5:00pm
Somewhere in Nigeria

Yobanna

Soft music and the sweet scent of coffee greeted me once I walked into Nick's palace, it was the newest Cafe in town and my friend wouldn't let me be until I visited there. I removed my helmet from my head and rubbed my hair to make it smoother.

Nicks palace the big board inside the place spelt out, cool, I muttered to myself, nothing I haven't seen before though. Betty  butter by Mayokurn and Davido was playing from the unseen speakers, I smiled, I had to give the bastard some credits.

I took my seat at the very edge of the bar and kept my head very low, I wasn't in the mood to sign any autographs for anyone or listen to some fan girl tell me how much she loves me or stuffs like that, if this place proves to be peaceful for me then I was definitely going to be coming regularly, one it was a little closer to my school, secondly the interior was madddd.

Yes, it is, there were private booths for everyone that had about four chairs, brown leather seats and a fancy table and the orange light gave the whole cafe a dull hue and then I saw the shelf that had different kinds of book, the showcase was having all kinds of cakes that seemed to be putting me in a giddy mood and then Mayorkuns song was playing at the background, what else can I ask for?

The cafe was quiet and less crowded, at least everyone had a private booth, privacy,that word, probably not meant for me and I had my privacy only once in a while,the kind of  life I lived,it was, exhausting.

I focused on my phone, scrolling through the important messages and liking pictures of people, basically other high class models.

"Gee" I heard Nick's bubbly voice and then slowly I turned my eyes away from my phone and rested it on the tall boy who was making himself comfortable on the seat opposite mine.

Nick. Nick was a foot taller than me, my one time neighbor in the estate,dark skinned and fineee, yes Nick could be called a certified fine boy with the little stubble of beard sprouting out and his eyes that never stopped sparkling in amusement.

He was wearing a faded jeans with a colorful tee shirt.

The nigga was the perfect definition of not judging a book by the cover cos from his tattoo and tainted hair,one would think he was nothing but a spoilt rich kid, but no, Nick was hardworking as hell, trying his hand on different businesses since I knew him despite the fact that his dad had oil wells around the country.

It was annoying though,how people assumed rich kids were spoilt, how every of their success was attributed to their parents wealth,that stereotype was annoying,like really annoying

"Nick what's up?" I greeted casually keeping my phone away.

"I'm good,I see that you've finally decided to visit" His eyes gleaned.

"I can still leave if I want" I scoffed and he chuckled and I did briefly. It was just my type of humor.

"So how do you see my crib?" he asked

"Nice"

"Just nice?" his voice held disbelief

" Yes na,you want me to start showering thousands of praises on you?"

" Annoying brat" He said under his breath but I heard him.

" Is that how you treat your customers?" I asked sternly

"Oga customer,come of it jare" He chuckled and then twirled a pen I didn't know he was holding

"Are you still running the ad for me on your page, you know you are Yobanna, one advert from you and this place will blow up" He exaggerated, his hands doing the explaining alongside.

"Probably, your fee is a million and that's because I know you" I replied casually. So casually.

Nick looked at me for a while wondering if I was serious or not.

"What?" I asked him " Is a million too small or too much?" I teased and then we laughed.

Nick, the nigga understood, somehow I could be described as a stuck up dude because most people couldn't understand my joke, for goodness sake, my sense of humor can't be that bad...or maybe it was.

"I'm proud of you though" I said sincerely and looked away from his face to the painting directly facing me,I didn't know why I was just seeing it but somehow I liked it,just a painting of Davido,Nick was a mad fan,like sometimes it seemed like obsession but what could I say,just like the artist,Nick shared a similar story,a story of people not giving him a chance simply because he was from a rich home, that was my own view though,maybe Nick has other reasons.

"Awwn,baby" Nick tried to mimic a girl's voice,he stretched out his hands to cup my cheeks and I slapped it off, like really hard that he yelled.

God, Nick was mad.

"You can't even act nicely,a whole spec like me trying to touch your cheeks and you are refusing" He still had the girly voice.

I forgot that Nick was crazy.

Our booth was quiet until the music changed to Temper by Skales and Burna boy and I grinned.

"So Burna boy makes you happier than me?"He asked, a fake frown creeping up on his face.

"Guy,shut up" I snarled and he chuckled again, everything was just funny to this guy.

"But thanks man,it means a lot "

The serious Nick was back,the serious Nick that ran a Cafe at 17.

I nodded.

"I'll go do some stuffs now,was really busy but then I saw you"

" Like you'll dare leave me here without a welcome" I scoffed

" Proud bastard"He cussed and I smirked.

"Someone will come take your order soon"He was on his feet now

"Hm" I responded and he left.

No one was coming to take my orders yet but I wasn't bothered, there was a copy of No longer at ease by Chinua Achebe on the table and I picked it up and scanned the pages, I liked the smell of new books and even old books, it just did things to me that I couldn't explain.

I took out my dark shades and dropped it quietly on the desk and opened the first chapter when I heard a tiny whimper, I wanted badly to ignore it, probably someone hormonal teens making out but it came again and I saw her, no I didn't see her, of course she was there but was being dragged. From where I sat I could feel the fear oozing from her, the sadness in her voice, the expression on her face, the dread she carried. She was wearing an identical uniform with the waitresses approaching my table,I wanted badly to mind my business,to ignore the scene and then I saw who was dragging her away, Cynthia.

I stood up without thinking and followed them, right along the dim path, they dragged her into the rest room,I could hear her sobbing helplessly now and rather than feeling pity,I felt mad...

"Cynthia" I called calmly though my blood was boiling really hot,when did she become a bully too.

"Oh my God,Yobanna!"She exclaimed really excited,as though the last minute she wasn't scowling at the other girl,as though she wasn't thinking of doing something stupid. She came closer to touch me but I brushed her hands away. Roughly.

"What do you think you are doing?" I asked her,I wasn't the type to talk too much,I found it energy draining especially when it was Cynthia.

Cynthia, family friend...that was all I could say for now.

She was without doubts the prettiest chick in class,in school,in St Louis secondary school, tiny lips, melanin witch, seductive voice, curves in the right places,she was a walking temptation for boys in that school, except me .

"She's just a stupid girl,one of the low lives in St Louis,do you even know her?"She asked me,like she was expecting me to answer.

I turned my gaze to the girl,I had seen her probably in class but I never paid attention,fright was still written on her face and I wondered how long Cynthia have been bullying her, making her life miserable over nothing.

I didn't utter a word anymore,I simply grabbed the girl's hand and I was about to drag her out of the bathroom where she was pushed into when Cynthia held my wrist and I chuckled. Bitterly.

"It's girls business"

"I don't hit girls, don't be the first" I glared at her and that was enough to make her take two steps backwards,I wasn't going to hit her,I would never.

I dragged the girl by her wrist and we passed through the passage,I didn't stop until I got to my seat and I shoved her on her seat. I was too tired and angry to be a gentleman.

One minute

Two minutes

Three minutes

The silence was deafening even with 7 rings by Arinna playing at the background. Her head was bent low.

"Thank you" She finally said in a frail voice,tired even.

I observed her keenly, she was really slim,I wouldn't compare her to Cynthia's melanin because the girl before me was brown like caramel toffee,she reminded me of the sand of the Sahara desert, only in this situation her skin was not rough. She had the laziest eyes I have ever seen, like she was tired of opening her eyes or she just wanted to sleep and then her small lips that looked like a pale color pink. Her hair was tied in a ribbon. Unlike other girls that attended St Louis,this one looked different,there was no elegance to her,no ego that was found among them. I wouldn't say she was ugly, but her beauty was not the type that glared at one right in the face.

It was slow and intoxicating. The type you found something more fascinating each time you looked.

I ignored her and brought out my phone, I had a text from Paris, I had a phoot shoot in the next one hour.

"Stop creeping me out with your looks!" I raised my head and caught her gaze, brown orbs, weak ones,tired and for once it seemed as though I could see through them.

I exhaled softly,I was probably scaring her the more. I wasn't the nicest guy but I wasn't bad, entirely bad.

"You should learn how to stand up for yourself sometimes too. You shouldn't allow people trample on you for whatever reason, bullies are insecure"

I paused,I couldn't believe I was calling Cynthia insecure, that girl that had everything and everyone drooling over her, she didn't look it,but what did I know and then here I was giving someone some motivational speech, totally unlike me.

"You attend St Louis right?" I asked trying to warm up a little bit.

She nodded.

"You are Yobanna,the popular teen model" She suddenly said.

She just had to add popular teen model.

"So my pep talk wasn't important?" I asked, a little friendliness in my tone, I wouldn't want to scare her.

She smiled, warmly and it disappeared as soon as it came.

"Thank you for the talk then,you should be a motivational speaker"

Warris this one saying

" I'll have a cup of Expresso"I told her and she nodded,stood up and left.

My attention was drawn back to my phone, I had promised Nick that I would give his place the popularity he wanted.

I took a selfie and tagged the location,and boom went the likes and the comments rolling in

Killer vibes
E choke💅

Jenny Frank
Yobanna be killing us with his hotness, what manner of sorcery is this💞

Jemina Taka
Wahala for who no fine?☺️😘

Jaja princess
This place be giving me chills, definitely visiting🤩📌

Your girlfriend's crush
Boss cut soap for us

Kiki Are
My baby

Surez_the_baller
For your sure odds,call 084579367

Kaka_the man
I'm an upcoming model, please like my picture so I can be like Yobanna

Don Baba
This guy will soon snatch our babes

Sexy Chinny
I'm not sure this guy is human,how can he be so fine?😩💓

I smiled at some of the comments,I wasn't surprised that in 10 minutes, my phone was blowing with notifications,5k likes and 1k comments,i was used to it, like it was a way of life now.

I replied the comments of Shade Onam, Yure,Sophia and some other celebrities,funny enough this people didn't usually drop long epistles as comments,just emojis and sometimes a few words and that was all,I  logged out, Paris would definitely kill me if I arrived late. My expesso came just in time and my eyes fell on the breast pocket of the girl.... Selena M. Donald.

"Thank you" I  muttered.

I stood up and went to my power bike that was parked just outside the glass building. Hope you can handle the crowd Nick?

I adjusted my helmet and zoomed off, leaving behind a trail of dust as I sped.

****

Selena

It was 8pm when I finally arrived the subway and  boarded the last train going to the slums where I lived, where  according to Cynthia was my rightful place. I knew I didn't belong in St Louis,I knew it deeply that I could never be as elegant as they were, beautiful and sophisticated. The only reason why I could breathe the same air as they did was because somehow I had emerged first place in a quiz and my prize was free education in that hell hole. The school was excellent but the students,I wouldn't want to explain, I wonder why I was given the name Selena, endurance would have been better cos all my life I've had to endure pain, teasing, suffering, bullying..... Bullying.

My mind went back to the cafe,how I was saved,it was pretty useless anyway, Cynthia found it a habit to pick on me and he was probably never coming back so I wasn't happy, maybe he should have minded his business.

There was hardly anyone who didn't know him in school, popular teen model, that was the word the newspaper used for him always, he was in my class,10seats away from me,he probably didn't know me and I couldn't blame him,one he was rarely in school and two I was an outcast so....

The train stopped in it's tracks and that was my cue to get down to another hell hole. Agai was a hell hole on it's own, deadly ghetto that reminded me of black neighborhood in America but this one was worse,I was sure of it,I was formerly listening to some Wizkid song on my old Techno C-2 phone but I had to tuck it in except I wanted to be phone less.

Anyway,there was another hell inside this hell and that was my step mum.

"Why are you back this late?" She asked once I closed the door behind me. Our house,no I wouldn't call it that,our crib was really small as though it was meant for dwarfs, there was hardly any space and it was always stuffy. There was about three rooms,one for my step mum,one for my step sister and the last for my step brother and oh well,I made do with the store,the tiny store.

I was about to explain but she cut me short,her eyes were fixed on the television watching some sappy Mexico soap operas.

"Just get out. Make sure you wash all the plates in the sink and mop my kitchen"

I nodded. At least she was not beating me,thank God for the television.

I went to the kitchen and met the plates and I sighed,how I became a servant in my dad's house,sorry,crib was what I didn't understand. Dad was dead,mum,well ...

I felt his hands on my buttocks and I exhaled, disgusted at the fool. I turned around to see his smirking face,the devil spewn of a step brother, smirking,daring me to talk,to shout,it was a lost cause and so I endured,I focused on my plates, trying to catch my breath and stop the tears. But no,it didn't stop,I couldn't help it,I heard his footsteps disappearing and then I collapsed on the floor and cried, wondering if one,maybe one day I'll have a cause to smile but for now the heap of plates was staring right back at me.

***
Who likes my first chapter?🙈🙈
Can you spot your favourite character from other books
What do you think of Yobanna,I think I'm in love with him😭💛

And Selena 😫😭

Omo we haven't started this book yet and I'm in love,wahala oh😂😂 and I'm so emotional 😔

This is a Nigerian book and I'm giving you what you can relate it,e choke abi😂