I allow myself enjoy the beautiful cologne Philips has on before finally snapping back to reality.

"Hold on to me well so you don't fall." He says when we get to the stairs.

I do so without argument and we were finally at the sick bay. The nurse was having her breakfast when we came in.

"What is wrong with her?" The nurse asks.

"I think she broke her leg or something. What happened to you Obi?" Philips asks redirecting the question to me. Obi? So he's using my last name now huh?

"Um...my ankle hurts. I think I broke it." I tell the nurse and I wince as I feel the pain from my ankle once again.

The nurse carries me from Philips and places me on the small bed there. She uses her thumb to caress around my ankle gently as she asks: "Does that hurt?", making me to either shake my head sideways or nod my head in pain.

"Uh I'm going now." Philips interrupts as he heads towards the exit. The nurse stops him.

"Wait please. I need to get some more ointments from the supply room. The ones here have been exhausted. Please stay with her before I get back." She goes out fast without waiting for a response.

I was now alone with Philips. I expect him to still leave despite the nurse's request but he surprises me by coming over to sit on the bed with me.

"There's no need for you to stay." I murmur unsurely.

"How much did you hear?" He asks instead.

I knew he was referring to the phone call.

"I didn't hear anything important." I say and he hums in response.

"What happened though?" I hear myself ask.

"You like amebo ahan." My subconscious scolds.

I prepare myself to hear the same from Philips but instead he looks at me with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Nothing jare." He says with a sad smile.

"So why didn't you go for the assembly?" He asks, changing the topic.

"My leg." I reply pointing at it.

"Ohh. You had an injury there before. And then you hit the same spot again?" He asks and I nod.

"I feel your pain." He says, wincing.

"How did you get the injury?" He asks again.

I went ahead to tell him what actually happened. When I was done, he got into fits of laughter.

"You're dumb o guy." He says admist laughter. I laugh along with him.

The sound of drums from the assembly downstairs starts, breaking our laughter.

He goes ahead to tell me of a similar experience he had been in with his little sister.

"I didn't know you had a little sister."

"You don't know anything about me." He says a little amused.

Well I know you're the hottest boy in school I disliked for unknown reasons.

"Yeah, you're right. I don't know anything about you." I reply.

"What if we-"

Just then the nurse comes back in, interrupting whatever Philips was about to say.

"Oh my darlings, sorry did I waste time? Philips you can go back to your class, the assembly is over." She says coming over to me with a small first aid box in hand.

"Alright. I'll see you in class." He says, striding off.

•••

Philip's Pov

"Good morning Dad." I greet cheerfully as I go to meet him at the foot of the stairs.

"Good morning. How are you?" He asks absentmindedly as he scrolls through his phone.

"Fine sir."

"And Olive?" He asks referring to my little sister.

"Still sleeping. I think."

I make my way past him to the dining where breakfast was already served. Yam and eggs, my absolute favorite.

Halfway through my meal, dad comes to join me on the table.

"Yam and eggs again?" He frowns at the food in front of him, making me laugh.

My dad glares at me. "You've started  bribing those maids again, haven't you?" He accuses.

"Of course not dad. I'm just very lucky." I tell him smiling.

"Hmm sure." He goes ahead to eat his food anyway.

The next five minutes is filled with only the sounds of cutlery until dad clears his throat.

"My sister is coming back to Lagos." He says. I accidentally swallow my egg without chewing making me choke.

I rush for some water as my dad comes over to pat my back.

"Are you okay?" He asks with worry etched on his forehead.

Wheezing, I reply, "Yeah. I'm fine."

"When is she coming?" I ask after finally regaining myself.

"Today. I'm picking her from the airport this morning." He says watching my expression.

I try to maintain a straight face but obviously fail as I feel sweat break out on my forehead. My palms turn moist and my breakfast doesn't look as appetizing anymore.

"What is it?" Dad asks obviously worried.

"Nothing dad." I feign a smile. "But dad what does she want in Lagos? Isn't supposed to be in school or something?"

"Nnamdi, what is it? Why do you always get like this when I mention anything relating to your aunt?" Dad asks, addressing me by my first name.

Philips was my surname but I preferred being called just that. I doubt anyone besides Sam and Steve knew Philips was my surname. I intend for it to stay that way. Nnamdi was way too local for my liking.

"It's nothing, dad. I just don't like her." I reply with a shrug.

"Why won't you like her? Please don't give me that crap. If there's something wrong, tell me and stop acting out every single time." He was already getting annoyed and I could tell.

My mood and appetite already ruined, I carry my school bag and stand up.

"Just forget it dad. I'm already late for school." I bid him goodbye and without waiting for a response, I leave.

I get into my designated car and my driver takes off.

Thanks to the conversation with my dad, I get to school late. The assembly had just started. I run upstairs to drop my bag when my phone vibrates in my pocket.

What now?

After checking for teachers around, I pull out my phone. My dad was calling.

"Nnamdi?" He calls over the phone.

"Sir?"

"Err...Your aunt is coming over today." He says, shocking me.

"What do you mean she's coming over?" I ask exasperated. I already got to my class.

"I mean she will be staying with us for now."

"Dad-"

"Look I just wanted to let you know." He interrupts.

"No see please you know that can't happen!"

"And why not?" He yells back. I desperately wanted to tell him why. But I couldn't.

"I won't stay in the same house as that woman."

"She is your aunt not that woman and you don't have another option."

"But dad-"

"But dad nothing. I have to go now. I'd talk to you later."

"Dad wait listen to me."

"We'd talk later Nnamdi." he says, hanging up.

"Arghh." I let out in frustration as I threw my phone across the room.

How does he expect me to live with her? I can't. I just can't. Does she not have her own house? I try to let out my anger on the white board in front of me when someone clears their throat.

Startled, I turn around at once.

Oh great. It's that girl Amarachi Obi or something. At least it's not someone important.

"I- I um." She stands up looking nervous and all.

"Please don't say anything." I tell her going to the back of the class to calm myself. I don't think I'm going for the morning assembly anymore.

A thump and a loud gasp cuts through my thoughts. The girl was standing with tears in her eyes. Instinctively, I rush to her in concern.

"Hey. Are you okay?" I ask.

"My leg." She barely makes out.

"Let's go to the sickbay." I tell her. She rests herself on me as I help her to the sickbay. Her perfume hit me. Woah.

It's the exact scent as my mum's.

I feel the sudden need to spend more time with her; so she could remind me of what my mum used to smell like.

I gladly stay with her when the nurse asks me to.

And when she made me laugh, I was really grateful because she made me forget for a while what got me upset in the first place.

"How about we change that? Let's be friends." I had wanted to say but the nurse came in just then.

Well, maybe next time.