(072 - Breakfast?)

🎶Breakfast na National cake, e go touch every body🎶

Who do you think is chopping breakfast in this chapter? Note that it is in question mark, so it's still hanging in the middle.

Or not. Hehehe 🌚.

Omo, you guys like violence o. See how everyone was hyping Chima in the last chapter! You sha wanted him to kill Tekena. Calm down na 🌚. Me sef I liked it. Small sha.

Let's see who will cry in this chapter.

BTW... It's my Birthday😌✨. Guess my age🌚.

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𝐃𝐀𝐖𝐍
(Dawn Damipe Dayo)

I couldn't stop pacing.

No matter how hard I tried to stay still, I couldn't bring myself to. Even when I tried to sit down because my legs were starting to get tired, I'd stand up on my feet in a matter of seconds and start another round of pacing, going the length and breadth of the reception again, biting my nails in both anticipation and dread.

The SS1 boys who were present during the fight have been dismissed. Ola had to also leave when the closing bell went off, and I understood that because he has really tried for us.

The only ones left were me, Hilary, and Semeeha.

Dean was back from the health center and was now giving his own testimony of the incident inside the office. Chima was also in there, with Sir. Isaac and Big Guy, awaiting judgment. Kizito was inside the office as well, serving as a neutral student body since he wasn't present during the fight.

I wasn't sure if Jidenna had gone home, but I highly doubted it, especially since his testimony was very important and he couldn't just leave. But I wouldn't be too shocked if he has since he is also friends with that vermin, and doesn't want to be put in the position to choose between us and him. Especially, since he doesn't really fancy Chima.

But that was honestly the least of my worries in all of this.

It's been two hours.

Two hours since Big Guy walked into the court to a badly battered Tekena Tamuno, and Chima being held back by three guys. Two hours since every single person involved was asked to match to the admin block. Two hours since we were all called into the office one after the other to testify and tell our own sides of the story.

Two hours since Chima has been in that office, with absolutely no word from him. Two hours since he practically maimed and brutalized Tekena Tamuno in a way I have never seen anyone do.

Two Excruciatingly Long Hours.

And within those two hours, I just can't seem to get the images of the fight out of my mind.

Over the course of my years here as a student of Crestview, I have seen fights happen. Heated fights, fueled by a toxic blend of anger, pride, and sometimes, sheer pettiness. They happen anywhere; in the hallways, in the cafeteria, on the field, in the classrooms. I've seen it all happen.

But heaven knows, I have never seen a fight so terrifying as I did today in my entire life.

It was like something straight out of a movie, a movie that wouldn't stop replaying in my head like it was put on repeat.

I have never seen Chima like that, so consumed by rage, so utterly out of control. It was so uncharacteristic.

He turned into an entirely different person, that cool and collected guy suddenly replaced with an unrecognizable version of himself, a version ravaged by primal and brutal fury that still sends shivers running down my spine till this very moment.

I have never associated violence with Chima, this dark side of him was a harsh paradox to who he truly is. It was all new and I was trying so hard to wrap my head around it, try to come to terms with it.

One of the things that terrified me about all this was that every time the sight of Tekena Tamuno's battered and bloodied body came to my mind, I'd smile in complete satisfaction, an overwhelming sense of pride washing over me at the sight of him more gruesome than any horror movie I have ever seen, sprawled on the floor almost lifeless, beaten half to death.

As much as I wanted to feel pity or a little bit of compassion for him, I honestly didn't give two fucks about the bastard. His words hurt at that moment, but watching Chima give him the beating of his life satisfied me. And it also made me realize that those words must have hurt him a little more than they hurt me. He has said worse to me, in front of many more people.

But what made this a lot worse was saying it in front of my boyfriend.

So yes, as much as it terrified me to see Chima be so violent, I felt a deep sense of pride watching him beat Tekena to a pulp.

Does that make me a bad person?

I couldn't even think too deeply about that because there was one major thought that wouldn't stop reoccurring in my head. The real reason why I was pacing the length and breadth of the reception. The real reason why I couldn't sit still till I was sure everything would be fine.

The only thing that truly terrified me about all of this.

And that's the possibility of Chima's expulsion.

That's exactly what has got me all wound up and worried.

Every creak of a distant door or a faint murmur from inside the office sent my heart beating in overdrive. My eyes remained fixated on the closed mahogany door as if my unwavering gaze would will it open and they'd all finally walk out of there. My finger fidgeted, twisting the silver ring on my index finger over and over again, a ring I had "stolen" from Chima during the Christmas break.

The wait was torture, but it was all I could do.

Wait... and continue pacing.

"You need to sit down, Dawn," Hilary spoke, her voice cutting through the turmoil of my thoughts. "Pacing won't hasten them up. All we can do is wait," she stated shrewdly.

"I'm not sitting down," I shook my head, my eyes still trained on the door of Sir. Isaac's office. "Even if I wanted to, I can't bring myself to. At least, not until I hear something," I added, my voice quivering slightly.

Hilary exhaled but didn't attempt to counter or persuade me any further. She knew me well enough to know that trying to get me to settle down was more or less a futile effort because I wouldn't budge.

Not until Chima gets out of there and I get bearable news.

"But what is Kizito even doing in there?" Semeeha, who has been silent all these while finally spoke. And of course, that was the first question she had to ask. About Kizito.

I tried not to dwell on that.

Semeeha decided to stay with us even though she had zero idea of how things went down. I didn't have the strength to explain to her and neither did Hilary. We were the ones that witnessed everything happen and our minds were still so messed up by everything.

"I mean, he wasn't even there when the fight happened, just like me," the dark-skinned girl continued speaking when no one answered her. "So, I don't see reasons why he is inside the office getting the whole gist while I'm stuck out here with nothing," she said, neatly drawn brows furrowed in confusion.

I didn't bother attempting to answer her because I knew Hilary would do the honors.

And she didn't disappoint.

"They need a neutral student body in the room to help with the verdict, and Kizito seems like the best bet since he was the one who stopped the fight," Hilary answered. "He doesn't know what happened or what started the fight, so he won't take sides," she further explained to Semeeha, while I continued pacing, continued glancing at the door, continued twisting the silver ring around my index.

I was restless.

"But that doesn't even make sense," Semeeha was speaking again. "Kizito and Sochima are cool, right? They are friends, so to speak. That alone has rendered that reason null and void. He isn't needed there because of that simple bias,"

I fought back a groan, her voice beginning to sound like a cat scratching a chalkboard. So annoying.

"It is to our advantage, Semeeha," Hilary tried to reason with her. "Look at it this way," she sat up, "Kizito can't testify for or against Sochima or TK based on the fight but that doesn't mean he can't vouch for Sochima. His good character will speak for him because this has never happened before," she explained.

I couldn't stop the scoff from escaping my lips, cutting into their conversation.

"If only it was that simple," I simply muttered, and from my peripheral vision, I saw Hilary's face fall.

"Dawn..." she started to say but I began pacing again, shutting her out, back to focusing on the door again.

I know Hilary was only trying to be positive, but there were some grey areas and so many possible outcomes that could stem out of this, and none of them was a hundred percent good; the not-so-bad, the bad, and the ugly.

It varied and the next only gets scarier than the previous. So scary that I'm trying not to think about it as much as I can.

"No one has even told me how it all happened," Semeeha started speaking again, her voice betraying a morbid curiosity. "What even led to the fight? How is it possible that Sochima beat up a person in such a manner? I'm still trying to wrap my head around it," she inquired.

Christ... I ran my hand over my face.

The mere mention of the fight sent shivers running down my spine. Hilary must have noticed the change in my countenance and how talking about the fight made me feel so uncomfortable. She was observant like that. I can't say the same for Semeeha.

"I don't think now is the best time to discuss it, Semmy," she tried to dissuade the darker girl from pushing further, but of course, Semeeha was too hungry for gossip and gist to pick up the hint.

"You don't have to tell me the details, just the juicy bits," she probed further, pushing it more and my head suddenly started to bang. "Because when I walked into the court, the first thing I saw was blood all over the floor—"

For the love of God...

"— and as soon as I saw Tekena, omo, I thought he was dead o—"

"CAN YOU NOT!"

I shrieked, cutting her off abruptly and plunging the room into a deafening silence.

Semeeha literally froze up, her entire expression reflecting a mix of shock and disbelief, eyes widened like saucers, and mouth a-gap like someone about to catch a fly. I could see it in her eyes, the realization that she had struck a nerve that she shouldn't have, that she had pushed more than she was supposed to.

"Dawn," Hilary whispered, the tone of her voice pleading, but I kept my eyes trained on Semeeha.

"Could you be a little sensitive about the situation at hand, please?" My voice was a lot calmer now, but still had a certain sharp edge to it.

"I wasn't trying to be insensitive, Dawn," she whispered.

I couldn't tell if she was being defensive or she was being understanding. I wasn't sure if she was just trying to defend herself or if she actually understood the reason for my lash-out and was trying to appease me.

But at that point, I was way too deep in my emotions to decipher.

"Well, you were," I retorted, saying how her words felt to me. How they sounded like.

"Because my boyfriend is in there," I pointed at the closed door of Sir. Isaac's office. "And his fate is hanging in the balance. And while you are trying to get your fair share of the amebo, what you are going to be hearing is the exact thing that might get him expelled! Do you really think it's something I'd enjoy sharing?!"

"He is not going to get expelled, Dawn," Hilary tried to pacify.

"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!" I snapped back against my better judgment, tears welling up in my eyes no matter how hard I tried to fight it back. "No one knows that, and that makes this wait even more excruciating!" I lamented.

"Sochima did nothing wrong," Hilary stated calmly, standing up and walking towards me. She took my hands in hers, trying to reason with me. "You and I were there. He was goaded and taunted till he had no choice but to react. It wasn't his fault,"

"But Sir. Isaac won't see it that way," I debunked, tears falling from my eyes in beads. "Chima was awarded a scholarship and the rules of keeping that scholarship are simple. He must keep his record squeaky clean, and that includes not getting into any fight till he graduates.—

Now his record has been tainted because he got into a fight. Not just any fight, he beat up a fellow student. The consequences of this include the revoking of his scholarship and an immediate expulsion! You guys know this naw!" I recited in one breath, my voice quivering even more, tears cascading from my eyes like torrents now.

"Do you really think the school would want to risk letting go of a genius like Sochima?" Semeeha asked. It was a rhetorical question, but deep down, I had an answer to it.

She stood up and came to stand with Hilary and me.

"I'm sorry if I came off as insensitive earlier, even though I wasn't trying to be," she said calmly. "You know how I don't like being left out of things, especially when you guys seem to know everything and I'm always in the dark. Still, that's not reason enough for probing when you obviously weren't comfortable about it, and once again I'm sorry,"

My breathing calmed at that, my cries reducing to soft sobs. I liked the fact that she had learned the act of proper apology and not just gifting her way through it.

"But I'm with Hilary on this," she went on, and I listened. "I don't think Sochima is going to get expelled. Aside from the fact that Crestview is too goal-oriented to let one of their star students go because of something that wasn't his fault, Sir. Isaac is not a wicked man." She stated matter-of-factly.

True that.

"Sochima has worked his ass off getting to where he is today and the school is too worried about her image to have a hand in truncating his future when he is this close-" Semeeha brought her index and thumb together to indicate. "-to achieving his dreams." She finishes.

"Plus, if Sir. Isaac tries such nonsense, we will just call boys for him. They will arrange someone and twos," Hilary joked, and I couldn't stop the chuckle that left my lips, using the tip of my fingers to flick the tears away.

"Aww, my love," Hilary whispered, wrapping her hands around me and bringing my head to her shoulder since she was a little taller than me. Semeeha held my hand.

"I'm sorry," I sniffed.

"Don't be," Semeeha said, wrapping her hands around me as well.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you," I apologized to her, and she nodded, an understanding smile playing on her lips. "I'm just really scared," I breathed, exhausted. "He worked so hard to get to this position he is now. He has kept a clean record for almost three years. The last thing I want is to be the reason it gets tainted," I cried.

"You are not the reason. Tekena is," Hilary corrected me. "That idiot has had it out for you guys for the longest time, but his plans won't work out!" She added with so much confidence.

"I might not know what happened," Semeeha began. "But I love that Sochima put the fool in his place. He has had it coming for a long time," she said and I chuckled, cleaning off my tears, feeling a lot lighter.

"I hope his teeth never grow back," I mumbled and my friends laughed. Soon, I joined them and we laughed together.

And I felt so much better.

Even though there was still a nudging in me that things might still get really messy.

But all I want is for Chima to get through this.

The sound of the door opening jerked the three of us apart. I quickly stepped away from Hilary and Semeeha to see who was coming out, praying that it was Chima with my brother and Kizito so that I'd know this all over.

But it was only Dean.

The door closed behind him, indicating that no other person was coming out, and my heart fell to the pit of my stomach.

It's not over yet.

"Hey," I called to my brother, mustering a smile. He mimicked the smile, closing in on me and pulling me into a hug. I hugged him back, my head resting on his chest with almost all of his top half crouched to my level.

Dean hit some sort of growth sprout this Christmas break. He had always been tall, but now he was much taller and bigger... and surprisingly more mature. Though he still had a bit of waran waran in his head.

His voice also got deeper. At first, we thought it was a side effect of the cold water. Heck, Mum made him drink hot water every morning and evening. But later on, we realized it was the bass in his voice coming out.

It suited him, but God forbid I tell him to his face.

"How was it?" I asked when I pulled away, my eyes swiftly inspecting the covered wounds on his face. "What are they saying? What did they ask you?" I probed, searching his eyes. He made a sound, shrugging.

"What they probably asked everyone else," he answered, the subtle bass in his voice audible. "Though, I think they laid more emphasis on me because it all started with me. They basically just wanted to know how it all started and where it led to, so I told them everything," he stated.

"Everything?" Semeeha asked, her brows tugged up in question.

"I emphasized the fact that the bulldog was smoking," he chipped, and my lips twitched in a smile.

By bulldog, he was talking about Tekena.

"Sabi boy," Hilary gave him a thumbs up and he chuckled lightly. I turned to my brother.

"And what did it look like from Sir. Isaac's side?" I asked further, turning his attention back to me. "Is he pissed? Furious?"

"Big Guy is the only one showing anger. Sir. Isaac is more like disappointed," he replied and my shoulders slumped. "He didn't exactly say he was but his expression is louder than his words. He just had this pitiful look on his face all through. He is rather calm though. He is not shouting,"

I know Dean chipped that last part in just to ease me, but it did nothing to ease me.

Disappointment was a lot worse than anger. The disappointment from Sir. Isaac wasn't aimed at Dean, it was aimed at Chima. Chima was the face of the school. He was the one the school would take to luncheons and award ceremonies. Sir. Isaac was proud to show him off.

The school was proud to show him off.

It was understandable that they didn't expect something of that magnitude from the Paragon of Crestview's essence.

"Stop overthinking," Dean's voice pierced through my thoughts. Unlike me who was agitated, he was more composed and put together.

"He is not going to get expelled, I'm sure of it," he continued speaking. "From the way they questioned me, it was more like they needed a reason to punish that bulldog, not senior Sochima. They might just let him off with a slap on the wrist." He said.

"Shebi that's what we just told her," Hilary chipped in, and Semeeha hummed in agreement. "There is nothing to worry about, Dawn. Try to take your mind off it,"

I exhaled, hoping that they were right.

The clicking of the door made me jump, and I watched anxiously as the doorknob twisted and turned before the door opened. Kizito came out first, and I held my breath. But unlike with Dean, the door didn't close behind him, and soon, Chima followed behind.

I was finally able to breathe properly.

Oh, thank God.

"Kizito,"

Semeeha was the first to speak, but I didn't pay any mind to that because my eyes remained fixated on Chima's form.

He looked thoroughly disheveled, completely out of it. His usual neat fro looked locked and rough like he had been running his fingers through it on repeat. The first few buttons of his shirt were off, revealing the white singlet vest beneath, and his tie was tightly clenched in his fist.

I could see the traces of Tekena's blood on his shirt, and the slight dried-up cut at the corner of his lips from where Tekena had managed to land him a punch.

He looked completely and utterly out of character. The way he looked at this money wasn't something you would associate Chima with, and that made it so out of place.

It wasn't him, and that made my heart fall to the pit of my stomach.

I wasn't sure how I moved from where I was standing to where he was. Maybe I glided, but figuring that out was the last thing on my mind. What I knew was that one minute I was standing with the others, the next minute, I was in his space, wrapping my hands around him and pressing my face into his chest.

I took a deep breath, catching a whiff of his scent, faint but still potent. I don't know how he still managed to smell so good amid all this ruckus.

Closing my eyes, I tightened my arms around him and pressed my face further into his chest. There was so much going on, but we'd get to it later.

Now, I'm just glad he's okay.

But just as I was about to bask in the moment, a subtle realization crept in, and my eyes immediately flew open.

Chima wasn't hugging me back.

The familiar warmth I usually feel every time we held onto each other was absent, leaving a sense of unease and an unspoken shift in the air. I slowly pulled away, arching my neck up so that I'd look at him properly. And then, there was another unusual realization.

He wasn't looking at me.

He was looking at anywhere but me.

My heart began to hammer in my chest.

"Chima," I called softly. He didn't respond, didn't look at me.

That's strange.

My hands slowly deranged from around him and reached up to touch his face, to get him to look at me.

"Chima," I called again, reaching higher.

But just as my hands grazed the skin of his face, his hand flew up and caught my wrist in his grasp, abruptly stopping me from touching his face. I froze, a soft gasp escaping my lips. No, it wasn't because his grip was tight, and he wasn't even aggressive in the slightest. The action was shocking because it was just borderline weird.

Very unexpected and weird.

Chima has never stopped me from touching him before.

Never.

The silence in the room told me that we were the center of attention. I could feel the gazes of my friends and my bother boring holes into my back. But my eyes remained trained on Chima. And despite his grin on me, he still wasn't looking at me.

My heartbeat increased in pace.

And when I opened my mouth to speak, to ask what was wrong, he beat me to it.

"I need to sit,"

That was all he said, his voice coming out in a deep mumble.

Before I could say anything back, he dropped my hand and sidestepped me to go sit on one of the sofas in the room, leaving me still standing in the spot he was in, completely transfixed, still trying to wrap my head around what just happened.

Don't overthink.

Don't overthink.

Don't overthink.

I recited in my head like a mantra, trying my best not to think too deeply about his actions. I should even be more considerate, knowing what he has been through in the past hours.

So I took a deep breath and turned around to face the rest. Hilary was already looking at me, her hand to her chest in a familiar gesture that indicated I should calm down. I nodded, holding my hands across my chest.

"So what's up?" Semeeha spoke up when it seemed like no one was ready to talk, her eyes trained on Kizito. "How did it go in there?" She asked, clearly directing the question at him but he didn't respond.

None of them did.

Kizito was looking at Chima as if to ask for permission, but Chima didn't even know this. He had his head hung low and hands propping it against his knee. It was safe to say that his mind was far away from this place and he probably didn't even hear a word.

I wasn't expecting him to even speak about it but his aloofness was so foreign to me. It made me feel so uneasy. Plus, the silence wasn't helping matters.

Someone should just say something.

"Kizito?" Hilary heeded to my unspoken request, urging him to speak. The taller boy exhaled, followed by a shrug.

"I honestly don't know what to tell you guys," he said, his voice edged with sincerity. I exhaled shakily. "I tried my best to diffuse the situation but there is only so much I can do,"

"And the verdict?" I asked, trying not to let my voice quiver.

"Sir. Isaac has given any verdict yet," he said and I sighed again. "In short, he hasn't said anything about the entire issue. All he did was ask questions, get the answers, and put them down in his notepad. I can't say I know what is going on in his head," he explained to me, but the explanation did absolutely nothing to ease my worries on anxiety.

If anything, it heightened it.

I thought them coming out would ease the tension, and bring something substantial, but it just feels like they are still in there. No news, nothing to work with. Nothing.

We were still in the dark.

My hands were trembling so badly, I had to clench my fist. I looked at Chima and he hadn't moved from his position. He didn't even do as much as flinch.

"So when are they going to give the verdict?" Semeeha asked.

"Is there even going to be a verdict?" Dean asked almost immediately after.

"Yes, that one is certified," Kizito answered Dean. "Sir. Isaac said they'd both be getting their verdicts via mail before the end of the day." He added.

I noticed he was responding to Semeeha's question but he actively wasn't looking at her while answering it. Instead, he kept his gaze trained on Dean like the question was an extension of his. And when I looked at Semeeha, I noticed the disappointment unmistakably etched on her expression.

It was evident she noticed that Kizito was intentionally ignoring her, almost acting like she wasn't present there, and the slight downturn of her lips and the subtle shift in her eyes showed that she was very much affected by it... as much as she tried to mask it.

There was something up between those two. I could feel it. I wasn't sure what it was but from their exchange at the car park this morning, I noticed a sort of strain, more from Kizito than Semeeha of course.

But as much as I was curious to find out what exactly was the issue, my mind was too occupied to give it a second thought.

"So that means Tekena is also getting a verdict," Hilary chipped.

"Certainly," Kizito affirmed. "And I think his verdict would be much worse considering he broke several rules," he added.

All of a sudden, Chima was on his feet, the hit of his feet against the tiled floor echoing through the room, alerting everyone.

Alerting me.

"Guy," Kizito called to him.

"I need some air,"

That was his second statement still he came out of Sir. Isaac's office and it was still very monotonous.

"Hey,"

I made to go to him, but he started walking toward me, causing me to pause in my steps. But for the second time today, he side-stepped me and walked out of the room, leaving me awestruck and utterly dumbfounded

What the hell is going on?

"Go after him," Kizito's voice cut through my thoughts and I looked at him. "He is beating himself up way too hard about all this. He needs you," he said to me.

And that was all it took for me to bolt out of the room and after Chima.

For someone that just walked out of the reception, he had covered quite a distance.

"Chima," I called out, my voice echoing through the quiet admin block.

He heard me.

I know he heard me.

But for reasons I couldn't quite fathom, he didn't stop walking.

He was legit marching away from me like he didn't want me to catch up with him, like he wanted to get as far away from me as possible. And I didn't understand why.

I hastened my step nonetheless.

"Chima, wait!" I called again, but he didn't wait. If anything, I think he quickened his steps.

To that effect, I quickened my pace till I was practically running toward him. And I didn't stop running till I met up with him. Didn't stop running till I was standing in front of him.

"Hey!"

I reached my hands out and placed them on his chest, stopping him from going any further. Beneath my palms, I could feel his heart beating erratically, hammering against his rib cage like drums, his breathing uneven.

But still, he wasn't looking at me. It's now so obvious that he was intentionally avoiding my eyes. And for the life of me, I didn't understand why.

I need to understand why!

"Can you please calm down," I said- no, pleaded with him.

"I need to get home," he simply said, his third monotonous statement since he got out of that office. First, it was "I need to sit". Then "I need some air". And now, he is saying he needs to go home?

Not on my watch.

"No!" I blatantly disagreed with him, and an exhausted sigh escaped his lips to that effect. "At least, not until we talk about what happened," I stated matter-of-factly, bringing my grace to where his head was turned so that I'd meet his eyes.

But he didn't budge, averting his gaze at every one of my attempts.

"Dawn, please..." he whispered and trailed off, his tone indicating exhaustion, frustration, and a hint of annoyance. Those were the first emotions he'd me showing and I needed him to show more.

He tried to take my hand away from where they were splayed over his chest but I didn't let him, knocking his hands off gently. He winced, slightly looking at the back of his right palm. I followed his gaze and that was when I noticed that his knuckles were bruised.

Badly.

I gasped.

"Chima, I'm so sorry," I breathed, feeling terrible for slapping his hand off the way I did. "We should get this cleaned up," I tried to inspect the bruises but he pulled his hand away from mine.

"I'll get it checked out at home," he was back to his brooding, monotonous sentences and I wasn't having it.

"No," I vehemently refused. "Let's just go to the health center to wrap it up. It's not healthy carrying it around uncovered, exposed to infection," I said.

"I'll take my chances," he protested, making a move to leave.

Immediately, my hands flew back to his chest, stopping him from going another step further. Heaven can testify that I have never known Chima to be so stubborn and difficult, and it was really stressing me out. A pant of headache pierced my skull and I fought back the urge to groan.

"For God's sake Chima, please!" I begged, my voice coated in utmost desperation and frustration. And that got the action I've been craving for in the last twenty minutes.

He looked at me.

It was only for a nanosecond but it was long enough to pick up the myriad of emotions in his eyes. There was an unexpected vulnerability, a sudden shyness I had never associated with him. Then, there was shame. It wasn't until that brief look that I realized why he had been acting this way, so off.

Chima was ashamed.

And that revelation shattered me.

"Please," I whispered, my tone gentle and calm now, persuasive.

He sighed, finally giving in.

None of the nurses were on seat by the time we got to the health centre.

It made sense because school ended more than thirty minutes ago, and knowing how extremely lazy they were, they'd have bolted at the sound of the bell. I'm sure they didn't even allow the bell to finish ringing before they were out of the gates.

But the doors to one of the male wards were open so we just walked in. After getting Chima to sit on one of the beds, I got everything I needed to clean and dress his bruised knuckles.

He still wasn't saying anything to me, still wasn't looking at me. I was trying not to think too much about it, but the fact that it was so out of place for him to act this way was all I could think about.

Everything was taking a toll on him and I understood that perfectly, more than anyone else. But I have never seen him so downcast, so forlorn. Even when he was struggling with the issue of his Dad being away for so long with no means of contacting him, he reached out to me. He wanted me around him.

He wanted me to hold him.

He sorted me out for comfort, and I gladly gave it with no reservations.

And that was even before we became official.

But now, it honestly felt like he didn't want to be around me. Like he was trying to push me away.

I don't want to believe that that's what it is. I desperately don't want to believe that he's trying to push me away and do this all on his own.

Because I won't let him.

I placed all the needed knits in a tray and took it to where he was, placing it on the bedside table before drawing out a chair for me to sit in front of him. All the while I was getting ready, he didn't even act like someone was in front of him.

Don't overthink things. Don't overthink things. I started chanting to myself again.

"Give me your hand," I said.

He didn't make any move to, didn't speak, didn't as much as flinch too. I exhaled shakily, then grabbed his right hand myself. Thankfully, he didn't struggle or try to pull away, so I took that as a win.

I started cleaning his wounds, the only reactions from him being subtle winces and slight flinches from the sting of the methylated spirit on the wounds.

"Sorry," I whispered, but he didn't say anything back. I swallowed it and carried on, lifting his hand to my lip level to blow on it.

When I was done cleaning, I wrapped his knuckles first with gauze, then doubled it with a bandage. While all this was happening, he still didn't say one word to me. No acknowledgment. Nothing. And my patience was wearing thin.

He had no reason to not talk to me. I am the last person he should be trying to push away.

I finished up and packed everything, telling myself that we wouldn't leave this place till we had a conversation. It was only ideal that we have a conversation. I won't be at peace knowing he is struggling with something and I am not in on it.

I stood to put away everything as quickly as possible so that he wouldn't bolt through the door. But as soon as I got on my feet, he spoke.

And I immediately wished he hadn't.

"Are you done?"

I gapped at him in shock and incredulity.

Is he being serious right now? That was all he had to say?

"No!" I retorted, my voice coming out sharper than I intended. "No, I am not done. We–" I gestured between us, "are not done. Not until we have a conversation." I told him point-blank.

"There is nothing to talk about," he stated with a nonchalant shrug as he got to his feet while I stood, seething with frustration at his voice that still droned in monotonous tones. It felt like he lacked basic emotions, and the relentless monotony was driving me crazy.

He standing up indicated that he was about to leave but I quickly jumped to his front, blocking him from moving. Chima might be so difficult and out of character right now but I know for a fact that he wouldn't push me out of the way.

Chima won't push me.

"Of course there is!" I debunked, trying to look at him but he wasn't reciprocating. It made me really frustrated. "For God's sake Chima, you can't even look me in the eye for more than a second. You won't even let me touch you!" I threw my hands up, my voice quivering slightly at that last part.

He didn't say anything back but with how heavily he was heaving, his chest rising and falling, I knew I was getting through to him. I hated the aloofness coming from him. The way he was acting was all too strange for me.

I need him to react. I don't care how, I just need to see an emotion from him.

A soft sigh escaped my lips.

"I know you have so much going on in your head right now," I spoke again, my voice more controlled. "I understand, Chima. I get it. But you have to talk about it. You have to talk to me. I won't be able to help you if I don't know what or how you are feeling," I begged him.

Chima finally locked his eyes with mine and I froze.

I know I asked for him to show emotions. I just wasn't ready for the way it hit me.

Emotions swirled like a tempest within his gaze— anger, regret... and something darker. The sheer intensity of his stare shook me to the core because I had never seen him so unhinged. It sent shivers running down my spine.

"What do you want me to talk about!" He asked me, his voice sharp and edgy, laced with all the emotions I saw in his eyes and so much more. "You want me to talk about the fight right? Is that it? You want me to talk about the fact that I beat up that bastard?"

"Yes!" I cried out, my arms flying up again. "If that's what is bothering you, then yes. Please, let's talk about it!"

"Well it not bothering me," he retorted, and I exhaled again, getting really confused.

"Chima," I breathed.

"I'm not bothered in the slightest that I beat the bastard up," he continued speaking like I hadn't spoken, chest rising and falling rapidly. "What is bothering me is the fact that I am not sorry for what I did!" He deadpanned.

My head picked up the beat and began to hammer in my chest. I wasn't even sure what to say to that, didn't know how to process it.

Chima doesn't regret beating Tekena up?

"I beat someone up, Dawn," he went on when I didn't say anything, his voice harsh and raw with emotions, his eyes locked right to mind as his words hung in the air.  "I beat a human being blue-black. He was weak. He was down. He was subdued. He posed no threat anymore, but still, I didn't stop slamming my fist into his face because it felt good. Because I wanted him dead!"

Jesus!

His words echoed with an unsettling honesty.

Chima wasn't bluffing.

"And up until this very moment, I feel absolutely no ounce of regret or remorse for doing it, or even thinking it... when I should," his voice quivered slightly, exposing that newfound vulnerability again. I immediately began to understand what exactly got him all worked up.

It made perfect sense.

"It's tearing me apart that I don't feel terrible for doing something so terrible to a person, and it's driving me crazy that I can feel such an insurmountable level of rage toward someone!" He growled, his voice echoing through the room like thunder, grappling with his emotions.

I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. I was torn between feeling concern for him and the disturbing realization of the darkness he was confronting within himself.

But even with this, all I knew was that Chima was not a bad person. And he is not a vile being for feeling the way he was feeling. He is the farthest from anything terrible... or remotely evil. And the fact that he feels terrible for not feeling terrible proves that a hundred percent.

The only issue at this moment is that I wasn't sure he knew that.

"Chima," I started, my voice calm, cajoling, my hands clasped together as I tried to gather my thoughts. "It's okay for you to feel the way you are feeling at this moment. It's not your fault and it doesn't make you a bad person. You were pushed to the wall, and you were forced to react—"

"Yeah, because of you," he cut me off sharply, knocking the living daylight out of me.

What?

The words hung in the air, and an unexpected wave of bewilderment washed over me like a wave, followed by a disconcerting mix of confusion and disbelief. I tried to push aside the gnawing feeling that Chima just indirectly blamed me for the fight, telling myself that perhaps, I was misunderstanding him.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, allowing him to clarify himself.

"It was because of the things he said to you that I couldn't hold back my anger," he retorted, and I swallowed. "I was in control of my emotions. I was going to walk away. I was already walking away! Not until that bastard spoke and I lost every bit of my control!"

"And I get that, Chima! I get it!" I retorted back.

"Do you? Do you, really?" He questioned, his tone laced with slight accusation and I stared on in incredulity. "Because none of this wouldn't have happened if you didn't date him."

Ouch!

The silence that followed those words was deafening. I stared at him in complete disbelief, tears welling up in my eyes.

Those words pierced through me like a poisonous arrow, reaching deep into the core of my soul. Those words finally confirmed that Chima was indeed blaming me for the fight, and that left me utterly destabilized. It was like someone had punched me right in the gut, a sense of shock and disappointment washing over me like a tsunami.

Chima was the very last person I expected to shiver what might have been the biggest mistake of my life right back in my face.

"You are blaming me for what went down between you and Tekena and that's not fair, Chima. It's not fair!" I spat out, jabbing my finger into his chest.

He didn't say anything back, only heaving heavily and his lips quivering like he wanted to say something but couldn't get the words right out of his mouth. Not even an apology and that hurt more.

Chima would never say anything to hurt me, especially this.

He knew my story.

"You know how much I regret ever having anything to do with him," my lips were quivering too, the tears brewing in my eyes almost overflowing. "You know how much I wish I could reverse the hand of time and take it all back. You know how much I wish I never even knew him!—

But it happened, and it was unfortunate that I knew him, and I had something with me. But it's in the past, and you can't use it against me or shove it in my face, Chima. You can't do that!"

I screamed, breathing heavily, tears cascading from my eyes first in beads, then in trickles.

"Dawn..." he whispered, his voice holding hardcore remorse and regret, but I held my hand up, stopping him from talking any further.

He was holding my gaze and that was good. He gets to see how much his words hurt me.

"I understand that you are agitated and probably terrified out of your mind at what the outcome of all this might be, but you can't blame me for what happened," I breathed, using the back of my hand to wipe my tears.

"His words hurt me too, Chima," I reminded him and his face fell. "He said those awful things about me, in front of my brother, in front of so many junior boys, in front of you... my boyfriend! It was so embarrassing! I fucking re-lived SS2 again and that's so messed up! So no, I am not to blame!—

And God knows I don't blame you for anything you did, because you defended my honor and I love you so much for that, Chima. I Love You! But this isn't just about you. This is about us. If only we can just sit down and have a goddamn conversation!" I cried.

The silence that followed my last words echoed and bounced on the walls of the room and the entire health center. It hung in the air after I bared my heart and soul out. We stood still for what might have been hours, eyes locked in a silent exchange.

His eyes glistened with unshed tears, his gaze betraying a mix of emotions— remorse, shame, regret, and an unspoken turmoil that he was battling with. The room was heavy with the weight of the tension, weighing down on us and almost crushing us into bits.

And when Chima couldn't hold my gaze anyhow, he looked away from me, nodding slowly.

"I have to go," he said in a hushed tone.

My heart broke.

"Chima, please..." I pleaded.

"I need space, Dawn. I'm sorry,"

My heart broke more at those words. I HATED those words.

"I need a break from all this," he gesticulated with his hands. "This is the most complicated my life has ever been and I don't know how to handle it,"

"That's why we are a couple, Chima," I closed the gap between us, my hand splayed on his chest as I searched his eyes. "We can get through this together. I promise," I tried to persuade.

But he shook his head.

"No," he whispered, and a whimper left my lips. "I have to do this on my own. I have to deal with it on my own. I have to figure things out on my own."

"I'm not trying to complicate your life, Chima. I swear," I sobbed, tears cascading from my eyes like a torrent.

"I know," he whispered.

Chima thawed, a breath escaping his lips. His entire demeanor softened, the tension in his frame easing.

Closing the remaining minuscule gap between us, he gently cupped my face in his hands with a tenderness that whispered apologies. I leaned into his touch, feeling the rough calluses of his fingertips brushing daintily against my skin, and I held onto his wrist.

It sent a shiver down my spine, a mix of comfort and longing.

But I knew deep down, that despite the warmth of his hands on my skin, like a soothing melody, he wasn't changing his mind. He pressed his forehead against mine, a tender action that I've only associated with him. But his decision still lingered in the air, and that hurt like a bitch.

"I'm sorry, Dawn," he whispered against my skin, and I sobbed.

"Don't break up with me,"

The words left my lips in a shaky, sobby whimper before I could stop myself, the tears ever flowing from my eyes like a waterfall.

Chima sighed, then gently lifted his head from mine, leaned further in and pressed his lips against my forehead in a tender kiss, a fleeting touch that carried a bittersweet feeling that spoke volumes.

It felt like he was saying goodbye.

I hate goodbyes!

"Chima," I quivered.

"I Love You, Dawn," Chima whispered, and I choked on a sob. "Never doubt that."

And with that, he was gone.

As soon as Chima left the room, it was as if a dam within me broke and I burst into tears. I couldn't contain the loud sobs that kept escaping my lips, so I instinctively covered my mouth to muffle the sound, though it still didn't work.

My legs grew so weak, I had to lean my weight on the bed, to stop myself from falling.

This can't be happening.

This can't be happening!

"Dawn," Hilary's voice filled the room as she rushed in. "I just saw Sochima leave—"

Her words caught in her throat when she saw me, her eyes widening first in horror. I just slowly shook my head, unable to find the words. Immediately, she understood and rushed to me.

"Oh, my baby," she got to me and gathered me in her arms, offering comfort as I continued to weep like a baby. "It's okay. It's going to be okay," she whispered soothingly, trying to reassure me.

But deep down, I couldn't shake the fear that my relationship with Chima might never be the same again.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐇𝐀
(Semeeha Iris Malik)

Agitation and nervousness twisted in my gut as I trailed behind him.

My steps felt uneaten, and I occasionally stumbled over nothing like a complete idiot. My fingers anxiously tugged on the sleeves of my shirt, knuckles turning white with tension. I repeatedly patted down on my braids, despite being perfectly in place— a futile attempt to distract myself from the gnawing feeling of unease clawing at my insides.

I was restless. That much was obvious.

And as much as I tried to affirm myself that I shouldn't be nervous, that I should even be happy that he finally acknowledged my presence, I could feel the perspiration bubbling all over my face. Not from heat, because there was no heat, but from anxiety. I tried to convince myself that I had idea why he was calling me... deep down, I knew exactly why he called me.

And I knew why he has been acting the way he has.

I just didn't want to believe it.

"We need to talk."

That was all Kizito said to me, just a few moments after Sochima and Dawn walked out of the room.

His words were sparse, revealing nothing, but his tone was enough to tell me that he wasn't leaving any room for question. He walked out of the reception and didn't have to explicitly spell out that I should follow him before I did, leaving Hilary and Dean in the room.

He didn't even wait for me to catch up with him. Basically, he was leading and I was following, without question.

My hands were practically shaking, no matter how tightly I balled them into a fist.

You've got this, Semeeha. I said to myself. Don't fold.

He took a turn into a classroom and I followed him till I was inside with him. Then, he shut the door, the slamming against its hinges so harsh that my heart jumped in my chest and I fought hard to suppress a shriek. I tried not to look affected, keeping my face poker.

An awkward silence settled in the room. There wasn't a single soul around, at least not in these parts, just the two of us. It made my nervousness intensify, a knot tightening in my stomach. I could feel Kizito's eyes on me, boring deep in my skin. Usually, I'd be elated that his attention was on me... but this was different.

Here goes nothing.

I hesitated before looking up to meet his eyes.

The familiar warmth that used to linger in his gaze was replaced with a hardened expression, a glare that pierced through me. It made my stomach churn with unease, and I swallowed. Holding his gaze became a challenge, especially with the way he continued staring me down with an intensity I'd never experienced before.

Not from him, at least.

And it was scary.

I was able to hold it out with him this morning at the lot because I knew he wouldn't react in front of Dawn and Hilary. But they weren't here to offer an unknowing backup. Still, I tried to hold my own, tried so hard not to fold beneath the intensity of his stern scrutiny.

Folding my hands across my chest, I cocked my brow up in question.

"Are you just going to keep glaring at me, or are you going to tell me why you called me here?"

I asked, the words leaving my lips with feigned confidence, though the underlying nervousness was evident in the slight quivering of my voice and the subtle tapping of my feet on the floor.

A small, scoff-like sound escaped his lips, followed by a shake of his head.

"You know why I called you here, Semeeha," he answered me, his voice cutting through the air with a tone as hard as his expression, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

The sternness in his words sent shivers running down my spine, my attempt to maintain composure slowly crumbling under the sharpness of his gaze. Kizito wasn't speaking to me like he was speaking to his friend. He wasn't even talking to me like that as well.

It scared me shitless.

Don't fold. Don't fold. I chanted, resolving to keep feigning obliviousness.

"I have no idea what you are talking—"

My words were abruptly cut off as Kizito slammed his hand against the door. The forceful sound startled me and I shrieked, literally jumping right out of my skin with my eyes widened in horror.

Jesus!

"DAMN IT, SEMEEHA!" He growled.

"Fine!" I raised my hand in surrender, automatically folding. "Maybe I do know what you are talking about, but I don't get the fuss!" Acting oblivious didn't work so I just opted for downplaying the situation.

Kizito looked at me incredulously.

"Don't get the fuss!" Are you serious?" He gapped at me like I had grown a second head.

"So I sent you a bunch of pictures," I rolled my eyes, pretending to act like he was overreacting. "Big deal. You need to stop overreacting," I shrugged.

"Overreacting." He repeated, a humorless chuckle leaving his lips. "Semeeha, you sent me pictures of yourself in your underwear. YOUR UNDER—" he was going to yell, but caught himself in time, looking out the window to be sure no one was eavesdropping.

Then he looked back at me, a deep frustrated frown creasing on his forehead.

"You sent inappropriate pictures of yourself to me and you are saying it's no big deal? Are you kidding me!" He whispered-yelled, gesticulating in a way that made it seem he wanted to pull his hair out of their follicles.

My heart was hammering vehemently against my rib cage in a way that made my sides hurt. I exhaled shakily, trying to regain my fast-slipping composure. I knew he took me sending those pictures personal because, after the first time, he told me to stop... repeatedly. Started begging me even. At some point, I even felt he blocked me because my messages were only ticking once.

But seeing him act out like this was a different ball game entirely. I was almost folding, breaking my composure because I wasn't sure how I'd keep it up.

But, I continued.

"I still don't know what the fuss is about," I continued to downplay, my attempt to brush off the seriousness of the situation despite my heartbeat rapidly increasing. "You are acting as if your girlfriend doesn't send you pictures like that." I punctuated that statement with a faux laugh.

"It's none of your business if she does or doesn't," his response was a sharp one, pricking me. "And even if she sends me such pictures, she's my girlfriend, Semeeha! MY GIRLFRIEND!—"

The emphasis he placed on those two words sent a sharp pang of headache shooting through my skull.

"— If she wants to send me pictures of herself naked, she might as well do that because she's very much entitled to!"

"And I am not?" I challenged, a deep frown furrowing my brows. He gapped at me, like I was saying a bunch of jargon. "I am your friend, Kizito! It shouldn't matter!"

"It matters!" He snapped back. "The fact that you are my friend is exactly why you shouldn't be sending me such pictures! Do you even understand the gravity of what you are doing? What if those pictures get to the wrong hand?" He queried me.

"You wouldn't let that happen," I scoffed and he exhaled. "Why are you acting out? Those pictures are no different from the ones you have seen on social media. I mean, you even commented on several of my lingerie posts!" I turned it on him, and his eyes darkened.

"So me trying to support you as a friend is an avenue for you to spam me all through the holiday with pictures of your nudity?" He fired back.

Those words held me around the neck and choked me.

Ouch!

"Can you tell me one good reason why you kept sending those pictures to me, Semeeha? Even when I repeatedly asked— no, begged you to stop?" He questioned me, and I didn't have an answer because no reason would make sense.

And I'd rather bend than admit that I want him to see me the same way he sees Gigi.

"Tell me, Semeeha," he moved closer to me and I veered back as if I was pushed. "Did you send pictures like that to other males that made comments like mind on your post?" He cocked his brows.

I felt a sharp sting in my chest, the weight of his words settling heavily on me. I couldn't even answer him, feeling pretty much embarrassed beyond words. And the silence was enough answers to his questions.

"Exactly what I thought," he whispered, nodding slowly. "It's just me, isn't it?" He asked again with his head bobbed to the side, rhetorically this time.

I took in a deep shaky breath.

"You are different from them," I whispered, and he chuckled.

"How so?" He questioned.

"You are my friend, Kizito,"

"Bullshit," he spat, and I shook. "That's not why you sent those pictures and you know it,"

"What?" I blinked, my chest rising and falling rapidly with every breath I took. Did he figure it out? "I don't know what you are talking about," I pretended to be oblivious to what he was insinuating.

But Kizito rolled his eyes.

"I know you like me, Semeeha. I'm not an idiot." He deadpanned, knocking the breath right out of me.

I choked on air, legit shaking on the spot.

He knows? How long has he known?

Those were the questions that kept flying in my head.

The realization that Kizito was aware of my feelings struck me like a blow, leaving me feeling exposed and completely vulnerable. And what was worse? His tone held absolutely no fascination, only a matter-of-fact acknowledgment that sent waves of outright embarrassment shooting right through me.

It was as if he casually threw my feelings right back in my face.

"What..." I breathed out, completely and utterly mortified.

Kizito sighed, pressing his palms together over his lips as he took a few breaths as if he wanted to calm himself down. His demeanor was calmer, but his eyes held sparkles of pity.

I hate pity.

"I figured it out," his voice was softer now like he wanted to be delicate with me. "It made perfect sense; your actions towards me, your dislike for Gigi. And then, it finally clicked when I kept telling you to stop sending the pictures and you wouldn't. That was the only logical explanation." He said to me.

I wasn't even trying to argue or deny it. Heck, I wasn't even sure what to say anymore. My chest rose and fell as my breathing became erratic.

The room descended into a heavy silence, tension building between the both of us. The quiet was suffocating, each passing moment intensifying the weight of the atmosphere, the tension growing thicker and thicker.

Their secret was out. There was no reason to hide anymore.

But the fact that Kizito didn't seem glad or elated at the discovery made my heart harden.

He can't do this to me.

Kizito can't do this to me.

He can't discard my feelings like they don't matter.

"So what are you going to do about it?" I finally broke the pregnant silence, my gaze hard. Kizito looked back at me in sheer confusion.

"What—"

"My feelings," I tugged my brows up. "What are you going to do about my feelings for you?" I fired at him.

He gapped back at me, like I just asked the most idiotic question ever.

That's his problem.

"What do you mean what am I going to do about your feelings? What do you expect me to do about your feelings, Semeeha!" He cried out, the frustration evident in his tone.

"Anything!" I retorted. "Anything that doesn't involve you discarding them like you are doing right now!" I snapped at him.

"I am not discarding your feelings!" He retorted back. "But, I'm sure as hell not going to acknowledge them!" He added, sending a bullet straight through my heart.

Tears started welling up in my eyes.

"I take responsibility," he continued speaking when I didn't say anything. "I have a fault in this, I know. I unconsciously encouraged you and made you believe that we could have something and I'm sorry I led you on. But it's not true. I don't like you like that. For God's sake, I have a girlfriend!"

And that was when I lost it.

"You think I give a FUCK about your girlfriend!" I yelled, tears falling from my eyes in beads. "Do you think I care about the fact that you are in a relationship?" I yelled at him. "Gigi Esho doesn't mean shit to me, Kizito, and you know it!" I spat out venomously.

"She might not mean anything to you but she means everything to me!" Kizito fired back, sending another bullet straight into my heart. "She means everything to me, Semeeha, and I am not going to jeopardize what I have with her because of your crush!"

That felt like a slap to my face.

"Crush!" I shrieked, my emotions getting a better part of me, the insult cutting deep. "What I feel for you is stronger than a crush, Kizito! A crush wouldn't make a girl send pseudo-nude pictures of herself to her supposed friend. A crush wouldn't make a girl go out of her way to make you notice her!—

I fucking started dressing up like your damn girlfriend so that you'd look at me! I made up like her! I altered almost all my uniforms so that they'd look like hers. I even got a fucking tattoo, just to match hers! All so that you'd notice me!" I screamed.

"I'm sorry—"

"You don't get to box my feelings for you down to a bloody crush!" I cut him off harshly. "It has always been me, Kizito! Before her, before anyone else, it has been me! I had my eye on you first!" I jabbed my index finger into his chest.

"I am not disputing that, Semeeha," he cried, jaw clenching and tone edged with a hint of exasperation and annoyance. "And I am sorry, but you have to understand that I can't change my feelings or my commitments. It's not fair to you, and it's certainly not fair to Gigi!—

I can't do that to her. I feel guilty enough that I allowed it to get to the extent of you sending me inappropriate pictures. I'm sorry that I didn't read the signs sooner and stop this from escalating. But, I can't continue like that. I love and respect her too much and I can't hurt her!"

"But you don't love and respect me enough!" I said through clenched teeth, tears cascading from my eyes like a torrent, a mix of anger and despair etched across my face. "I have always been there for you, loving you way before she came into the picture.—

She can't love you like I do! No one can love you like I do! For me, it has always been you! No one else! Only you!" I screamed.

"But for me, it has always been HER,—"

My heart sank deep in my chest at that statement.

"—And it will always be HER,—"

My legs grew weak.

"—And I'm sorry that I'm hurting you this way, Semeeha. I'm so sorry that it's me that has to do this to you, but I can't indulge you anymore. I can't indulge this. The bottomline remains, I don't have feelings for you. I never have."

That was the final blow to my heart, shredding it into a zillion pieces. Tears kept flowing from my eyes, no matter how hard I tried to stop it.

No.

NO!

This can't be it.

There has to be another way.

I briskly cleaned my face with the back of my palms.

"Fine," my voice quivered slightly. "Make me your side chick then," I deadpanned.

Kizito veered back like someone that has been slapped across the face and punched in the gut.

"Excuse me?" He sounded very insulted.

"I don't mind," I told him, smiling in a way to convince him. "I can't settle for that. I don't care if you don't leave Gigi for me. I don't even need you to be in love with me. My love is enough for both of us. I'm good enough as your side chick." I rambled on, my hands clasped together in a pleading manner, begging him.

At this point, I was ready to do anything to get even the tiniest bit of love from Kizito, or at least, what might resemble it in the slightest. I don't mind begging, groveling, or licking his shoes if need be. I knew I was asking for the barest minimum, settling to be his side piece but I didn't care. We could make it work.

Right?

We had to.

Kizito, on the other hand, stared back at me in utter mortification. Then his face morphed into a stormy mix of irritation and annoyance. The subtle clenching of his jaw gave that away, his eyes carrying a flicker of impatience. It was as if his facial expressions were sculpted by the convergence of anger and repulsion.

He was finding it hard to come to terms with what I just said, and that was perfectly normal. It will take a lot of getting used to, even for me.

But we CAN make it work.

"I know it's a lot to take in right now, but you will eventually get used to it," I continued to ramble, trying to persuade him. "Please just..." I trailed off, sniffing. "Just manage me," I begged, moving closer to him.

"The fuck..." he muttered.

"No one has to know," I shook my head vigorously. "Not Hilary or Dawn. Not even Gigi. I won't tell if you don't, hmmn? Just please..." I trailed off, extending my hands toward him to touch him.

But as soon as my hands brushed his chest, he caught my hands with an unexpected ferocity, eliciting a gasp from me. The strength of his grip had my blood freezing cold.

The fury in Kizito's eyes was maddening. As his gaze bore into me, it felt like staring into the abyss of unbridled anger, setting my entire body ablaze and incinerating me to ash. It was a primal rage, untamed and unsettling. The sheer brutality in his eyes spoke volumes, rendering me momentarily paralyzed.

A cold chill sizzled through my bloody stream and every little bit of composure I had left went up in flames.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THE MATTER WITH YOU!"

His voice was like the sound of thunder, crackling through a raging storm and cutting through the air like a sharp blade, rattling me right to my bones. I could feel the beating emanating from his anger, burning right through me.

Fear clenched my heart.

"Kizito—"

He shook me harshly, eliciting gasps from my lips, the grip of his hands around my wrists painfully firm, I was certain it would leave a bruise.

"Listen to me and listen good," he growled lowly, and I whimpered, shaking like a leaf in the autumn. "I'm only going to say this once and I'm not going to say it again," His voice was like gravel, menacing...

Dangerous.

"I. DON'T. LIKE. YOU!" He spelled out to me, piecing my broken heart together and smashing it on the cold floor all over again. "NEVER HAVE. NEVER WILL!"

Fresh tears welled up in my eyes.

"And by God, if you try this shit with me again, I'll forget that we ever knew each other. I'll cut you off like a twig and that will be the end of our friendship. Got it?"

I shook as his words vibrated through me and sank to the core of my soul.

But I nodded slowly, tears falling from my eyes.

"Good."

He released my hand with a forceful shove, sending me stumbling backward in an embarrassing reel. My gaze dropped to the floor, trying to hide the embarrassment and hurt welling up inside me. Silent sobs started to escape my lips, each one a small release of the humiliation I couldn't hold in anymore.

At that moment, I desperately wished the ground would open up and swallow me.

"Kizito."

The familiar voice filled the room, and I immediately felt irritation claw at the edges of my despair.

The voice carried an air of audacity, poised and self-assured like the owner herself. Everything that came out of her mouth always seemed carefully chosen, dripping with a confidence that grated on my nerves.

Kizito froze at the sound of the voice as well, fear replacing the bustling anger in his eyes, an indication that he was just as familiar with the voice as I was. And we simultaneously turned our heads in the direction the voice came from.

The door.

We didn't even hear it open.

And standing right at the post, leaning against its hinges with her hand folded across her chest and long flawless legs stretched in a powerful stance was the Love of Kizito's life and the Bane of my Existence.

Gigi Esho.

𝐀/𝐍

E be tinz 🥲.

I don't know, there is just something about leaving you guys on chokehold with cliffhangers that excites me😂!

Semeeha legit just dragged herself on the floor and rolled in the sewer for a guy that doesn't feel even a pinch of feelings for her and it's so sad. Talk about settling to be a side chick, begging to be managed. Odidi top teen model in the entire country. I have suffered 😪🙆🏾‍♀️.

But do you think Kizito was harsh? Personally, I think iron hand is needed for someone like Semeeha.

For those that wanted Sochima and Dawn to have issues, shey you people are satisfied? It has happened now, Shey you people will calm down 😒. Sadist modafuckas.

Anyway sha, it is well with both of them. For Semeeha and Kizito, I'm not so sure.

Till the next update, you know the drill😌. Kisses 😘