#JUST_BEST_FRIENDS

Author: Sam Freddy

CHAPTER 11: THE WARNING.

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After alighting from a yellow 'danfo' bus, Jordan and Isioma entered their school's main gate and walked all the way to the Sports Center to rest for a while. They went into a small, enclosed court where they both had a perfect view of the ongoing game of basketball.

Funnily enough, they'd barely started discussing when a yogurt seller passed by with his fancy cart.

Quickly, Isioma went to meet the man and bought some snacks for herself and Jordan. Then, she returned to her seat and handed Jordan's snack to him with utmost care.

"Whoa. Thank you, buddy." Jordan offered Isioma a nice smile in appreciation. "Very much!"

Isioma smiled back even nicer. "You're welcome, JD."

"Yeah. So, what do we talk about?" Jordan inquired, opening his inviting snack in haste. "'Cause I really suck at starting conversations."

Isioma chuckled, crossing her legs. "Yeah, I figured. But, um, has anyone ever told you you look like Chris Brown, JD?"

"What?" Jordan almost choked on the first sip of his yogurt. "Me? No way!"

"Yes way!" Isioma argued, cocking her head jauntily. "The only difference between you both is the height. And maybe, um, the cheekbones, too." She chuckled again. "Plus, um, the nose. Your nose isn't that straight like Breezy's. What a bummer."

Jordan scoffed. "Indeed."

Isioma took a bite out of her sausage roll, sipped from her cup of yogurt, swallowed, and then said, "So, um, kidding aside, there's something bothering me, JD."

Jordan's nose twitched as he asked, "For real? What could it be?"

"It's about Yomi and Candice." Isioma sighed. "You know they are in a relationship, right?"

"Yup. Sure."

"Okay, that's good." Isioma had a serious look on her face as she spoke. "Pay attention to what I'm about to tell you, okay?"

Jordan nodded.

"All right. So, four days ago, Candice and I quarreled over her fake love for Yomi." Isioma explained calmly. "That night, she'd just returned from her outing with him, and she brought a lot of good stuff back home. Out of excitement, Candice narrated almost everything that happened between she and Yomi to us, her roommates. Then, after listening to her story, I playfully asked her just one question, which was: "Candice, do you love Yomi?"" Isioma inhaled deeply. "Guess what she told me."

"What'd she say?"

Isioma exhaled softly. "She said, in quote, "Yes, I do. Only for his money, though.""

"What?" Jordan frowned. "Did she really say that?"

"Yes, she did. I swear to God."

Jordan's frown thickened as he shook his head in shock. "Damn. I find this so hard to believe."

"Same here. I can totally relate." Isioma said, shaking her head too. "How you feel now was the same way I felt when I first heard those words from Candice's mouth. At first, I thought it was just a joke until I questioned her further and realized she wasn't kidding. I swear I was dumbstruck for a moment. I couldn't believe my ears at all, Jordan. Can you imagine such wickedness?"

Jordan didn't even know what to say to that. He just sat still, staring at Isioma's face without blinking his eyes at all.

"The problem now is that-" Isioma continued, "-I don't know if I should inform Yomi about it or just mind my business." She sneezed, blinked twice, then looked Jordan deep in the eyes. "I really need your advice, JD. What should I do?"

Jordan cocked his head to the side, thinking.

Isioma realized that he was actually lost in thought when she saw him squinting his eyes after about ten seconds. For about ten more seconds, both parties sat still, looking at each other in profound silence.

Finally, Jordan spoke, saying, "You know, I think you should apply a little bit of diplomacy in this case."

Isioma arched an eyebrow, uncrossing her legs. "I don't get it. What exactly do you mean?"

"What I mean is that Yomi deserves to know about it, but not through you. Instead of you going to tell him directly, tell it to someone he trusts," Jordan advised wisely. "Someone he's very tight with."

Isioma took another bite out of her sausage roll. "Hmm... sounds like a nice idea. But, um, who would that someone be?"

Jordan shrugged a shoulder. "Isabelle, of course."

"Hmm..." Isioma chewed, nodding her head. "Nice plan."

"Yeah. Lest I forget, when that time comes, tell Isabelle to make sure that she has concrete evidence to back up her accusation." Jordan added sharply. "A very legit proof, if you know what I mean."

Isioma nodded with relief. "Yes, I understand. Thank you so much, JD. You've been more than helpful to me."

"You are welcome, Isioma." Jordan's eyes glinted as he smiled and added, "Always."

__________

12:23 PM.

Standing before Yomi's huge marble door, Idara knocked on the door for the umpteenth time without getting any response from anybody inside. She'd been standing there for over five minutes, knocking and calling Yomi's name in vain.

On a very good day, Idara would've left a person's doorstep if she sensed that they weren't at home, but the fact that Yomi's generator was on and his windows were open assured Idara that he was around.

Why he was taking so much time to open the door for her was what she didn't quite understand, though.

Frustrated, Idara left Yomi's doorstep to peep into his windows, but she saw no one at all inside. His television was on and his iPhone and someone else's smartphone were both charging on the floor.

Seeing Yomi's phone right there broke Idara's spirit badly.

'How am I going to contact him now?' She seriously wondered. 'I would've asked one of his neighbors for his whereabouts but none of them are around either. They're probably still at their various worship centers. Oh, sweet Jesus. Where on Earth is my Yomi? I hope he's all right, Dear Lord.'

All of a sudden, Idara heard a loud sound that came from the main gate of the compound, as if somebody opened it from outside, and she quickly turned around to see who it was.

Lo and behold, it was none other than Yomi and his gorgeous girlfriend, Candice. They both held black polythene bags in their hands as they sauntered towards Idara.

The fact that Candice was with Yomi came as a big shock to Idara, but what was even more shocking was that she was wearing Yomi's baggy shirt and shorts and his favorite cap and flip-flops too. Idara was absolutely beyond stunned on the spot. She blinked thrice to wake up from her nightmare, but no, she was, indeed, in reality.

"Jeez!" Yomi exclaimed the moment he and Candice stood before Idara. "What the heck are you doing here, mumu?"

Candice chuckled at Yomi's ridiculous question. "Haba. How rude! Where are your manners, darlin'? You should've greeted her first nau." She hit Yomi's upper arm with her elbow, then smiled at Idara. "Don't mind this gorilla jare, hanty Dara. Good afternoon."

Idara forced a smile back at Candice. "Good afternoon, Candy. How you doin'?"

"Good, and you?"

"Great. Thanks for asking." Idara was actually trying her best to stay cool despite feeling uncomfortable speaking with Candice. "Where did you both go to, if I may ask?"

"Oh, yeah. Um, just the nearby supermarket, fam." Candice replied, raising a bag for emphasis. "As you can see, we went shoppin' for foodstuff. Gotta cook somethin' to eat, ya know."

Inwardly, Idara cringed at Candice's response. 'What's with this albino chick and her sudden negro accent?' She thought to herself. 'Is she trying to impress me or something?'

"Oh, I see." Idara said with a nod. "Cool."

"Yeah. So, i'mma just go inside now to get started." Candice removed Yomi's keys from the pocket of the loose shirt she had on, then she breezed past Idara after saying, "Y'all know where to find me if y'all need me. Peace out, homies."

Immediately Candice went into the house and shut the door behind her, Idara heaved a sigh of relief. "Whew! Your girlfriend is so weird."

"I know, right? It's one of the reasons why I love her to the moon and back." Yomi shrugged. "She's very unique, that one."

Unknown to Yomi, his mouth was an AK-47, and those words he just spewed forth were the bullets that tore through Idara's emotions without remorse. He'd hurt her without his very own awareness, and that, in fact, aggravated her pain.

In fact, Idara knew that she wasn't supposed to have deep feelings for Yomi, but what could she do about it? She never planned for this to happen. Her fragile heart chose him and him alone, and it yearned for him day after day, but there was nothing she could really do about it anymore.

At this point, however, Idara had to acknowledge the fact that Yomi was already taken and very happy in his new relationship. She just had to learn to let go, no matter what.

"Anyway," Yomi continued, bringing Idara back to reality, "you are yet to answer my previous question, miss."

Idara swallowed hard. "Sorry, what was it?"

"I said, what the heck are you doing here, mumu?" Yomi reiterated. "Huh?"

Idara hissed. "I came to check up on you, olodo. Jordan and I have called you times without number, all to no avail. All the times we tried, your number was either unreachable or switched off. You really scared the crap out of us, dumbo. I can't believe you actually snubbed our calls because of a girl." Idara shook her head, disappointed. "Wow, Yomi. Just wow!"

"What the-" Yomi burst out laughing, wagging his head in amazement. "Idara, don't jump into conclusion, abeg. I know what you're thinking, but believe me, Candice never spent the night here. She came just this morning, for real."

Idara crossed her arms over her chest, widening her stance. "This morning, indeed. Pathetic liar."

"I am serious, Dara. If you don't believe me, you're free to go in there and ask her yourself."

"Whatever. That's not the point." Idara rolled her eyes. "The point is, why exactly did you shun our calls, Yomee?"

"Correction: I never shunned anybody's calls. Last night, I personally put my phone on silent mode because I was stressed out and needed to rest big time. Somehow, I woke up this morning to find my phone on airplane mode. I don't know who did it, but my best guess is Jonathan." Yomi explained amid giggles. "I mean, although I haven't asked anyone yet, I got a feeling that Jonathan was the one who tampered with my phone, since he crashed here throughout the night. I wouldn't be surprised if he admits it when he comes back from church."

Idara smirked. "Now, everything makes sense. But when you saw my missed calls, why didn't you call me back?"

"Trust me, I was going to do just that when I got back home from the supermarket, but then I stepped into the compound and saw you standing right in front of my crib." Yomi's giggle turned into full-blown laughter. "Chai, this is hilarious!"

Chuckling, Idara punched Yomi's right arm as hard as she could. "Big head, it's not funny jor. You almost gave me a high BP last night. Don't do that to me again, please."

Gradually, Yomi's laughter died down. "I totally understand, Dara. And I'm very sorry," he apologized, ignoring the pain in his right arm. "Forgive me."

"It's all right." Idara removed her scarf and hairband, flipping her hair with style. "We are cool, man."

"That's wassup." Yomi breathed with delight. "C'mon, let's go inside, ma'am. I'm starving."

"So am I."

Immediately Yomi and Idara entered Yomi's house, Idara noticed that Yomi's bedsheet was messy and that there was a faint, foul odour in the air. It smelled like two people's bodily fluids, or something else which she couldn't exactly point out. Idara wasn't really sure what the odour was, but whatever it was definitely wasn't pleasant at all.

Scrunching her nose in disgust, Idara sighted Candice's clothes, shoes, and handbag on Yomi's couch. She almost threw up when she spotted Candice's panty lying on top of the couch's headrest.

"Gosh!" Idara spat out the window, and then frowned at Yomi. "Why on Earth is your room so messed up? What really happened here?"

"I don't know." Yomi shrugged, dropping the polythene bags on his desk. "Don't ask me."

"Really? Who should I ask, then?"

Yomi made a funny face, pointing a finger at his small kitchen. "The answer you seek lies within those walls, miss."

"Seriously, Yomee?" Idara whispered, keeping her purse, scarf and hairband on the desk, as well. "You actually expect me to ask Candice about what went down in here, huh?"

"Pretty much so."

"And if I refuse?"

"You can't."

"Says who?"

"Says I."

Before Idara could even protest further, Yomi scooped her into his arms and started carrying her toward his kitchen. Despite Idara's screams and pleas for Yomi to drop her down, he didn't stop moving until he'd gotten into the kitchen where Candice was, and then he finally granted Idara's request by setting her down on his tall kitchen stool.

Grimacing, Candice stopped what she was doing and turned around to face them. "For God's sake, what the heck is wrong with y'all? I just heard someone screamin' out loud. What's goin' on?"

"Darling, chill." Yomi said, placing his hand against the wall for support. "Idara and I were just goofing around. She's got something to ask you."

"No, I don't." Idara fired, getting off the stool. "Don't listen to him. He's lying."

Yomi held back a laugh. "You know I'd never lie to you, Candy." He said sweetly, winking at Candice. "She actually wants to ask you something."

Idara offered Yomi an icy glare. "Yomee, stop this rough play na. It's not cool, for real."

Candice stood there speechlessly, watching Yomi and Idara in confusion. She truly had no idea what was going on between them, but she was quite curious about it.

"You know what?" Yomi straightened his face. "I'll leave you girls to figure it out while I head off to get some more fuel from the nearby gas station. Take care, ladies."

With that, Yomi left the kitchen and closed the door behind him. When she was sure that he was really gone, Candice eyed Idara menacingly before hissing at her with contempt.

Surprised, Idara asked, "Candice, did you just hiss at me?"

"Yes." Candice admitted, hissing again. "That's another one. Come and beat me nau."

Idara cringed at that. "I don't understand you. What is wrong with you?"

"You are!"

Idara was even more surprised at Candice's reply. "Me? How? What'd I do? Do you have a problem with me?"

"Heck, yes. I freakin' do!" Candice spat, grabbing a knife from the kitchen sink. "Do I look blind to you, Idara?" She pointed the knife at Idara in a predatory fashion. "Huh? Do I look stupid to you?"

Idara's heart literally skipped ten thousand beats due to the weapon in Candice's hand. "Candice, I don't know what you are talking about," she said, too afraid to move. "I swear."

"What the eff do you mean by you don't know what I'm talkin' 'bout?" Candice groaned, advancing toward Idara. "I'm talkin' 'bout the way you always stare at Yomi whenever you're around him. Do you think I haven't noticed it all? The way you act in his presence is very suspicious, and I don't like it."

"But there's nothing going on between us."

"For now, maybe." Candice stood before Idara, glaring at her with deadly emerald green eyes. "What exactly is your plan, Idara?"

Idara swallowed. "My plan?"

"Yes, your plan." Candice widened her eyes evilly. "I know you're plannin' somethin' against Yomi and I. What is it?"

Idara felt her hands trembling as Candice pressed the tip of the knife against her waist. "I am not planning anything against anyone, Candice. God bears me witness."

"Leave God out of this!" Candice snarled, stepping back. "This is between you and me. Do not aggravate my anger."

Idara sighed with relief when Candice stood at least five feet away from her. "Okay. I'm sorry."

"Sorry for yourself." Candice snapped at Idara, looking her up and down as if Idara was a hideous alien from space. "All I'll tell you is to be careful with Yomi, Idara. And, avoid crossing me at all costs. Like they say, a word is enough for the wise."

"Are you threatening me?"

"It's not a threat." Candice spat with disdain. "It's a warning! Steer clear of my guy if you know what's best for you, Idara. I swear down, next time I catch you ogling him the way you always do, it won't end well for you at all. Mark my words!"

Please don't forget to VOTE and comment on this chapter and the previous ones too, abeg! It's really important, I'm begging y'all. It's the only way you can support my growth on this story. 😔🙏🏽