I think I've said this before but I'll say it again: Not everything is as it seems to be.

Did Zehan kill Ismael? Did he not? We all wanted to know but what we should be asking ourselves is if knowing the answer would change anything.

Our problems did not start at that rooftop and we all know it.

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E I G H T  M O N T H S  L A T E R
(The day of Ismael's death)

It was last period that faithful day and Zehan couldn't wait to go home even though he knew he would have to explain to his mum why he failed that Islamic test they'd written the previous day. He began thinking of ways to dodge the question but he couldn't come up with anything.

He was lost in thought as he mindlessly stuffed books into his bag while the classroom emptied out after the last bell. It was almost 5 PM already and everyone was tired and in a hurry to get home. The fact that the evening was windy—indicating that a heavy rain might be on its way—didn't help matters either. Zehan really wasn't that bothered.

"Zehan... There are people still waiting for you here, yunno."

"Exercise patience, I'm trying to find my log book," Zehan replied Adam who was waiting at the door for him, "besides, it's not like you're going home to do anything reasonable."

"Oya, when you're ready be coming." Adam left annoyed but Zehan didn't really care. He knew there was no way Adam would leave him, he would just wait for him outside.

After he'd found the log book, he started looking for the padlock to his locker. The whole thing was starting to get frustrating for Zehan when he couldn't find it. He was only wasting more time now and he was sure the school had emptied out.

"You're still here," Ismael stated. To Zehan, it looked like his brother had appeared out of nowhere but he wasn't in the mood to give him the time of the day.

"I'm still telling them, there's no need to beg me," Zehan said without looking up, rummaging his back in case the small padlock had fallen in.

Zehan didn't see the smile Ismael's face before he said, "If you tell them... Then I'll tell everyone what Uncle Ken told you."

Zehan forgot what he was looking for and looked up at Ismael immediately. At first, he didn't know what to say, he just watched the smile on his brother's face grow. Then he decided to play dumb. "What're you talking about?"

Ismael paused. "I remember that year that a Senator was going crazy because he claimed his daughter was raped... It was all over the news. He wanted the rapist dead and... I don't think they found the guy."

Zehan didn't understand what Ismael was talking about at first but then he remembered something about a senator's getting sexually abused years ago. He just didn't know what it had to do with what they were talking about.

"I'm talking about Esther Isong," Ismael dropped the statement like he was relieving Zehan of the misery of putting it all together. "Uncle Ken's classmate that Kasy's dad raped and the senator's daughter are the same person."

The room temperature suddenly dropped. Zehan stared back at Ismael's evil smirk. He was clearly enjoying this. Zehan only knew Uncle Ken thinks Mr. Kanayo had raped his classmate years ago—which was what they were arguing about when Zehan overheard them and Uncle later called him to his office to explain properly and specifically beg him not to tell anyone—so this news of Uncle Ken's classmate and the daughter of that senator was foreign to Zehan. And frankly, it made things worse.

"You were eavesdropping—"

"That's not the point right now," Ismael stopped him, "Don't tell anyone about me and Tari and I won't tell anyone about what I heard. I know you like Kasy so I'm sure you don't want Senator Isong coming for him."

"I'm going to tell them what you've been doing with Tari and you will not dare to tell anyone what you heard, it's none of your business—"

"What Tari and I was doing is none of your own business either," said Ismael, "Zehan, don't test me." He turned around to walk away but Zehan quickly got hold of his backpack and did him a 180°.

"Do I look like I'm playing with you?"

"I should be asking you that question,"  Ismael pointed right at Zehan, "We're even, you keep my secret, I keep yours."

"That's the thing, it's not my secret!" Zehan yelled, "It's their family matter so leave it alone. As for you Tari, you guys are not even escaping it."

Ismael scoffed, contemplating his next words, thinking of where it would hit hard. "You're just jealous," he finally said, "bitter, jealous bastard. Who's ever going to fuck you kwan?" he smirked before whispering, "no-bo-dy."

Without warning, Ismael shoved him and Zehan was too lost in his brother's words that he immediately lost his balance and crashed into the seats behind him—a very painful impact. Zehan ignored the pain and got to his feet because he had chase Ismael who was now on his heels.

At this point, Zehan's blood was boiling and he couldn't even pinpoint what exactly he was angry about but he just wanted to catch Ismael and give him the beating of his life.

And so the boys ran past Kasy and Dele who had been heading to the classroom they'd run out of from. They called out their names and demanded to know what was happening but neither of them stopped or even turned around to respond.

Running up the stairs was tiring for sure but Ismael didn't stop. It only occurred to Zehan that they were on the roof when the cold evening wind kissed his sweaty skin and he got goosebumps. Ismael had stopped running now because there was nowhere else to run. Zehan saw it as his opportunity to bolt the metal doors. There was no escaping for either.

"What're you doing?" Ismael asked at first. "Open that door."

"We die here today."

• • •

The room was silent. All eyes were on Zehan and they were all eager to hear what he'd say next. Did he or did he not push his brother.

"Yes?" Dele was the one to speak up first. "Continue your story. What happened next?"

"What do you think happened next?" Zehan looked up at Dele like he was dumb, "He jumped and fell."

"He jumped." Dele scoffed. "That's BS."

"And that's your business," Zehan sighed. "Believe it or not."

Kasy spoke up, "We saw you push him, Zehan."

Zehan turned to her, an unreadable expression on his face.

• • •

Zehan grabbed a piece of wood from the pile of damaged lockers stacked in the corner and began marching towards his brother. He was too angry to use his fist. Enough was enough. It was high time Ismael learnt his lesson and at that moment he wasn't thinking or rather, he didn't care what the consequences would be.

But then Ismael did something unexpected.

Something that made Zehan stop in his tracks.

"What're you doing?" Zehan had to ask while he watched Ismael try to maintain his balance on the railing.

"I-I'm...going to jump."

• • •

"I told you before, we're not buying this suicide bullshit." Dele was seated now. Only Adam stood, trying to determine if Zehan was telling the truth. He was a good liar.

"Stop interrupting, Akindele. You asked for what happened and now I'm telling you," Zehan said, sounding frustrated.

"If he killed himself then why were you shouting for him to die, you were saying you'd kill him and... I know what I heard," said Kasy.

Zehan sighed, looking down at the floor. "I never said he killed himself."

"Dude, you're crazy... Isn't that what you even told your mother?" Dele asked. "Now, you're changing it again?"

"I—" Zehan shut his eyes, "it's complicated, okay? Technically... It was his fault... Just let me tell you what really happened."

"And how do we know you're not lying again?" Adam asked, all heads turning to him. "Zehan, you've told many versions at this point. Which one is true?"

Zehan looked up Adam, opened his mouth to speak but closed it, defeated.

"Zehan, there's nothing complicated unless you're trying to lie. What exactly are you not telling us?" Kasy and Dele stared at Adam as he spoke with so much detest in voice and wondered where the newfound hate had come from.

Adam continued, "Stop playing the victim, because you're not. The victim here is your brother. Even he did—or was planning to do—what you accuse of, he still didn't deserve to fall from a three storey building and have his...his...his head cracked open!"

"Shut up! Okay? Just shut up!" Zehan screamed, his eyes red and wide with anger and frustration. "Just shut up! Shut the fuck up!" He was looking at Adam now. "Shut up!"

The room went quiet for a while before Kasy said, "Let's just let him finish the story. No more interruptions."

• • •

"Do you think I'll beg you to come down from there?" Zehan asked, scoffing afterwards. He didn't know what made him much more angrier—the fact that Ismael was threatening to jump or the fact that he was shedding crocodile tears.

"I won't come down..." croaked Ismael. Standing there, Zehan could finally see him for the mess he really was.

Ismael tried to maintain his balance, his heart skipping every time he also lost his step. He was backing the other side and didn't want to look down. He felt very light at that moment—like I feather in the wind. Maybe if he managed to stand there long enough, Zehan would promise not tell anyone about he and Tari.

"You want to die?" Zehan asked. "Oya, go ahead, be my guest. You'd be doing me a favour."

"Zehan—"

"What? You want me to tell you that I won't tell anyone about you and Tari before you come down?" Zehan scoffed, "you better just jump now."

Well shit, Ismael thought, he figured that one out too quickly. Wasn't he crying enough?

"Bastard, I said you should go ahead! Die! Please go and die!" Zehan was shouting like a lunatic. Ismael swallowed.

• • •

"And that's probably when you guys came and started telling for me to open the door. That was when you heard me shouting for him to...die... I was just egging him on... I wasn't doing anything to him. He was standing on that railing, telling me he was going to jump. I can't remember if I thought he was serious or not but... I guess I wanted him to jump too.

"But Ismael wasn't going to jump...no. He wanted to make me think he was going to jump so that I'd get scared and say I wouldn't tell anyone. But it was later I realized this though... At that moment, I wanted him to jump so  that's why I was saying all those things.

"But he didn't jump. So by the time you guys go the door open, it was the same time he tried to get off the railing and... He lost his balance. He was screaming—that was the scream you heard. He was flapping his hands in the air... I finally came to my senses because it was actually...finally happening. Out of instinct, I rushed to grab him..."

Zehan broke into sobs. He rocked himself back and forth and hugged his knees. He was trying to stop the loud sobs—he didn't want to cry in front of them—and they watched him. The last he'd told this story was to his grandmother and he wasn't even sure she believed him. No one ever really believed him. He'd thought that Adam had but that obviously wasn't the case.

Adam wanted to run to his friend and console him but he couldn't get himself to move. He'd tried so hard to get the memory of Ismael falling in front of him with a loud thud out of his head. It'd been eight months. Eight months of forgetting that he had seen someone's brain leak out of their head. Eight months of hoping Zehan wasn't responsible for that.

Zehan was determined to finish his story. And so he continued, "M-My hand was only able to graze his collar... I couldn't... I couldn't grab him," Zehan shook his head, tears still rolling down, "I couldn't grab him... I watched him fall. It happened so quickly—everything in a second. I was numb. The next I knew, Dele was basically beating me up but... I couldn't think, or feel anything... I just..."

And silence engulfed the space again.

Kasy hated herself more than anything at that moment. Asides the fact that she'd misunderstood Zehan trying to save his brother for pushing him, she and her family issues was the reason for the whole fight in the first place. Zehan was only trying to protect her father's secret even if he didn't know he was innocent. She had gotten it all wrong and for that reason, she would never forgive herself. Everything was ruined for nothing.

Dele always knew he should've spoken up when he stood at the window in his room and saw his father with Kasy's dad in their house that night. That night Kenneth Kanayo came into the house and he watched his father defile the girl at back of the car. Kenneth came out and caught him but wasn't able to do much. The damage had already been done. Dele never thought of that night again until Zehan mentioned the Kasy's dad's secret.

Dele looked from Zehan to Kasy. He knew she was blaming herself. But he wasn't going to tell her the truth... There was no use. It was already too late. What had happened had happened.

"So it's still your fault then..." Adam finally broke the silence. All heads turned to him again. This time with obvious shock since they expected Adam to be the most sympathetic.

"Adam—"

"No," Adam shut Kasy down, still looking at Zehan, "this is still his fault. Why did he have to threaten Ismael in the first place? Why did he not just agree to keep his mouth shut so that Ismael could come down from the railing?"

All this only made Zehan begin sobbing again and even harder. The way Adam had suddenly grown a heart of stone was shocking.

Dele cleared his throat. "Look, Adam, maybe—"

"Maybe nothing!" Adam snapped. "Let's stop making excuses for him. I've been doing it for a long time and trust, just like his brother said, this boy—" he pointed to Zehan, "—is a psychopath. The truth is that he just wanted to paint Ismael black, he saw the opportunity and wouldn't let it go until it killed him. You killed him, Zehan. Don't tell yourself otherwise."

"Okay, Adam, stop! Take a chill pill!"

"Adam, you should mind your words."

"He's a murderer and a psychopath. Don't pity him. He deserves no pity he's just looking for attention. That's why he killed his own twin brother!"

They were all talking over each other and in a matter of seconds, Adam was already making moves towards Zehan and Kasy and Dele quickly blocked his way, stopping him.

By the time they had all calmed down and stopped yelling over each other, they turned to see the door wide open and Zehan gone.

• • •

Zehan marched down the halls with his nonstop tears still pouring out of his eyes. He ran into the nearest bathroom when he got to one.

He turned on tap at the sink and began splashing water on his face. Whoever had locked them in that room had gotten what they wanted and finally decided to open the door just in time for him to run out of there because Adam's words were very hurtful. If those words had come from Dele or Kasy, Zehan wouldn't have been moved... But Adam?

He tried to calm himself down and not start sobbing again in the bathroom because that would just be dramatic at that point. He made to splash one round of water on his face again but...it had turned red?

Blood...

That wasn't water, it was blood. Blood...everywhere.

Zehan looked up at the mirror again. His wide eyes staring back at him. His chest was rising and falling abnormally and he was starting to sweat.

Maybe he should've told the truth.

• • •

Zehan grabbed a piece of wood from the pile of damaged lockers stacked in the corner and began marching towards his brother. He was too angry to use his fist. Enough was enough. It was high time Ismael learnt his lesson and at that moment he wasn't thinking or rather, he didn't care what the consequences would be.

But then Ismael did something unexpected.

Something that made Zehan stop in his tracks.

"What're you doing?" Zehan had to ask while he watched Ismael try to maintain his balance on the railing.

"I-I'm...going to jump."

"You're going to jump." Zehan stated, dropping the piece of wood next to him.

Ismael was breathing heavily as he tried to maintain his balance. "Yes. Promise me that you won't tell anyone about Tari or else I'll jump."

Zehan laughed. "And later they'll say I'm crazy," he shook his head, "Come down from here if you don't want to die. But if you want to die, be my guest."

Ismael sighed. "Promise me or I'm not coming down." His voice was shaky and it was obvious that he was scared of his current position.

Zehan was already angry and frustrated.

"If I jump, then you're the one that killed me," he said. "Mum and dad were always scared that you'd kill me one day... It's always been your plan... The same way you killed Jemma. You want to prove them right?"

"Who is Jemma?" Zehan mumbled to himself. He didn't know what his brother was talking about but he also couldn't believe his parents thought that...he was a killer. Is that why they protected Ismael so much? That only made Zehan's blood boil more.

"You want to die, abi?!" He yelled before grabbing Ismael by the collar and in one swift motion, and pulled him back to safety. But Ismael wasn't safe. He was off the railing and on the roof again and Zehan landed the first blow.

"Bastard!" Zehan yelled when Ismael returned the favour. They tackled each other to the floor and that's when Kasy and Dele began banging on the door.

Zehan pinned Ismael down and began strangling him. "Die, Ismael! Die!"

Kasy was screaming on the other side of the door but Zehan didn't care to listen to whatever she was saying. It sounded like they were trying to open the door too.

"You want to die, abi?" Zehan grunted, tightening his grip on his brother's neck while Ismael struggled and kicked. Zehan could see the tears rolling out of his brother's eyes but all he wanted was to squeeze the life out of him.

Zehan wanted to see the light go out.

Ismael wasn't ready to give up yet. He managed to send a punch to Zehan's eye and he let go immediately. Ismael got up, gasping for air. He rushed towards the short railings and leaned against it. He held his chest as he coughed vigorously and struggled to get air in his lungs. He never saw it coming...

He never saw Zehan pick up that piece of wood again. The same wood with nails sticking out at the end.

"It would be better if you're dead! I would kill you myself, bastard!" And Zehan hit him at the back of head before he could turn around.

At that moment, everything slowed down but it all happened in seconds. Blood was dripping from his head. Ismael tumbled around, touched the back of his head and saw the blood. Zehan panicked and threw the wood back to the pile and began walking to his brother again.

But it looked like Ismael was trying to get away from Zehan even in his dizzy state. He tumbled to the side and tumbled backwards the more Zehan got closer. And Zehan saw it before it happened. He saw Ismael step on the loose shoelace that made him lose his balance completely and tumble over the railing. Ismael's scream accompanied Zehan's failed attempt at grabbing his collar this time.

And that was the part Kasy and Dele saw—Zehan's hand grazing Ismael's collar.

Guys, I've missed you so much. But I won't bore you with how I've been busy with work and everything in between so just tell me...

How exactly did this chapter make you feel?

What do you think about Adam's reaction?

Who do you think is Jemma?

Were you shocked to know Dele knew about the night Kasy's dad came to their house with Ms. Isong unconscious?

And finally, now we finally know what happened (or at least we hope we do) at the rooftop that day, what can you say about our main character, Zehan?

Before I go, check out @wattmemes on Instagram, those guys are amazing.
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