(060 - Promises)
First of all, We are on our way to 100K Views Guys😭❤️🔥. The growth of this book is very impressive. This is actually the first book I'd be writing that will be entering 100K while I'm still writing it. It's such a big flex for me 🔥. Thank you so much Family Members for getting this book so far. DEMMM Y'ALL! A DEMMER WE EMIRATE!
Secondly, ọmọ... see how everyone wanted to tear Natasha Malik apart in the last chapter. And honestly, I don't even blame you guys. That woman is a disgusting human being. She doesn't deserve to be breathing. I honestly hope someone ties her up to a train track and a train runs her over 🙂.
Hehehe, I'm just kidding. I actually hope someone ties her up in the midst of several ant hills so that red ants will eat her alive🙂. Yeah, that's a lot better.
I swear, I'm no psychopath😌.
This chapter was meant to be the Part 2 of the previous chapter, but I decided to change the chapter numbering and title for reasons that would be obvious as you read on. Don't worry, this chapter will still be in Semeeha's POV.
Let's see if Semeeha will revert back to her old way in this chapter.
⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐇𝐀
(Semeeha Iris Malik)
Collins Odion.
He's here?
Half of me really wanted to believe that he had graduated to stalking me because it was by far too reoccurring to be coincidental with how much he managed to show up to every single place that I am, though this is the first time outside of school premises.
But I knew for a fact that this, indeed, was coincidental because he wasn't here alone. He was here with the Crestview Dance Team, and from the looks of things, they had business here.
Plus, it wasn't like I planned to come here, and he was here before me so there's no way he could have known I was coming here if, at all, he actually was stalking me.
You give yourself way too much importance, Semeeha.
That annoyingly tiny voice that has refused to leave the depth of my subconscious mind decided to mock me. I cringed, trying desperately to push those words to the back of my mind, but they still ended up creeping back, and I couldn't stop myself from thinking.
Ever since the conversation we had in the classroom on Monday, I've been avoiding Collins like a plague. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't stop thinking about everything he said, those statements he made with hardly subtle suggestive undertones in them that messed my head up in ways I could never have imagined.
...I'm not going to stop getting concerned about you because that's who I am, and because I care about you...
...When I have my mind set on something I care about there is no changing it...
...Especially if it's something - someone I'm really passionate about...
Passionate about? What the hell was that even supposed to mean?
And then, when he went ahead to call me Talented after he saw my sketches, that was the highlight. Hearing someone call me talented for the first time ever - hearing him call me talented rubbed me off in a way that I couldn't explain. His words messed me up so bad that I wouldn't stop thinking about them.
So, the only reasonable action I could take in effect to those statements was to stay from Collins. Yet here we are, in the same place, almost in the same space.
The universe was playing one sick joke on me at this point because after the shitty day I've had, the last person I wanted to run into was Collins of all people.
He disturbed me.
And, it aggravated me even more to the core that I was overthinking words spoken by someone that wasn't supposed to matter to me.
But apparently, he does matter. The voice again.
Shut up!
Right now, he was standing several feet away from where I was in my side of the crowd, popping and locking away in perfect sync to the music with the other dancers, heavily engrossed in what he was doing to even notice me among to crowd. Honestly, I wasn't even sure he noticed that a crowd had gathered and was cheering him on because of how dedicated he was to giving the other team a beatdown with his badass dance moves.
This was the perfect opportunity for me to walk away before he noticed me, and act like I was never there.
But as much as I tried to will myself to turn around and walk away, I found myself equally engrossed in watching him just as every single person that had gathered was.
Maybe I should stay till the dance is over. I told myself. Then, I'll leave before he sees me.
My eyes occasionally swept across the other dancers, from Crestview, and the other team, but in the end, they always came back to rest on Collins.
I have always known Collins was a talented dancer, the best male dancer in the entire set... the entire school even. But I don't think I have ever paid attention to him in this way before, this closely. Maybe because he has always been second to Dawn, always in her shadow.
I guess that's one thing we both had in common.
The only difference was that he seemed very much content with it that way.
Unlike you. The voice snickered.
I fought the urge to roll my eyes, though deep down, I couldn't help but think about the underlying truth in that two worded statement.
I kept watching Collins till the point that I couldn't dare take my eyes off of him for fear that he'd do a stunt and I'll miss it. I was too invested in watching him that I didn't know when my hand unconsciously went to my hoodie and pulled it off, revealing myself to anyone and everyone that knew Semeeha Iris Malik.
But when I realized that I had completely exposed myself to the world, it wasn't because anyone screamed and rushed at me to ask for a picture or an autograph. Actually, it seemed like I was invisible to every single person because no one recognized who I was.
No one, but Collins.
And in as much as I was low-key glad that he was the only one that noticed me, I was suddenly self-aware of the fact that I never wanted him to notice me in the first place.
Right before then, he was doing a dance move I was familiar with as the "knee drop", a dance move that involved him spinning on one leg for a moment before using the knee of the other leg to push the back of the knee of the spinning one, dropping down in the middle of the spin. It looked easy, but it was a pretty dangerous dance move that could cause a hamstring.
But if anyone could pull it off effortlessly, it was Collins.
And it was while he was spinning on his left knee, about to drop down that his eyes met mine in the crowd.
He spotted me so easily.
His eyes held a little bit of surprise at my presence, but he didn't for one-second halt his dance moves because he had seen me. And while he wasn't the least bit distracted by my unexpected presence amid the crowd that was watching and cheering him on, I was so caught unawares by him unexpectedly spotting me in the crowd.
This is exactly what I was avoiding. I sucked in a breath.
In a bid to hide myself, I swept my hoodie over my head and pushed my shades back against my face. But even through the tinted lenses of my shades, I was just as able to still see him clearly as much as he was still able to tell that I was the one he saw.
And through the shades and even with the little distance between us, I could make out the smirk that he flashed my way, followed by a slight shaking of his head.
It was as if he was making fun of me for trying to hide behind my hoodie and shades when he has already seen me.
He went right back to dancing after that, not sparing me a glance for the rest of the dance. Again, this was supposed to be the moment I should have turned around and left the place, but I still couldn't bring myself to leave. I wasn't sure why, but I didn't want to believe it was because of him.
The Dance Battle ended with the Crestview Dance Team winning by majority hoots and cheers of approval from the crowd, and the other team honorably accepted defeat. Before I could help it, I found myself clapping as well, eliciting a glance from Collins.
His eyebrows tugged up in amusement, and I stopped clapping momentarily, averting my gaze from him till I was sure he wasn't looking at me anymore.
As the crowd dispersed and the dancers from both teams muddled up till they became one, talking to each other all at once, the leader of the other team came forward, meeting Collins halfway before they gave each other a bro hug, deep laughs rumbling out from the both of them.
There was this air of familiarity with them. It was like they knew each other. Either that or because guys easily flowed with each other.
Collins easily flowed with everyone, and as much as I didn't want to admit it, he had an aura that effortlessly drew people to himself. If he knew he possessed that sort of energy, he sure never basked in it. Again, it's either he's just faking this friendly demeanor, or he's an angel.
Before, I'd have easily zeroed my mind on the former, but lately, I've had an inclining to lean more toward the latter.
I didn't like it.
No one should be so full of positivity.
Just because you are so negative doesn't mean every other person should be.
That damned voice again.
"Bruh! I have to say, you handed us our asses," I heard the guy from the other team tell Collins. The dark-skinned guy chuckled, shrugging first in response before he spoke.
"Hey, I warned you," He replied the guy. "You cannot openly challenge the Crestview Dance Team and expect us to take it easy on you guys. It's impossible. You should even be glad Dawn is not the one that took you on." He told the guy while stealing a glance in my direction again as if to check if I was still around.
When his eyes settled on me, a smile quirked at the corners of his lips before looking back to the guy he was speaking to. It was like he was giving me an unspoken request to wait for him but I couldn't help but feel a little insulted that he didn't ask me with words. Or maybe I was just the one that assumed he wanted me to wait for him.
What if when he's done with whatever he's talking about with that guy, he just walks past me?
In fact, why the hell should I be waiting on him when all I have been trying to do is to avoid him?
Get yourself together, Semeeha. I chided myself, irritated that the mere thought of Collins was making me feel so edgy.
Now, that was my final cue to leave, the urge to get as far away from Collins as possible overwhelming every jumbled-up feelings in my head. My thoughts might be scrambled up but I knew for a fact that I shouldn't be around Collins.
Not today of all days.
So, I willed myself to finally turn around and walk away from the vicinity, away from him.
But if at all I knew Collins as well as I thought I did, he wouldn't just let me walk away without at least speaking to me. And unlike other times that I have somewhat, low-key craved his attention, today was not one of those times.
I wasn't sure I could pull myself together to face the ever-scrutinizing gaze of Collins, especially after everything that has happened in the last few hours.
But my intuition was correct. Of course, Collins won't let me leave unless he has spoken to me because, in no time, he flashed right beside me before he came to stand in front of me, stopping me from walking any further.
"Get out of my way, Collins,"
The rapid warning left my mouth before I could stop it, but I hoped he'd take the hint that I was not in the mood to indulge him. But Collins being Collins didn't take the hint. Or rather he did take the hint but chose to ignore it.
Instead, his lips stretched in that familiar calm smile of his, hands folded across his chest.
"Hello to you too, Semeeha,"
He answered, bobbing his head to the side as he peered at me with something between amusement and interest twinkling in his eyes. I averted my gaze from him quickly, thanking God for the fact that the shades were still shielding my eyes so he wouldn't know I wasn't looking at him.
Scrutinizing Gaze. Just as I thought.
Even though I wasn't looking at him, I could feel his eyes everywhere... unashamedly. It made me feel uncomfortable and self-conscious about how I looked, knowing that I didn't put any effort into the way I was dressed. Yet, Collins was staring at me unbashful, a smirk playing on his lips.
Is he mocking me inside his head?
The mere thought of that spiked my initial irritation up.
"If you don't have anything to say to me, then you should really get out of my way," I spoke after what felt like hours of silence between us. "If you don't mind, I have important places to be," I added. If Collins heard the anger in my tone, he sure as hell didn't act like it.
If anything, his smile widened.
"So, you were just going to leave without saying hi to your classmates," He nodded his head to the rest of the dance team. I followed his gaze, noticing three other familiar faces there. I couldn't remember the names of the two guys but I could easily pick out Lase, the timekeeper.
She was the same one that had walked in on us in the classroom on Monday.
As if she knew someone was looking at her, she looked in our direction and her eyes met mine. If she was surprised to see me here, she didn't show it.
In fact, she didn't show any emotions at all regarding me, eyes looking away almost as soon as they looked at me, going back to conversing with the boys with a cheery expression in contrast to what she exuded when she was looking at me.
In other words, she disregarded me.
A frown contorted on the corners of my face at that.
Who is giving this one mind?
"I don't have any business with them," I told Collins when I looked back at him, inwardly asking myself why I was indulging in this instead of just walking away.
But, I didn't act on my thoughts.
"And me?" His left brow tugged up in question. "You were going to leave without saying Hi to me?" He asked, his lips pulled in a pout as he feigned heartbreak. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
"I thought we were friends," He added, and I scoffed out a humorless laugh, taking off my shades so that I could look him right in the eye as I made my next statement.
"Friends?" I repeated, my voice laced with sarcasm. Collins shrugged, ignoring the sarcasm in my tone. "I thought you said you weren't desperate for my friendship, hmmn?" I reminded him of what he said on Monday.
"I still stand by that because I'm not," Another nonchalant shrug punctuated that statement, and a lazy smile tugged at the corners of his lips. I tried my best not to be irritated by it.
Why are you always irritated by everything?
Shut the fuck up!
"Yet here you are, tagging yourself as my friend when I know for a fact that we are not friends, Collins," I told him point-blank, hoping he'd get over that delusion of his that we were somehow in the friend zone when we were merely classmates.
I wanted to squash that mindset he had that not everyone he smiled at, or spoke incredibly soothing words to wanted to be his friend, least of all, me. I needed to get him out of my system and there was no way I would be able to do that with Collins being this way.
This... inciting.
But yet again, he didn't seem deterred by my attempt to break his spirit because all he did was smile and bob his head sideways again, his index finger tapping his chin in a thoughtful expression.
"You coulda fooled me," He said and the frown on my face deepened slightly. "You claim not to be my friend yet you stayed to support the dance battle even when you could have just walked away,"
I tried to hide my shock behind a stoic expression.
How the fuck did he figure that out?
"Me supporting the dance battle had absolutely nothing to do with you, but with the fact that this," I gestured to the team. "is my best friend's team," I answered shrewdly.
"It's actually the school's dance team that your friend is heading," he corrected, holding an index finger out to me. "And she's not even here right now," He smirked back at me. I rolled my eyes, knowing that he wanted to back me up into a corner till I admitted to him.
Never.
"What can I say," It was my turn to shrug. "I have school spirit. I like to support my school in every way," I stated matter-of-factly, keeping my face as straight as I could.
Collins stared down at me for a moment before his smirk transcended into a smile, then a small laugh. He shook his head slowly as he laughed while I wondered what the hell was funny about any of this.
"You just won't admit that you stayed back because of me, would you?" He asked. I scoffed for the third time, mimicking his posture by folding my hand across my chest.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Collins," I told him. "Pride is not a good look on you," I added, sweeping off my hoodie from my head to reveal my full face. There was no point covering up anymore.
Or maybe there was.
I watched the smile that has been playing on his lips for the past minute disappear into thin air, replaced with a frown. I've been so used to Collins smiling, even at the oddest of times that seeing him without a smile on his face was so out of character.
I looked over my shoulder, wondering what he might have seen that spoilt his mood. But I didn't see anything odd or out of place, not even from his buddies that were still talking.
It wasn't until I looked back that I realized he wasn't staring at anything behind me. Rather, he was staring at me... at a spot on my face.
Do I have something on my face? I asked myself, instinctively wiping my right palm over my face.
I didn't feel anything out of the ordinary.
"What?" I asked, a confused frown etched at the corners of my face. Collins didn't say anything back. All he did was stretch his hand out toward my face.
I flinched back, wondering why he wanted to touch my face, but my reaction didn't seem to deter him.
He moved closer and touched his left hand to the side of my face, fingers skimming breezily against my cheek before making their way to my chin. He gently tilted my head up and to the side as if he wanted a better and much clearer view. It was when he did that that I realized the exact spot he was looking at.
It was the same cheek Mother had slapped me on.
Jesus.
My breath suddenly caught in my throat and my heart began to pound erratically against my chest at the mere thought that he could tell that I was hit by someone. I mean, I checked after the photoshoot and I swear, I didn't see anything that could give away that I was slapped across the face.
Mother made sure of it.
There's no way Collins could have picked it up. There's no way he would have known.
Except I wasn't as careful as I thought I was.
Trying to keep my expression as impassive as possible, I gently pushed his hand away from my face. He didn't fight it, allowing his hand to fall back to his side. But when he looked back at me, his brow was tugged as he peered directly at me, like he was trying to read me.
And no, his face didn't give off the teasing expression it always did whenever he looked at me like that.
This time, his face was deadpan and serious.
I didn't need anyone to tell me that he picked it up.
"I fell," I blurted out without thinking, lifting my hoodie back in place to shield my face from the heat of his gaze, wanting nothing more than to dissuade his mind from thinking whatever it was thinking.
"You fell," He repeated like he was trying to taste the absurdity of those words on his tongue. But as stupid as I knew it sounded, the last person I wanted to hear it from was Collins.
So, I mustered a frown, my arms folded across my chest again.
"What's that tone supposed to mean?" I asked him. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but the slight shake of his head followed by his closing mouth told me he thought against it.
That only made me wonder what the hell was going on in his head because I knew for a fact that he didn't believe that half-assed explanation I gave.
Before he could speak again, footsteps advanced toward us, stopping him short. He looked over my shoulder and I followed his gaze to see Lase making her way toward us. She hardly spared me a glance as her eyes stayed fixated on Collins as she reached us.
"The guys and I are going to bounce," She told him, jerking her thumb toward the other two familiar guys she was with earlier. "Are you coming or...?"
She nodded in my direction, still not sparing me a glance or a little acknowledgment that she was talking about me while I was standing right there beside her.
What is this? I stared back at her in irritation.
"Or," Was Collins' response, eyes conveying more of whatever message he was trying to pass across than his words. Unlike me, Lase seemed to understand what he was trying to say, her perfectly lined lips tugged up in a smile before she nodded.
"Okay," She said between low chuckles, patting him against his arm. "Good luck," There was a little undertone in the way she said good luck, making me feel like she was mocking me.
Lase didn't like me and she didn't try to hide it.
And as much as I didn't want to admit it, it made me feel so inferior.
She walked away without as much as a wink in my direction, leaving Collins and me alone again. I looked back over my shoulder in time to see Lase and the other two guys walking away to where a couple of power bikes were parked. When I looked back at Collins, he was already looking at me.
"Why are you not going with them?" I asked him.
"Because you are here,"
His response was swift like he didn't need to think about it before he said it. I tried not to react to his words and tried not to overthink them as something more than what they might actually be.
Just words. Simple words.
But why didn't they feel like simple words?
"Well, I can't stay," I said. "I told you I have places to be," I reminded him.
Of course, it was a lie. I didn't have anywhere to be except at home, which was by far the last place I wanted to be. But the truth is that being at home, all alone, wasn't as scary as being with Collins.
His presence around me made me feel uneasy. Not necessarily in a bad way, but in a way that left me more self-conscious than I have ever felt.
Plus if he was able to figure out that I was hit in just a few minutes of talking to him, what more would he figure out if I spent more time with him?
I couldn't risk it. Not with anyone, and definitely not with Collins.
"If you had places to be, you'd have gone by now," He stated matter-of-factly, shoving his hands into the pocket of his jeans, gentle eyes trained on me. I averted my gaze from him immediately, exhaling.
"Well, I'm going now," I told him. And without any form of goodbyes, I willed myself to move, almost walking past him.
But he didn't let me go any further.
Strong hands wrapped around my forearm, stopping me from successfully brushing past him till we were standing side by side, close to each other. I inhaled shakily, catching a whiff of his perfume, faint, yet potent. I wasn't even sure how that was possible.
Collins pushed back till he was in front of me again, holding me at arm's length, his gaze softer, gentler.
This time, I didn't look away from him
"One hour," He said. It took me a second to realize that he wanted to stay with him for one hour. I shook my head, determined not to let this guy break my resolve.
"No, Collins,"
Despite my insistent refusal, he wasn't backing down.
"Be honest with me," He started, still holding my gaze intently with his. "Do you really have places to be or that's just an excuse to get away from me?" He asked. I looked away from him, not answering.
My silence was all he needed to confirm that it was indeed the latter.
He smiled.
"One hour, Semeeha," His voice was pleading, persuasive. "Spend one hour with me and if you want to leave after, I'll drop you off myself. I promise," He said, deep brown eyes gleaming with compulsion.
If there was anything I knew about Collins' promises, it was that he kept to them. And after all the promises he made to me on Monday, I should have been expecting this.
His Stubbornness. His Determination
It was like nothing I ever do or said could make him stay away from me. I don't know what it was about me that interested him so much, but it unsettled me in ways I have never felt.
Again, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It just made me feel... weird.
I didn't want to cave, but I couldn't help it.
If he asks anything too personal, I'll deflect. I told myself.
"You are insufferable," I said to him. His lips stretched in a grin and his eyes held their familiar glint.
"I take it that's a Yes," He grinned so hard, I feared his cheeks would hurt. I rolled my eyes but nodded to his statement-like question, fishing my phone out of the back of my jeans to text the driver to go home.
"One hour, Collins," I reminded him and he nodded, pressing his hand against his chest in a form of swear.
"I keep my promises," He said, his eyes conveying more meaning to his words than his voice did. It was like he wasn't just talking about the one-hour promise, but also the promises he made on Monday.
And this time, I knew I wasn't overthinking it. Eyes don't lie.
Especially Collins'.
"Fine," I kept up with my impassive look. "What now?" I asked. He smiled down at me, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Have you had anything to eat today?"
That question gave me a direct whiplash.
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Donuts.
I was staring at Freshly Baked Donuts.
Steamy Chocolate, Strawberry, and Vanilla creamed, some glazed with colorful sprinkles and some with shredded coconut, some with sprinkled sugar, some with holes in between, some a whole dough, and some shaped in the form of a heart.
(Donuts 😭❤️🔥!!)
Everything and more, the varieties, stared back at me, calling out to me.
But in a way, I couldn't help but feel blindsided. Like this was some sort of a scheme by Collins to have a good laugh at me.
I forced myself to take my eyes away from the inarguably delicious goodies in front of me and turned to look at Collins. He was already looking at me, his head propped up by his elbow as he peered at me, a smile playing on his lips.
Is this playing? Is this some kind of joke?
"Are you trying to mock me?" I fired at him, my face contorted in a deep grimace. The smile on his lips was replaced with a confused expression.
"What?" He sounded lost, but I knew better. Scoffing, I folded my hands across my chest, not buying that confused front one bit.
"You are definitely trying to mock me," I decided and his confusion doubled. "Why did you get me donuts? Are you trying to get back at me for taking your donuts last week? Is this what this is about?" I gestured to the box of twelve in front of me.
His eyes widened in realization and he started shaking his head.
"Oh! No, no, no! Of course not," He raised his hands in surrender. "This isn't about that-" He made a gesture that indicated last week with his hand. "-at all. This has absolutely nothing to do with last week. I've even about what happened,"
"Then why did you get me donuts?" I queried. He looked back at me incredulously, like I just asked a very absurd question.
"You said you were hungry," He defended.
"You asked if I have eaten today and I said No," I countered. "I didn't say particular say that I was hungry," I added.
"Yet, you didn't protest when I brought you here to eat," He countered back.
"Still, why donuts of all things to get me?" I maintained my stance. Why did he get me donuts of all snacks to get if it has nothing to do with what happened last week? He could have honestly gotten me anything but donuts, especially donuts that looked this good.
It was giving me major PTSD of might have been the worst and most embarrassing days of my life.
"Hey," His hands were still raised in surrender, his eyes pleading for me not to misunderstand me. "Honest to God, I wasn't thinking about last week when I got this," he nodded at the box. "I just thought you'd like to have donuts,"
He sounded genuine, his eyes held genuinity, and if I wanted to be honest about the kind of person Collins was, he didn't seem like someone that would do stuff out of spite for me, or try to mock me. This simply meant that I was the one that was misinterpreting what might actually be a good intention.
And the truth is... I really really craved the donuts in front of me.
"I could change them to something else if you want," Collins was already on his feet, stretching his hand to pick up the box in front of me. My hands moved faster than my mind, shifting the box out of his reach.
"It's fine," I said when he looked at me inquisitively. "Donut is fine, thank you," I told him, looking down at the deep-fried goodies in front of me.
When I didn't hear Collins say anything back, I looked at him and saw him still looking at me, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.
"What?"
"Do you know this is the first time you are actually thanking me for helping you out with something?" He stated, and I rolled my eyes.
"Don't get used to it," I told him.
"Not gonna," He laughed.
I looked back at the donuts in front of me, not knowing if I should start eating them now or not. I could feel Collins' eyes steadily on me, and it made me self-aware of the fact that he'd probably watch me eat.
It's how the pastry shop was jam-packed, people to my left and my right that might recognize me, but yet, I was more conscious of the guy sitting in front of me, dedicated to watching me like a hawk. It was almost as if he was waiting for me to start eating like he wanted to see if I'd actually eat or not.
But when I took a glance at him, it was like he realized I was uncomfortable with him watching me like that.
"I'll go get you something to drink," He started to stand up. "You can dig in," He flashed me a gentle smile before he stood up from the seat and walked to the counter.
As soon as I was certain he wasn't looking at me, I picked up one of the donuts with a serviette and forced the whole thing in my mouth at a go. I moaned at the heavenly taste, the feel of the chocolate and sugary sprinkles melting against my tongue.
So good! I thought to myself.
I didn't even care that I was smearing chocolate over my mouth, chomping down on donuts like I haven't eaten in days - which I actually haven't. Taking a quick glance around the shop to be sure no one was paying attention to my caveman habits, I went back in, pushing another two into my mouth, rushing to get as much food in my stomach as possible.
Mother wasn't in town and this was literally the only chance I had to have something in my system for the first time in weeks. Mama Marie wasn't around to give me food, and the maids strictly adhered to instructions from Natasha Malik. If I didn't stick to my eating regimen, all they needed was to give her one phone call.
I needed to make the most of this.
"Yo! Slow down!"
I heard Collins' voice beside me, reminding me of his presence in my already donut-filled mind. When I looked up, I saw him holding two cups of iced slurpy.
(Slurpees 🤤❤️)
I could also see that he was trying to stifle a smile - didn't work by the way.
I paused my lips together, embarrassment flooding my entire being.
"You are going to get a hiccup if you eat that fast," He told me as he settled back in his seat.
On cue, I began to gulp, my chest jumping in effect to hiccups just like Collins said. He quickly passed me one of the cups he has holding and I took it, slurping down on the chilled content to ease my congested diaphragm.
Soon I was calm, taking one lost slurp before dropping the drink.
"You good?" He asked, his eyes holding genuine concern. I nodded.
"Yeah, I'm f-blurnsldbfkfodnakaklaoansvdkehdjdjdkk!!"
A very... very long, and insanely loud strings of burps escaped my lips that exact moment before I could feel them coming, ringing out through the suddenly and unexplainably quiet room, alerting every single person's attention to me.
My hand quickly flew to my mouth to stop the rest from coming out, my eyes widened with unmatched horror.
Fuck me!
Collins' mouth was a gap, his eyes huge like saucers as he stared at me in what looked like astonishment and shock, completely dumbfounded. In fact, that was the look every single person in the room, and possibly within a ten-mile radius was giving me.
I wanted nothing more than for the ground to open up and swallow me.
Walking out of the room wasn't even an option because that will be a total walk of shame and I wasn't sure how to handle that. So, I quickly dropped my head, picking up my shades to wear and hiding behind my hoodie to shield myself so that no one would recognize me even though I could feel their eyes boring holes into my skin.
This is fucking humiliating!
Second-hand Embarrassment. Premium Embarrassment.
I swear, I wanted to die!
Everywhere was quiet for a while, the moment ticking away at an unbearably slow pace. Soon, I could feel the stares leaving my body, chatters filling the room once again. I didn't look up till I was sure no one was looking at me, and soon, I was certain no one was paying attention to me anymore, going about their business.
Well, except Collins.
He was still staring at me with his eyes bulging out of their sockets and his mouth open like someone about to catch a fly. He opened and closed his mouth severally, shaking his head like he was trying to gather his thoughts.
Only heaven knew what was going on in his mind.
"Damn!"
Was what he started with, his voice was in a deep whisper, finally blinking his eyes like he was still trying to get himself together. And I wasn't even faulting him for being so speechless. Even I was speechless.
And I swear, I could feel that any minute from this moment, he'd burst into laughter and mock me.
Wrong.
"That was fucking impressive,"
Ehn?
Now it was my turn to be shocked.
I finally raised my head to look at Collins, taking off my shades so that he'll see the look on my face clearly, just like I wanted to see his. And in corroboration with what he just said, he did look impressed... like really impressed.
Like he just watched me wrestle with a bull and win kind of impressed.
What?
"Impressive?" I asked incredulously, lowering my voice to the barest minimum so that I won't call more unwanted attention to myself again. "You call that impressive? That was borderline disgusting and downright humiliating for me and you are impressed?"
How?
"Okay," He chuckled. "You are kinda right about the whole disgusting and humiliating part-" He said and I rolled my eyes, leaning back against the chair with my hands folded.
He didn't even try to stroke my ego small by telling me it wasn't that disgusting or humiliating.
"-but who gives a fuck?" He was still talking, throwing his hands up with a small laugh escaping his lips. "I have never heard a girl burp that loud or that long. Heck! I have never heard anyone, not even a guy, burp that loud or long! It's flipping epic!"
"It's unladylike!" I retorted, my face heating up in even more embarrassment when Collins chuckled lightly at my expense.
God knows if my mother had witnessed such an outrageous act... I can't even begin to imagine the looks of utmost disgust that she'd have on her face. I won't hear the end of it till thy kingdom comes.
And given the events of today... she might have even slapped me again.
But here collins was, telling me that he was impressed with such... dirty, gutter behavior. Gah!
I shuddered.
"You are disgusting," I blurted, flashing the dark-skinned boy seated opposite of me a glare. But he laughed lightly in response and shrugged in nonchalance, not taking any offense to what I said, just like every other hurtful thing I have ever said to him.
Defeated that my words didn't hurt as I wanted them to, I silently went back to eating the donuts, more lady-like this time.
I have to admit that in a way, him deflecting any form of worded arsenal his way makes me feel incredibly stupid for trying too hard to hurt him. Maybe he has developed a thick skin to insults because of some past experiences... or maybe he was just immune to it.
I have tried to wrap my head around why Collins was so cool, calm, and collected about everything.
Or maybe he was just that way to me.
The thought of that made me feel even more on edge.
"My guy,"
An unfamiliar voice filled the table and I looked up to see a light-skinned guy standing by our table, wearing a T-Shirt that indicated he worked here. I had sighted him behind the counter when we came in, and he was also the same guy that Collins went to meet when he wanted to order the slurpy.
He traded high fives with Collins while I watched them in silence, munching on donuts.
"This Jigga," Collins spoke, familiarity laced in his voice. "Are you not supposed to be working? What are you doing away from your duty post?"
"So, someone cannot take a break again bah?" The guy fired at Collins, a mock look of annoyance marred across his face. "Someone even came to greet you, you are doing sákárá. What's even your problem sef? You are not even on duty today,"
That last statement caught my attention.
Duty. I repeated. Does Collins work here? I asked myself
"So?" Collins fired back at the guy. "You know I can easily just tell the boss that you are slacking. He likes me so he'll believe me. Besides, it's not even like I'll be lying to him," He shrugged, a taunting smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.
The light-skinned grimaced.
"So you are threatening to report me to Ọga Ade, abi?" The guy sounded offended, but the ghost of a smile playing on his lips told me he wasn't. They were just guys, catching cruise with each other.
"No wahala na," The guy shrugged. "It will be your turn soon o, Collins. Your turn go soon reach,"
"Get out my friend," Collins dismissed him, laughter in his voice.
The guy joined him for a moment, before turning to look at me, acknowledging me for the first time since he got here. His lips turned up in what I assumed was supposed to be a sensual smile, but ended up making his face look disfigured.
I reeled back instinctively, eyebrows quirked in question.
"'Sup Lil' mama," He winked and I automatically grimaced.
Is he trying to be sexy?
"Kess, geddifok!" Collins ordered. The guy laughed and said something that sounded like someone cannot play with you again before he actually walked away from us and back to his duty post.
"Don't mind that one," Collins spoke when he was out of earshot. "He's not okay in the head, trust me," He added, and I scoffed out a small laughter in agreement.
He doesn't look like it.
But of course, I didn't say that out loud. Instead,
"You work here?" I asked, remembering what the Kess guy said about him not being on duty today, and how they spoke to each other with so much familiarity and rapport. It could only mean that Collins was working here, but I wanted to confirm.
"I actually work in so many places but yup," He nodded. "I work here occasionally, mostly when they have a full house and need more hands on deck. It's majorly per-time though,"
I found myself looking around the room, my face scrunched up before I could help it.
Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad-looking place. I mean, if their donuts and slurpees tasted this good, then business must be pretty good for them. But, I wasn't sure if this was a place that befitted someone like Collins to work in. It didn't seem like his style... or his class.
From what I heard from Dawn sometime last session, Collins' mum was the director of one popular hospital on the island. She didn't know anything about his father, but that simple information about his Mum was all I needed to know that his family was loaded. It was even obvious in the way he dressed, and most especially, his power bike.
He was the first guy in Crestview to ride a power bike before a few other guys followed suit. He is a trendsetter, whether he was conscious of it or not.
So what the hell was he doing working in an establishment that was clearly below par for him? Especially for a pay that might not even be up to his monthly allowance.
"Do you get paid good money?" I couldn't stop myself from asking. He peered at me quizzically for a moment before he answered.
"I'm not exactly sure what your definition of good money is," He drawled between small chuckles. "But yes, the pay is okay," He said, and even though Okay in my dictionary meant it was just average, I didn't say anything.
"But I'm not doing it because of the money though," He quickly clarified. Knowing Collins, I won't put that past him. "I just like to assist," He shrugged.
"What other work do you do?" I asked, my curiosity more piqued than minding my business. And seeing how Collins leaned forward when he wanted to speak, I knew he didn't find my nosiness infuriating.
Heck, it was like he was happy to answer me.
"Sometimes I do valet parking for hotel guests," He revealed, and my mouth opened. "Sometimes, I do auto-repair for people's cars-"
If my mouth was just opened in shock at the valet parking part, now my jaw dropped.
"Mechanic," I couldn't stop myself from blurting out, cutting him off mid-sentence. And unsurprisingly, he found my reaction funny because he just laughed at me.
"Automobile repair," He corrected, raising his index finger. I rolled my head for the umpteenth time today.
"That's just a fancy way and saying you are a mechanic," I told him. His smile transcended into a teasing smirk as he leaned back against his chair, his hands folded across his chest.
"Just like fashion designer is just a fancy way of saying you are a tailor, Semeeha," He deadpanned, rendering me completely speechless. I quietly took my cup of slurpy and drew on the straw slowly, using it as an excuse not to speak.
I didn't need anyone to tell me that he was talking about the sketches he saw last week.
"That action is telling me you know what I'm talking about," Collins spoke when a couple of minutes passed and I still won't take the straw from between my lips.
This time, I did.
"I don't," and it was back between my lips again.
"Of course you do," He was unrelenting, and that stubbornness of his wasted no time in aggravating me as it has always done.
"We are not talking about my sketches, Collins," I told him point-blank, hoping he'd just drop it and allow us to move on to another topic.
He didn't.
"Why not?" He asked incredulously, clearly not seeing reasons with me.
Not like I had any reason, to begin with.
I just didn't want to talk about a part of me that wasn't supposed to be out there in the first place. The fact that Collins saw that side of me by accident and called me talented doesn't mean I would be comfortable talking about it.
But obviously, Collins wasn't letting it go so easily.
"Listen to me,"
He leaned forward against the table, his voice lowered into a husky whisper with his eyes peering intently at me from across the table. This was the point where I'd usually look away because of how intense his gaze always is, but this time, I couldn't bring myself to look away.
My eyes remained fixated on his just as his was on mine.
"You are an insanely talented artist," He began to speak, his voice void of teasing and playfulness and instead, laced with calm sincerity that went straight to my heart.
"And I'm certain that talent isn't restricted to making sketches of cloth designs. I have a feeling you can actually sew dresses," He said with so much certainty as if he had seen the sewing machine locked in the secret compartment in my room, away from the eyes of my mother.
"Do you know how far that skill can take you?" He laughed. "You don't even have to sew anything if you don't want to, you can easily sell your designs to celebrity fashion designers, and cash out like mad. This can take you places as a job, Semeeha,"
"You seem to be forgetting that I'm already an A-listed international fashion model with tons of networks," I reminded him. "That's my real and only job, Collins. Nothing more," I stated matter-of-factly.
Not if Mother can help it.
"And who says you can't have more than one source of income?" He asked, leaning back against his chair with inquisitive eyes gazing at me. His question was met with silence from me, because honest to God, I had no response to it.
No response whatsoever, because not once have I thought in that direction.
That didn't seem to deter Collins because he just went on.
"In the world, in this country most especially, you can't just decide to stick to one thing no matter how much millions and billions are coming in from that one thing. You need to have a substitute," he said to me... and I listened.
"And honest to God," He chuckled again. "I'm not trying to overstep or anything by saying this, but I feel modeling is your substitute,"
That statement caught me off-guard.
"What do you mean?" I had to ask. Collins exhaled and nodded like he has been waiting for me to ask this question for the longest time.
"Again, I'm not trying to overstep," He raised his hand in surrender. "It's just my opinion and I might be wrong," He added. "But, I do feel you are modeling because of what comes out of it and not because you necessarily..." He paused for a moment, trying to pick his words carefully. "... enjoy it,"
I kept my expression neutral even though what he set hit me like a brick.
How was he even able to deduce that?
"I really might be wrong," I knew he was only saying that to be on the safer side, trying to be delicate with me.
Little did he know that he was absolutely correct.
On a perfectly normal day, this was the time I'd have called him out and aggressively debunked his claims even if they were true, being over-defensive and guiding. But this time, I couldn't bring myself to antagonize him. Not after everything that went down today during the shoot, further solidifying what has been buried deep inside my heart for the longest time,
Which is that I wasn't sure about modeling anymore.
So instead of being defensive,
"So, what makes you think designing is what makes me happy?" I asked instead. Collins chuckled, mustering a lazy shrug.
"It's obvious Semeeha," He said. I quirked my brows in question, silently asking him to expatiate.
He sighed.
"You are very protective of your craft," He started. "I saw the fear in your eyes when you realized I opened your sketch pad last week. It clearly showed that you don't want anyone to find out this side of you for the fear that it might be taken away from you eventually–"
I couldn't stop my mouth from opening slightly at that apt analysis.
And he wasn't even done yet.
"–So, you prefer to just keep this side of you hidden, in the confines of your room where no one will judge you. You are sensitive about it and it's safer for you to keep it this way."
Wow. I blinked back, speechless.
Again, how was he able to deduce all that?
"I'm not wrong, am I?" He spoke again, bobbing his head to the side in question with that small, gentle smile playing on his lips. He could read my expression clearly, and that made me not give him a definite answer.
I didn't want to tell him that he was right.
My silence didn't stop him from asking another question.
"I obviously wasn't meant to see your sketchpad?"
This one, I could answer.
"You weren't," I whispered in all honesty.
"So, I take it your friends don't even know about it too," It was more like a statement than a question, and again, it was a question I wasn't sure I wanted to answer.
It held a little bit of weight, some sort of implication.
All the times my friends have come over, I've been extra careful with keeping my little secret.
Hilary might not have a craft that I was familiar with, but her mind was her superpower. She has to be the smartest girl I've ever met. And before the accident, she was the best female swimmer in all of Crestview.
Dawn was a kickass dancer, unarguably the best female dancer in the entire school, and she can also speak more than 20 different languages like it's her native tongue, fluently and easily.
Don't let me even get started on Kizito because my mind isn't enough to comprehend how PERFECT he was.
The last thing I wanted was to feel inferior to either one of them by saying I'm a... tailor.
"They don't," I finally decided to answer. His brow furrowed at that, his stare inquisitive and quizzical like he was trying to figure something out.
"I'm not sure if I should be glad I'm the first to see this side of you... or worried," He whispered. I had a feeling he was talking to himself, but his voice was loud enough for me to hear.
I wasn't sure what to make of that statement, so I kept quiet. And so was he, for a moment.
Until he made a statement that plunged my mind into turmoil.
"You might not want to tell me if my opinion is correct or not," He started. "But, I just hope you are doing what makes you happy, Semeeha. I sincerely hope you are doing what you love."
My mind turned upside down with waves of thoughts.
All my life, all I've ever known is modeling. Even before I went pro four years ago, my mother has been grooming me for it, telling me that this was what I was meant to do with my life. And I believed her and told myself that same thing over and over again.
I really thought it was meant to be my... purpose.
It wasn't until I discovered my passion for fashion design that I started having second thoughts about my said purpose. But like hell, I will tell my mother, who worked so damn hard to make me into the international sensation that I was, that I liked to design dresses.
She'd have my head.
I wasn't even sure she believed in talent or skills, not to talk of being open to me having one.
There was no point chasing a pipe dream.
Not when Natasha Malik was my mother.
A beeping sound jerked me out of my thoughts. I saw Collins pick up his phone from the table and look at it, a small smile stretching at the corners of his lips at whatever he saw.
"My time is up," He said, dropping the phone back on the table to look at him.
"What?" I blinked back in confusion, wondering what he was talking about. In return, his left brow tugged up, a look akin to amusement marrying his face.
"You gave me one hour, remember?" He asked rhetorically, reminding me of the time frame I had to spend with him. "I have to take you home now," He added.
Yeah! Home! Cue the sarcasm.
I felt my heart drop to the pit of my stomach as soon as it dawned on me that my time with Collins had elapsed. I wanted to believe that the change in my mood was because I was going back to a dead house, rather than the fact that I had actually enjoyed spending my time with him.
But of course, I wasn't about to admit that.
"Right," Was all I said. If Collins noticed the change in my demeanor, he didn't say anything about it. He only smile, as per usual, and for once the smile didn't bother me.
I kinda welcomed it in a way.
"Let me get you home,"
⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Collins rode through the gates of my estate with me seated behind him on the bike and my hand tightly around his middle, holding on for dear life while trying not to scream every second he swerved through streets like a maze.
It took a lot of convincing to get me on it in the first place, ten minutes to be precise, and an extra fifteen minutes of pleading with me not to squeeze the life out of him because that would cut the blood circulation to his heart and he will die - his words, not mine.
He even gave up his helmet for me to feel safer, telling me that his extra was at home because he didn't think he'd have company today.
Finally, after spending one more hour at Greenland because of all that serenren, we were on our way... with me screaming my lungs out like a banshee for the first few minutes of the ride till Lagos people started looking at me like I was mad.
So, I kept my mouth shut but that didn't curb my fear one bit.
I swear if I ever find myself with Collins again, I am never riding with him on this death trap.
The ride finally came to an end when Collins stopped in front of my house. I didn't trust myself to come down by myself without falling flat on my face so I just stayed put in my position.
"We are here, Semeeha," Collins said.
"I know," I answered, not moving an inch.
He laughed lightly and I felt him turn in my arms. I didn't need anyone to tell me that he was looking at me, though I couldn't see because my helmet-covered face was pressed against his back.
"I won't be able to get you down if you don't let me good, Semeeha," He said, reminding me that my arms were still around him. Like someone burnt with a hot iron, I unhanded him quickly and leaned away from him.
He laughed again, but said nothing, only proceeding to jump down from the bike and leaving me on it. He turned to look at me.
"Come here," He gestured, stretching his hands out to help me. I grimaced, feeling like the ground was so far away, and somehow, I'd fall. The last thing I wanted was for Collins to watch me embarrass myself again.
"I swear to God," I started to threaten him. "If you let me fall, you will regret it for the rest of your life," I growled at him, my face in a hard scowl so that he'll know that I'm dead serious.
But he just laughed again at my expense, and I was on the verge of screaming at him.
"Don't worry, I've got you," He moved close to me, beckoning.
"Swear on your life," I demanded, and he chuckled.
"That's a little extreme," He said, "But I promise. You know I keep my promises," He reminded me, and yet again, it felt like he wasn't just talking about this moment.
Not knowing what to say back, I just exhaled and nodded.
"Put your hands on my shoulder," He instructed.
I did as he said, consciously placing my hands on either of his shoulders, feeling the hard muscle beneath his leather jacket flex beneath my palms. I sucked in a small breath when I felt his hands at either side of my waist, firm and strong.
He looked at me, his eyes gentle and reassuring like he was silently promising me not to let me fall.
"Steady," He whispered, and I nodded, exhaling shakily.
When he saw that I was ready, he effortlessly lifted me from the seat of the bike like I weighed nothing more than a feather - which I probably did. I couldn't stop the small yelp that escaped my lips as soon as I was lifted, and till I could solid ground beneath my feet.
Finally, I could breathe properly.
"See?" Collins smiled. "Not so bad after all,"
"Whatever," I rolled my eyes.
Collins laughed, before moving closer to unhook the helmet from my head.
"I had fun," He said, a genuine smile that told me he really did have fun playing at the corners of his lips. More than I'd like to admit, I had fun too... safe for the few embarrassing moments.
This was actually a good way to end my shitty day.
"I did not," I lied, crossing my hands over my chest. Collins looked at me like he could tell that I was lying, his brows tugged up in amusement.
"Really?" He queried, and I hummed in response. "The satisfying burping could have fooled me,"
He just had to go there. I face-palmed.
"If you tell anyone about that unfortunate incident, I'm going to kill you for real," I promised him. He laughed, having such a field day teasing me.
"Oh, I believe you," The tone of his voice told me he wasn't taking me seriously.
Urgh!
"Go home abeg. I'm done with you," I dismissed him, walking past him to the gate of my house. I heard him laugh again behind me, but thankfully, he didn't stop me. I don't think I can spend one more moment with such an insufferable idiot.
Just minutes ago, you were not glad your day with this insufferable idiot was coming to an end.
That stupid voice was back to teasing and taunting me.
I hissed under my breath.
"Good night, Semeeha," Collins called from behind me just as I reached the gate.
I turned around and saw that he was already on his bike, his helmet on but the space for his face was still open. He was smiling at me, this big and contagious smile that nearly had me smiling back if I didn't catch myself on time. I resulted in nodding only, not saying anything back.
He seemed rather content with that, his smile widening just a little bit. He swept the glass covering down and without saying anything else, he swerved across the road and rode away.
And I stood and watched till I couldn't see him anymore, till I could hear the roaring sound of his bike... till I could see, and feel complete and total silence.
I felt empty, and it only got worse when I entered the hollowing house that was meant to be my home, that was meant to be welcoming. But the last thing I felt was being welcomed to this god-forsaken place, even when the maids greeted me as I made my way up the stairs to my room.
I plopped on my bed as soon as I got to my room and fished my phone out of my pocket. When I turned on my data, I saw several notifications from Instagram; likes, comments, and tags, and quickly rushed over to check what the fuss was about, hoping and praying that it wasn't a video of me burping the entire alphabet.
It wasn't. But it was something I wasn't happy with either.
The pictures from today's photoshoot were out and Mother, of course, had posted one of the pictures some hours ago. It was the one of me wearing a black two-piece lingerie, smiling sweetly to the camera even though I was nowhere near happy taking that picture.
(A/N: I CAN'T POST THE PICTURE HERE BECAUSE OF WATTPAD'S GUIDELINES, SO I'LL POST IT ON THE GROUP CHAT. GOD WILL NOT ALLOW US TO SEE EVIL🙂)
My mood was officially ruined, and what I thought was going to end as a less shitty day
But apparently, not for long.
I clicked on the comment session and saw so many comments from different brands and companies, some of which I represented, and some that I didn't even know, telling me how I looked so beautiful and grown-up. Some even said, "Welcome to the real industry".
But of all those comments that seemed to hype me and praise me, only one mattered.
Kizito's.
His comment was the one that caught my attention.
(Kizito... Le sigh 🙂)
And for the first time today, I finally found a worthy purpose for doing the photoshoot.
Suddenly, nothing else mattered. Not the skepticism I felt earlier today about the entire that proved to be true, not the way the photographer kept touching and groping me, not the way Mother had subjected me, and certainly not the way she slapped me across the face.
All that was finally worth it with one simple comment from Kizito Alade-Martins.
Sexy Semmy. I could almost imagine him saying it in that deep... sensual voice of his.
He feels that I'm sexy. Me wearing lingerie made him see me as sexy.
I had to bite down against my lips from smiling so hard as my heart swelled up in my chest. My fingers skimmed over the screen of my phone till I tapped on the heart icon at the side of the comment to like it. My cheeks hurt so bad with how wide I was smiling, unable to help myself.
This was an achievement. A big one.
Kizito found me sexy.
He obviously liked to see me this way, wearing something inciting and rousing, an outfit that left nothing to the imagination... just like what his girlfriend always wore.
And as I went to sleep that night, with my tummy filled up with food and my heart content, I told myself that I'd accept his unspoke request, and make sure he sees more of me this way... just like he liked to.
Just like he wanted to.
And that's a Promise.
𝐀/𝐍
👀 Toor.
It's like we are back to square one, you guys. Only heaven knows what Kizito is using on top Semeeha's head that is making her do yamayama like this 🙂.
By the way, I think this is actually the first time Semeeha is really being herself around someone that is not one of her friends. And I think she's even more herself with Collins because he kinda... what's the word, has an inclining of what might be going on with her🤔🤷🏽♀️.
He is such a sweetheart though🥺❤️. But with the way things are going, especially with Semeeha's chronic obsession with Kizito, I'm not sure the Semins ship will sail any time soon... or ever for that matter.
Let's be looking go 🌚.
The next chapter is all Jidela😌, and I swear, I can't even wait to start with them. Their chemistry is just top tier for me, on God.
Till I see y'all, you know the drill. Kisses 💋.