IT'S YOUR FAVORITE EXO WHORE HERE!!!! 

So, I started writing this A/N when we were at 111k reads and I came back to edit it because I saw that we had already gotten to 113k! Truth be told, the growth of this book never seizes to make my jaw drop. It was literally just like yesterday that I had started TMBT and you all gave me 1k reads in less than 24 hours and now here we are, on our way to 120k. Every day I come here, I am blessed with new binge readers, new votes, and newer binge comments, and I feel blessed. I seldom get any negative reviews and I thank God for it, it is all just positive vibes over here. I couldn't be more grateful for all of you. Thank you all so much!

By now tbh, we should have been done with the first book of TMBT, but thanks to my recent 'one update per  month' schedule', here were are lmfao. I promise that changes today. As a matter of fact, I have a surprise for you guys today!

Without much talk, let's get into this and meet our babiesssssss againnnnn!

~ACHA~

Organize by Asake blasted all around the house and even if I was about two floors upstairs, it did not stop me from coming to the understanding that my classmates had turned into a second national anthem.

Castron High Students never and I mean, EVER, shout this loudly at the top of their lungs for the school devotion, school and national anthem, but all of a sudden, they were assistant back up singers for Asake, screaming like people who had lost every bit of their mind, in the name of singing along.

I only silently prayed that Mum would not come down here any second because I was dead sure that she was going to end up wiping cord on somebody's neck.

The only condition for her to agree to even let me have this party here was that we did not wake her up from her sleep.

Now, Mama Acha was a tricky subject when it came to her sleep patterns. Sometimes, she could be awakened by the littlest blow of breeze. But, other times, the world could shift from its position, a million asteroids could hit it and cause ground shattering earth quakes and explosions, volcano larvae could erupt and melt all the houses from Atlanta to Lagos, Jupiter could swallow Earth and the world would be a chaos of screaming, dying, impending black holes and an unavoidable apocalypse...

And my dear mother would sleep through it all.

I prayed sincerely that the odds would be in my favour the entire night.

However, as exciting it was to see how much success the night was starting off to, each time I heard those crazy ballers screaming like mad men downstairs, and the thundering foot stumps I was dead certain was Ziba trying to break my father's living room tiles because she was doing 'leg work', and the chorusing of 'GBAGBE OSHI, AWA NIKAN NI KOSOSHI, ANYTHING WEY I WAN DO, I GO DO' from classmates who were in a sing off with the speakers, I crossed my fingers and hoped we could continue this fun without unwanted interruptions.

The closer I got downstairs, the louder the noise became. Alongside it was jeering and guffawing, and I was able to envision the entire place being very busy, with classmates making sure to key their energy into the cool afro vibes in the air and blend into the madness that spread there like a contagious virus.

JJ, who had walked out of my room with me, was far from been seen. The last I had set my eyes on him, he was 'galloping' like a little child ahead of me, rushing downstairs ahead of me, like there was a prize waiting for him. Soon, I had completely lost him. 

My only fear was that he would mix in with the wrong people and probably get him and his health into trouble. Asides that tiny dread in me that made me want to look out for that kid, JJ, the most on my mind was finally getting to have some alone time with Aurora.

It sucked so, so fucking much how she had been in my house for almost an hour and I had not properly even gotten the chance to talk to her. I felt nervous, and to be honest, kind of sick. But in a good way. My stomach churned and twisted so much that it turned to sweet nausea.

Thinking about my Aurora gave me stomach ache.

And I loved it.

I wanted to be with her tonight.

I wanted to kiss her.–

"Marcus!"

I stiffened on that hold.

My entire body stilled and my breath hitched in my throat. It could have choked me too. It should have choked me, but for some reason, I couldn't feel anything else. I couldn't feel anything else, not the discomfort of the air I had gasped in being unable to move in past my throat and into my lungs or being unable to move out either, to expel what I found hard to inhale. The only thing I felt were her hands around me.

And that wine glass filled with Vodka that had her slim, long dark fingers latched around it and pressing onto me in the hold she had around me from behind.

It was a soft grip, with hands that were soft and dainty, sweet and delicate, wrapping around my body like her life depended on it. Her hands, shimmering and glinting a fine charcoal colour against my skin as they held onto my arms, softly grabbing onto the forming muscles and biceps on my long sleeved covered arms.

Her grip was so soft, yet so firm. I couldn't understand how it could have been both. It was like she had fallen against my back and was holding on for support, and at the same time, it seemed like even if I was the only reason she was still on her feet, an air of restriction lingered between us; its evidence was the magnet push, repelling her front and my back against each other and the uncertainty laced in her touch, as she seemed to want to grip on, but for some reason, was reluctant to give her all into it.

"Marcus..."

She repeated my name again.

There was a tone of soft realization in her tone, much different from the panic and alarm in it the first time.

She called my name like she was casting a spell. Sweet and sensual. Also like rainfall on a cuddly night. Or well, pretty clouds. The kind that was pink and purple, the kind you would imagine yourself sleeping on, as fine tunes of soft violins and harps played by angels filled the atmosphere, bringing an unimaginable type of peace that brought tears to your eyes.

Right before your soul passed out of you and into the great and peaceful land beyond.

"Marcus."

First, it was panic.

Then, it was soft realization.

Now, it was certainty.

It gave the same effect. Like honey running down gold. Smooth like butter. Liquid in a way too. She talked like she was too tired to speak, airy and low. Slow. But there was character in that lazy sensual tone, a pinch of sugar and wine that gave it a fine texture of seduction. 

I hated it.

"Stop it."

I tore myself away from Kelechi Uwa.

And I cursed myself even more when I spurn around with a triggered death stare in my eyes, only to be 'struck', nearly knocked out clean from the uppercut that had winded me the moment my eyes set on her and that by exotic melanin in a yellow dress, a beauty that stung me like acid to my face.

I actually winced.

Hard.

And for the sake of Christ, I looked away.

"Sorry," She whispered softly, took two steps backward - an action that made me understand that she intended to give me some space.

After she held my body the way she did.

Now, I was not even looking at her to know that her mannerisms were hinting out awkwardness, embarrassment, and a bit of nervousness too. I had avoided looking at her, but was quick enough to pick up those little vices from her body language that hinted it clear.

Without a word, I started to walk away from her.

Because why on earth was I still even standing there?

"Marcus..."

It was the little strain in her voice that stopped me again.

She sounded desperate for some reason, and I hated That somehow, I knew what reason it was. I knew what we were hiding. What all of us were hiding. 

Much to my shock, she threw me off course with a completely off point ask.

"Can I walk with you?"

At this point, I had to ask; Is this girl okay?

"No." I politely answered her, blessed her with a quick smile over my shoulder. "And, please, never touch me like that again." I didn't stop with my steps. 

"You are going to tell her the truth tonight, aren't you?"

I stopped on my tracks.

How did she know?

"I felt you would." She added, as though she read my thoughts.

I turned around with a speed that even shocked me.

"Kelechi Uwa, look, I love Dabeluchi too much—"

My words hitched for a second in my throat when my eyes met directly with hers.

And no, this time, it wasn't the crystals in them that sparkled like they were picked up from the gold streets of Heaven and neither was it the pretty, surreal and probably non existent colours that seemed to change and blend in those fine orbs that could be brown, hazel, grey, or even purple when they wanted to be, just according to the light... No, it wasn't that, this time.

The fact that her eyes were bloodshot red topped it off. The swollenness and the veins hat seemed to scar in those corneas that were whiter than snow were disturbing to look that. 

Kelechi looked like she had been crying.

She looked like she had been seriously crying. She wore no make up, so no foundation or mascara ran down her face. It was just red swollen eyes and soft tear stains on an oil textured, dark dark pretty face.

She stood there, her posture erect, prim and proper, hands holding onto that wine glass like a Class A royal, but eyes looking like this 'big girl' had been crying her eyes the fuck out. It was evident that she suddenly got uncomfortable. It was right after she looked away awkwardly that I remembered just how much she hated to keep eye contact with me. 

I had to look away too, to finish my statement.

 "— and I am going to tell her the truth tonight."

I hated that I wanted to ask her why she was crying.

Who made her cry.

I hated that I had to deal with this. Walking away in the midst of someone else's tears had never been in my bible. But, how on earth would I handle this?

I was genuinely concerned about her.

"Do you want a tissue?" I asked instead. "Or, I don't know, it's Chido around somewhere? Should I call him for you? Or even Nana? The Media Guys have been looking everywhere for Nana, so maybe I will just call Chido up right now. Yeah, I will just call Chido—"

"No."

My phone was already set to dial the spiky haired bulky kid when she stopped me in midsentence.

Her voice was a mutter, but I heard it crystal clear.  My hand paused in the air, phone in it, and eyes anywhere that was not Kelechi's face.

"No, please..."

I breathed Lithium. 

Hard fucking Lithium gas.

"Don't call Dozie," She said. She pleaded.

I called him.

Shit, I called the nigga.

Immediately, on Kelechi's words, I tapped on Chido's ID on my phone screen and started to dial him.

And with speed. My reflexes were vet sharp. As soon as I had hit 'Call', my thumb started to press onto the volume button at the side of my Samsung, muting down its volume like my life depended on it.

I stared Kelechi right in the face as I did so, eyes squared directly at her from my distance as Chido's line silently rang in my hands. 

Unknown to her.

"Wait."

Oh, God.

Chido's line was still ringing, and Kelechi's stilettos started to knock against the tiled floors as she walked towards me, her steps, slow, very careful, and calculated, almost like she was counting them. 

I stood.

Chido's line was ringing.

Kelechi was walking towards me.

"Pick up, Pick up..." I prayed earnestly and desperately within me.

He picked up.

Right before Kelechi had reached me in her steps, Chido picked up the phone call.

Thank God.

"Kelechi, why are you crying?" I spoke immediately; my voice was loud and clear and I was beyond certain that anyone at any corner of the Hallway could have heard me — talk more of Chido who was literally on the other line of the phone. "Have you been crying here alone in the Hallway, Kelechi?"

"Marcus, please stop worrying about me," She said as soon as she got to me, her hands softly touching against my shoulders as she stopped walking.

Her dark pretty face lighted up with a poise smile as she softly spoke to me with words, eloquent and sweet.

"Dear, Marcus, this is your problem — Your astounding altruistic nature," She said to me, bright stars lingered all around those red-pink swollen eyes as she rolled words off her tongue as smoothly as butter, her soft hands lingering it's fingers upon my arms and shoulders. "You care too much than necessary, dear. About everything and everyone. I've always liked that about you..."

Her hands came off me before I even asked. 

I was on the verge of asking Kelechi to stop touching me the way she was doing and like she inwardly cautioned herself before I had the chance to do so myself, she just snapped her hands off me, and immediately.

I looked at her, clearly unable to understand her mannerisms and intentions.

"You don't have to worry about me," She said to me, as she stepped back to give some little space between us. "And you most definitely don't need to call Chido to look after me. I can do that myself."

She maintained that space between us and I was relieved to say the least.

"The person we, you, should be worried about is Dabeluchi," She told me.

"I am," I admitted it so. I really am.

"Then you shouldn't tell her anything that will hurt her tonight," She said.

Her voice was soft and urging. I didn't even give it a chance to manipulate me again.

Not when I had already made up my mind on what I had to do tonight.

So, with a humourless laugh, I ran my hand through my long hair and shook my head at Kelechi who was trying to convince me otherwise. With that, I started to walk out on her because she was a complete joke.

Surprisingly, she ran up after me and latched onto me with a hold, desperate and eager. Terrified.

"You don't understand!" She said to me. "You cannot tell Dabeluchi the truth tonight!" 

"And why the fuck not?!" I snapped impulsively, tearing my hands away from Kelechi's grip with so much force that nearly had her hitting the ground, if she hadn't balanced out in time.

She could refrain herself from falling, but did little to nothing in stopping some bits of the colourless liquid squirting out of the wine cup she held in her hands and staining the tiles of the ground.

"I'm not stopping you from telling her at all, you're not understanding me!" Kelechi was shouting at me now. Her bloodshot eyes bore swords and daggers at me now as she cornered me again, "You can't tell her now, Marcus. You of all people should know that she has a lot more to deal with right now and you still think it is the perfect timing to add more havoc to her already long list of problems? Listen to me when I say this, Marc; you must not tell Dabeluchi the truth yet. Not now."

The way she said it...

Not now...

The way Kelechi warned it.

I felt the blood in my veins thicken as they applied pressure in heir veins, wreaking shocks through me and arching my back as chills slapped against it. The urgency and dread in Kelechi's voice scared the life out of me.

It was an urgency and dread that was accompanied with certainty.

It was like she felt, like she knew, that my biggest mistake would be telling Dabeluchi the truth.

How would she feel knowing that I had been lying? That I had known for this long? But worst of all, how would she feel having to stomach such an unnerving kind of betrayal?

But, that didn't even seem to be all Kelechi was worried about. On Dabeluchi's behalf, I mean.

And frustration wreaked me thorough as I thought about this all. Each second that passed, the reality behind Kelechi's words started to hit harder, pulling me further and further into a dangerous, self destructive dilemma. I hated that feeling of having to hide things to protect people. This was low-key like the 'Sean and Ada situation' all over again, and thinking about the incoming guilt and stress it would bring me, having to lie... 

Stressed thoroughly, my hands ran aggressively down my long hair and a growl of frustration let out from me.

"Why?" I asked Kelechi. "Why, Kelechi, Why?" Because damn it, I needed her to give me a solid reason as to why it would be better off having to keep the truth away from Dabeluchi. 

Kelechi's eyes stared at me and for the first time in forever, she was able to hold such eye contact with me, enough to have me read all emotions of terror in those eyes that stared at my face, lost in fear and confusion. Even if she said not anything in particular, I already knew what she wanted to say before she said it.

"I am worried about her..." She said to me, her voice soft. "Marcus, something isn't right tonight. I can't pin it down. I can't figure out which angle it is. But, I feel it. And irrevocably. If only you would just listen to me.-"

But what on earth could have been worse than keeping the truth from the girl I loved?

"-And, what do you want me to do now?" I cut her short, asking. There was a thin line between helplessness, frustration, and I hated to admit it, dilemma, in my voice as I asked Kelechi. My voice started to rise with ach second that my grievance grew.

"I would never advice anyone to tell a lie," She said to me, her voice was firm and I could tell she meant every word. "I don't lie, Marc. And, I would never ask anyone to do so..."

A sigh of exasperation left me as I ran my hand through my hair again, the hundredth time perhaps. I was certain I looked like a mad man.

"...I am just asking that you give her a break for the night. She will need that," She further advised. 

God.

"And if Dabeluchi brings it up?"

"Avoid."

"Avoid?"

"Avoid."

"A lie of omission is still a lie," 

Kelechi stared at me after I said that. She couldn't bring herself to say anything more to debunk.

"So, indirectly, you are encouraging me to lie."

"Why can't you understand–"

"Because Dabeluchi wouldn't understand that!"

I cut her off immediately, my voice rising higher than I intended it to, and reverberation around the lonely hallway that I stood in, with Kelechi.

"I cannot understand why I know the truth about something that Dabeluchi needs to know, and I keep it to myself, because you want me to!" I reamed Kelechi. "I love that girl, okay? I fucking love her! And do you even understand me when I say that I cannot afford to repeat the same kind of mistakes that have cost me a friendship. I would be a fool to do that! Do you understand me when I say I CANNOT afford to lose my Aurora?!"

"Goodness!" Kelechi's voice rose back with equal frustration. "This is not about you trying to clear your guilt!"

"Whether it is or not, that's my problem. Dabeluchi deserves to know everything, and as soon as she can!" I fired right back.

"Listen to me!" 

"I will not lose her over this!" 

"Then, LISTEN TO ME OR ELSE YOU WILL LOSE HER ANYWAY!"

Those last words sent a shock wave down my spine instantly, shutting me up against my will.

"God, Marcus, please!" Kelechi whispered weakly, her body deflating in defeat. "Please..." Her voice actually shook with a strain, the string holding it together to firmness cutting, voice breaking nearly beyond recognition. She sounded tired and absolutely beaten, like all the fight in her had been exhausted. "Please..." She looked at me and her eyes were getting moister, redder, iris dilating in trepidation and shaky hands clasping in front of me, lips quivering with fear that she could have collapsed and possibly dropped dead from. "Please, let me fix this Marcus..."

I stayed quiet, all my words of protest betraying me at a time like this.

All I wanted to understand was just one basic thing; why?

I didn't even know what to say or how to react. If I should walk away and do what was on my mind. Or stay here and let her explain why she felt she was the one to handle this best. Why she felt that Dabeluchi should not hear about this tonight, under any circumstances. I had so many questions. So, so many.

"I cannot take back the hands and change what has already happened, and neither can you," She said to me. "For tonight, all we need do is damage control. Dabeluchi cannot know what you know, not tonight. It's our secret; it stays with us. Me and You. It stays with us until she is ready to know. Until then, we keep this. Between us-"

Footsteps.

Kelechi halted, mid speech, at the sound of footsteps, loud and clear, and even if I was sure that the fact that someone could have walked in on us, Kelechi seemed rather calm.

She stopped talking, alright, but her body stilled calmly, as she listened in on the footsteps that only got louder and louder, as it got closer and closer. From behind her.

I hadn't even realized that her hands were on mine, holding onto it the entire time, until I looked over her shoulder to catch a view of who it was coming up behind her, and quickly, weighed the implication, the possible misunderstanding(s), that could arise from being seen in the position we both were in.

"Dozie." Kelechi called his name.

Even at one careless glance, it was easy to pick out that with his bulky sized kid in a crowd. Talk less of a partially empty hallway.

With hands stuffed nonchalantly in the pockets of his baggy trousers and that slight, skeptical tilt of his spiky haired head covered with that dark hoodie jacket, the seemingly confused boy started to slow down with every step he was taking. 

And truth be told, I was so shocked that Kelechi was able to tell who it was walking up behind her, even before turning back.

It was like she had eyes at the back of her head.

The girl literally just stood like a statue, unmoved and untriggered, calm as a nightingale, and with eyes looking me dead in the eye, she called his name.

And her voice was calm.

Very calm. 

Too calm.

Chido's footsteps slowed down even more as he got closer and closer to us. Soon, it was one step first, then another hesitating step following.  Four or five feet away he was when his steps came to an absolute halt.

Neither of us said a single word.

Not me.

Not Kelechi.

Not even Chido himself, who had paused completely. Even from my short distance, I could see the furrowing of his full brows through the hood that covered his head — an indication that he was trying to figure out what the fuck was going on. His eyes hovered around me and Kelechi— whose hands were still latched on together — carefully.

It was as though at that moment, the air around us, thickened.

Unfortunately, that was the least of our problems.

Chido released one of his hands from his pockets and along with it came out a smartphone, his phone, and with just a little squint, I caught a glimpse of that tiny string of his earpiece, attached to the phone he was getting out of his pockets.

Right before my eyes, he got down the hood of his jacket, revealing that hair that spiked more than ever tonight. His lips pursed for a moment in realization and understanding, the confusion slowly starting to faze out from his face as he took out the bud of the earpiece out of one of his ears. I further watched him tap on the screen of his phone.

Disconnecting our call.

"Oh, fuck." I muttered.

How could I have forgotten that I had called Chido and left him on the fucking line the whole entire time?!

"Oh!" Kelechi may have had a sixth sense, because immediately, she turned around to face Chido, a bit of alarm glaring in her eyes. For the first time since the guy had got here, she was fazed.

Chido did not say a single word. He just stood there and moped at us. Studied us. He was completely mute. Completely straight faced. Completely unreadable. I wondered the things that were probably running all around his head.

Dread climbed my throat, meanwhile. I wondered. How much did he hear?

Oh, fuck it. He heard everything. The real question was; How much did he misunderstand?

Phrases like 'Our Secret' and 'Between me and you' and 'We can't tell Dabeluchi yet' that was exchanged between me and Kelechi started to replay in my head and I started to imagine Chido interpreting it in the most twisted context yet.

I mean, Chido and Kelechi had never admitted to having anything going on, but those who had eyes could see. And even if they were not officially together or anything, having him misunderstand anything between me and Kelechi felt wrong. So, so wrong.

"I told you to wait downstairs for me." Kelechi said to Chido, her voice in a deadpan. "You don't need to follow me around all the time. I am not a child."

Eh?

Did he react? No. Did he even act like he was affected by the bite in her voice? Not at all. Did he answer her? Not even a fucking chance, bro.

Chido just quick looked Kelechi over in one brief glance, dismissed her with that look, and narrowed his eyes directly on me, his brow arching like a sharp edged boomerang. Or rather, his hardened look was on my hands... my hands that, clears throat, was still in Kelechi's hold.

I let go.

I should have done so long before now even.

Kelechi turned around, her free hand fondling the tip of her ears - an action that indicated to me that she was uncomfortable, amidst the 'bad bitch energy' she was trying to front, and her other hand was poised in the air, daintily holding that wine glass, softly and in a fragile grip. From behind, she looked like a black Barbie doll, or a perfect postured hour glass mannequin figure.

"I meant it when I said I needed to be alone," She said to Chido. Unlike before when frustration and transferred aggression was laced in her tone, this time her voice was softer. "I would have come back down to join you."

"You don't drink, Kelechi," Chido spoke for the first time he got here, his voice deep and firm, dropping a weight down to the earth with every word he uttered. His eyes travelled from her face to her hands, surveying it with a straight look in his almond shaped eyes. "So, why is there a glass of Vodka in your hands?"

As far as the boy was concerned, that was his only concern.

This boy literally walked in here after hearing me and Kelechi talk about hiding a secret together, me and Kelechi holding hands and shit, being sus and shit, and his only concern was the Vodka glass.

"No, I wanted to ask too though," I slipped in my comment.

Chido transferred his look from Kelechi to me, his stare relaxed.

"That's not my business." He responded calmly.

Well, ouch.

The boy wasted no more time looking back to Kelechi, who he was talking to.

"I didn't know it was Vodka." She answered him.

I raised my brows at the fuckery I just heard.

"Someone handed it to me upstairs. I hadn't been able to drink it because I did feel something was off with this drink..." She said, her eyes looking at the liquid in the cup as it softly bubbled over. "I guess it was the fact that it was alcoholic."

"And taking alcohol is a sin, I suppose?" I came in.

"Drunkenness is," She turned back to answer me. "So, if something will lead to sin...  then it is best to stay away from it." There was a wistful undertone in her voice, her eyes downcast.

Chido did not even utter a word.

Silence 'disorganized' and disoriented all of us thereon.

"Gimme it." I said, taking the wine cup away from her. "I will just have one of the guys downstairs have it." With that, I started to walk away for good, disassociating myself from the awkward air that lingered there with me, Kelechi, and Chido.

Can't be out there mixing up in other people's drama, abeg.

I headed downstairs without looking back.

***

It was a mad house in my living room.

Truth be told, a mad house was an understatement. A whole circus, a market square, a damn crazy fest was going on down here, and it was far beyond anything that I could have even imagined. The ground under me was shaking, but not just from the loud, blasting music, but from the shouting and stomping in the name of jeers and dancing.

One step into the brink of the stairs was enough to catch perfect view of the madness below, from Aaron and Casper, running around and gathering crowds of 'mates into documentary videos, to hyping people like Ziba who were one uncut string close to sudden madness on the dance floor, to the rowdy and messy and loud Ballers who drank directly from massive wine bottles that were heavier than them. 

Even plus the Art boys from my class whom JJ mixed in with, shouting and screaming meaningless 'blasphemy', proclaiming the most sexist profanities as girls like Mena Kafe twisted and turned her body like a python snake. I got worried. Because they were jeering for her. And, she seemed to be convulsing.

But, no, not quite at all. A closer look at the skinny girl made me understand that she was only trying to 'twerk'.

And speaking of the girls? They shared enough in the chaos down here. Making sure to flaunt their cleavages, tummies of all sizes, stretch marks and fuck it, visible pant strings, joining in with everyone to turn the house into a chaos of drinking, dancing, and 'debauchery'. Jewellery shine blinded me. If they had designers, today they wore all of them and made sure to flaunt like it was the last chance they had.

JJ was not even joking when she said that Winnie Ezra's breasts were everywhere. And girls in her clique like Funmi Balewa were flaunting witch-like artificial nails that were longer than her boyfriend's dick.

As flashy and 'fun' as this all looked at first glance, I only hoped Mummy wouldn't come down here.

I knew it before hand that Castron High students took parties to a different extreme, but damn...

My classmates were freaking animals.

But even in the midst of all the chaos...

It was the easiest thing to spot her.

Dabeluchi Orji.

My Aurora.

Subconsciously, a smile crept onto my face, spreading softly as I looked at how she cautiously and carefully followed her friend, Soma. The girl was the most adorable thing ever, looking at the burning pandemonium around her with those beautiful semi-lost eyes, trying to slide through hyper active bodies and avoid problems to herself and it was the most precious thing to watch her.

She was like an puppy that needed to be protected, her little hands softly holding onto her friend as she followed the taller girl's lead. I giggled again watching her. Her steps were soft, a bit scattered too, and that made me laugh a bit. It was as though she didn't even know where she was going or where she was being carried or where her final destination was going to be, and that lost and confused air around her made her so, so cute. The girl was just moving with the wind that was Soma.

It was so easy to spot a girl like Dabeluchi in a crowd. And when you spotted her, it was like every other thing around you was all background noise and slow motion. It was the second time I was seeing her tonight and she even looked more beautiful than the first. In my eyes, she was practically glowing, like she was cloud in broken and scattered, imperfectly shattered pieces of diamonds and crystals that shone and made you wince, nearly blinded you with its sparkle... But made you want to look again.

Made you want to keep admiring.

Made your eyes reflexively water from its blinding shine, if you could muster the strength to hold a gaze on it: its sparkle, its strikingly painful, but addictive beauty.

Jesus Christ, this girl was so beautiful.

And she had not even noticed me yet.—

"— MAN LIKE ACHA! I HAIL THEE O!"

Of course.

If I thought that I would be able to actually take two more steps down this stairway and have nobody notice me and scream my name like a drunkard, I would have been deceiving myself.

Before I knew it, all around me were classmates, barraging me left right and center, the guys with their slapping handshakes and aggressive bro hugs, and the girls with their wide teethed smiles and wider eyes of excitement and exaggeration. I was greeting about seven to ten people in like two seconds - a fucking Super power - and soon enough, it felt causing all the divided attention of the entire room into one thing; Me. 

At some point in my life, I knew I craved for this attention so badly. The fact that my classmates seemed to place me of such high relevance, the kind of relevance that seemed to even be doubling for some reason this last year of High school, at some point, I craved it more than air and water. Dad made me feel worthless, so this felt to me like that was the only thing I really had...

But now that I had other things, like my Aurora, I saw myself not being as addicted to this attention anymore. Easily, she became my new addiction.

I mean, not that I would want it to go away - the love from classmates, their attention and all the above in connection to it - but I didn't particularly want it in desperation. Not like the way that I did before. If it went away, as far as I still had Aurora, I could survive. 

The fact that I hadn't even realized my own growth until now.

So, basically as all these stray hands slapped mine from all angles, my name was jeered from all corners, champagnes popped in my name and people practically gathering themselves around me, packing like stack of sardines, as though I was some celebrity. It was giving serious 'King of Secondary School vibes'...

But, it meant almost nothing to me.

Shockingly.

As a matter of fact, I wanted to wrap this up as quickly as I could and get on to more important things. My priority tonight was majorly Aurora. 

"—REPEAT YOURSELF, WINNIE EZRA!"

Eh?

The sudden shout took me off guard. Took the rest of the crowd all around me off guard too. The painful feeling of familiarity in that voice haunted me. As everyone around me started to tear their attention away from me to the source of the noise, the very distance I dreaded it was coming from, whispers filled the air: mutters of confusion, sick anticipation, and subtle panic.

"Hah ah, what's happening?"

"What was that scream just now?"

"Abi it sounds like Acha's girlfriend?"

I whipped my head to Dabeluchi immediately.

Or at least the forming crowd that completely covered her.

Dread danced in my stomach and climbed the ladders of my intestines until it was resting there in the nudge of my heart, red glaring everywhere.

What was happening? Dabeluchi seemed okay just now. Walking around with Soma innocently and harmlessly and completely untriggered. So, why was I hearing her voice, even in the midst of this banging loud afro beats music, shrieking all the way from the stairs that I was standing in like a fire breathing livid red dragon?

I tried to look into the crowd, subconsciously, my legs started walking, finding its way towards the direction I suspected she was in, in the midst of that mumbling, gossiping, laughing, mocking, and anticipating crowd of classmates. 

All that verbal on the Net, you dey scare who? (Huh?)

Hey, boss man, me I no dey fear you (You dey ma—)

The music shut down.

"The fuck." I muttered. Froze on my spot.

Before I knew it, the entire sound system blacked out. Shut down. Muted. And in a flash. The entire vibes that kept the place running with vibrancy and energy, completely dead.

Quietness swallowed the living room that was just bubbling with noise and fire and loud area music. Classmates, just like me, were awe struck, confused, and utterly speechless.

And guys, low and behold...

There was my girlfriend, Dabeluchi Aurora Orji, standing by the speakers, and holding the wire cord firmly with her hand raised for battle in the air, and fire blazing in her eyes.

I traced the unfortunate person, or people, those eyes were shooting daggers at — Winnie Ezra and her band of goats. 

Immediately, I stopped walking. I didn't make an effort to move any further towards Dabeluchi. I stopped and let her. She was provoked enough to not need any help, not from me and not from anyone else, and believe me, with the way I watched her in her rage, shaking with the fury, that cord in her hand swinging around like a murder weapon as she walked towards the mean girls with sharp, quickened steps that could have left imprints on the ground, I knew she got this.

And girls like Winnie Ezra and Funmi Balewa had picked on my girlfriend enough.

I didn't care to know what they did this time. But damn it, I was more than ready to watch Dabeluchi Orji kick some fucking ass tonight.

Involuntarily, a smile crept upon my face.

"Are you daft?" Her eyes blazed with fire and burning sulphur as she stomped her determined and furious feet towards the group of girls. "Or deaf? Or dead?" She was swinging that cord like a professional, handing that shit so effortlessly and smoothly, getting ready to wipe it on one other their necks. "I said, repeat yourself, Winnie Ezra!"

God help me not to laugh because Winnie and her friends looked like they were about to explode with their eyes widened so hard in horror, blowing at the verge of combustion. Panicking, they talked amongst themselves, their feet slowly moving back the more that Dabeluchi seemed to get closer to them with each step.

Oh, they had the mouth to bitch about, but shit gets real for them when their bullying victim starts swinging around a cord like Jackie Chan? Interesting.

"I didn't say a-anything, it was F-Funmi that said that that to S-Somadina," Winnie fumbled over her own words, I could sense the desperate panic in her voice even if she tried to mask it to sound firm. "S-So, you had b-better stop charging up to me like that, when I d-didn't do anything. I-I am w-warning y-you o!"

I slapped a hand over my mouth, laughter barely escaping it as I swallowed it all into my chest and convulsed with its leftover into the palms of my hands. 

Dabeluchi laughed too, humourlessly rather. 

"Oh, you're warning me? Lemme come closer so you can warn me well!" Her eyes lit up with a manic glint, lips lifting in a dangerously psychotic smirk as she flung that cord in the air, aiming it at the big breasted Sanitary Prefect and her painted faced Shrek friends. 

The entire crowd here shouted as that weapon literally flew from Dabeluchi's hands, spiralling wickedly in the air and aiming dangerously towards Winnie Ezra. In the space of a nano second,  the antagonizer and her friends scattered like birds, falling right  over each other and unfortunate stand-by classmates as they ran to avoid the wire cord that was more or less like a dagger at this point.

Man, the dispersion was epic. These girls flew gathering of goats barged in on by a mad speeding car, the tallest one amongst them who had fallen first started to crawl on hands and knees, making her way as far away from Dabeluchi as fast as she could. 

"Look at them! Cockroaches!" Ebere Onuoha's voice came booming from wherever she was, and got about a half of the party thundering in scattered and disorganized, absolutely maddening laughter. 

The other half, unfortunately, was running to hold Dabeluchi back.

Because the babe was literally storming after them, teeth gritted and eyes in a death glare, head charging towards them and claws in the air like a wounded tiger as she ran to assail the crawling, running demons, fire quickening her bones and joints.

I had never seen her like this before. So angry. So vengeful. But I damn knew it was about time.

Unfortunately, these classmates wouldn't let her do what she wanted to do. A number of them kept holding her down, trying to keep the peace of the place and trying to calm the tiger within her, stopping her from getting at those girls who deserved to be taught a fucking lesson.

"They insulted Soma!" Dabeluchi was arguing with the people who tried to hold her down, her voice shaking and trembling in rage and tears. "Why are you stopping me? Let me at them! Did you hear what they said to her? Did you hear? Do you even know how much trauma Soma goes through because of her addiction, and these marine spirits think it is fucking okay to fucking pick on other people's FUCKING trauma!"

It was a struggle holding her down and a sense that things were going too far started to prick me and I held my breath at how hurt and distraught she seemed to be. Even with all the aggression and violence and drama, Dabeluchi actually just wanted to cry her eyes out from the hurt.

And the fact that all it took for her to go bat-shit was having to pick on her friend...

I stepped in to stop this. I suddenly didn't want to see a fight anymore. I just wanted Aurora to be okay. 

"Fine, fine, fine! I won't touch them!" My girlfriend finally gave into all the obstructions holding her, trying to struggle free from peace-seeking classmates, while her hands rose up in a desperate gesture of surrender. "But just let me give these girls a piece of my mind abeg."

I stopped again, halted on my steps.

"Enough is enough." Dabeluchi spoke, and she forced firmness into her shaky voice that was a sign that self control was the hardest thing for her to do right now. "I won't touch them, but let me end this fuckery once and for all. These girls need to be set straight."

I coughed a small scoff, agreeing within.

You go, girl.

"I, Dabeluchi Orji, am sick and tired of having to deal with classmates like Winnie Ezra and her clique and believe me, after tonight, all these nonsense is going to stop!" Dabeluchi spoke with finality in her tone, her voice loud enough to be announcement for the entire room that was silenced in all the fierceness around her. 

Winnie and her friends were starting to get back on their feet, dusting away the dust and sand from their dresses and their exposed shoulders and knees, looking around them quietly as they weighed in the humiliation that was growing with each second that everyone looked between them and Dabeluchi.

As much as it was obvious that they were still a bit afraid, they tried to hide it. It shocked me how unremorseful these girls could be; all that was their concern was the embarrassment that Dabi was putting them through, and the urge to pretend like they were not chickens in front of her, forcing themselves to stand firm and keep feigning that snotty air around them. 

If they were not so scared of Dabeluchi going crazy on them, they would have been in a word battle with her right now. The way I could hear Winnie breathing in panic, even while forcing herself to adjust her shoulders in place and keep her nose in the air, biting down hard on her tongue like she wanted to think before she said the right thing to get attention back in her favour, and not against her, as it was.

And how Funmi looked between their leader and the other girls, searching for any amongst them who had the guts to fight back at Dabeluchi, the other girls moping amongst themselves too, all of them stuck between reducing their embarrassment and getting back at the top, against Dabeluchi.

"You." 

Dabeluchi stepped up, her eyes set on Winnie Ezra.

No one stopped her. Thank God.

"You," She said again.

Winnie seemed to shift the heel of her foot back, just the iota of an inch - almost unnoticed - before looking back behind her, as if there was something or someone else behind her that Dabeluchi could have been talking to. 

"I am talking to you, Winnie Ezra," Dabeluchi firmly solidified, took another step forward to survey the fools that hovered around her like guardians and minions, calling their names out one by one. "You and your stuck up low life leach friends: Funmi Balewa, Emmanuella Joseph, Neche Goddy, and whatever the fuck your name is supposed to be." She dismissed the last tall girl amongst them like a piece of used tampon when she couldn't recall her name.

Ouch.

"What is your problem with people like me?" She asked her bullies. "I don't understand. Winnie, you and your friends always made fun of me since junior school and I am trying to understand why. In Jss1, Ella told me I was ugly. Jss2, Funmi dragged me out of the girls bathroom because she didn't want people like me mixing up with cool people like her. Jss3, Neche, you bad mouthed me to set boys who bullied me, and you all seemed to carry this unexplained hate towards me, even till Senior School. You, Winnie, you headed your girls to make my life a fucking miserable hell, and then, in Ss3, Winnie, you told me the world would be better off place if I jumped off a bridge and committed suicide..."

Collective gasps were heard from among classmates and Dabeluchi stopped there for a moment.

I wouldn't lie, it kinda annoyed me. Not just what Winnie and her friends did to Dabi. But the fact that many other people, even in this room right now, have done and said worse to other people who they termed 'unworthy' and were here, acting appalled and shocked to hear this.

"Hypocrites." I muttered under my breath.

"I don't understand the way that bullies like you are wired," Dabeluchi continued, speaking to Winnie and her friends, and indirectly, the entire set of SS3 that was guilty of the same kind of offence Winnie and her clique were being called out for. "Do you do this to feel better about yourselves? Or is it just for attention?"

"Attention!" Ebere Onuoha shouted again from her distance, answering Dabi's question. The girl was having the time of her damn life, chiding Dabeluchi on. "They are doing it for their chewing gum boyfriends with fullstops for dicks!" Had to give it to her for being able to actually make a number of people laugh in this tense atmosphere, even though stray bullets had been cast into the air for no reason. 

Winnie and her friends looked like the ground should just open up and swallow them.

"Or, is it just me?" Dabeluchi asked them quietly, sounding like it was all starting to make some sense now. "Is that it? Are you just simply threatened by my existence?"

Winnie's irises dilated into a pin dot, eyes growing wide as she stepped out for her chicken friends in hard defence, shoulders tenses and foot stomped down.

"Nonsense!" She spat bitterly, absolutely and thoroughly triggered.

Why so triggered?

"What in heaven's name makes you think that me or any one of us here," She aggressively gestured towards her friends behind, "Would be threatened by someone like you, Dabeluchi Orji! Don't get ahead of yourself, you are NOT that important!"

I loved, and I mean, absolutely obsessed, over how triggered the girl was.

"Not that important?" Dabeluchi actually laughed, her brow arching in thorough amusement. I loved even more how unbothered she was by Winnie's pathetic attempt of a diss. "I may not be that 'significant' in the eyes of many, but for you specifically, Winnie, I genuinely beg to differ.

God, I couldn't have been more proud of her right now. How easily she knew what to say back to Winnie, how to say it, how to shut her down with concrete facts. Hottest shit ever. 

"You and your clique put in work, Winnie," Dabeluchi continued, her eye contact not fazing. "You put in effort, you put in one hell of a passion too to bring me down every time. I cannot even walk by and not hear a comment or two about myself coming from you and your little squad. Babe, you give me attention, even before I even notice your damn presence. You are ever so quick to spot me, even in a fucking crowd.  You notice me, before I notice you. It's the dedication, determination and insane fanaticism for me, so I find it ironic that you are denying your deranged obsession over me."

Fuck this shit.

This girl was on fire!

"So, genuinely, I would love to understand..." Dabeluchi carried on, nonetheless. "Why? Why do I have that much effect over you and your minions? One girl. Just one little girl like me."

Mouth to ears, I was grinning so hard. Damn!

Our classmates were hysteric too. They were absolutely living for this drama, all around me were hyped whispers of 'Jesus!' and 'Ewo!' and only God knows that he was the only one preserving my self control, because I was one step away from running over there to throw my girlfriend in the air and put the QUEEN on a pedestal, because damn!

"And you, Funmi," Dabeluchi was fighting the little smirk that wanted to appear at the corner of her mouth when she pulled Winnie's best friend into the mix. 

The light skinned 'diva' looked like she wanted the ground to open and swallow her up, as she looked around her hysterically to laughing classmates, surveying her present and forth coming humiliation.

"Tofunmi Balewa, how come you go around hating on every single one of Marcus Acha's exes, except Neche who is in your own group?" Dabi questioned the girl, the entire room was in an instant commotion; everyone was shouting and screaming different exclamations in different native languages.

Queen Dabeluchi was relentless, she carried on.

"Or is there some masked hate or envy circling your own little group?" She laughed at them, a mocking giggle that would have sent goosebumps of irritation down Funmi's spine. "Trouble in the Enemy Camp?"

I lost it.

I, and a good number of neighbouring classmates were laughing our asses off, completely scattering into convulsing and uncontrollable laughter that wreaked us silly.

"T-That's not true!" Funmi tried to defend herself, but unfortunately, her shaky little voice was being swallowed up in the noise of classmates who were rolling-on-the-floor laughing. "N-N-Neche is a good friend to me!"

"I couldn't bring myself to give a fuck who is or isn't," Dabeluchi easily said, blew imaginary dust off her manicured nails. "All I hope after today is that you and your team leave me the fuck alone. And if your hate on me is based off what I have with your ex-boyfriend, Marcus Acha,—"

All eyes started to divert towards me, one by one.

"—then, the sooner that you die down those dreams of getting him back, the better for your mental health." Dabeluchi wrapped up.

"Gbas Gbos!" A stray classmate shouted. More laughter erupted.

"I have the man wrapped around my fingers and equally, he has me locked and sealed in a bottle," Dabeluchi stated to Funmi plainly and cheers and hoots from amibo classmates caused her to laugh a bit.

I laughed too, absolutely and shamelessly flattered.

She just had to include me in this. I wasn't even complaining, fam. Not about the fact that she had indirectly dragged me into all the attention and drama, either. Our open and shameless declaration of Love always highlighted everything for me.

Our eyes had met for a whole minute, pride filling it until tears were nearly coming out.

And classmates could not contain themselves. The equally shameless goats saw it as an opportunity to tease the both of us to thy kingdom come.

"Okay o! Romeo and Juliet!" One rabbit had shouted from the Zobo Dispenser, causing laughter to explode everywhere.

Dabeluchi was a microphone, and no matter how much classmates distracted with teases and laughter, she was undeterred.

"So, you see," She continued addressing Funmi. "You are the last person that Marcus Acha would ever set his eyes on. It would be delusional of you to think you could come between us. We are bound together like a thread to needle and nobody, not even you, can do zingba shit about it. Do you understand?"

"We understand!" Another antelope shouted from a distance.

Funmi looked disoriented. I would have felt bad for her if she and the rest of her clique did not deserve what was coming to them. This must have been the most embarrassing thing for them, ever. And coming from someone who they always thought they could press down? Shit must hit hard.

And Winnie Ezra wouldn't accept defeat. She took over again, throwing attacks and accusations at Dabeluchi, even when everyone was laughing them to scorn.

"Fuck this!" She shouted. Blazing, she threw the middle finger at everyone, all classmates who kept laughing and laughing and laughing at them. "Fuck all of you abeg! Fuck off!"

Some crazy classmates laughed even harder. Crazier ones started to shout things along the lines of 'E dey pain you o!'. I shook my head with a laugh.

"And you!" She fired back at Dabeluchi, trembling with rage. "You're here acting like we don't have an effect on you! Coming to pretend as if you don't feel affected every time by our words too! You think we don't know how much our opinion of you wrecks you to bits? Fuck that shit, abeg! We have just as much power over you too and you damn know it! It's very easy for us to toil with your confidence and you know it! So stop acting like you're such a badass Queen! If you really were one, then why are you here right now? If you're really 'bad bitch don't care', why are you now here bad mouthing us? Eh?!"

"Okay, so maybe at some point in my life, I did give you an undeserving amount of power over me!" Dabeluchi fired back at her. "I will not hesitate to admit that, but believe me, it ends today and NOW!"

"You-You are pathetic, Dabeluchi!" Winnie shouted at her.

It was so obvious how desperate she was to get it back, that power she used to have over Dabi. She wanted, by all means, to get it back. To feel that superiority over her again.

"You are a pathetic, attention seeking piece of garbage!" Winnie shrieked, spitting bitterly on the floor of my father's living room.

"Jesus Christ." I muttered, eyes wide in shock at the spittle on the floor.

Who tf was going to clean that up?

"No dey spit anyhow for somebody's father's house o! Which kain dirty behaviour is that!" A classmate shouted at Winnie, and immediately, stones were being cast on her. Everyone, attacking her for the disgusting thing she just fucking did.

Dabeluchi stood there and at one look at her, I was certain that Winnie had lost it all in her eyes. That importance. That fear. That power.

Dabi just stood there, tsking, shaking her head at the girl who was shaking like a generator.

It was so clear to me now. Why these girls never liked Dabeluchi Orji. It all balled down to one word — Jealousy.

"I feel pity for you, Winnie Ezra."

Dabi spoke calmly.

"And you know why?" My babe cocked her head to the side as she questioned Winnie Ezra. "Because I can't imagine how tough it must be..."

She spoke clearly above all our classmate's noises.

"...How tough it must be so insecure that even good things about other people make you sick to your stomach," She quietly said to Winnie.  "You see people getting love, it irritates you. You see beauty, it infuriates you. You see happiness, it triggers you. God, how do you sleep at night?"

I truly wanted to know too.

How did people like Winnie, who hated seeing other people prosper and be happy, sleep at night?

"You probably don't even sleep well at night because of me, ba?" Dabi said with a scoff. "I can picture how, for example, that night of Wonder Coast was for you. The torture you must have felt, seeing me get so much attention, so much 'Love'. I'm actually curious to know, how many times you must have practiced some of my dance moves and twisted an ankle. How angry that could have made you that I could do it, and you couldn't..."

She stopped again. It made her laugh.

It made me laugh too. Because God, people could be so driven into hatred over the most petty and nonsense things.

People like that were so awful. They'd go around, throwing their insecurities into the air to the point it's even hard for them to point out the difference between a good thing and a bad thing.

To the point that even a sweet gesture of saying a consistent 'good morning' to everyone in a public group chat could become a deadly threat to them.

And just because the person doing this selfless bit of kindness gets appreciation for their thoughtfulness, instead of seeing the gesture as a nice person wishing others well, they would rather see the gesture as an evil person, fighting attention away from them.

And then, they would go ahead to post a hate anonymous message on Kubool over it.

"It must irritate you how much it looks like I don't even try, yet I seem to get all the attention that you wished you had," Dabeluchi said to her. "How effortlessly I could walk into a room with scattered hair and no make up and still look good, and no matter how hard you try, you can't imitate that... It just be so annoying to you, Winnie."

Winnie was speechless.

Even if she looked like she wanted to fight back, she had no words.

What could she have said in her defence?

"I am not the prettiest girl in our set,—" Dabi started to declare.

I begged to differ.

"— Yet, you can't get your eyes off me, Winnie. You and your insecure band of goats." She concluded.

"And?" She bit back with acid in her tone, her voice shaking with fury. "Aren't we all insecure? Look who is standing before me talking about insecurity!"

Dabeluchi stared calmly at her as she continued her verbal attack.

"So now, what are you saying?" Winnie fired at her. "That being insecure means you're a bad person? You think anyone wakes up in the morning and decides to a bad person? People go through things, you sick twit! Even people you think are such bad people!"

"Being insecure is not a crime," Dabeluchi countered easily. "It only becomes a problem when you make other people feel less of themselves because of it. And then feel entitled to other people's pity and understanding of your terrible behaviour and ill manners, just because you are insecure. Just because you are 'going through a lot'. That is where the problem is, Winnie Ezra."

Period.

"And I find it ironic how people like you go around getting jealous of the kind of others when you don't even know what goes on in their lives, behind closed doors. You're jealous of my life? You want my life, Winnie Ezra? Do you really think you could survive 10 seconds... in my head?"

For some reason, my heart stopped a bit.

Dabeluchi only sighed, shook her head, and stood upright, spine straight.

"So, for the last time, I will make my warning sound loud and clear," Dabi spoke, head held high and nose in the air, her tone of voice made it sound like a general warning.

And to be honest, it was about time.

"I will not let anybody bring me down again. I pledge to that." She sounded it loud and clear.

I couldn't be more proud of this girl, this new Dabeluchi. She was growing, she was reforming, and damn it, it made her twice as gorgeous. 

My queen stood there in all her glory and commanded what she wanted from the entire set, with her head held high and nose in the air. Gold. I saw it all around her, she shone with it, talked with it, looked like it too. With sass rolling off her demeanour, she stylishly looked over her shoulder, her gaze setting on Aaron and Casper, alongside the other Media Boys who stood there by the Speakers, dumbfounded.

She scoffed playfully, and ordered.

"You can turn the music back on now, boys."

One of the guys followed with obedience, sticking the cord back in its place and having the entire pace bounce back to life as Daily Duppy blasted around the place.

Like nothing even happened, the party was back to life. Dabi standing out as a queen and Winnie and her friends walking away in utter shame. I never lost my smile, and as it was meant to be, Dabi's eyes, happy and radiant, sparking under the gold highlights in the air, glinted at me, her face brightening up with the most adorable smile I had ever seen on her.

The happiest smile I had ever seen on her. 

Her happiness gave me happiness. And I couldn't hold myself, I walked towards her with ease, like they were not a dozen bodies sliding past and around me, like it was only the both of us in the room, and the closer I got, the more her smile broadened.

She was so happy tonight. I wanted her to keep being happy. 

"Aurora?" I called her name as soon as I got to her, an arm slid around the small of her back, her body leaning in closer to mine, giving me more access to cup the small of her back in one hand. Looking at her adoringly, admiring her and that imaginary crown on her head, I told her, "That was the sexiest thing I have ever seen."

She laughed, it rang warmly in my soul. Her cheeks were flushing red, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she blushed so fucking hard, giggling like a seven year old in my arms.

Dabeluchi was so, so happy. 

And I was falling in love over and over and over again.

"Yass, King! Get your Queen!" A voice chanted and that was all it took me to notice her friends, Soma and Ebere, eyeing us teasingly as they walked away with each other to give me and Dabeluchi our space.

"And go make beautiful baby princesses!" Soma shouted along with her as both girls giggled away. 

Dabeluchi laughed. It reminded me of how happy she was tonight and how much I wanted to keep it that way. So, even if it seemed like so many red flags were glaring, I laughed because of her. And for the fact that passer-by classmates found it the hardest thing to mind their business in the presence of 'Aurora and Clyde', we suffered the consequences - the endless teasing.

"Let me hold this one for you! Focus on your babe!" Gadhafi had appeared out of nowhere, snatching the wine cup I had forgotten I had been holding away from my hand. The very one that I had taken away from Kelechi earlier, before I got down here.

Again, me and Dabeluchi shared a laugh.

"Vodka?" She said, eyes wide in surprise. "You guys also had Vodka here?"

"Oh, not at all," I answered. "I specifically put a ban on any alcoholic drink being here, because Mama Acha would flip if she spotted even a piece of glass evidence that we were drinking in here. You want your future husband to die before his time?" 

Dabeluchi laughed heartily, so richly. It was such a genuine laugh that warmed my heart.

"God genuinely forbid," She said in response. "But, how on earth did you manage to be holding a glass of Vodka if there were none in the party?"

"Oh, easy, I took it from Kel—"

Fuck.

"—JJ." I was quick to cover up, immediately. "I took it from JJ. The boy keeps breaking every rule in the book, and I can't have him getting drunk in my house. He is already a lot to handle when he is sober, abeg."

"Oh, right, you're still friends with him," She chipped in, the judgement in her tone was little, but enough to give me a whiplash.

However, I preferred letting Aurora think that I took the drink from JJ, rather than having her know the truth that indeed, it was Kelechi who gave me that wine cup of Vodka. 

Fortunately, no bit of awkwardness sipped in between us. She was still smiling beautifully, glowing like a star, in front of me, as my hands never left her waist for even a second. 

"You're happy tonight," I said softly to her.

"More than I have been in a long, long time," She said back, a sparkle glinted in her irises.

"That makes me happy," I sincerely told her.

My free hand found hers'. 02 by Oxlade was playing and as the sweet soft fine afro tune filled the air, our hands joined together in our silence, fingers playing against each other, and soft giggles escaping our lips as we fondled our hands together, admired how good it looked together.

Dabeluchi called it Art. I agreed wholeheartedly. 

"You know," She spoke softly, her tone was in a bedroom voice. "For a second, I was very worried about tonight," The way she laughed softly as she talked, swayed playfully and daintily in my arms, it gave me a sweet rush. "But, nah, with how well things seem to be going... I think nothing is going to go wrong anymore.—"

—GBAM!

"WHAT THE BLOODY FUCK!"

Spoke too soon.

In shock, startled to the absolute core at the loud gun-shot sounding bang, Dabeluchi jumped fully into my arms for protection and as I reflexively held her tight, my head whipped so fast to the direction the sound came from to see what the fuck that was!

It was no gun shot. Thankfully. However, what it was wasn't any comforting.

A classmate had fallen from the brink of the stairs and rolled down to the bottom, his body hitting the floor incredibly and dangerously, that it would have been impossible to not have declared him dead on the spot.

Goosebumps dotted my skin as everyone, in panic mode, started to rush towards Gadhafi, in a desperate mission to help him, to check and hope he was still alive.

However, I was frozen...

Because trailing down on the stairs after the boy was the very wine glass he had snatched away from my hands some literal minutes ago. The very one Kelechi had given to me.

But...

But...

But...

 The cup was empty, with bits and trickles of left over Vodka, sipping off it.

And...

And...

And...

The remains of it trickled down the base of Gadhafi's lips, mixed with foam and blood, as the boy lay unconscious on the floor.

Um... Not my hands shaking because of the upcoming conspiracy theories you guys will throw me with. But I am a strong woman, so hit me with your best shot! 

I hope this update was worth it guys! How was your reading experience??

See you next week! After I drop my TMBT teaser video and show yall a sneak peek of what the next chapters are going to look like! Bye! Love you!!!