𝕁𝔸𝕄𝔸𝕃

"He's coming here? To Lagos?" Somadina asked for the fifth time in the last ten minutes. Skye let out a loud in response.

"No o. He is going to calabar." Mateo replied in sarcasm resulting in Somadina flashing him a glare.

It was one week to resumption and we were seated in the food court of Shoprite, hanging out because we didn't get to do that during the holidays. While trying to catch up, Skye thought it was a good time to tell the guys that Khalil would be arriving in two days. Vanessa has met him once but Mateo has known him almost as long as Khalil has been my cousin. Only Soma and Elyon had not met him.

"He was just asking a question na." Vanessa defended her boyfriend.

"The same question five times? Really?" Elyon rolled her eyes and I laughed.

"I thought I was the only one counting." I chipped in.

"Sorry for asking the question then." Soma said, trying to lay his flop to rest. "It's just that I've heard so much about him but I haven't actually seen him. I follow him on IG tho. He didn't follow me back." Somadina pouted and Skye groaned in frustration.

"Can we get back to the topic at hand?!" She called back our attention. "Somadina, no one cares if he follows you on Instagram or not." Skye added and Soma let out a dramatic gasp.

"Harsh." He muttered, munching on his fries.

"What's the issue with this Khalil dude that has got you guys so worked up." Elyon asked, looking straight at me, silently asking me to feel her in.

"Khalil is not just any dude." Mateo started, perking Elyon's curiosity.

"Yes, he's the worst of the worst." Skye chipped in and I laughed when Elyon's eyes widened like saucers.

"Skye, he's your cousin." She chided and Skye scoffed.

"That's exactly why I can tell that the dude is a demon. I honestly don't understand how someone so vile and annoying can be born into a family of angels." Skye lamented then she faced me. "Jamal, tell them." She added and Elyon faced me with rapt attention. I sighed and sat up.

"Khalil is not exactly the best person to be around..." I started but Mateo cut in.

"That's just putting it mildly." Mateo stated.

"I've only met him once and I can say for a fact that he's a total ass." Vanessa chipped in. Even with how the situation was a tad bit serious, I found the impute of my friends rather funny.

"Khalil is someone I would term has mischievous and devious. He always has something up his sleeve and it's not always good." I explained briefly, clearly not wanting to go into any more details.

"It's never good." Skye added.

"So basically," Somadina started. "What we are looking at is a Male version of Tolani?" He asked and I chuckled, shaking my head. Not because his question was in any way funny but because he decided to compare Khalil to Tolani.

Tolani is just a learner compared to Khalil.

And we haven't seen Khalil in almost 5 years.

So basically, eighteen years old Tolani would be learning from fourteen years old Khalil.

Imagine how eighteen years old Khalil would be.

"You dare compare Khalil to Tolani." Mateo stated in disbelief, as if he was reading my thoughts. "You have no idea what he is capable of." He added and Elyon's eyes widened in awe.

"Wow! He must have done you guys a lot of harm when y'all were younger. No good comments whatsoever." Elyon said, a look I couldn't place creased across her face.

"If I have the chance, I'd swap him for five hundred naira recharge card without thinking twice." Skye simply started and we all laughed.

"what if he has changed?" Elyon asked and my brows furrowed in confusion. Skye sighed and shook her head.

"Elyon, that guy will never change. I can't count the number of things he has done to harm me and Jamal, especially Jamal." Skye said and I shot her a look. I could feel Elyon's eyes on me.

She's not supposed to say anything.

"Jamal..." Elyon called but I shook my head.

"I rather not talk about it." My mood suddenly became sore. Elyon had her gaze on me for a while before she nodded in understanding. "Can we please change the subject." I added, more interested in stuffing my face with French fries.

Khalil and I have our own history, a rather unpleasant one for that matter. I tried to act like him coming isn't affecting me but mere thinking about it is affecting me. For the sake of my sanity, I silently prayed that Elyon was somehow right about him being changed.

It's been almost five years after all.

"Mateo, now that you are back," Vanessa started and caught everyone's attention. "You missed third term, how are you going to catch up?" She asked and there was a murmur of agreement. I was even surprised I haven't thought towards that direction. I was just too excited to have my best friend back.

"I have it all under control. I'd be shuffling all the important classes with my SS3 classes and I'd seat for the exam with the SS2 guys since we are not going to be writing mock till January. So, it's easy." He explained.

"That's good. It's even better now that we are not doing anything in first term. Second term is the real deal." Somadina stated. Something clicked in my mind.

"That reminds me." I started, catching everyone's attention. "We should be having that competition this year." I added and I saw their faces scrunched up in confusion.

"What competition?" Elyon asked, probably more lost than the others. I tried to refresh my memory. The competition was very common in Lagos schools, especially at Limelight. I just can't remember the name.

"The one that happens around the fourth week of resumption. It's strictly for SS3 students." I offered,  maybe one of them would remember.

"Oh, I can remember." Somadina's face lit like a light bulb.  "The Olympia. Its true, it's this term." He said and I nodded.

Yup, that's the competition.

"Is it the competition that they briefed us about at the end of last session?" Elyon asked, confusion still written all over my face and I nodded. "I still don't understand what the competition is all about." She added, indirectly asking for a briefing.

"The Olympia is an Interschool competition." Mateo started to explain. "Not just any kind of competition, this one is a combination of academics and sports." He explained.

"It's always between four selected schools in the state." Skye chipped in before taking a gulp of water from her bottle.

"Four best of the best schools." Vanessa took it over and I watched Elyon listen with rapt attention.  "We have Emerald Star High, Pacesetters Academy and then our biggest Rivals, Crescent High." She continued.

"Wait, I thought our was biggest Rivals was Castron High." Somadina stated in confusion and I rolled my eyes.

How is this guy a genius?

"No babe." Vanessa replied. "It's Crescent High." She corrected but he looked even more confused.

"What's the difference?" He asked with shrug.

"Somadina," I called and he looked at me. "Castron High is the school of Giwa Falade, Ivandor Fejaun, Yure Adediji. Does that ring a bell?" I asked him and he nodded, his lips round in a O shape.

"Oh, those are the big guns. They get to go for the Dynamis tour. I really want to compete with them one day." Somadina chirped and I groaned.

"So now that Somadina's brain is now fully functional," I started, indirectly throwing shade at Soma who grimaced at me in return, I turned to Elyon. "Do you understand?" I asked her gently and she shrugged.

"Well, I understand on the surface level. But I guess they will still brief us when we resume." She replied with an easy smile and I nodded, flashing her a smile back.

"Speaking of resumption, mehn that in a week." Skye groaned out and I chuckled.

I understood her plight. Being the Senior girl was a lot of work and since she has been saddled with the responsibility, she has always complained about how it was so stressful and how she wished Tolani had gotten the post instead. But that was just Skye being modest. She was probably the best Senior girl the school has had in a long time. She and Somadina were doing a great job.

"Who heard about Tolani's Party?" Vanessa asked and I hissed, suddenly loosing interest.

"Who hasn't? It's all over our Instagram page." Skye replied, the disdain evident in her voice.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I want to turn up." Mateo stated.

"Same here." I admitted, causing Elyon to flash me a disapproving look. I quickly rose both my hands up in surrender. "Don't look at me like that. It's the biggest party of the year." I explained to her and she scoffed, not saying anything.

Wait, is she angry with me for wanting to go to Tolani's party?

"Let's all go together." Somadina offered. "It'd be nice to blow off some steam before we fully resume. If I read too much and I don't have time for fun, my brain will explode." He said with a exaggerated tone.

"I think it's already close to that stage, Soma." Skye  said, patting him on his shoulder in a mock sympathetic way that caused everyone of us to laugh.

Everyone, except Elyon.

"Elyon," I stretched my hand over the armrest of my chair to touch but she subtly jerked away, shifting away from me. I sighed, looking at the others who didn't seem to notice us and were caught up in their own world. I looked at her again but she didn't meet my eyes, her gaze fixed another way.

Well this is new.

****

"You are still not going to talk to me?" I asked Elyon, who totally ignored me and looked outside her window, more interested in staring at the  cream walls of her house fence than talking to me.

Throughout the rest of the hangout, Elyon still didn't speak to me and believe me, I've tried to get her to say something even if it's to vent at me but nope, she hasn't said a word. If the others noticed, they didn't act like it, obviously not wanting to meddle our business. Even when we left Shoprite and throughout our car ride home, still nothing and it was pure torture.

I don't even know what I said that was wrong but I dare not tell her that.

"Elyon, come on." I groaned out in frustration. "You can't actually give me the silent treatment forever." I stated but still no reply. I sighed, licking my suddenly dry lips.

"If it's because I said I want to go to Tolani's party then I'm sorry. But it's just a party, nothing more." I defended.

"Your ex girlfriend's party, Jamal." She finally spoke to me and I sighed again.

"She was never my girlfriend, Elyon. You of all people should know that." I replied but she scoffed in return.

"But the both of you had something going, isn't it?" She asked, sarcasm laced in her voice. I scratched my temple, feeling a sudden pang of headache.

I can't believe she's bringing this up now.

"Can we not talk about my past with Tolani, please." I tried to let my voice remain calm.

"And yet, you are going for her parties." Elyon attacked. The implication of those words hit me and I frowned.

"That's not fair." I simply said and she didn't reply, sending the both of us into a round of silence with the tapping of my fingers against the steering wheel the only sound resonating in the car.

It was rare for Elyon to be pissed at me and all the time she has been pissed, it has been justified. But this wasn't. This wasn't her normal angry self. It was something else and whatever it was, I wasn't not liking it one bit.

"I'm sorry." Her calm voice cut through the thick air of silence. I looked at her, not saying anything so has to give her room to speak. "I don't even know why I'm pissed. It's just a fücking party." Her voice rose a notch and I was quick to take her hand in mine, causing her to turn around and face me.

"Are you riled up because it's Tolani?" I asked her, searching her eyes, making sure she tells me the truth. She looked down, nodding slowly.

Bingo.

"It's stupid, I know..." She started but I shushed her, using my pointer finger to raise her chin up so that she was looking at me.

"It's not stupid." I assured her, my finger moving from her chin for it to caress on the side of her face, my eyes roaming around her face. "You could have just said so." I added and she nodded.

"I could have but I didn't want you to think that I was scared or something." She replied and I tilted my head to the side, watching her intently.

"Why are you scared?" I asked and she let out a breath.

"Because Tolani promised to reek havoc and I really don't want to give her that licence by going to her party." She replied and I scoffed.

"I'd love to see her try." I growled out, suddenly annoyed.

"It's the truth, Jamal." She stated and I looked at her. "Who knows what she has planned for us at her party knowing we would come. I don't trust her." Elyon lamented and I took a deep breath.

"But you trust me, don't you?" I inquired. She looked at me for a moment before she nodded.

"You know I do." She replied, her voice coming out softly. An easy smile spread across my lips as I moved closer to her, my tummy pressing against the compartment box in between the seats.

"Then trust me on this one. Tolani has got nothing on us. Absolutely nothing." I assured her and she respired.

"I really hope you are right on this one." She muttered and I snickered.

"I thought you said you trust me." I queried teasingly and she laughed easily, finally smiling at me for the first time in an hour.

"I do trust you but like I said and would keep saying, I don't trust Tolani." She replied.

"Well, I never asked you to trust her." I smirked and she giggled.

I watched her, a smile still spread across my lips. She stopped laughing and looked back at me, a smile still playing on her lips. I took both her hands in mine and brought them to my lips, pressing soft kisses to her knuckles, then looked back up to meet her watching me through her lashes.

Beautiful.

"Tolani has got nothing on you, Tiwatope." I whispered. I noticed as she darted her tongue out and ran the tip over her dry lips, her eyes not leaving mine. I felt lightheaded immediately.

"Keep telling me that and I just might believe it." She smirked teasingly at me and I cackled.

"Oh, I definitely will." I replied, leaning in to press light kiss against her forehead while she hummed in satisfaction.

"I love you." I whispered when I pulled back slightly to look at her.

"I love you too." She answered.

Soon later, she got down from the car and walked into her house, waving at me. I waved back and drove further to mine.

****

I didn't spot my parent's cars when I drove in which only meant they were not in. Skye was still with Mateo, doing God knows what. I got down from the car and walked towards the house, proceeding to fish my keys out of my pocket when I saw that the front door was open. I frowned.

Weird.

I opened the door slowly, trying not to make any noise. Scanning the living room, I saw that the house was still in other so I stopped panicking, coming to the conclusion that my parents had carelessly forgotten to lock the door. I dropped the car keys in the key bowl and began to ascend the stairs, making my way to my room. I got to the top of the stairs and turned towards the direction of my room only to see my door ajar.

"Mum has started snooping around again." I muttered to myself, rolling my eyes.

"How many times will I tell this woman that I don't have condoms!" I growled out and marched towards my room. Only for me to open the door completely and meet a male figure in my room, causing me to stop short.

The hell?

Realizing that he was no longer alone, the person turned around and his eyes met mine. My eyes widened in recognition just has his lips turned in a lopsided grin.

"Khalil?" I called out, wanting be sure I wasn't day dreaming from thinking too much.

"Hey Coz." He replied, his deep rumbling voice feeling the room, shocking me.

Oh, he's definitely real.

A/N

And our new character has been introduced officially into the book. Fine boy Khalil is here, who is excited🌚? Because I know I am.

I've been down with Malaria for almost a week now and trust me, it's not even funny at all. The #ENDSARS protest is taking a turn and by Gods grace, I hope we scale through. We need to end the madness happening in this country.

Elyon is worried that Tolani has something cooked up for her and Jamal at the party. Who agrees with her? Or is she just being extra paranoid? Let me know your answers in the comment box.

Who noticed an introduction of two of our top Naija Teen fictions. Castron High from "Those Little Things" by lovetori_xo and Crescent High from which book and by which Author? 🌚.

Don't forget to vote, comment and share.

See you when I see you. ❤️❣️❤️❣️