(030c - On A Date Part 3)

(YouTube video of "The Spectre" By Alan Walker in the media above. Watch it when you get to Dawn and Sochima's dance on the field.)

This chapter is giving me so much mad vibes 😩. Our babies are going to have the time of their lives tonight and I can't wait for you guys to be part of it. Hold your hearts tight, because they might burst out of your chests from beating too fast 🥺.

Are we ready for Wonder Coast 🌚✨❤️

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

𝐃𝐀𝐖𝐍
(Dawn Damipe Dayo)

Wonder Coast was exactly what it was called.

A Wonder.

When the bus we had taken from Coven City stopped right in front of Lekki Crown, we took another one inside, a special bus that was specifically made for anyone going to Wonder Coast. I could see, and feel the beauty of the place even before we got there. The road that led to Wonder Coast was just like a road that led the Heaven.

Though I wouldn't know the way the road that led to Heaven looked like, I've never been there. But with the way it was described in the Bible, I don't think I can describe this place any other way.

Tiled and concrete, lanterns lined up at either side of the road to illuminate the way for whoever had chosen to walk. Don't let me get started on the string and fairy lights that were used to decorate all the trees at the sides of the road. And that was just the road. Only the road.

(This is how the road part looks like)

(How the trees look like.)

When the bus dropped us off in front of the large two-way gate, I couldn't stop my mouth from hanging open in shock, and complete awe. I didn't need anyone to tell me that we had gotten to Wonder Coast. Even as Chima helped me down from the bus, I was still awestruck by the scenery in front of me.

Magnificent.

That was the only word I could think of that would be able to do little justice to what I was seeing. In fact, Magnificent doesn't cut it.

I don't know how I missed this kind of place, especially with the way I go out a lot. Besides, Lekki Crown was Semeeha's domain and I go to her house often. So, how did I miss this? Where did I put my eyes?

"This place is beautiful," I mused, my mouth still open as I couldn't keep my eyes off anything.

We were still outside. I had not moved from where the bus dropped us. Chima didn't hurry me up or anything. He was patient, allowing me to bask in the feeling of awe.

"You think this is beautiful?" Chima asked rhetorically, chuckling right after. "You should see the inside." He said and I looked at him. His eyes were sparkling with excitement and the aura around him was so contagious, I began to feel it too.

I could hear the noise, music playing and could feel the energy from behind the big Gates of Wonder Coast. That, asides from Chima's excitement made me begin to anticipate whatever this place had to offer.

"Come on," He took my hand in his again and led me through the gates.

It was like we had entered into another dimension. Outside the gates, it still felt calm and serene, but within the gates, the energy from all corners hit me in waves that I began to feel it flowing through my body like jolts of electric currents. It felt like we had entered a whole different world. A world outside Lekki Crown

A world outside Nigeria.

"Oh my God," I whispered.

Wonder Coast was busy, everywhere was buzzing, musics playing so loud. People were walking around, coming from the left, right, and center, doing one thing or the other. It felt like a square; loud, rowdy, full of people but not the kind that would annoy or irritate you. It was the kind that would draw you right in.

It also felt like we were at a carnival. This place had everything a carnival would, a mixture of trade and funfairs. It was so exciting.

"How did you discover this place?" I asked Chima as we walked in. I held his hand tight because the road was just as busy as every other place. I wouldn't want anyone pushing against me or making me lose my way.

"I actually live close to this place." He answered, flashing me a big smile. My eyes widened slightly at what he said.

"You live in Lekki Crown?" I asked and he laughed, shrugging.

"I do, yeah." He affirmed, pulling me closer to him when a group of people rushed past us aggressively so that they wouldn't hit me.

"I live in the Military barrack just around the outskirt of Lekki crown," He began to explain, his free hand moving in gesticulation for emphasis. "My Dad is an Army officer." He added and again, the revelation shocked me.

"Your Dad is an Army officer," I repeated, my mouth gaping in awe. Chima chuckled slightly and nodded, affirming what he had said. "Wow," I sighed.

Knowing something like this about him felt like massive progress and I wanted him to tell me more. About his Dad, about his family. But with the way he went quiet after, it seemed like he didn't want to say more so, I didn't ask him.

Baby steps, Dawn. Baby steps.

"So you have been here before?" I asked instead and he turned to look at me. "Like inside wonder coast?" I expatiated and he nodded, a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"Yeah, but just once though." He answered and I hummed, listening to him. "It was last year, December thirty first. They were having this Cross-over carnival thing going on till the new year, so I came with my siblings." He said.

"Siblings," I repeated and he nodded again.

"Twins actually," He chipped in, flashing me a knowing smile and I gasped, my lips stretching in a grin. "Axel and Ariel. It's just three of us." He said.

"A boy and a girl?" I asked and he nodded with a grin. I cooed softly, pressing my free hand to my chest. "Aww, that's so cute." I chirped and he chuckled.

"One of these days, I'll take you to meet them." He wasn't asking if I wanted to meet them. He was telling me that he'd take me to meet his siblings, part of his family. I couldn't stop the grin that stretched across my lips at the thought.

My mind was working in overdrive. Soon, I'll start hearing wedding bells.

Get yourself together, Dawn! I chided myself inwardly.

"Ansel, Axel, and Ariel," I mused, humming in satisfaction, feeling Chima's eyes on me as we kept walking. "I really love the matching first letters," I commented and laughed lightly.

"Thank you," He whispered and I grinned. "You guys also have matching first letters. Dawn and Dean. I don't know about the twins though." He stated.

"Damien and Daniel." I offered and he made a sound of awe. I chuckled slightly as I remembered the names of almost everyone in the Dayo and Gentry household. "It's like my entire extended family decided to take names that start with D," I added. Chima paused to look at me, bushy eyebrows raised in question.

"So, all of you in your family have names that start with D?" He asked incredulously. A look of unbelief and shock had married his face and I laughed at his expression.

"At least the ones I know," I clarified. "You met my cousin naw, Dunni." Chima nodded. "Her sisters are Dara and Dererah," I mentioned and Chima muttered a subtle wow. "My parents are Debbie and Deolu Dayo. My paternal grandparents are Dedunke and Demola Dayo. An entire house of Ds."

"Mad o!" Chima exclaimed in awe and I laughed.

"No, no jokes," He continued after my laughter had subsided and I looked at him. His face looked quite serious, but there was this glint in his eyes that told me, contrary to his statement, he was about to crack a joke.

"An entire household with names starting with the same first letter. It's quite fascinating, but at the same time, it can give you a real-life identity crisis." He deadpan and I burst into another round of laughter.

I laughed and kept laughing, not didn't care that I was standing in the middle of the very busy road, laughing like a maniac in front of the guy I liked. Surely, I was bringing unwanted attention to our side, but I still didn't care. Chima was cracking me up. I don't understand how he had made that comment with a straight face.

Oh my God, this boy!

I can't remember the last time I laughed this much, this loud... this heartily. Wasn't even sure anymore if it was what he said that made me laugh, or he himself.

Sochima Ansel Johnson. The boy that radiated with such contagious unfathomable happiness.

When the laughter finally subsided, I looked at him and found him watching me, staring at me. He was smiling down at me, not just with his lips, but also with his eyes... with everything in him.

"What?" I whispered, unable to stop the smile that kept tugging at the corners of my lips. He breathed out a soft laugh, shaking his head slowly as he still kept his eyes trained on me.

"Nothing," He whispered back, still staring, still smiling down at me. "Just keep laughing like that. Keep being happy like that." He said and my lips stretched in a soft smile.

I don't know where the boldness or confidence came from. While I was laughing, my hand had slipped out of his. So, I slipped it back in, wheezing my fingers between his as he has always done to me. I watched Chima as I did that, watched him as he watched the way our hands merged perfectly together, my small one in his large, and unbelievably soft ones.

"Well," I started, my voice more hushed than I had intended. He looked back at me, an intense glint in his eyes. "You make me happy, Chima," I told him, looking right into his eyes as I said it.

His eyes searched mine as if looking for a hint that I didn't mean what I said. But he wouldn't find anything, because I meant every word.

Every single word.

With a soft sigh escaping his lips, Chima took his free hand and brought it to my face, tucking the section of the fringe that was laying over my eyes to the back of my ear, then dragged his hands down my jawline to my chin, the tip of his fingers trailing my skin, leaving tingles at its wake.

I let him, wanting him to keep touching me.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked me, his voice coming out a little breathless.

"Anywhere," I answered in a heartbeat. Chima could have asked me to marry him right there and then and I'd have said yes without thinking twice... or even once.

Yes, I'm that shameless.

"Do you like ice cream?" He asked and I gasped, taking my free hand to my chest.

"Do I like breathing!" I squealed. Chima laughed. "Don't judge me. I'm a proud junkie." I pouted and he laughed again, raising his right hand in mock surrender.

"No judgment. Cross my heart, hope to die." He said as he imitated the popular gesture and I smile. "I'm also a proud junkie, so why would I even judge you? Am I mad?" I laughed, shaking my head.

"There is an ice cream shop just a few walks down this part," Chima stated, nodding down the busy road before looking at me. "An Italian gelato shop. They make the best ice cream in this place." He said shrewdly.

"Take me, Take me." I chirped, hopping on my feet like a little girl. Chima laughed again and led me, his left hand still in mine.

I followed as he took me to the Italian ice cream shop, just a walk down. There were a lot of ice cream shops in that corner, but with the crowd sitting under the shed in front of this particular gelato shop, it was obvious a lot of people were rushing it. Chima was most likely right about them.

"I brought my siblings here when we came last year," Chima said as we took our spot on the not-so-long queue. I looked at him, waiting for him to continue to speak. "It was a little difficult getting our orders right because there is no English speaking staff here. They are all Italians."

"All of them?" I asked.

"Hmmmn," He hummed, nodding. I looked around me to see that he was right. All the staffs around weren't Nigerian. "But the taste of the ice cream was definitely worth the wait," Chima added with a smile.

When it got to our turn, it was a young Italian man that was in front of the counter, about to take our orders.

"Ciao. Benvenuti a Dreamy Gelatos (Hi. Welcome to Dreamy Gelatos)," He began to speak as soon as he saw us, a bright smile stretched across his lips. Chima gave me a look that said I told you so and then proceeded to try and place our orders.

I stopped him.

"Don't worry, I've got this," I told him. His brows furrowed in confusion, wondering what I meant. I smiled and turned to the man behind the counter.

"Ciao, come stai? (Hi, how are you?)" I asked him. The man looked shocked, but not as shocked as Chima, whose eyes widened like saucers. His expression almost made me burst out in laughter. The Italian man quickly comported himself and answered me, a brighter smile stretched across his lips.

He has probably never gotten a customer that could speak fluent Italian.

"Sto bene, grazie. Cosa vorresti avere? (I'm fine, thank you. What would you like to have?)" He asked. I turned to Chima, whose eyes were still widened and his mouth hanging open in shock.

"You can speak Italian." He didn't ask, he just said it, as if trying to make sense of what was going on, his expression still holding disbelief. I laughed lightly, kinda feeling myself.

"I can speak more than five different languages, Chima," I told him. If Chima's mouth could have widened further, it would have. He looked shocked out of his mind, staring at me like I just descended from the planet Saturn.

His expression was cracking me up.

"No way," He breathed, still in a daze. I laughed again and slightly nudged him.

"What flavor do you want?" I asked him. He shook his head slightly as if he was trying to bring himself out of the daze that he was in. That singular action made me chuckle a little bit.

"Uhm..." He trailed off, still trying to collect himself and I laughed again. "Mint chocolate chip ice cream." He was finally able to get the words out. I turned to the Italian man who was waiting patiently for us. Thankfully, we were the last on the queue so we weren't delaying anyone.

"Due grandi gelati mint chocolate chip, per favore. (Two large mint chocolate chip ice cream, please.)" I ordered and he nodded, getting to work.

I looked back at Chima who was still staring at me. The look of shock was no longer on his face. Instead, he had leaned back a bit, hands folded across his chest and lips turned in a lopsided grin as he stared at me like I was an object of fascination... his eyes holding strong emotions of attraction.

"Stop looking at me like that," I told him, unable to contain the giggle that slipped out of my lips.

"I can't," He answered in a heartbeat. "I am completely and totally enthralled by you." He breathed out hazily, like someone deep in a trance.

My breath caught in my throat at his voice.

"You keep finding new ways of making me more and more fascinated by you, Dawn Damipe Dayo," He whispered huskily, causing me to involuntarily gasp.

A sharp gasp.

There was a way he was... a way he spoke anytime he wanted to say something to me, something that would lift my spirit all the way to the sky till I'm floating with the clouds. That husky, deep, alluring, and extremely sexy voice he used on me, the voice that always had me weak to my knees.

That was the way he had spoken right now but that wasn't even what shook me to the core.

It was the way he spelled out my name, my full name. The way he had said it so fluently and articulately, rolling off his tongue so sweetly, I almost begged him to call my name again. He called me like he was calling something so sacred and beautiful, something that was meant for his lips and his lips alone.

Dawn Damipe Dayo.

I suddenly didn't want anything to call me like that except him. Not even my parents.

And that's how they have gotten you finish. My subconscious mocked me.

"Ecco qui. (Here you go.)" The Italian man's voice pierced through our little bubble and I sharply turned to face him.

(Ice cream 😌✨)

He had two giant cones of ice cream in his hands while flashing a knowing smile between Chima and me. Smiling nervously, I thanked him and took the cones, passing them to Chima to hold them before turning back to the man.

"Quanto costa? (How much is it?)" I asked, reaching for my purse to bring out some money. The man shook his head in negation.

"Non preoccuparti per i soldi. Questo è in casa. (Don't worry about the money. This one is on the house.)" He said. My lips stretched in a smile of appreciation.

"Grazie molte. Apprezzo davvero. (Thank you so much. Really appreciate it.)" I thanked him but he waved me off, telling me not to worry.

"Voi piccioncini divertitevi e basta. (You lovebirds just have fun.)" He said and I blushed, waving at him as I went to meet Chima where he was standing.

"Hope it wasn't too expensive?" He asked, giving me my ice cream cone. I shook my head, flashing him an assuring smile.

"He gave us for free. Said it's on the house." I answered, taking out the tiny spoon that was buried in the ice cream.

"Wow!" Chima was surprised, looking at the big ice-cream cone in his hands before looking at me with a big smile playing on his lips. "I had a feeling before but now I am certain." He said. My brows quirked in question, wondering why he meant.

"Certain about what?" I asked.

"That you, my love," He playful touched the tip of my nose with his index finger and I grinned, mostly because of the pet name he just called me. "Are a good luck charm."

"Really?"

"No, let me rephrase that," He said, coming to stand fully in front of me with his eyes staring right into mine intently as he brushed his index finger against my cheek softly.

"You are my good luck charm." He whispered and my smile stretched even further.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

"So, tell me. How many languages can you speak exactly?" Chima asked me, before scooping ice cream into his mouth.

We were already out of the gelato shop, walking down the walk part again. Now, we were at a particular part of Wonder Coast that looked like the real carnival. So many buildings were present. There was a carousel with children playing on it, having the time of their lives, a family-sized roller coaster, even a building for bumper cars. And all these places were packed.

Before now, Chima was telling me how expensive some attractions in this place were. He showed me a big building called HEAVEN and I didn't need anyone to tell me that it was the most expensive of all. Then he showed me the big stage, called it the Wonder Stage, explaining that Celebrity artists were always invited to perform at these events. I even saw one Abeola's Magic Show booth and I promised myself I'd go before leaving here.

Wonder Coast was like a full-blown tourist attraction center.

"I can speak about twenty-five," I answered his question and he paused, his hand with the spoon hanging midway into his mouth as he turned to look at me in shock, just like he had done in the ice-cream shop. I laughed again.

"Twenty-five." He repeated and I nodded.

"Yeah, but I can't speak all twenty-five fluently. I can only speak seven very well." I told him and he made a sound of awe, finally putting the spoon in his mouth. I chuckled again at his expression and also took a spoon of my ice cream.

"Which ones can you speak fluently apart from Italian?" He asked, glancing at me. I hummed thoughtfully.

"Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Dutch and Mandarin." I listed. He stopped again and looked at me, an amused expression on his face.

"Mandarin, as in what the Chinese speak?" He confirmed and I nodded affirmatively, laughing lighting when he muttered wow under his breath. "How did you learn all these languages? I'm genuinely curious."

"My mum." I started and he face me, giving me his undivided attention. I don't know why, but he always seemed very interested in everything I had to say, even if they were boring.

A Listener. I loved that.

So, I began to explain.

"She's a chef, actually, always has been. She told us that, when she was much younger before she met my dad, she used to travel the world to learn how to make different kinds of cuisines..."

"Dinner in your house must be the best," Chima chipped in and I laughed.

"You have no idea," I said between laughter. He then told me to continue and I did.

"In the course of her traveling, she learned so many languages. My mum can speak fifty different languages fluently," a sound of shock escaped Chima's lips. "So, when she had us, she taught us all she knew... both cooking and languages. Of course, she couldn't teach us everything, but we learned what we could." I finished with a smile.

"So every one of you can speak other languages in your house?" He asked and I nodded.

"Even my Dad learned how to speak but he's not as good as mum," I said and Chima hummed. "Dean can speak four fluently; Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese. The twins can speak French very well. They have a hard time learning other languages, but if mum speaks to them any, they understand."

"Wow! It's fascinating." He whispered, then chuckled and I joined him. "An entire household that can speak different languages. If an outsider comes to stay for the weekend, they'd feel so left out." He chipped.

"I know right!" I agreed, laughing at a memory that popped into my mind. "There was this time when my aunt, Dad's elder sister came to stay for a few weeks. In the house, we are so used to talking in French or Spanish, not even Yoruba, so we just continued as per usual. This woman vexed o. Said she was sure we were insulting her."

Chima laughed, throwing away his now empty cone into a nearby trash can. I smiled, noticing that unlike other people around, he wasn't littering the ground with trash.

"Did you guys try to explain to her that it was all a misunderstanding?" He asked after his laughter had subsided. I shook my head.

"We tried to but she didn't listen. She got angry and left." I finished. Chima laughed again and I joined him.

"Nigerian big aunties and their wahala." He commented and I sighed.

"Tell me about it." I chipped, quickly finishing what's left of my ice cream

"Maybe you'll teach me how to speak French," Chika suddenly said and I looked at him. He was smiling but he looked serious. "For when I meet your family." He added. I had to stop my eyes from popping out of its socket.

He wants to meet my family.

"Urghh..." I didn't know what to say and he noticed.

"I'm so sorry," He quickly apologized, then cussed at himself. "Am I moving too fast? I'm moving too fast, abi? I'm so sorry..." He rambled on.

"No," I cut him off and he stopped talking. "It's all good. You are not moving too fast." I told him. He really wasn't.

I personally don't like it when guys waste time, and Chima seemed to be someone who doesn't, given how far we have gone in almost three weeks, close to a month. All that was left now, was for him to make his intentions crystal clear.

He was dropping hints, very glaring hints... but I needed him to tell me straight up. Tell me that he wanted more of this.

More of us.

"Are you sure?" He asked, wanting to be certain. I gave him a bright smile, taking my free hand to rub against his arm reassuringly.

"Of course," I assured him and a sigh of relief escaped his lips. My smile widened. "And yeah, I'll teach you how to speak French," I told him and he grinned.

"I can't wait." He stated and I giggled.

"Oh wait," Chima suddenly said, moving closer to me. Then added "You have a stain,"

He didn't wait for me to speak before raising his hand to my face. I gasped slightly when he took his thumb to the corner of my lips and daintily brushed against it, cleaning whatever was there. When I looked at his thumb, I saw a small ice cream stain.

Oh, it's just ice cream.

"Thank you," I told him, trying to open my purse. "Let me get a handkerchief to clean that..."

"Don't worry about that," Was what he said. I was half expecting him to just wipe it against his cloth or something, but he didn't. And I wasn't ready for what he did instead.

He licked the ice cream off his thumb.

Jesus Christ. My eyes widened

It was swift and barely noticeable, but I noticed every single detail. In fact, it was playing in slow motion in my head. The tip of his tongue slowly darting out to lick the ice cream from his thumb, or the way his lips closed against the tip of his thumb.

And you know the funny part?

While my nasty, perverted mind was going haywire, the cause of my misery was acting so casually. He didn't even notice I had gone quiet, staring at him like he was my favorite cookie as he kept speaking.

I couldn't hear anything... not when all of my attention were on his lips.

Snap out of it, Dawn.

"...sit down?" Was all I heard when I snapped back to reality.

"What?" I asked dumbly, blinking my eyes like belu belu. Chima laughed and shook his head.

"You weren't listening." He stated, bobbing his head to the side as he looked at me. I breathed out a light, nervous laughter and shook my head.

"No, I wasn't. I'm sorry," I apologized with laughter.

Chima looked on with a smirk tugged at the corners of his lips, not saying anything. It almost felt like he knew what had been going on in my head, so I started looking for a good lie.

"I was actually thinking about..." I started,

But all I wanted to say was caught in my throat when he moved closer to me, right into my personal space, touching bodies with me. My heart began to race at an unimaginable pace just by the way his skin was touching mine.

We were so closer, breathing the same air. All he had to do was lower his head by an inch and we'd be touching lips.

Good Lord...

"Tell me, Dawn..." He whispered, his minty breath fanning my face. "You were thinking about what?" He asked - no - he challenged. I sucked in a breath.

This boy knew what he was doing.

Good thing, I had a skill or two of my own.

I took both my hands to rest on his chest and leaned in. Chima was shocked, clearly not expecting me to Indulge him. Tiptoeing till I was slightly on the same level with him, I leaned in further, my lips just a few centimeters from his. I swear I saw his Adam's apple bob and I smirked.

I've got him.

"You tell me what you are thinking, Mr. Ansel," I whispered right back, keeping my eyes trained on him. Now it was his turn to be speechless, staring back at me in complete awe.

I was enjoying this, enjoying the way I could see how much effect I had on him, just like he had on me.

Chima opened his mouth slightly to speak, but no words came out. Then breathed out a soft laugh, cocking his head to the side.

"Dawn, you live wire." He sounded so breathless, low, and gruff. At that point, I couldn't even contain my laugh.

My head fell to his chest as I laughed, my hands resting against his biceps now. He laughed with me, his hands now wrapped around my waist to steady me against him. We laughed together, knowing what we had just done to each other.

"Well played, Dawn. Well played." He whispered, his breath fanning against my ear and I shuddered, raising my head to look at him.

"You started it." I pouted and he laughed. Didn't even know if it was my eyes that were deceiving me or not, but I saw his eyes flicker to my lips, followed by a sharp intake of breath.

Before I could dwell more on it, he looked away, glancing behind me. With the way, his eyes lit up even more and the grin stretched across his lips, I knew he had seen something I liked. I followed his gaze and looked behind me too.

An Arcade.

"Let's go." I dragged him along and he followed without any protest, laughing.

The Arcade was amazing, and let's just say, we had the time of our lives. I taught Chima how to play Dance-Dance Revolution because he said his dancing was a little rusty. At the end of the tutorial part, he was making waves.

"You are very good at this!" I commented as we kept moving on the floor arrows, following the movements on the screen. Chima smirked, his eyes trained on the screen in front of us.

"What can I say, I'm a fast learner." He threw a wink my way. I was already giggling when I realized what he was doing. He was trying to distract me.

"Oh no, you don't!" I squealed, tapping my feet faster on the floor arrows. Chima laughed and kept going. There's no way I'd let him beat me at a game I taught him.

We played a lot of games; Skee ball, Pong and even took photo booth pictures together. I even won Chima at Arcade Hoops, a basketball-themed game at the arcade, shocking him out of his mind. There was no dull moment whatsoever. We had so much fun, and I mean so much.

I don't think I have ever had this much fun in a very long time.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

(Imagine these two as Dawn and Sochima at the Arcade. This is exactly how I imagined everything to be🥺❤️)

"I can't still believe you beat me at Arcade Hoops!" Chima exclaimed as we walked out of the Arcade together, my arms looped with his. I threw my head back and laughed.

"Basketball is my thing! How did you win me?" He asked rhetorically, disbelief clouding his features. I smirked and nudged him with my arm that was around his.

"Maybe I'm better than you at basketball," I replied, waiting to see his expression. He let out a dramatic gasp, placing his free hand over his chest like he just had a heart attack.

"Take that back!" He demanded and I burst into laughter again. "Oh, you want to laugh uhn?" He had a mischievous look in his eyes when I looked at him and I knew exactly what he wanted to do.

He wants to tickle me.

"Please no!" I squealed, laughing heartily as I ran off to get away from him. Laughing as well, Chima ran after me.

We kept running till we got to the open field, right in front of Wonder Stage. Chima, being way faster than I am, caught up to me and wrapped his hands around my waist. I shrieked, laughing as he lifted me off the ground and pulled me against his body.

"I've got you now." He growled playfully, still holding me tightly against him.

My laughter subsided as he dropped me to the floor, but I still let him hold me, didn't move away from him either. With my back pressed against his front, I could feel his heart beating rapidly against his chest. I wasn't sure if it was because he had ran or because of something else.

I didn't care about the reason anyway. He was holding me and that was what I wanted.

We didn't speak, just standing in the middle of the field, the wet grass beneath our feet, his hands still wrapped around me. I took in a shaky breath when I felt his head hovering around the space between my shoulder and my neck, before coming to rest there, his lips dangerously close to my ear.

"I love it when you hold me," I said in hushed tones, the words leaving my lips before I could stop them.

Chima didn't say anything. He didn't need to. He only hummed softly as he held me tighter, his hands around my open belly because of the tube top that stopped just a few inches below my chest, his fingers brushing my bare skin. He buried his face in the hollow of my neck, breathing on my skin gently and softly.

"You are so soft," He mumbled against my skin, the vibration of his words sending tingles down my spine. "I want to hold you forever," He added, and I giggled, closing my eyes.

I want him to hold me forever too.

Suddenly, the intro of The Spectre by Alan Walker began to play, fading in from the speakers and my eyes flew open.

"I want to dance," I said, slightly pulling away from Chima.

He didn't say anything, didn't ask why I wanted to dance in the middle of the field with a lot of people still walking around. He just nodded with a smile and held my hand pulling me even further to the middle of the field, where I'd be more noticed.

"Dance," He whispered just as the first verse of the song began.

And I danced.

♪♪Hello, hello
Can you hear me
As I scream your name?♪♪

I flowed with the song, moving my feet and arms in sync. I could feel Chima's eyes on me, just one me and I looked at him, watching him watch me with utmost concentration and attention. He saw me watching him and he smiled, urging me to go on.

Encouraging me.

♪♪Hello, hello
Do you need me
Before I fade away?♪♪

At this point, people were already gathering to watch, forming circles around Chima and me. I didn't shy away, not with Chima's encouraging smile.

I kept going.

♪♪Is this a place that I call home?
To find what I've become
Walk along the path unknown
We live, we love, we lie♪♪

I began to pick up the pace, popping my body to the best of the song, a wide grin spreading across my lips as I started seeing more people going the circle to watch, started hearing cheers from them.

Looking at Chima, my eyes met his and he winked at me, mouthing the words I've got you. It made me feel more confident. But low-key, I didn't want him to just stand there, I wanted him to dance with me. Judging by the Dance-Dance Revolution we played, I could tell he had moves.

A bit rusty, but he had moves.

I kept dancing.

♪♪Deep in the dark, I don't need the light
There's a ghost inside me
It all belongs to the other side
We live, we love, we lie♪♪

Just as the electric instrumentals of the song began, I suddenly felt a woosh of air over my face, accompanied by ear-piercing screams from the crowd. When I saw what it was about, my mouth hung open and my eyes widened in shock.

Chima had done a round-off backflip in the air, landed right on his feet, and began to move to the beat of the song.

"No way!" I gasped, causing him to look at me as he kept moving, a wide smile stretching across his lips. I don't understand where all the rust had dusted off too but right now, Chima was killing it on the floor.

He was killing it good!

I felt his hand take mine and he unexpectedly spinned me. That singular act elicited tons of hoots and hypes from the crowd that had increased even more.

"You are the star here." He whispered to me and I grinned. "Take the lead, I'll follow you." He added and I nodded.

The upbeat instrumentals of the song began and just as Chima had said, I took the lead, dancing my heart out of the floor. Chima was mimicking every one of my moves so perfectly, it actually looked like we had practiced before coming here. I couldn't stop smiling as we moved to the beat of "The Spectre".

I was happy... was having fun, and so was Chima.

But what I didn't see coming was another person... or two people rather joining us on the floor.

"SHE WANTS TO DANCE WITH HER!"

A deep male voice from the crowd screamed out of the blue and I stopped dancing, so did Chima.

I looked in the direction of the voice and saw a guy, a really tall guy standing right in front, pointing at a girl wearing beanie that stood beside him, calling everyone's attention to them. I exchanged a look of amusement with Chima, wanting to see exactly how all this will play out.

The tall boy, who looked just about our age, was already dragging the rather hesitant beanie girl to the middle. She looked terrified out of her mind, fighting against him subtly as she stared daggers at him.

The boy didn't look fazed. He kept trying to convince her to get on the floor. All this while, the crowd kept hyping and hailing. Shouts of Ohs, Heys, and Maddest o alike ringing out from every corner of the circle.

He succeeded in getting the beanie girl to the middle just as the Intro of DTF by CKay began. She froze, looking at the crowd of the people that kept hyping her, waiting for her to dance. Even Chima had joined them to hype while I also anticipated.

I wanted to see her dance.

Don't be shy. Come on. I urged on silently.

She looked at the tall boy beside her and he gave her an encouraging smile, the same one that Chima had given me moments ago when I started to dance to. Right before my eyes, I saw the girl visibly relax, just by a simple encouraging smile from that boy and I couldn't stop the small smile that stretched over my lips.

Girl, I know the feeling.

Little by little she began to let loss, letting the rhythm of the song take over her entire being. And just by those tiny moves she made with her arms and legs, I could tell. I could see it clearly.

Wow! She's good!

𝐀/𝐍

Heaww! See mad hypes!🔥😩 The biggest dance off of the year is about to happen! The dance off that everyone would carry on their head! You people are not ready fa!

Ngl, me sef I'm not ready. I don't know what I'm going to write in the next chapter 🤣. Actually, lovetori_xo has done all the work, but its going to be in Dawn's POV now. May God help me.

Sha don't rush me to update o. I want to farabale (calm down) to write the next chapter. Right now sef, my head is aching me🤧. Biko, pray I don't have malaria again.

Dawn and Chima are just giving me mad "God when" vibes. What is all this oppression sef 😩❤️🥺. Do you think they are going to kiss at the end of this date?

I'll see you when I see you ❤️✨.