Dedicated to Purple_Deeza
Y'all have her to thank for this update!💕💕💕💕💕

°°°°°

In her eyes, I saw my greatest fears.

❦︎

~[VICTORIA]~

If at all anything could be cute and creepy at the same time, then it'd be Tracy's face as she looked at me that morning.

Her wide smile and scrunched up nose was adorable; At the same time, she reminded me of the Grinch that stole Christmas.

I eyed her warily as I shifted uncomfortably on my seat. For all I knew, she could jump at me and take a chunky bite of my neck out of nowhere.

"What?" I just had the ask, there was only so much weirdness I could take.

"Tomorrow is tomorrow."

I was looking at her, she was looking at me. Obviously, I was waiting for her to explain what she had just said, because I didn't understand shit. But from the way she was still creepily staring at me, I realized that she was done talking.

"Uh... okay." I decided to mind my lovely business and save myself the headache of asking her what she freaking meant by 'tomorrow is tomorrow'.

"Aren't you going to ask me what tomorrow is?"

No.

But I didn't want to seem rude. So, I summoned as much tolerance as I could and asked, "What is tomorrow, Tracy?"

"Tomorrow is... tomorrow." She repeated the same shit, meanwhile still having that freaking wide grin on her face.

That was it. I wholeheartedly believed that Tracy should have been admitted in the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, nobody could convince me otherwise.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Girl, because you're freaking me out and I legit want to run away from you this instant. But I didn't say that. Instead, I shook my head and told her, "Nothing."

"Well, you look quite uncomfortable, Ria." She dropped her smile and scanned my face with worried eyes, "Tell me, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Tracy." I assured her with a smile, a tight-lipped one.

"You don't understand what I mean by 'tomorrow is tomorrow', do you?"

Girl, obviously. I shook my head to let her know though.

"The twins, it's their birthday tomorrow!" Immediately, her wide grin made it's appearance again and she clamped her fingers over chest in excitement.

"What twi- ohhhhh!" I nodded with wide eyes as I realized. "Chris and Charles."

"Yep!" She nodded with so much enthusiasm.

"You should have just said that and save us both the stress." I deadpanned.

"I deliver news with spice." She boasted like it was some sort of achievement. The delivery was not spicy in the least bit, but I let it rest for my own sake. I was not about to indulge in an argument with Tracy that early morning.

"They don't like parties, so I want us to organize a little hangout, just for the gang." She told me.

"Okay-"

"And I want three of us to prepare a little speech for them, that'll be so sweet."

"Huh?" I frowned at her, "Three of us?"

"Yes nau." She swatted my arm slightly. "You, Jay and I."

"Jason?" I asked, just to be sure she knew what she was saying. He didn't quite come off as the type that'd write a mushy little speech for his friend's birthday. But then, what do I know about him?

"Yes, Jason." She confirmed. "He's right beside you."

Naturally, I turned to my right to see. My eyes met his dull, grey ones. As I helplessly stared at him, I wondered why he didn't input any single thing the entire time since he was supposed to be part of the conversation.

He was looking between Tracy and I; As usual, his face lacked expression.

"Jay, have you even been listening?" I heard Tracy ask him. I wasn't looking at her, and I didn't understand why I was still staring at Jason.

Slowly, he diverted his gaze from my face to look at Tracy behind me. And then, he replied, "Yes, I have."

Then he lifted his gaze from her to look at me... again. I didn't know how to act. I swear I tried to look away, I simply couldn't. If I was uncomfortable under Tracy's gaze, his felt like it was poking holes in my skin. I felt the urge to run, as far away as possible, but my legs must have been replaced with lead, because I couldn't move for the life of me.

"So, do you guys have any ideas for the hangout?" Tracy's voice did the trick. I snapped out of whatever trance his eyes were about to take me on.

I was a blinking mess as I turned to look at her, struggling to understand what had just occurred.

"Ria?" She nudged me with her elbow. "Any ideas?"

"Uh- the hangout- erm... um- sleep?" My brain could not even function properly anymore. I was trying my best not to cry from the rubbish I had just blabbed.

"Genius!" Tracy shrieked, snapping her fingers. "Ria, you're a freaking genius! That's the perfect idea! A sleepover! Why didn't I think of that before?"

"What are you-"

"We could wear onesies of similar themes! OMG, it'll be soooo cute!"

"Onesies!?" I heard Jason ask, probably out of confusion. I did not dare to look at him this time. "What the hell, Tee."

"You both, just think of it. Imagine the cuteness overload. The whole gang in onesies, at a sleepover. What could beat that?" She was now all smiles and giggles as she tried to make us see what was apparently cute about hanging out in onesies.

"A hangout with us in normal clothes would be just fine." Jason said to her. I couldn't agree more.

"Nope, we'll have a sleepover in onesies, that's final. Challenge me, I'll chase you in your dream."

That was enough to make me seal my lips. I was not willing to find out if she could really chase me in my sleep or not. In that case, ignorance was truly bliss.

Jason must have also had enough sense to stop arguing with her, he didn't say another word.

"I think I'll let y'all pick your onesies yourselves, I'll let the twins know. Just make sure you show up in them tomorrow night, clear?"

"Crystal." Jason drawled as I reluctantly nodded.

That sleepover would be one hell of a ride.

°°°°°

~[JASON]~

Last year, Tracy and I planned a surprise for the twins together. Just Tracy and I, putting things together for their birthday. It was wholesome.

But this year, our little newbie is suddenly in the mix. A proof that she had successfully made a place for herself in the hearts of my friends... in less than a month.

I was only able to get bits of whatever Tracy was rambling about; I was too occupied imagining the worst. Just like that, she had managed to squeeze herself into my little circle; It was only a matter of time before they'd completely forget me and decide to move on, it wasn't hard for people in my life to do that anyway.

"Yes, Jason." I slipped back into reality when I heard Tracy say my name. "He's right beside you."

The friend snatcher turned her head to look at me, straight into my eyes. And like every other time, fear took over me, the fear of what her presence her could cause for me.

But I had mastered the art or stoicism. I was able to maintain a blank expression, not letting my fear appear on my face.

She was still staring, and I was determined to not waver my gaze. I was not going to give her the slightest hint of what I was feeling inside.

"Jay, have you even been listening?" Tracy asked me.

Slowly, I moved my eyes from her face to Tracy's and replied, "Yes, I have."

She was still staring at me, her eyes did not leave my face for a second, I felt the burn of her gaze. So, I looked right back at her, I was not going to give her the impression that I was avoiding her gaze.

She was looking at me, I was looking at her. It was like we were having a fun little stare down, except it wasn't fun at all.

In her eyes, I saw my greatest fears.

"So, do you guys have any ideas for the hangout?" Tracy threw that question at the both of us.

And like something snapped in her head, she jerked slightly and rapidly blinked until she turned to Tracy.

"Ria?" Tracy nudged her. I frowned at the stupid nickname. "Any ideas?"

"Uh- the hangout- erm... um- sleep?" The girl in question rambled some rubbish in return.

But to my greatest surprise, Tracy was impressed by that rubbish.

"Genius!" She had exclaimed, even snapping her fingers. "Ria, you're a freaking genius! That's the perfect idea! A sleepover! Why didn't I think of that before?"

I honestly did not understand her excitement. And did I just hear her say sleepover?

"What are you-"

Tracy did not give Victoria the grace to speak, she was still going on about her little plan. "We could wear onesies of similar themes! OMG, it'll be soooo cute!"

"Onesies!?" I just had to ask. Because Tracy could not have been serious. She was crazy, but surely not that crazy. "What the hell, Tee?"

"You both, just think of it. Imagine the cuteness overload. The whole gang in onesies, at a sleepover. What could beat that?" That was her effort in justifying her absurd idea.

I would not be caught dead in a onesie. So I told her that, "A hangout with us in normal clothes would be just fine."

"Nope, we're having a sleepover in onesies." She blatantly declined. And then added a threat, "Challenge me, and I'll chase you in your dream."

My goodness.

Did she really have the ability to appear in people's dreams? I wasn't about to find out. Although, I wouldn't be too surprised if it were true.

"I think I'll let y'all pick your onesies, I'll let the twins know. Just make sure you show up in them tomorrow night, clear?"

You're not my mom, I wanted to say. But instead, I reluctantly drawled, "Crystal."

°°°°°

It was a free period. And without any delay, I ran to my safe haven.

The library.

Less than twenty percent of my classmates used it, so it was really the perfect place to either study or think about how my life was going to crumble because of Victoria. Today, it was the latter.

The Biology textbook was laying useless before me, my brain failed to assimilate anything. Fear and anxiety was building up in me, burdening my mind. It took all my will power to not scream to get rid of the load in my chest.

I was loosing my mind and there was not a single thing I could do about it. I was helpless in my misery. If the universe chose to grant me just one wish, I'd have wished for-

"So, you're going to pretend like you don't know I'm here." A familiar voice pierced through the ongoing turmoil in my mind.

I lifted my eyes from my book to look at the dark skinned boy. It was Chris.

"I didn't realize you came in." I told him honestly.

"Yeah, right." He obviously wasn't convinced, and I did not have the strength to explain either. "What were you thinking of, bro?"

"Huh?"

"What's on your mind. Something is troubling you, my guy." He said to me with confidence, like he could read my emotions on my forehead.

But I was certain that my face did not give off anything at the moment, I was already used to giving a blank expression. However, the twins had this strange ability to see through people, like they were some kind of psychics... or wizards even.

As far as I was concerned, there was no way in hell I would have opened my mouth to say, 'I was thinking of Victoria.' Not in a million years.

Instead, I told him, "I'm fine, there's nothing."

"You're lying." He let out without hesitation. "I've said it before, Jay. You have all of us to confide in, stop locking up these things inside. They're obviously eating you up."

"Nothing is wrong, Chris." I defended. "Drop it, abeg."

"Jay-"

"I said I'm fine!" My nostrils flared as I stared in his eyes, nothing but concern was in them. So I did my best to control the anger brewing inside me.

But I felt naked. The way he saw through me, I did not like it. It was like I was just bare before him, that feeling aroused my defensiveness.

"We're still here for you though." His voice was laced with affection, and concern still. "I just hope you'll stop doing this to yourself."

With our eyes still in contact, he rose from his seat opposite me, "We'll talk later."

As he made his exit, I hopelessly stared at his retreating figure. Why I couldn't bring myself to open up, I couldn't lay my hands on. Perhaps, it was because I didn't want them to see me differently, to see me for the scared, pathetic, little boy I truly am. Or it was because my ego would not let me express that the thought of my rival scared me shitless.

Either way, nothing changed the fact that the people I cared so much about were gradually slipping out of my life.

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A/N

🙂🙂🙂🙂

I don't even know where to begin lol. E be things. Strong things fah.

Any advice for my man, Jason? Baba is killing himself slowly, but he go survive... or not.🙂

Let's acknowledge that Chris is such a sweetheart.😩💕

Nothing much happened here sha, but e hook me fr.

So, conspiracy theories??? I'm dying to hearrrrr!

What's doing Jason gan gan? Like why exactly is he feeling that way? Lemme hear your thoughts. Write a whole epistle, I'll read it😗. Just gist meeeee!

Anyways, the next chapter... 🙂✨. We shall see there.

So, till then, stay safe for me, okay?
Love ya!😗💕