---------------❤---------------

We were runnin' onto something
And we didn't say forever but it's all we wanted
You were so in love with simple things
---------------❤-----------------

~~~

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another edition of celebrity shots and here on this show, we have the one and only most gorgeous and outstanding teenage celebrity as our guest today…." The host kept talking, an hour glass shaped lady with small eyes that twinkled at each sentence she spoke. One could tell that she loved her job

"Let's welcome, Miss April Waje.…" she trailed off, disrupted by the thunderous cheers erupting from the crowd holding their phones up and some with placards that read; we love you April❤

April beamed into the crowd, the massive crowd of people gathered here as her fans, it was overwhelming. Her stardom had always been overwhelming except that she thought to take a break and she was determined to.

"Hello April…" the host greeted as April sat majestically on a queen sized couch, legs crossing each other gingerly and her ever peachy smile plastered naturally on her face

"Good morning " she greeted. It sounded so beautiful,  her voice. You'd mistake her for an angel who just dropped down from heaven. Perhaps she may really be an angel

Or not

^^^^^

The door pushed open, revealing Toby holding his helmet under his arms. His mum sat on the couch  in the sitting room, munching a pack of snacks with her eyes fixated on the tv in front of her.

"Honey, you back?" He hummed a response, placeing a light kiss on her temples

She smiled, muting the tv to avert her attention to him

"How was chemo?" He could detect the uneasiness in her tone, looking over him with concern. He smiled, pulling her into a hug

"It was fine. I'm fine. Doctor Lewis confirmed so too" he muffled, stroking her hair gently

She sighed languidly  "for real?"

"Yeah. God's got my back " he said quietly

She nodded, rubbing her hands through his back "God got your back"

He pulled away from her after some time, with a grin that spelt assurance within him. His mum smiled too, her seemed more like she was assuring herself—He will be alright

Toby contemplated bringing up the topic of doctor Lewis and his mum, deciding finally against it. It shouldn't be his business right? Perhaps doctor Lewis and his mum were simply acquaintances. But why did he feel that deep down, they should be more than acquaintances

Yesso. Awon match maker—he imagined his subconscious snicker and he rolled his eyes at it, averting his attention to the tv which had now been un-muted

He sat up straight, seeing April onscreen, beaming at the interviewer without stress, her makeup was a nude shade of pink which complimented the short hue pink and purple weavon on her head. Her outlook exuded the personal of an affable, craze fun loving superstar. It was difficult to tell if she was the same April who scorned bitterly at Yara…and at him too

"My dream had always been to walk on runways and be a star actress... " she was saying

" but if you ask me my dream outside the life I already lived, then i'll tell you that I dream of being a clinical psychologist"

"That's a science thing…you have dreams of reading science? " the interviewer sounded like she was suprised

"I'm a science major" April announced flatly

"So does that mean you'd be quitting your job to focus on your new dreams?"

April chuckled, it was a dry chuckle. Her hands clamped down in a fist on her suede trousers "I can't say that for now"

The lady adjusted herself on her seat, crossing her legs together  "April, there are rumors about your parents not actually in support of your new dreams, so what are you going say to that?"

April huffed, her cheeks were spread widely into a sweet smile "one, they're rumours and rumors are known to be very untrue. Two, i've always believe every individual should own their life and don't live for someone else. I am part of an individual"

The crowd hooted loudly in round cheers and applause, it was as though she was motivating her fans to go out of their way to have dreams and achieve them independently, and Toby couldn't help wondering if April meant every word or had  said this into the media just for a show

April was complicated. More complex  than even Yara. And it wasn't just because she hated Yara, he dated her and all the times spent in that relationship, she seemed like she was trying not to loose herself and at the same time laughing at herself for being so screwed but that wasn't why he left the relationship...she cheated on him. It hurt and he was over her. He was damn sure that he was.

No one knew about their relationship except for a few and his mum and  he was grateful about that else he was sure he'd have the media swarming at his doorstep every single second

"Wale, you okay?"he heard his mum ask

"Yeah. Why?" He asked rhetorically, she shrugged lightly, stretching out the snack bag to him which he collected, digging inside it

"You've been staring impassively at the screen. It's just quite hard to tell what you're thinking so I gave up and decided to ask" she said casually

He munched into the chips, fixating his eyes back on the screen

"Oh wow! That's super awesome, you really think you're capable of doing it? "

The interviewer didn't sound like she was mocking April, infact, she sounded like a proud mother wanting to show off to the world that her daughter was assertive

April flipped her hair playfully " Besides, I'm a goal getter and of course, I can do it"she announced with a tinge of determination undertone and the crowd went in a frenzy of loud cheers

"She's cool. "

He turned to his mum, still stuffing the chips into his mouth, she was a huge April fan even after he broke up with her

"You're girlfriend is cool"

"Ex-girlfriend mum." he corrected

"Are you guys still cool with each other?"

"I don't think so"

"What could possibly go wrong?"She asked softly, Toby sighed, ignoring the fact that she was prying

He shrugged nonchalantly

"everything…she's just…I don't know, being April I guess"

"Oh. That means she's nice and you're the douche" she mirrored her gaze with his

"She's not as nice as you think" he muttered audibly

His mum rolled her eyes "well, it's not like you've ever hung out any nice girls"

"Sarah's nice" he defended

"Okay. Who else?" She asked with a triumphant glint

"Yara's nice too"

"Who's Yara? "His mum arched her brows and he didn't fault her for not knowing Yara

"Our five feet apart neighbor, the Williams" he clarified

She huffed "oh wow, the HEY DON'T FUCK WITH ME, I'MMA CHOP YOUR BALLS OFF girl with the cigarettes whom you went on a date drive with?" she asked in a dramatic computerized tone that made him chuckle, shooking his head at her.

"Mum! You sound so ridiculous besides, there are tons of nice descriptions you could use anyway" 

She rolled her eyes, smirking "don't blame me…I didn't even know you guys were gonna be so close that fast besides, she actually maybe a nice person seeing your balls weren't chopped off yet" she finished off, patting his hair like a puppy

"You're lucky"

Toby gaped at her momentarily stunned and then he busted out into a deep boisterous laughter that his whole body revibrated the sounds of his laughter, she still suprised him with her sense of humor. It was crazy and weird

His mum bit back her smile feigning a focused attention on the tv again, Toby sobered up, wishing she'd switch the channel to something else just when he heard the interviewer ask April her ' her once upon a time secret she'd like to share with her fans before they round up'

At first, April sighed "it's still a secret" her eyes were literally glowing as she huffed for a second before dropping the bombshell

And his world went silent.

~~~~~

The car drove past the busy markets, a young boy gripping the wrist of an old lady in a bid to assist her in crossing the road and a group of onlookers gathered around a man dressed in white and holding a megaphone,addressing the crowd

Yara fleetingly reminisced on the days she drove with her parents and they came across those little crowds gathered around, her dad in between his conversation with her mum will say; "the crowd is a faceless phenomenon." And her mum will nod in agreement, stretching her hands towards Yara to hand her a pack of biscuits.

They passed through more buildings and more fascinating sights, halting at the traffic light which showed red. Yara threw her face to the tinted windows, noticing a girl gawk im awe at her— more like at her mother's ferrari cause the car windows were tinted

Finally they pulled over to a final stop at a large building which read "St. Paul's memorial hospital" and she felt her stomach twist tightly into painful knots

"Aren't you coming in?"her mum's sharp voice jolted her back to the present, yara stared down at her hands. They were sweaty

"After you" her mum said nothing in reply, stepping out of the car

Yara shoved the orange bottle pills she stuffed into her pockets, she had promised herself not to use pills…Toby —he'd be disappointed and she tried to picture his face morphing into a disappointed look

She shoved her thoughts away wishing she'd also shove the fresh memory and face of 'him', wishing the earth would engulf her, drown her deeply its moist soul and at the same time she resented her thoughts for being this risible. It felt like she was making fun of Toby

A knock on the tinted glass riverted her thoughts. Her mum was making a gesture at her which probably meant she should get out of the car already. Yara stuffed a few of the pills into her mouth, swallowing hard—it seemed to do their magic, to calm her down until...

++++

The whole school was in a frenzy. Students murmured and chatted in excitement at the new gist which had just been everywhere. It was expected. Afterall, the leading subjects of intrest attends the same school with them and not just as mere students but power individuals who could have been the typical cliche power couple save for their breakup

April; a star actress and model with numerous achievements and Toby, the African-American most drop dead gorgeous guy with the nicest character at school

What a combination?

Toby Adewale walked to the assembly, not speaking to anyone cause obviously he had no one to speak to except Sarah who hadn't arrived at school yet. He felt the gaze of the whole school on him

Wow! They dated?

It's a shame why they had to break up

This is like a secret romance gone wrong.…

He tried zoning out, ignoring the side talks which was beginning to irk him and at the same time wondering if this is how Yara felt when she heard people talk about her

The school seemed to shook with more excited chattering as soon as April sashayed in, smiling like someone who the Queen of England had asked to ride with her in her golden carriage. She turned towards Toby, apparently feeling his gaze on her and smiled even more wider than before

Toby clenched and unclenched his jaws, willing himself to remain calm

Just what type of game was April trying to play?

Finally, George walked up to him. It was surprising but he made sure not to exude how suprised he was

"Did you really date her?" He asked briskly, staring down at him through narrowed arched brows

He felt his a flash of irritation "that's what you just heard from April" he couldn't help the sacarstic undertone in his voice

George scoffed,  "you guys seemed perfect for each other though" he stalked off, wearing a coy smirk on his face

Toby was grateful that George had the sense to walk away because he could swear within him that any more word from him was going to result into swollen jaws and broken wrist

Sarah ran up to him with a worried expression etched on her face

"Toby" she breathed out and he managed a smile at her

"I watched the interview, everyone's talking about it" she said as though he didn't know

"Are you okay? "He asked, ignoring her reports

"Yes. Why?"

"Why?" He asked, raising his brows at her in uncertainty

She shrugged "I'm just suprised you're asking if I'm okay" her voice lacked its usual chirpy cheerfulness it always had and it worried him that something was so off about her

Later during the combined civic class they had with the science students, he saw Sarah wave at Seun, though it was a curt wave. He inwardly felt a sense of relief thinking maybe she was trying to move on from her obsession with that freak

April Waje had made sure that her sashaying into the class had to be as grand as her fame and more theatrically was her choosing to seat beside him during civic class

Toby tried to focus. At least he tried despite the murmurs and gossips springing up all round them. It was no fun to be the talk of the school with issues like April revealing her secret ex boyfriend to whoever watched her interview and for the umpteenth time, he thought how Yara had survived rumors and gossips about her, maintaining that straight face and demeanor that screamed she's a Queen afterall

He had subconsciously smiled, wondering where she was, what she was going to say if she heard the news or  what her expression will be like

Though he suspected that of a blank, impassive expression. Besides, her attitude towards the knowledge of April and him once dating always came with that of an inertia indifference.

And boy, was he right about his conspiracy? 

He could hear all the noise going off in his head when she showed up spontaneously after civic class. She wasn't wearing a blank expression or an impassive look or even one depicting disdainfulness

She was beaming. It wasn't the first time he saw her smile, but it was the first time he saw her beam—so widely that he suspected the sun to be jealous of how bright and beautiful her smile was, like it reflected the the sun when it was at its brightest

"Would you like to ditch school with me?"

she had asked, looking at him expectantly and he swallowed in befuddllement

"wha..what?"

"Ditch school with me"

It wasn't a question this time and even if it was, he felt his feet rising before his mouth could make a move.

He knew he was falling deeply. 

A/N

Hw far? 😁

we're coming closer to the reason why this book is named tequila 😊 and honestly I can't wait...

I don't know if you guys too are interested cos lately I've been feeling abit quiscient like (Sarah)😉 the comments are so low and it's not motivating at all

I get inspired by your comments too. Please try and drop them after reading cos if I don't see comments, I get lazy and may end up writing rubbish or even abandon the book and focus on other things

But the good girl in me is just so considerate about you all my dear readers and I eventually have a change of heart and try to draft something out. So, you guys should also try and be considerate by dropping your thoughts on this book

Hmmmm....

I won't say anything futher other than thanks for reading till this point and don't forget to VOTE. COMMENT AND COMMENT

Ujurita elliana
Xoxox
❤❤