IRENE

Ola, Kiki and I were seated on Kiki's bed as Ola kept going on and on about the outfit she was going to wear to the school's Christmas party. We decided meeting at Kiki's would be way better because meeting at Ola's was a no no and well my place, wasn't just it.

"Irene what will you be wearing to the Christmas party?" Kiki asked.

"I'm sure Irene will pepper them." Ola hyped and I smiled.

"I actually do not know what I'm going to wear," I answered.

"You don't even have to worry. Your designer will come up with something."

I nodded my gaze flickering over a flower vase beside Kiki's bed stand. I had never seen it in her room before.

"Kiki did you just get this vase? It's really beautiful."

"I've had it for weeks now. Uche got it for me."

I didn't say anything else so as to avoid anything concerning Uche as I wasn't sure Kiki was in the right state of mind to talk about him yet.

"So Irene when last did you talk to Theodore?" Ola asked trying to change the atmosphere and well, she succeeded in changing the atmosphere for me. I warmed up at the sound of his name.

"I was at his house this afternoon." I replied a nonexistent smile playing on my lips.

"See how she's smiling. Wahala for who no get Theodore oh." Ola whined and I feigned annoyance.

"I'm not smiling Olaedo."

"Irene likes Theodore?" Kiki asked.

"No!"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Ola and I replied simultaneously.

"How could I miss it, it's probably why Osaze never really liked her."

Ola frowned.

"It's not about Theodore. Osaze had never liked Irene right from SS1 when we all became her friends."

"I'm thinking Theodore fueled it." Kiki added and I stared at them in awe at how they talked about me like I wasn't seated beside them.

"You two are aware that the Irene you speak of is seated in your midst right?"

"Osaze isn't really a bad person, she probably just has her own issues." Kiki added and Ola snorted loudly taking her phone in her hands.

Kiki's phone began to ring and she took a quick glance at the screen before shoving it away.

"It's the mother fucker, isn't it?" We heard a baritone and we turned to the door. Zion leaned against the door frame in a sleeveless tank top and a pair of shorts.

"You don't have to worry about it." Kiki said dismissively waving it away.

"Excuse you, I have to worry about it. You're my sister Kiki." He said still leaned against the doorframe his gaze trained on his sister. I was really glad they had settled everything but I just wished things were better and the twins both didn't have their hearts broken.

"He fucking broke your heart, he cheated. Why haven't you blocked the ass wipe?" Zion asked moving away from the door.

"Exactly!" Ola chipped in and I turned to her in awe. It's her brother they were talking about.

"The fact that she's mad at him doesn't mean she should block him or cut him off completely. Did you block Osaze?" I wasn't sure how or why I said those words came out of my mouth but I realized the intensity of them when I saw something flicker through Zion's eyes.

"It's not the same thing. Uche keeps disturbing Kiki whereas Osaze doesn't even call or text me." He stated his expression stoic.

"It's fine you guys, I'm fine and I can make my own decisions myself." Kiki spoke up and I shrugged. It was her life anyways.

"Whatever you say, just be sure to guard your heart. Anyways I'll be going out to play football with the estate team. I'll be back before nine."

Kiki nodded and Zion turned to me. "Bye Irene."

I waved at him and he turned to Ola. "Come and collect TY's console before he murders me over the phone because of it."

"I even forgot to tell you that he asked me to remind you about it." She said with a giggle as the walked out of the room with Zion.

As much as Ola and Zion were against Kiki taking Uche back, I was thinking it was a good idea. They guy seemed really sorry. People makes mistakes after all.

"Say what you want to say." Kiki said and I turned to her.

"Huh?"

"I know you want to say something. Your expression gives you away. Say it."

Maybe I should just say it anyway. A try would be so bad.

"I just feel you should give Uche a chance. I know he really hurt you but people do make mistakes and moreover, he said he's sorry."

I took Kiki's silence as a cue to speak on.

"I understand how you feel but-"

"No." Kiki interrupted.

"No Irene, you do not understand how I feel. You've never had your heart broken before so you don't know how I feel. You don't know how it feels to know that the one you love has cheated. It hurts Irene, it does."

I sighed looking ahead. "True I have never had my heart broken before and I do not know how much hurt one would feel if they found out that the one they love cheated but I know how it feels to loose loved ones. I lost my dad and my sister and that did not stop me from wanting a step dad or siblings."

I turned to look at her. " At first when my mum brought up the idea of remarriage, I was against it but with time I realized that I didn't need to, my dad was gone and now I have two younger siblings, Ivy and Rowland, they're the sweetest."

"My point is, you don't let what has happened become your basis of decision making. I know that deep down in your heart you still want Uche."

When she didn't say anything, I continued. "Well now the ball is in your court. It's your decision to make, I only gave my opinion as a friend."

Kiki sighed loudly and opened her mouth to speak when Ola walked into the room and collapsed on the bed beside her. "So what were we saying?"

I gave Kiki a small pat on the back before returning my attention to Ola.

➪➪➪➪➪

"...the number you're trying to call is currently switched off, please try again later..."

I paced the length and breadth of my room as I kept dialing Tobias's number. I had called him eight times since I got home and it kept saying switched off. To be really honest, I was frightened.

What if something terrible had happened to him?

I quickly picked up my phone that I had absentmindedly flung on the bed earlier and went through my contact list to put a call through to his sister Kimbell.

She picked up at the third ring. "Hello Kiki."

"Hey Irene." She responded in a very bored tone.

"How are you?" I asked and she didn't say anything for a while. "I'm okay I guess." She replied after what seemed like an eternity.

"I have been calling Toby and his number is switched off. Is everything alright?"

She graced me with silence once again.

"Kiki?" I called when she didn't say anything for a long time.

"Kiki talk to me." The quivering in my voice was evident as I began to get really anxious.

"Tobias had a relapse." She said. My heart sank and my throat went dry.

"W-what happened?" I finally managed to ask when I got myself back.

"He kept going against the doctor's orders and I did my very best to warn him but he wouldn't listen to me or anyone else."

I also warned him and he called me a nagging wife and an overbearing mother.

He also said he'd be fine.

I felt the tears flow down my cheeks. "How is he?" I asked her and she sighed.

"I'm not sure what exactly to say but he's alive. We're all just hoping he'll recover soon."

Me too.

"Kiki will you please keep me updated about his health status?" I asked wiping away the tears with the back of my free hands.

"I will."

"Thank you so much. Please do send my regards to him. Tell him I miss him and I wish him quick recovery."

"Sure thing."

"Make sure you put him on the phone with me when you can too."

"That's no problem." She replied.

"Also do take care of yourself."

"Thank you so much Irene. Take care too."

"Bye." I said and hung up.

That was one hard thing to take in. Tobias was epileptic and that was the more reason he was limited to so many things and the reason everyone was always worrying about him.

I closed my eyes and said a quick prayer for him.

Father lord grant Tobias quick recovery.

I slumped on the bed.

"Irene!" I heard Mayowa yell from downstairs.

"Ugh!" I groaned as I got up from my bed and walked out of the room.

*
Hey guys, what do you think about what Irene said to Kiki? Should she take Uche back?

And by the way I feel so bad for Tobias.

By the way, Tobias and Kimbell are characters from Shattered heartstrings by I_am_Jazzy .

If you still haven't read the book you're on your own oh 👁

See y'all in the next update. Bye!

Word count: 1527