I promised myself I would have absolutely nothing to do with Timi ever again.
Who did he think he is?

I used to think he was a nice gentleman but no, he was just the Devil's apprentice.

After I had gotten down from his car, I promised to send some assassin or something to go to his place, kill him and bring his head to me.... Yeah, it's not possible.

Aisha on her part said he was a good guy, I didn't buy that, Aisha would call him a good guy today but tomorrow he becomes a bad person so it's best not to even listen to her.

She told me how scared she was when I didn't come back after the school gate was locked. She said she had tried calling my line but it was switched off. She called Olivia but she wasn't picking.

Debra had almost beaten Jenny because she was trying to make her confess what they planned doing with me after She and Olivia successfully kidnapped me... My friends and I are quick to jump into unreasonable conclusions.

Aisha was there to calm Debra as always.

Olivia returned to the hostel the next day.
According to Aisha, when she dropped my purse and my phone on the bed, Debra let hell loose as she started yelling that she had successfully killed me and had decided to keep my property so she could sell them.

Yeah, we do think out of this world.

Olivia gave some unreasonable explanation to the girls. She told them they could come pick me up where I was but until the rain had stopped.

24 minutes later, I showed up.

DEBRA'S POV

I wanted to slap Olivia all over and over and over and over again but Aisha wouldn't let me.

We all knew Benny couldn't survive all on her own. She was too soft. She couldn't even slap somebody.

Now Olivia is giving us some stupid reasons why she left Benny over at Timi's place saying she wanted to give her some time to live life with Timi. Live what stupid life??

Just while she and Aisha were arguing which I couldn't because I loved to fight and not argue unnecessarily, Benny showed up holding her clothes in her hand and her heels in the other. She looked miserable, her hair a mess as it hung loosely from whatever was holding it.

She dropped her mess on the floor, walked over to Olivia and gave her a mad slap on the face.

I felt over joyed, I felt glad, I felt achieved, I felt I had won, I felt on top of the word, I was so proud of my Benny, I was so.....

"How could you do that to me? " Benny screamed

" I asked you to go with me yesterday, thinking I could trust you but no, you added Tramadol to my drink, it made me wild and you stupidly told Timi to let us pass the night at his place.... You left me bitch! you did and you took my phone n purse, I couldn't even reach anybody " she was crying already. Just then, she stopped.

" um, I can't find my purse, I need to pay the bike man down stairs "

Aisha took out some money and threw it from the window, earning insults from the bike man who considered it as rude.

" what if he had raped me or something. I mean yeah, he's my facebook friend, I can't fully trust him, but you, I thought I could trust you every time and day but you messed up. What if he had taken advantage of me... " she was crying hard now and Aisha did her job of calming her.

I couldn't. I couldn't imagine myself telling you 'oh Sorry, don't cry again' .
It wasn't my nature.

" What's with you and this taking advantage of you sef?  What advantage does he want to take?  Your virginity has gotten up to your head and every chance you get with guys, you think they want to just take you for granted. What sef, are you the first virgin ever? I was just trying to make you and Timi have a nice time together, nothing else, you should even be grateful that I tried helping your boring ass " Olivia yelled back with anger.

Aisha please leave this room, I need to slap this child!

Jenny was laughing on the bed. Benita's virgin status always made her laugh.

Aisha wouldn't disturb me on this one.

I walked over to Jenny, grabbed her wrist.
"tell me, what's making you laugh? It's so amusing shey, they are having a comedy show right? "

" no... Um, sorry "

Good!

" and you Deborah, life isn't all about fighting, you need to grow up, there are some things you can talk out, not fight over " Olivia turned to face me.

She was quite correct, but ....

" Olivia, are you shouting at me? "

" oh please, spare me that Deborah. And you too Aisha, life isn't all about spending money unnecessarily, it's not all about showing things off, it's not about condemning people all the time based on low financial back ground.. You girls need to grow up ". She yelled in frustration.

Did she just call me Deborah??

The air grew tense.
I wasn't really in my right senses to think of something to shoot back because we all felt she made a point, we needed to grow up to an extent.

We were quiet for some seconds, I could see triumph in her eyes, she was always right, she's always winning every argument, she always had something to say... She won again, as usual.

But no :

"tell me Olivia, does drugging your best friend means you've grown up?  Does leaving your best friend at a stranger's place mean you're grown up?  Does going to club almost all night mean you're mature? Does going out with different guys everyday mean you're the sensible one? Think about it Olivia... There are some things we do, we know they are not cool but we don't go extreme.. Think deeply "

Wow, Aisha could say something this long without talking about buying something extremely expensive!

" honestly... Olivia or should we call you aunty Olivia since you feel you're the only reasonable one?  Are you grown up all of a sudden, is that what that low level life girl Jenny over there told you?

She was back... 'low level life girl'

"tell me, are we still friends? Are you still our friend? Let us know this moment, tell us Olivia"

Benita had stopped crying, though she was just sniffling. Olivia didn't win this time,
Aisha surprisingly won.

Olivia shook her head in disagreement. She was never the type to ever agree with something that proved her wrong. She was never wrong. She always had a reason to be right.

"shut up.. Don't say a word again, you hear me! " Olivia barked

It was more of an order than a question.

Aisha pleaseeee lemme kill this girl!

Aisha yelled back " no! You shut up!  You always feel like you're the right one, you're not google so stop acting like you know it all, stop acting like you're perfect.. You clearly are not..... "

" let's just return to how we used to be before, please! "she added softly.

It seemed like Aisha was begging Olivia.

Why was Aisha begging Olivia?
Why... Why?

Olivia laughed.
" not until you and the others change from your childish lifestyle to a more mature one.. You need to grow up, we all need to..... "

I didn't need to hear this again, who did she think she was? I couldn't bear Benny crying quietly for no reason neither could I bear Aisha, a whole Aisha trying to beg Olivia to come back to our lives.

I stood, going face to face with Olivia.

" you know what, if you're trying to improve the world, you should first start with yourself... Now you shut up and please shut up forever "

Olivia laughed.
She shouldn't have done that.

" Olivia, you of all people know I'm mad... My wires upstairs were wrongly connected and I don't mind beating you right now " I warned.

I wasn't ready to grow up, not yet.

Olivia knew what I was capable of and that should be the reason she sighed in disgust as she picked up her purse, ready to leave.

" and um Benny, your purse and phone are over there "

With that, she left. Jenny quickly stood up... Running behind her mistress.

________________________________

Benny, Aisha and I got closer than we used to be.
Exams were around the corner, nobody wanted to fail... We never fail.

Benny once made up her mind to stop talking with Timi but Aisha made her understand that he wasn't at fault one bit, he was even kind enough to take care of Benny even when Olivia just disappeared like that.

I noticed Benny didn't call him, neither did he call her. When I asked if she still chats with him, she said no.

I helped Benny braid her hair one evening and I decided to talk to her.

"Benita "

" what? Deborah! You hardly call me Benita "

"and you also had to call me Deborah."  I sighed.

"you called me Benita first!

"fine Benny, I want to talk to you about... it's about Timileyin"

"um... Sorry, who's that? She teased

"you pig, I mean Timi " I said as I hit her head with a comb.
" look, you should call that guy, I don't know why you're even angry at him when the real demon is... 'I didn't mention-Olivia'- name "

Benny laughed.

" Alright, you and Aisha have been disturbing me about this, I'll call him. "

BENITA'S POV

It was a bit relieving to me that Timi decided not to call me after that incident....
It's been almost a month now, no chat, call or whatever. It hurt me bad to know someone would avoid me this much.. Every other person tried to get my attention.

I told Fisayo of what happened. He said something of not trusting Olivia right from time saying I should try as much to avoid her.

I needed Fisayo right beside me.. I said that to convince myself.

After Debra helped in making my hair which I had lazily refused to go to hairdresser to do, I decided to call Timi. Why wouldn't I?

Debra just hit my brain with a comb.

I called his phone, he didn't pick the first time. Should I have done this sef?

Call him the second time, if he doesn't pick, he should just go and meet my grandpa in hell. Was my grandpa even in hell?

I called the second time, he didn't pick. Good. Off to hell.

Just when I dropped my phone on the bed to go and shower since Debra baptised my face not even hair with hair cream out of sheer wickedness.

My phone rang.
I walked towards it 'Timi'.

Why did he decide to call again? I called the pig twice, he didn't pick!!!

The phone rang again and again, the fourth time, I decided to pity his life.

'Hello' I said dryly.

"Benita, hi.. I missed your call, I'm sorry I was charging,so when I saw your calls, I decided to..... Uh, how are you?

'I'm fine and it's okay, I understand you were charging. I only called to thank you for the other day. I was being silly, I shouldn't have gotten angry at you for no reason '

' Yeah, it's fine '

Silence......

' do you mind coming over to my place? Let's hang out, you'll make it up to me by coming '

I didn't want to go to that place again.

' um, why don't we hangout somewhere else ?'

'so you still don't trust me, alright it's fine '

I felt bad, I hurt him.. Right?
I should trust him, I passed a whole night at his place and he didn't touch me.

' alright, I'll come.. This Saturday '

' that's fine by me.... And please, don't bring any of your friend this time'

I laughed.
My friends were all monsters.

We talked for a little while and when I ended the call, a little smile was tugging on my face.. I could feel it.

Guilt rushed through me when I saw Fisayo's call coming through.

Fisayo, Yeah Fisayo, Fisayo!