(027a - I've Got Your Back, Part 1)

This chapter is dedicated to everyone that wished me Happy Birthday on Monday🥺❤️. Thank you so much for the love, I really appreciate it. I didn't give an update that day because it wasn't ready but my friends Rihanna_Adedeji and AddictiveRose gave an update on my behalf🤧❤️✨🔥.

PLEASE READ

So, I realized that some readers still don't know how to give inline comments. Jehovah Nissi🤧.

Please if you are in this category, let me know so that I'd give you a tutorial on how it works (I have a YouTube video for that). It's very easy. It's stressful trying to look for the exact place you are referring to, so let's make this easier for both of us. If after this, I still see comments that are meant to be inline but aren't, I'll have to ignore it. I cannot comman stress🤧.

Tenks and Goblez🙂✨

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𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐘
(Hilary Idara Eghosa)

"But wait though," Semeeha suddenly spoke, causing me to stop reading my book so that I could look at her. "Don't you guys think it's kind of strange that Kizito hasn't done anything to Jidenna by now?" She asked.

That question was so delicate, it was enough to get Dawn's eyes off her phone for one minute.

"I was thinking the exact same thing!" She chipped and I felt my eyes roll on their own as I turned to her, my lips quirking in a smirk.

"What time did you even have to think?" I asked her, teasingly. " You have been on the phone with Sochima all morning and you guys are in the same school... even in the same class!" I exclaimed, getting an eye roll back from her in response. Semeeha chuckled.

"If that's not madness, I don't know what is," The darker girl murmured, more to herself than the rest of us but still loud enough for Dawn and I to hear.

"Oh Shut up!" Dawn snapped, glaring at Semeeha, and went back to typing away on her phone. She paused and looked at us again.

"By the way, I haven't been on my phone with Sochima all morning. He's tutoring the JSS 1 class. Why I've been on my phone is because I'm researching some articles for my History Project. Unlike other subjects, that one isn't a test." She explained and I hummed, believing her.

It was easy to believe. Come to think of it, she wasn't smiling at her phone like someone shot her with an overdose of Cupid's arrow.

I chuckled at my own lame joke.

"History is boring," Semeeha dismissed what Dawn said with a wave of her hand, but the latter didn't even pay her any heed. "Back to what I was saying, Hilary," She turned to face me.

"Do you not think it's strange that Kizito is yet to deliver on his promise to MURDER Jidenna? 'Cos when he speaks like that, he doesn't bluff. He delivers and he delivers big!" She stated all facts, stretching her hands apart to emphasize the word big. I sighed, shrugging.

Surely, when I walked into school this morning, I was expecting to see our class wing walls stained with blood and probably Jidenna lying on the floor, half dead. As gory as it might sound, it was something Kizito could and would do. But to my surprise, the hallway was clear, classmates walking around before assembly and prefects taking their position.

Still, I decided to keep my fingers crossed, just in case. Because all through the weekend, even till this morning, I tried talking Kizito out of committing homicide but he left all my messages on read.

The first period came and went, and so did the second period, and the third, till it was time for break. The teachers were having a meeting with Sir Isaac so the periods after break were as good as free. Which was why Semeeha, Dawn and I were in the Senior Library trying to read for our upcoming test.

All this while, no sign of blood and guts on the floor or walls. But then, I wasn't sure whether it was a good thing or a bad thing because Kizito has been MIA all day. I knew he was in school but I haven't laid my eyes on him.

Made me feel like he was planning something.

I guess I should be scared.

Or maybe not?

"I'm not sure what to make of it, honestly," I told Semeeha, shrugging again. "I just hope whatever he is thinking of doing, or does, won't get him into trouble. He barely got off from Sir Isaac the last time." I said.

"He has been MIA all day and I'm getting concerned. Maybe he is just trying to cool off," Semeeha mused, picking up her phone from the table.

"Do you girls think he might lay off on Jidenna though?" She asked. I shrugged, wanting nothing more but to just read my book. Tutorials with Simi will start after school today and I need to be jacked up.

"Maybe his girlfriend found a way to pacify him," Dawn chipped, jotting down some things from her phone to her notebook.

I wasn't looking at Semeeha, but I could sense the frown that contorted on her face that very instant. I knew immediately that she was going to start saying something against Gigi Esho.

Here we go again, I rolled my eyes.

"You think Gigi Esho has the power to pacify Kizito?" Semeeha asked, sarcasm dripping from her voice. Then, she scoffed. "We have been his friends for close to six years and none of us have been able to stop Kizito when he's angry. Yet, you think some one-day-old girlfriend will be able to?" She scoffed again, and I looked at her, a slight frown marring my face.

The disdain on her face was so glaring and the frown on her face was so deep. But that wasn't what made me frown. It was the way she had called Gigi some one-day-old girlfriend for me. Kizito hasn't told us that they are official yet but the possibility of them being a clue was very clear. Semeeha was clearly not syked about it.

What's her deal? I couldn't help but wonder.

I get it, she doesn't like Gigi, but knowing that one of her best friends has feelings for the said girl... can't she just try to at least, tolerate Gigi?

"It's not about her being his girlfriend," Dawn began, putting her pen down and looking at Semeeha, who by the way, was still frowning.

"Can't you remember the last time Kizito almost murdered Jidenna? We were all there and we all tried to stop him. Did it work? No! Who was the person that came and was able to stop him?" She tapped her chin as if she was really thinking. Then she fakes a gasp and looked at Semeeha,

"That's right, it was Gigi. Deny it all you want, but we all know she can stop Kizito from being murderous. Being his girlfriend is just icing on the cake." Dawn concluded, flashing Semeeha a grin before going back to what she was doing before. The darker girl looked at me as if asking for a backup but all I did was shrug.

"I couldn't have said it any better than Dawn," I stated, causing her to roll her eyes while Dawn muttered a small thank you. "Her facts are accurate," I added. Semeeha scoffed for the third time.

"Whatever." Was all she said, picking her phone from the table again and started typing away on it.

Her books were lying there on the table and since we got here, she hasn't opened one. She was more bothered about where Kizito was and what he'd do. I can bet he was the one she was sending messages to right now.

I decided not to bother myself with Semeeha because she was a rather difficult person to understand. So, I just went back to reading my books.

English language, Check. Now, let's move to maths.

I mused to myself when I was done reading my English note, closed the book, and began to search the table for my maths note. I frowned when I realized it wasn't on the table with the rest of my books.

"What are you looking for?" Dawn asked me, noticing the way I kept checking through the books on the table. I sighed, giving up my search.

"My Mathematics notebook," I answered, then decided to make one last cross-check. "I was so certain I brought it with me from class," I added, finally giving up when I didn't find it.

"Maybe you forgot it in class," Semeeha said, not looking up from her phone. I didn't think she was paying attention to what I was saying. I guess she was.

I didn't want to go to class. That would mean being in the same space with Jidenna because I was sure he was still there. I couldn't stand being in the same space with him. I know I said I was going to act like he doesn't exist to me, but it was rather hard to when I keep feeling his gaze burning holes in my back.

Yes, Jidenna has been trying to get my attention. Calling or texting me wasn't an option since I blocked him everywhere. The only place he could access me was school and I've been trying to avoid him all day. There was nothing he could say, or do to salvage all the damage he has done.

But I had no choice but to go to class and get my Maths note. While chatting with Simi yesterday, he told me his weakness has always been calculations. Since my maths note wasn't here, I could have easily said I'd just treat physics or chemistry with him today and leave maths till later, but my physics and chemistry notes were also in the class.

I had no choice here. I had to go to class.

I shifted back my seat to create a space for me to stand, "I'll be right back," I told my friends, stood up, and made my way out of the library.

The senior library was an entirely different building away from the senior block. Though it was beside the senior block, it was a storey building like the rest of the school, with three floors. SS1 students took the ground floor just like their class, SS2 took the middle floor while SS3, the top floor.

What made it easy to access was that every class had a corridor attached between their wing and their section of the Library so there was no need exhausting ones self by ascending and descending staircases.

As I made a turn from the building and into the corridor that led to the SS3 wing, I began to hear a faint noise... sounding like they were hailing someone. When I got closer, I caught a glimpse of some of my set mates running towards a particular direction, the direction where the noise was coming from. And as I got closer, the noise got louder and louder.

What's going on?

I got to the hallway of the SS3 classes and saw a crowd gathering in front of a class. Goosebumps sprouted on my skin and my heart began to beat at an unimaginable pace. I stood rooted in that spot, classmates bypassing and bumping into me just because they were running towards that same direction of the class.

My Class!

I wasn't sure if I ran, or flew, or hyper jumped... I don't even know, but the next thing I knew, I was in front of the class trying to push past the crowd to get in. I had an inclining of what was going on, and when I saw Kizito and Jidenna's head from where I was standing, I knew I was right.

From where I stood, I could tell Kizito had Jidenna shoved against the wall, with a death grip around his neck. And from the way Jidenna's head was a little just above Kizito's, I knew the former's legs were hanging in the air.

Jesus Christ!

All this while, Our classmates just stood there, some watching the whole scenario like it was some movie, some capturing it on their phones, and others hailing Kizito. None of them had the balls to actually stop this thing from escalating. Thankfully, there was no bruise, or blood stains on Jidenna's face so I knew I got here just in time to stop the bloodshed.

Now, I understand why Kizito had been MIA. He was waiting for me, or Semeeha, or rather the both of us to leave class before carrying out his threat.

"Kizito!" I screamed, trying to stop him from doing anything drastic.

But Kizito didn't even act like anyone was calling him. He was so blinded and deafened with rage and I was sure he couldn't see or hear the crowd around him. Jidenna was struggling again Kizito, trying to put up a defense but it was no use. Kizito was too strong for him.

I tried to push through the crowd but they weren't letting me. Someone even jabbed me in the stomach and I had to bite my lower lip to stop from wincing as pain jolted through my body.

I kept trying to push my way through, but I had not even gotten past the entrance of the class. I knew it was just a matter of time before Kizito starts delivering blows and I had to get there in time.

But...

"Shift joor!" Some snapped at me and pushed me, hard.

I landed butt first to the floor outside the class, groaning at how hard I had landed. Feeling a sharp and painful sting on my right elbow, I looked at it and saw that I had injured myself, probably brushing my elbow against something as I was falling, something hard enough to draw blood.

Everyone around me had cleared the road for me to fall easily, none of them even offering to help me off my predicament. They didn't even as much as glance at me, all of them engrossed in the blood bath that was about to happen.

"Hilary,"

I looked in the direction where my name was being called from and saw Simi walking - no - running towards me. I knew he was just getting to the scene and didn't know what was going on.

"Are you okay?" He asked as soon as he got to me, taking a hold of my arm to help me up. I winced when he hoisted me up and he was quick to notice the injury on my elbow, "You're hurt." He stated, inspecting my arm.

"I'm fine," I told him and he looked at me, eyebrows raised in question because he obviously didn't believe me. I sighed, "I'm fine, Simi. Just help me stop Kizito from killing Jidenna!" I said.

"What?" He looked confused, so I pointed to the crowd. He looked towards the class and saw the crowd. From the expression on his face, it looked like he hasn't even noticed it before.

"The last thing I want is for Kizito to get into trouble and if he does anything to Jidenna, he will." I rapped on, causing Simi to look back at me, a rather conflicted looking smeared across his face. I wasn't sure what to make of it

"Please, get him out of there." I pleaded.

Simi held my gaze for a moment, and from the way he looked, with the expression on his face, it seemed like he was having some sort of internal battle with himself. I couldn't place where it was coming from.

But before I could make sense of it, he made his way into the class, and when I saw that our classmates were automatically making way for him, I followed closely behind him till we got to the front.

He wasted no time in pulling both boys apart, with no struggle whatsoever. That definitely earned a whole lot of reaction from everyone standing around.

"Knock it off," He called out, his voice echoing through the suddenly quiet classroom, staring right at a glaring Kizito who looked obviously pissed off that he was being stopped. The latter was clearly not going to back out easily as he began to struggle against Simi.

I was scared, knowing that Simi didn't stand a chance if Kizito broke free.

"Get your hands off me, Jordan!" He growled out, calling Simi's surname in a way that made me wince slightly. That sparked up a murmur among everyone.

"Hey!" Simi growled back, his voice harder and stronger... deeper. The intensity startled everyone in the room, including me. I even slightly flinched at how sharp his tone was.

"Get your head together! You cannot hurt him and you know damn well why. You lay a finger on him and you are finished!" He told Kizito, looking at him in the eyes as if a way of passing a hidden message I couldn't even decipher. But that wasn't what stunned me.

Simi was successfully holding Kizito Alade-Martins... Crestview's Hunk and star quarterback, the biggest guy in school at arm's length, a good distance away from Jidenna without breaking as much as a sweat. Simi had managed to subdue the strongest guy in all of Crestview without popping a vein.

Wow! Was all I could think of while massaging the skin around my injury to ease the pain, my eyes on the trio.

On Simisola.

He lightly shoved Kizito, looking in my direction. "Get him out of here," He said.

It took me a second to realize that he was actually looking past me and to someone behind me, talking to another person. I looked back in time to see Gigi Esho walking into the class. I had no idea when she had come even.

"Are you okay?" She asked me when she got close to me, glancing at my bloody elbow. I nodded, mustering a small smile.

"I'm fine," I told her.

She nodded at me before walking past to where Kizito was and whispered something into his ear. Nobody heard what she said but whatever it was that she said was enough to get Kizito physically relaxed. I saw him heave a deep sigh and his shoulder relax and I was sure I wasn't the only one that noticed the change.

Gigi took his hands and led him out of the classroom.

Jidenna looked like he was just able to breathe properly, visibly looking relieved. He was putting up a hard guy front but the truth is that he was scared, terrified even. He made to walk away but Simi held him back, causing everyone to be confused, including me.

Kizito was out of the class so Jidenna was safe. Not that I care.

"He's gone. Let me go." Jidenna said, struggling to release himself from Simi's hold but failed. It didn't even look like Simi was holding him tight.

"I can't," Simi replied, a rather impassive expression on his face. Jidenna looked at me but I averted my gaze from him and looked at Simi, whose eyes were already on me.

He sighed and looked back at Jidenna.

"Kizito is not off this block," He began, and immediately, I understood what he meant. "If I let you go, he'll literally smell you and will come for you. He should be within a five-mile radius from you before you start roaming free." He explained, though in the most bored tone ever, like he was doing this against his better judgment.

What Simi said was absolutely correct. Just because we got here in time to stop the bloodshed doesn't mean Jidenna will keep getting lucky. Putting a good distance between the both of them was the best thing to do so for now, Jidenna couldn't leave the class.

I wasn't even doing this for Jidenna. I was doing it for Kizito. If he wasn't at the risk of getting into trouble, I would have left him. Jidenna can die for all I care.

"But I can't..." Jidenna began to argue, and I fought the urge to hiss. Simi in turn rolled his eyes and cut the rest of his words off.

"Stay still and stop whining like a..."

An aggressive burst into the classroom cut Simi's words off. I turned around just in time to see Tekena Tamuno forcefully pushing through the crowd that was still gathered in front of the classroom. When he got to where Simi, Jidenna, and I were standing, he stopped and looked between the three of us, an ugly frown smeared across his face.

Perfect Timing. Note my sarcasm.

He must have heard that Kizito had his best friend and with the way he had rushed in so pugnaciously, I could tell he came here looking for a fight with Kizito. But he looked rather disappointed when he laid his eyes on Simi instead.

Tekena gave Simi a slow and calculative once-over, then laughed. A loud, barbaric, and humorless laugher that sent waves of irritation and disgust flowing through me.

"So it's even this one, not Kizito. This Olodo." He spoke, talking more to himself than anyone else but we all heard him loud and clear.

I gasped at the triggering insult. Simi who wasn't looking at Tekena before, finally turned his head to look at him. He didn't say anything to Tekena, but I swear I saw something flash in his eyes.

The crowd that had begun to disperse when Gigi took Kizito out of the class started gathering back as soon as they saw Tekena coming in. They knew he would give them the drama that they so craved and from the looks of it, it was already brewing. I wanted so badly to scream for everyone to leave but I knew I'd either get ignored or get insulted.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying this new rouse as they were either murmuring and talking about how Tekena was going to finish Simi or were taking videos of the scene.

Simi didn't deserve that.

I shouldn't have gotten him involved.

Tekena walked up to where Simi was standing, getting into his personal space and I held my breath. Simi stared back at Tekena but still said nothing.

"TK, don't worry. It's all good..." I heard Jidenna say but Tekena cut him off.

"So you are the one that wants to beat up my guy, abi?" He asked Simi, his voice dripping with sarcasm and a threatening undertone. Simi stood still and said nothing. "You sure say you fit fight?" He chuckled humorlessly again, slightly shoving Simi by the shoulder.

"Tekena Stop!" I snapped but the guy ignored me, shoving Simi again. I looked at Jidenna who just stood there and did nothing. His sober eyes met mine and I scoffed, shook my head, and looked away immediately.

Weakling.

"Answer me now!" Tekena was now all up in Simi's face, huffing his chest and pushing it against Simi's own aggressively, causing him to veer back slightly. I couldn't stop this alone, and no one was ready to help me.

"Simi, please let's go," I whispered, but loud enough for him to hear. I didn't want him getting into a fight with Tekena who was just itching to cause trouble. He didn't meet Kizito here so he just wanted to stir up a fight with someone else, that person being Simi.

I just wanted us to get out of here.

But Simi stood still, unflinching. I noticed the way he was clenching and unclenching his fist, his gaze not shifting from Tekena's own. His locked jaw told me he was pissed, clearly because of Tekena's constant shoving. But he wasn't reacting to all of Tekena's rants and that seemed to piss Tekena off.

"I'm talking to you!" Tekena yelled in Simi's face, giving him one hard shove against his shoulder.

And that was just about it for Simi because what he did to Tekena after, showed that he had had enough.

Simi caught Tekena's left hand before it left his shoulder, spurned him around, and pushed the guy's front against the wall, hard... hard enough to elicit a loud, painful groan from Tekena that rang through the suddenly quiet classroom. Everyone was stunned, gasps and sounds of surprise coming from all corners. I had my mouth hanging open in awe.

What the...

That wasn't all. Simi bent Tekena's left hand in a very awkward position between his back shoulder blades, pulling and pulling the hand in a position that it wasn't supposed to be in, each stretching causing Tekena to drag out an even more painful yelp than the last. As Simi kept bending his arm, I began to hear cracking sounds.

Jesus!

It was at that point Jidenna saw the need to react.

"Guy!" He exclaimed, looking in horror as Simi pressed Tekena more against the wall. "What the..." He couldn't complete his sentence as Simi shot him a glare. A very deadly glare that I felt to the core.

"Back off." He said to Jidenna, his voice calm, dangerously so, it made me shiver. Jidenna backed off immediately, knowing better than to fight. I knew I had to get him out of here. But in this state that he was on now, I wasn't sure how to do that.

But I had to try.

"Simi," I called calmly, softly and he turned to me, his eyes still blazing with the unfiltered and undiluted again, it made me shiver again. I swallowed my fear and whispered, "Please, let's go."

Those words seemed to flip a switch in him because his expression softened. The anger was still evident in his eyes but not as murderous as before. It still scared me though.

I have seen happy and playful Simi and I liked that side of him. But angry Simi? Even though his anger was justified, I wasn't sure what I felt about that side of him. All I knew was that it was scary seeing him this way. He looked like Kizito 2.0.

"Please, let's go," I repeated when I saw he still had a death grip on Tekena. He looked at me for a moment, then looked at Tekena, his expression hardening again.

"The next time you insult me or touch me," He told Tekena through gritted teeth. "I promise, I'll break your arm." He said, pushing him to the floor at Jidenna's feet. Jidenna rushed to help his best friend who kept shrugging him off, saying he was fine. But I didn't care about them.

I was finally able to breathe well.

"Come on," Simi spoke and I looked at him, watching him walk up to me. "Let's get that cleaned up," He added when he got to me, nodding towards my arm. I suddenly remembered that I had an injury on my elbow.

So, I nodded and allowed him to lead me through the murmuring crowd and out of the class.

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"Here we go," Simi said as he walked towards me with the stainless dish containing pad cotton wools and methylated spirit. I sat up on the bed as he pulled a chair closer to me and sat down, placing the stainless dish on his lap.

We were in the health center, the only ones in the female ward. Simi had brought me here so I could get my injury cleaned and dressed, but I could sense was a strong wave of deja vu. Me sitting on the bed and Simi on the chair. This was the same position we were in the first time he helped me when I had my first panic attack.

He helped me back then, and he was helping me again, right now.

This guy won't stop coming to my aid whether I need it or not. It seemed like our thing as it is. Him helping Me. And I welcomed it.

"Why are you suddenly quiet?" His voice cut through my reverie and I looked at him, finding his eyes on me, twinkling with amusement. "Are you scared of a little methylated spirit, Hilary?" He teased, his lips quirking in a smirk. I chuckled shaking my head.

"I'm not scared of anything," I told him, trying to form a boastful voice. His left brow quirked up in question but the smirk still remained on his lips. And before I could blink, he took a ball of wet wool from the dish and swept it through my cut.

And I felt pain.

"Jesus!" I yelled, then groaned, loud, till it was reduced to a wince. I shot a glare at Simi who looked like he was enjoying my predicament, grinning from ear to ear. He did it on purpose.

"Simi, what was that for!" I snapped, using my right hand to shove him lightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" He feigned sympathy, placing his hand on his chest dramatically. "I thought you weren't scared of anything." He added, his lips still in a teasing smile.

"Doesn't make it any less painful, genius!" I snapped back, shoving him again. He laughed and I frowned, "I don't like you," I murmured, looking at my cut.

"Alright, Okay. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that," He sounded genuine this time, though he was still smiling. I pouted, and looked away from him, back to my cut. Thankfully the blood had dried up but the injury wasn't clean yet.

"Let me see," I heard Simi say and looked at him. He took my hand in his, pulled his chair closer, and began to inspect the cut. It felt somehow, him looking at a nasty injury on my arm up close like that. But I let him.

Then I felt a burst of air on the cut, dulling the pain I was feeling little by little. The burst of air continued and I realized that Simi was blowing air on it, trying to reduce the pain. Watching him from where I was sitting, he looked so concentrated on it... on trying to make me feel less pain.

I couldn't stop the small smile that stretched across my lips.

He stopped blowing and looked at me. I swear, I almost whined and told him to continue but I couldn't. I didn't want to be weird.

"Does that feel better?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, it does. Thank you," I answered, my voice coming out in more of a whisper than I intended.

Simi held on to my hand and began to clean the cut carefully, gently. It still stung slightly but then for every wince I made, he blew on the cut to soothe me. Soon he was done and he dumped the bloody cotton wool into the dish before cutting out a pad of clean and dry cotton wool.

"Hey," He started, pausing to look at me. "I'm sorry for losing my cool with TK. I'm honestly not always like that. You asked me to help and I only made it worse." He was apologizing for almost breaking Tekena's arm, and I had no idea why.

At first, I was scared of how angry he was, a side of him I've never seen before. Then I realized, I haven't known him long enough to see other sides of him. I was able to conclude within myself that Simi getting angry was justified and his reaction to that anger was okay. Tekena asked for it and I was glad it was Simi that put him in his place.

Hard Guy, Hard Guy, But after asking for a fight, he couldn't even defend himself.

The major reason why I had stopped Simi from beating the fool was because we were on school grounds. Outside school, I'd have most likely left him to deal with that asshole but we were on school grounds. I've never heard of Simisola getting into trouble and I didn't want him to get into one before I put him in that position.

"You don't have to be sorry," I told him after a moment of silence. Then I chuckled," If anything, I don't mind you beating up that asshole. His entire existence is annoying." I said and Simi chuckled.

"They are so meant for each other." He chipped and I hummed in question, wondering who he was talking about. "TK and Jidenna." He clarified and I made a sound of realization, chuckling again.

"At first, I just didn't vibe with Tekena," I told Simi, who stopped to listen. "When he came in JSS 3, he just gave me a very off vibe. Besides, I don't dig wannabe bad boys," I said and Simi chuckled again.

"But Jidenna seemed to like him and the rest of us had to tolerate him for the sake of it. Even Dawn started having feelings for him. Everything I felt for him changed to utter and complete despise when he did what he did to her,"

"I knew about that one," Simi muttered, shrugging while my eyes widened slightly at the revelation. He noticed and snickered humorlessly. "It was rather hard to ignore that embarrassment in the hallway.-

I felt it to my bones that day, everything he said to her, all the degrading words he used on her... In front of the entire class. Trust me, that was the day I outrightly hated him too. She didn't deserve it. No girl deserves that." Simi concluded, putting the clean cotton wool on my cut and told me to hold it. I exhaled.

Tekena did a number on Dawn. It awed me how she could get over it so fast. I just wish I could be like her instead of allowing all my emotions to get a better part of me.

"How is she though?" Simi asked, looking at me. I laughed, knowing that he was asking about Dawn.

"Dawn is strong," I said and he paused what he was doing again to listen to me. "Her Epic comeback is still ingrained in my mind. After what that fool did, she broke down and it seemed like there was no saving her. But third term came and she just came back glowing, better, a firecracker! I honestly wish I could be like her." I muttered that last part, but Simi heard me.

He furrowed his brows in confusion," Why do you wish you could be like her, Hilary?" He asked me, and I sighed.

"Dawn has better control over her emotions," I told him but he said nothing, looking at me in a way that said my reason wasn't reason enough. I sighed again.

"What happened to her happened at the ending of second term. It didn't take her up to a month before she came back big and strong. Look at me," I gestured to myself, "It's been more than a month and I haven't gotten ahold of myself. It's embarrassing!"

"It's not embarrassing," He countered calmly, shutting me up. "You and Dawn are two completely different people and what happened to the both of you are two completely different things you cannot compare together." He stopped, looking at me in that same inciting and intense way that made me look away.

But Simi wasn't having that.

"Look at me," He whispered, his palm coming to rest on my cheek as he gently turned my head back in a position so I could look at him, his amber orbs boring into my soul.

"You lost your brother, Hilary." His voice was low, his tone gentle and calm like he was trying to carefully pick his words. I exhaled, keeping my eyes on him like he wanted.

"Everything that has happened after that is tied to that life-changing event. It is a kind of pain that cannot be compared to high school drama. Yes, what happened to Dawn was horrible and terrible, but you cannot compare it to what's going on with you. If you choose to cry from now till eternity, it's understandable..."

"The reason why I cry lately isn't even because of my brother." I cut him off and he sighed. "I feel bad enough that instead, I'm wasting my tears on a guy I thought cared about me. Jidenna hurt me, Simi and it's hard to just live past that. But, I don't want to cry anymore. Not because of him,"

"Then, that's okay." He said, "If somebody hurts you, it's okay to cry a river. Just remember to build a bridge and get over it," He stated. I wasn't sure if it was a joke or not but it actually made me laugh. Simi smiled.

"You just said it yourself, Jidenna is not worth your tears, Hilary." He continued when my laughter subsided. "Yes, he hurt you and you can cry as much as you want, but make sure when you're finished, you never cry for that same reason again." He said and I found myself nodding.

"Your tears are worth more, Hilary." He whispered this last part, making it sink deep into my mind and heart.

Wow. Was all I could think of as I stared back at Simi in awe. He never ceases to amaze me.

"You are so inspirational," I said and he began to shake his head.

"Oh, that wasn't me." He said and my brows furrowed in confusion. "That was all Wiz Khalifa and Taylor Swift." He stated with the straightest face I've ever seen in my life as I threw my head back and burst into laughter.

What in the...

"What?!" I choked out between laughter, watching as his lips quirked in a smile.

"It's true na," He maintained, shrugging. "Most of what I said around the end are quotes by Wiz Khalifa and Taylor Swift." He said.

"You listen to Taylor Swift?" I asked as my laughter subsided, watching his eyes widen in mock horror.

"What kind of question is that? Who doesn't listen to Taylor Swift?" The fact that he was saying all this with a serious expression cracked me up and in a second, I was wheezing again, almost falling off the bed as I laughed.

"You are cracking me up, Simi," I told him, my laughter subsiding.

"At least you are smiling now, ain't you?" He asked rhetorically, his lips stretched in a wide grin. I let out a soft chuckle, nodding. "That's all that matters," He added. My lips stretched in a deep smile.

"Thank you, Simi,"

I wasn't just thanking him for making me laugh so hard or for his inspirational words, or the way he had helped me earlier. I was thanking him for everything... and for being who he was. A caring person.

"What did I tell you on Saturday? Friends don't say thank you," He told me and I smiled. "We are friends, right?" He asked me, confirming and I nodded.

"Of course," I answered in a heartbeat and his grin widened even more.

"Then, I've got your back, always. Hmmm?" I nodded again. "Now, let's go back to dressing that," He nodded at my cut that had already been forgotten in the course of our talk. I sat back and let him do his word, watching him as he concentrated on me, on helping me.

It felt... different, having someone that wasn't part of the clique as my friend. But Simi has been nothing but helpful to me. He has cared for me. If it were to be a different person, another classmate, that had seen me in all the ways Simi has... I'd probably still be making embarrassing headlines on the class group page. But Simi didn't say anything to anyone.

He protected my image... even when I hardly meant anything to him when we were just mere classmates. Now, we were friends and he still has my back, as he has always done.

And that moment, I promised myself I'd have his too... no matter what.

𝐀/𝐍

So las las, Simi didn't beat up Jidenna. I did a Q and A about it on IG and almost everyone wanted Him to beat up Jidenna. You people like violence o🤣. But then, he almost broke Tekena's arm. Now that would have been worth watching 😌.

So Hilary has seen another side to Simi, the angry side. At first she was scared but later, she realized that Tekena cannot be around you and you won't get angry, abi? He's an annoying being.

The story between Tekena and Dawn is unfolding little by little but then, it's not in Hilary's place to tell us. So we just have to wait for Dawn to tell us herself. But you can drop your conspiracy theories based on what Simi said.

The friendship between Simi and Hilary is growing more🥺❤️. In the next update Hilary will see a third side to Simi that will shock her. I'm sure you guys know what side that is 🌚.

Pending the next update, don't forget to VOTE! COMMENT!! SHARE!!! I'll see you when I see you ❤️.