(038 - The Best Version.)

Shall we? 🌚

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𝐉𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐀
(Jidenna Leo Okojie)

♪♪What you know about rollin' down in the deep
When your brain goes numb, you can call that mental freeze...♪♪

That sounded exactly like my ring tone, but then it didn't feel like my phone was ringing though the sound was loud and blaring in my mind. Instead, for some reason, I was dancing on clouds to that tune, wearing a complete pink bunny costume. That didn't seem unnatural at all.

If anything, it was the best dream I've had in weeks

Dream? Was I dreaming?

The song stopped and everything went black, the image of me dancing on the clouds with a pink bunny costume varnished.

♪♪What you know about rollin' down in the deep
When your brain goes numb, you can call that mental freeze...♪♪

But it started again after a second, and the image was back.

Now, there was something unnatural about that.

I groaned, shuffling around on my bed with my limbs splayed around my frame like a spider. I couldn't see anything, just darkness and that was when I realized that my eyes were shut. And when I tried to open them, they were heavy. Very heavy.

That was when it dawned on me that I was asleep, and was indeed dreaming of dancing to my ring tone in a pink bunny costume.

It was all a dream.

♪♪When these people talk too much, put that shit in slow motion, yeah
I feel like an astronaut in the ocean, ayy♪♪

I groaned again at the unwelcomed noise, stretching my hands out to find the phone where I had kept it, knocking down a few things off the bedside table in the process. The clatters on the floor made me open my eyes slightly, just as my hand touched my phone. I brought it up to my face and peered at it, ready to cuss at whoever had disturbed my sleep.

Unknown number. It read.

Hissing, I made to end the call but out of instinct, I tapped on the answer call icon instead, picking the call.

Fuck. I cussed, rubbing my eyes with my index finger before bringing the phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I called, my voice sounding grouchy and husky from sleep. It's even good like that, let whoever it is know that they disturbed my freaking nap!

"I need my camera." Came the reply in a very familiar sharp tone. My brows furrowed in at the voice. Even in my dizzy and disoriented state, I could immediately tell who it was. Her voice has somehow been registered in my mind.

"Adela?" I called again, wanting to confirm if I was hearing right and if she was the one speaking to me right now.

"Come and meet me at Greenland Park in Amber Estate. Come with the Camera. You have ten minutes to show."

And just like that, she hung up.

What the fuck?

I pulled my phone away from my ear and stared at it like it was an alien that just descended from another planet, trying to understand what had just happened... trying to wrap my head around the fact that this girl just called me, disturbing my sleep and legit ordered me to come and meet up with her in ten minutes.

Just like that.

How did she even get my number?

Prefects group chat. Dhur. My subconscious mocked me. I hissed again, falling back first to my bed.

Adela is really something else. She was strange, acted strange too. Or maybe it was just me.

After our time together at the park that Sunday evening, I was actually looking forward to seeing her in school the next day. For some reason, seeing her made me more excited about resuming back to school after my... hiatus.

I had seen a different, less intimidating side to her that evening and I wanted to see more of her like that. She had apologized for the harsh words she says to me. She took me to her hidden spot in the park, a place she claimed to have never taken anyone to, not even her sister. She even gave me her camera to use.

She complimented me. Twice.

I thought I had found some sort of... friendship with her.

Only for me to resume school that Monday and Adela acted like I didn't exist. Yeah, she literally ignored my entire existence and treated me like I was breeze.

I saw her immediately after I had gotten to our wing that morning. A lot of guys had bombarded me to greet me, asking where I had been and why I had not been at school before the midterms. All the while the guys were talking to me, my eyes were on her, watching discreetly as she down the hallway with Lase by her side.

I was able to skip the guys, telling them I'd talk to them later, just so that I could get to Adela in time before she entered her class. So, I began to walk towards her, a small smile playing across my lips. She didn't notice me at first, engaged in an intense conversation with Lase. But then, she did.

Like she knew I was looking at her, walking towards her, Adela looked up and her eyes met mine. My lips had automatically stretched into a wider smile Andi rose my hand up to wave at her.

But she looked away, going right back into her conversation with Lase like she had not just seen me. The switch was so swift, so clean and it almost felt like I had imagined her looking at me. But I knew I didn't imagine it. And just before I could get to her, she turned with Lase and entered her class.

I was sure no one knew what had happened. No one had seen it happen, but it didn't make me feel any less embarrassed than I did.

And just like the pathetic human being that I was, I kept trying to get her attention throughout that week. Till I finally gave up, Adela spared me not even a glance.

I felt humiliated.

What was I even thinking? That she'd suddenly want to be friends with me just because we spent a Sunday evening together?

I decided to just forget about everything and go back to the way my life was before she came into the picture.

And just when I was starting to forget about her, she decided to call me, confusing the hell out of me in the process. I didn't want to think too much about it, just concluding in my mind that she wanted her camera back and that's it. Goodbye for good.

But in a way, that didn't sit well with me at all.

"Might as well get it over and done with," I said to myself, rubbing the remaining trace of sleep off my eyes as I got down from my bed and hurried into the bathroom for a quick shower.

I intentionally took my time, not because I wanted to delay her... or maybe I wanted to delay her, but also because I didn't want it to seem like I was ever ready to be at her beck and call. I didn't want to make her think that I was scared of her or anything of that sort.

In a way, I wanted to assert some sort of dominance, make her know that she shouldn't just order me around whenever she wanted. She was the one that stopped talking to me, not the other way round.

It was petty, I know. But she was petty first.

But even with these thoughts, I was done showering in five minutes and was left with another five minutes to dress up and meet up with her at the park. In other words, I was working with her time even when I didn't want to.

I pulled on a pair of grey joggers and black top, throwing a matching grey hoodie over the blouse. We were already getting close to November, and somehow, the harmattan had already begun. The night would be chilly so I decided to wear a pair of black socks, putting on my black slides afterward.

I didn't have the strength to drive and Tola hasn't been around for the past two weeks, so there was no one to take me to the park. Just as I was done calling a Uber, my phone rang again. This time, it was Tekena that called.

"Bro, where you dey?" He asked as soon as I picked the call and brought it to my ear. Fighting the urge to roll my eyes, I picked Adela's camera from my bedside table and stuffed it into the bag.

"Well, hello to you too," I answered in sarcasm, throwing the strap of the camera bag over my shoulder before making my way out of my room.

Tekena scoffed in response.

"Abeg, fashi greeting." I imagined him waving his hand in dismissal wherever he was. "Where are you, Jidenna? I've been trying your number all afternoon but it wasn't going through. How far na?" He rambled on, demanding. Again, I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

Since I got back to school after my... hiatus, he has been acting like a mum. Following me around like I'd get lost any minute. Calling me every five-second - no exaggeration - just to know where I am, or what I'm doing.

At first, I saw it as him being a good friend and checking up on me since he couldn't get across to me for more than one weak. Especially because of the way things ended between us before I went off the grid.

But lately, it has begun to get tiring.

"Jidenna, are you even listening to me?" His voice brought me out of my thoughts and I realized that I had been quiet after his questions.

I sighed.

"I am at home, TK," I answered him, letting him know that he was just worried for nothing. "Maybe my line wasn't going through because of the network. Besides, I was asleep most of the afternoon, I just woke up." I explained to him.

"Are you alone at home?" He asked, and just before I could answer, he began to speak again, answering his question. "Of course, you are alone at home. Let me come over. We can play video games or something. In fact, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about." He rambled on, not allowing me to speak.

This boy. I thought, descending the stairs.

"TK, we might have to reschedule all these for later," I said, shutting him right up because I was greeted with silence after. I continued anyway. "I have somewhere important I need to be right now."

"Where?" Came his monotonous question.

My brows furrowed, wondering why he was asking me that. I obviously couldn't tell him I was going to see Adela. He has made his skepticism for her known, especially after he walked in on us that day. I told him that it was unnecessary but he was adamant, claiming that he didn't trust her and didn't like the way she has been around me lately.

Of course, it toned down when Adela stopped speaking to me. But still, I couldn't tell him I was going to see her.

"It's not something you have to worry about..." I began, but my voice trailed off when I heard a slight groan coming from a corner. At first, I thought it was my imagination playing tricks on me, but then I heard it again.

This time, it sounded clearer and more familiar. And it was coming from an equally familiar part of the house.

Jideofor's wing.

"Jidenna, where are you going that you suddenly can't tell-" Tekena was still talking but my mind was more focused on the slight groans I was hearing from Jideofor's wing. I quickly cut TK off so that he won't distract me any further.

"See ehn, Tekena. I'll call you later." I didn't wait for his reply before I cut the call off and shoved the phone into the pocket of my joggers.

I slowly and stealthily made my way through the door that led to the hallway of Jideofor's wing. There were so many doors and I wasn't sure where the noise was coming from. But I had an inclining that it was coming from his room, which was at the far end of the hallway. He must have been groaning loud for me to have heard from the living room.

That, and the house was unusually quiet.

As I moved in closer and closer, I knew the groans were coming from his room. When I got there, the door was slightly opened so I peaked in. Nothing. I saw nothing. But the groans were louder now, clearer, meaning I was at the right place.

I carefully opened the door, trying as much as possible not to make any noise while at it. As I did, I felt cold shivers running down my spine. I was suddenly chilly, not because of the air conditioning or the harmattan. This one was a different kind of chill. A more... malignant kind. It spread throughout my body and caused goosebumps to sprout on my skin.

Something in the air didn't feel right, and when I opened the door more, I saw it. My eyeballs grew so huge, they nearly popped out of their sockets.

Jesus Christ! My palm immediately flew to cover my mouth, preventing me from shouting my thought out.

Blood. Lots of it.

Splattered all over the white tiled floor of Jideofor's room.

What the God's name is going on here?

"What are you doing in here?" My head flew up straight at my brother's deep voice, looking away from the bloody floor to meet his eyes. I veered back immediately like I had been pushed, not because of Jideofor's death glare aimed at me but because of how he looked.

What the...

Jideofor who was shirtless, only glad in his dress pants, looked like he had just walked right out of a ghastly motor accident. He legit looked like a truck had run over him a million and one times over. His entire body was bruised, battered, bloody, and his face was disfigured beyond all recognition. If I didn't know his voice, I wouldn't have believed that it was my brother that was standing in front of me, looking like a walking corpse.

"Jide..." I began but trailed off, unable to enunciate a proper sentence.

"Get out." He stated simply, his voice dangerously calm.

Like hell, I will. I thought as I began to walk towards him adamantly.

"Jideofor, you are bleeding-"

"GET OUT!" He screamed, startling and scaring the living daylights out of me.

I quickly jumped back and rushed out of the room before he could come at me, jamming the door right behind me as I raced out of his wing like a maniac.

I kept running, fleeing out of the house as if I was being chased by a mad person, and I didn't stop running till I was blocks away from the Okojie Mansion. Thankfully, the Uber was already waiting for me at the terminal so as soon as I got there, I quickly jumped in after telling the driver my destination.

My heart was beating at an alarming rate against my chest and my mind was working in overdrive, thinking about what happened five minutes ago. I was in complete and total shock.

What the hell was that?

What the hell... God of Mercy.

What happened to Jideofor? Who did that to him? Why was there so much blood?

With the amount of blood I saw on the floor and his body, he should be dead. No one should be bleeding like that and still be standing the way he was standing. And his face... God, his face. I've never seen Jideofor look so battered and bruised. His right eye was swollen shut and it was obvious that it was no ordinary black eye. His lip was also burst and bleeding.

Then, the cut all over his body. It looked like someone had taken a knife and sliced every part of his body.

"God of Mercy," I muttered, sinking into the seat of the Uber, massaging my temple as I felt a sudden wave of headache.

There was something quite familiar about those cuts. They looked like cuts, but they weren't cuts. I knew they weren't. And as I thought long and hard about it, only one name kept appearing in my mind.

Kingsley Okojie.

I shuddered in fear, folding my hands across my chest as a cold chill ran through my body. All I did was think of his name and so much dear was instilled in me.

Did he do that to Jideofor?

That was a question I wasn't sure I wanted to answer. But then again, I knew the answer. Whatever has happened to Jideofor, it had our father written all over it. There was nothing that could change my mind about that.

"We are here," The voice of the Uber driver brought me out of my thoughts. I sat up and peered outside the window to see that we were in fact in front of Greenland Park.

"Right," I muttered, fishing my wallet out of my pocket and bringing some money out to pay the man. "Thank you." I nodded at him, getting down from the car. The driver drove off, leaving me to stand in front of the gates of the park.

Greenland Park was probably the most... eventful park in the entire city. Unlike other parks that just had had benches to sit down and small shacks that sold snacks and stuff, Greenland was a mixture of both a park and a recreation center.

This was where the famous Canopy Walk was located even though I'd never seen that part of the large park since I've only been here twice in my life.

And just like every other weekend, it was extremely busy and packed with people.

"You are twenty minutes late." My ears perked up at the familiar voice behind me. Letting out a deep breath, I turned around and came face to face with the reason why I was here in the first place.

Adela Yongo in her tiny glory.

"I called you when it was ten minutes after four and said you should be here by twenty minutes after four. This is 4:40 pm, Jidenna Okojie. Do you think I have nothing better to do with my life than sit around and wait for you?"

Is this girl serious? I was suddenly over this attitude.

"You must also think I have nothing better to do with my time than be at your beck and call." I retorted right back, though I kept my voice as calm as possible.

If Adela was shocked by the way I spoke back to her, she didn't show it. She just folded her hand across her chest and peered at me with a look I couldn't decipher.

But that didn't deter me.

"Not only did your phone call disturb my afternoon nap, but you also ordered me right out of bed to come and meet you here in ten minutes," I continued, jerking her camera bag off my shoulder in a bid to show my displeasure.

"Asides from the fact that getting out of bed, showering, and dressing up would take me nothing less than twenty minutes, and that's if I rush, I live thirty minutes away from here, Adela.-

That's an hour tops if you add those minutes together, and just because I wanted to get your camera to you in time, I got here in forty. You didn't know all these, and that's fine, but the least you can do is say 'thank you'." I finished, stretching the camera bag out for her to take.

I was a little shocked with myself by the way I had stared at her right in the face and told her my mind without fidgeting or feeling intimidated by her.

Adela on the other hand didn't look shocked. Instead, I could see a ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. It wasn't completely visible but it was there. And the emotion on her face was something akin to... interest? I wasn't sure.

She silently stretched out her hand as well and took the bag from me, slinging the strap over her shoulder before going back to folding her hands over her chest. I thought she was just going to turn around and leave me standing there, but she didn't.

Instead...

"Thank you," She said, knocking the breath right out of me.

Did Adela Yongo just thank me? First, it was her apologizing that Sunday evening. Now she's thanking me. Nah, pigs are definitely flying.

But then, I didn't let her see my shock. I quietly crossed my hand over my chest, mimicking her posture as we stood at the entrance of Greenland Park, staring at each other. Not like I was expecting her to say more, but I kinda wanted her to say something else. Something that would somehow open the floor for discussion.

And while at it, maybe an explanation on why she has been ignoring me at school.

In as much as I told myself repeatedly for the last week that I'd just let her be and continue a life without her, deep down I also wanted to know why she has been treating me like I didn't exist. Like that amazing Sunday evening never happened. Like she hadn't given me her priceless possession, the camera.

I wanted to hear her reason. There has got to be a reason.

"If there is something you want to say to me, Jidenna, you should say it now." She spoke, bringing me out of my reverie.

"What makes you think I want to talk?" I asked, not caving immediately. Adela chuckled, shaking her head slowly.

"You are not as subtle as you think, Okojie." She whispered, but audible enough for me to hear. There was a way she called my name that made me gulp on instinct and my breath to catch in my throat.

I cleared my throat, trying to maintain a more stable stance. Might as well get on with it.

"You have been ignoring me at school," I stated pointedly without beating around the bush. Adela bobbed her head to the side, peering at me directly.

"Did it bother you?" She asked, her question surprising me a little. She wasn't denying the claim. Instead, she was confirming it indirectly, and boldly if I might add. And somehow, that boldness vexed me.

"Of course it did!" I snapped out before I could stop myself, attracting the inquisitive glances of passers-by to us. Sighing at my unwarranted outburst, I looked back at Adela who was staring at me still, this time a more visible smile playing on her lips.

I face-palmed. She was mocking me. She was definitely mocking me. Why did I shout like that? Basically showing her that her ignoring me affected me.

Hard guy, Hard guy down the drain.

"I never knew Jidenna Okojie could be so sensitive," She said, and her tone teasing. I folded my arm tighter across my chest and had to stop myself from pouting. If I did that, I'd look more pathetic than I already am.

"I'm not sensitive." I quickly debunked and she chuckled lightly, muttering something like sure, you are not. I sighed, preparing to say my mind yet again for this second time this evening.

"Look, I just want to know why you have been ignoring my existence at school," I started, keeping my voice as calm as possible but also quite serious. Adela saw that, causing the smile on her lips to gradually melt away. "I thought we have a nice time together that Sunday evening."

Surprisingly, she nodded slowly.

"We did," She agreed, making me feel quite happy that it wasn't a one-sided feeling. At the same time, it confused me, making me wonder even more why she has been avoiding me.

"If you agree we had a nice time together, then why have you been avoiding me?" I asked, now unable to hide the desperation in my voice. Adela didn't respond and just looked at me. I rubbed my hand over my face and sighed.

"You finally stopped calling me stupid or Idiot. You even apologized to me and complimented me twice in one day. I thought we had already become friends. Or maybe I'm just the one getting ahead of myself." I stated, shrugging.

Adela looked away from me, suddenly finding the passers-by more interesting.

"Trust me, you are not." She whispered, maybe in a bid not to let me hear but then I heard anyway. I moved closer to her, causing her to look back at me.

"Then what is it?" I asked, my voice toned down to a whisper so that it was only both of us that could hear our conversation. "Did I do something else wrong?" I asked again, wanting so desperately to get to the bottom of this.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Jidenna." She answered her voice equally in a whisper. "But talking to you in school isn't exactly the best idea." She said. My brows furrowed in confusion.

"And why is that?" I asked.

"Because you are you and I am me." She answered, like that would make sense. My brows furrowed, even more, causing my forehead to fold in a crease. Adela saw my confusion and sighed, rolling her eyes. "Jidenna, our classmates will see us talking and think different things." She expatiated and it seemed clearer to me.

But...

Adela is probably the most headstrong person I know. For someone with a spirit like hers and with a mouth sharper than a two-edged sword, I doubt she'd ever care about what people say or think about her.

So why did she care now?

"Since when did you care what people think about you?" I had to ask. She scoffed, shaking her head.

"I don't care what people think or say about me. But you do." She stated matter-of-factly. My mouth closed immediately, not knowing what to say to that because she was right. Adela exhaled, moving even closer to me and leaving just a little space between us.

I involuntarily gulped.

Adela continued.

"Jidenna, if our classmates see us talking together in school, rumors will start and I might not be so lucky because you have quite a number of them on your side.-

And even if you didn't, your best friend will find a way to debunk the rumors, but I can't say what that will mean for me. I know it didn't spell out well for Hilary, so I'll have to take my chances." She finished, her eyes trained intently on mine just to show me how serious she was.

"Adela..." I began, wanting to pacify her. But she held her hand up, stopping me from talking any further.

"No. Don't do that." She said. "Don't try to pacify me or say you won't let that happen. Don't even try to say you care about me, because you cared about Hilary too.-

She was your best friend, your girlfriend and you still let that happen to her. We are barely close so I can't take any chances. I'm sorry if it seems like I'm reminding you of your mess up, but it's the truth." She stated, shrugging.

I let out a deep breath, looked away from Adela, and glanced around the vicinity, my mind traveling far and fast.

Adela was right. I honestly didn't know what to say to everything she just dropped on me because like the coward that I was, I run at the first sign of danger and I cannot promise that I won't do that to her too. That's the way I am, that's the way I've been wired.

And because of this attitude of mine, I have hurt the people I care about, broken the trust of my friends because I wanted to be in the good books of everyone.

All because I wanted to feel relevant... and loved for once.

But I want to stop running. I want to stop deceiving everyone. I want to start handling my fuck ups like a man, facing them head-on and owning up to my shit. I want to start taking responsibility for my actions.

But I don't think I'll ever be able to do it without Adela.

Just as I was about to speak, a siren blared and people began to run in a direction.

"What going on?" I asked Adela, who was now fishing into the camera back, and brought out the camera.

"Is it charged?" She asked and I nodded. "I supposed to document the paintball tournament that is about to happen. I needed the camera for a video coverage that's why I asked you to bring it. I have another one for taking pictures." She patted the bag pack she was carrying.

I just even noticed she has been carrying it since.

"Oh." That's all I could say.

I've been hearing of the paintball tournaments this park holds monthly but I've never seen it happen upfront. How did Adela get the connection to cover such a big event in one of the biggest parks in the City?

"Do you want to hang around?" Adela asked, and I blinked, a little surprised that she was asking me to. "I can't take pictures and shoot at the same time. I need the help." She added. I nodded immediately.

"Of course," I answered. I wanted to stay, wanted to watch the tournament. I also wanted to stay with Adela. I wasn't in a hurry to leave, especially with what I saw at home.

"Good!" She flashed me a toothy grin, then pulled her bag off and shoved it into my arm. I grunted at how heavy it was, making me wonder how she has been carrying it on her back all this while and didn't get tired.

"You are my assistant for today." She said before spinning around to walk towards the gathering of people under the shack, dressed in armors. I chuckled, slinging the bag over my shoulder.

"Yes ma'am," I answered, following behind her.

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"Fuck! Gently, Adela." I groaned in pain, nearly close to tears even though I tried my best not to cry in front of the girl before me.

"I'll be gentle if only you hold still." She answered, hands all over my face, particularly her fingers working to remove all the paint from my face.

"It hurts like a bitch!" I cried, and Adela laughed despite my pain. I was sure she found my discomfort very amusing right now.

You might be wondering what was going on. Trust me, I'm not dying to tell something so embarrassing, but here goes.

Just like Adela had asked, I was handling the pictures while she was doing video coverage of the paintball tournament going on in the arena. It was quite fun documenting something so colorful and aesthetic that the artist in me wanted to get a closer look and capture everything. So, I entered the middle of the "battlefield", even after Adela warned me not to.

Long story short, I got shot everywhere with paintball and it hurt like hell. My hoodie, down to my joggers looked like a unicorn had thrown up on me, rainbow-colored all the way. The most hurtful was when someone had shot me in the eye, knocking me right out in the middle of the arena.

I was blind... literally.

My joggers and hoodie were as good as ruined because I knew the paints won't come off. Now we were in the restroom and Adela was trying to help me wash all the paint off my face.

It still hurts.

"I never knew paintball could be so painful." I continued complaining. "I don't know how it's like to be shot with a real gun, but it felt like I was being shot with literal bullets," I said.

Adela laughed again, stepping away from me to go to her bag. She brought out a pack of wipes and placed it beside me on the marble counter before coming to stand in front of me again. I couldn't see her because my vision was blurry.

I've always had a bad vision, and the paintball was making it worst today. Thankfully, I didn't wear my contact lens today else it might have permanently damaged my eyes.

"I told you not to get between them, but you just had to capture the players in the middle of the tournament, didn't you." Adela chided calmly, taking one of the wipes out, and began to clean my face with it, focusing on my eyes.

I couldn't stop my lips from forming into a slight pout.

"In my defense, I really wanted to capture the beauty of the colors. It's the photographer in me." I stated shrewdly and she chuckled again, muttering yeah, right. I continued. "Besides, you could have given me a more detailed and explicit warning."

She paused what she was doing and bobbed her head at me.

"So, it's my fault now that you couldn't stay in one place abi?" She queried, and I didn't answer. She rolled her eyes and went back to cleaning my face till my vision cleared just a tad bit.

"Can you now see properly?" She asked when she was done, dropping a wad of wipes in my hand just in case I had the urge to wipe my face.

"Kinda," I answered her question. "Though, I think the paintball has somehow impaired my already bad vision. I might need help walking out of here because I'll walk into a lot of walls and poles." I said.

"You didn't bring your glasses?" She asked, packing everything back into her bag. I shook my head.

"I think my glasses are buried under layers of clothes in my wardrobe. I haven't used them since JSS 3." I told her and she hummed.

"It's true. You are now part of the population that prefers to use contact lenses," She said. From her tone, I couldn't tell if she was teasing or mocking me, or she was just speaking plainly so I didn't say anything.

Adela shrugged, turning away from what she was doing to look at me. I knew she wanted to say something and I hoped she wasn't going to be mean.

"I personally think you look way better with the glasses than the contacts." She suddenly said and I stood upright, surprised at her words. It was an indirect compliment but it was a compliment all the same.

Adela was complimenting me again and it looked like she wasn't done yet.

"Plus," She drawled, her lips quirking slightly in a smile. "I kinda liked the braces too." She added.

A chuckle escaped my lips as the image of me in junior secondary school appeared in my mind; with a face full of acne, glasses bigger than my entire face, and braces-filled teeth. I looked like a clown back then and somehow, that was the version of me Adela seemed to like.

In a way, it felt oddly satisfying that she preferred that version of me. That version of me that wouldn't think or dare to hurt anyone. That version of me with a pure heart and right intentions.

Before, I have always wanted that version of me to disappear because it was the mellow version, the wack version. But for once, today, I suddenly preferred that version of me too. The version that no one seemed to remember.

Well, no one except Adela, apparently.

"You seem to remember a lot about me from way back then," I noted. "A lot of people have forgotten that version of me," I stated. She hummed and shrugged again.

"Trust me, that version of you is pretty hard to forget." She answered. I chuckled again.

"Why? Because of the acnes, glasses, and braces?"

If anyone wanted to remember that version of me, those things were the landmarks for remembrance. And of course, they were what made Adela remember.

But it seemed like I was wrong because Adela smiled and shook her head before walking away from her bag to stand in front of me. I was still leaning on the counter, and with the way she came close to me, it looked like she was pinning me against it even though she didn't touch me.

And for some reason, her closeness to me made my breath hang in my throat. And while I let out a shaky breath, trying to calm my already racing heart, Adela didn't look remotely affected like I was.

"Me remembering that version of you has nothing to do with the glasses, the braces, or the acnes. Though I still think you look better in glasses and the braces were kinda cute. The acnes, however, had to go." She waved her hand dismissively when she said that and I chuckled softly.

"Me remembering that version of you has to do with everything you had up here," She tiptoed, stretching her hand up to my head and tapping my forehead lightly with her index. I felt my eye fluttering close slightly and myself leaning into the small touch.

"And what you had... or still have, in here." She whispered, bringing her hand down and splaying her hand over my chest, holding my gaze still as she did that.

I involuntarily took in a sharp breath at the feel of her hand over my chest. I could tell she was feeling my heart tugging heavily against her hand. She didn't even have to touch me for me to feel all kinds of ways. All she had to do was be close to me.

I've never felt this way before.

All too soon, she removed her hand from my chest and stepped away from me. I took in a deep, calming breath, trying to calm my racing heartbeat.

"I - I think that version of me is long gone." I averted my gaze from Adela's intense ones as I spoke, my tone grouchy and rough. When I heard her chuckle, I looked back up to meet her gaze.

"No." She disagreed with me. "It's just buried deep inside. All you need to do is find it again." She said, stretching her hand out for me to hold. I looked at her in confusion and she chuckled again.

"You said you'd need help walking because of your eyes." She reminded me. I let out a nervous laugh, nodding.

"Right," I muttered, bringing my hand to rest against her.

Immediately my hand touched out, there was something. I felt something.

I didn't know what it was, couldn't place a name to it but it was strong and it ran through my body like a tidal wave. It made goosebumps sprout on my skin and my heart started beating rapidly again. It made me feel weak to my knees.

All that feeling came from holding Adela's hand.

Just holding her hand.

"Come on," She tugged me, leading me out and I wordlessly followed, watching her. She seemed my composed than I was and it made me wonder.

Didn't she feel it too?

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

"What will you like to have?" The waitress asked Adela and me. I noticed that the young woman was funnily looking at me, definitely because I looked like I just descended from rainbow land. I can't wait to get home and burn these clothes.

I turned to Adela, wanting to know what she'd like to order but she still looked like she was thinking about it.

"I'll have whatever she's having," I told the waitress, who turned to Adela, waiting for her to place her order so that she'd put it down in her notepad. Adela turned to me, shaking her head.

"I'm a very indecisive and picky person when it comes to food." She told me. "So if you don't want to leave this place by midnight still starving, better place your order and let me have what you are having." She said and I chuckled, deciding to take the lead in this one as she said.

I turned to the waitress and said, "I'll have a hamburger and Coca-cola soda, the can one please." The lady nodded, turning to Adela.

"That's the same for you right?" She asked.

"Make mine two hamburgers and Fanta can soda, thank you." She said and the waitress nodded, walking away from us. I looked at her in awe, wondering how she'd order two hamburgers. Adela noticed my expression and laughed.

"What? You don't think I'll be able to finish two? Don't let my tiny frame deceive you, I'm a certified foodie." She told me.

"I didn't say anything." I rose my hand in mock surrender. She rolled her eyes at me.

"Your face said it all." She said and I chuckled again, picking up the camera beside me.

The paintball tournament had ended a while ago, but I wasn't still in a hurry to go home even though it was getting dark. Thankfully, neither was Adela. She stated that she was hungry and wanted to grab a snack, and I also realized that I haven't had anything to eat since morning.

Which is why we were seated in one of the food shacks at the park, grabbing a bite.

"Let me take a look at the pictures," Adela said, beckoning for the camera in my hand. I stretched my hand over the table and handed it to her, watching her silently as she looked at them and nodded her head in approval.

"Seems like you running to the middle of the battlefield to take pictures wasn't a complete failure." She was referring back to that moment, her tone teasing and I knew she was mocking me.

"Stop making jest of me," I whined, hitting my fist lightly against the table. Adela laughed, shaking her head.

"I'm not making jest of you na," She defended. "If anything, I'm even commending you for a job well done. You legit risked your life just to take these badass pictures." She said and I smiled.

"Does that mean you are going to pay me a cut of whatever payment was given to you for the coverage?" I joked, baring my teeth at her in a funny toothy grin and she laughed again.

"Come to think of it. How did you score a deal to cover such a big event?" I asked, my curiosity from way earlier coming back.

"My uncle is the organizer of the monthly paintball tournament, so I do this every month. It's like my work." She explained and I hummed.

"So, you get paid," I said and she nodded in affirmation.

"Don't worry, I'll give you your cut." She added. I shook my head immediately. When I was talking about that, I was only joking.

"No, you don't have to," I told her. "I was only joking when I said that," I said.

I wasn't expecting her to pay me for taking a bunch of photos. I wanted to do it and I had so much fun while at it. Spending my time here with Adela, taking pictures, made me forget every bad thing in my life.

And that was all that mattered to me.

"Jidenna, you almost got blinded with paintball, and you are seated here, looking like rainbow bright. The least I could do is give you your cut for helping me out even though you were not obligated to." She maintained and I sighed, knowing I couldn't talk her out of it.

"Besides," She continued, a small smile playing on her lips. "You can finally get that camera that you have always wanted." She said and my lips stretched into a smile of my own.

I do want my own camera.

The waitress brought our order and soon we dug in, making small talks.

"Jidenna?"

A very familiar deep voice called in a sing-song voice, interrupting our discussion. I looked up to see who it was and immediately my eyes met the person's, my smile turned upside down.

"Oh shit," I cussed lowly. He's going to misunderstand this scenario.

He is exactly who you think it is.

I'll give you a hint. Both his first name and last name start with the letter T.

"This isn't where I thought I'd see you, Jidenna." He stated with a malicious smile playing on his lips, his hands folded across his shoulder. He glanced at Adela and I followed his gaze to look at her.

The girl didn't look remotely fazed, taking the last bite of the first hamburger and began to dig into the second.

"So this is the somewhere important that you had to be." The malicious smile was not gone from his lips and it made me feel some sort of way. I didn't like that he was misunderstanding the situation and I wanted to explain it to him.

"It's not what you think, TK," I told him, glancing at Adela again who was more engrossed in stuffing her face. I stood up from the chair, grabbing him gently by his arm. "Can we just talk for a moment?" I pulled him along, and thankfully he complied.

"TK, this is not what you think it is," I said as soon as we got to a secluded part of the shack.

"You stood me up for her! It's exactly what I think it is." He growled, the smile from earlier gone and now replaced with a deep scowl marred across his face. I sighed.

"I didn't stand you up for anybody, Tekena." I retorted calmly. "She called me first and yes, she's the important place I had to go to. She needed me to do something for her." I explained.

"I am your best friend, Jidenna!" TK retorted back harshly, sounding very pained. "Even if you had plans with her before, the fact that your best friend, me, wanted to spend some time with you, that is enough for you to ditch her!" He snapped.

"Ditch her?" I asked, staring at him incredulously. "Haba na, TK. It won't be fair for me to ditch her. What she wanted me to do for her is a lot more important than staying at home and playing video games. She just got me my first photography gig. You know that's all I've ever wanted." I tried to explain to him, tried to pacify him.

"Wow," He muttered, shoving his hands into the pocket of his jeans. I rubbed my temple, wondering what his mind was conjuring again. He was misunderstanding this entire situation and it was putting me on edge.

"I helped you discover your love for photography, Jidenna, and now you are going to her for photography gigs like she knows anything about photography." He spat out in disdain, causing my forehead to crease in a frown.

He doesn't even know anything about Adela, yet he's so quick to talk down on her. I didn't like it at all.

"Actually, she knows quite a lot about photography," I told him matter-of-factly. "She's a photography enthusiast just like me. The fact that she's showing me the ropes doesn't mean anything, TK. Just like you did and you have ever done, she's only trying to help me." I calmly said.

"I'm the only one that can help you, Jidenna!" He flared, his loud tone making me veer back a bit. He looked and sounded angry, his voice coming out in a deep unpleasant growl. I began to wonder how this issue got deeper than it was supposed to be.

"Can't you understand that I'm the only one that has your back?" He continued, his voice now sounding more desperate than angry as if he was trying to make me understand him.

And that's the thing. I didn't understand what he was going on about anymore. Even with the way he was talking and what he was saying, I couldn't tell if he was just angry that I was spending time with Adela instead of him, or it was something much more.

I couldn't tell.

"Tekena, it's not that deep," I told him. "I promise, I'll make it up to you. You know I will." I promised. He chuckled humorlessly, shaking his head slowly as he peered at him.

"You know she will use you right?" He nodded at where Adela was seated. I almost face-palmed.

What exactly is going on in this guy's head?

"There is nothing she's using me for, Tekena. You are overthinking things." I told him. He scoffed as if mocking me and moved closer to me.

"Listen to me, Jidenna." He began, his voice extremely low in a way that only I could hear him. I folded my hand across my chest, listening to him. "I understand if you feel lonely. You need a babe, and I get that. But Adela Yongo? Guy, you have more class and taste than that!"

A deeper frown crossed my features when he said that, my forehead creasing together painfully. I folded my hand tighter against my chest, shifting my weight to my left leg as I looked at Tekena who in turn was still holding my gaze.

Where was all this coming from? It made absolutely no sense. As far as I know, TK and Adela have never crossed parts before. They have never spoken to each other before either, yet it seems like TK has been holding a grudge against her for years.

This has to stop.

"Whatever you are thinking, stop thinking it," I told him. "I'm not with Adela right now because I am lonely and I need a babe as you said. I've told you why I'm here with her and you of all people should understand. There is nothing more to it." I maintained.

Tekena stared at me long and hard for a bit, I nearly quivered beneath his intense stare. He looked like he wanted to say something but was biting his tongue hard not to.

"Fine." He suddenly breathed out, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Whatever you say." He added with a smile that didn't reach his eyes playing on his lips.

I frowned, wondering where the sudden change of heart came from. Shockingly, his entire demeanor had changed from defensive and angry to a more relaxed one.

"I know it seems like I'm just overreacting, but you know I'm just trying to look for you, Jidenna," He said, his voice also calmer now, more soothing like he wanted me to understand him. "You know I have your back no matter what, right?"

I found myself nodding.

"I know," I answered and he smiled, this time a smile more genuine than the last. Then he nodded too, bringing to rest to pat my shoulder.

"We'll talk later."

And with that he walked away, leaving me standing and staring at his retreating figure. That went well. Better than I thought it would.

Should it concern me? Maybe not.

"Trouble in paradise?" Adela asked when I got back to the booth, settling down on the seat. I laughed lightly and shook my head.

"Don't worry, it has been resolved," I assured her, taking my leftover hamburger and biting on it. Adela hummed, taking a sip of her Fanta.

"He doesn't like it when he sees me with you." She noted and I scoffed.

"He doesn't like it when he sees me with anyone," I murmured with a nonchalant shrug, biting again into my hamburger. Adela heard me and that statement, for some reason, picked her interest.

"And that doesn't seem sketchy to you?" She asked, her brows quirked slightly in question.

I stopped eating, trying to understand what she meant by that, but nothing seemed to occur to me. I tried to playback on my words, to see if I had said anything off, but still, there was nothing. Absolutely nothing came to mind.

And that made me more curious to know what Adela meant. She must have picked something from the statement I made. Something I couldn't quite grasp for the life of me.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Her eyes widened slightly in shock as she peered at me inquisitively, her mouth a gap. She looked like she was reading me, trying to understand me and I just stared at her in utmost confusion.

"You really don't know what I mean, do you?" She asked as if to confirm if I was truly confused or I was just playing ignorance. I shook my head slowly, still trying to work my brain to think in line with her.

Still nothing.

"Wow," She muttered, leaning back against her chair as she stared at me in a daze. Her being completely awestruck made me even more curious. Adela knew how to figure the littlest, most overlooked detail in anything.

Made me wonder what was going on in her mind.

But before I could ask her that, her phone started ringing and she picked it up, picking the call, and began to speak to the person on the other end of the phone call while I went ahead to finish my hamburger.

"That was my mum." She said, packing her things into her bag. She didn't have to say anymore before I knew that she was about to leave. And somehow, that made my heart drop in my tummy.

"So you are leaving," I said and she nodded in affirmation. I sighed, getting my things too. Since she's leaving, there is nothing I am doing here. I should leave too. "Maybe we should go together. I should get home too." I said, trying to sound as casual as I could.

"I live in this estate." She informed me. "So, I'm going to walk." She said.

"Let me walk you home then." I offered, taking her bag from her and she smiled with a nod.

So, we left Greenland Park and made our way down the sidewalk of the road, Adela leading the way since it was her house we were going to. We didn't speak to each other throughout the walk, just basking in the comfortable silence while drowning in our thoughts.

Or at least, I was drowning in my thoughts, replaying everything Adela had said to me today.

From her reason why she has been ignoring me in school, to what she said about the version of me that she liked... the version of me that she couldn't forget. And lastly, what she said about TK.

That last one was still a mystery to me, a mystery I couldn't wrap my head around. But the first and the second kept playing on repeat in my mind. Especially the second.

"We are here," She announced, bringing me out of my thoughts. I looked around, realizing that we had stopped walking and were now standing in front of a tall black gate. I looked at Adela and found her watching me.

"So, this is me." She said and I nodded, taking her bag off and handing it over to her.

"You were right, you know." I began after seconds of silence. Adela's brows quirked in question.

"About what?" She asked. I sighed, shrugging.

"Everything you said earlier," I answered, and she quietly watched me as if urging me to go on. "I'm the kind of person that runs when I mess up and shy away from taking responsibility for my actions. And because of my inability to own up to my shit, I've hurt a lot of people, especially the ones I used to call my friends."

Adela's lips stretched in a smile as she kept looking at me, and I began to wonder what she found funny.

"You know, this is the first time you are admitting your mistakes out loud." She noted, an expression akin to pride playing on her face. I felt my lips stretch in a small smile. "And I think that's the first step to getting the best version of you back." She added.

"Do you really think it's still there?" I asked her.

Adela chuckled, moving closer to me till there was barely an inch between us. On instinct, my heart began to pick up the beat

"I don't think it ever left, Jidenna." She whispered.

Because of our proximity and even with the height difference, I could feel her breath fanning my skin.

One thing I have noticed is that whenever she wants to tell me something deep, important, something to will shake me to my core, Adela liked to be in my personal space while doing that. It was like she wanted me to feel her every word.

But God knows, her words were not the only thing I was feeling. I was feeling a lot more, just by having her this close to me.

"Are you still not going to talk to me in school?" I asked, my voice sounding like that of a kid that had his cookies taken from him and he was begging desperately to have them back.

Adela bobbed her head to the side again, a small smile playing on her lips.

"We'll see." Was her simple answer before she turned in her heels and began to walk towards the house.

I stood there and watched her till she disappeared from my sight. I chuckled lightly and began to walk, going over to the place where I'd get a cab from.

When I got home, I went straight to my room without checking if Jideofor was at home or not. I just went to my room with one mission in mind.

Find my glasses.

After turning my wardrobe and dress drawers upside down, I finally found it, sitting inside its case. I picked it up, feeling the rims of the dark frame with my fingers, trying to get used to the feel again. Then, I closed my eyes, opened the glasses, and wore them.

When I opened my eyes again, everything was blurry. Then little by little, my vision started adjusting to it, till I could see properly. I walked to my full-length mirror and stood in front of it, staring at my reflection... staring at the version of me Adela liked.

I ran my fingers through my hair, letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

I know, wearing the glasses didn't automatically turn me back into that version of myself. But somehow, this felt like I had taken another step. In a way, wearing my glasses again made me feel more like myself than I have felt in a long time. That was the push I needed to want the best version of myself back.

For Hilary, Dawn, Kizito, and Semeeha.

For Adela.

And even for Myself.

𝐀/𝐍

I think we'll soon start getting Jidenna's character development, and trust me, I'm here for it!

But then, I don't think Jidenna will fully develop if TK is still sort of running his life for him. And as you can see, he doesn't even realize the kind of toxic friendship that he is in. And that's one thing about Jidenna's character. He won't notice or realize anything unless you spell it out for him.

I mean, he is even catching feelings for Adela and he doesn't know 🤣. Don't worry, he'll wise up eventuarry.

What happened to Jideofor tho 😬? Do you think it's their father? I can bet my left boob that it's Kingsley Okojie. Seems like Jideofor is not immune to their father's wrath too.

Some things were meant to happen in this chapter, but I decided to cut them out because mehn, this is my longest chapter yet. Guess how much the word count is. I'll give whoever guesses within the right range 1k airtime 🌚.

Till we see again, you know the drill. Kisses 😘.