Kelechi's little laugh was sad and pathetic, "He couldn't even take a can of bullet to celebrate all because his best friend wasn't there."

God.

"I don't want to make you feel more guilty than you already do, because I sense and have faith in you that you have a conscience and you feel terrible for everything," Kelechi said to me, "But, why?" She asked like she genuinely wanted to understand my point of view.

And no, I was not going to give an excuse for this. I refused to.

I opened my mouth to speak and admitted it to Kelechi.

"Of course, I fucked up."

Her eyes softened on me. I was glad that she could soften up for me.

"I understand that you want to talk to Sean, but I still insist you come back later," She said to me. She pleaded. "Later when he's calmed down a bit."

Just how bad? I wanted to know.

"I don't know how you'll do it or what you will say, but Marcus, for a fact, I think coming here with Dabeluchi is a terrible idea. Come back tomorrow. Only you. Don't get your girlfriend tangled up in this mess because you and I know that Sean's head is not straight."

I ignored the subtle diss because I got the point.

"I would want to do that, but then—"

I stopped when I saw a new person come out to join us out here and my words trailed onto silence.

Confusion hit me instantly.

And I wouldn't lie, a little bit of annoyance too. 

"My guy," The kid in a big guy's body greeted, a hesitant smile twitching on his face like he knew that we were not exactly on the best of terms, and he was smart enough to not make a step to exchange more pleasantries. Just kept his distance from me and Kelechi. 

The first thing I did was look back at Dabi who for sure was as terrified as I expected her to be.

Grinding my teeth, I turned back to look at JJ.

"Man like Acha. Long time no see." He said to me.

He was not there when I nearly had Kaniru's head. It made sense to assume that he went for Sean's game yesterday. 

Seeing him low-key made me angry. Considering that he was half with us and half with people who were threatening to end his friends, it irritated me. But I was too worried about Sean to focus on my growing resentment for JJ. 

So, I completely ignored him.

"How mad is Sean?" I asked Kelechi, focusing back on her and the important matter at hand.

"Man, Acha, I don't know oo," JJ seemed to be desperate to get me to talk to him because he was not the one I was speaking to, yet he chose to answer my question. "I think Sean is mad mad this time oo. Not gonna lie, my guy."

I gave him a brief look and dismissed my look on him almost immediately it landed on him. Kelechi was smart. Very smart. She clearly noticed the tension between us.

Fortunately, she had no chance to ask questions. 

Soon, we had more company.

"Everything good over here?" A deep voice cut through the tension  and I looked ahead on to see Chido, hair as spiky as ever, walking towards us with Nana who was already in a white tank top and baggy PJ trousers, coming along side him, gently and steadily. 

"I see you already came. Welcome, brethren," The spiky haired kid said to me as soon as they made a stop my way. Nana quietly shoved a hand in his baggy pocket, brushed the tip of his nose with a thumb and smiled calmly at me.

Just like Kelechi said.... They would come here and pretend like everything was fine.

"Congrats," I said to Nana, "On your game. I heard it went well. Sorry I couldn't make it."

I felt like such an asshole even saying that. Multiple whips slashed onto my back over and over.

Nana only smiled. Quietly. "No qualms."

Kelechi stepped in.

"Can I speak to you in private?" She asked me.

I quickly looked to Dabi as she was the first person that came to my mind immediately Kelechi asked such a thing. Like we were synched in our minds, Kelechi was quick and apt to immediately regard Dabeluchi as well, looking back behind me to where she stood and watched all of us without a word. 

"Only is that's okay with you, Dabi." She said to my girlfriend.

Asides the subtle hints in her eyes, Dabeluchi did not even look like she wanted to protest and I had a feeling it was because she was blaming herself for this, thinking she had cost me too much and felt selfish to not let me do what I had to do. 

"Sure." She stated. "You two can go together."

Her answer did not sit well with me. 

"Aurora," I quickly walked over to her and took her hand, sensing there was something wrong. I could just feel it. "Two minutes, I promise." I told her. "Give me two minutes, okay?"

"It's okay, Marc. Take all your time, okay?" She said to me. "Right now, it's not about me. It's about Sean." 

I broke into a smile. Grateful, I was, that she was able to understand.

"Nana can show Dabi where to stay for the mean time," Kelechi announced it so.

I looked to her. Something felt off.

"I mean, if that's okay with you," She added immediately. She sounded like she was asking permission and I felt there was no reason to say no. Even if I wanted to say no. "I just felt it was awkward standing here like this, that's all."

I looked to Dabi as though asking her for her own word.

"Sure." She said to me. Twitched a smile at me. "Good night. I love you. Good luck too."

"Thank you," I smiled back. "And I love you more. Good night."

She waved me off softly and hesitantly, very hesitantly walked towards Nana just as Chido took JJ into the house and Kelechi made her way towards me. 

*INCOMING MESSAGE NOTIFICATION FROM ADA IDIOT*

I hissed and swiped it away without giving it much thought.

"Are you alright?" Kelechi asked and that was when I had noticed that she had clung her arm to me and I subtly made her let go of me, even though she was slightly adamant on holding onto my hand.

I looked back and Dabi and Nana were long far gone.

"Yes. I'm fine." I said to her. "I will walk slower. Don't hold onto my arm, please."

She adhered and let go.

"Sorry." She muttered.

I nodded and slowed down my pace for her.

From there, I turned off my phone entirely.

That idiot Ada was mad if she thought I was going to entertain her at a crucial time like this.

~DABI~

I didn't trust Kelechi Uwa for some reason.

I just could not trust her and I had no solid reason why. Whether I sounded judgemental or not, girls as beautiful as her could not be trusted. Girls with that perfect elegance, perfect hair, perfect face, perfect melanin, perfect posture, perfect body, perfect every fucking thing, they were not to be trusted.

Evil girls had the prettiest faces. Kelechi was no different.

I could not pin it down. Why I didn't like her. I couldn't hit the nail on the head. But boy, something about the way she lingered around Marc did not sit right with me. It riled me up, and I was saying this in the safest way I could, but every second I stood there, watching Kelechi talk and exude such goddess like glory, all I wanted to do was punch her continuously with a boxing glove coated with sharp nails, razor blades and broken glass until I saw the life leave her body right before my eyes.

I wanted to actually kill Kelechi Uwa.

And I didn't even know why.

I genuinely wanted to murder her in cold fucking blood.

She made my blood boil. At first, with those little times in school, those little encounters she had with Marc in school that had made me overthink, I thought it was just me and my insecurities. But, I started to feel like there was something more. There was just still something about her that refused to sit right with me.

It actually irritated me a little.

Scoff. A little? It irritated me a whole lot.

With everything that happened tonight, I liked her even less. Scolding Marc like she was a Mum of some sort in his life. Fuck that bitch. Then, trying to make it seem like I was the problem? Attacking Marc for bringing me here? Telling me that it was all my fault? She dared to accuse me of being at fault with all of these? She fucking dared. The bitch!

To top it all off, she took Marc away from me at a situation like this because she knew I would not stop him. She knew I could not even dare. Nicely played.

She took him. Kelechi took Marc and she did it against his will! And I could see that smug stupid look on her face when she did, lingering at me, following behind me like an evil spirit as I walked away to Nana and left another girl take my boyfriend all to herself. 

I watched as she slid an arm slyly over Marc's arm, hoarding him to herself, clinging onto him like a leach as they walked together, nearly even cuddling herself onto him if care was not taken.

Gulping, heart folding first then breaking in half, I watched Marc let her.

I was angry. I was very angry. Marc was letting her hold him. Kelechi knew what she was doing. She was out to get me and it was working. It was fucking working.

Time. It was only a matter of time before I snapped. 

And when I snapped, it would be her neck.

 "Dabeluchi."

Someone had called my name and it low-key took me off guard a little.

Pausing, I turned to my back to see that boy, Nana, standing there in front of me, staring back at me as I was seemingly walking well far behind him and absent minded. And angry too.

"Hey... Are you alright?" He asked me. His voice was calm, so so calm and so, so gentle that it almost seemed too good to be actually true. He spoke in a bedroom voice, with a levelled tone that did not go above a certain decibel. Deep and Low. Yet, somehow, soft.

Was he faking it? This Nana guy? Was that how he actually talked in real life? 

"Hello?" He looked at me, am awkward edge to his calm, quiet tone of voice as he tilted his head to stare at me and briefly, nervously it almost seemed, he smiled a little and that was right about the most adorable thing ever. His eyes that crinkled into a near non existence as his smile took over his face and the braces he wore on his teeth were in full view.

Oddly, he made me want to smile too.

But, I did not.

"I am fine." I said to him.

"Oh. Okay then." He freely gave me another smile and I could see he was very generous with them. 

Weirdly, each one of his smiles seemed very genuine and felt..... Oddly comforting.

Like the smile of an angel from Heaven. Holy, pure and sweet. Comforting.

"Let's go, then," He softly obliged and I resumed walking.

But not with him. 

Oh, no. I didn't walk with Nana, I made sure to keep my distance and I kept it at about a foot or two feet behind him as he led the way through the hallway.

For some reason, I could not help but stare behind at Nana as the reminder came to me that this was the popular not-so-popular boy that Ebube Onuoha was absolutely in love with.

I had never spoken to him all my life. In fact, this may have been the closest proximity I may have ever been to him all the seventeen years of my life and having my friend was absolutely head over heels for him, I could not stop myself from looking around him to see and analyse for myself what it was in the guy that got Ebube so whipped.

So far, I liked his voice. Very much. I could just sit down and listen to him talk all day. It was like ASMR. And I could say that he had a very defined presence. I couldn't pin down what made it stand out, but as he moved in front of me with gentle strides, steady and patient, you just couldn't ignore that natural and effortless swag that moved around with him. He was a very cool guy. Smooth like air. Seemingly unproblematic. He made being quiet seem oddly attractive. 

Not bad, Ebube.

Nana stopped in front of a mahogany room door and turned to me.

"Here." He sounded very polite and warm.

Another chance to look at his face and only then had I realized how much he looked just like an angel. His face matched his voice: Soft. Hard to resist. Although, there was a near brooding quality to it, a slight glow that made him look very reserved and mysterious facially. Yet, soft. I had no idea how he managed to pull that off at the same time. Soft and brooding. This was new.

He was fairly built. I could see some forming muscles on his arms and maybe he looked more jacked up because he walked in on us wearing those nice baggy PJs and that white tank top that showed his arms at its best presentation. He was the perfect combination of manly and adorable.

But by far, I'd say that his eyes were the softest things I had ever seen. Light brown orbs that were filled with the kind of hope that I craved to feel. There was so much hope in his eyes.

But hope wasn't all he had hidden in his eyes. Subtly, it was almost unnoticeable, but with the faint eye bags that lined the corners of his eyes and the almost lost look that lingered in his pupils.....

I could see that Nana Obi was tired.

"I will show you the room," He said to me. "If you don't like it, we can check another one out." He smiled again at me, the most warming one yet and his braces were once again the highlight, eyes crinkling adorably as he probed me to step into the room first before him, the white lights of the hallway dancing on his soft, brown skin as he waited for me.

I smiled back, against my will.

Fuck it. This boy was fine. No. He was drop dead gorgeous. Nana Obi was incredibly good looking.

And it was never easy for me to compliment a guy's looks unless he somehow broke the bar. I mean, no other guy asides Marcus Acha has ever looked really good in my eyes.

I walked into the dimly lighted room, making out a bed at the middle, a wardrobe by its side, and a stack of drawers at the other side in the dimness and Nana was there behind me, walked in just after I did and switched on the lights of the room for me.

"This one's okay." Was the first thing I said as I took a seat on the black thick duvet of the white sheeted bed, taking another surveying look around the room now the lights had been turned on, and nodding in satisfaction.

It was homely enough. Clean white walls. Mahogany furniture painted in oil black. And just like in my room, it had a rug. Dark. Perfectly complimenting the white and black colour combination of the entire room. It was just perfect for me.

Nana tampered with the switch again and the lights in the room changed to a darker one of royal blue that gave the room a whole new ethereal look.

I looked at him and he looked back at me.

"Which light do I turn on?" He asked me in consideration. "The blue ones or the white ones?"

He actually stood there waiting for me to answer and I stared blankly at him for the longest time.

"Does it matter?" I asked him quietly.

He blinked. "Sorry?"

"Does it matter?" I repeated in the same basic tone. "You don't have to ask. You can leave anyone on. That's fine with me."

Softly, Nana laughed in understanding. A bit awkwardly, I won't lie. He seemed awkward for some reason, fondling there with his hands like there was a slim chance that he was stumbling on more words to say.

"Sorry," He finally found his voice. "It's just that Kelechi and Chido are quite particular though." 

I looked at him without wavering. I might have as well been boring holes into every pore on his skin, shooting lasers into them with my eyes that followed his every awkward movement, carefully and heavily, trying to figure out what was wrong with him.

"Why?" I asked him, furthering the conversation that he had started.

He either looked surprised that I tried to keep a conversation with him or unexpectant of my sudden inquisitiveness.

"I don't know," There was that nervous laugh he did again. Brief and subtle. "Kelechi says the white lights are too bright and affects her eyes and Chido complains that he can't read with the blue lights, so it's a habit of mine to know everyone's preference."

I said nothing. I didn't know what to say. I was not such a great conversation anchor, so like a ghost, I sat there and stared at Nana who somehow looked like he was getting more and more uneasy under my blank stare, shifting from one foot to the other like a little child.

I looked to his foot and watched them move here and there. I stared at his feet with aptness and seriousness and wondered if by any chance, he could be a dancer.

My eyes followed every movement of his feet. If they moved to the right, it followed. If they went to the left, it followed. If they rubbed against the ground, it followed the pattern too.

And slowly, I traced my gaze up. I traced it up from his feet to his baggy PJs and up and up and up and up and up till I was staring back at his soft good looking face that had hints of discomfort traced in it as he watched me stare at him without an aim.

"You look uncomfortable." I stated the obvious.

He stiffened in the slightest. Pinched the air. "Just a little."

With a tilt of my head to the side, eyes never leaving him, I asked, "Is it me?"

He blinked again. "Sorry?"

"Do I make you uncomfortable?" I asked him.

"No, no, no." He broke into an awkward laughter, clearly flushed as he shook his head, "No, not at all." He sounded like he was bluffing. Like he just wanted to be polite to me. 

He appealed to me as a quiet person. So, I was surprised that I was able to bring out so many words out of him. He was basically mumbling and I basically stared at him while at it.

"So, um, which lights again?" He asked me again.

"Any." I answered blankly.

"Um, okay," He said, "So, I'll just leave it at the blue lights."

"Hm." I hummed as I dismissed him innocently and brought my phone to my face as he stood there still. as if he was waiting for me to say something.

My next thought was to reply Chika's message on my phone. It had been literally over an hour since she had sent a message to ask where I was and I had not even had the chance to respond because of all these wahala so far.

I paused for a moment when I remembered the fact that the only Sister who was currently on speaking terms with me right now was Chika.

Soma and the twins were still mad at me for something I did not even do....

"Alright, good night then." Nana's voice obstructed my thoughts and I looked up to see that he was still there, hanging by the door, and I knew he was about to leave.

I wanted to say good night back to him but when the realization hit me that I was going to be alone here for God knows when, I quickly became very disturbed.

"How long will I stay here?" I asked Nana.

"I'm not quite sure," He answered. I liked that he was honest. "Any problem?"

"I get scared of staying alone," I confided in him. Looked around the blue lighted room that was pretty, yet low-key dark. "Especially in dark places."

Nana looked flustered for some reason.

"Um," He cleared his throat. I could sense some discomfort. "Well, if you want, I can switch the lights back to the white ones and then, I go—"

"Jesus Christ. I am not asking you to stay with me, Nnaemeka." I deadpanned.

Quickly, I grasped the gist.

Nana thought I was leading up to ask him to stay alone with me in the same room.

"Of course not," He said, embarrassed, "Definitely, I know that. I do."

Omoh. The awkwardness in the room was unmatched.

And needless to say, I couldn't even blame him for thinking in that line. The last thing I wanted was a misunderstanding on this between me and Nana, so I had to clear up the air abeg.

"I'm just scared this morning," I told him, "I don't like being alone when I am scared. I want Marc to be here with me, Nana, but I know that it is very selfish of me to even want that right now after all the trouble that I have already caused him...."

I stared at the clean dark rugs of the ground as I spoke and although I had not looked up, I could feel the frame of Nana from his distance and his attentive eyes, hovering over me from his distance.

Oh, sigh.

"You can go though."

He.... um, didn't.

Surprised and confused, I slowly looked up to him, standing there by the door, quietly watching me and I frowned in more confusion.

"What." I said to him. It was a question, but it sounded so point, blank, period.

I was even more shocked to see him take a step further into the room. And another. And another. And another. And another.—

I panicked.

He realized.

I panicked even more.

He stopped walking.

What was he doing?

I crawled myself into the bed, cowering, and when he had noticed that I was as a matter of fact, scared shitless of him right now, he stopped moving towards me. Stopped completely. Consideration was on his face. He retracted. Took one step back. Then, another.

"I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry." He said to me.

"What are you doing?" I asked him, moved back even more into the bed in fear.

"I just couldn't help but feel the need to walk up to you and address something," He said to me. I stared at him like he was crazy and he continued talking without shame, "You think that everything that happened is your fault?"

I was slowly easing up, seeing his intentions but still a watchful and carefulness in my body language as I nodded softly. "Well, kinda."

He looked inquisitive. Took a seat by the chair of the reading desk by the door and faced me, speaking from that distance he made sure to create between us.

"May I ask why?" He asked me quietly.

This... Felt odd. But whatever moved me to speak, I had no idea.

"Yesterday was a lot," I told him first. I swear it felt like there was some unforeseen force pushing the words out of me. It honestly felt like there was someone else in this room with me and Nana, pushing me with a force I couldn't refuse to 'speak'.

Was there someone else in the room with me and Nana?

Someone that I could not see?

"I got into trouble today and Marc came to save me," I told Nana, "He ended up spending most of the entire school day with me in the School's disciplinary building. He didn't even attend one class because of me...."

Nana was not looking at me as I spoke, but I knew he was listening to every word. With eyes that rested on the rugs of the ground,  that distance between us, an attentiveness in his body language, an air around him solemn and calm as he heard every detail that came out of my mouth, I knew he was keeping up. He paid attention like it was some lesson in class.

"We made a scene today in School. I am sure you saw," I told him and he nodded.

Of course, he saw. There was no way he would have missed out on it even if he lived under a rock.

"I basically got him occupied the entire day. I also invited him to the Bonfire party too. I practically made sure I had Marc wrapped around me me me the whole entire day and it led to this mess at the end of everything." I said.

Nana nodded. He wanted to hear more, but I was finished.

"I am done." I told him. I felt the need to, because he was not saying anything and he was still staring at the rugs. He appealed to me as one who did not say a single word during a personal rant and so, I had to inform him that I was done talking and he could talk now.

"Dabi," He said my name. "I understand the need to want to blame yourself for this..."

 " I should be blamed. If I had known yesterday was such a big day, I wouldn't have—"

"If you had known," He made sure to pick out my own words for me, apologetically cutting me off and throwing that to me as calmly as he could. "Look, Sean is not your friend."

Ouch.

"So, thereby, you are in no obligation to have known about anything: his birthday, his big game, nothing." Nana said to me, "Despite the fact that you kept Acha occupied the whole entire day, he still had the decision to set his priorities at the end of the day, and that, he very much did."

I wanted to protest, but I hated the fact that he was making sense.

"And as much as I feel bad for your boyfriend and I understand that it was not his intention for anyone to get hurt, he was the one that messed up and not you. Do you understand that?"

A little.

"Don't blame yourself for anything," Nana said to me. I try. "I know it's easier said than done. If it makes you feel better, you are not alone. I kinda am guilty of that once in a while. When things go wrong, the first thing I do is tie it down to something I must have done wrong."

Relatable.

"But blaming yourself for things and hoarding unnecessary guilt never fixes anything at the end of the day," Nana said to me. "Never makes it all better. It's sort of like the guilt from sin. You do one bad thing, you sulk about it, feel like a terrible person and ask God for forgiveness over a thousand times, yet never feel redeemed and that just makes you stray farther from him. And you know what the bible says about guilt from sin?—" He suddenly stopped for a moment, looked at me and asked, "Do you read the bible?"

"I don't have one." I told him.

"When you get one, please make reference to 1st John 1, specifically verse 9," He said to me.

"Why?" I asked him.

"It'll teach you about handling guilt," He said to me, "People have their coping mechanisms. Some blame themselves and sulk. Others run from it. Many people do both."

He dead on attacked me with full force.

"Read the bible, Dabeluchi." He said to me.

I felt a strong conviction.

"Okay." I agreed.

He wanted to stand up and leave, but for some reason, stopped, sat back down and turned to me again with a quick thought.

"Oh, and I feel the conviction to add,—" He said to me.

Conviction. That word.

"I also know how it is to feel irrelevant sometimes," He said to me. "To feel unseen and underrated. Even despised and scorned sometimes. To not be acknowledged to the level of your worth...."

I felt he could see right through me. Like someone was dead ass telling him everything about my darkest fears and I felt too open in front of him. I felt naked in front of Nnaemeka Obi.

"Take it from someone who has practically begged Castron High to consider him and his basketball skills for years now," He added.

Really?

"This may not mean anything to you right now, but I pray that it does one day, Dabeluchi," He stood up again and I felt no fear whatsoever as Nana walked his way to me, stopped in front of me and squatted on one knee and outstretched his hands towards me and politely asked, "May I?"

I swallowed. Slowly outstretched my hand to Nana who was one knee in front of me and he gently took my hand, held onto it and I felt forces, forced I couldn't see or touch but feel, move into me through him, coercing through me like a volcanic eruption, nearly knocking me down if Nana did not hold tight onto my hand. 

What is this?

"I have held onto this bible verse for as long as I can and it paid off yesterday for me."

Nana's voice in whispers as he spoke to me. I heard. I listened to what he had to say.

 "If God be for us. Who can be against us?" 

That imprinted in me for some reason.

"Good night, Dabeluchi." He said to me. Stood up on his feet and gave me one last smile before he turned around to walk away.

I watched behind him, compelled by how much weight his words had when he talked about 'God' and 'the bible'. It was so compelling. Almost disturbing. But in a good way.

Nana seemed calm. A nice kid. He seemed very chill and not naturally someone who spoke a lot, yet somehow, seemed to have a whole lot to say. 

And I felt like a horrible person to have to even say this.....

But he also seemed like someone who may have too good for any of the Twins.

But then again, who was I to be a judge?

*****

"Did you talk to him?" I asked Marc.

 I stepped out of the room myself and fortunately, the house was not that big, so I could find my way around it and to the lighted hallway where I found Marc.

Finding him was easier than I thought. I thought I was about to get myself lost, but there he was, just hanging by the end of the hallway, alone, leaning by the wall and seemingly in deep thoughts. So much in thoughts that he did not even notice me until I got to him.

He didn't even call me after Kelechi left him.....

"He's upstairs. Locked himself up in the room." Marc told me. He sounded very tired and my heart broke for him. I mean, my God, it had been hours. The time was well past 4am and I knew the last thing on his mind was going to bed. "The others have been trying to get him to come out for hours now." Marcus looked and sounded like a zombie. So dead and tired and completely burnt-out. 

I hugged him.

I couldn't help him, I just hugged him because I couldn't stand him being like this.

He did not have to go through so much on top of my name.

I felt his soft, tired breathing on my neck when his head drooped down and he buried his face in the nape of my neck for some comfort. He wrapped his arms around me, hugging me back, holding me dearly in our embrace and I felt whole. We felt whole. Together.

"I love you." I said to him.

"I love you more." He said to me, held me to himself and sucked up all the strength he needed from me, breathed me in like I was a drug that he needed.

"We got Sean to open the door."

Marcus and I froze first in each other's arms and we felt our bloods rush though our veins in a terrible, lightening speed rush.

The rest of them filled up the hallway. Kelechi, Chido, Nana, and even JJ. They all hesitantly walked towards me, joining together in a small conspiracy group and I noticed looks lingering on me and I knew they were all thinking the same thing.

I shouldn't be here.

"Should I go?" I asked them. I don't even know what response I was expecting.

"Yes." Kelechi was the first one to answer.

I discarded the urge to strangle her because my anxiety was stronger and rose even further when I heard subtle footsteps, dragging along from a distance, and I hoped with every bone in me that it was not who I thought it was.

I wanted to run, but my legs did not seem to work. So many thoughts ran through my head and yet, my body stayed on one spot; Completely numb.

The footsteps got louder and so did my heartbeat. The footsteps got closer and I was on the verge oh my own death. Kelechi closed her eyes, bracing herself for the worst.

So, did I. And with a silent prayer, I prayed the Lord my soul to keep. I begged God. Begged him to give me a chance to run away from this. Begged him to not let those footsteps be—

"Sean."

My blood ran cold.

Jesus.

Marc was the one who called his name first and with an urgency, he got off the wall he leaned on and I couldn't even bring myself to look in that direction, but damn it, I didn't have to look. I felt the air in the atmosphere drop to a deadly degree and that was enough for me to know that if I looked, I may have as well turned to stone.

I stepped back, hoping somehow, I could disappear into the small crowd that formed around us, but the more I hid behind each person, the more they gave way for me and Marcus to be the bloody centre of attention.

"Sean," Someone else had called his name, hesitantly. "We've been waiting for you all morning."

It sounded like Kelechi.

And whatever moved me to have the audacity to look to Sean, I had no idea.

But, boy, that might have as well been the biggest mistake of my life.

He looked so.... Cold.

All he needed was a dagger in one hand and an axe in the other to complete the look. Never in my life had I seen a human being look so cold and yet, so vague. There was the most vague look in his eyes, and with eyes that lacked much depth, but somehow, showed enough anger, vile unhealthy and undiluted anger in them, he glared so heavily at his best friend.

Chills passed through me an uncountable number of times.

Marc seemed to be short of words to say. I mean, who wouldn't? Sean did not look like someone who wanted to 'talk'. He looked like someone who wanted to kill.

I hid behind Marc, but it was too late.

His eyes dragged along from Marc and followed me like an evil spirit, and in his quietness, I saw hell rise with its flames, its heat marring everyone of us in this hallway as Sean directed his death look to me. Fuck it, I felt like a death grip around my throat. 

And I choked.

And guess fucking what?

Sean Ayomide smiled.

The potential psychopath seemed amused to see me choking on my own spit and as Marc and the others pulled their attention to me, I saw that sly sinister smile linger on the corner of his lips and it was dead on the most evil and the most uncomfortable smile I had ever seen. I choked more. I was practically dying under the look he gave me.

And he had barely even said one word.

Without paying much mind to any of us and saying no single word, Sean started to walk our direction and I started to convulse.

I was just convulsing. Choking and convulsing without any control and Marc was holding me to himself, trying to calm me down while trying to calm the storm with his best friend.

Sean did not even answer us. He was not even walking to us. When he got to JJ, he grabbed the camera he was holding away from him and started to walk right out on the entire group as a whole. 

Chido grabbed onto Sean's hand, effectively stopping him.

Sean paused, glared at Chido's hand that wrapped around his' like it was his worst enemy.

"Free my hand, abeg."

That was the first thing he had said since he got here and he sounded like he was about to throw a punch.

"Maybe we should all just sit down together and talk, Sean?" Kelechi tried to pacify.

Sean laughed humourlessly, looked at Kelechi over his shoulder, "Talk about what?"

"The obvious tension between you and your best friend." Kelechi answered.

Sean laughed a crippling laughter. He was hysteric at it and everyone was alarmed. Scared for the boy who seemed to be running mad on the spot.

"There's no tension." He said to everyone. Took a moment to look everyone through, specifically lingering his look on a distraught Marcus, looked him up and down briefly as he added with a smirk on his face, "And there's no best friend either."

"Sean." Kelechi called again.

He completely ignored her and faced Chido who still had his hand in a lock hold and raised a brow at him, "You no go like free me, my guy?"  

Chido let him go.

"Thank you." Sean said, his voice hardening with the glare that replaced the smirk on his face and with fast and apt steps, he started to walk away with a dash.

Then, suddenly, he stopped.

He stopped.

Turned around.

Smiled at the group that watched him in anxiety and cutthroat panic.

"You guys should loosen up a little. You look too worked up," He said with a laugh.

Sean actually laughed with them all and I hoped he was not mad. I sincerely hoped.

"Sleep well everyone," He bade, mock saluted, eyes lingered about everyone for a second or two and somehow, stopped on me and stayed for too long a minute, the end of his lips lifting to set back into that bloody smirk that got the hairs on my skin standing at attention. 

Sean's eyes were bloodshot on me when he made sure to add, "Especially you, Orji."

Omoh ti ghen ghen ghen!💀

This is probably the longest chapter I've ever written in my life, but it's alright 💀❤️

Tell me EVERYTHING you're thinking. I want to know every single thing, starting from the Kelechi scolding Acha part to Nana and Dabi to this final scene! Meanwhile, #sips volcano lava

See you guys another time oo!