(026 - Are we Friends?)

Family Members 🌚 Where you at? Leggo!!
(P. S. Why do I feel this chapter is tacky 🤧. Y'all will be the judge sha.)

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𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐘
(Hilary Idara Eghosa)

"Hi, Hilary,"

I couldn't stop the wide grin that stretched across my lips when he answered. It was so involuntary. I probably shouldn't be smiling this hard, or wide. I should be wondering what he was doing here because this was too much of a coincidence, us meeting for the second time today. But I was smiling, grinning, not bothered about anything... and I liked it.

That didn't stop me from asking him though. Because I wasn't bothered doesn't mean I wasn't curious.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. He made a small sound of oh before raising a white hospital-branded nylon I had not noticed before.

"I came to see my doctor in the pharmaceutical department," He answered, pointing to the glass doors the nurse from earlier had walked out from so suddenly. I didn't see her coming so I bumped into her.

"Migraine pills," He added, shaking the nylon with a sort of nervous smile playing on his lips. I nodded in understanding, giving him a smile of my own. Him coming here to see his doctor made more sense.

What were you thinking before? That he's stalking you? My subconscious mocked me and I swore, I heard the tiny little voice laugh at me. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

"What are you doing here?" It was his turn to ask, his deep voice piercing through my mind trip. I let out short nervous laughter, pointing up the plaque that read CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT. His eyes followed my finger, skimmed through the letterings, and looked back at me.

"First Day of Therapy." I found myself telling him and his eyes widened slightly in realization. I didn't have to tell him more than that because I could tell he understood perfectly what I meant.

Should it bother me that I wasn't bothered that I was telling Simisola Jordan something only my family and friends knew? He has seen me at my lowest... lower than any of my friends have ever seen me. Does that make him my friend too?

I don't know.

"You know," He began, his voice bringing me out of my reverie again. I should stop trailing off so I won't look like an idiot staring off into space. I looked at Simi and saw that he was already leaning against the wall, hands folded across his chest.

"What?" I asked, urging him to continue. He chuckled and shook his head, having a mild conflicted expression on his face, like he was contemplating if he should say what he wanted to say. When his eyes settled back on mine, I knew he was going to talk.

"You were the last person I expected to see here," He said, letting out a deep sigh afterward. "Seeing you more than once in just a day is too much of a coincidence." He laughed, and I smiled... because I was thinking the exact same thing earlier.

But I wasn't going to tell him that.

"Oh really?" I cocked my head to the side, eyebrows raised in question. He shrugged, still smiling. "Is that such a bad thing?" I asked him and he quickly shook his head.

"No, it isn't. It really isn't." He answered, still shaking his head. "And as corny as it might sound, I kinda think we were supposed to meet again." He added, his earlier gentle smile now transforming into an enigmatic one. I immediately knew something was going on in his mind but I wasn't sure what.

His last statement registered in my mind and I mimicked his stance, a slight frown of confusion creased across my forehead. But before I could ask him what he meant, he suddenly fired a question at me.

"Are you in a hurry to leave?"

That question made me check my wristwatch for the time. I just ended a two-hour therapy and it was still early in the afternoon. If I go home now, I'd be jobless and bored. I couldn't call my friends because I was sure they were busy.

So, I wasn't in a hurry to leave but still, I wasn't sure where to go either.

"No, I'm not. Why?" I asked, wondering what he was driving at. Watching him, I could tell his mind was at work. Simi was thinking. About what? I had no idea. But I could also tell by the way he kept tapping his feet on the tiled floor that he was nervous. About what? I also had no idea about that.

"Do you mind grabbing ice cream with me?"

Wait, what? I blinked again.

"W-Wow..." Was all I could mutter, a short laugh leaving my lips. I heard him mutter a fit of cuss words, and legit face-palmed himself, a nervous laugh of his own escaping his lips.

"I'm so sorry, that was weird." He apologized, laughing again. I chuckled, shaking my head. It wasn't weird at all. And honestly, his nervous state was kinda cute.

"Not weird at all," I assured him, laughing too. "A little forward though," I told him and he let out a small groan, placing a hand over in face in what seemed like embarrassment. I wanted to put him out of misery but, I couldn't help the laugh that escaped my lips again.

Grabbing Ice-cream with Simisola didn't seem like a bad idea at all. Deep down, I wanted to get to know him. Besides, I don't have anything better to do with my day.

"I don't mind grabbing ice cream, though," I told him, shrugging. I saw the way he visibly relaxed, a more placid smile stretching across his lips. It made me chuckle slightly.

"Great," He drawled, his lips still tugged in smiles. "I know a place just outside Atlantic Cove estate, and I brought my car, so I can drive us there." He said, beckoning for me to follow him as he began to walk towards the elevator.

But I couldn't move. I stood, frozen by his last statement.

He brought his car. I'll have to enter a car, most likely sit in his passengers' seat. I wasn't ready for that yet. The last thing I wanted was to have a panic attack here... and most especially, in front of Simi again. But I didn't even know how to tell him that.

What will I even say is the reason for not wanting to get in? That passenger seats make me relive the accident trauma?

"Hilary," Simi's call alerted me and I jerked back to the present. Looking around me I realized that I had not moved from that spot and Simi was standing a little distance away. He probably noticed that I was following him so he stopped. Bottom line, we were both still in the hallway.

When I looked at him, I found his eyes trained intently on me. From my behavior, it was obvious he knew something was wrong.

I swallowed.

"Are you okay?" He asked. "You froze up." He added, his voice showing a hint of concern. I sighed. There was no way I could tell him, even if he has seen me severally at my worst. Besides, it's not like he'd leave his car here because of me.

"I'm fine. I just..." I began to say, wanting to tell him that I was okay. But when he started walking towards me, the rest of my words caught in my throat. He stopped when he was right in front of me, bobbing his head to the side as he peered at me.

I let out a shaky breath.

"You have always been very easy to read." He started, his tone still laced with concern while he fixed his gaze steadily on me. I was such an open book. "Something is wrong." He added matter-of-factly and I exhaled, averting my gaze from his.

"Hey," I heard him whisper and I looked up, my eyes meeting his, his gaze searching mine. His concerned expression had not dissipated one bit. "Talk to me," He muttered.

That was all he said, all it took for me to start speaking. It was like I was under some sort of hypnosis. Or maybe it was just the way he had shown outright concern.

"I'm not widely kin on cars at the moment," I told him and he nodded, even though I was sure he had no understanding of what I meant. " I can endure car rides, but I can't stay in the passengers' seat. It kinda reminds me of the accident." I expatiated. His mouth formed into an oh shape and he began nodding his head slowly in realization

But he didn't say anything after that and it kinda put me on edge.

I exhaled, "Staying at the back seat is an option, but I don't want it to feel weird." I began to ramble out of nervousness and he looked at me again. "Because you'll be in front and I'll be sitting at the back so it will look like you are my driver..."

I trailed off, letting out an awkward laugh, wanting nothing more but for the ground to open up and swallow me because I knew I was uttering arrant nonsense. I couldn't even hold his gaze because I knew I was making a complete fool out of myself.

Now, I'm the one being weird.

I've been doing that a lot these past few weeks, effortlessly embarrassing myself in front of Simisola Jordan. We were finally having a straightforward, nice conversation, and boom, something just has to make me embarrass myself. Typical.

Should I have just kept that little information about my mild, yet very effective phobia for passenger seats to myself? Maybe I should have just come up with a lie then tell him we'll grab ice cream some other time.

I was half expecting him to call the entire thing off because anything different from him using his car would be so inconveniencing and that was the last thing I wanted for him. But his next words surprised me.

"It's not a problem," He said and my head shot up in a start, my eyes widening in surprise. Still, he wasn't done talking.

"I can leave the car here and we can just call a Uber to get us there." He added, flashing me a dainty smile before he started typing away on his phone, probably trying to order Uber. I stared at him like he had suddenly grown a second head.

"U-Uber?" I stuttered out like an idiot and he stopped typing to look at me.

"Or should we just leg it?" He asked me, then looked like he was contemplating his option while I stared at him in awe. "It's going to be quite a distance if we walk, but if that's what you want..."

"No!" I cut him off abruptly and he looked at me, eyebrows raised in question. "I mean, y-yes... no, I mean... God, what am I saying?" I growled inwardly, throwing my head back in total embarrassment. I could feel Simi's eyes on me, and I can only imagine what's going on in his mind.

Taking a deep breath, I dropped my head and looked at Simi, who of course was watching me with an expression akin to amusement across his face. There was a soft smile playing on his lips and I began to wonder if he found my discomfort funny.

"What I mean is," I started, then took another deep breath. "I don't want to inconvenience you, Simi. I'm already giving you a hard time by making you leave your car here and it's making me feel like..."

"I'm not complaining, Hilary," Simi cut in calmly, a warm smile playing on his lips. In a way, that smile calmed me down a whole lot. "I really don't mind leaving my car here, or taking a Uber, or trekking..." He trailed off, a small chuckle escaping his lips.

That was enough to make me relax a bit

"And I certainly don't mind being your... driver, as you put it." I actually laughed when he gave funny air quotes to the word driver and he smiled. It suddenly felt like a lot of tension had been let off my chest.

"It's not going to be weird, I promise," He added in a whisper and I found myself nodding, believing him.

If there's anything I have noticed about Simisola Jordan in just one week, it's that behind the stone-cold look in school and the hard guy demeanor he keeps up around our classmates, he is a caring person. It might not be to everyone but maybe people he has grown accustomed to. People he has drawn into his own little circle.

And somehow, from the looks of things, I've found myself in that category. He has a way of making me feel relaxed.

After resolving to just use his car, we both walked to the elevator that would take us to the ground floor. When we got out of the building, I let him lead me to his car, a deep blue Lexus Jeep. I got into the back seat and he went to the driver's side.

Soon, we were on our way to grab Ice-cream.

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"Well, how was it?" He asked me, before taking a big spoon of Ice cream to his mouth.

We were seated in front of SWEET TOOTH, a popular ice-cream parlor in the whole of Lekki. When we got here about thirty minutes ago, inside was already jam-packed, as it was the weekend. So, Simi and I decided to sit outside with some other customers under the pavilion and took a table for two.

(Image of SWEET TOOTH)

But while I was still trying to eat my first cup, Simi was already on his third.

Yup, you heard right. His Third.

Guys and their big appetite, even for something as small as ice cream.

"How was what?" I asked, remembering that he asked me a question. He hummed, taking another big scoop of ice cream. It was quite a sight and I fought so hard not to chuckle.

"The therapy," He clarified and a sound of realization escaped my lips. "How was it like? Being your first therapy and all?" He asked again, expatiating more. I sighed, leaning back against my chair, and began to stir my already melting chocolate chip ice cream.

"I'd say eventful." I sighed again, looking down at the table, though I could feel Simi's eyes on me.

My mind went back to how everything had gone down in Chidera's office after I jabo. She didn't have to ask me before I told her everything... and I mean everything. From how Jidenna was at the center of what happened the night Henry died, to the rumors and hate I get in school because of him, right to everything that happened during the game yesterday.

Though, I carefully left out the part of me crying in the men's room and Simi finding me there. I only told her that finding out about Jidenna and Beauty's rendezvous shattered my heart into pieces... which it did.

"My therapist is an amazing woman," I continued after a moment of silence, looking back at Simi only to find him still watching me. "Though, she has a way of digging into me. I think I just told her all my life's secret." I joked, chuckling slightly at my own joke

Simisola laughed. A deep, rumbling, yet hearty laughter. It was so contagious, I found my lips stretching in a smile.

"Is that a bad thing?" He asked after his laughter subsided, dropping his spoon into the now empty cup. "I think that's the whole idea of having a therapist." He added and I nodded, taking a spoon.

"Yeah, I know," I said. He kept looking at me like he was waiting for me to continue, and I did. "It's just that, I promised myself I wouldn't lay everything out for her on the first day, yet I found myself baring my heart and soul out to her today." I paused, looking at Simi who just kept watching me, quietly yet intently.

He was listening to me and it made me want to keep talking. And that, I did.

"I haven't told my parents half of what I told my therapist today," I continued and Simi sat up, leaning forward with his hands propped on the table. "And I feel terrible that I can confide in someone I just met but haven't been able to confide in them about things going on.-

They don't know about the rumors, the hate I've been receiving in school. The major reason why I haven't been telling them all these things is because the last thing I want is for them to be too worried about me. I've put them through too much already..."

"Hey," Simi whispered, cutting the rest of my words off. I shook my head, looking away from him. "You are being too hard on yourself, Hilary. Take a breather." He said, his voice calm and soft. When he said I should take a breather, I involuntarily took in a deep breath and exhaled.

Why am I opening up to him like this? I couldn't help but wonder.

"Hilary," He called me and I looked at him, my eyes meeting his amber ones. "You don't have to feel bad for not opening up to your parents." He began and I sighed, folding my hands over each other. He continued.

"For one, it's a natural Nigerian kids instinct. We all find it hard to open up to our parents about some things, no matter how close we are to them. I for one, I'm a typical Mama's boy, yet I don't tell my mum everything," He shrugged, a small teasing smile tugged across his lips. I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped my lips.

"You are right about that one," I chipped, still smiling.

"Another thing is," He paused, gathering his thoughts while I looked on, waiting for him to speak. "I think that's the whole reason they got you a therapist in the first place." He said, and that seemed to perk my interest. I leaned forward, mimicking the same position he had.

"What do you mean?" I asked him and his lips quirked in a slight smile like he was expecting me to ask. So, he began talking.

"I might not know the entire story or why you think you have put them through a lot, but from what I have seen, I know your parents love you. But that doesn't change the fact that there is only so much that they can do." He stated matter-of-factly and I listened with rapt attention.

"They know they can't force you to tell them everything going on with you and even if you do, they might not be able to give you the help you need. So, maybe that's why they sought professional help for you." He paused, shrugging as he took his hands off the table and leaned back against his chair. I sat still, dumbfounded.

Simisola rendered me speechless.

"Have you ever thought about that?" He asked after a moment and I slowly shook my head.

"I haven't," I muttered, scoffing out a peal of short laughter. "My mind has never thought in this direction and I feel so stupid." I looked at Simi, my face holding an expression of complete awe. I was awestruck, shocked, and completely stupefied by his insane wisdom.

I mean, how intelligent is this guy?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips and I quickly collected myself from staring at him, chuckling.

"I'm just..." I trailed off, shook my head, and chuckled again. "shocked by the fact that you seem to have the right answer to everything. Your intelligence is baffling..."

I trailed off when I realized what I had just said when I realized that my choice of words might be offensive. I cussed under my breath, looking at Simi to see that he had not as much as flinched.

"That came out wrong, I'm so sorry..."

"Don't be sorry." He cut me off, calmly.

His demeanor did not give off that he was offended by my statement but it didn't stop me from wanting to apologize over and over again. My words, though unintentionally, were insensitive. Especially knowing what he goes through in school. I should have picked my words more carefully.

"Besides," He continued with a nonchalant shrug and a lazy smile playing on his lips. "It's not every day the dumbest guy in school offers one hell of an advice, yeah?" He chuckled at his joke while I sat still, feeling terrible. I wasn't sure how he could make a joke out of this.

"I really didn't mean it to sound that way, Simi. I don't even know what I was thinking when I said..."

"Hey," He cut me off, letting the rest of my words trail off into oblivion. I looked at him, watched him lean forward towards me.

"It's really okay. I'm not upset or angry, or offended, so don't be hard on yourself. I know you well enough to know that you won't intentionally say something hurtful." He smiled at me. A gentle, warm, and reassuring smile that calmed me down, just as his final statement did.

Simi knew me well enough to know that I won't intentionally say something hurtful. How well did he know me, even when I knew close to nothing about him?

"Gloria told me what happened early this morning," His voice interrupted my thoughts and I looked at him. He didn't say anymore because he knew I heard him loud and clear. He didn't have to because he knew I understood exactly what he meant.

I couldn't stop the light scoff that escaped my lips.

"It's kinda hard to ignore when it's all over the class group chat." I let out a short humorless laughter, glancing at Simi who was watching me keenly. "At the end of the day, I'm still at a loss because Jidenna will never own up to his shit."

"He's a dick." Simi simply said. His voice was calm but I could literally hear... and smell the venom in his tone.

"He is." I agreed in a heartbeat, a sad smile stretched across my lips. "Too bad it took me this long to figure it out," I added, taking a deep breath. I guess I never really knew who Jidenna Okojie was. I'd probably never know. And somehow, I was okay with that. He means nothing to me now.

"I'm sorry," Simi whispered and I chuckled, shaking my head.

"Yeah, me too," I answered. "Can we not talk about him? I don't want to ruin my mood." I so badly wanted to change the topic, talk about something fun and laugh. I just wanted to forget every bad thing going on right now. Simi nodded in understanding, leaning back against his seat.

In a jiffy, I knew the exact topic to talk about.

"How is Gigi?" I asked, my lips stretching in a smile when Simi threw his head back and laughed. "Kizito hasn't stopped talking about her since this morning," I told him. Simi's laugh reduced into chuckles as he shook his head.

"That makes perfect sense," He started, looking at me. "Because she was glued to her phone all morning." He said and I laughed lightly.

"Kizito is literally lovestruck and it's so funny because I've never seen him that way before. God knows I didn't see the both of them coming from a mile away, until after the kiss." I laughed again, pushing away my half-eaten cup of ice cream, mostly because it had melted.

"I saw them coming," Simi informed me and I sat up, my interest perked. He knew something I didn't courtesy of his close friendship with Gigi and I needed the full gist.

"Gist me!" I demanded, hitting the table with my palms. Simi laughed, obviously finding my nosiness very funny. But when he also sat up and leaned forward, I knew he was going to give me the gist.

"Gloria might have been subtle about her feelings for Kizito but not really to me." He started and I listened. "She's a hard person to figure out but I was able to figure her out towards the end of last session, even though she denied it severally. But later, she finally opened up to me and told me about her four years of feelings for Kizito," He concluded.

My eyes widened like saucers.

"Four years!" I exclaimed, causing Simi to laugh again.

"Yeah, I was also shocked when I found out." He said, causing a sound of awe to escape my lips.

Gigi Esho joined the school in JSS2, which is exactly four years away from right now. This revelation automatically means that Gigi has had feelings for Kizito since she stepped foot into the school... or at least, weeks after she did.

How did she do it? Holding her feelings for that long? And for the same person?

Gigi Esho is just something else.

"Gloria is something else," Simi said as if he had heard my thoughts. I looked at him, watching the amused smile that was tugged at the corners of his lips. "I'm sure she'd have still kept her feelings hidden till graduation if I didn't pester her so much about telling Kizito. I'm just glad she took my advice." He stated, shrugging.

What Simi said made me remember something from last night, when Semeeha was so sure that he and Gigi were friends with benefits, oblivious to the fact that he was even the one that made sure Gigi made a move on Kizito. The irony of everything had me laughing, causing Simi to look at me with his eyebrows raised in question.

"What's funny?" He asked, the confusion on his face evident even though he had not stopped smiling. I knew if I told him, he'd probably burst into laughter at the absurdity.

"You know Semeeha, yeah?" I asked him and his eyebrows furrowed in questions, clearly unable to remember anyone by the name Semeeha. "My friend, the dark, the popular model," I clarified and realization flashed in his features.

"Oh, the mean one." He snapped his fingers in remembrance and I laughed again, wondering why he had referred to Semeeha as the mean one.

"Okay, Semeeha is not mean," I told him and he rolled his eyes.

"She told me to shut up one time and she looks at me as if I'm not a human being. She is mean. You are just saying she's not because she's your friend." He stated shrewdly, punctuating his facts with a shrug.

What he said was mostly true. Semeeha doesn't show any form of empathy to people that are not her friends. Though I haven't noticed her treat Simi with outright contempt like she treats some of our other classmates, she's been rude to him severally, directly, and indirectly.

But I wasn't going to discuss that with Simi. I didn't want it to seem like I was supporting her bad attitude or I was picking sides.

"Anyway, as I was saying," I disregarded that particular topic and veered back to the one we were discussing before. "So, up until yesterday, Semeeha thought something was going on between you and Gigi," I told him.

I didn't want to spell it out exactly how Semeeha had said it. It'd be too crude. I was hoping Simi would get the drift, but from the confusion in his expression, he seemed not to.

"Something going on between Gloria and me? Like what?" He looked and sounded genuinely confused. At that point, I was placed in a tight corner because I wasn't sure how to explain it without it being weird... or weirdly funny as it were. But I just had to say it anyway.

"She was certain the both of you were..." I trailed off, looking for a more appropriate word, "Intimate." and found it.

"Intimate?" Simi asked, still looking confused for a bit. But at the snap of a finger, his confused expression dissipated and contorted into that of realization. It was honestly the way his eyes went huge for me.

"Wait, she thought Gloria and I were having SEX!?" He exclaimed.

It was like the world came to a complete standstill and looked in our direction as soon as Simi uttered those words. Every single person outside, sitting under the pavilion like we were in front of Sweet Tooth, turned in our direction and looked at us like we had lost our marbles.

What took the cake was when a mother, sitting just a few feet away from us glared at us like we were murderers when her set of twins, a boy and a guy that looked nothing than five years of age, began to ask her what SEX meant. In embarrassment, I buried my face in my palm, putting my head on the table.

Blood of Jesus! I winced in embarrassment, keeping my head down.

"I'm so sorry," I heard Simi apologize to everyone, and soon I felt fewer gazes burning holes into my skin. I slowly raised my head, peering carefully over my shoulder to be sure no one was looking at us anymore. Even the mother of the twins had taken her children away, clearly feeling that we'd corrupt her children for her.

When my eyes met Simi's mortified ones, I couldn't help the fits of chuckles that escaped my lips. Soon, Simi joined in and we were laughing, though gently because we didn't want to rouse more attention to ourselves.

"Why did I scream like that?" Simi asked rhetorically between laughter, chiding himself for screaming the word "sex" so loud for everyone who had ears to hear. The situation was even more funny than embarrassing and I just couldn't stop laughing.

"That was so embarrassing," I said after my laughter had subsided back into chuckles. "I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me." Simi began to laugh again and it didn't take a second before I joined in, because his laugh was so contagious.

I can't believe I used to think Simi had no emotions. With the way, he always frowned in school, the deadbeat look he always had on. Even if a teacher was insulting him, he wouldn't flinch. I can still remember the day Mrs. Khadija had blatantly and unapologetically rained insults on him. He just stared back at her and did nothing.

But seeing him now, this side of him, was fascinating... Amazing even. He had a sense of humor, a witty side and can be so playful. He hasn't stopped making me laugh since we got here, making me relaxed. I can't remember the last time I laughed this much... can't remember the last time I had this much fun, and it was all because of him.

It made me wonder, deep down, if he was this cheerful and exuded this much positive energy when happy, how would he be when he's sad?

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It was already dark by the time Simi pulled up in front of my house to drop me off. Time flew by when we were at Sweet Tooth and it wasn't until Simi got a call from his mum, asking where he was, that we realized the time had gone. When I checked my phone, I realized that it was on silent and I had missed two calls from my Dad and three from Mum.

I was surprised because I was honestly expecting nothing less than a thousand, and I'm saying that with no exaggeration intended. I called them back and assured them that I was already on my way.

"We are here," Simi's voice cut through my reverie and I turned to look at him, my lips stretching in a smile. "I'm sorry for keeping you out this late," He apologized. I shook my head.

"Don't apologize," I replied, the smile still playing on my lips. "I actually had so much fun. Thank you."

Now, it was his turn to smile, "Don't say that. Don't say thank you. Friends don't say thank you." He said. I bobbed my head to the side, peering at him.

"Is that what we are, Simi?" I asked him and he shrugged. "Are we friends?"

"It's totally up to you, Hilary." He answered, that warm and gentle smile still playing on his lips. I chuckled and opened the door, getting down from the car.

"Hilary," Simi called me just as I closed the door. I stood there, looking at him through the window.

"Yeah?"

"I had fun too," He said, still smiling. I couldn't stop the wide grin that stretched at the corners of my lips. I swear, my cheeks began to hurt from smiling too hard but I really didn't care. At least, I was smiling and that was all that mattered. I haven't smiled this much in one day, in a very long time.

"Good night, Simi," I whispered.

"Good night," He responded.

I moved back just as he turned on the ignition of the car and didn't move from my spot till he drove off and disappeared from my sight. I let out an involuntary chuckle as I walked into the house through the gate, greeting the gateman.

"Finally!" Mum groaned out in relief the moment I walked through the front door into the living room. "I was just about to call you again!" She exclaimed. I chuckled, knowing fully well that she'd be dramatic and extra about the whole thing.

But then, she had every right to be.

"Come on, babe. Hilary is old enough to take care of herself." Dad's voice came from the direction of the kitchen and I saw him walking out of it, a newspaper in his hand. I chuckled again.

My Dad and newspaper.

"But she shouldn't be staying out this late." Mum countered.

"It's just 7:30 mum." I defended and she shot me a faux glare. I laughed and quickly rose my hands in mock surrender. "Alright, I'm sorry. I lost track of time. It won't happen again." I promised.

"Better," Mum muttered, struggling to keep the smile from making its way to her lips. I laughed again and walked over to where Dad was standing, watching us, and hugged him. I didn't get to see him this morning before he went out.

"I saw a car drop you off. Who was that?" He asked after he released me.

"Oh, that was my friend. " I answered in a heartbeat, not giving them the details of how I had spent my day with Simi because I knew it would rouse questions.

But, It wasn't until I made that statement that I realized what I said. I actually called Simi my Friend. I felt the corners of my lips tug in a small smile. I guess Simi and I are really friends now. It felt different having a friend outside the clique.

Good Different, really.

"Dinner is ready," I heard mum say and looked at her. "You should go and freshen up, hmmn?" I nodded and made my way upstairs to my room to do as she said.

It wasn't until I was inside my bathroom, with the water from the shower trickling down my body, that something quite big dawned on me. It felt like someone had legit slapped my consciousness back and I finally realized...

I sat down in the passengers' seat of Simi's car all the way from Sweet Tooth to my house.

And I didn't notice till now!

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Why do I feel this chapter is tacky and rushed🤧? I'm so sorry if it is, work has been very hectic and I'm trying to get a breathing space for myself *sigh.

Simi and Hilary hmmn 🌚. I guess they are officially friends now. Like I said in the last author's note, Simi has a very tender heart and has a side to him that no one, except Gigi and his mum has seen. But now, Hilary has started to notice it too.

What will she think when she notices the extremely emotional side of him? Do you even think Simi will let her see him that way? We'll have to find out now, won't we😌?

We still have more of Hilary and Simi moments to see. Besides, Monday is coming and you might actually see Simi beating the Ji out of Jidenna🤣.

I won't update till late next week, and when I say late next week, I mean by weekend. The school I'm teaching in (yes, I'm a teacher and yes, it's hectic) is staring their exam soon, so... But in the mean time, Don't forget to VOTE! COMMENT!! SHARE!!!

See you 😘.