Jamal's POV

I cleared my throat and immediately they came apart, with Tolani awkwardly falling off the ceramic basin, her panties still hanging around her ankle. I would have laughed at the sight but this was a serious issue. She quickly wore her panties, looking quite embarrassed.

I looked at the guy. He was familiar. He was an SS1 guy and he was the same guy Tolani was grinding at the party. Now it all made sense. I was glaring at him and he cowered under my stare. Yes, I commanded that much power.

"Se... Senior Jamal..." His words came out in a stutter.

"Get out." I ordered calmly and her practically ran out of the lavatory and I was left alone with Tolani. She was looking at me, biting the side of her lips, give off a lax expression. I chuckled humourless attitude.

"You know, I'm not exactly surprised I saw that." I stated and she frowned.

"Ohhh. So that's what you'll say." She snapped.

"What do you expect me to say? That's I'm angry?" I asked her folding my hands.

"Are you not supposed to be?" She asked, confusion written all over her face and I just had to laugh.

"Tolani, I'm not angry. I'm more confused as per, why did you do this? I don't understand" I shrugged. She scoffed.

"Isn't it obvious enough or I need to spell it out to you? You have been really annoying this past week and really neglecting. You left me on my birthday!" She snapped.

"Is that what this is about? The fact that I had to help a friend?" I asked her, getting even more confused.

"The fact that you chose her over me! I've seen the way you look at her, don't even dare deny it. I've seen the way you follow her every move. You don't look at her like a friend." She replied and I sighed.

"Don't pin this on Elyon, Tolani because this isn't only about her. It's about us. It's about the fact that I'm not giving you what you want." I told her

"Yes!!! I cannot keep living up to your expectations!!" She growled and that got me pissed.

"You cannot keep living up to my expectations? Tolani, that statement is down right selfish because I've been living up to your expectations for the last two years and just once, I'm asking you to compromise for me but you can't. Instead you are cheating." I snapped.

"I won't call it cheating because we are not exactly dating." She was doing it again.

"Wow!" I muttered

Okay, that's it. I'm done.

"You know what, fuck this. You are right, you don't owe me shit because we are not dating. But from now on, I'm severing every form of relationship we have." I concluded and turned around.

"Are you breaking up with me?" She screamed. I turned around and shrugged.

"I won't call it breaking up... because we are not dating." I used her words against her abs she gasped.

"Tolani, I cannot keep up with your toxic bullshit. It's chocking me and I have to run for my life before it kills me." I opened the door and walked out of the lavatory, feeling free.

For your mind now you don drop punch line bah? My subconscious mocked me and I found myself chuckling at the thought.

*****

It's been days since I ended whatever was between Tolani and I. The news spread like wild fire in school. I was a bit bothered because I hated the attention anyway and the rumours going round about Tolani was brutal.

But Tolani being Tolani, the Bitch of all bitches, she held her head up and continued to act like the Queen she thought she was, ignoring every rumour, like always.

Elyon and Mateo had gotten closer, or maybe it was just me. I didn't know her parents take and didn't bother asking. I barely ate at the table, giving excuses. Somadina helped as well. It hurt so much seeing them so close like that.

Mateo knew what he was doing. I didn't miss the dirty looks and the smirks he kept sending my way. Elyon, well, she was basically very clueless about anything going on around her. In fact every one the group was, apart from Somadina.

It was the weekend and my family and I were all at home. It was just five in the evening and I was in my room, drawing the picture of a certain girl when Skye barged into my room.

"Skye, will you stop doing that for once?" I snapped at her but she ignored me and sat on my bed.

"We are having company for the weekend." She announced and I frowned, looking at her.

"Which company?" I asked her.

"Aunty Lyla and Uncle Kelvin travelled to calabar for a conference so Elyon and Venus are staying with us over the weekend." She squealed excitedly while a bell went off in my head instead.

PTSD!

"What?!" I snapped and Skye looked at me skeptically.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked me.

"You seem to forget that I have panic attacks every ten seconds. We hardly have guests that are not family members over for the weekend. What were mum and dad thinking?!" I snapped and Skye seemed to realize as well.

"They will be in my room throughout. Mummy will give you the sleeping pills. Nothing will happen." She tried to assure me and I groaned in frustration.

"Again, you seek to forget that the sleeping pills don't work anymore. I still have nightmares and wake up with attacks. Fuck!" I muttered.

What if She sees me like this?

Weak...

Vulnerable...

I began to hyperventilate, plopping down on my bed. Skye noticed this and came to me immediately.

"Jamal, breath. Calm down. It's going ti be okay. Just breath." She was basically pleading and I fought to find my rhythm.

"I don't want her to see me like this." I muttered, not meaning for Skye to hear.

"You don't want who to see you like what?" She asked me and I looked at her.

"Never mind. Can you get me a cup of water please?" I asked and she nodded, hurrying out of the room to get me a bottle. I fell back first to my bed, sighing.

Recipe for disaster.

****

Elyon and Venus came in few minutes after Skye left my room and she left them to hers. I didn't come out, I didn't want her to see me. I just stayed in door and kept drawing. It would soon be dinner time and knowing my mum, she would call me to do something in the kitchen.

"Jamal!" She hollered and I rolled my eyes.

What did I say?

"Yes mum." I hollered back.

"What are you still doing in your room? Come down here and help jhoor." She hollered again and I grumbled, pushing myself sluggishly off the chair.

This people will not let someone rest. I muttered to myself.

"Inioluwa!!!" My mummy shouted, calling me by my middle name, indicating she wasn't joking.

"Ma! Mo'n bo!(I'm coming.)" I increased my pace and left my room.

I descended the stairs, hearing chatters from the kitchen. I got to the door and stopped short when I saw Elyon, my mum and Skye chatting away and cooking at the same time. I felt my lips spread in a small smile. They were vibing and it looked really nice.

"I don't think you need my help if the kitchen is almost a full house." I stated, catching their attention. I looked at Elyon and she was looking at me, a smile playing on her lips.

"You better get your itchy butt inside this kitchen. You should wash the tomatoes and peppers then you will blend it. Oya!" Mum ordered and I grumbled, walking in. I got to the sink and began to wash the tomatoes and peppers.

"I'll help." Elyon said and came to stand beside me. Her skin brushed mine and I felt a shiver run down my spine.

I stand by my word. This is a recipe for disaster.

"Thanks." I muttered, throwing a small smile her way. She began to remove the stock from the pepper while I washed the tomatoes putting them in a different bowl.

"So, Inioluwa is your middle name." Her voice came out teasing and I looked at her, my eyes wide.

"Don't tell me you heard my mum call me that!" I said, embarrassment written all over my face. I hated that name so much.

"What if I did? It's a very cute name." She shrugged.

"It's a feminine name." I replied her, draining the water while she threw the stocks into the bin.

"It's a unisex name, Jamal. I know many guys that bare that name." She smirked at me and I inaudibly gulped.

"It doesn't matter, I hate the name." I concluded and she shook her head, bringing the blender closer.

"It doesn't also matter. I'll call you that name from now on." She said, mischief evident in her voice and I grammatically gasped.

"You wouldn't dare." I dared her.

"Watch me." She winked and I felt my heart flip.

Forget, this babe is flirting with me on purpose.

In less than an hour, dinner was ready and the table was set. Dad had come in from work before dinner was ready and was freshening up. Venus on the other hand was in the screening room watching movie and Skye had to go and call her for dinner. All in all, dinner was great, it was funnier than usual.

...all because she was here.

*****

It was about ten in the night. My parents had retired to bed because the nature of their work still demanded their presence on Saturdays. I could hear the sounds from Skye's room. The girls were having fun and I smiled.

At least one of us is having fun. I thought sadly.

Because I didn't want Elyon finding out about my panic attacks, I decided to stay up all night. So I resolved to drawing pictures that came to my mind. It's just a matter of time before the girls go to sleep.

A knock came to my door, interrupting my thoughts. I didn't answer before the door opened and Elyon poked her head in. To say I was surprised was an understatement.

"Elyon." I muttered but I could tell she heard me anyway because she smiled.

"Can I come in?" She asked, walking in anyway.

"Sure. You already let yourself in so I couldn't even say no if I wanted to." I teased her and she giggled, plopping down on my bed.

"So what I'm hearing is, you actually want me here, uhn?" Her voice was suggestive and teasing and I just had to smile.

"Stop feeling yourself too much, Tiwatope." I said, running my tongue through my dry lips when I saw her eyes widen. Yes, I found our her own middle name. Now I have something to tease her with.

"How did you know my middle name?" She asked me. I chuckled and sat down beside her on the bed.

"That's for me to know and for you to never find out. Now I have something to tease you with as well." I grinned and she rolled her eyes.

Is it normal that I find that gesture pretty sexy.

"Well jokes on you, Inioluwa. I actually like my middle name. So I don't mind you calling me Tiwatope." She looked at me, a genuine smile playing on her lips and I wouldn't stop grinning.

"Funny how, I kinda like the way you call my name. So, I'll let it go." I said and she laughed.

"Even if you didn't like the way I call your name, you will have to get used to it because that's what I'll be calling you from now on." She told and I gasped again.

"Please don't call me that in front of people, I beg you. That will be super embarrassing." I pleaded with her and she chuckled.

"No promises." She winked at me, standing up and walking over to my table. I watched her as her fingers scanned my table. My eyes, having a mind its own, ran down the length of her body.

She was wearing a big yellow shirt and jeans shorts, it was in between three quarter and bum shorts. The baggy shirt fell over her body but didn't fail to hide her beautiful figure and the show of her smooth, long and flawless legs was not helping my ministry at all.

"You draw?" Her voice cut through my reverie like a knife and I came back to myself, tearing my gaze from her body and bringing them to her face.

"Hmmm?" I asked, disoriented. She picked my sketch pad and showed me one of my drawing.

"I thought you were in visual arts class just for the fun of it. I didn't think you knew how to actually draw." She said and I smiled, standing up to go and stand beside her.

"Well, this is my means of escape. Arts and music but mostly this." I replied, watching her as she swept through the sheets.

"These are really beautiful... But sad..." She trailed off, looking at me. I looked at the page she was in.

It was a picture of someone drowning in an enclosed bottle...and immediately, my mood turned sour.

"Just forget it." I took the sketch pad from her and dumped it on the table.

"Jamal..." She muttered, her voice held a bit of pity and it pissed me off to ends. I walked to the door and opened it.

"You should go to bed. It's already late." I muttered, looking away from her. She sighed.

"I'm sorry." She murmured then walked out if the room. I closed the door and fell to the bed.

Why am I pushing her away? I asked myself.

Because she's cracking you gradually and it's only a matter of time before she breaks your walls completely. My subconscious revealed

...and that revelation scared me to bits.

*****

Elyon's POV

I woke up, feeling a bit thirsty. I looked at the time and saw that it was just two o'clock early in the morning. I looked around to see Venus and Skye fast asleep. Still feeling hazy from sleep, I wore my slides and walked out of the room and down the stairs.

I got to the kitchen and went straight to the refrigerator. Picking up a bottle of water, I poured myself a glass and downed the content in a go. I decided to take the entire bottle upstairs, just in case I got a thirsty again. When I turned around to leave, I almost screamed my guts out in scare.

Jamal was standing right by the door, watching me.

A/N

Some really deep stuff is about to go down... And no it's not a kiss... Just a very very very very very very deep shit.

Tolani and Jamal have finally "broken". Was it a rough one?

Mateo is intentionally trying to rile Jamal up. Do you think he knows Jamal kinda likes Elyon?

You'll love the next update, trust me. I just don't know when that will be 🌚🌚🌚