Gbemi walked up angrily towards Adam and I as we were staying under the mango tree talking about her. Actually, I was trying to convince Adam to be the bigger person and apologise to Gbemi. Pride wasn't the way forward.

"Daniella, I said I wanted to see you and you kept me waiting." Gbemi said icily, hands akimbo.

I had completely forgotten Gbemi had called to see me earlier on in class before Adam and I moved down to the mango tree. "Oh I'm so sorry. I forgot."

"Spare me the apology!" She raised her right hand to her head level, hushing me. "You're gonna have to choose between Adam and me right here and now. Who would you rather have as your friend?"

I got up from the bench Adam and I were seated abruptly. "Gbemi!" I exclaimed, surprised by what she said. There was no way I was going to choose one of them over the other. I loved them both just the same way.

"What?" She snarled, looking away.

"What are you trying to do? How can you put me in such a dilemma?"

"Because I'm tired of you leaving me alone for Adam. Let me know where I stand. If you like Adam more and you don't want me as your friend, please say it now so we'd all know."

"What are you saying Gbemi—" Adam was saying, but Gbemi cut him off abruptly.

"No one was talking to you."

"Okay I'm done!" Adam said in surrender, rolling his eyes.

"Gbemi can you stop this childish and malicious act of yours? Adam was just going to talk to you now and you hushed him rudely." I said angrily.

Gbemi rolled her eyes. "I'm still waiting for your choice o." She said, blowing her fingernails and tapping one of her feet on the floor.

I was silent for a while. "And if I choose Adam, you're just gonna walk away like that?"

"Oh I get it." Gbemi said and spun around to leave. I held her arm, stopping her.

"I haven't made any choice yet. What happened to you Gbemi? You've changed overnight."

"Daniella, I'm still waiting for—"

I spoke up, not minding what she was saying. "You're just going to throw our friendship in the thrash can, just because Adam simply called you les? He didn't even mean to offend you by calling you that?"

"He didn't mean to, but he did! He calling me les means that he had been thinking of me that way."

"I haven't been thinking of you as a lesbian Gbemi. I only said that jokingly, not intending to offend you." Adam said.

"But you did." Gbemi said, looking away from Adam and me.

"Okay if this is what you wanna hear, I'm sorry. And don't expect me to repeat it coz it took a lot to apologise." Adam said, unapologetically.

I almost laughed. Why were they both so prideful?

"I heard it clearly the first time so I wasn't expecting you to repeat it." Gbemi said, rolling her eyes.

There was an awkward silence in our midst. And it almost made me laugh.

"Okay Adam has apologised Gbemi, so now can you also apologise for calling him pussyboy?"

She was a bit reluctant, but she did it anyway. "If that is what you want to hear also, well I'm sorry for calling you pussyboy. You very well know I'm not apologising twice."

That made me laugh out loud, which caused Adam and even Gbemi herself to chuckle.

"I didn't know you were this petty Gbemi." I said.

"Please lemme joor!" She said dismissively with a smile on her face.

"So are we cool?" Adam asked soberly.

"I just smiled with you guys, so yes we are."

"Proud girl." I teased Gbemi, spanking her butt.

****

"Hey Daniella." Charles accosted me as I was standing in my class corridor and watching Peter play football on the field. It was still break time in case you are wondering. Adam and Gbemi were together trying to get along with each other again. It was apparent that they had missed each other's company.

"Oh I'm coming." I wanted to walk away, but Charles held me back.

"You can't continue to ignore me Daniella. It's not my fault your beloved boyfriend kissed another girl."

"Who says I was ignoring you? And by the way, how did you get the video footage of Peter and Prudence kissing?" I asked, folding my hands around my chest.

It looked like the question took him aback. "I was the one who did a video coverage."

"Why?"

"For you to see what your boyfriend is doing with another girl of course!"

"So you were there when the both of them were kissing?"

He scrunched his brows suspiciously. "Uh, yes? I just said I was the one who shot the video."

"I see. How come the three of you were in the same place at the same time the kiss event took place."

"Are you some detective or what?" He asked, immediately. "Why are you interrogating me?"

Someone's arm went around my neck, drawing both Charles and I's attention. It was Peter. Since he had been playing football, his arm was a bit sweaty and his odour wasn't that palatable either, but I didn't cringe or tell him that because Charles was standing in front of us. I couldn't possibly embarrass my boo in front of another person.

"Hey shit face, ya' wooing my boo?" Peter directed to Charles after pecking my cheeks.

"Oh Daniella, you guys have gotten back together?" Charles asked, pretending not to be surprised.

"Yeah we have." Peter immediately answered. "What were you expecting? That we'd break up so you can have her?"

I nudged Peter slightly when he said that.

"Oh good. I'd see you later Daniella." Charles said disappointedly and walked away.

Peter burst out in a peal of laughter, clutching his stomach and his arm still around me.

I took his arm off my neck. "Guy, you need a shower?"

Peter stopped laughing. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"That you stink." I said in a duh tone.

"Do I?"

"Uh-huh."

"No way!" He smelled his armpit and flinched back repulsively. "Oh yeah. I think I do need a shower. But I'd do that when I get home. For now, I'd wear a bit of fragrance to cover up the smell. I was playing football anyway."

"I know. I was watching you from here before Charles came. You're a footballer in the making o. Why did you stop though? They're still playing and break is not yet over."

"The instance I saw you and Charles together, I hurried up here."

"Possessive much?"

"Well, I can't stand the sight of you and another guy, that is not Adam, together especially when it's that douchbag Charles."

I didn't know what to say. For some reason, his words swept me off my feet and left me speechless.

"So how are things between your two best friends?" Peter asked.

"Oh yes. They have settled their differences and they're now on speaking terms." I said, smiling.

"That's good."

"Look at them over there." I pointed at Adam and Gbemi who were inside the class chatting animatedly. The class window was opened, so we could see the students in the class from outside.

"Aw! Good for them. So how are you? Have you had lunch?" Peter asking, facing me.

"No. I was busy resolving the issues between those two proud children."

"I feel like sponsoring your lunch. Let's go to the canteen to get anything you want." Peter suggested.

I was excited about that. Peter held my hand and we were heading to the canteen when the school bell rung indicating that the break was over.

"Oh shit!" Peter bellowed and I giggled.

****

It was a boring Sunday afternoon—no power supply, everyone in the house was asleep, except for aunt Caro and me. I was loosing aunt Caro's braids in the living room, while she was watching videos on her phone. A call came in, disrupting her video and the contact ID on the screen of her phone was papa. I wondered why papa was calling aunt Caro.

"Hello papa." Aunt Caro said.

"Hello. I've been trying to reach Daniella, but her line keeps saying switched off." Papa said over the other end. Her phone was on loud speaker so I could hear him audibly.

I widened my eyes. He wasn't supposed to say that.

Aunt Caro shot me a look and I squirmed.

"Caro, mama's terribly sick o." Papa informed and my heart instantly skipped a beat. Mama's sick?

Aunt Caro immediately stood up from the couch. "Chineke! What illness and what triggered it?" She sounded alert.

"It started today o. She was shivering this morning and her temperature was very high."

"Have you taken her to the hospital?"

"Yes I have, but I don't have the amount of bill they're requesting for o." Papa said.

"How much are we talking about here?"

"Fifty thousand naira."

"Is the sickness that severe?"

"Yes it is o."

"Okay I'd send in the money now. Hope she has started receiving treatment?"

"Yes she has."

"Nothing must happen to mama o. I'd send the money shortly." That said, she terminated the call and tossed her phone on the other side of the couch.

"Go get my bag." She said to me.

"Which one?" I asked, uneasy.

"Go get my bag quickly!" She shouted, which made me jolt.

"But I don't know the one ma."

She hissed and hurriedly went upstairs to her room to get it from her bag. All I could think of now was mama. I pray nothing negative happened to her.

Later in the night, power had been restored and everyone, asides me, was in the dinning area having dinner. I was in my room. The food for dinner was spaghetti and boiled egg. Though it was one of my favourite, I wasn't really in the mood to eat. Ever since papa called to inform aunt Caro about mama's illness, I had been uneasy. I don't know why I had a bad feeling about it. What if she died? That was the question that kept popping up in my head. I tried to clear off such negative thought from my head but it kept surging in. Needless to say, I was in a state of utter agitation.

I heard a wail from outside my room and I jumped out of my bed to find out what was going on. I saw aunt Caro rolling on the floor and crying hysterically.

"Mummy, what happened?" Amanda and Annabelle asked, worriedly.

Hope it wasn't what I was thinking.

"Mama's dead." Aunt Caro dropped the bombshell.

My entire world crashed.

____________________________________________

What's your take on this chapter?

Hope you know that I'm opened to correction. No human is above mistake. So if you stumble upon anything that is off, please do bring it to my notice. Thanks

Love you all.