𝓡𝓾𝓷𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓓𝓮𝓬𝓮𝓹𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 ✔︎

Chapter 10

THEODORE

I was seated in Kazeem's office the next morning. He was making a phone call and I sat back in the twirly chair in front of him caressing his sleek desk.

"Theodore!" He called as soon as he ended the phone call. I gave him a small smile and I watched a frown weigh down his brows. "You look awful." he stated.

I was aware of how bad I looked with large eye bags. I had to do something quick before the questions will start coming. "That's why I'm here." I said to him and he nodded leaning back in his chair his hands clasped together.

"Well this is going to take a while."

                               •••••

I took a seat beside Irene on a bench at the love garden. She had her face in a fashion magazine. I watched as her neatly manicured fingers gripped the edge of the paper as she flipped the pages slowly. Taking a quick glance at the cover of the glamorous magazine, I saw Irene seated comfortably in a pool of balloons.

"You're late Theodore, first period is almost over." she said slowly closing the magazine she was reading earlier on. I knew I was very late. I had called her the previous day when I got home. I told her that we could meet before classes but then, my meeting with Kazeem took my time. Luckily for me, first period was Agricultural science and I did not offer that subject. Most art students didn't and that included Irene. That was the more reason why she was reading a fashion magazine during first period.

"What happened to you?" I watched as her eyes widened in horror as her gaze met mine. I wasn't surprised by her question, I didn't look so good.

"I'm sorry I didn't meet up with you as planned, I had to be somewhere." I said ignoring the question she asked moments ago.

She chuckled lightly "Meet up? You make it sound like some sort of rendezvous." Irene was laughing and she was with me, Theodore. I was surprised and also grateful that she didn't push anything further.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Let's find another time, first period will soon be over." And as if waiting for my declaration, the bell for the end of first period went off and I sighed.

"Let's go." I said to Irene and we walked together to our class. The walk was silent and comforting and for once I felt at peace with Irene not bothering that she might want my head on a plate but then again, I didn't know what she was thinking. A small smile tugged at my lips. I intend to enjoy this strange peace while I can. I thought to myself as we made a turn for the senior's block.

Classes went by but I was barely focused on the things the teachers said as I was thinking of a lot of things like the things Kazeem had said. Today's session was intense, it was more like the one I had during the first six months after the incident.

I was called to order severally by the teachers that taught. "Theodore, you need to concentrate in my class." The literature tutor had said. After so many questioning looks from my classmates, I decided to tell the last teacher who asked why I wasn't concentrating was because I had a little headache. It was not far from the truth though, I did feel the mild banging in my head.

The day passed by in a flash and everyone that asked what was wrong with me bought the 'headache' lie I threw back at them. I was now seated on a concrete bench at the love garden. It had become somewhere I was always at, either with the gang or just on my own.

Irene and I had decided we were going to meet at my house. I knew better than to push it when she said she didn't want us to meet at her house as I was aware of the tension between her and her mom though I didn't know the full story, I knew something was up.