Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth.
- Unknown
*Unedited*
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Zarah picked out a pair of black sandals from under her bed and yelled across to her mom who was washing clothes outside.
"Mummy! I'm going to Precious house oh!"
She had changed into casual clothing - A pink shirt with the inscription "I love NY" and blue faded jeans.
"Okay, but don't stay long. When it's six start coming to your house, they have started kidnapping people in this area"
Zarah chuckled before replying. She didn't see any reason why anyone would want to kidnap her, she felt her mom was only being paranoid.
"Okay" She then reduced her voice to a whisper, her eyes twinkling with mischief "I'll try to"
Fastening the straps of her sandals, she stood up and used her both hands to straighten out imaginary creases and wrinkles from her jeans.
She used a small piece of broken mirror lying on the table to check her reflection. Deciding she was good to go, she smoothened her hair with her hands and strode out of the room.
She hummed Faded by Alan Walker as she walled to her beat friend's house. Her hands were shoved casually into the pocket of her jeans and her head bobbed gently to the tune. She didn't know when she started singing out the lyrics of the song.
Where are you now?
Atlantis
Under the sea
Under the sea....
Where are you now?
Another dream
The monster's running wild inside of me
I'm faded....
"Zarah" Someone called softly.
She stopped dead in her tracks, frowning slightly. She turned around but didn't see anyone.
Confused, she continued walking but this time self consciously and cautiously. She racked her brain trying to figure out if she had heard the voice before but it was of no use because it only ended up making her more confused.
"Zarah" The voice sounded much closer.
She paused and spun on her heel quickly. A boy that looked around seventeen or eighteen stood grinning at her.
She breathed a sigh of relief, she had begun to think it was a kidnapper.
He was wearing a pure white undershirt over stone washed jeans and his shirt was draped over one shoulder. Zarah thought he had beautiful eyes, in the reflected sunlight it looked incredibly light brown. His eyes were lit with something she couldn't quite place and the thought unsettled her.
She furrowed her brows wondering how he knew her name because she was quite sure she had never seen him before.
"Hey" He was the first to speak and he sounded friendly.
"Um... Hey!" She replied warily.
"Em... D**n you're so gorgeous, you mande me forger what my pick up line was"
Zarah threw her head back in laughter suddenly feeling at ease "Thank you...?"
"You know, Isaac Newton once said a body would remain in it's state of rest or uniform motion on a straight line unless acted upon by an external force, this was my heart before it found you"
She smiled feeling flattered "Okay... Now I don't know what to say"
She started walking slowly on the pavement and he followed her at the same pace.
"You don't have to say anything, d**n! Forgive my manners. I'm Jeremiah by the way, You can call me Jerry"
"I'm Zarah like you already know"
He chuckled and a ghost of a smile appeared on her lips.
He transferred his phone to his left hand his eyes darting around from the cars to the trees.
"Ahem" He coughed "Em... Are you on WhatsApp?"
"Nope" Zarah answered easily.
"Okay your Facebook username, Instagram, anything I can reach you on"
"Not on any of those either" Came the easy reply.
He gasped "So what do you use your phone for?" Surprise and curiosity coloured his tone.
"I don't have a phone" She laughed.
"Wait!" He paused "You don't mean it! Tell me you're joking"
"I'm not, I'm dead serious. I really don't have one"
"Okay, I guess I'll see you around then" He turned around to go.
"Wait!" Zarah blurted out without thinking.
His head whipped around to face her, curiosity dancing in his eyes.
"Em... Sorry, How did you know my name?"
"He laughed " Magic!"
With that he left, Zarah pursed her lips and frowned, confused. After thinking of nothing in particular for a while, she shrugged it off and resumed her walk to her friend's house but this time her head swaying to a tune she hummed, a huge smile plastered on her face.
"Zarah!" Precious squealed enveloping her in a tight hug.
Zarah chuckled placing her hands around her waist.
"I missed you!!!" She cooed and nuzzled up against Zarah's shoulders. Zarah pulled away laughing at her friend's puckered lips.
"I missed you too my cute little teddy bear" She pulled on her cheeks playfully.
"Don't call me teddy bear, I'm not fat" She swatted away Zarah's hand. She puffed her cheeks with a childish pout on her lips and turned, folding her arms across her chest to create the impression that she was angry.
"But you're so cute! And soft, not to mention cuddly" Zarah defended, she peered at Precious to find that Precious back was still obstinately turned.
"Okay... I'm sorry okay?"
"Apology not accepted!"
"Please....?"
"Nope"
"Pweety please with cherry on top"
"One one condition" Precious turned wagging her index finger.
"You'd never call me that again and you'd tell me everything, when I say everything, I mean every single thing that has happened within the past three days"
"Of course! As for not calling you teddy bear, I'll try not to... But I can't help it sha" She shrugged.
"Try it and I'll chop off your head, fry it and feed it to the dogs" Precious threatened playfully.
Zarah laughed "Nah! You can't. You love me too much to do that"
Precious smacked her on her head.
"Ow!" She exclaimed rubbing the spit Precious had hit her on. "What did you do that for?
"I dunno... Just felt like hitting someone" She trailed off with a shrug. Zarah scowled at her but she didn't notice because she was lost in thought.
"Ehen! Oya come and tell me everything" She gushed excitedly, leading a glowering Zarah by the arm to the couch.
"Oya spill! Don't leave out a single thing" She leaned her elbows against her laps and rested her chin in her hands.
The eager look on her face made Zarah laugh and she started narrating everything that happened without leaving out a single detail because like the drama queen Precious was, she'd be as good as dead if she found out on her own.
"Now it's your turn... Tell me all that has been happening but before that, I'm thirsty. Like the host you're, you didn't even bother to offer me anything" She stood up and stretched her limbs. Precious wanted to say something but Zarah shushed her up "God! I need something to drink" She stalked off into the kitchen.
It wasn't hard to find the kitchen because she knew her way around the house. It had become home to her.
"There's soup in the fridge, you can drink that if you want" Precious called after her with a hint of laughter in her voice.
"I know you want to kill me, your plan will not work" Zarah opened the refrigerator and peered inside "Wow!" She commented, her gaze roved around the contents of the fridge.
"Better don't touch my Pepsi oh!"
"Too bad, I already did" She uncorked the bottle with her teeth and gulped down half it's content.
A throw pillow hit her head and she dissolved into laughter.
"It's too late, I drank it already"
Precious gasped dramatically "My precious Pepsi!" She shrieked,snatching the Pepsi bottle from Zarah. She hugged it to her chest and mock cried "I'm gonna miss you, too bad I'll have to drink you now"
She patted the bottle cap fondly and downed it in three gulps.
"Rest in peace Mr Pepsi" She paused to let out a loud burp to which Zarah grimaced "I didn't want you to die today but unfortunately you were fated to" She wiped off an imaginary tear and dropped the bottle gingerly on the kitchen table.
Zarah clapped "I must admit that was a wonderful performance Miss, I'm sure if you continue like this, you'd be an award winning actress in the future"
Precious glared at her "See this chicken oh! Thank your stars that I'm in a good mood today, if not... By the time I'm done dealing with you ehn, You will not be able to move talk less of clap"
Zarah feigned surprise "Aww! I feel so loved" she placed her hand on her chest dramatically.
They bursted into laugher. "You don't know how you look that's why... I feel like eating gala" Precious declared suddenly. "Come let's go to Mama Chisom's shop, I'd tell you about my new boyfriend on the way"
Zarah paused "Wait! you broke up with Jonathan?" She asked with widened eyes.
"Yup" She replied easily.
"Why?"
"We fought"
"But your relationship was not up to two months now?"
"One month and a half actually" She clarified "It wasn't just working out and I thought it was best we both go our separate ways. See... I don't wanna talk about Joe right now. Let's go so I'll tell you about Steve"
Precious pulled her friend out of the kitchen to the living room. She picked up a bunch of keys and her phone from the coffee table and slipped something Zarah couldn't see into the pocket of her jean shorts.
Zarah stared at the slight bilge and frowned "What was that?"
"Nothing really, you'll find out soon" She smiled and walked out of the house. Zarah followed after her shrugging her weird behaviour off.
Precious slipped her phone into another pocket and locked the door to her house.
"So..." Her phone's beep snagged her attention, She fished it out of her pocket to check what it was.
A smile crept up her cheeks and she looked flustered as she read through the message.
Zarah's left brow rose as she observed her friend. "What was..." Precious cut her shirt by handing over to phone to her to read it herself.
It was a message on WhatsApp from a number she had saved with My hrt and three love emojis ending it.
I was just thinking about you so I thought I'd say hi... So... Hi!"
Ending it were two emojis, the first a hand wave and the other, a wink.
"Aww" Zarah cooed "So sweet" She began to read the previous messages when Precious snatched the phone out of her hands.
"Don't read my chats"
"But you'd still tell me anyway"
"Yeah, I'll tell you but if I you read it now how will the gist be fresh?" She dropped the phone along with the key back in it's place in her pockets and started walking off in the direction of where she wanted to get setting from.
Zarah shoved her hand into her pocket and joined her on he sidewalk.
"So... Let me guess, that's the Steve right?" Zarah asked.
"Yeah you're right" She said with a dreamy sigh. Wringing her fingers together with a starry eyed look, she whispered "Stephen"
"Eh! I go love oh" Zarah said in a sing song voice. Precious made to punch her on the arm playfully but Zarah had already predicted the next move, she dodged it giggling.
Precious mock glared at her "Stop it" She tried not to smile but failed miserably. A huge smile stretched across her lips.
"Okay" Zarah threw her hands up in the air in mock surrender. She had managed to stop laughing but the smile was still evident on her lips.
"So tell me about this Stephen of a guy"
"Okay I met him three weeks ago at Kenneth's birthday party...."
Zarah let out a gasp "So you knew him that long and I'm just hearing his name for the first time today?"
"Well... He wasn't important that time and besides I was still fating Jonathan" She defended.
"It's okay, just continue your story"
"Accidentally we were friends on Facebook before that, just that we never chatted. So it started with a harmless hi then we became friends. I think I started falling for him about two weeks ago, he's very funny and has a charming personality"
Zarah furrowed her brow "I thought you were still dating Joe then?"
"Wait now! Allow me to land first" She scolded "Yes I was but I was closer to Stephen, I wanted to know more about him and began spending more time with him. Let's just say he fascinated me. Joe and I started fighting a lot, we grew apart and finally ended it last week" They had already reached Mama Chisom's shop so they stopped to greet her.
"Oh my children, how una dey?"
"Fine ma" They replied simultaneously.
"Ma, give me two gala and two bottle of chapman" Precious said pulling out a five hundred and handing it over to her.
After collecting what she wanted to buy and her change, she handed Zarah one each.
"Thank you jare"
"See this one oh! You're even adding jare sef after finishing my Pepsi" She tore open the sausage roll and took a bite.
"Are you not the one that gave me? Did I ask you?"
"Eh ehn, It's my fault now. It's me that bought you gala na! Issorite, Shebi there is still next time nau" Zarah chuckled.
"Zarah, I'll be going to Steve's house from here, This is where we part ways"
"So you have started visiting him already? If I hear anything" She held her left ear playfully for emphasis "If I hear anything at all, see don't even bother to come near me, I'll deny you immediately"
"Ah ahn! You're talking ng as if you don't know me, nothing will... In fact nothing can happen, trust me. Eh ehn! Lest I forget" She brought out something from her back pocket and squeezed it into Zarah's hands.
Zarah's eyes widened "A wrist watch! Isn't this expensive? No I can't take it" She tried returning it but Precious refused it. She closed it in Zarah's palm and squeezed her hand gently.
"Take it as a congratulatory gift, for your scholarship" Zarah opened her mouth to protest but Precious pressed her index finger to her lips softly "No buts, besides I don't want it, anything that reminds me of how I hurt Jonathan. I haven't even worn it sef and Steve even got me a new one"
"Thanks" Zarah said sincerely with gratitude swirling in her eyes for the person she called her best friend. Precious pulled her in for a warm hug, patting her on the back lovingly.
"My pleasure"
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A/N
Phew! 😌. Longest chapter I've written so far
Word count: 2588
The video of the song faded in the media above 🖕
This chapter is for efefrancis for... I dunno *shrugs* just felt like dedicating it to you.
To
BlueRose_023
laurah132
EkehAnita
StephaniMadukaa
Calliope_hope
elanyx000
Unikwriter333
theofficialfunmbi_
phydee_jay9
aminie22
Thanks for the votes and support 😘
If I didn't mention your name, I'm so sorry, drop a comment and I'll do so 🤗
And for the foreign words, here you go
How una dey - How are you
I go love oh! - I would fall in love too
Issorite and nau are the corrupted version of It's alright and now
Jare is just an exclamation
🤔 Hope I didn't leave anything out? I I did comment below 👇Would do my best to sort it out.
So how was the chapter guys?
😂 What do you think about my baby Precious?
Please tap that little star below, it won't take you two seconds plus you would make me very happy.
Don't forget to comment sha
How about chocolates guys?
🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫
😂😂😂 They are so small because I've finished half of it.
Hugs and kisses 😘💖💖💖💖💗💗💗💗💗💝💝💝💝💕💕
Signing out
Love
😇
Favvy_Jay