WILD WEST OF THE HEART

T H I R T E E N

She inched closer to him while he closed his eyes.

The cold tip of the pencil drew over his eyes, and into his temple and it took just about two minutes to be done. After she was, he stepped back to face the mirror. And although normally he would hate looking into it, today was not so bad. He was in his element afterall, not some dumb uniform.

Or a fucking shirt and khaki trouser. “That’s much better” Mira assessed her handwork from afar and Obi smiled at her through the mirror. He finally slid his arms through his jacket sleeves and picked up his bag. Sliding a dark glasses atop his nose, he turned around.

“Remember to stay safe, okay?” Mira said. “And if anything should happen, never hesitate to give me a call” She usually gave him the talk whenever he was going out in the night. And tonight was no different. All he usually did was nod and then walk out. Mira was cool, so he didn’t have to worry about curfews and all that.

Nothing past midnight, was all she said. And that was very graceful of her.

He walked towards her as a smile appeared on the corner of her lips. “You sure you’re okay?” She asked for the nth time, hoping maybe he’ll finally tell her the truth.

But instead he placed a kiss on her cheeks and he nodded. “Of course, i am Mira” He said.

And then he brushed past her shoulders. She pushed a lump down her throat, watching his back fade through the door. And she muttered to herself, something of a habit now. “They grow up”

“They grow up so fast” Came a shrill whisper.

“We outside” Obi yelled into the streets, from where he could hear the music from a distance.

Halloween was also a day to play shitty music without having any complaints from neighbors.

It’s understandable because when you’re drunk, shitty music is good music. “I’m on my way” Ola said, through the phone. “Meet me at the statue”

Obi walked the distance, his feet slipped in the black leather boots he’d borrowed from Mira. And his hands slid to end the call. Of course he had to look his best, he’d set out in his mind that today was the day he’d tell Abdul the entire truth.

And how he, was really Neighborguy118.

How he was the guy Abdul had fallen in love with. And if maybe he was going to be rejected, at least he had to do it with style and in an Adeline jacket.

But the chances of that happening were slim because he’d gotten to know Abdul over the past few days, and as his real self ever since they exchanged phone numbers. And unlike on the app, they conversed more of real life things, which in hindsight meant the cliché boring things.

They talked about books, and their futures.

And more books and exams and high school. And occasionally, they made fun of their other classmates, bonding over the trauma they shared from Ayo. The connection felt real, even though there was no flirting whatsoever.

But Obi actually didn’t care. He knew the part of Abdul he had fallen for, now he had to show him his own part which he fell for. And staring at his dress, he hoped he wouldn’t run like others have.

He’d hoped nothing will change, especially after the somewhat big revelation.

As he danced towards the statue, with Ola and Fiyin coming from the other end, his eyes shut at the moon which was fully out and illuminating a fistful of stars. As he got closer, the music boomed louder and the streets were filled with people in their various costumes. Tents and canopies were scattered along the large field beneath the lights.