Hola, fam!♥️
I was going to take the day off but my mind wouldn't stop wandering to the fact that I have the update ready and all that's left is to edit it😂. I had to listen to my mind at some point, so I decided to quickly brush it up and post the first part as a birthday update.🌚
Here you go!♥️
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"𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒'𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢
𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛'𝑡 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑛.
𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑠,
𝑖𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢
𝑖𝑛 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛'𝑡 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑏𝑒."
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~𝚂𝙷𝙰𝙺𝙸𝚁𝙰 𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙸𝙾𝙻𝙰 𝙼𝙰𝙻𝙸𝙺~
"Watch it, bitch!"
The feminine voice fired at me in a very aggressive manner that had me concluding she probably had some personal issues against me.
My hand came up to my shoulder, massaging it, to soothe the sharp pain that resonated throughout the muscles in my shoulders. I crouched to the floor, packing up my books while I tried to bring a halt to my teeth which were grinding against each other in anger.
When I was done packing up my books, I looked up to face the fuming, unfamiliar girl. The urge to scoff in her face was overwhelming but there was a much more convincing sense of confidence that if I kept quiet, it would rile her up, even more.
My eyes were set dead on her and I tilted my head to the side, peering at her beneath my lashes with a lazy look. That struck a nerve, judging by her frown which deepened, eliciting an inward smile from me.
Well, take that too, bitch.
"You can't apologise for bumping into me?" She queried, ascending the stair that served as a bridge between us. She had a challenging look on her face. I was even more convinced that she was trying to pick a fight with me but nah, I was bigger than that and I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of seeing me all roused.
Watching a vein about to pop in her neck was much more fun.
I didn't bump into her. She did.
"No, I won't." I simply told her and I meant it.
Her eyes darkened in anger.
"Exchanging words with you is merely a waste of time." She huffed, flipping her braids over her shoulder and then, she walked past me, brushing her shoulder against me in an abrasive manner. I didn't flinch.
Instead, I started descending the stairs as slowly as I could and I knew she wasn't completely gone too. My lips twitched in a smirk.
"You should frown less. I could have sworn I saw some wrinkles on your face." My voice rose a notch but was a tad bit calm in a way. It didn't give off any hint of anger, instead, it was doused with heavy sassiness and mockery.
"Bitch!" Her loud voice echoed after me. I rolled my eyes, clutching my books to my chest and making my way out of the building.
You would think that being an exam week, there was bound to be a spark of seriousness in Blue Cove students but pfff, they were more unserious than ever.
At a glance, judging by the long-sleeved shirts, you could tell they were seniors mostly, hanging around any spot they could stuff themselves in with only one thing on their lips. The Cove Christmas Dance. Apparently, it was an exclusive event for Cove finals, they held it in different forms every year but this year's just happened to be a dance.
I wasn't really that current with the details. But of course, Zee was and I knew how badly she would freak out if I told her I didn't even remember much from what she told me. So, I'll just keep it to myself and pretend that I am all in. It was safer that way. As long as I don't wake up bald one morning.
The only reason they could pull off this much rowdiness was that we were done with our last paper for the day. A frown descended on my face as my thoughts wandered to what the questions were like but then, I was quick to divert because they left me traumatised.
For once, my ringtone didn't sound so irritating. I couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief for the distraction it provided. I adjusted my books in my other hand and reached for it in the pocket of the sweater I was wearing over my shirt.
The Caller ID had me rolling my eyes but I couldn't suppress the smile that was tugging at my lips.
"With the way you are calling me, other people will think I am your girlfriend." I chortled, the minute I picked up the call, eliciting a breathy laughter from him. I resumed walking.
"So, I can't check up on my baby sister anymore?" He tried to feign annoyance but the amusement that dripped off each word sold him out.
"Khalil, you called yesterday and the day before!" I cried out, chuckling.
"Wait, shey you don't have classes ni?" I groaned.
"Even if I do, it wouldn't hurt to take five minutes to do regular check-ins during my free time." He countered me subtly and I exhaled, digging my fingers into the afro puff gathered at the back of my head.
"Lekan, I am fine. You don't have to worry about me. I understand that you are worried about me but I am fine. I promise you." I told him, in a bid to ease his worries.
"I didn't say you___"
"Really? You want to play that game now?" I snorted.
"Fine. I was worried about you but then, you sound fine, so I guess there's nothing to worry about." He responded.
"So, you can stop calling me every second." I joked.
Because you don't want him to bring up the issue regarding Doc___
I tuned it out. Not today, Satan. Not today.
"Yeah, so I was wondering if you'll be interested in spending Christmas break at mine." He voiced out and I grinned.
"I didn't want you to be alone during the holidays since Mom might be out of the country…" His voice trailed off and my bright mood slowly deflated like a balloon at the mention of her name.
I couldn't help the heavy frown that was etched on my face. I detached the phone from my ear for a second, taking a deep breath to calm the surge of heat that was beginning to brew in my veins.
"Did you have to?" I demanded, tiredly.
"Nini—"
"You know what? Fuck it. I am going to ask because I really don't understand you at times!" My voice gained a pitch, rising an octave higher than it was.
"How do you even stand her? I genuinely want to know, Khalil. It's like you are always willing to pick her side over mine, so make me understand how you can withstand her after everything because heaven knows I hate that woman with every fibre of my being!" I threw my questions at him, all at once, not stopping to catch my breath. The warm liquid that pricked my eyes, elicited a scoff from me at how pathetic I was.
If there was anything I loathed in this world more than her, that would be the reaction she managed to evoke in me, even without being in the same space with me. She was a thousand miles away from me, yet she still made me feel like this!
It made me feel so weak.
"Niniola…" He sighed.
"I want to know!" I yelled, not caring if I was drawing attention to myself. I had far more pressing issues to worry about than being bothered about the fact that a few of my schoolmates had their eyes boring holes into my body, watching me as I stood in the middle of the sidewalk, yelling into the phone like a maniac.
"How do you hate someone you spent over half your life loving?" Khalil's tone was subtle but that question wasn't. It gave me a mental whiplash, knocking out every breath I had in me and eliciting a gasp from me, blurring my eyes in the process.
"Trust me, I tried." That was the last thing he said and then, he hung up.
I just stood there, frozen to a spot.
I knew that the slightest blink would snap the knots that held my tear ducts together and the waterworks would come gushing. I slowly tucked my phone into my pocket, inhaling as slowly as I could before puffing the air out.
I shoved one hand into my pocket, clutching my books to my chest and I began walking.
•••••
There was a certain feeling that comes with being addicted to something…or someone. When it's within reach or grasp, there's a sense of euphoria that lingers in you, making you feel like your feet are no longer in the air and you are drowning in a pool of immense ecstasy.
You are high on whatever or whoever your addiction might be.
It was, even more, intensified, when there was a sense of awareness that the addiction is the most dangerous and outrightly the wrongest thing in the entire universe, yet, it leaves you craving for more in a totally bizarre way.
It makes you want more and more and more…the more you get, the more intense your cravings are. It leaves a sense of puzzle about how something's terribly wrong but there was just this part of you that didn't care about how messy it could all get in the blink of an eye and how it feels so right.
That was exactly how I felt, watching Stefan Bibitayo Oluyide from where I stood.
I was standing several feet away from him, undetected but I could feel him. It felt psychic in a way. Like it was a mind thing. Like we were sharing a soul. I could feel every single thing he was feeling, the happiness that radiated off him rubbed off on me, fuelling me and skyrocketing my mood, morphing it into something that was a thousand times better than what I was feeling before I got to the spot I was standing.
And then, I realised one thing.
There was no amount of time I could ever see this boy that my heart would get used to it. It could never. It pounded against my chest, not in a bad way but in a way that I loved, which left it a fluttering mess within me.
I didn't understand how someone could be so beautiful in and out.
The caramel-skinned boy stood out effortlessly and had an alluring contrast to a grinning Jeremy, to whom he was tossing a ball. A ball which I knew they definitely got from Coach Davies' office. Stefan looked amazing in mufti but he was breathtaking in his uniform.
There was a way he always pulls out the beauty in our seemingly ordinary school wear. The stylishness that oozed off it had me grinning unconsciously. We seniors practically got away with everything and he made rule-breaking the most attractive thing to indulge in, in his plaid trousers that did justice to his long legs, matching the flawless white sneakers on his feet.
Took me quite a while to figure out something about him that gets to me a whole lot. It was seeing him in a slightly unbuttoned shirt. It made him look reckless in a way that I absolutely loved.
That simple, yet attractive look had a way of dissolving my senses, drying up every ounce of liquid I had in my mouth. In all honesty, I preferred him in his school wear without a tie and a blazer, not even his sweater.
Do you mean the one you are wearing? My subconscious queried with a snicker.
Girl, please.
And then…
His eyes darted to where I was standing, abruptly. I didn't see it coming and he caught me off guard real good. My breathing seized and my chest seemed void of the very organ that pumped blood to every inch of my blood.
He halted what he was doing and the entirety of Cove Garden halted with him, tossing us into a plane where only both of us existed.
I was consumed by his gaze, appalled by the sheer beauty his eyes held as they swept over my frame, with a subtlety that felt so soft, yet intense at the same time, dropping warps of fireballs on my skin everywhere they met.
He took his sweet time. He didn't look like he wasn't in a hurry to break off eye contact. Almost as though he wanted to savour the sight of me.
Like he was seeing me for the very first time and wanted to soak in every inch of me. To memorize the details…over and over again.
It was like an awakening of some sort. It made me feel so alive, tossing my emotions all over the place and leaving my legs a weakened mess.
His lips stretched in a smile, which morphed into an adorable grin and I found myself advancing towards him, increasing my pace with every step I took.
I tried to keep it together. I really did but my cheeks betrayed me, engulfing into flames the moment I got to him. His Grey eyes took me in slowly, swirling with fascination before he reached for the books in my grasp.
"Hey, Reina."
The effect of that nickname, coated with the slight octave in his tone made me question myself if that was the first time I was wearing him call me that because my breath hitched and my skin was dotted with goosebumps.
"Hey," I mumbled shyly. I sounded like a little girl and that made him chuckle.
"Let the single breatheeeee, don't suffocate them!"
Abasi cried out. His taunt-filled voice which struck me as a serious tone at the beginning, snapped me back to reality and I suddenly became aware of the fact that we weren't the only ones standing in the garden.
"Ode, speak for yourself!" Jeremy jeered.
"Tah, shut up!" He shot back at the brown-skinned boy.
My cheeks flushed in embarrassment and I turned to my left. My eyes landed on Zee, who had her legs crossed, watching me with a twinkle in her eyes. The light-skinned girl, who had her hair in a messy high bun rolled her eyes afterwards, tossing her book aside.
"When you people blind us with chemistry, una go rest." Her tone was laced with mockery.
"Oh, you are one to talk." I sassed her and she hauled her book at me. I ducked, giggling. Her boyfriend, whom I didn't realize had left Stefan's side, walked over to her, plopping beside her on the brick seat. He kissed her cheek immediately.
I tsked.
"E con be like a scene straight out of a Bollywood movie," Abasi chipped in and I glared at the grinning curly-haired boy, not failing to notice the half-filled Nestlé bottle water in his hands, which I was so sure he must have been tossing.
Jeremy chuckled.
I chose to ignore the Half-Caste because I knew engaging him in his banter was something unending and I wasn't up for wasting my time on it, not when I could spend it with Stefan.
My eyes strayed to the books that were now on the seat, darting back to his face. The lingering look he sent me had me concluding that he was already staring at me before I looked. I could have sworn I felt his hand brush the small of my back but he retracted much to my disappointment, tucking his hands in his pocket.
I stared at him, assessing the drastic drop in the brightness in his eyes. I looked around, back at him and then his hands that were in his pocket. It didn't take a while to connect the dots. I did it in a few seconds. He was struggling. The conflict of emotions looked even more beautiful, strewn across his eyes. I could feel his frustration of not being able to reach out to hold me just because we were in a public place.
It was a very reflexive thing for him to do whenever I was in the same space with him.
A few other students were hanging around aside from our friends.
Caring was overrated.
So, with that thought in mind, I gently reached for one of his hands that was tucked in his pocket, dropping it around my waist and he drew me closer, in a heartbeat, chuckling against me. I sighed in utter satisfaction. His breath moved so swiftly on my skin, embedding itself deep into me, reaching out to my soul. My eyes went shut in pleasure.
"Sorry, I just didn't want you to feel awkward," He mumbled, attaching his face to my neck but not deeply. My eyes snapped open at his words, a frown creasing on my face.
I tilted my head backwards, squinting my eyes at him.
"Stefan," I called him in a chiding tone. He didn't respond. The alertness in his eyes indicated that he was listening to me. He squeezed my waist softly, waiting patiently for me to say what was on my mind.
My hands moved from his forearms, travelling up to his face and I cupped it, staring right at him. He released a breath and for a moment, I was lost in his eyes, forgetting what I wanted to say to him.
I swallowed.
"You can always hold me whenever or wherever you want. Don't hold back. Never do that." The emphasis I laid on each word was thick with conviction and coated with heavy firmness.
"I just didn't know what you would think because of the people around us. It's…" His voice trailed off, eliciting an arch of one of my eyebrows.
"I don't care," I said monotonously and I meant it. I couldn't care less about what others thought about who I choose to hang out with.
"You are all that matters, Stefan. You. Not them." My voice was quiet. He couldn't conceal the shock that flashed in his eyes but his smile never faltered and then, the boy tucked his lower lip between his teeth, peering at me beneath his lashes.
Oh, God…
My throat bobbed so swiftly. My eyes darted to his lips, lingering on them for a while before they strayed back to his eyes. He gave me this lazy look that suddenly added to the long list of the sexiest things about him. His eyes, which seemed a tad bit deeper than their usual colour, glazed over my frame in his arms.
"Have I ever told you how beautiful you look in my sweater?" Stefan inquired, his voice dropping several octaves below.
Maybe it wouldn't have been so consuming if he didn't have his eyes fixated on me when he said, robbing me of my speech. It wasn't even the question at this point, it was the way he sounded…
It was honestly how Stefan effortlessly got under my skin. It was like he had a manual somewhere, containing the things to do and say, which affects me a lot more than they should.
He didn't even give me a chance to garner was what left of my senses, drawing me closer and burying his head into my neck.
"Well, forgive me," His voice was raspy against me, creating a sizzling sensation against my neck. His hold was firm and soft at the same time, keeping me in place. In truth, if he weren't, my legs, which felt light against the surface of the floor would have given me away.
"You look breathtaking in it," His quiet voice came out in an alluring whisper, stopping the world alongside my heart, slowly accompanied by the abrupt knock-out of my breath.
Something changed. A whole lot. Since the pool party. Something didn't only change. He did too. I could feel it in my bones. I just didn't know how to pinpoint but why worry about that when I could relish in the pure euphoria that came with being in his arms?
He was the one person capable of making me lose touch with my surroundings and at the same time, he was my anchor that kept me grounded. In the same way, he tossed me into another plane, he drew me back into reality with him, giving me a sense of awareness. My cheeks reddened and I became so shy, giggling softly in his arms.
"You ready to get on with reading?" He demanded softly, meeting my eyes with a light smile dancing on his lips. I bobbed my head in response like a little girl, tongue-tied at how empyrean he looked.
It was as though a ball of realisation was hauled at me at the mention of reading, triggering something in my brain.
"Shit," I cursed. All it took was a fleeting moment and a look of worry was etched on his face, paling his beautiful eyes.
"What's wrong, Reina?"
"I forgot my Jotter in class." I frowned.
"Do you want me to get it for you?" He asked, the softness in his eyes quelling my stiffness.
"No, I'll get it myself." I countered, subtly. I hated that I had to step away from him and go back to class to get my stupid jotter. He could see it and he chuckled, brushing my cheek with the pad of his thumb.
"Go get it. I'll be waiting for you." He urged me on with a smile before he reluctantly let me out of his arms. The absence of his warmth dampened my mood but I tried to mask it with a smile even though he could pick up on it.
I flashed him a smile and whirled around to meet the gazes of my friends.
No, they didn't look mad. They looked so fascinated like they had been watching all these while. I huffed and rolled my eyes, stomping off while their infuriating laughter echoed behind me.
"Step on our necks!" Abasi screamed like the nuisance he was but even at that, I couldn't suppress my smile and I was chuckling in no time as I made my way back to class.
A/N
If there's anything I am grateful for, it's the fact that Shakira is surrounded with so much positivity and people that loves her so much.🥺 I have never seen something more beautiful.♥️
Kira and Stef are so cute!😭😭♥️
Make ship names dey come in, abeg! Beautiful ones o🤣🤣🤣
Share your thoughts with me in the comments section and don't forget to vote, comment and share.💞 The second part might come in the evening. I am not sure yet because there's a probability I might sleep a lot today😂
Anyhooo, fam!
Adiós ✨
Love, Didi.♥️