The world was quiet as two figures helped themselves out of a lonely window. The moon hung in the dark sky like a banana. The female figure looked petrified, like she had swallowed a glob of mashed veggies and a significant amount was stuck in her throat. The male figure however looked suave and experienced. As if jumping out the upper window of a Duplex was a regular task of his.
              Tokunbo let out a yelp as she landed on the stairs with a thud.
        
            "Shhh" Eli hissed throwing a glare her way, one that she returned with vigor.
          
              Slowly like ants on a hill, they trudged towards the entrance of their compound. Creeping behind the cars in the yard. Tokunbo trembled in fear. The watch on her wrist glared "23:45". If her father caught her out in the dark with some kid that had gone missing for more than a week, same kid who had been hiding in his home in the past four days, he would chop her to pieces, put her together then disown her. She was certain of this.
        
          "Stop shaking! It's irritating!" Eli snapped in a quiet voice at the shivering mass beside him. If Enoch hadn't insisted that she could be of help to them, he wouldn't be in this mess. Skinnine couldn't sneak out of her home to save her life. That much was clear. She was all jittery and panted like some wild animal. He shook himself mentally to remain focused, checked if the coast was clear then dashed out of the compound ignoring the loud gasp that escaped her lips as he dragged her with him.
                Tokunbo laughed as they ran to the streets, meters away from home. The world outside was noisy and bright with street lights despite it being almost midnight. Street hawkers littered the roads advertising whatever goods they sold. The smell of suya and beer prevailed in the air and Fuji songs played from certain buildings with dark interior and bright neon lights. She had never been outside at night before. Never.
              "I always thought it would be very quiet in the night. Just like at home."  She stated grinning wolfishly and nudged Eli's shoulder.
           In the past four days, they seemed to have bonded. He had slept under her bed frame and would stay in her room all day trying to hide from her parents. Especially her mother who was quite nosy. It was however quite easy considering the woman was pregnant and too heavy to move around.
             "It's always busy. Clubs open. And the suya at this time is really good."  He grinned back.
              "Aw, and we didn't take any money." She mused. "It's been a while I ate suya"
            Eli laughed hard.
            "Skinnine trust me, you do not want to buy those suya right now."
            "Why?" She was confused now.
            "Ah... It's the sort...that makes you lose your mind."
          Tokunbo felt her face burn in embarrassment as Eli's words sank in while the idiot laughed at her mortification.
              The street noise dimmed slowly as they neared the hospital. It was well past midnight when they got there and she watched as Eli exchanged pleasantries with the  security guard and handed him something in a nylon wrapper. The man grinned at him and let them in.
           "No let them catch you sha." The man admonished with a shrug and went into his small cubicle.
           "You guys seem very familiar." She murmured as they walked to the back of the hospital building.
           Eli shrugged.
            "I give him what he want, I get what I want."
           "What did you give him?"
          He stopped abruptly in front of a sliding window and knocked. The window opened and there was Enoch standing before them, looking a whole lot better than he had four days ago. The swellings had reduced, the wounds were closing up and in a few days he would be discharged.
              "Wow, Enoch you look so much better." She grinned as she tried to climb through the window but failed.
         Enoch laughed then offered an arm to help.
             "Thanks" she said and surprised him with a hug. "I am so glad you're okay." 
            Enoch's grin dropped, his chest heaved with discomfort. He awkwardly patted her shoulders and disentangled her from him.
              "Let's get this over with. We don't have much time. I need to return this princess back to her bed before her Father wakes up. I don't want him on my case." Eli said as he jumped through the window and stalked towards Enoch's bed. The two followed him laughing as Tokuno replied.
              "He's already on your case."
              "Hardy har har, Not funny Skinnine.". He glared at her only to be rewarded with a wide smile. Now he was certain he was growing soft.
             Enoch sat beside him too reaching for a bottle of water on the cupboard beside the bed. His father had made sure to get him extremely comfortable. But hadn't bothered to show his face. He swallowed the bitterness that rose up his throat.
                "I presume Eli had told you everything?" He asked facing Tokunbo who exchanged glances with Eli.
               "Well... He said Demi's responsible.. for what happened to you. How sure are you guys? Why on Earth would she want to hurt you? What does she have to do with the Skylars? Whe-"
                "What is this? A therapy session?"  Enoch cajoled.
                "You've had therapy before?"
           Tokunbo didn't miss the way Enoch's dark eyes widened a fraction and his smile froze to his face.
              "I watch movies." He murmured eventually but his shoulders remained tense.   "I had gone to tell basement that day. To check on Eli. Oh yeah, by the way, I am going to thrash your ass for being dumb when this mess is over. What were you thinking when you joined the Skylars?!"
               "Will you continue the story already? I really do not want her father realizing she is gone. I spent four days in their house and mahn, that man is as commanding as hell. I had close calls with him like crazy." Eli remarked earning a laugh from Tokunbo.
               "Look who's afraid of my dad." She teased. "And he doesn't bite much you know."
                Eli looked like he bit his tongue.
              "I don't even want to know."
            Enoch felt his chest tighten at their banter. He wanted to grab Tokunbo and then yell "I met her first!"
                "Anyways, when I'd gotten to the trap door, Demi... She came around, said Eli was far too gone and I couldn't save him. I didn't understand then until when Betty and Vicky asked me if it was really Elijah that had beaten me up. That's when I knew she had meant to frame him. A lot of people can testify to Eli's disappearances in class and in the cafeteria. And they know he has a bad temper. Also last year, we had this really huge fight in public. All these together would've been enough to prove that Eli is unstable. Maybe that's why your dad don't believe me when I told him all this."
          Tokunbo mulled on that for a while.
             "But... Demi couldn't have beaten you up herself... Right?"
             "What? Of course not. Next thing I knew, there was a bag on my head and-" he winced at the memory of the first punch to his stomach "- They started the beating. I'd recognised Drew's voice anywhere. The bastard kept taunting me for being weak willed to quit...."
         He paused and cleared his throat. Tokunbo frowned as he looked mighty uncomfortable.
          "... Well that's what happened. Told all this to your police father and he thinks I'm trying to protect my friend."
               She sighed as she processed all of it.
            "But why does Demi hate you guys so much?" She asked after a minute of thoughtful silence.
         The two boys squirmed under her gaze. Enoch studied his fingernails while Eli counted invisible dots on the walls.
           Tokunbo rolled her eyes.
           "I asked a question."
            "It's a rather long story." Enoch grumbled.
             "I've got time."
             "No one knows okay? She and Vicky disappear mid session in grade eight and then come back in grade nine with the same surnames and as enemies. Then Demi made us pick sides. It was ... It was terrible. When she was suspended we thought it was over. And we were glad. And now she's back for some baseless revenge. And I know she'll be worse. I just know- Oh God!.."
              Eli and Tokunbo tensed at the petrified look on Enoch's face. He visibly blanched.
             "What? What is it Enoch?"
              "We...we shouldn't have included Tokun in all this. Demi could go after her. She's innocent in all this."
               "Calm down Enoch. We need Tokun. If you haven't noticed, I'm on the wanted list, and you're hospitalized. Betty cannot do jack to save her life and Vicky does not care if I end up in Juvie. This girl's does! She may be a cowering mess sometimes, but she's smart and notices stuff that not even my parents in all their glory could see. She's perfect."
            "Uhh, .... I'm right here. Stop talking like I'm not." Tokunbo chipped in but the two ignored her.
            "She's innocent Eli. She doesn't deserve this." Enoch protested.
             "Jesus! Enoch she's not as innocent as she looks okay! She killed someone for God's sake."
               "Elijah!" Tokunbo hissed slapping him hard on the face. Her eyes watered at the way he had spoken about her. As if she had meant to kill the girl. As if she known the girls head would hit the stone.
               Footsteps repeated themselves in the hallway and Tokun and Elijah scrambled to hide under the bed as the door to Enoch's ward opened.
             "You okay sir?" A bleary eyed doctor murmured as he took in Enoch's stiff position. A couple of nurses stood behind him, peering.
                "Yes I am. Please leave."
     The doctor glared in disapproval.
                  "We had heard voices-"
                "That was me. Leave." Enoch said coldly even as his stomach clenched at the understanding on the doctors face. He was sure his father had told the doctor. The old man just couldn't keep his trap shut.
                    "Your Father had asked us to take good care-"
                     "My Father pays you to mind your business. Leave or I'll be forced to explain to him how much of a pest you are."
             Tokunbo winced at the lack of feeling in Enoch's words. He sounded detached. Completely unlike the Enoch she knew. She glanced at Eli who crouched beside her. He seemed unfazed. He was definitely used to it.

Something's definitely wrong.

               "I'm sorry sir. We will take your leave."  The doctor mumbled and they shuffled out of the ward.

      A pregnant silence hung in the air as the duo emerged from beneath the bed. The sound of crickets became ridiculously louder. And when Tokunbo opened her mouth to ask the question that nagged her, Enoch spoke up in his cold, detached, clear as day voice;

          "Here's what you'll do Tokun."
******
What is the plan? How's this chapter? I'm thinking I should revert to being a narrator, but POVs are so much better and personal.
However, leave a comment on what you thought of this chapter.
Thank you.