Hey everyone!!Surprise!!!! ♥️❤️

And who sees the new cover for TMBT??? 🥺❤️ Guys, the cover was made by Donaldprince. So y'all patronize him if you want your book covers at very affordable rates😌♥️

Now, where did we stop???🍷🍷

~DABI~

"Dabz?"

Four. I had been counting. It had been about the fourth time that Chika had knocked against the toilet door so far.

"Dabz, if you are there, just say something." I heard her voice call out to me.

I said nothing. I stayed mute.

I wasn't there after all.

I was actually in the next bathroom stall that neighboured that one.

So, I was not being uncooperative. I simply was not in that bathroom stall that Chika had been pounding on.

"Dabeluchi," She called out to me, "It is Break time and people are going home. I know you're in there. Can you come out, so we can talk?"

Nothing. I said nothing still. Maybe if I stayed quiet longer, her patience would run out and she would leave me alone.

"I will break down the door," She warned, "It's not that hard, Dabz."

Stubbornly, I kept my head strong.

"I will count to three," She carried on. "If you don't come out, I will be forced to take drastic measures." She sounded so plain, almost bored, but certain. 

I actually imagined Chika blowing imaginary dust off her nails and checking the time on her wristwatch and yawning to herself. 

"One," She started.

No.

"Two," She continued.

No.

"Three." Came her final count and I screamed out in bloody terror.

There was a blast of an explosion. Like someone had fired a gun into the girl's bathroom and in a state of panic, I jumped, launched my body forth like a rocket into the door of the toilet stall that I was hiding in, pushed it open with with my body weight and threw myself out of the stall.

Only to meet Chika Chioma face to face.

 The girl was standing in front of the stall that I had walked in on locked, the very one she had been thinking I was hiding in before I revealed myself, and with one brief look at her and her stance, I came to an understanding of what just happened.

Chika had her fists positioned in defence in front of her chest and left leg jotted out more slightly than the right in a fighter stance, it became clear to me that the 'explosion' I heard was just the banging sound of Chika kicking the shit out of that bathroom stall door.

Without surprise, the door was opened, swaying carelessly back and forth in front of Chika.

"Hi.—"

I could barely finish my greeting to Chi when two random classmates burst into the bathroom, looking shocked and alarmed.

"What was the sound?!" Gift exclaimed to Chika.

"Did you just break that door?!" Her slim friend, Mena Kafe, came in.

Chika and I glanced at each other before turning to the two girls whose eyes were nearly bulging out of its sockets.

"Yes," Chika answered them without much of an emotion, looked away from the girls who were still jaw dropped and turned back to me, "What's wrong, Dabz?"

There was a way she had looked at me that made me come to an instant realization that, as a matter of fact, my eyes were most likely red and bloodshot.

What had I been doing in the bathroom stall for so many hours? Well, Crying. 

But, of course, we had company. With one glance at Gift and Mena Kafe, I was certain that the last thing I wanted was having them hovering around why I cry into Chika's shoulders.

"Were you crying because of what happened in the hallway with Kelechi?" Mena questioned, her eyes sober with pity and compassion that did not look much genuine.

"Or did you and Acha have a fight?" Gift followed with the same energy. "I know how it feels to fight with your boyfriend, but don't worry, you two are power couple, you will be fine, eh?"

I felt needles piercing my chest as these girls talked. They were trying to be sympathetic, or probably pretending to be, and all it did was make me feel already worse than I did.

"And it's okay, Dabi, to have haters, you know," Gift was still talking, "Not everyone is going to be supportive of a good couple. If I tell you who I am dating, you won't even believe it."

Her friend, Mena, hit her in caution, warning her not to say too much.

A little too late.

I mean, the fact that Gift was allegedly dating the junior School Math teacher Mr. Jimmy was an open secret to the entire final year set of Castron High.

And truth be told, she was not the most discreet person. Two times that I had hid here in the toilet, I had overheard the both of them, both Gift and Mena, talking about her secret relationship with the old man, and how the older ones were better than our generation boys.

With all due respect, yuck!

"Let's talk outside?" Chika gave attention to me and I nodded in agreement, walking along to her while I had no choice, and together, we made our way towards the door.

Chika touched the door knob and suddenly, stopped. Confused, I paused with her, watched her sudden careful behaviour that hinted some kind of suspicion and followed her eyes as she traced a watching gaze towards the two girls, Gift and Mena, who were whispering in gossip amongst each other, while checking their lipstick and eyeliner in the mirror.

"Mena Kafe," Chika called out to one of them, authority laced in her voice.

The slim girl, startled, jolted and turned to Chika immediately. Blinked in confusion at her sudden summon. "Yes?"

"Return it," Chika ordered her calmly.

Mena seemed lost. "Return what?"

"Dabeluchi's wristwatch." Chika said plainly.

Eh?

I looked to my left wrist only to see that my wristwatch was not on it anymore.

Confusion assaulted me.

"Nyeghachi ya." Chika rapped in Igbo.

Even though I had no idea what she said, it was clear that she was summoning Mena to return the wristwatch that she had apparently stolen from me. without me having a single clue.

It couldn't have been possible, right? There was no way that within seconds of our short encounter, Mena Kafe had actually taken a whole fucking wristwatch off my wrists.

"I didn't take anything." Mena defended lightly.

It made sense that she wouldn't. I mean, if she did, then I may just have to reward that shit to her for being the most talented 'pick-pocketer' I had ever seen in my life.

"I swear, I didn't take anything," Mena was hard on her defence.

Chika did not look like she was buying her shit. With a stare so plain and casual, and I mean, with no trace of stress, anger or even a death glare in it, Chika just looked at Mena.

She just stared at her. Stuffed her hands in her pockets and just stared blankly at Mena Kafe.

"Na wa oo," I heard Mena grumble as she broke eye contact with Chika and stuffed a hand into her purse, and I watched, dumbfounded, wondering what she was doing.

The babe whipped out my wristwatch right before my eyes. 

"Jesus Christ." Even her friend was shocked.

Awkwardly, Mena walked towards me and presented it to me.

Nonetheless, I took it from her.

"Sorry." She muttered under her breath, embarrassingly turned away from me and Chika and made her way back to her mortified friend.

Chika just grabbed my hand and walked me out of the bathroom quietly.

"That girl is a notorious thief in our set," She said to me. "Be careful next time, Dabz."

I was aware, but I thought that was only rumours. Our classmates dragged her for the most pointless things. Even down to her being 'skinny'. So, I didn't take much labels or tags or allegations too seriously.  After all, I was one to be thrown under a bus by classmates for the most trivial, wicked and unfair reasons. 

I mean, until now that everyone suddenly found a worth in me because of yet some other trivial reasons. God, Castron High.

The Hallway was not as rowdy as it had been earlier anyway, and I knew it had to do with the fact that a few people were already leaving for home.

Here and there, some classmates were still lingering around outside of classrooms, while others were walking towards the entrance and exits of the hallway ends, leaving it, I supposed.

Subtly, and I mean, very low-key, I felt as though some gazing eyes were averted towards me, and people were whispering here and there. I mean, I knew that there was every possibility that they were talking about me, but I was not in the headspace to listen in and decipher if it was good or bad.

I mean, as much as it would have been relieving if they were sympathizing, it wasn't even genuine, so it meant close to nothing anyway.

"You know you don't always have to run off and hide out when things don't go well for you, Dabeluchi." Chika said to me as we walked around the few bodies of classmates all around us.

"I don't do that." I debunked calmly.

"I heard what happened with Kelechi," She said to me, "It's going quite round and everyone has some awful version of how things went."

"Oh, really. Humour me," Sarcasm dropped with my low tone.

"Well, some say that you threw Kelechi a shoe and ran her up to the ground," She started.

I wish I did.

"Others say Kelechi cussed you out— "

Well, she did cuss.

"—And you strangled her to death." Chika completed.

"A bit extreme," I commented.

There was little to no compassion in my tone.

"I could continue," Chika said, "Wait until I get to the spiritual part of it, Dabz, because apparently a half of our classmates are starting to think you're a witch from Hell."

"It's okay," I quietly answered, "They don't even surprise me anymore."

"Dabeluchi," Chika stopped walking and faced me, her face serious all of a sudden and her eyes, meaning business, "I don't like all of this."

"All of what?" I asked her.

"I don't like the fact that you're the trending topic of discussion for our classmates all the time. I am worried about you, really." She said to me. "Are you okay, Dabeluchi? Tell me the truth. And tell me, please, what is going on with you these days."

What is going on with me these days? I looked at Chika and wondered what she meant by that. I have been completely fine these days.

"And why were you crying?" She asked me, "Is it because of what happened with Kelechi? You had a clear breakdown in that video I saw on the group chat, and your eyes are red with tears so I know you have been crying, so why are you acting like you are okay in my presence, when I know you are not?"

"I am fine, Chi," I assured her.

"No, Dabz, you're not," She rather argued, placed gentle hands on my shoulders and started talking to me like I was a five year old, her voice subtle and easy going, her words, soft and picky, "These past few days, you act up more often than before. You zone out like never before. You forget basic things you shouldn't forget. You mix up events and misinterpret happenings. And that's scary, Dabeluchi.

Your mood swings are spurt on. You talk to every object or thing around you like it's a human being. You walk around in literal circles, and that is why I have to hold your hand all the time. You talk in circles too, repeating the same things over and over, without hitting a point. You pick what you want to hear and filter the rest, and these are things you do on a regular, but it's like, these days, it's only getting worse."

I stared at her blankly. Confused.

When did I do all these? I don't d all these. What was Chika even saying to me? I don't understand.

"And then all of a sudden, you pick a fight with Kelechi Uwa out of the blue, someone like Kelechi that neither me or any of the Sisters even know or have seldom ever talked to ever before.—"

"Chi, please, I am not crazy," I cut her off for a start, "I don't agree with everything that you are accusing me of, and believe me, Kelechi and I go back. I just have not told you anything."

"Why?" She asked me. "Why? Dabi? Don't you trust me enough to talk to me about things like this? Is that not why we are friends? Sisters?"

"I know, but—"

"Everyone has secrets, and I understand that, okay?" She assured me, "But Dabi, something is wrong, and I have to understand it. I have to understand you to make this friendship, this sisterhood, work."

"I understand," I said. My voice was low and soft. I did understand.

"I need to understand you to help you too, Dabi," She said to me, her voice softer and laced in with more concern, "I need to get to the root bottom of everything, Dabz."

Chika couldn't get to the root bottom of everything that had to do with a girl like me. That would mean my entire family, my whole life. No.

No, no, no, it was too risky. My father was a horrible man and neither of them could understand that. Delilah was not any better either. People had tried to save me in the past, and they all ended up six feet under. The last thing I would do is drag anyone, be it one of the Sisters nor Marcus Acha into any mess that had to do with my family. Never.

"I don't know what to say," I said to Chika. I really didn't.

"Maybe start from the basics," She tilted her head to the side and looked at me, "What made you cry, Dabeluchi? Tell me, please."

My words were lodged there in my throat and slowly, I was pushing it all out of me.

"Is it what happened with Kelechi?" She probed, looked at me, "Did she do something? Or say something? Why were you crying in the bathroom, Dabeluchi?"

Thinking about it was making me feel like tearing up all over again. Thinking about everything. From Kelechi. To Marc. Especially Marc.

"Nothing," I answered Chika. "Just hay fever."

Chika's face contorted into a little frown, and a tired sigh escaped my lips.

"Kelechi did something," I told Chika, "But she wasn't the one who made me cry, Chi."

"Then, who was it that made you cry?" She asked me.

"Marcus," I told her.

"Acha?" She raised a brow.

"Yes, Marcus Acha." I nodded.

Her eyes narrowed onto me, a little bit of anger was what I saw in them.

"What did he do?" She asked me.

I sighed. Tired. Let it all out in one breath.

"Chi, it was all my fault."

Chika's face visibly relaxed immediately.

I couldn't tell how I knew, but she seemed surprised to hear that from me.

"What happened?" She asked me.

In sync, we fell back into step at the exact same time.

"We had a fight," I told her, "It was a really bad one and it was because of Kelechi Uwa."

Together, we stepped out of the hallway and with an extra step, we were in front of the block, walking through the narrow path crowded with classmates who sat at the red and white pavements that guarded it.

It made sense why the hallway seemed to be a bit empty.

I mean, more than half of our classmates were out here, practically chilling. Boys and girls scattered a around the place in a noisy disarray, hanging by the pavements or under the dying Oak Tree, basically, flexing in with their little groups and cliques.

All I wanted to do was leave this place.

But as though the devil was out for my life, Chika and I walked right into a dead end.

Just there at the end of the pathway that led to the junction the divided the SSS3 Block with the noisy SS2 Block that neighboured it, there were a group of set guys all surrounded at that very spot, and if there was anything that every girl secretly dreaded - even if they pretended not to- it was walking through the midst of a 'pack' of boys.

Worse, boys who clearly look like they were conspiringly anticipating you. Like they were waiting for you to walk through their midst if you just happened to grow a pair of balls.

Maybe I was exaggerating it all in my head, but God knows, it felt like those boys, roughly about 10 to 25 of them that dominated that entire end like predators were just talking amongst themselves, about me and Chika as we walked their way and with each intensity of their sinister looks, conspiring behaviour, and stalking attitude, I wanted to make a turn for it and run.

But Chika walked on, undeterred and unfazed, like she was about to walk through a bunch of junior students from Jss1. 

Why I was still walking by her side even if I was thoroughly shaken, I could not understand it. The worst part was that as I got closer and closer, their faces, forms, and figures started to decode by the second and roughly, I was able to recognise some of them to be some infamous Art boys from Marcus Acha's class, mixed along with some guys whom I vaguely recognized from Class F, and about two to four of them, specifically, were popularly notorious for being friends of Kaniru George.

All of a sudden, I grew stiff.

I grew stiff, yet somehow, my legs were still moving.

I wished Chika would stop, and insist that we go back into the Hallway and take the other end out of here, instead of having to walk through some sinister boys whom a number of them were already on our trails because of the incident with Soma.

But Chika Chioma did not even act like someone who was bothered by them.

"I pray the Lord my soul to keep," I muttered a silent prayer as we got into their midst, Chika's hands tugged onto mine, as she pulled me along with her and headed right there in the midst of the boys who were gradually giving us some space to pass in their middle as we came through.

Step. Step. Step. We moved with each, having the Art boys make way for us without stress, even though a few mutters sprung from here and there as we walked and self consciousness quickly kicked in as I started to wonder about everything that was wrong with my shape and body.

If my legs were too thin.

If my hands were to tiny.

If my head was too big for my body.

Down to even if I smelled bad....

I felt naked walking through. I felt anxious. I felt so, so uncomfortable.

"Excuse me." 

I heard Chika say as soon as we got to another dead end of our original dead end.

Oh, God. I mean, every one of these Art boys, down to the random Class F boys had cooperated right up until this point.

I saw the face of JJ Jarah, clear and precise, grinning sickly at me in the midst of his other buddies from Kaniru's clan who sought it a mission to frustrate me and Chika and not clear the way for us to pass through like the other boys did. 

I wanted to vomit. Looking at JJ's face, that big head of his', and lazy, dull eyes that were almost drooping as though he was always high on something made me want to strangle him. I had grown to dislike everything that there was about him and the fact that he was always there, lurking around somehow, getting mixed up in all our lives, made me uncomfortable.

He seemed like someone that was meaningless to a plot until it was his time to strike.

Hard. 

So, so hard.

In the midst of his friends, I saw him with something in between his fingers and one look at it was enough to tell it was a cigarette stick. I simply could not believe my eyes.

As a matter of fact, the three of the other boys around JJ, all Kaniru's friends, were all proudly twirling burning cigarette sticks in between their fingers as they stared at me and Chika, with some something akin to amusement mixed with mockery in their eyes, like they thought that we were both 'jokes' standing before them.

One of them looked more serious than the others, however, and he was the tallest one amongst them and I knew him well because he always wore a red cap to School, even with his Uniform. He made me the most uncomfortable.

As much as I was scared, I couldn't stop myself from wondering.....

What on earth gave these boys the fucking audacity to smoke in School?

"I said excuse me." Chika repeated herself and I looked at her to see that unlike me, she looked like she had herself put together.

Not a hint of fear was in her and that was evident in all her body language. She just stared at the boys like they were air. Plain and Unbothered. Completely neutral.

Oshio, that same tall guy with the more serious face than the others and the red cap, chuckled darkly and I saw a whole fuse of smoke blow out of his nostrils as he looked Chika up and down.

"This babe get mind sha," The darkest of them all, Kingsley, spoke to the other guys, and they all seemed to have a like mind on the fact that Chika did have some guts.

My friend turned Sister was not even in their mood. She just stood there and waited for them to move and it almost seemed like she was putting them on a timer. Carefully waiting for them to adhere before she granted herself the opportunity to treat their fuck up.

Meanwhile, JJ seemed to be the one taking this as a joke more than the other guys. That sick grin never left his face and I refused to give eye contact with everything that I had in me.

With a humourless laugh that raised the hair on my skin, Oshio, the red cap guy, called out to one of the guys, "Bobzee."

His voice was hard and low. Deadly. The silence that accompanied his voice was torture. A heavy weight sank in me as I heard that edge in it, the dark edge in it that made my breath cease in an instant. 

The guy called, Bobzee, raised his head up to look at Oshio like a demon who had been summoned by the devil to go out and cause havoc and misery and destruction on his behalf and I had my heart in my fucking hands, beating out of control.

Chika stood there like a log of wood. Unmoved. 

Oh, God please.

Oh, God please.

Oh, God please.

Oh, God please.

Oh, God please.

"Shift, make them pass abeg." 

Oshio absolutely shut me the fuck down.

Eh?

"Let them go, abeg." He repeated himself to Bobzee who was staring at him as if he was crazy, not heeding yet as though he could not understand why Oshio would insist on letting us go so easily.

Even I was confused. They did not let the opportunity to make someone's life a living hell pass them by. Not ever. Especially since they had leverage to make our lives miserable because of what had gone down with Soma.

So, why were they letting us go? I was relieved, but I couldn't understand.

Meanwhile, Bobzee did not even move a muscle as he was instructed to.

"GUY, YOU DON DEAF?!" Oshio Red Cap growled like an animal.

I jumped. I actually jumped, startled by the suddenness of his outburst at the Bobzee guy, and wondering where on earth that came from.

"Na that weed dey block your brain so abi?" Oshio lashed out Bobzee and he looked like he would have transformed into a wolf at any moment from how much he seemed to be burning up so damn fast, "Abi na ment you dey ment?!" His hands jammed onto his own head so aggressively in a 'Are you crazy' gesture and I was scared that he would give himself an eternal migraine from that kind of brute force he used on his own head.

"Calm down, guy, small thing dey make you vex anyhow. You get angry too easily," That nonsense JJ was tapping Oshio's back like he was calming an angry child down, even if he looked like he was trying so hard to supress his laughter and I wished I had some guts to slap that sick grin off his stupid face.

"Remember what boss said about doing shit like this. No dey loose guard," Oshio said to Bobzee and there was a knowing look shared between the boys that got me thinking...

What? What?! WHAT?! What did Kaniru say? What on earth did he say?!

Without an argument, like that was all he needed to leave us alone, the Bobzee guy punished me and Chika with a death stare as he did as Oshio told him to.

He moved his leg away from the way.

And following suit, they all cleared their legs off the way for me and Chika to pass through and Chika did not even waste a second walking through them.

All the way, I could not shake off the feeling of discomfort. I could not shake off the feeling that something about that encounter did not seem right, but I could not pin it down. I could not figure out where the loopholes were. But something was awfully wrong and it slapped hard.

What did they mean by that? Why would they pass up an opportunity to frustrate us? And what did that statement mean? Kaniru and his boys had come to some type of agreement concerning us? What kind of agreement was it? What was the effect? What was its purpose? And what on earth did it mean for us? Most importantly, what did it mean for Somadina Best?

Was it something to be afraid about? And why was Chika so chill about it? Could it be possible that they, the Sisters, even knew something that I did not know? I mean, Soma had mentioned that she had some meet up agreement with JJ that I never knew if she was able to get on with. Did that have anything to do with what was going on? And could it, in any way, be tied down to why they had not been coming to School? 

I was not sure what to think really. So many probabilities flashed through my mind, one after the other. For some reason, I felt I had little to no knowledge of things that could have been happening right there under my nose, and I was not sure if it was a cause for me to be scared.

"Hey, Igbo Sisters!" A voice called right behind us and like we were zapped into doing so, Chika and I froze still on our tracks, right there on the spot.

I stopped because of how painfully familiar that voice was and why Chika had stopped, I had no freaking idea. But, just like me, we both stood still, backs turned to the voice that called out to the both of us.

"Oh, so you guys will just walk past without saying hello?" Footsteps were now starting to accompany the voice that was resounding behind us and I could tell at a go that he was walking his way towards me and Chika.

Chika turned first. I followed. With a blank stare on her face, she looked ahead towards JJ Jarah who was making his way towards us, grinning widely at the both of us.

I watched him, as he had segregated himself from the boys at the pavement and considering that that Oshio guy had nearly taken his friend's head off for coming at us, I was confused as to why he did not do anything about JJ coming towards us.

Most importantly, why was JJ coming towards us?

And why was Chika standing there and waiting for him to approach us, instead of just walking out on him like she would have normally done?

"Imagine," JJ scoffed as he reached us and I stepped back at his towering height and Chika didn't seem so fazed that he was like a skyscraper over her frame, "So, you girls don't even feel the need to acknowledge me at all. Even after everything I've done for you? Do you think that your drug stealing friend Soma would have even been breathing if not for me?"

JJ was clearly enjoying whatever it was that he was up to because that grin never wiped off his face as he stood there in front of us, and those dull eyes of his' were doing their best to light up with something I deciphered was a manic glint.

With folded arms, he jutted his head towards Chika,  showing off his shockingly pearly white teeth, "Oya, greet me."

Chika stared at him without a word and he stared right back without stopping with that brightness on his face and after a few more seconds of her silence, he sized her down in a rather derogatory manner, scoffed with amusement, and a corner of his lips lifted slightly, turning his grin into a smirk that scared the fuck out of me.

"This girl, you get mind sha." He said to her, tilted his head to the side to look at her as though he was both impressed and amused by the fact, "You have some guts, I'll give that to you."

Without warning, he stepped up to her. She didn't move back one bit. I was the one who actually backed up for her and JJ completely acted like I was not there.

"You get mind, but e be like say you no get sense join," He said to her, imposing that even if she had guts, she was not being smart at all, and I saw Chika's jawbone clench, but she did nothing more than watch him talk his rubbish, "You do know I have the upper hand, ba? So as you are doing that your defender of the galaxy 101 for your friends, don't forget that shit. Kaniru's orders or not, I am the real reason why the boys are not allowed to act on your friend's fuck up yet. Don't forget that, babe; I have the leverage here."

"You act like you have all the power here over us, JJ," Chika spoke calmly to him and hopefully, I was crazy and hearing things because Chi sounded like she was subtly challenging him.

JJ frowned at that.

"I do have all the power," He fired back at Chika.

"No," She shook her head, a small laugh escaped her lips and for the first time, I saw a smile tugging at her lips, "Don't deceive any of us, JJ. I know the real reason you are covering up for Soma and just as much as you think you can fuck us up, we could do the same to you."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" He spat.

"That night at Yure's party, you struck a deal with Soma that if she stayed quiet about who she saw at the scene of Affah's bashed car, then you would stay quiet about her being the one who stole the drugs..." Chika reminded him.

I remembered that Soma had mentioned that. It was a two way deal, and as a matter of fact, Soma did not even know who it was that JJ thought she had seen, but she was smart enough to pretend, just so that JJ could keep her cover, thinking she knew his secret too.

"You told Soma not to tell anyone about who she saw. In return, you wouldn't expose her to your boys. You wanted us to believe that you were only blackmailing her because you wanted a puppet to do as you wanted, not because she held a secret of yours too that could get you in trouble with your own gang.

Did you really think that Soma would hide that from us? You really thought she would not tell us the real truth behind your 'blackmail'? Her Sisters? Come on, you can't be that dense, JJ."

Chika did not even seem like she wanted to stop yet.

"And now, the whole set knows Soma stole drugs from Kaniru, what next? You still want your game plan in action, you still want Soma mute on what she knows, so you are buying her silence by keeping the gang away from her, but your pathetic ass won't stand the fact that she has just as leverage over you as you do, so you want to stand superior and act all rogue, with the hopes that you will be able to manipulate her into thinking you have more leverage. You may be succeeding at deceiving Somadina Best, but most definitely, not Chika Chioma."

I still could not get over the fact that, as a matter of fact, none of the Sisters, not even Soma, had a clue of who it was that she had seen that made JJ want her to keep silent of.

"And so what?" JJ fired back at Chika, "We are in this 50/50, so while I am keeping her safety under cover, tell her to keep my friend's name out of her damn mouth. And the rest of you should too. Nobody can know that Sean Ayomide destroyed Affah's car that night."

Lightening zapped into my spirit, soul, and body.

For a moment, I died and resurrected once more.

So, that was what this was about? So, JJ thought that Soma had seen Sean that night and knew he was the one that bashed their car right before she stole drugs from the wrecked car. That was who JJ had been trying to cover for this whole entire time. He had been trying to cover up for Sean the whole entire time. It all made sense now.

But, Soma did not know who it was JJ thought she had seen.

I had not known too.

None of the Sisters knew.

And now, JJ had spilled it right to me and Chika.

I looked to Chika and saw her fighting a smile.

She knew exactly what she was doing. 

And my God, she was fucking smart!

"Good," She spoke calmly to JJ. "Now that we have come to the understanding that we know what could get you in trouble and you know what could get Soma in trouble too, I hope you stop trying to confuse my friend into believing that you have more power over her when it's not the reality of things."

JJ didn't look too happy. Scratch that, he looked very angry. However, he laughed. Subtly. It was a subtle chuckle and I could feel every bit of bitterness in its resonation. It was a dark, dark laugh that creeped me the fuck out.

It almost made me worried. Worried that Chika did not have as much control over this situation like she thought she had. Like we were setting ourselves up for something that would hit us so hard, and beyond our comprehension. I got scared for us. For Soma.

"Got it," JJ only responded, with that lingering dark smile on his lips, he looked down at Chika with a tilt of his head and mock saluted, "Got it, momma."

"Oh and one more thing?" Chika raised a brow at JJ, and I hoped she knew what she was doing. I sincerely hoped with everything in me.

The tall, dull eyes monster only watched her as she spoke.

"I am aware of that Soma is not the only one guilty of stealing drugs from Kaniru, JJ. I am aware that you coerced her into giving you about a half of what she stole that night,"  She addressed.

That hit me again.

And, hard.

It legit felt like a truck ran me over.

I didn't know that. Soma did not mention that. So, where did Chika get that idea from?

"You're wondering how I know because there was no way she could have told us that part of the story after the way you threatened her, right?" Chika laughed at that, "Well, she didn't. As a matter of fact, lately, I have been enjoying doing some digging."

I wasn't even sure how to react to all of this? Chika had been doing some digging?

"It is fun," Chika said, "Digging up answers to mysteries that bug me. Getting to the bottom of every matter buried under the sun. Do you want to know how I found out all I know?"

Why and what inspired her? When did she have the time to even do all these? What had this girl really been up to these days?

"Loopholes," She said, "There were loopholes here and there. I mean, Soma had mentioned to us that she had stolen drugs that were worth 3.6 million naira, and I wondered to myself, how did Soma know that the exact monetary worth of the bulk of drugs she stole?"

...... Actually, how would Soma have known that? That the drugs she had stolen was exactly 3.6 million naira. It was a bit off, but I didn't understand why that did not occur to me when she had mentioned it at the time. Soma shouldn't have known the exact price of the drugs she stole.

Unless someone told her.

I looked at JJ and it all made sense. Completely.

"I won't mention how I found out the truth because that is none of your business, Jeffery Jarah Jarah, but what I want you to understand is that neither you nor Soma is all black or all white in this case. That being said, thread carefully."

With that, Chika turned to me and summoned.

"Let's go, abeg," She said to me, and I was quick to adhere, jumping into action at the opportunity to run away from this encounter.—

"And what exactly do you have to contribute to all of this. Humour me."

Was he talking to me?

"Leave her alone," Chika was fast to spin around and snap at him, outraged. Her spin was unbelievably quick that it almost scared me.

However, it made it clear to me that JJ was talking me after all.

"You seem to be hard of hearing. Leave my friends out of your shit. Leave Soma out of it. Leave Dabi out of it. If you want to harass anybody, if you have the bloody guts, I suggest you rather do it to me," She warned him dangerously.

And her flair up was all JJ needed to break into a loud, mocking laughter. 

He was suddenly back with that annoying ass grin on his face, like he had found another avenue to play and toy with us. 

"Saviour of the World. Assistant Jesus Christ," He mocked Chika, his voice cracking with humour as he gave her a round of applause and all I wanted to do was leave this place.

Chika looked like she was about to explode. I figured this was escalating faster than it was meant to, and that bothered me a great deal.

"Aurora, yeah?" He raised a questioning brow at me, chuckled once more, "Acha's Aurora?"

Chika grabbed my hand to leave. "Dabz, come with me."

I was taking a turn with her, attempting to walk out as he spewed trash.

"Abi, is it Acha you want or are you now going for our church boy, Nana Obi?" 

JJ might have as well thrown an arrow of poison into my back because shit, that was what it felt like. A sharp, toxic arrow piercing into my back and knocking me off my feet.

Worst part of it all, I was a few feet away from him and his voice was loud enough for classmates at close proximity to catch what he said. 

Chika was still moving with me, but I jumped out of her hold, and whipped so fast to JJ that I nearly fell to the ground with the force of my spin.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I asked him, and I could not even understand the sudden bold energy that zapped into me.

Damn, all I needed was just a little push.

Or trigger.

JJ stood there, grinning at me like he knew he had hit the jackpot.

"E shock you?" He asked me.

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

"I have eyes everywhere, Aurora—"

I cringed hard at how he sounded when he called me Aurora.

"—And so far I was able to capture, you seem a bit too comfortable with Nana. So, why are you being so triggered by me pointing that out?" He said to me.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I barely know Nana Obi." I said to him.

"Really." He looked like he was 'pretending' to 'buy my shit'.

I looked him dead in the eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about." 

He looked me back like I was a joke.

"The exact same thing you said when you denied telling your own friend's secret to Miranda Archibong, yeah?" He mocked my words.

"I didn't tell Miranda anything either!" I nearly screamed at him.

"Who exactly do you think you are deceiving, this girl," JJ scoffed at me, "I wan understand. Is there some invisible force out there you are telling some bullshit version of your story to? Make me understand it."

"Dabz, free this guy. Let's go—" Chika tried to come in, but I refused to go just like that. I refused to go without having to clarify things.

"I owe you no explanation," I said to JJ.

"Are you sure?" He asked me, "Because it seems to me like you desperately want to clear your name and make me believe the lies that you keep telling to yourself, babe."

"Chi, please wait.." I tried to compromise with her in my state of frustration and agitation.

"I know your type," JJ said to me and in that instant, I felt so naked and embarrassed, and he had barely even started saying anything.... So, why was I already agitated?

"No, you don't." I fired back at him.

"Yes I do," He sounded rather certain, "I know your type. Doing shit. Running away from it, then playing victim when it catches up with you." He scoffed, added, "I know a lot of you from where I come from, so believe me when I tell you that it is not going to get you anywhere."

I felt attacked. I didn't know why.

"And really, bold of you to assume that a guy like Marcus Acha attaches much importance to you—"

I swallowed, hard. Convinced myself he was capping.

"Man like Acha is my guy," He went on, "I have known him from day one, and I can assure you that it is a matter of time before he drops you off his life. Just like he ends up doing with the others who were just as delusional as you." 

God forbid. 

"I know him," JJ smiled to himself, laughed actually, "He has a way with his words. He knows the right things to say to get a girl swooning. He knows the right things to do to get a girl mad in love with him. He knows what to do with your mind, your heart, especially, your body— "

JJ actually laughed here and I cringed hard. Cringed hard at the possibilities of this.

Chika stayed for this. She stopped making me leave. She stopped to hear this.

"Man like Acha is a god at what he does. I am sure you can testify to that, Aurora— "

Keeping it together was becoming a big struggle for me. Slowly, I was losing every bit of self control that I had been mustering.

"Ever wondered why they call him Man like Acha?" He asked teasingly, shook his head, "And now, somehow, keeping you this long is starting to cause problems with him and Sean and you think you have much time left with him? Girl, get a fucking grip."

I lost it. I lost it in that instant. Immediately.

"STOP TRYING TO CONFUSE ME!" I screamed at him. What was wrong with everyone today and messing with my head? Messing with what I knew. "You know NOTHING about how much me and Acha have come, so stop trying to put things in my fucking head!"

Maybe I was trying to convince myself more than I was trying to convince him, I didn't know.

A part of me was so close to believing all of that. So fucking close. But, no. no. no. NO! I refused to accept what JJ was telling me. Marcus and I were in love. What he had was real.

"Stay in your lane, JJ!" I gave it to him. I didn't hold anything back. "Don't stand here and say you know shit when you don't know anything! Fuck off and stay in your own lane, JJ, and don't you try to make up things. Fuck you! Fuck what you think about me and Marc! Fuck all your assumptions of me as well! I love Marcus Acha and he loves me too! If your plan is to ruin what we have, then best be assured that it is NOT going to work. STAY IN YOUR FUCKING LANE!"

Where did that come from?

I didn't even realise that I was screaming and on the verge of stabbing JJ with the pen I was holding in my hands until I, well, realised it.

Chika let me go off at him. Maybe because she felt he needed to hear it from me. I felt lighter. Better. But surprised too. A moment ago, I was so terrified of what he could do to us and here I was, screaming at him like I was about to run him up in an attack.

All I did need was just a little push.

However, JJ did not even seem fazed by my outburst. He just stood there, along with some whispering passer-by classmates around us, looking at me like I couldn't have amused him even more. 

Before I knew it...

He just started laughing.

Wildly.

He was holding his arms against his body, doubling over in laughter that he seemed to have no control over, and that took me off guard. Completely. Why was he laughing? Why was he laughing at me? What was so funny?

I tugged onto Chika's sleeves, a frantic indicator that I wanted to leave here since he seemed to be losing it, and she understood me, and couldn't agree more.

We made a turn to leave.

Only to stop on our tracks when JJ hollered my name from the distance.

I turned around to see him smirking at me, unapologetically showing forth that he had enjoyed laughing to my face and as a matter of fact, he was enjoying every bit of this.

He was smiling. JJ was really smiling. Unprovoked and untriggered, apparently so.

I was about to leave again since he had nothing to say. A part of me wondering why I felt the need to hear everything he had to say. Wondering why the anxiety gripped me as much as it did.

"Don't do that again, Dabeluchi." He spoke to me, his voice, a contrast to the bright smile he had on his face: low, hard, and dangerous.

Gulp. "Do what?"

"Don't raise your voice at me again," JJ said to me, that smile lingering on his face and slowly, subtly, it started to creep me out. It started to look more sinister, more vile, more wicked.

Goosebumps formed on my skin. Chills passed through me as well.

JJ sounded angry, but somehow, he was smiling. 

"Be careful, Dabeluchi. Don't raise your voice at me again," He repeated, a corner of his lips still lifted in that sinister smile as he looked at me dead in the eyes, "You'll only hurt yourself."

💀Oya, breathe.

One, two, LEGGO! Pour out your mind in the comments!🌝🍷

That's it for today oo. I had to cut this chapter again, but I believe I did enough justice to this one sha.😌👌

What parts made you question reality?? I'd love to hear it all!😂♥️ (Omoh, if I'm in you people's shoes, I'll cry 😂😭)

See you guys next week!!♥️♥️