Weeks after they all found out about Mimi's story, her mother had almost run amok when she read it, and Fara had cried for days, Lola and Lara had kept on raining curses on the dead. Surprisingly no one talked about her killing her dad infact they all complimented her even her mother and now Mimi could say she had a settled mind.

Everyone had been extra caring to her and she did love the attention, her therapy session had been going well and the therapist already told her she was improving rapidly. She didn't have the bad nightmares, sleepless nights or screams again but rather a peaceful sleep, turns out all she needed was to let it out and see a therapist.

Gradually, everything was becoming a past history to her and she was burying them. She could even make sounds now who knows maybe at the end of it all, she would gain her voice back, her prayer now was for the miracle to just happen.

After the investigation, Alex had been found to be the culprit, he was convicted and sent to a remand home before he eventually serves his term in the jail so far he was still a minor but then he had to be transferred to a mental hospital after they realized he wasn't stable mentally.

"Finally, we've ended our exams," Dera screamed and the whole class glanced at her.

"Yes oo," Tife said in ecstasy.

"And we are finally going to SS3, God, I just can't wait to graduate from this school," Dera uttered.

"You're not the only one," Tife added and Dera nodded.

"Let's go and get something to eat, we should celebrate the end of SS2," Dera rose to her feet while Tife and Mimi chuckled at this.

They trooped out of the class and headed to the cafeteria, it wasn't really full so far some classes still had exams going on at that time.

"Let me order Jollof rice for us," Dera said.

"And Fried rice too," Tife told her and Dera smiled before walking away.

"Let's go and sit over there," Tife pointed at the corner and Mimi nodded. Some students were on their usual spots and Tife didn't want to send them away even though they were Juniors, raising her voice and causing a scene wouldn't do her any good.

She pulled out a chair for Mimi who smiled in appreciation, they conversed a little while awaiting the arrival of Dera.

Mimi's eyes went to the entrance and she saw Christian stroll in, in his usual charismatic manner with Michael and Laiq, he winked at her and she smiled in return. Lately, they'd gotten so close that she always spent a lot of time with him at home, she do enjoy his company as he was always telling her about himself, she'd grown accustomed to him, she also enjoyed Cherry's company as she sometimes joined in their conversation unlike Christy who only glared or hiss at her, not like she cared though.

"Hmm, I saw you oo," Tife teased as she poked Mimi's side and Mimi laughed.

"Saw who oo?" Dera queried as she dropped the tray that contained their meal on the table, this time she didn't allow any waiter to bring the food like they'd always done.

"Wait, you brought the food yourself?" Tife asked with surprise written all over her face.

"Yeah," Dera nodded as she placed each person's food in their front.

"Why?"

Dera queried, "No reason, I just felt like doing it."

Tife nodded, "Hmm, I didn't know you could be so thoughtful."

"I'm not like you who is just thoughtless," Dera retorted and Mimi chuckled as she picked her spoon ready to devour the meal.

Tife chuckled before taking a sip from the orange juice Dera had bought. One thing she could never forget about Maple was their food, they make great and sumptuous meal and they didn't have to pay any ridiculous amount to buy lunch, it was already a part of their school fees.

"Ehn, lest I forget, you said you saw me oo," Dera said before picking up her spoon while Mimi and Tife laughed simultaneously.

"I wasn't referring to you," Tife finally said after laughing for what felt like forever.

"Then who?" She chewed on her food and sipped her grape juice, while she ordered grape juice for herself, she ordered orange juice for Tife being her favorite and watermelon drink for Mimi.

"Mimi," Tife replied succinctly as she cut a small piece of the big chunk of meat.

Dera furrowed her brows, "Mimi ke? She was right beside you and you said I saw you to her, are you normal at all?"

"No, you aren't," Tife replied and Mimi who was focused on her meal chuckled.

Dera eyed Tife before continuing her food.

"Let me tell you before you choke on your meal," Tife jested and Dera rolled her eyes.

"Why would I choke on my meal?"

Tife shrugged, "Who knows? Anyway, I was only teasing Mimi because I saw her exchange some suspicious looks with Christian."

Mimi's eyes widened.

"Suspicious look ke? What kind of look is that one? Abi they're planning to do something behind us."

"Something they're already doing behind us," Tife said and Mimi eyed her.

Dera dropped her spoon prepared to listen, "So, what's the thing they're doing behind us oo?" She pursed her lips and Tife dropped her spoon.

"They're liking each other behind us."

Dera felt like slapping Tife that instant, here she was thinking it was something important.

"So, you expect them to like each other in front of us abi?" Dera snickered and Tife eyed her warily.

"You're stupid."

"It's obvious you're the stupid one here," Dera retorted and Mimi shook her head at their display, her eyes met with Christian and she felt her stomach churn, not only has she been enjoying his company lately, she also felt some strange feelings towards him, one she didn't understand and couldn't explain.

"Ehnn, Lola hasn't been bugging Christian again," Tife started and that caught Mimi's attention, she'd also realized it, Lola didn't talk about him again unlike before when all she did was talk about him with Fara.

"That's true oo," Dera said as she looked around the cafeteria for any glimpse of her.

"Christian already told her he doesn't like her," Tife said and Dera nodded.

"Yeah, he told her several times but she didn't budge, this time that she decided to let go of her feelings is because she likes Michael now."

Mimi's eyes widened as she glanced at Michael who was typing on his phone and eating at the same time.

"Hmm, Tife how did you know that one? Oga oo," Dera jested.

"I have my sources you know," Tife claimed as she picked up her spoon, she'd almost forgotten she was eating.

"Hmm, madam sourcer, it's a good thing you're going for journalism."

Tife grinned, "I know what I want and what fits me."

Dera nodded in a mocking way.

*************

"I like you," he blurted out and she blinked her eyes twice to be sure she wasn't hearing things.

"Me?" Mimi questioned and he nodded. Yeah, she was able to speak now, it just happened few days back when Fara and Lola were gisting her about her new found crush and how they would miss them so far the school had just vacated for the long break. She couldn't possibly forget how happy they'd been that day.

She remembered Christian's expression when she'd replied his question that day, he'd swept her off her feet and spun her around. She chuckled as she remembered that scene before remembering she was actually discussing something with him. She noticed him raise a brow at her and she smiled.

"Aren't you going to say something?" He queried and she glanced at him before looking at the water and finding interest in her legs playing in the water. The swimming pool had somehow been the location of their usual hangout.

"Mimi, you aren't talking?" He made known to her and she looked up at him.

"You know I'm a murderer right?" The question caught him off guard and he scrunched his brows.

"You're not a murderer," he corrected and she chuckled.

"You saying that till next year doesn't erase the fact that I killed my father," she said and he wondered what she was driving at.

"He isn't your father, if he is, he wouldn't make you go through hell," he corrected and she chuckled.

"Nothing you say can stop him from being the one who donated the sperm that formed me," she countered and he nodded.

"So, how does that concern this?" He questioned and she chuckled.

"You know I'm not pure right?"

He creased his brows, "What do you mean by that?"

"I'm not pure or clean, I'm not a Virgin, my dad disvirgined me and he had his ways with me countless times," she continued and he cringed at her use of words.

"Yeah, it's something I know, why are you saying it now?" He asked with confusion laced in his tone.

Mimi smiled, "And you still like me?"

He nodded, "Of course, why won't I like you? To me, you're still pure and innocent, everything that happened wasn't your fault, so, why won't I be head over heels for you?"

Mimi blushed at his words and she looked away instantly so he won't see it. She was light-skinned so blushing was visible on her face.

"Awwn, she's blushing," He teased as he turned her head back to look at him.

"I'm not blushing," Mimi insisted and he chuckled.

"Tell that to your cheeks."

Mimi rolled her eyes before turning back to the water, they stayed in silence for some minutes before he finally broke the ice.

"So, Mimi, will you be my girlfriend?"

She looked away from the water and turned to look at him, staring intensely at him for some seconds, she nodded.

"Talk," Christian insisted.

"Yes," she bobbed her head and he enveloped her in a hug that instant. Withdrawing from the hug, he looked straight into her eyes and she grinned at him. She couldn't be more than she was now.

"Hmm, hmm," someone cleared their throat behind them and the duo quickly disentangled and turned back only to meet Lisha peering at them.

"God," Christian groaned, he knew his mom would surely tease him about it, she always gained pleasure in reading him.

"Sorry oo, I hope I didn't interrupt anything sha?" She teased and Mimi quickly focused her attention on the water.

"Mummy you didn't interrupt anything," He replied in a convincing manner.

Lisha lifted her brows, "Really? What I just witnessed here didn't look like nothing oo."

Gosh, Christian wanted to jump into the pool.

"Mummy, just go back to your room."

"You're ordering me around in my own house."

Christian shook his head, "No, mum, it's just that…."

"I'm interrupting you, hmmm, sha be careful ooo," she teased and Christian bobbed his head.

"I will," he assured and she flashed him a smile before walking away. It wasn't until Lisha left did Mimi look away from the water.

"You're very close to your mom right?"

Christian nodded, "Yeah, actually we are all close but you see my mother, she's a case on her own."

Mimi bobbed her head, "Yeah, I know."

"I wonder how my dad put up with her for all these years, I really envy their love and wish for one better than theirs," he said and Mimi smiled.

"You know sometimes I do wonder if they don't have any disagreement at all because they never fight in front of us, it wasn't until later that we realized they do have misunderstandings but always cleared it up before sleeping," he explained and Mimi nodded.

"That's really nice."

"Yeah, it is, my prayer is to have a better love."

"You would surely have," Mimi assured and he smiled.

*************

"You don't mean it?" Dera shouted over the phone and Mimi shook her head as she watched her jump to her feet. She was currently having a video call with her friends and had just announced to them that she and Christian were now a couple.

Mimi could remember the shocked expression the look on Fara, Lola and Lara's face when she told them. They'd screamed just like Dera and she still wondered why it amused them.

"Really? I need to call Christian, that guy is a betrayer," Tife joked and they all laughed.

"Hmm, so, now he isn't travelling anywhere which means you're going to spend the holiday together, hmm, I go love oo," Dera teased and Mimi smiled widely.

"Ah, see the way she's already blushing, wahala for we that don't have boyfriend oo," Tife said in a jocular tone.

"Which one is we? You say wahala for me that have no boyfriend oo," Dera countered and Tife rolled her eyes.

"So, how have you guys been oo?" Mimi inquired.

"Fine," they both chorused.

"It's obvious, UK is really working well on Tife oo and you Dera keep enjoying the States with your boyfriend she don't come back home with belle," she joked and the duo burst into laughter.

"You're the one I'm supposed to tell that, you know it's still going to be shacking the two of you," she jested and Mimi laughed.

"You're not okay at all."

"I'm telling you so, you'll be careful nii oo, my words will always ring in your ears when you want to do it."

"Ah, Dera, you're a big time pervert," Tife uttered and Dera rolled her eyes.

"Abeg, hmm, I can't wait for us to resume school, I should na start watching your love," Dera said and Mimi chuckled.

"We look like TV or reality show?"

"Whatever," Dera waved her hands.

They talked more for some minutes before hanging up, Mimi smiled as she remembered their talk. She wondered how SS3 life would be but one thing she was certain about was that they would enjoy it.

THE END

And yeah, I'm a Naniwrimo winner.
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