Song for the chapter;
NOW by Mothica☝️in the media box, you can copy the link and download the song using YouTube converters thenn play while reading(this is an idea I came up with, Idk if everyone can copy links but do try) ☝️
Ninola was glad Munachi had suggested an emergency therapy session.
Munachi was glad Ninola had joked about therapy because it gave her that idea.
Ten minutes had passed since Ninola finally stopped crying and their Uber was three minutes away.
It was an impromptu decision, which was enabled by Mrs Adeyemi letting Ninola know she could come in immediately when she called to clarify if such sessions were possible.
Munachi was currently in the kitchen making more smoothie for Ninola and Ninola was washing her face in the kitchen sink.
She didn't feel as good as she did when she first walked into their apartment but she felt a lot better than she did fifteen minutes ago and when she walked into the living room she was grateful that the laptop wasn't in view.
"The Uber's downstairs" Munachi announced after staring at the notification that popped on her phone, Ninola nodded and grabbed the juice bottle she'd found in a cabinet and helped Munachi pour the smoothie into the large bottle.
The two girls walked downstairs both feeling like they were forgetting something and got into the Uber car.
•••
"He did what?" Mrs Adeyemi tried to be professional, but she'd never imagined such a scenario would have ever played out, it felt like a twisted joke.
The wildest coincidence she'd ever heard of.
"He said they were doing this for me and I don't know... I didn't ask him that's all that concerns me. I didn't send him message." Ninola rocked her chair, it was her favorite furniture in her therapist's office.
"He invaded your privacy, how does that make you feel?"
"Annoyed, disrespected, like he took my autonomy away from me. Like he sees himself as some ruler over me" Ninola responded honestly and she sighed, then continued.
"But at the same time, it raises questions. Questions like all along isn't this what I wanted? I wanted justice but the financial differences told me back then it was pointless so I didn't even bother. How could I have even hired an investigator talk less a lawyer to defend me back then. Questions like if Mami didn't exist wouldn't I want to pursue this case. I'm not a weakling, I couldn't fight back then because I was outnumbered and they were bigger and older, but now I can fight back legally, but then there's questions like what would my neighbors say if I pursue this case you know.. "
"Yes I know. But your last statements make it seen like you want to pursue it, do you really Ninola?"
"I don't know! I don't because it's... What's the point now, they have wealth it was pointless, Mami would be ashamed to find out, she'd shame me. It's my secret I wanted to take to the grave but it's like he came from nowhere and unburied it. Now I have to decide if I want to rebury it or raise it up and stop being ashamed. I don't want people in Mami's and I business. Our neighbors would talk and they'd slut shame me, they'd victim blame me. I don't want all of that" Ninola rocked her chair faster.
"What do you want" Mrs Adeyemi asked and watched the teenage girl bring up a bottle to her lips and take a sip.
It smelt like fruits. Mrs Adeyemi loved fruits...
Ninola swallowed then wiped her mouth. "I want Arthur to avoid me that's what I'm sure of. But I don't want the relationship to end" She took another sip and wiped again.
"He's hurt me. But I know he's not a bad person. I'm just angry and I want my right to be angry. If I'm around him he becomes some yeye victim because he hurt me and now he's hurt. He should get out"
"Disputes are sometimes solved with distance, maybe that's what you two need for some time. He breached your trust, you have all rights to be angry. Never forget that. It seems his intention were in the right places but a betrayal is still one regardless"
Ninola wanted to roll over a hill out of jubilation because it felt like something she needed to hear.
She appreciated Munachi but it felt like she was telling her to forgive him but Mrs Adeyemi was telling her she could tell him to fuck off.
"Thank you. I don't want to carry on with the rape case at least not now. Maybe next year I can think about all this-"
But then Mrs Adeyemi, for the first time ever took the rug out of her feet.
"Rapists usually strike more than once. The same way you're not sure if you were their first victims, you can never be sure you'd be their last"
Ninola understood and glared at her.
Then stood up. "Thank you for this session, I needed this"
Mrs Adeyemi stood up too. She knew her words would hit a defensive wall. She was prepared for this resistance.
But it was worth a shot. Years of experience had brutally shown her rapists who get away with rape, get away with rape.
"Thank you for turning to me. Don't forget what we discussed in your last session, it is complicated now because of everything but remember, whenever and if ever you settle things with Arthur. Remember you were to ... " Mrs Adeyemi trailed off and waited for Ninola to continue.
The dark skinned girl felt her cheeks heat up.
She'd been avoiding even thinking about it.
Yes Mrs Adeyemi was a professional, but she'd grew up in a strict home where sexual things were a taboo to even think about in the presence of her mother
Mrs Adeyemi was a forty year old adult, she felt like it was a taboo topic.
"I was to bring up the suggestion that we start small to Arthur. You said the problem we might be facing with me freezing up was we were rushing into intercourse or skipping past foreplay out of anxiety. I should tell Arthur we should focus on foreplay instead of intercourse and slowly advance." Ninola rapped out and sprinted to the door.
"Thank you for the session Mrs Adeyemi" she placed her hand on the handle and squeezed.
Mrs Adeyemi stared at the girl in front of her and finally broke character by laughing, which halted Ninola from walking out the door.
It was a shock to her. She knew she was human but hearing her laugh like a human solidified that information.
"Remember you still have an upcoming session Ninola. Enjoy the rest of your day and remember, you have every right to be angry for as long as you need to"
Ninola turned to nod at her, then opened the door and walked over to Munachi.
"So how was it, how do you feel?" Munachi made small talk, because she knew she was about to drop a bomb.
"I feel better in a strange way. I feel validated. My anger is allowed" Ninola answered and looked around, the lights in the hallway were bright so that could only mean it was getting late, she wondered what the time was and she suddenly remembered she wasn't even with her phone
"What's the time please?" She asked Munachi
"6:59, 7 on the dot."
Then Ninola suddenly remembered her groceries. She couldn't even lie about things. Coming home without her groceries would solidify her death, because she'd been gone for over five hours when JABBS was less than 30minutes away from her house.
But the groceries were less important to her compared to her phone, she could leave them behind in Munas' house and get them tomorrow but her phone, her mother must've called her a million times already.
She only had time for one journey. Her house was all the way in another side of Lagos and Munachi's house was all the way in another side.
She couldn't go to Munachi's house and then go back home before 11PM.
"I guess I'd be going home without my phone and things" Ninola let out a dry chuckle and Munachi coughed.
Then fidled with her fingers. "About... That... "
"Eh?" Ninola asked and tilted her head to listen.
"I'm sorry I forgot to bring your groceries with us and your phone-"
"It's not your fault" Ninola cut in but she still felt like Munachi had a guilty look to her face.
Ninola stepped closer to her. "What did you do?"
"I'm sorry. It's just, he offered and i don't know. Arthur and Rooney are heading here with your stuff. Rooney would take me home and Arthur said he'd drop you off and lodge in a hotel near your home and head back in the morning. I'm sorry"
Ninola stared deeply at her and sighed.
"I guess that makes sense. It is late after all, but please before you make decisions I'd be forced to adapt to, please check in with me. I need my autonomy. Abeg, o jẹ didanubi (it's annoying)"
Munachi didn't understand the Yoruba she'd spoke but it sounded thick.
Jasmine was Fulani, Silvana was Igbo.
She'd never had a female Yoruba friend.
"I'm sorry... They're already in the street. They'd be here soon" Munachi stretched her body and started walking towards the exit.
Ninola followed and Mrs Adeyemi stepped back into her office with a soft smile on her face.
They were all still kids, bound to make their own mistakes. But it looked like there was a healthy dynamic between Ninola and her new friends.
She'd be fine.
•••
Ninola was sure she'd never get over how tall Arthur was and how bulky he was too.
Every time she watched him walk, she was amazed by how someone who was that tall wasn't also thin, how could his body balance out so well.
(How I picture adult Arthur's body type)
She was still angry with him, but as the first day she saw him walk into his bedroom she marveled with how handsome and fit he was.
Did he play basketball because he had this body
Or
Does he have this body because he plays basketball?
Ninola snapped back to Earth as he opened the car door for her. She scoffed and entered the front seat. Arthur scratched his head and then gently shut the door, he nodded at Rooney who nodded back as he drove out of the building.
Arthur entered his car and started the ignition.
He wanted to break the silence, but there was nothing he could say. He didn't even know if she wanted to hear his voice.
What should he say?
"Nin I'm -"
"Ninola, my name is Ninola to you from this moment on. Se o ya were (Are you mad?)" She chastised and stretched her body to the backseat and grabbed the grocery bag with her phone inside.
"Ninola I'm sorry-"
"What exactly are you sorry for? Because from almost snapping at my mother, to lying about basketball coach, to the video. You have a lot to be sorry about. Je ki n ran yin leti (Let me remind you) You rich people have so much audacity, you never see normal people as human beings-"
"I swear I see you as a human being. I had no rights to do what I did to you, I'm sorry. " Arthur cut in as he turned his steering wheel around the gate of the building and entered the street.
"Well I don't forgive you. You'd have to do more than just say sorry because you messed with my psche today, nobody deserves that. Especially not your girlfriend" Ninola spoke while tapping a response to her mother's text messages.
She was clearly angry. Boiling with rage.
Ninola was contemplating on even going home.
"Ninola you don dey grow wings because of man abi? Better follow that man go him house, make I no see you today again o"
"Look time I send u go buy something for supermarket where dey near by. I sure say you no even go, you don go branch hotel with man"
"Ninola you think say you no go collect abi? Because you don big now abi. Na past 12 I send you go jabs na 5pm now"
"You no even wan pick up, person go dey call you you no go answer, who u be"
'
If them rape u say you wan sleep outside by this time na your business, no come meet me 7pm and you still never reach house, no dey even reply person calls or messages "
"Nobody would rape me. See you tomorrow"
She decided she wouldn't go home.
She didn't want to. She'd had a traumatic day, she wasn't in the mood to kneel down or pick pin.
She wanted to avoid her mother.
"I know. I'm sorry, I'd do everything to make it up to you. Please give me the chance to." Arthur snapped her out of her haze and she felt that same feeling again.
Something she hadn't in a long while.
Something Chiamaka talked about.
Relevancy
Like she was no longer Mami's lower class daughter, but an upper class girlfriend.
Yet she didn't understand why her eyes were now stinging her.
Why did her mother trigger her so much.
"Please take me to the hotel with you" she whispered and Arthur turned to stare at her.
Confused.
He watched a tear drop on her screen as it lit up with a text message he could read well.
"You na werey, why God give me unfortunate pikin like you"
A/N
Okayy, the pressure is getting werser.
I know her mother is annoying but lol, let's try and see things from her perspective.
She lacks communication skills so much.
I don't want anyone to blame Arthur. Ninola has always been a defiant child. Her mother has always pushed her away with her words..
Arthur isn't giving her a rebellious streak. In fact, I think he's giving her a safe space to hide from.
I tried my best to make things realistic, so yes it's odd how she's letting him drive her home especially after... But honestly. That's the only realistic route.
She deciding to go with Arthur even though he did what he did, isn't that she's now an unrealistic character or she's forgiven him.
Before Arthur/Without Arthur, she would've also chosen not to go back home. She would've called those same girls and gone to another party.
Idk if anyone's noticed but I'm reflecting every chapter in book one in this book
So that means the next chapter is a
Question and Answer chapter
If you want to participate, please drop your questions here and I'd respond in the next update ❤