My eyes fluttered open, and I noticed how the left part of my body felt numb. I soon realized that Amara's body caused the numbness as she used her heavy weight to crush me. The people that think slim people are always light weighted should carry this girl and have a rethink.
Amara snored into my ear.
I shook her body. Once. Twice. Three good times. Yet, she didn't move.
"Amara. Get your heavy body away from me," I said, while failingly trying to push her legs. Her body didn't budge. Even the time I managed to get her legs away, she made sure to put them back.
I know she's not a light sleeper, but what is this?
Finally, when I resorted to beating her legs, her eyes opened, and she mouthed a sleepy "Good morning."
"Good morning my foot." I rolled my eyes. "Remind me never to sleep in the same bed with you next time, okay?"
She sat up while rubbing her eyes.
"You know I won't remind you so why do you even bother? You tell me this practically every Saturday morning." She ended her statement with a sly smile.
God help me with this girl.
"I sometimes wonder why I befriended you."
"It's because I'm so damn befriend-able."
I faked a sound of realization. "Oh, I think I now know why,: it's because I was so stupid. So dumb that I didn't know what I was getting myself into."
"And yet you still love and appreciate me."
"You said what?"
"Ask me one more time." She rolled her eyes and got up. "While you're trying to comprehend what I said, I'll be in the bathroom."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
When she left, last night's events came flashing through my mind. I knew how impossible it was to forget everything too soon. After all, I promised to make Daniel confess. How to do so, I didn't know.
I sighed, using my hands to protect my eyes from the violent, blinding rays of the sun. Right now, I didn't need the sun to assist my skin cells with Vitamin D. No. I needed more than that. The sun should give me ideas-creative ideas-which can help me make Daniel spill the beans of his feelings towards Amara.
I sometimes have stupid thoughts.
One Friday night with a lot of drama seemed to be what I needed to stress myself out. I won't have felt this obligated to do so if I hadn't made my best friend a promise.
The knock on my door brought me back to the reality of the present. Before I could answer, my sister's big head poked through the space she created. "Good moorning, Kaira."
Is it just me or is she grinning like a wild Cheshire cat?
"Good morning, creep."
She walked in fully, still clothed in her purple nightgown and dressed in smiles. "Guess what?"
"You know I'm-"
"Not good at guessing...yeah, I know. So I'll just go straight to the point."
"Okay?"
"What's with the attitude?"
"No, nothing." I shook my head.
"Mhm. Anyways, our parents are back."
I jolted from the bed and practically ran to meet Kosi. "Really? Are you serious? I hope you're not looking for my trouble."
"I'm not." She said while rolling her eyes, her hands on her hips.
"What time is it?"
"It should be few minutes past ten."
Wow, we woke up this late.
"So they took a night flight then?" I lifted my brows. "They're really back?"
I hoped she wasn't pranking me. For her sake, I hoped she wasn't just fooling me into getting out of bed so I could find something to do with my morning. However, the seriousness slash happiness written on her face helped me confirm that our parents were indeed back in the country.
Without waiting for any other word to be said, I sprang out of the room, completely excited about seeing my parents after a month of being apart from them. It should become a normal for me, but it never became one. Never has, never will. My siblings sometimes teased me about it, but I made them know that it had little effect on me.
I made my way down the helical staircase to the ground floor living room where my parents sat on one of the black couches, still clad in their outing wears.
"You're really back." My voice sounded like a cry. It did speak volumes of how I felt. I, alone, knew how much I missed them so much.
Just at the sound of my voice, my parents stood up and I skipped towards them, engulfing them in a big hug. Call me a spoilt brat, I dare you.
I inhaled the same air they breathed in. I stayed within the space they stood in. They were here with me once more and that was all that mattered at the moment. When we withdrew, my mum peered at me beneath her glasses with a knowing smile on her fair face. I inherited my mum's attributes more than my dad. From the light skin tone to the sleek nose, to the oval shaped head. It wasn't because of all that but I tended to prefer my mother to my father.
She said, "How are you, nne?"
"Finally fine now that my parents are back home and safe." I couldn't help the smile on my face. "I've missed you so, so much."
"I know, my dear." Dad said, giving my head a pat. "Your mother was always calling me to ask when we would return to Nigeria. When I asked for her reason, she said it's because she knew you'd be missing us."
"Aw." I fondled my mum's cheeks and she playfully slapped my hands away. She wouldn't be this carefree if she was stressed though.
"Oh, wow. So everybody has forgotten that I exist. Very nice. Very classic. Very normal."
All three of us turned stare at Kosi who leaned on the grey wall that enclosed the large living room, nodding her head with her arms folded over her chest. My parents just laughed.
"How can you say that?" My dad asked, walking towards her. "You know very much that we didn't forget you. Don't tell me your jealous of Kaira now."
"Of course I'm not. I can't be jealous of the last born. After all, I'm the Ada."
I shook my head, trying my best to hold in my laughter. "You sound jealous to me."
"I said-"
"Oya stop this, both of you." Mom said as she grabbed her bag from the couch. "Your dad and I need to rest."
"That's true. We'll have a proper discussion later, okay?"
My sister and I nodded.
We shared a sly smile knowing that we were still going to talk about it when our parents left for their room. Just when they were out of sight, Kosi stepped closer with her brows lifted. "You say I'm jealous."
"Yes, and I know you're jealous."
She opened her mouth then paused as if she was debating telling me whatever. "Your stubbornness is rubbing off on me."
"Hehe, you love it."
"Never." She faked a shudder. "I'd rather imitate Wale than you."
Wale was her classmate in secondary school. Let's just say he was the clown of their set. He talked like a girl, walked like a girl, and ate like a girl. There was a time he nearly entered the female toilet during one of our school's interhouse sports competition, but one of his friends caught him. He actually wanted to scare one girl from his previous school. Nobody expected him to bring a girl as his date during prom, but he did. He was actually a fine guy. A black beauty.
"Wale was something else that time."
"Yeah."
I smiled, remembering the stupid acts he did in my class when I was in Jss1. "Senior Wale, the clown."
"Abi." My sister chuckled, probably imagining what he used to do also.
"Do you have his number?"
"Mhm. I talked to him yesterday sef." My sister nodded before smirking. "Why? Do you want it?"
"No thanks." I laughed, walking towards the staircase. "I have better contacts."
"This girl, eh."
⇔
By the time I got to my room, Amara was already lying on my bed wearing one of my favourite black tops and blue jean skirts. I folded my arms across my chest and cocked my head to the side. "Hayce, who told you to wear my clothes?"
She gave me her attention for a split second then looked at her phone again, typing fast on her keyboard.
"Wow." I scoffed. "It's the audacity for me."
"It's just you that likes wahala."
"Wow," I said once more, tiptoeing towards the bed so she wouldn't know I was getting closer. Just seeing her there in those clothes made me want to beat her. By the time I got within reach, I picked a pillow and began hitting her with it. Not hard enough to be called a beating, but, at least, it made her to stop being glued to her phone like the gum to one of my brother's old knickers.
"What nau?"
"Why are you wearing these?"
She looked around as if the answer was sitting somewhere in the cyan-walled room. On my wardrobe by the corner maybe? Or on the bedstand with the picture of me and my best friends in it? Maybe it was even in my laundry basket.
"Uh, because it's to my fitting?"
"You're really crazy."
"Like poles attract each other. So that makes you crazy too!"
"Ode, like poles don't attract each other. Unlike poles do."
"Oh." She nodded. "That's true."
"What do you usually do during physics classes? Let me guess: daydream about Daniel abi?"
"Stop nau."
"That reminds me. I haven't fulfilled my promise."
"Which one?"
"How many promises have I made you? No whine me abeg. I'm going to call Daniel as I promised last night."
"No, I'm not ready."
"Who says you're talking to him?"
"But I-"
"No buts, I'm calling him."
I dragged my feet over to the bed and sat beside Amara. I searched the nightstand for my phone, unlocked it, and dialled Daniel's number.
Two rings into the dialing, I remembered: I didn't plan what to say. In fact, I brought up the subject of calling Daniel without thinking. Now, in the seclusion of my room, I was dialing Daniel's number with the hope of letting these two reveal their feelings to each other.
Daniel picked the call.
"Hey, D." I smiled, maintaining eye contact with Amara who had already begun fiddling with the ring on her pinky. "How're ya?"
"I'm fine. I'm perfect." Though he was metres away, I could still tell his forehead held a crease in. "What's up too?"
"Never been better." I widened my foolish grin. Teasing Amara like this gave me this inner joy. When you feel that you have power, there's no stopping it. Trust me, Amara looked just like a humbled puppy after a long stormy night. Amara never let herself look humbled.
"So, why did you call? You never call this early. Like, who even calls nowadays?"
"Me." I pointed at myself. "I do. Me does it."
Daniel laughed. I visualized him shaking his head at his stupid friend. "Damn weirdo."
"Animal."
"Alien."
"Okay, we really need to end this. We could go on until dusk. Then till tomorrow's dawn."
"You're growing up. I'm glad," he paused, "You know, I might just go for thanksgiving tomorrow because of you. Lucky, tomorrow's Sunday. Just perfect."
"Just perfect," I said, still watching Amara. She whispered for me to place the call on speaker, which I did so she could hear our conversation fully.
This was my golden chance to be the one who strengthens the connection between the two. I needed to savour every single, little moment that passed. It's not everyday your best friends catch feelings, is it?
"Kaira, I'm sure there's a solid reason for your call this Saturday morning. Now spill the beans and rice."
I swear, I have the best of friends.
"It's just spill the beans, you idiot. Spill the beans."
"Pele, miss Grammarian. My conversation, my rules. Now, tell me."
"Must there be a reason?" I sighed, swinging my legs, now staring at my toe nails. I needed to trim them. "In fact, you and Caleb are very much alike."
"What does that mean? Did you call Caleb already?"
"Yeah...I did yesterday."
"What for?"
"No particular reason. Just like I'm also calling you for no particular reason."
"I hate when I can't read you. Do you know that?"
"No, I didn't. Now I know, it makes me happy." The corner of my lips tipped.
"Kaira."
I paused and heard Amara take in a sharp breath. When I glanced at her, I realized that we probably thought the same thing. Daniel had something to say.
"Mm?"
Yes, time to pretend to be indifferent.
"I've wanted to say something for a while now, and I don't know if my realization is right or if it's wrong."
"What's that?" Amara managed to drag my hand into hers and squeeze it.
"So, yesterday evening, I was with the guys-Caleb and Nathan-after school. We were discussing general stuff now, like gisting and all. So they brought up the topic named feelings."
"Feelings." I repeated. "Whose feelings? Feelings for whom?"
"Well two of the guys like different people. Myself and another person. I was-"
That got me curious. "Who's the other person?"
"None of your business."
"You're annoying."
"Thanks. Now let me finish," he said. "So, I was asked who I like and em, I told them there wasn't anybody."
"That's a lie." I said bluntly.
"You too? Well, yes, a part of my conscience told me that I wasn't being true to myself. And even Caleb and Nathan pointed it out to me."
"Pointed what out?"
"Pointed out how I behaved towards her. How I smiled whenver she was around me. How I would go lengths to make her smile. And how I felt happy about it all."
"Who's her?"
At this point, Amara and I didn't blink. This was the moment we were waiting for. I wasn't dying to hear who Daniel was taking about as bad as she was.
"Amara. I think I like Amara."
I would have screamed. I would have yelled out an eureka! I would have if I wanted to make him think I wasn't already in the know. I didn't yell or scream.
Instead, I smiled defiantly at Amara who looked like she couldn't believe her ears.
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
So damn alike.
"Why should I say anything?"
I glanced at Amara whose eyes presently held thousands of emotions. She screamed through those dark brown eyes of hers; she also laughed through them. I could tell how much she wanted to say something but I squeezed her hands tight for her not to.
I heard Daniel grumble. "Come on, Kaira. You're keeping me in suspense here. I know you're hiding something."
"You don't know anything. I was only dumbfounded at how dumb you are. At how you didn't realize you had feelings for a girl."
"First, I'm not dumb. I was only oblivious. Second, Kaira, she's not just a girl: she's more than one."
"Ohmigosh, now that's just cringe-worthy." I faked a gag which made Amara to slap my arms.
So we've already reached the side-with-your-partner stage, huh?
"Whatever, Kaira."
"Oh, wow."
Silence was the only noise until Daniel said, "Em, Kaira, can you do me a favour?"
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So Amara's feelings are requited after all🌚
I feel like I'm dragging this thing about Amara and Daniel...or what do you think?
Don't worry, it'll all be over in the next chapter😩
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