Stars in a Beautiful Night | ✓

5| Kiishi

Something I was sure was the entire school knew about the mini show. The one organized by the schools hype man of the year, probably to get more people to like him or to be able to get more exposure so he could keep having jobs to hype. I really did not care. But Jide had told me I was the special guest on there. At first, I did not want to go, but I got an idea on how to bring the Mermiad to me.

I had sent three tickets to a Fumnanya in Adult Education Department and let magic, also known the girls she had around, do the trick.

In the backstage room, I sat down on the sofa and counted my fingers. Sometimes I wondered how it would have been if humans had three fingers or two or one.

"Dude, what are you doing?"The room was a small space, filled with clusters of items from tables, to chairs, fliers and other weird things I could not point out. The only good thing was the air condition installed in the room. I looked to the direction of the voice. It was Jide, dressed in an Ankara shirt and black trousers.

"The girls are tripping, aren't they?" I wiggled my brows and gestured to his outfit, he ignored me. Jide was—let me say—the only real human friend I had. Every other person wanted to use me to get exposure, money or even a baby. We had met during on our sets entrance examination when I just started singing officially. He managed me. It had started as a simple joke, but he went on to learn about talent managing and ended up as the only one fit to be my manager. He was there as a friend too. I knew he used me but at least he stuck around.

Would he stick around if you were not bringing money? It was my turn to ignore myself.

"Get ready, wear your shirt and stop acting like you're cracking on sand," he cautioned as he threw the yellow shirt I had picked out to wear today.

"On sand?" I asked and he shrugged as he made his way out his head almost touching the door frame. Jide and I were opposites when it came to height. He was the kind who were chosen on sight to be basketball players even if he knew nothing about it and I was the kind that got rejected even if I won player of the year. His statement reminded me of something I had not done. I did not want to begin to burst into long speeches during my performance. I dipped my hands into the graffiti trouser I had on and brought out two white pills.

They had been prescribed by a doctor, even if it wasn't for me. And even they were older than six months.

Immediately, I threw it into my mouth. The bitter taste slapped. I got my shirt on and half prayed for the mermaid to appear among the crowds before I stepped out