Late Eighteen

26| Chapter twenty six

A ding came from my phone and I opened it to see a message from Zeke pop up.

I'm already at the gate of your estate, I'll be in your house in two minutes so get ready.

I replied quickly and drank the rest of my water before turning around to wait for Zeke as instructed.

Only to come face to face with Zion.

Honestly, the past few days between us as siblings has been hectic to say the least. It's hard ignoring someone you used to be so close to all because of their ignorance and youthful exuberance.

He looked nervous as he scratched his eyebrow with his forefinger. "Uhm... I was just meaning to ask you if you needed anything?"

"No Zion, thank you." I replied and made to walk out of the kitchen.

"Can we talk?" He pleased, grabbing one of my hands between his fingers. If anyone was to come inside now, they would take us to be couples instead of siblings with the tense atmosphere swimming around.

"When we come back." I replied and snatched my arm out of his hood.

It came as a surprise to me when he informed us that he would be going with us to the party. But at the same time, we had all planned we would go together.

That was before he allowed his stupidity and emotions to cloud his vision.

I grabbed my purse and plopped down on the couch next to Zoe, who was still busy doing God knows what on her phone.

"Zeke will be here soon, so I suggest you put that stupid device away." I smacked the phone out of her hands as her face contorted in anger. "And please watch that your stupid mouth that runs like tap water in a dessert, shebi you know we're not mates."

"Whatever." She mumbled and went back to her phone.

A car honk resounded from the house and I stood up with my small handbag hanging by my side, Zoe and Zion close behind me.

Zeke's Toyota Corolla red painted car glittered in the night as the headlights shine on our faces, almost blinding our sights in the process.

I opened the back door and jumped inside, Zoe and Zion occupying the back seats.

"Hey babe." I greeted Zeke with a peck on the cheek and he returned it with a peck of his own on my hand, probably not wanting my siblings to see him chugging his tongue down my throat.

"Hey Zion, Zoe what's up?" They began to talk and I zoned them out, relaxing my head on the headrest of the car.

I feel so much at bliss.

-

"What is that boy doing here?" Zeke asked angrily as his eyes aggravated towards Micheal who was perched on a stool, sipping on what seemed to be water.

He looked so out of place.

I rolled my eyes before grabbing onto Zeke's right arm. "This is an open party Ezekiel, anyone is free to come."

I wasn't about to be in the middle of two hormonal teenage boys fighting. I'm too grown for that.

Yeah, keep deceiving yourself.

Zoe had already wandered off to the dancefloor, acting crazily with alcohol in her hands as she danced to Joeboy's 'Aocohol', a song that was already causing mass destruction amongst the Nigerian youths on TikTock.

Zion on the hand had joined Micheal at the bar as they both seemed so deep in their conversation like the nerd they were.

"I don't like him." Zeke spat as he eyed Micheal distastefully.

A glass of orange juice was passed to me by Zeke and I began to sip on it gingerly. "I'm sure he doesn't like you too either."

"He's been here for less than a week and he's already acting like a nuisance— getting all the attention from the boys and acting like he's better than us all—"

I rolled my eyes again.

How Zeke? Just tell me how!

Before I could comment on his words, a voice belonging to someone I so personally disliked interrupted me.

I wonder what she's doing here.

"Ruth, you made it!" I turned around to see an overenthusiastic Grace walking towards us in her ridiculous bright pink attire with what I believe to be a fake smile on her face.

"Grace." I greeted in a bored tone, tugging Zeke towards me gently by his arms. I can't risk getting him whipped away by some thirsty ass desperate wannabe black hoe. "What're you doing here?"

Her eyes shifted from my face to Zeke's fingers wrapped around in mine, and then to Zeke's face. "Oh, you also brought your boyfriend."

"What're you doing here Grace?" I asked, this time with anger in my voice.

She smirked at me, her long faux nails oddly too long for an high schooler waving around. "Zoe didn't tell you? I thought you knew since I personally invited you at the mall the last time we met, this is my seventeenth birthday party Ruth."

Of course! No wonder that she-devil was so adamant on attending it.

I glared at Zoe's back as she danced on the dancefloor. Was she trying to achieve something by making me attend this party knowing how much I detested Grace?

"Alright cool, we should go see around then."

"We should talk privately sometime Zeke." Grace interjected with a smile on her face.

"It's Ezekiel to you Grace." I snapped before pulling Zeke away from her.

"You guys hate each other, why?" Zeke observed as I stood in-between his legs at the bar, drowning orange juice like it was an antidote to cure my anxiety.

I rolled my eyes. "Thank you for stating the obvious!" I slammed the glass cup in the counter, pulling Zeke along with me. "Come on, let's shake body jor."

We spent the next few minutes dancing and singing to crazy songs sung by crazy artistes—raging from internal to international music. At a point, Zeke excused himself to use the bathroom so I had to sit down at a corner all alone.

"Hey!" Zoe slurred, sitting down beside me on a couch. "How come you didn't tell me that Micheal was going to be here?"

"How come you didn't tell me that Grace was the host of this party?"

That shut her up quickly. I wasn't even mad, I just wanted to enjoy the night, and go home to sleep thereafter.

"Where is Ezekiel?" She asked, looking around.

"He went to the bathroom." Come to think of it, it's been thirty minutes since he left me alone here and he's still not back.

I should go look for him.

"Hold my purse for me, I'm coming back." I stood up and made my way up the stairs and away from the loud booming music.

I passed by Micheal and Zion as they both stopped talking and waved at me simultaneously like they had been talking about me.

I could barely manage a wave back at them.

I just have a sick feeling in my guts that something bad is going to happen tonight.