Don't skip the Author's note when you are done. There are several important things I'd like y'all to see there.

Jamal's POV

I woke up to a dim lit room. I stretched my hand to my side and felt the empty space beside me, the space Elyon had been few hours ago. Looking around and I saw her bag, shoe and blazer lying at a corner and I smiled. She was still around.

Stretching and getting up from the bed, I looked outside my window to see that everywhere was dark. I yawned, picked up my phone and checked the time, widening my eyes when I realized how much time has passed.

8:30pm

I dropped my phone and walked towards the bathroom, pulling off my shirt and unbuttoning my fly, feeling the need to take a shower and wash off my pain and heartache. I took my grey joggers from where it was hanging on the door of my wardrobe and entered the bathroom.

I let out a breath I was holding, allowing my thoughts to run wide as the water from the shower head cascaded down my body.

I can't believe I actually hurt Mateo. It was no revenge, I just don't know what came over me. Mr Johnson's trash talk about my mental state put me on the edge and I wasn't thinking anymore. I just acted on impulse, due to the fact that I've had a feeling Mateo wanted to take advantage of my sister.

I guess I was very wrong and I would go to whatever length to prove that to Mateo and Skye.

I heard the door of my room open and close, hearing Elyon's voice talk to someone on the phone. I ran my hand through my wet hair and puffed out air from my mouth as the cold water sent a soothing feeling through my veins, as well as Elyon's voice over the door.

I put off the shower and stepped out of the glass, pulling my towel with me and drying my body. I took my boxer shorts and joggers and wore it. Hanging the white towel around my neck, I opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom.

Elyon turned around and she stopped talking to whoever she was talking to on the phone, her eyes raking through the length of my body. I inaudibly gulped when I saw the intensity her eyes held.

How can someone look at me like that and expect me to abstain? God, I'm in trouble.

"Mummy, we'll talk later." She said to the receiver after a moment of staring at me and hung up. Her lips spread in a smile. "I was wondering when you'd wake up." She said, walking up to me. I chuckled and shrugged.

"I can't sleep forever, can I? I actually thought you had gone home. It's pretty late, you know." My voice went an octave lower when she reached me and wrapped her hands around my middle, resting her head on my bare chest, her hair tickling my skin in a very sensitive way.

"Mum has a night shift and Dad has travelled. Thankfully, it's the weekend so Venus and I are staying here." She mumbled against my chest and I nodded, smiling at the development. I wrapped my hands around her shoulder and buried my face in her fluffy hair, inhaling her shampoo.

"That's good. I've missed you staying here, with me. I need someone to even talk to." I muttered and she loosened her hands around me, looking up at me.

"Yes, I was going to say that. We need to talk." She stated, giving me a serious look and I chuckled at how cute she looked while trying to play boss. "It's not funny Jamal. I'm serious." She added and my serious face came back on.

"I'm sorry. You are right, we need to talk." I replied and she nodded, taking my hand. We settled on my bed, with my back leaning on the head board and her opposite me, facing me. She looked at me for a while, trying to study me and I looked away from her scrutinizing gaze.

"What happened? You lost your head back there. I saw Mateo before I came home and he was not in a good state at all." She stated and I exhaled, looking at her.

"How bad did he look?" I asked and she looked thoughtful.

"Skye called me. Two cracked ribs and a bursted lip. Maybe a concussion. He won't be able to go to school for the mean time." She replied and I let out a low groan, the intensity of the damage I have inflicted worse than I thought.

What have I done? Jamal, you are not like this. I told myself.

"I swear to God, I didn't mean to do that..." I started and Elyon moved closer to me, causing my voice to trail off. She stretched her hand to touch my face.

"I know you didn't mean to do what you did. Jamal, you are not like that. You are not an angry person or a bitter person. That's why I need to know what went wrong." She whispered, loud enough for me to hear. I looked at her for a while.

"Mr Johnson called me a Mentally deranged patient because I didn't do well in his test." I opened up and she frowned.

"Mr Johnson, as in the chemistry teacher. That asshole?!" She snapped. I nodded and told her everything that happened. From my banter with Mr Johnson to Tolani poisoning my mind, to be almost killing Mateo.

"Tolani told you something like that and you believed her. Tolani of all human beings." Elyon's voice was laced I'm disappointment and I sighed in frustration.

"I wasn't in the right state of mind, okay! I was angry. I wasn't thinking straight and I've always felt Mateo had an ulterior motive for getting close to Skye and I just concluded." I defended myself and Elyon gave me a disapproving look.

"I get the fact that you were angry at that point but Tolani is a trouble maker. I can't believe you actually indulged her. You couldn't even give Skye a benefit of doubt. She's your sister. Even if you cant trust Mateo, at least trust her." Elyon chided and I groaned.

"You are judging me, Elyon." I told her but she shook her head in negation.

"I'm not judging you. I am the last person that would judge you. I am just trying to look out for you. Honestly, this is not just about Skye, Mateo or Mr Johnson, this is about you. There is something more to this and you are not telling me." She lamented, standing up from the bed. I buried my face in my palm.

"It's complicated." I murmured and Elyon looked at me with disbelief.

"Complicated? Really?! Jamal, I've seen you at your worse so hit me with your best shot because when you are involved, nothing is complicated." She said matter of factly and my lips twitched in a smile as her words hit deep.

I didn't speak for a while and I heard her sigh. She came back to the bed and sat closer to me, picking my hand and lacing her fingers through mine. I watched her face take a pained and concerned expression. She looked at me.

"I need you to open up to me. We are way past this, aren't me." She pleaded. I swallowed at her voice did things to me, how her fingers laced between mine made me feel some way I couldn't explain, in a good way. I prepared myself to tell her.

"The night mares are back." I revealed to her and she looked at me for a while, searching my eyes for a doubt. When she didn't see it, she frowned, unlocking her hand from mine and I immediately missed the warmth it brought me. She stood up from the bed and folded her hands.

"For how long?" Her voice came off a bit sharp and I almost winced. I exhaled, standing up from the bed."Please answer me Jamal." She pleaded and I puffed out air from my mouth. She is not going to like what I'm about to tell her.

"It started after mid term break." I confessed and her eyes widened.

"Mid term break ended three weeks ago, Jamal..." She stated. I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed.

"I know..." I started but she cut be off.

"We talked about this Jamal! We spoke about this. You promised you would open up when it gets intense!" She snapped at me and I flinched at how hurt she sounded.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I just didn't want to bother all of you that why I had to keep it myself." I revealed and she looked at me with disbelief. It was then I realizes my error.

Oh no! I face palmed myself.

"All of us?! You kept it from your parents too? From Skye? Why the hell would you do that?! What if something had happened to you in your sleep? A panic attack or worse..." She yelled at me and I moved closer to her but she back tracked, raising her hand to stop me. I felt pain course through my veins.

"Elyon, please. Don't make this hard." I pleaded with her.

"I shouldn't make this hard? You already made it hard, Jamal. O' n bi mi ni nu." She told me and I sighed, my eyes showing how genuinely remorseful I was feeling. She sighed and calmed down, looking at me with very concerned eyes. She was right.

How could I have been so selfish?

"I understand the fact that you want to feel like a normal teenage boy all the time but the truth is sometimes you don't have to act like everything is normal. You have to take drugs and go for check ups and therapy sessions and talk to people! It doesn't have to be me, it has to be your family..." She trailed off.

"No, I want to be able to talk to you as well. I didn't mean for it to come to this at all." I told her, moving close to her cautiously. Now she didn't tell me to stand back.

"Then why are you not speaking to me. I want to know these things, so that I'd be able to help when I can. I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of these and you are not making it easy." She whispered and I respired, coming to stand in front of her. I cautiously stretched my hands and took it in mine. I couldn't even look at her face, I just stared down as I played with her fingers.

"I don't want you getting worried or worked up because of me. I want you to do your own thing without thinking if it would affect my health or not. I want you to have your own life outside taking care of me..."

"You are talking like we are married couples." She teased, a smile tugging on her lips and I chuckled, looking at her. She had her eyes fixed on me, searching mine. I removed my hands from hers and brought them to her face, holding her head in both palms gently, moving closer to her.

"I just don't want to derive you of fun because you want to look out for me." I told her. She brought her hand to rest at my side and her fingers of my skin reminded me that I wasn't wearing any shirt.

"I'm not complaining. I know you can take care of yourself but there are some times you need to also take caution, speak up when things are not alright. No one wants you getting hypertensive at a very young age. God forbid that happens, but prevention is better than cure." She said with a scolding voice and a pout on her lips. I laughed lightly at how she sounded like my mum.

"Yes mum." I teased and she smacked me playfully. I let out  a laughter, not moving from my position. "You are right. I'm sorry for being selfish. I promise it won't happen again." I assured her as soon as my laughter subsided.

She nodded and drew me in, resting her head on my chest. I wrapped my hand around her shoulder and buried my face in her hair.

"You still need to apologize to Skye and Mateo." She mumbled against my chest but I heard her. I sighed and held her tighter.

"I'll do that." I assured again and she hummed in response, unconsciously tracing the skin of my back with her fingers, stirring up arousal in me. I bit against my lips to stop me from moaning.

You better calm down. This is not the time to be feeling all frisky. My subconscious mocked me.

******

I waited till later before standing up to go to Skye's room. I practiced all I wanted to say before I finally gathered up the courage to go to her room. When it was dinner time, Skye avoided me so much, my parents noticed the tension between both of us. Elyon tried to make everything lively and Venus was as bubbly as ever but it was not the same.

"Fix whatever is up between you and your sister. I don't like this tension between both of you." Dad had told me immediately after dinner.

This was me trying to fix it. I rose my hand and knocked on her door softly. After ruffles  and shuffles were heard, the door knob turned and Elyon's face came to view. I took a second look at her. Her hair was ruffled,  giving off a rather alluring look and she was wearing a big sweat shirt that stopped just on her mid thigh. I could swear that she had nothing underneath.

Is that what you came here for? Olosho oshi. My subconscious chided me and I took my eyes off her legs and shook my head to get rid of the thoughts.

"Hey, you are still awake." She whispered, her voice jerking me out of my musing. I looked at her with a smile.

"Yeah. I have to speak to Skye. Do you think you can give us some privacy. You and Venus can go and stay in my room for the time being." I told her and she nodded, opening the door wider for me to enter the room. Skye's face shot up from her laptop and frowned when her eyes landed on me. Venus still had her eyes glued to whatever she was was watching.

"Common Venus, let's go." Elyon told her sister and Venus face shot up.

"Ahn ahn na! The movie is already getting to the interesting part na." She whined and Elyon shot her a glare that made her keep quiet immediately. I chuckled and gave Venus my phone.

"Don't worry, just play with this for the time being. I will try to be as brief as possible." I told her and she grinned, collecting my phone with all eagerness. Elyon shook her head at me, a small smile playing on her lips and I shrugged, smiling as well. The duo left the room and shut the door, leaving my sister and I to talk.

I sighed loudly, trying to get her attention off the laptop but she didn't budge. She was flat out ignoring me and it was damn right frustrating. I cleared my throat as loud as I could as well but she didn't budge still, she just stared at her laptop. I groaned and went to her, closing the laptop shot and she looked at me, glaring at me.

Well, that did the trick.

"Well, now I have your attention." I said sarcastically and she scoffed.

"I'm not talking to you, Jamal." She said, standing up from the duvet and moving to her bed.

"I messed up, I know but give me a benefit of doubt because this is the first time I'm blowing up like this. I wasn't in the right state of mind. I didn't mean to hit Mateo." I pleaded with her and she turned to look at me, her green orbs flashing with hurt.

"This isn't about hitting Mateo, Jamal. You have never been one to loose your temper so I understand that you might have been in a bad place." She told me and I frowned in confusion.

"Then why exactly are you pissed at me?!" I asked her.

"Because you have been hiding things from me, you numskull!" She snapped and I exhaled, now getting where her anger is coming from.

"I didn't want you getting worried or upset, Skye." I tried to defend.

"Really, and where has that gotten you? I am upset. I am more than upset in fact. I am furious. You've been having the nightmares again and you didn't even think to tell me?! Since when did that one start now, J. J." She retorted and I ran my hand across my face, tired and exhausted, trying to find the perfect excuse. But I couldn't.

"I have no excuse." I admitted calmly, not wanting to fight anymore. Skye sighed looked at me.

"We have been in this together for the past ten years and counting, Jamal. You are not supposed to be hiding important things like this from your family. We are your family members for a reason. Is that the reason you have been acting up lately?" She asked me and I nodded.

"I've not been able to get my head straight. I've tried to keep myself together, trying not to give everything away. Mr Johnson started his bullshit again and Tolani told me Mateo had you locked up in the music room, I didn't think before acting coupled with the fact that I have had this feeling that Mateo has an ulterior motive for getting close to you." I revealed to her. She looked at me.

"Well, that's where you are wrong. Mateo didn't get close to me, I was the one that made up my mind to be close to him. He is trying to change. He has a lot of shit going on and I know you have your own problems and he hurt you but he really wants to make amends." Apart from the fact that I noticed she was defending Mateo, I detected a tone in her voice. A tone Skye has never used on anyone apart from her family .

"Why have you suddenly taken so much interest in Mateo?" I asked her and she looked away. I watched as she played with her hair, a nervousness trait I have gotten accustomed to.

"It's nothing. He is just like you, that's why." She said and I frowned in confusion.

"Just like me how?" I asked her.

"He has BPD, Borderline Personality Disorder." She deadpanned and my eyes went huge as saucers.

Say God!

*****

I honked, waiting for the gate man to come and open the gate. On cue, I saw him run to the gate and throw it open, allowing me to drive in. I didn't see Uncle Taju's car but I knew Mateo was home. Skye told me he was placed on mandatory bed rest if he wanted to heal.

I found my way inside and I heard a ruckus upstairs in the direction of Mateo's room, causing me to quicken my step. I saw that his door was slightly open and I peeped in to see that his room was scattered as he was trying to get something but due to the damage on his body, he couldn't, bringing the room into the chaos that it was in.

"Fück! Stupid shirt!" I heard him cuss and my lips twitched in a smile as I opened the door wider, catching Mateo's attention. He seemed really surprised to see me.

"Need any help, friend?" I offered.

____________

I helped Mateo to put on his shirt and arrange his room, while he laid on his bed, watching me like I had grown two head and a devil's tail. I chuckled and looked at him

"You know it's not polite to stare." I told him and he shrugged.

"Still trying to figure out why you are helping me arrange my room instead of finally finishing the job you started. As you can see, I'm still very much alive. So, get on with it." He said, his lips tugged in a lopsided grin and that indicated that he was teasing. I chuckled.

"Maybe I want it to seem like a suicide. Who knows." I shot him the most evil smirk I could mutter and I saw his face contour into fear, meaning he took me serious. I doubled up in laughter. "I was just joking. Calm down." I told him and he sighed, trying to muster a courageous smile.

"I'm sorry. It's just that, I won't be surprised if you actually want to kill me. I've done a lot of awful things to you." He said and I sighed, going to sit on the bed beside him.

"And I haven't? Guys, I fucking broke your ribs. What I did is unforgivable." I told him.

"I deserved it." He argued.

"No body deserves pain. Which is why you should have told me about your BPD. Now it all makes sense. The incessant mood swings and change of attitude." I said in understanding.

"Skye told you about it." He stayed and I nodded.

"She had to. Why didn't you tell me earlier, we could have worked on it together. You are my brother, Mateo." I told him and he sighed.

"Because you already had your own problems to deal with. After my mum began to misbehave and started to abuse me, I lost everything. Then everyone we knew was all over you, just you." He started and I settled down to listen to him. He kept his eyes on his hand, almost like he was ashamed of what he was about to reveal.

"I was jealous but then the seed wasn't deep. As years went by, I saw more reasons to hate you. Even with your disorder, you were perfect and the seed of jealousy went deeper. Elyon was like the brake point and I just had to lash out. I know it's not an excuse but I felt neglected." He revealed and I exhaled, clasping my head in my palm as the revelation hit me deep.

"Why didn't you say anything?" I asked him and he looked at me.

"Just like it was quite hard for you to tell Elyon about your PTSD, that's the same way it was quite hard for me to tell my friends that I'm mentally deranged." He said and I shook my head at him.

"You are not mentally deranged." I told him and he shrugged.

"I know that now. Skye made me realize that." I saw his lips twitch in a smile when he mentioned my sister's name and I smiled. I knew it was an unconscious action but I had a hint, a clue what was going on.

"She told me she feels the need to help you, to stay by you because we are just very much alike. I guess the fact that she has spent years taking care of me makes it easy for her to take care of you." I told him and I saw his face contour into a slight frown.

"She said that?" He asked me and I nodded. In a split second the frown was off and replaced with a smile. "I'm so sorry once again. I really hope we can pick up where we left off. From now on, I have you back." He assured me and I smiled.

"Always and forever?" I asked him and he grinned.

"To infinity and beyond." He mimicked the famous Toy Story catch phrase and I laughed. I stretched my hand and he Shook it's, before we did our customized best friend handshake.

We are back.

A/N

Finally an update.

I can't count the number of people that messaged me to update sha. I was trying to take my sweet time actually but Oya oo, before you pipu kee me, here is an update.

If I was the kind of writer that gave names to my chapters, this chapter would have been titled reconciliation or something like that. This is an high school book. I'm trying to make the controversies as normal as how it happens in a high school with a little bit of intensity and one story line in mind so that y'all won't be confused.

In this regard, an highschool book cannot have just one villain. Mateo is a complex character with his own back story which is why he can't be a antagonist forever. He was just going through a phase which he has already passed, or rather he's scaling through gradually. Tolani is the major antagonist of this book, no arguments and her own duty is to keep causing trouble.

So everyone that wants to kill her, it's not yet her turn to die. She still has to reek havoc a little more. This book is going to last till their final year in highschool so for a sneak peek, there is still going to be one more antagonist that I have mentioned briefly in the cause of this book and the antagonist would be introduced to us later.

You can take your guesses as to who I'm talking about.

Anyway, that's all there is to say. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to comment and vote. Also, I Have published my first "Spiritual" book. It's titled  "Spiritual Warfare" it's a short story. You can check out the prologue. You'll love it.

Till next time, Stay safe 💓💓