I told y'all from the beginning of this book that I'd be updating as the spirit leads😎. So if the spirit doesn't lead me to update in 2 weeks, I won't update na 🤣🤣🤣. I can imagine your faces now. I give updates like twice in a week and that should do. I'm trying na... Abi?

Who likes the GIF up in the media 🌚🌚? Do you want one just like it?

Who is ready to dive into Jamal's mind?😏😏

Let's dive!!!

↭Jamal↭

White.

That's all I was seeing staring back at me.

White.

I held my paint brush and palette filled with so many colours but I wasn't painting anything. The canvas was white and blank, nothing was on it, not even a drop of paint. And that is how it has been for the past hour. I wasn't getting any inspiration and it was frustrating.

"Fück!" I cussed, dropping the palette and paint brush on the table with a clang. I exhaled deeply, leaning my weight on the table with my hand.

I was gradually loosing it. I had been on the field earlier today for sport practice of football and basket ball but I wasn't my self at all. If I wasn't drifting off mid way into my thoughts, I was unnecessarily distracted. After flopping more than 50% of the goal for my team, Coach asked me to take a breather.

I needed the breather. I needed a place to think and clear my raging thoughts. The only place I could think of was the art studio mostly because I haven't been here for a while. So, I went there, hoping to paint, to take my mind off everything. But it was like hitting another brick wall because I have been here for an hour and a half and I have not done anything.

It was fucking frustrating.

Was this how much he had affected me? Basically paralyzing every form of sensible and reasonable thought from my mind. Making me a zombie of some sort. It was upsetting, that even after all these years, he was still able to infiltrate my mind and turn my mind upside down.

Is that how bad he had damaged me?

I heard the door behind me open and close but didn't look back. It was probably one of those juniors that feel the Art studio is a play ground. I honestly didn't want anyone around. I wasn't in the mood.

"Whoever you are, you should leave." I said without looking back.

"Even me?" The voice jerked me out of my reverie and I spun around a speed I didn't even know I had. Elyon was standing just by the door, looking at me, intently. I opened my mouth but my words were caught in my throat.

My eyes unconsciously assessed her. She was in a red armless Jersey I recognized to be one I had given her some time ago and black spandex with sport sneakers. I needed no soothsayer to tell me she was just coming back from sport practice. I licked my lips involuntarily.

My girlfriend is Hot. Even without trying.

"Do you want me to leave?" Her voice tore through my reverie and I looked at her, confused. "Do you want me to leave?" She repeated and I quickly shook my head. The last thing I wanted was for her to leave.

"No." I said and she smiled. "Sorry, I just thought it was one of those pesky new JSS1 students that are awfully too curious for their own good. They have been coming here." I told her and she chuckled, making small, dainty steps towards me till she was just few feet before me. I stayed rooted to my position, watching her just like she was watching me too.

"What are you painting?" She peered over my shoulder, looking at the blank canvas behind me. I scoffed out a humorless laughter.

"Nothing." I answered with a sigh. "I can't seen to think of anything to paint. My mind is just blank." I added with a shrug and Elyon looked back at me, her eyes intently on mine.

"There is something going on." She started and paused to take a deep breath. I exhaled as well, knowing where she was going with this. But I didn't interrupt her. If she wanted to vent, then she should. She had every right to.

"There is something going on with you that you obviously don't want me to know about and that's why you have been avoiding me." She continued calmly but I could hear the undertone of edge in her voice. I shook my head.

"Elyon, it's..." I started but she stopped me, her eyes trained on mine.

"I get that you might not want to tell me anything for now, but avoiding me? Ignoring me?" She sounded pained and I looked down, feeling guilt wash through my veins.

"I have barely seen your face since the term started. We have barely had any time together and I understand that a lot is going on with you right now but do you know how frustrating, how annoying it is that I have no idea, not even a glimpse of what is going on with you? Do you?" Her voice was rising and I wanted nothing more than to pacify her.

Shebi you wanted her to vent before ni? My subconscious mocked me.

"I'm okay, Elyon..." I told her and she scoffed, removing her hands from mine briskly like my grip suddenly burnt her and walking away from me in anger.

"Don't tell me you are okay!" She snapped and I kept quiet, scratching my temple in exhaustation and frustration.

"I am not blind, Jamal and I'm certainly not stupid!" She continued, her voice rising at every word she made. I leaned my back against the table and hung my head low, not saying anything as she continued to speak. I heard her take a few calming breaths before she walked back towards me.

"I notice the coffee you bring to school every morning. I notice the eye bags. I notice the tiredness in your eyes and I know for a fact that you are not getting enough sleep." She said in a whisper, her voice strained.

"We handled this last year, Jamal. We can handle it again this year_" She started to say but I knew that we couldn't.

"We can't handle anything, Elyon!" I interrupted her. "This is nothing like last year. This is different." I told her and she kept quiet, watching me for a while.

"Why?" She asked. "We dealt with insomnia. If only you'll just tell me what going on then we can deal_"

"This is way beyond your control, way beyond my control! We both have no power over this." I cut her off again.

"This is why I don't want to drag you into this. This is why I don't want to tell you anything yet. I don't want you worrying." I lamented, trying so much so that she could see things from my perspective.

"Yet, here I am, still worrying." That statement made me keep quiet because she was right. Everything I do to keep her from worrying ends up getting her even more worried and concerned than usual

"Everything you do to keep me from getting concerned about you makes me to get more concerned about you." She stated in a small voice, walking towards me till she was back in my front and because I was crouching, she was almost my height.

"That's how much I care about you, Jamal." She muttered, both of her hands trailing up my arms to rest on my shoulder, massaging the side of my neck. I sighed in satisfaction, my hands automatically wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. Her eyes searched mine eagerly.

"That's how much I love you." She whispered, moving even closer to me.

I licked my suddenly dry lips, my lips twitching in a small smile as I'd never get tired of hearing her say those words to me. I leaned forward and pressed my forehead to hers gently, feeling her hand move up to cradle my face. We stayed like that for a moment, no words said, just the sound of our breathing filled the quiet room.

"It's hard_" She started again, whispering, still in the same position. "It's hard not know what's going on in your boyfriend's life. It's difficult not knowing how someone you care about is fairing. I get that it's probably hard for you to tell me what's going on with you and I understand_" She paused again, raising her head slightly to look at me.

"But, let me be there with you. I don't have to know everything. Just let me be by your side. That's what I signed up for when I said I'd be your girlfriend, right." She stated and I chuckled, my lips turned in a mischievous smirk.

"I think that phrase applies perfectly if you are my wife." I told her and she smiled.

"Who knows? It just might happen." She shrugged and I laughed.

"I'm sorry." I pulled her in for a hug when our laughter subsided.

"I'm sorry too." She answered back.

We pulled back slightly and I pressed a dainty kiss to her forehead. Her sigh urged me on and I pressed another kiss to the tip of her nose before moving my lips to meet hers in a soft kiss. it was a brief and tender one, with me tugging against her lower lip when I was pulling away. I took my hand to her face and brushed the strands of her braids that had loosened from it bun while my eyes were still strained on hers.

"I love you." I muttered, brushing my thumb slightly against her lip and she smile.

"You had better." She answered and I laughed, pulling her in for another hug.

"Will you sing for me?" I asked her, my voice muffled as my face was buried in her neck. I heard her chuckle.

"You want me to sing? Jamal, you know it's been a while." She told me and I groaned, feeling her giggle and wiggle against me as my breath probably tickled her.

"Just this once." I pleaded and she sighed.

"Fine. What do you want me to sing for you?" She asked.

"Any song." I replied and she stayed quiet for a while before her sweet and melodious voice began to sing the chorus of Rewrite the Stars by Zendaya and Zac Efron.

What if we rewrite the stars?

Say you were made to be mine

Nothing could keep us apart

You'd be the one I was meant to find

It's up to you, and it's up to me

No one can say what we get to be

So why don't we rewrite the stars?

Maybe the world could be ours

Tonight

With my face nuzzling at the hallow of her neck and with her in my arms and her enchanting voice singing the lyrics of that simple yet powerful song, I still knew deep down that everything was far from okay.

↭↭↭↭

I ran past the nurse at the reception that kept calling after me and picked up the pace, running towards the door of his office. As soon as I got to his door, I barged on without knocking. His eyes jerked up as he looked at me in surprise, obviously what I was doing back in his office.

"Jamal_" He started, getting up from his seat but I cut him off, not having any time to waste.

"I need to see you now, Faizal." I said and he frowned at me before looking at the man in his seated in the visitors chair, obviously trying to tell me that he was busy with a patient but I couldn't care less. I needed to speak to him.

"Jamal, I'm..." Faizal started again but I cut if off yet again, getting more desperate.

"It's very urgent and I'm very desperate. Please." I pleaded with him and he sighed, rubbing his temple. He apologized to the man and told him to come back later and thankfully, the man agreed and left. I didn't seat down, not when I'm like this. Unsettled and agitated.

"You can't just barge into my office unannounced, Jamal. You haven't been here in the six months so can you tell me why you are back in my office? Is every okay?" Faizal asked as he settled down on his seat, peering at me through his thick rimmed glasses.

"He is back." I answered and Faizal frowned in confusion.

"You'll have to be more specific." He said and I sighed.

"Khalil." I revealed my cousin's name and Faizal's shocked expressed changed to that of utter shock. "Khalil is back here." I completed.

"He's is what?!" Faizal didn't even bother to hide his shock.

"He is here and he is staying. I don't know for how long but he has barely been here for a month and I'm beginning to loose it." I said, my voice holding agitation.

"Allah." Faizal muttered, scratching his forehead, keeping quiet for a while before looking at me.

"Lock the door and sit down, Jamal. We might be here for a very long while." Faizal said and I hung my head low in utter resignation and frustration because I knew exactly what that meant.

Oh God of Heaven. Have Mercy on your son.

A/N

Hmmmnnn.

Things are going to get a bit more interesting from here on now, especially because from the next chapter, the Olympia will commence and we would be introducing our favourite characters from "Perfectly Imperfect" who would as well be coming in with their own load of drama. I guarantee.

A quick notice. This book and Perfectly Imperfect are not in the same timeline. Perfectly Imperfect is just about to start third term SS2 and this book is already in SS3 first term. So if you see anything that doesn't align with Perfectly Imperfect, don't be confused. Riri (Rihanna_Adedeji) and I already have everything planned out.

Jamal and Elyon are not a perfect couple. I need you guys to keep that in mind because from here on one, things might actually start getting rocky. I won't say more than that. I apologize for the short chapter, I do hope it's not too crappy sha.

I love the progress this book is making though. Thank you so much y'all. Keep spreading the word about this book. Also don't forget to vote and comment.

I'll see you when I see you. ❤️❤️