Something Different.

Chapter Three

“hi umm—”
“what do you want?” I asked annoyed.
“you have been avoiding me”
I was about to give him a piece of my mind when Darrell came out from nowhere.
“hey Paris, we were just about to experiment our milkshake volcano with the others, you coming?” I grinned happily.
“sure, I was just getting ready anyway” I walked of leaving Ife utterly speechless.
***The next few days, Ife was always throwing daggers at Darrell any time we were together and in my mind I felt like a princess, that is until today.
Darrell and I were walking on the hallway and as I was about to step on the stairs, I slipped and imagined I had fallen with a great splat but then some strong hands gripped me around my waist, I thought it was Darrell but it was Ife, since when did he start muscle building classes? I felt my cheeks get warmer but on the other hand Darrell’s face was getting hotter.
“why are you stalking us?” asked Darrell.
“I am not!” he loosened his grip and I stood on my own.
“oh yes you are! Is it because she refuses to be your friend?”
“no! Paris and I are good friends, right Paris?” I couldn’t find the words stuck in my head.
“see? Paris doesn’t want to see you anymore, leave her alone”
That’s not true!
“it is for her to decide!” now the entire school were gathered in the hallway looking at Ife and Darrell fight over me?!
“BOTH OF YOU, SHUT UP!” and then they looked at me with ‘choose one’ eyes.
“if you both don’t stop fighting; you’ll make everyone think we’re replaying one episode of two boys one heart so STOP” I walked away feeling on top of the world, two guys, partially handsome fighting over the one and only Paris White!
It was finally Leisure Hour, when you do anything that suits you, I in order for me to be alone, left to stay at the small bridge in our school’s garden, where Ife and I stay whenever we wanted to be alone.
I always wonder; if I have completely gotten over Ife’s snobbish attitude which he calls ‘socializing’, why can’t I stop thinking about him? It’s not that hard right? But come on! He has been there since day one while Darrell has been there since day one Year 10 but still Ife broke his promise, so? You like him don’t you? No I don’t! do I? I don’t know which Ife I like, I mean old Ife was fun and cool and always there but new Ife is all brand, stylish and cool, even if I like him, will he like me back? As a normal, boring, clingy best friend?
My mind echoed back to the last day in Year 9, when he told me that he was leaving for the UK.
*** “Ife, no I won’t let you leave me here alone for three months!” I had said with tears filling my eyes.
“but they say absence makes the heart grow fonder”
“and it can also make the heart fall apart!”
“come on Paris, you know I’ve been dreaming of going to the UK for like forever!”
“but I’ll be here all alone…...lonely!”
“don’t worry I’ll call you, both verbally and visually”
“but you’ll make friends and forget me! And you can even stay there—” he hugged me tightly.
“I would never leave you alone neither forget you Paris, you are my ‘parfect’ best friend”
*** tears welled my eyes as I felt someone plop their body beside me.
“remember our parfect spot?” I turned to face him.
“you broke your promise”
“I know that and I am really sorry”
“so you’re going to stop being friends with them?”
“I’m sorry but—”
“yeah you are not sorry”
“no Par, I am”
“if you were, you would have kept your promise”
“I am, you’re still my best friend”
“if I am, you would have sat next to me during break time”
“you know I joined the football club”
“but the old Ife wouldn’t ditch Paris”
“I didn’t ditch you”
“then what did you do?”
“I-I-I—”
“see? You ditched me and you just don’t wanna say it cuz you think it’ll hurt me, I know you inside out Ife”
“fine, I am sorry and I’ll make it up to you, see you tonight at our tree house”
“promise you’ll be there” I asked
“it’s my tree house”
“doesn’t mean you can’t suddenly be in your room in a group chat or ‘socializing’”
“you don’t have to quote it”
“but that is what it sounds like in my head…rubbish”
“what about Darrell is he gonna—” suddenly Darrell showed up looking all ‘I have been looking for you’.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere Par”
“haven’t you found her?” Ife asked, oh no!
“certainly I have” Darrell said squeezing his fists.
“err, I have erm classes now with Mrs Bormann” I hurriedly scampered away not wanting to cause a fight again.
*** finally, it was closing time and I was so relieved not to see the two boys again.
“Paris! How was school today”
“mom, I’m in school”
“so? Does that mean I can’t ask my little cutie how school went?” she asked as I entered the back seat while Pierre came along with his head phones on.
“brother, do you consent to this question?”
“do I look like I care?”
“well, you listening to music all the time, do you do that to get away from life and just be you?”
He paused for a moment and laughed.
“wait, do you seriously think I am those depressed peeps that listen to music to make them feel better?”
“maybe?”
“nah, I just listen to music cuz I like it” he put his head phones on my ears and boy did he have good taste.
“getting what you feelingdiving when you dreaming ooh…I love this song just because it doesn’t make sense”
“yeah me too”
“daddy, daddy cool, daddy, daddy cool” my mom was singing along with the song played from the radio.
“now she has bad taste in music”
***
“where are you going to all dressed up?” my mom asked setting the dinner table.
“I’m just wearing shirt and jeans” I said already twisting the door knob, what is so bad in my dressing?
“where are you going to? This evening when I just made dinner” she held up the plate of mashed potatoes with sauce and oil coated, the scent tickled my nose.
“Ife and I are meeting each other”
“you mean a date?” I turned to look at Pierre in the sitting room, hooked in his video game.
“talk about me, what about you and Isabelle, mm, tongue lashing—” he threw a pillow in my face.
“where?” mom asked disappointed.
“at our tree house, his place” Pierre made a face and I threw the pillow back.
“mom please, promise I’ll be back before eight, we just wanna talk”
“yes oh! We just wanna talk indeed” this time I threw the pillow harder.
“oh my God!!! Messi 201 just scored me…. kai!!!”
“okay honey, love you, bye” mom said as I shut the door heaving a sigh of relief.
It was always tough when asking my mom if I and Ife can hang mostly because I am getting older and more ‘mature’.
*knock*
“hi, just in time for pizza” Ife pulled me in for a hug, I came in and I finally saw that uncle of his.
“good evening Paris, how is mommy?” his mom asked pouring me a cup of tea.
“she is fine ma” I said looking up to Ife who looked amazing in his shirt and nickers.
“so you are the Paris my nephew wouldn’t stop buzzing about?” his uncle asked.
“well, yeah I guess, no other Paris White” I smiled awkwardly cuz it was odd talking with the family.
“mom, we want to head to the house” Ife said picking four slices of pizza, plopping it on a plate and hurried on out.
“sorry, it’s a full house” he said as we walked towards the tree house.
“no, I’ve always wanted to see your uncle”
We climbed into the tree house and the memories hit me like a tsunami.
“remember when I drew this big thing that ended up looking parfect?” I said pointing to a scribbled rubbish on the wall.
“do you remember when we were hiding from Cousins attack during spring break?” my eyes lit up remembering the drawing of his cousin and my cousin on the wall, it looked so ugly so they started fighting us, suddenly my eyes darted to something.
“I don’t remember drawing this” I said pointing to a picture of two peeps kissing…yuck!
“oh I drew that”
“what! Why?”
“cuz of Junior Prom, I thought my first kiss was going to be Junior Prom but you were my date and—”
“and what?”
“I couldn’t kiss my best friend”
“did you ask me? I mean it’s just a kiss, nothing more?”
“i was nervous?”
“oh, so yeah, that’s gone now, let’s forget that…ooh, remember this hole we made? To watch stars till we fell asleep?”
“oh yeah I do, actually, let’s do that now”
“Ife, we’re not five anymore”
“but it’s still Ife and Paris?”
No it isn’t! Ife has changed…since when did he start fathoming kissing?
“okay let’s do it”
I laid on the floor bare surface while he fell next to me, I always thought I was taller than Ife but no! he is way taller than me, maybe puberty in boys.
“look, the stars there look like the Eiffel Tower in Paris” I chuckled at what he said.
“and that one forms a heart shape, I guess that’s what Ife means right?”
“yeah, how do you know?”
“I started practicing Yoruba so maybe if we both understand it; we can know each other’s tribes”
“what about you?”
“my mom’s from Lagos, my dad err I don’t know”
It was deep silence after that and I guess too deep cuz I was starting to get real insecure here, what is he thinking?
“I am going to name a star after you when I become an astronaut”
“ha-ha very funny Ife, why would you that?”
“cuz I want the world to know the best, best friend I ever had”
“aww, so sweet, I’ll name an element after you, one found in Jupiter, an element used to make a love potion…Ife…and a heart as the chemical symbol”
“that’s gonna be wow! But why a love potion?”
“because anyone that sets their eyes on you or your chemical, is gonna fall in love with you or someone else, it’s just like err Magical Love series”
DID I JUST SAY I LIKE IFE? ...i think I did?... but I don’t?
“what is my chemical in real life?”
“not your face, not your body shape, neither your dimples, it is not any facial or body beauty it is your character!”
“wow, wise words from a beauty— I mean wise bestie”
“did you just call me beautiful?”
“no I mean yes but you are beautiful aren’t you?”
“yes of course I am but I kinda never expected it from you”
“oh lemme guess, you expected it from Darrell?”
“eww he was just a step in at the right time, you’re still my bestie and nothing is going to change that” I turned to face him but flinched when I realised how close our face was.
For some seconds all I could see was his face and all I could feel was this sugary feeling in my tummy.
“your cheeks are red” Ife said making me blush even more.
“nah it’s just a reaction”
“okay…I need to ask you something”
“what?” yes… ask me!
“do you have plans for the spring dance coming in June?”
Kinda disappointed don’t you think?
“so any plans?”
“maybe, I think I’ll ask Melanie”
WHAT?!
“sure, I guess Darrell could ask me”
“yeah, I guess so”
“best friends ooh…come and sleep ooh!”
“coming mommy” Ife pulled me up as we ran back to the house 
It was disappointing for Ife to be looking at me but ask Melanie,  
I mean, I am right here…or maybe it was cuz of what I said…
“you can microwave this right?” he said handing me the plate of pizza.
“sure I can…bye!” he ran into his house and I headed straight for mine.
“past eight Paris” I froze on the spot and turned to see my mom seated on the ‘turn around’ couch while Pierre was fast asleep on the three sitter couch.
“mom, I am sorry…it was pizza delay” I said showing mom the plate. “I just don’t want you falling back from your promise okay, so be good for mommy…Pierre and I were thinking of coming over but he fell asleep”
“yeah, typical Pierre, anyways, I am going to bed, thinking of the day ahead, love you good night”
“goodnight shining star”
***
It was yet a brand new day and this time more exhausting than before, school was a little bit weird today, literally everybody had caught the love bug.
“am I the only one seeing this?” I asked rhetorically to myself but someone else answered.
“no you aren’t, name’s Ada, everyone has been bitten cuz of the spring dance after our tests, you coming?”
“no, I don’t think so”
“why, it is literally everybody’s kiss day, you don’t do that on a normal school day” my mind flashed back to Year 8, Ife and I were just walking through the hallway when we heard sounds from the teacher’s toilet, we weren’t supposed to see what we saw; senior Elisabeth and senior Adams doing the snuggling…yuck!
“that is the main reason I am not coming”
“what? You don’t wanna get smooched”
“who wants to?”
“I do…*funny laugh*” well that girl is some crazy fool.
It was fifth period, Chemistry and Darrell was scribbling something in a note book, I thought it was some jotting but later when he left the class, I snatched the book from his table and ran to the library to check it out.
There were lots of drawings and writings but the one that caught my eye was the one of…