Dedicated to adwoayayra for her constant comments that makes me smile, though she's a new reader🤗♥️

♤

|ARAMIDE|

The sweet feeling of uttermost comfort and peace of mind isn't something I can get used to, each morning I wake up. I cannot just explain this calmness. The scent of fresh pine and cedarwood overwhelms my whole being as I rouse from slumber and instantly, I become conscious that I am not in a familiar environment.

With that new found discovery, I squint my eyes - trying to adjust to the surrounding that is being engulfed with blinding rays of sunlight. I yawn and stretch my body in a zigzag pattern that looks like as if I am being electrocuted by electricity--that kind of stretches you do when you just wake up from a very long and sweet sleep and then you curve and jerk your body in weird positions while yawning without any care in the world? Yup. That is how my body is behaving right now.

Strangely enough, it has been long I had a good sleep like this. I only sleep well if Ayo is close to me - wait, speaking of Ayo...

Shit Ayo!

In an attempt to get up, I immediately slip out of bed without thinking and yeah you got it right. The bed cover hooks my left foot and well, I tripped in a very graceful and royal manner. Thank goodness the floor is a wooden floor..or else I don't know if I'll be prolly bawling my eyes out by now if it was tiles I fell on.

"You see this thing? I swear you're dumb for messing with me in the first place. I hate you! Leave my leg right now or I'll curse you to death! You Idiot!" I yell at my unfortunate predicament as I am already a tangled mess on the floor. Why I am blaming the covers for my fall, I have absolutely no idea.

Seconds of silence and well..me still being a lazy human that refuses to get up, I sigh and stare at the room amusingly. I really did not take in the beauty of the room before and as a usual habit, I use my hands to touch my hair when I'm jobless - but then, a bonnet is over my hair!

Who put it on my head?

I don't think Kiki would do it...but then, maybe it's Jerry. Yeah, remind me to appreciate him later. Without realising it, I am soliloquising to myself like a madwoman.

"Woah, if this is how madness feels like, it definetly is not as bad as how people project it then." I mumble to myself and chuckle afterwards.

"Oh yeah, madness really suits you."

My mind mocks me. Unfortunately, that did not just sound like my subconscious speaking.

Wait...have I really gone mad?

Whipping my head so fast to my current surrounding, I finally notice someone is sitting or has been sitting at the edge of the bed all these while. I scream. No I'm not kidding. I scream like my life depends on it as I end up getting swallowed by the bed cover. Literally, I am under the covers.

Way to go Aramide.

Okay for real this is my subconscious rebuking me.

"Soliloquising when you wake up. Hmm, and I thought sleep-talking was the only weird thing you do." The voice says again. Not just an ordinary voice, but of course the bipolar of a jerkhead celebrity - Jamal Nonso.

"Get out!" My voice sounds muffled through the covers. And oh my God I can't believe he was the one who put me to bed. Where is Jerry and Kiki when I need them?!

I did nor hear his comeback which at least puts me to ease as I hear the banging of the room door. Good. But nothing prepared me for the instant yanking from the floor with strong hands causing the covers to unveil my body and well, I am clinging and staring right at the culprit himself. My initial plan was to yell at him for holding me inappropriately but as the saying goes, 'change is inevitable.'

How can I yell at someone who is looking so breathtaking? Forget that I am mad at him. Even if I try to say something, the words refuse to spill from my out. His presence alone just muted my mouth automatically. We are now doing this staring contest thingy and remember when I said I hate making direct eye-contact with people? But this is so different. It immediately feels like the temperature of the room changed and trust me - it feels so foreign to me. As if Jamal knew what was happening to me, he smirks and brings his face closer and closer and closer and-

Oh my GOD!!! What is he doing?

His head finally stops right before my ear and I swear I stop breathing abruptly as his breath hits the nape of my neck. His hair tickles the side of my neck and I dare not turn to know what he is trying to do. I can feel his side hair--every feature of his face on my neck.

"This is my villa Aramide. You can't tell me to get out as you please." His breath when he spoke? Oh blood of Zachariah! It was warm and then, his lips touched my lower ear.

Wait..what did he just say?

I am about to give a comeback when I hear a meowing sound from below us. Remember Jamal carried me bridal style? Okay, for real I hope I did not JUST imagine that sound. If a cat is in here I'm gonna die.

Meowww

"JEZHUS! IS THAT A CAT?!" I unconsciously cling harder to Jamal at this moment as I scream my lungs out. I don't care if I am hurting him. This is a matter of LIFE and DEATH. I feel rumbling vibration from Jamal's chest as I press harder to his torso, of course he would find this funny.

"Christ girl, it is just a harmless cat." I didn't have to look at him to know that he is:
1. Having a smug look on his face,
2. He is trying to suppress his laughter.

"JAMAL NONSO, if you love yourself carry me out of this room away from that..." I stare at the cat that is now rubbing itself against his feet. As if it knew I was staring, it raises the head immediately and stares right at me with the creepy large eyes. "God!!! I knew all cats were witches from onset." I whimper and hug Jamal tighter to myself momentarily ignoring the fact that his hands are grazing my bare back and holding my thighs respectively.

"Cats are witches? Are you five or something? You reason like a kid too much." He says with heavy sarcasm lacing his tone and boy, I become pissed at his audacity.

"Drop me down this minute." I fire back at him for being an annoying prick. He smirks mischievously as his silver orbs dances in pure amusement. I furrow my eyes in confusion wondering what on earth is making him to - oh no! It hits me like a rocket immediately Jamal releases me to the floor abruptly.

Oh no, did he just..?

Oh yes he did!

My butt hurts so bad and I start whining on the floor and then, I felt fur of hair rubbing against my body. Forget that I fell down because of stupid Jamal. I scream my loudest for the umpteenth time and grab a random object standing behind Jamal as my shield.

"GET THAT THING OUT OF MY SIGHT!"

Maybe. Just maybe, Jamal decides to pity my situation because he chuckles and rolls the hands of his vintage v-neck longsleeved top, crouching to the cat level - petting and rubbing it affectionately.

"Her name is Kimbell. Actually, Kiki named it on my behalf when we were ten." He finally lifts the cat from the ground while I hold out the air-conditioner remote like a sword. Okay seems like the random object I grabbed was a remote.

"Don't. Come. Close." I warn strictly as he attempts to bring the cat to me for petting. Forget that he is my overall and number one celebrity crush. So as long as he is holding that evil creature, I would not hesitate to run away from him.

"So, when we were getting more matured.." Wow, he just brushed my statement off? So rude. "Kiki actually hated that she was sharing the same name with my cat. Hence, she shortened her name to what we all know as Kiki."

Wait, let me get this straight.. Kiki's real name is Kimbell?

"Jamal I said you should get Aramide down for breakfast not to make her scream like a fücking maniac every two seconds!"
Speaking of the devil and he shall appear. In this case, it is a her and by the way Kiki is not a devil.

"Tell him to get away with what evil thing first." I stare at the distance between us and eye it ridiculously.

"Jamal, out!" Kiki commands with an eye roll as she leaves the door post and enters the room fully.

"No." He replies stubbornly.

"Girl's time dude. Now kindly excuse us before I feed your balls to Jack." From the look of things, Jamal was not moved one bit because he smirks and uses his index finger to poke her on the forehead.

"I would only leave just because we have a visitor here. Don't think you can use your powerless rot wiler to threaten me dude." And with that, he winks at my direction before he struts out majestically. Kiki hisses under her breath and goes towards the door banging it hard.

"So, it's already breakfast time," Kiki checks the time on her phone and looks back at me as we sit on the bed together. "Ten minutes past eight. And you slept around three o'clock yesterday." She answers my unasked question for me.

Wow that's pretty long I must say.

"Thanks for yesterday really. I don't know how to..." She cuts me before I could continue.

"Gosh Ara, you're so dumb at times I swear." She says while rolling her eyes simultaneously. "Friends stick to eachother in every condition. By the way, Jide and Jerry have gone back to thier respective homes so don't worry about them."

I smile in relief at that, and search for my Samsung phone that has been on the bedside table from onset and I know by now, my messages and missed calls would have been countless since I put it in 'No disturbance' mood yesterday. Kiki's phone pings by her side and I swear I catch a glimpse of my name on it before she shoves it from our sight.

"Also, there's an adjourning bathroom to this room so please take care of yourself and I will prepare fresh clothes for you before coming for breakfast downstairs okay?" I yawn and stretch using my hands to signal I heard her and within seconds, she rushes out of the room.

Remind me to probe the truth out of her later.

When I finish, I find Kiki's volleyball Jersey and my leggings I forgot during practice in school last week. She kept it for me, aww.
I quickly put them on and wander round the huge villa for the dinning room. It did not take up to two minutes before I am able to discover where it is because the smell of French toasts sizzles past my nose.

Hmm, food!

***

"Ohh, AY!" I whine exasperatedly to my brother through my phone screen while rubbing my forehead wistfully. We are communicating through a video call and well, we have been having a back and forth banter that refuses to end well.

"Sis, I really do care about you. Really. But can you at least, open up to the other members of the family? You're behaving like a spoilt brat for real." He sasses back in annoyance. True that when we came back from the family get-together two days ago, I locked myself up in my room cause I was and am still not ready to face anyone just yet. It is only Oge that comes to give me food at intervals in my room.

"Dry." I mutter under my breath and cross my arms over my chest. You know when someone says something that is meaningless or boring, then you reply with burn or dry? Exactly what I replied to Ayo's statement.

"Did you just say something?" He archs his left eyebrow in a threatening gesture giving me the look to dare repeat my last statement again.

"Sorry I wasn't talking to you." I quickly reply as I tuck in a stray hair into the bun at the top of my head.

"Oh, yeah? Better keep that running tap-mouth of yours to yourself." I shiver unconsciously as his words is laced with pure rage. My brother hardly uses hard tones at me like this. Ayo has lost every trace of jovial and smiling aura and there's only two explanations on why my elder brother is talking like this.

One, he is frustrated and has a lot of pent up anger or rage Inside of him but usually, the anger is directed at someone else. Two, his blood pressure may be high. Yes when his blood pressure becomes high, he starts getting agitated and rants nonsense to either me or mum - there's only one way to find out which of them is affecting him. Readjusting the position of my phone to have a clearer view, I sigh and muster the most puppyish face I can ever mimic.

"What is the meaning of that nonsense face you are doing? Wo, I know this all-too-familiar face so better stop what that brain of yours is processing for you to do." Of course Ayo knows the face. I've used it in so many occasions and well, he always falls for the same face no matter what.

"No oo, I don't want to ask for anything." I simply reply as I stare back at him unwavering. He looks at me as if I have suddenly transformed to a ghost - of course he doesn't believe me. "Brother Ayomide..." His nose flares from the other side of the screen and I can imagine him balling his fists in frustration.

"Hold up. First of all, you hardly say brother before my name and now you're calling me Ayomide which is so rare? What are you up to sis? Spit it out." Confirmed. Ayo is frustrated or need I say, his blood pressure is high--the two combination? Oh God that is so bad.

"AY! Check your blood pressure level now!" I frantically yell as I fidget on my seat. My brother runs his hand over his gabelle and mutters something inaudible before he faces me back with misty eyes.

Don't tell me I am seeing tears in Ayo's eyes?

"I've checked it before you will ask me. Blood pressure is 145, pulse rate is 130." Even the words sounds foreign from his mouth. I clamp my hands over my mouth as I fight the sob that threatens to break out.

That's on the high side bro!

He see's my worried expression and speaks up immediately. "I've taken my medication already. Crycry baby stop doing like that na, you are breaking a man's heart here." I chuckle in relief but worry is still evident in my face.

"I'm not a crycry baby oo. What about you big baby? What happened?" I whisper in a low tone though it was loud enough for him to hear. I can clearly see the pool of unshed tears glistening in his eyes.

"I'm still blaming myself for letting you go for that get-together alone. I wish I ditched my exams just to be there with you. Heck, I freaking hate myself so much for letting that fücking monster to touch you! I can't believe Grandpa sent bodyguards to keep me from coming to get you that day. You had to see the way they monitored my damn movements for 24/7!" And alas, the great Ayo has finally used a cuss word.

"Oh AY, trust me you would have killed uncle Makanaki if you saw the plenty things he did and said. I'm glad you did not come. I don't want my brother to go to jail while this crycry baby here, will be crying all year round." I cut in jokingly.

One thing I've learnt about hypertension patients, always look for a reason to make them laugh or happy instead of throwing blames at them. My brother chuckles at my comment and I know deeply, he can see through the facade that I am only trying to make him laugh.

Gbooooooommm!

My room door bursts open without warning which causes me to flinch on instinct.

I thought it was locked?

I personally lock my door everyday!

I anticipate who would burst into my room with such boldness and that is when I see the familiar face walking in with a neutral expression.

Kiki?

What is she doing here?

Kiki is on fire. No I am not kidding at all. She looks smoking hot in her white and white matching tracksuit. Not the ones worn for sports, but the ones for fashion and partying. Three layers of gold chain adorns her neck, while a limited edition of Chanel tote bag is on her hand casually. Her sparkling white high-soled vans that seems familiar to the one I have, clads her feet in a spectacular pattern. And also not to forget the signature anklet on her right ankle and the Swiss wristwatch that is glistening on her left wrist. She re-dyed the faded gold colour of her low haircut making it sharper and loud and I am like;

YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!

"Hey, who's that?" Kiki asks in a tone of oblivion, ignoring my gaping face.

"Huh, who?" I suddenly look lost as she says that. She motions to my phone screen making me to sigh. I literally forgot about Ayo for a while.

"Um, sorry AY. This is Kimbell my friend." I quickly say while motioning for Kiki to come into his view. She doesn't even seem shocked that I know her real name. Immediately they both see each other, my brother's tounge gets twisted.

"Ehhh...hey there! I am Ayo but you can call me AY since my sister is the only one that calls me that." My stupid brother says while giving me the look that screams, "You didn't tell me your friend is pretty as fuck!"

And yes, the flirting Ayo is back.

"Nice to finally see you AY. Your sister keeps yapping about you day and night. I think she's obsessed with you for real." Oh no, Kiki just boosted my brother's ego to the peak.

"Who would not be obsessed with a fine specimen like me? ehh?" He wiggles his eyebrows and does this flirting wink.

"Eww Ayo, I really don't want to see you flirting with my friend. She isn't a fowl." I shudder, remembering when we went to Lekki mall for the first time and Ayo really flirted with the lady with the skimpy outfit - also the first time I met Jerry in real life. Nostalgic feelings swarm my mind at that and I smile unknowingly. How time flies.

"So you ready for the party?" She asks as she plops herself on my bed comfortably.

"What party?" AY asks with genuine astonishment and bewilderment. I did not tell him about the party and I know that if he discovers I went to an elite status party without guidance, he'd kill me. Not knowing what to say, I quickly press the red button of the video call without warning and shut my phone down incase he tries to call back for thorough interrogation. I glare at Kiki as I finish.

"Fück off." She simply replies as she gets up and strarts to rummage through my walk-in closet, pretending as if she did not just expose something to my brother. I sulk and switch my TV on deliberately ignoring her.

She must beg me today.

After going through my stuffs like as if it is a normal daily routine for her, She comes out with some set of clothes, jewellery and the exact kind of white vans with hers.

How she found all those, is a mystery to me.

"Sweetie, you know I don't apologise to people. So you better quit sulking and get your lazy äss here." Her tone is firm and as usual, her face is conveying no expression at all. Deep in my heart, I know that is her own way of saying, 'I am sorry.'

"Who allowed you to enter though?" I ask with quipped interest. For real, the way Kiki knows so much about my family is scaring me to my bone marrows. She finally cackles and sits on the bed with me.

"This was my second getaway home. And yes your aunty told me to personally come get you cause you've been ignoring everyone since on Tuesday. I met her in the kitchen though." She replies with a shrug. If she thinks she just settled my curiosity, then she just successfully rose it to it's climax. This used to be her getaway home? God I don't think I can understand what is happening around me again.

"Um, okay." I reply in a shy tone because I am dreading to ask her if she ran into Cheryl or still, Derek whom I am sure has an ugly history with her from the look of things. She catches on to my curiosity and sighs.

"No, I didn't see him and as for the wicked witch of CIGs, she'll be perfectly fine. Good thing we didn't cross paths." I double over in laughter and fall on the bed holding my stomach.

"Wicked witch of Cambridge International? I thought it was Bisola that holds that sacred title?" The thing is that Cheryl and Bisola are the most wicked and cruel girls in SS3, and I've heard the duo are long time rivals.

"Same title, different whore." Is her simple reply. At this point of time, I could not help but fall to the ground in fits of laughter as she chuckles too. Her reasoning is kinda accurate though. After recovering from laughing, I sit up and scratch my head-dreading the idea of the party all over again. As if Kiki notices my hesitation, she speaks again.

"You owe me. So this is your way of appreciation. By obeying me, and we'd enjoy ourselves in the party." She replies with a smirk as her hand comes in contact with the lip balm I applied since morning. I groan and push her hands off while I get up to my mirror stand reapplying my lip balm.

This girl doesn't know that this is dry season? My lips cannot come and remain dry abeg. During the course of applying it, I can clearly hear Kiki mocking me and that is when an idea struck me.

A devilish one though.

~A/N~

Hallelujah! Shebi I said God nor go shame us? Lol I'm surprised that I was able to update in two times within a week. Oya clap for me na it's nor easy🤧

And there was some Aramide + Jamal moment! Hehe..I dunno if I should be really leaving the two alone every time. Like Kiki said, she will just be screaming every two seconds😂😂

Which devilish plan is our girl up to? Lol if you guys can guess it ehh, you'll be laughing and crying the same time. So this is a cliffhanger na abi?

Hmm seems like she's afraid of cats😂 me I love cats oo, but I don't like seeing them in the night. They remind me of creepy things from horror movies.

I loved writing this chapter sha. It was really interesting. Hope y'all enjoyed it? I've really noticed that people forget to vote at times...so please please please, vote and comment!
Love y'all>3

-Jasmine ©️