Àyànfé

22

"Oh look what the cat dragged in" I said with no hint of humour.

"Can I just come in Ayanfe, I don't have the energy for this" She sighed like I was bothering her.

Okay, not her officially pissing me off.

"Are you crazy Nori?!" I screeched. "You disappear for weeks and now you're showing up like nothing's happened? We were worried Nori. Fucking worried. We called and called, we even went up to your house multiple times. What happened?" I was close to tears at this point. I felt resentment towards her. You can't just disappear, especially when you have people that care about you. Nafisa and I felt hurt.

"I'm sor–sorry. I'm really sorry" Nori cried out. She started crying profusely. Nafisa pushed me out of the way and pulled Nori inside the house. She held her tight and let her cry her heart out.

Now I feel bad.

Nafisa led her to the couch, and she calmed down after a while. We sat in silence and I just couldn't bear it any longer. So I stood up.

"What happened Nori? Where have you been?" I asked softly. Nori continued staring at the rug like she didn't hear me. I sighed.

"Nori ca–" Nafisa cut me off rudely.

"Baby steps, Ayanfe. We can't force her to talk now, she'll spill when she's ready"

I scoffed.

"Have you eaten Nori?" Nafisa asked her. She shook her head.

Where was this girl coming from sef?

"What do you wanna eat Nor-Nor?" She asked again and Nori simply shrugged. I scoffed at Nafisa's weak attempts to baby Nori. Left to me, I'll force information out her mouth.

Nafisa glared at me, before turning back to kiss Nori's ass. "I'll make indomie for you then. You want sausages in it?"

"Sis just make the fucking noodles already" I snapped. I was tired of the stupid game they were playing.

Nafisa stood and walked up to me. "What's your fucking problem Ayanfe? You've been acting like a little bitch, like say na me send you to be fucking on some stupid boy and get caught by your fucking daddy!"

"So you can talk ehn? Miss kiss-my-ass" I laughed humorlessly. "Stop trying to baby Nori and let's get to the root of the issue on ground"

"Girls stop! Why are you girls fighting for God's sake?!" Nori stopped us from chopping each other's heads off.

"Ugh!" I groaned and started pacing about. "I can't ever get peace anywhere!"

"I'll tell y'all what happened...." Nori started, and Nafisa and I watched her expectantly.

"You girls know about how my parents haven't been in the best of terms lately?..." She asked us rhetorically, but we nodded anyways.

"Well it got to a breaking point two months ago" She paused and took a deep breath.

"...my father brought his mistress home and shortly after, he sent my mom, my sister and I packing. He literally all cut ties with us" Nori shrugged like she was over the whole situation already. Nafisa and I shared looks. We've been selfish, loathing Nori all this while, inconsiderate of what she might have been going through.

I moved closer to her and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm really sorry bestie....we had no idea that that was happening. Nafisa and I just thought you were being your once-in-a-blue-moon-ghosting-the-whole-world-mood-self" I said and she laughed, which relieved me a lot.

Nafisa joined us on the sofa. "It's okay sha. My mom and I had to move to Grandpa's house, and my sister Mena.... mehnn she just disappeared. Like fucking went AWOL"

"Mehn we missed our bestie a lot. Ain't that right Naffy?" I grinned widely.

"Bruhhh I'm telling you! I almost died. You know how much I can't live without you" Nafisa smiled cheesily and kissed Nori's cheeks noisily. I laughed at her naughtiness and realized how I'd never want to trade this moment for anything else. Having my two musketeers with me was all I needed for life.

"But I still can't get over how shitty you look bestie" I teased her, and she playfully smacked my head. Nori looked like someone who is obviously going through it.

"Babe, my mom and grandpa are always fighting like an old couple. Grandpa's so annoying brah!" Nori sighed tiredly. "He's always trying to convince my mom to go back to that stupid man. Can you imagine?!"

"That's insane" Nafisa shook her head in empathy.

"Yeah I know. Now my mom hardly comes home, and Grandpa bothers the fuck outta me" Nori rubbed her temple and sighed again.

"So wetin you wan do like this?" I asked.

"Right now, I just wanna eat the noodles Nafisa's about to cook for me. Ain't that right Naffy?" Nori mocked me. I rolled my eyes at her.

"Shior. You better carry yourself to the kitchen" Nafisa playfully hissed. I laughed at their shenanigans.

"Ouch you are supposed to be my best friend Nafisa" Nori laughed and proceeded to go cook her noodles. Nafisa followed after her.

I sighed in contentment and leaned back into the sofa, with a smile on my face.

At least if one thing's not working in my favour, another will.

Until the doorbell rang again....

             
             ***
        Author's note

Hey darlins! Let's pretend I wasn't gone for a hot minute, okay? OKAY! I missed you so so much. I missed writing this book. Just help me pray for grace to continue writing 🥺.

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  Soon my luvs! 💞