Hey, Fam!

Our update is here!

I had time to kill and I thought, why not?

Okay, our non-art students in the house, this chapter is a little...you know 🌚 but don't worry! It doesn't ruin the fun! I'm so sure you guys will enjoy it. Now, with that being said, dive in!

Ouch, also, I changed the blurb. You should check the new one and tell me what you think.😌

The song for the chapter- Intentions by Justin Bieber.

              _____________𖧷____________
 

                     "𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑙𝑦 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠
                           𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑠."

              _____________𖧷_____________

           ~𝚂𝙷𝙰𝙺𝙸𝚁𝙰 𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙸𝙾𝙻𝙰 𝙼𝙰𝙻𝙸𝙺~

"Mama Heather, I need cleaning agents,"

That was the first thing I said to the dark-skinned woman, who was stirring Jollof-rice in the pot gently with the turning stick. She paused, reducing the heat of the Gas-cooker and covered the pot with a foil, sealing the lid to trap the steam in.

I didn't miss the look of shock that flashed across her face. It made me chuckle softly. It was amusing. She quirked one of her brows at me and I rolled my eyes, sauntering forward. I tucked my hands in the pocket of my tight shorts, smiling at her.

"You want to clean?" She queried and I nodded in response to the question she asked.

She watched me with this amused smile on her face and I furrowed my brows at her.

"Mama Heather, nau! Don't look at me like that. It's not my first time cleaning, dhur!" I threw my hands in the air and she chuckled, waving me off.

"Now, you are just putting words in my mouth. I didn't say you don't clean. For a girl of your age, you are quite good when it comes to doing the house chores," She commended and I flipped my braids sassily. She snorted, muttering an "Oh, please!" under her breath.

"So, why were you giving me the look?" I huffed, folding my arms across my chest. She walked over to the pot of food on the cooker, uncovering the lid and taking off the foil covers. She stirred it lightly with the turning stick and I swear, I could feel myself salivating.

"What look?" She inquired, not taking her eyes off the food.

"The look!" I groaned, earning a chuckle from her.

"I'm not doing anything, Shakira. This is my normal face." She said indifferently, trying to keep a straight face, but she failed at it, a loud guffaw left her lips and I pouted.

"Mama Heather!" I cried, making myself comfortable by settling on the stool. I watched her with folded arms, frowning so hard.

"Well, I'm sorry!" She defended herself and I sniggered.

"You didn't make it less hilarious with how your cheeks were on fire. Don't blame me. I put two and two together." She smirked at me and I groaned, wanting to claw my way into the ground and stuff myself in there. My cheeks reddened in embarrassment, even more, and she squealed.

"Awwww, there it is!" She gushed like a little girl.

"He's my friend!" I debunked immediately, getting off the stool and stomping my feet on the ground.

"I didn't even say it was a guy!" She stared at me, her eyes crinkling with amusement.

"See? Your eyes are saying something, even though you are not saying it." I pursed my lips and jutted my hip out, placing my hand on it.

She threw her head backwards, laughing aloud. The soft laughs that exited her lips were rich, light and beautiful.

"Come on, I'm done here. Let's get you some cleaning agents." She teased and left her initial position. She was standing in front of me now, watching me with this softness that married her features, smiling at me.

"You should smile more," She voiced out and I stared at her without saying anything. Then, I stepped forward, wrapping my arms around her frame. She chuckled against me, patting my back softly.

"Thank you, Mama Heather," I whispered.

"For everything," I added, sighing.

                                      •••••

I groaned, and a low hiss exited my lips. Beads of sweat were starting to form around my forehead, even though__ Oh shit! I didn't turn on the AC! No wonder! I have been sweating like someone who ran a two-mile distance!

I dropped the bedspreads on the unmade bed. I strutted to where the Air conditioning switch was and switched it on. I adjusted the overly bright lights that made the white-themed room look like a paradise. It was so in my face and I knew without a doubt that he was going to hate it too!

My room was a mess!

An. Absolute. Mess.

Madam, you have cleaned this room five times! Because of man!

Fuck off.

My eyes scoured the room, double-checking for any mistakes I made while I was cleaning. When I found none, I gave an impressive nod and went to change the sheets on my bed. I picked up my teddy bear that was on the couch. The stuffed animal was too big. It was slouching as I carried it in my arms, watching me with its button-like eyes.

"Do you think he'll like it?" I directed the question at the teddy bear.

"Ugh! I don't like that face you are giving me. You are subtly telling me how he's going to hate it! No matter. I'll judge myself," I hissed.

"And, no cuddling for you!" I wagged my finger at it and dumped it on the bed.

I took a few steps back, scanning the room myself.

"Perfect!" I said with an accent.

Yeah, this was the nth time I was saying that today. Then, it's either the bedsheets are too colourful or the pillows are not in the right positions or the lights in the room are too bright, which brings me back to square one.

Rinse and repeat.

Menascum

No, they are not.

Yeah, right.

Wo! Limme!

Stefan brought up the idea of a video call to make up for the study session we missed. He said and I quote "I don't want you stressing yourself, Reina. A video call will do." 

Yeah, that study session you ruined by being a crybaby.

The obnoxious little voice in my head taunted. It was just brutal! No form of empathy! I hated it. It was so mean!

"Get out of my head," I said through gritted teeth.

I cringed terribly when I remembered what went down at his place, the way I bawled my eyes out in his arms that evening. He just had to ask and I couldn't control my mouth that had no filter. The words came tumbling out of my mouth, without commas and full stops.

I could have handled it better.

I didn't want him walking on eggshells around me. I didn't want him to think I was weak or that I was vulnerable. He was the closest thing I had to a male bestfriend. I wasn't any of those things I mentioned.

I am Shakira Niniola Malik. I am a Queen. Queens don't falter. Queens don't break. Queens__

Yinmu!

I palmed myself and exhaled.

I got up from my bed and went into the bathroom to take a quick shower. I changed into a pair of ash-coloured joggers and a black leather crop top. I wore a pair of socks to keep my feet warm, then I took my seat on the stool that was opposite my vanity table.

My eyes scanned my makeup products and I sighed, picking them up one by one.

Dhur, a girl has to look good.

Oh, you mean look good for Stefan?

"What's your problem!" I snapped. I sighed when I realized that it only made me appear crazy. I didn't understand how hard it was to not butt into my business, for just a day. A day. That was all I was asking for. 

Yeah, maybe I'll start keeping my mouth shut when you decide to stop lying to yourself!

I proceeded to do my makeup, keeping as light as I could and damn when I was done? I loved what I was seeing! I dabbed a little gloss on my lips, for moisture. After applying my perfume, I slid my feet into my bunny slides and wanted to get up from my seat, but then, I stopped.

Was I doing too much?

I breathed out and turned to my mirror, faking a smile.

"It's just a video call, Shakira. You have got this." I reminded myself, patting my braids.

My phone rang out, the ringtone resonating throughout the room. I hissed through my teeth and stood up, walking over to the reading table I had arranged earlier. I picked up the phone and scouted for a convenient spot before picking up the call.

"Just, be yourself," That was the last thing I said then, his face came into view.

I swallowed, audibly, waving awkwardly at the fine shade of caramel at the other end of the screen. Instantly, I recognized the background. He was in the library, leaning into the inbuilt sofa that was behind the see-through glass.

He had a contagious grin on his face. Heck, I couldn't resist smiling back at him.

He had his white earbuds stuck in his ears, clad in a white tee and a fuschia-pink cauldron jacket. As weird as it sounds, pink was his colour. It seemed as though it was specifically made for him. The softness the acclaimed 'feminine colour' possessed, aligned with his skin and augmented his eyes.

His lips twitched, stretching a smile that had warmth radiating off him, eliciting a light sigh from me.

"Is the network bad at your end too? I can't hear anything, Reina." He spoke up, breaking the silence. I nibbled on my lower lip, tasting the strawberry gloss in my mouth.

Fuck me.

"Errrh…no, no, no. I…uh. Crap! I'm so sorry. Yeah. It's the network." I was stuttering. I sounded like a complete idiot! It had me cringing so hard.

Cat got your tongue?

Fuck you.

"Reina?" He called, pulling me out of my thoughts. I turned to him, meeting his worried gaze. 

"I'm okay," I rolled my eyes at him.

"I'm so sorry for the inconvenience, Stefan. We could have gone over this the other day. It's all my fault." My forehead creased in a frown, and I ducked my head a little, avoiding eye contact with him.

I heard him chuckle.

"Look at me, Reina." He urged. I shifted on my seat, toying with my pen and eventually, I spared him a cursory glance, but I couldn't revert my gaze. Our eyes locked in a stare, causing my breath to hitch softly.

"What are you apologizing for?" He questioned, arching one of his perfectly carved brows at me while he waited patiently for me to answer his question.

"The other day…" I trailed off and a barely audible scoff escaped his lips.

"Reina, stop. Stop apologizing. It's so embarrassing. It's not a one-time project. It's going to be a series of study sessions. You shouldn't apologize for something you have no control over." He stated matter-of-factly and then his lips twitched, his grey eyes appearing thoroughly amused.

His eyes…

Yeah, you are obsessed with them.

God, Shakira, get a grip.

"I'm just saying there are other things you could have done with your time and not stuck here with me for a freaking study session." I frowned, stabbing my book repeatedly with my pen.

He heaved a loud sigh and slammed his textbook shut with a loud thud. 

"Well, I'd rather be here doing this with you than be anywhere else right now. We are not talking about this anymore, Reina." The words rolled off his tongue so casually, totally unaware of how my skin prickled with goosebumps and the way my heart skipped. Twice.

His tone was firm enough to tell me that he didn't want us to talk about this anymore.

"Thank you, Bibi." I grinned at him and he threw me the stink eye, eliciting a child-like giggle from me.

"So," He began, sitting up.

"Where do you propose we start?" He spared me a cursory glance, then turned to his textbook, flipping through the pages.

"Let's take the simpler ones first," I suggested. He stopped what he was doing, his eyes flickering over to mine. I turned crimson underneath his gaze, suddenly feeling so shy.

"Alright, we'll take figures of speech first. Sure, it tends to get underrated at times, but literature practically revolves around it. So, it's advisable to start with that," He paused.

"Are you okay with that?" He inquired and I bobbed my head in response.

"There are about twenty-three common figures of speech. So, let's pick a few and talk about it," He began.

"We have Simile, Personification, Irony, Hyperbole, Oxymoron, Metaphor, Metonymy, Paradox, Synecdoche, Rhetorical question, Apostrophes, Pun, Antithesis and Antonomasia.We'll talk about these first before going on to the next ones,"

"Reina, do not hesitate to ask me questions if there's anything you are confused about." He added and I looked up from my jotter, nodding my head in affirmation.

"Simile is more of an indirect comparison between two objects. They are usually connected with the use of 'as' and 'like' Let me give you some examples,"

"As cold as ice,"

"As gentle as a Dove,"

"As light as a feather,"

"Like two peas in a pod,"

"Fierce like a Lion."

"The key point being the use of 'as' and 'like' Also, it's an indirect comparison. Do you understand or do you want me to go again?" He questioned with a light smile dancing on his lips. The simple gesture made my heart swell.

He stared at me and waited patiently like he had all the time in the world.

"Understood," I flashed him a coy smile.

"Metaphor. Now, Simile and Metaphor are quite alike in a way, because they are both based on comparisons. The only difference between the two is that Simile is an indirect comparison with the use of 'as' and 'like' while a Metaphor is a direct comparison,"

"There's no going through corners, unlike a Simile. So, simply put, you are comparing two things without the use of 'as' and 'like',"

"So, If I say she's a Sheep, I'm being direct with my comparison. Remember, the only difference between the two is, Simile deals with indirect comparison and Metaphor deals with a direct comparison. Do you have any questions before we go on to the next?" He inquired and I shook my head sideways.

"Simile uses 'as' and 'like' when comparing things, indirectly. Metaphor is more straightforward. It's a direct comparison between two things, without the use of 'as' and 'like'." I chipped in and he gave me an impressive nod.

"Great! You are catching up pretty quickly," He grinned cheekily at me, leaning into the soft leather seat.

"And on to the next, Personification. This pretty much means giving the attributes of an animate object to inanimate objects. Giving the attributes of living things to non-living things,"

"For example, when I say The Trees are dancing,"

"The cloud is weeping,"

"The rain is singing,"

"The sun smiled down on us,"

"The story jumped off the page," 

"I'm personifying non-living things,"

"I'm giving them the qualities of a human in my sentences because only humans dance, smile and weep. So, me saying the cloud is weeping, I'm attributing the qualities of a human to an inanimate object. You feel me, shey?" He asked.

"I feel you. I feel you." I answered.

"We have Irony. This particular figure of speech can be classified into three places. At least, the ones I know of are three,"

"There's situational, verbal and dramatic Irony. Irony is meant to be the exact opposite of what you see, say, do, think or hear. More sarcasm in a way,"

"A perfect example is what I say "Beautiful weather, isn't it?" When it's clearly raining cats and dogs. You understand me, baby girl?" He paused for a second, staring at me with a lazy smile on his lips." I bobbed my head and adjusted in my seat. 

His eyes lingered on my face for a bit, and I swallowed.

"Irony is more a subtle sarcasm in a way, when being sarcastic, ridicule or mockery is way harsher. It becomes clearer, the mockery I mean, when you are being sarcastic,"

"Have you read Oedipus Rex?" He queried, keeping his eyes fixated on me, then he dropped his pen and sat up, bestowing me with his undivided attention.

He had a full-blown smile on his face and boy, could he look any more gorgeous. I proceeded to answer him, tucking a stray braid behind my ear.

"Yeah, I was bored that day. I found it in the library and decided to keep myself busy with it. It was quite boring, but I just didn't want to start a book without finishing it. It's a good thing I read it, right?" I paused, when I realized that I was prattling, without even stopping to breathe.

"Shit, I'm rambling, aren't I?" I chuckled, nervously.

"God, I'm totally boring your ears out with what I'm saying. I am sorry, let's move on to the next thing." A twinge of embarrassment settled in the pit of my stomach and I bit my lip, looking everywhere but at him.

He let out a throaty chuckle.

"No, you are not boring me out, Queen. Watching you talk…it's exhilarating. It's one of my favourite things to do," He paused, the words that left his mouth had me jerking my head in his direction, meeting his eyes that shone brightly, swirling with emotions I could barely decode.

They were beautiful…

He peeked at me through his long, thick lashes, smirking.

"You should have seen how excited you looked when I asked if you had read Oedipus Rex," He grinned at me.

"You really have to stop putting words in my mouth, Reina." He looked thoroughly amused by what I had said, unable to suppress the smile that was tugging at his lips.

"Nothing you do can ever bore me, Reina." He added. There was something about the way he said it that tugged at my heartstrings gently. I turned crimson, nibbling on my lips to suppress the small grin that was starting to form on my lips.

I was a red mess.

I fiddled with my pen, at a loss for words.

"Alright, I'm going to give you an idea of what situational Irony means, by citing an instance in the book,"

"Oedipus was abandoned by his birth parents, due to a prophecy that foresaw him killing his father and marrying his mother," 

"He returned to his ancestral home as an adult and fulfilled the prophecy without realizing it. He killed his father out of anger and defeated the Sphinx at the Gate of Thebes, his ancestral home,"

"He got a reward of being the king and married his mother in the process. He didn't even suspect a thing until it was too late. The utter Irony. In some way, I kinda find it funny, but don't worry, this is definitely going to be a topic for another day." He chuckled and a smile spread across my lips.

"This is a perfect example of situational Irony, because he ran away from his adoptive parents in Corinth, thinking they were his actual parents, to escape his destiny of marrying his mother and killing his father, but in reality, he actually ran towards his destiny and fulfilled his destiny by killing his birth father and marrying his mother. Do you understand now?" He asked and I responded with a vigorous nod.

Time passed by in a blur. I barely felt it when four to five hours passed. I have never had this much fun while studying. It made me wonder what other hidden talents this guy has. It was effortless for him. It was as though he was breathing.

We covered a lot, making small talks in between and I also got to know more about him. To sum it up, this is the closest to fun I have had in the past few days.

"Are you an only child?" I grinned, propping my face on my elbow.

"Yes, I'm the only child of my parents. I have always wanted a kid brother or sister though, too bad I didn't get one," He pouted and I giggled.

"I have an older brother, Khalil. I don't think you have met him. I should have introduced him to you guys at the party, the other day." I cast a wistful glance at my fingers and sighed.

"I'm sure I'll meet him some other day. You don't have to beat yourself up about it." He said in an attempt to make me feel better and I rolled my eyes because I knew I didn't deserve it, slamming my textbook shut.

"I__"

My next words hung in my throat when the incident at the parking lot crossed my mind. My hold on the pen tightened twice as hard, a pang of guilt jamming me in the guts.

My eyes shut close and a quivering breath left my lips. I counted from one to five in my head, trying to steady my shaky breath and my heartbeat seemed to have picked up a faster pace.

He saw it…

Stefan saw everything.

My eyes snapped open on their own accord and I was met with his worried gaze.

"Are you okay? You seem uncomfortable. Am I making you uncomfortable?" I didn't miss the sad look that crossed his face. If my guilt wasn't enough, it tripled in size, heightening everything. A soft groan escaped my mouth.

"I'm fine, Stefan," 

"You are not making me uncomfortable, but about yesterday. I feel like I need to clear things up…" I trailed off, but paused, with my eyes scanning his now blank face.

"You don't owe me an explanation. It doesn't have anything to do with me. Trust me, we are cool." That was his response. It was so cold, lacking the slightest form of emotions.

His eyes didn't leave mine, yet I couldn't interpret his expression.

It wasn't fine, but what I didn't understand is how he was saying that everything was fine.

"It's not fine, Stefan," I debunked with a slight shake of my head. The words that left my mouth were met with a slight raise of his brow, his face morphed into a deep frown.

I didn't allow that to deter me.

"It's not what you think__"

"Now, you are getting on my nerves. I said it's fine!" He rapped out through gritted teeth, his jaws clenched in annoyance.

He wasn't even done.

"I do not want to listen. I do not want to hear it. Keep it to yourself. Just drop it already. When I tell you that I'm cool with something, I'm cool. It doesn't make any sense to lie about how I feel." He deadpanned, his tone devoid of any trace of emotions.

His tone took me completely off guard. He couldn't even hide how frustrated he was. He wasn't trying to. He wanted me to see it. His eyes lingered on my frame a little and he looked away, sighing.

"I__" I took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, Stefan. I didn't mean to get you worked up. That wasn't my intention." My tone was subtle, composed even. I was surprised at how my tone came out.

He was quiet. For a while.

"I'm sorry, Reina. I didn't mean to snap at you too." He apologized, sincerely. I knew he meant it. It was evident from his tone and the look of guilt that swam in his eyes.

"It's alright, Bibitayo," I grinned, wiggling my brows at him and he threw his head backwards, his shoulder quaking with loud laughs.

I felt warm all over.

"Thank you, Stefan," I told him.

His lips twitched, and he kept his eyes locked with mine. I didn't break eye contact with him this time around. I wanted to look at him, as though I wanted to memorize every inch of his face and what he looked like.

I was almost melting into a puddle underneath his gaze. It left goosebumps sprouting all over my skin and tingles coursing through every inch of my blood.

It left me breathless.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look today, Reina?" His voice was low. It had gained this certain depth, sounding almost smoky or it was my ears that were playing dirty tricks on me.

I froze.

An alarm went off in my brain.

A/N

*Munches on popcorn aggressively*

😂😂😂😭

Stefan is sleek! That guy has his way with words.😭 Omo, if Shakira doesn't marry this guy, I will marry him.😂😭💔

Okay, so, I want to clear something up. I forgot to do it in the last chapter. Reina is a Spanish word. It means Queen. So, when Stefan calls her either of the two, it means the same thing.😌

Shakira don blush like fifty million times for this chapter.

You know, just to spice things up a bit.🌚

You people, please come, why Stefan come dey vex?😂😂💔 Shebi he said he doesn't want to hear it. Why e dey para?😂

Don't worry, I know you missed him. We'll be seeing him in a few chapters to come and then, we'll be getting how he feels about it in details.😌

I'll be waiting for you guys in the comments section. Do not forget to vote, comment and share.♥️

Till whenever.

Adios ✨

Love, Didi.♥️