Dedicated to the one who surprised me with her comments  Peejaymatt14

If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends
(Gotta get with my friends)
Make it last forever, friendship never ends
If you wanna be my lover, you have got to give
Taking is too easy, but that's the way it is

~𝐙𝐨𝐞~

Friendship...

It had always been a strange, foreign and absurd word for me. Yet I valued it to the fullest even though I didn't exactly understand how it worked.  They say each friend represents a world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born. And a good friend? A good friend is like a four-leaf clover; hard to find and lucky to have. Lucky for me I had found mine on a plater of gold, without much of an effort I found her and she found me. We found each other and we have been inseparable since then.

Ever since I fainted at the library that Nafeesat found me in, she has been on my case nonstop practically begging me to go to the hospital. Or better still she'd go to the hospital with me if I am too scared to go alone.

It was a Tuesday morning and we were both at her Uncle's hospital dressed in casual clothes. We didn't want to be seen in our uniform because we didn't want to drag the name of our school into this.

We were currently at Nafeesat's Uncle's hospital waiting for the test results of the test I had run yesterday when I fainted. Nafeesat looked a lot more terrified than I was because her mind was afraid of the worst. I on the other hand had a more relaxed composure like nothing could ruin my perfectly good mood.

The minute that thought crossed my mind, the Doctor called me in for a little chat telling Nafeesat to sit back and wait. She obliged wearily and I smiled at her to calm down. Once I was within the office of the doctor, I took my seat without asking and spoke first before the doctor could address me.

"So what are we looking at here Doctor Ibrahim, ? Why have I been having severe migraines?"

"When was the last time you saw your period?" He answered my question with a question and that deflated my confidence and happy thoughts I had all day.

What does he mean by that question? And does it have anything to do with my migraines? I began to feel uncomfortable sitting there in his office alone with him. I uncrossed my legs and sat upright. Thank goodness I didn't wear anything too flash, skinny, or skimpy if not I would've regretted that decision.

"What's the matter Miss Babajide? Cat got your tongue? Or did I somehow deflate the confidence bubble you were so relaxed in?" He said with so much seriousness and a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. I glared at him clearing my throat a bit  and frowned at him saying.

"What do you mean?"

"Answer the question Miss, when was the..."

"Geez! I heard you the first time okay? And I don't... I think 2 months, 3 months or so. I don't know please. And look, if you have something to say then just say it and stop keeping me in suspense" I snapped practically yelling at him. He just smiled at me and looked away contemplating whether or not he should tell me.

After a while he sighs and leans forward on the office table in front of him, resting his hands on his table, he spoke.

"Miss, after running some test on you yesterday and you not having an idea on when last you saw your period. I think it's safe to say that from the results of the test done on you, you're 4 weeks pregnant." 

I stared at him as if he had somehow lost his sense of reasoning. What did he just say to me? Could he mean what I think I heard?

My mouth was slightly ajar unable to fully comprehend what he had said. Wanting to be sure I heard right the first time and he wasn't in any way calling my bluff I said bearing audible.

"What?"

"You're pregnant Miss, 4 weeks long."

~𝐂𝐡𝐥𝐨𝐞~

I would never trade my friendship with Antonio and Molly for anything else. It was Tuesday evening and after a tedious day at school and no sign of Zoe to bother me, I thought it best to do a sleepover at Antonio's house. It's been ages since we all did a sleepover, especially at his house. His house was filled with the right amount of people with good vibes to ride me off the dark clouds. Both Molly and Antonio were finding it difficult to get off.

"Wooo hooo Chloe in the house!!!!" I heard one of Antonio's siblings yell from the sitting room area. His elder sister April poked her head out of the corner startling me a little.

"Chloe! My dear, I have missed you. You look well. Where are my manners? Oh, come let me get you something to eat you must be  starving." She said dragging me away from  Antonio and Molly. She took me to the sitting room and made me sit there while she went to make something for me to eat. Seconds later, she came with a tray of well garnish noodles and a large chicken lap with a bottle of cold sprite. I was stunned as to how fast she was able to prepare that, but at the sight of the food, I completely forgot to ask her how she was able to make all that in a matter of seconds.

Once she served the food to me, I mumbled thanks before diving into the food. I noticed Molly and Antonio were no longer in their uniforms. There were both dressed in matching gray joggers and sweatshirt. They passed me, saying something I was too hungry to pay attention to. By the time I was done eating, they were both coming to meet me in the sitting room bringing their tray of noodles. While they ate in silence I choose to use the moment to take a nap as I began to feel the exhaustion of crying all day sip into my system.

By the time it was past 7 in the evening, I woke up yawning loudly only to meet close to 40 people sitting in an extremely big dining hall. I almost had a heart attack but my mind was at rest when I remembered I was in Antonio's home.

Damn! this is one big household. I thought when a toddler's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. She looked like one of Antonio's nephews, probably April's daughter if I am not mistaken.

"Look the pretty lady has opened her eyes"

The whole dining hall went quiet as everyone tilled there are heads to look at me. I gave an awkward smile feeling self-conscious, I waved a little and Antonio finally spoke to fill the silence.

"Hey, Chloe you are finally up! Just in time,  come join us for dinner."

"But I already ate..."

"Nonsense. I am sure one more bite wouldn't hurt, so get on in here" Antonio's dad said in his thick voice and I had to comply. After alll best friend or not, I was a guest in their house so I couldn't do as I pleased even though I would really kill for a hot bath right now.

I still stood up from the couch I fell asleep on and went to join them for dinner sitting between Molly and Antonio. The dining table roar back to life and everyone was talking to someone, I just stayed quiet wanting to finish my food on time so I could go and shower.

"So Mirabelle how do you like your new school so far?" I heard one of the parents I think was Antonio's aunt saying to a little girl who looks very familiar.

"Oh it's awesome. There is so much to see and so much to do and my gosh they have an Ice cream vending machine. And their cafeteria is so big and they have pizza of all kinds at your request every last friday of the month. What is there not to love about the school." She said with so much excitement responding to the question she was asked. Her eyes immediately went wide once it landed on me as she immediately recognized me. She smirked saying...

"Wow. Chloe? Ha fancy meeting you here"

I smiled sheepishly at her and mumbled a greeting. As memories of how we met flooded my mind, a hint of sadness crossed through my eyes as I remembered vividly that it was through her I got to confirm that Molly and Antonio were a couple. She noticed and decided to change the subject asking.

"So what brings you to my humble domain?"

"Urrrr"

"Wait, you guys know each other" Molly interrupted me asking Mirabelle who had been sitting directly opposite me all along. Mirabelle just smiled broadly and began to brag about us knowing each other.

The dinner went by smoothly and I was glad it went well at least being there got my mind off my horrible sister and the more horrific feeling that I had a hand in the death of my friend. After I was done taking a shower I wore one of April's clothes for the night. I was grateful when they lent it to me because I had somehow planned to do a sleepover there without thinking of the clothes I was going to wear not even my school uniform.

"Guys. I can't believe I planned to sleep here for three nights straight without packing clothes or thinking of packing them." I said once we were now in Antonio's room lying on his bed. Molly gave me a reassuring smile saying she would sort it out. Knowing Molly, I knew she meant what she said since I had already taken a nap earlier I wasn't really feeling sleepy and so were they. We all stayed up forming a cycle on Antonio's bed to gist away our sorrows.

"I don't mean to pry but ummm...what does it feel like dating each other?"

" Do you really wanna talk about that?" Molly responded to my question and I shrugged it off. Antonio took it as a go-ahead to tell their relationship story to me.

"Well, Chloe I am glad you asked. I have been dating Molls since the end of SS2 and it has been my best decision ever! She is smart and super fun to be with and also she warms my heart without even knowing it. Funny story I've always liked her more than a friend ever since we were little and I'm pretty sure she felt the same way."

"Okay Antonio I think you've said enough" Molly responded to his endless rambling about their relationship before smacking him in the chest. I just chuckled at their cuteness, not putting much thought into it because I didn't want to get myself upset.

"C'mon Chloe, it's about time you let us into the bigger picture. Why don't you have a boyfriend? Is it because you don't want to err..."

"Well not that I don't want to, it's just I don't know. Zoe always happens to interupt and I am frankly too scared to make the first move on the guy I like" I said responded to Antonio's questions while playing with my thumb. This has always been a touchy subject for me that is why I almost never talk about it. Besides who do I want to talk about it with, Zoe? Oh hell no! I don't see that ever happening not in this life or the next.

" Oh, so you do like someone huh? C'mon spill"

"It is complicated" I responded to Molly who sliced through my thoughts with her question. Being friends with her for over 16 years now made her realize what I meant by it's complicated, so she frowned slightly saying.

"We are not asking you for the list of celebrities you have a crush on Chloe. So spill, no pressure just give us his name."

I smiled and kept quiet for a while thinking. Who do I really like? I thought about Joel for a while, grateful he hadn't asked me to give any more letters to Zoe. It was kinda hurtful doing that knowing we once like each other when we were in JSS 3. But now I couldn't particularly say I like him but I did like his aura that always surrounded me whenever he was around. He had this peaceful vibe that can make a waging storm go away. I guess if I put it that way, I see why he and Zoe belong together. Zoe was practically a living breading storm just waiting to happen and as if that's not enough, she is too blinded by her obsession for Jayson to see that they don't just fit. Infact, it's not love. It's obsessions. I sighed inwardly hoping she would realize her obsession and get over it.

"Hello, earth to Chloe. Did you zone out on us? Or you are genuinely thinking?"

"Yea I... umm... I think it's Samuel. Samuel Dawson"

Now that I mentioned his name, I don't think I have had the time to talk to him for longer than 3 hours if it's not tutorial or practice-related. It was disappointing that we never really had our moment and I never had the courage or liked him enough to put my feeling out there or talk to him about it. I finally sighed out loud realizing it might all be one-sided and he might not feel the same way I feel for him at all. The thought of that scared the shit out of me as my heart began harming so hard in my chest.

"You know what, I think we should change the topic. It seemed this conversation is making you uncomfortable considering you are sweating in an Air-conditioned room"

"Huh?" I said snapping out of my thoughts at the sound of Antonio's voice. His lips formed a thin line smile and Molly got the message as she saw the sea of sweat forming on my forehead and on my neck. She cleared her throat and asked.

"So how is writing going? Hmm I noticed you haven't been updating your story HOW TO GET AWAY WITH BULLIES"

" What? No...I mean yes... I meant...God, what am I saying! I have kinda been updating it dear, it's just the reads aren't encouraging."

"I know right I can't believe it's takings forever to hit 1k reads."

"Yea that might take a while considering it's just 261reads as we speak."

"Ouch!" Antonio and Molly exclaimed together after what Molly said. I giggle at their reaction saying.

"I know right. But it's cool, I guess it's because it's my first novel so it probably doesn't deserve that much attention."

"Oh please don't say that. I'm not a Novel person but the chapter 11 you updated, my gosh! it was spotless. Not an error in sight and may I say the storyline I see is just amazing. Girlfriend don't let that reads thing discourage you. I am sure..."

"Hold up. Girlfriend? Who'd you think you're calling girlfriend? I am sitting right here boy." Molly said in her Black American accent attacking Antonio for calling me girlfriend and I couldn't help but let out a deep loud laugher. The sound of my laugher must have been quite off because that was something I didn't do very often...laugh. It was quite infectious, to say the least as they both joined in as well.

"OMG! That reminds me, Chloe. Do you still do your 3D drawing?"

"Yes I do, but not for a while now though, there is just too much drama."

" I hear ya." Molly said responding and Antonio picked up his phone, opened it, and putting something on display. He handed me his phone and began to talk to me about what was displayed on his phone.

"Eh hem, so you know how Rule no 21 Says that if we saw something awesome we gotta share it with each other. Well, Molly and I went on a date 2 days and we saw this really awesome news about an animation-making competition. They are new and the competition is to recruit people that will work for them for the next 10years. And that's not the best part, the best part is whoever wins the competition will not only join their company but the person will be pained 5,000 dollars in cool cash!"

"OH.MY.GOD!!!"

"Exactly. That's why you have to enter and win the competition, Chloe. We already did the math and thats 3millon Naira  or more"

"Whoa, that's just...whao. This is what I call a major major breakthrough. Darn it,  I would have signed up now but I'm not even mentally prepared."

" Take your time bestie. It's still opened for entries till the 25th of May so that's plenty of time."

I smiled at them genuinely finally happy that this was my one chance to prove to Zoe and to my family that I can go beyond the picture they kept painting about me. That I can be the twin with a Difference. My heart fluttered at the thought of me being there winning, it sounded amazing just thinking about it.

With no other thing left to talk about, we all decided to call it a night, snuggling against each other on Antonio's bed.

A/N

Hi everyone thank you all so much for coming on this journey with me till this point. Really appreciate it, however.

This will be the last update for this month, that is why there is no suspense in this chapter because from the 20th of September my final final exams are starting. And there is project defense as well and graduation and NYSC preparation you know all that stuff. So  pls bear with me for I will be on hiatus for a while.

Don't worry I promise when I come back it's going to be a double update one literally all my books. Thanks for understanding.

And yes this book is currently on 4k 71 reads pls guys help me get it to 5k 🥺🥺🥺 by flooding it with your votes and don't forget to comment your thoughts on this book so far and yes please shareeeeeeeeeee 🥰🥰🥰🥰Arigato 🙏🏽🙏🏽 and until we meet again thank you 🙏🏽