Mansion

Yobanna

Early morning sunshine,alarm beeps, rustling of leaves...

I woke up. Tired, exhausted. I took a swipe around the room and noticed everything was in place, the cold air from the AC biting into my skin.

I rolled on my bed and groaned for a while.

Exhausted,that was the right word.

I turned on my phone and the light shone on my face for a while.

I was used to be on blogs, tabloids, trending but this one, this one was different and it made me sick. It had been 3 days already, three days after the dinner party, three days since I went to school, three days of not seeing my parents, I always locked myself up and made the maids bring up my food.

I had turned my data on the first day and the notifications were enough to make my phone hang, in fact my phone was practically hanging. My followers had skyrocketed to additional 10 thousand people. The blogs weren't helping matters, headlines, twisted stories, YouTube channels holding interviews trying to dissect the situation, DMS, text messages majorly from my friends, a couple of calls, my life was practically a mess.

I stood up from my bed and stood at the window trying to coordinate my thoughts, I was mentally exhausted.

I strolled back to the bed and picked up a phone and tried to listen to some songs, I didn't know why I wasn't in school, i just made a wrong move, brands liked this kind of publicty and there was sure loads of messages from them.

I thought of Selena. I rubbed my palms and cussed the wrong move I took.

I never thought about her, we weren't close friends and yet I went ahead to kiss her. After kissing her at the event, I had walked out.

There was a force,a force to do something stupid and I had gone ahead,what exactly made me different from my dad? I didn't even give her a chance to think,a  chance to, she must hate me,she must.... And somehow I found myself panicking, thinking, worried..

How was she faring? I wondered. I was having a miserable time,only God knows how it was like for her. Probably worse and that made me feel terrible.

I fell on my bed in frustration and somehow my mind went to that night,the kiss and then I  rubbed my hands over my lips

Her lips were soft I had to admit, I only did it to spite my father but now, I realized that she really had soft lips, the kind that melted under ones kiss. I hadn't kissed a lot of girls in my life though but her lips were mad.

My phone rang,Mayokurn literally singing Body in my room because that was my ringing tune and then I saw it was Precious,I hesitated for a while and then I picked.

"Finally he picked" He sassesd and I hissed.

"I had to switch it off so I would breath" I replied

" I understand,some headlines are just funny, especially that Opera mini,those people and useless captions"

"Guy I tire" I replied and sat on the stool opposite my mirror, looking at my rough hair and sleep laden eyes,the eye bags,this wasn't me,I was going to have an hair cut as soon as possible.

I was brought out of my thoughts when Precious yelled my name,his thick voice piercing through my brain.

"Guyyyy, don't you want to resume" He asked

"Tomorrow and can you stop shouting abeg" I seethed in frustration. Precious had the tendency to be annoying,very annoying.

"The deed has been done na, you don't have to run anymore"

" I wasn't running"

" Never knew you could kiss o, thought you didn't like girls"Precious mocked,I noticed the teasing in his voice

"At least I don't have crush on people's girlfriends" I fired back

" Relationship can always end" Was his curt reply

" Mumu. Continue dreaming"I mocked him more and wished that Ken was here to back me better. Suddenly I felt better mocking him.

" Whatever you say, better come here and give us the real gist"

"Amebo" I mocked and he laughed.

Precious was like a ray of sunshine most times. A lot of energy and vibes,it was hard not to like him,it was really hard.

"Take your bath Yobanna,you stink from here"

" Guy you dey mad"I insulted and he cut the call. I haven't had my bath anyways,I stripped off my clothes and went into the bathroom,turned on Porchse by Mayokurn,had a hot shower  turned on.

I let the hot water touch my back first, helping me relax and reflect better

Tomorrow,I was going to go to school, tomorrow I must.

More splashes.

***

The next day I went to St Louis.

It seemed like three months though. I was used to the looks,the stares and attention but this one was worse, their expression was a mixture of disbelief and surprise,like they couldn't stop staring at me. I ignored them like I always did.

The looks of admiration,the looks of envy,all kinds of look thrown at me,Precious was right,I was a problem to people's relationship.

I managed to successfully pass through the busy passage that has seemed to go quiet. The movie type of quiet.

I finally went into the class and she was there,her head bent over the book, bookish much. If she noticed my presence beside her,she didn't say or show because she was totally fixed on the book.

I dropped my bag inside my locker and yet she didn't budge and then I looked at her,I figured how much she was trying hard to read a particular line and then it dawned on me,she was ignoring me,she was mad at me and that unsettled me.

I sat down slowly, my earpods still fixed to my ears, somehow I've had Temper by Skales and Burna boy on repeat but I wanted to talk to her,I wanted her to turn around but she still ignored me.

Talk to me!,I wanted to scream at her and then I scanned her throughly,how different she looked from the previous night, how her wig had been flowing,how her long legs were in full display, how....I stopped my thoughts from wandering and then I sat down.

I wanted to take my eyes off and then I noticed the welts of probably a belt around her wrist. She was still reading her book,more seriously than ever.

I was about to say something when our mathematics teacher walked in,we were definitely going to talk and I was going to make sure of that.

***

She took permission from the teacher and left,it was the third period.
I didn't see her again and when the bell rang for break,I was among the first to arrive the cafeteria but no one in sight. She was no where around there.

Where could she be?

There was only one place my mind told me,the library and then I moved towards there ignoring the stares from people. St Louis students were becoming creepy.

I stepped into the library and it was so easy to see her close to the window where she sat with a sad face on,was she sad because of me?

"Yobanna" Cynthia suddenly stood in front of me. It was the first time I was seeing her since three days.

"We need to talk please"

She really had guts you know,like she planned with her parents and mine and she thinks she can demand to talk to me whenever she wanted.

"I don't talk to people who betray me" I replied her,I was sure my piercing eyes made she shiver a bit but she didn't move away.

"Yobanna you don't understand"

"I don't have too,I don't want too." I was cold i know,I didn't want to listen.

Cynthia looked close to tears that moment and as much as I wanted to console her,I already had too much on my plate.

I walked to where she was sitting, Selena, but she wasn't alone now,her sad face replaced with a smile. It was him,the football guy.

Sitting at the window made the light reflect better on her face,she looked beautiful as she smiled,every trace of sadness gone.

I turned around and left.

***
Selena

Staying on the same seat with him was suffocating, tiring even and so I had to leave.

I tried reading the book before me but my mind was clouded with thoughts of what happened on the dinner night

The blinding light,the kiss, the kiss. I paused and thought about it. It was my first kiss,I didn't kiss him back cos I was shocked. He stole my first kiss.

But I was mad at him for several more reasons, firstly my step mum lashed me. She called me all sorts of name like slut,told me how much I was a slut like my mum.

When I laid to sleep that night,I could feel the ache round my body,tired and exhausted and still flogged.

Kim had come to my room,or my store.

"Come with me" She ordered and though I was very tired I followed her like a little child. It was already 12:00am but Kim was opening the front door for both of us.

"Don't be too slow" She ordered. The cold Kim was back,the type that liked brooding.

The air was freezing hands down and I was in nothing but a night gown that was over washed and Kim in a baggy shirt.  Her face looked as though she was in deep thoughts.

We kept walking for a while,she seemed to know her ways around,like she was always sneaking out at midnight to do this.

We finally arrived at the small market around. One thing about this place was the fact that people hardly went to bed,they were always awake.

Kim fished out some rumpled money from her pocket and gave it to the man selling ice cream,two cones were given to her and she gave one to me.

She led me to a seat and we both sat. She was still quiet,no word has been said yet.

I took my ice cream quietly too,I wanted badly to understand Kim but one thing I knew was that she was not a bad person.

"Thank you for today" I finally spoke up. I watched rage pass through her eyes for a little while and then it disappeared as soon as it appeared.

She wasn't saying anything yet, she took her entire cone of ice cream.

"I was raped when I was 10" Her dead looking voice finally broke the round of silence.

I was speechless.

What was I going to say?Sorry? I was confused.

The atmosphere became tensed at once,I watched her fighting everything in her not to show her vulnerability, fighting every resolve trying to make her break.

"I was just 8 when I started getting molested,my biological dad died while I was 2, so my mum remarried and had CJ,your dad,your dad is her third husband."

" I feel she's cursed,her husbands keep dying,I don't know what killed my dad but I know what killed her second husband,I poisoned him,I killed CJ's dad"

Silence,more silence,that was too much for me to take in at once and she wasn't even done. Why was she telling me?

"He raped me,he kept raping me,he never listened to my cries,he raped me" her voice was breaking now,as though she was reliving that memory,I could see her fingers quivering,how she managed to keep herself steady.

"And that was why when I saw CJ on you,I saw his dad,I saw myself,my 8 year old self molested again and I ran mad"

I looked into her eyes,all I saw was a broken girl,tears filled eyes,tired,broken and then I hugged her cos I couldn't even form the right words to tell her.

Kim was a strong girl,a queen,a warrior and I hugged her, trying hard not to allow the emotional side of me surface,it was the first time we were this close physically and I inhaled her coconut oil scent while comforting her.

"So you and Yobanna,uhm?" I heard the teasing, that kind of soggy voice one had after crying and then someone says a funny joke and they just had to laugh,that was how Kim's voice sounded.

I wanted badly to act non chalant towards it,like I didn't know what she was saying.

"There's nothing between us I swear,I don't even know him that well,just class mates and partners for an assignment,the boy is obviously stupid"

She chuckled.

" You wouldn't want his fan girls to hear you say that. I have a feeling that good things are on the way"

It was my turn to laugh,what good thing? She didn't ask me why I was laughing though,she was quiet,still in my embrace.

"Be sure to walk around with hoodies from now,it's all over tabloids and the internet"Kim advised.

I nodded.

" You'll be fine"She added and I felt a little better,just little though

And somehow under the moonless sky, biting cold and Kim engulfed in my tiny arms,I knew we were going to be fine one day

Until...

Someone was waving over my face trying hard to gain my attention

Zion.

He had a huge smile in his face and his eyes seemed to gleam.

"Geez, you were so lost in thoughts,I've been standing here for a couple of minutes"

" Sorry"

" You don't look too good"He dropped the nylon on table,my stomach rumbled against my permission and I nearly cried in embarrassment, everyone hates me including my tummy.

My head was bent down in shame,he slowly took my head up,he was having a serious face on.

"It's human for you to be hungry and for your stomach to rumble,you don't need to be embarrassed, moreover,we are friends aren't we?"He asked and I tried to nod and then he gave me a small smile.

He pushed the nylon towards me.

"How are you coping?the whole popularity stuff?" He asked.

Suddenly I was popular in St Louis,the first day I had come to school,I couldn't pass the passage comfortably due to the stares, everyone was talking about the kiss,about the poor girl that bewitched Yobanna into kissing her,yes,some fools made up that theory. St Louis students fed on news, trending news.

"It sucks,I just hate the fact that I can't go somewhere comfortable anymore,I now bring hoodies to school" I told him and he chuckled " And they hate my guts more now"I added and sighed

" You look cute when you rumble about stuffs"He teased,Zion was becoming a very close friend of mine.

I opened the nylon and there was a take away,I opened the lid and an appetizing plate of jollof rice and chicken stared right at me.

"Now I wish I could trade places with the food,did you see the admiration on your face?"He asked and I laughed and he joined in.

Zion was a ball of positive energy,the type that sucked away sadness and boredom.

"How come you are my friend and I don't have your number yet?" He asked thoughtfully. He took out his Samsung phone and gave it to me. God,where do this people see money to buy such plush phones,the phone was so sleek and fragile.

"Your digits"

"You want my number?" I asked trying to be sure I heard him well

"Yes na,or don't you want to give me" He teased. I collected the phone and typed my number in and he smiled.

"I'm going to disturb you on WhatsApp oh, be prepared"He warned.

" I'm ready I guess"

I took a bite from the chicken. And then I paused,why was he so nice to me in fact, we've not spoken for up to a week but he was beginning to be a close friend,for example I knew his Nigerian name was Ayo,his dad a popular singer,his dad Yoruba and his mum an Igbo woman.

"I was thinking about Yobanna" He suddenly said,I didn't know what to say,just mentioning his name sucked air from the atmosphere and I was suddenly alert. The kiss

"What about him?"

"Was that your first kiss?" He asked, I nodded and he shrugged.

" You don't hang out with your friends anymore" I noted

" I do, sometimes, but I need a new person,a new friend,and you are a good friend, my friends don't like books but you do,that's more than enough"

"Oh,okay" I took a spoonful for myself

I tried to focus on my food under Zion's watch and I couldn't help it again

"You've been watching me" I said to him

"I just like looking at beautiful people"He was still smiling. I didn't reply,there was nothing to actually say.

*