Breath held, I waited impatiently. Anticipation etched on my face as I basically glared at my phone screen.
My eyes stared at the message I had sent minutes ago, which somehow felt like a century had passed.
Me
Yes?
Why is she not replying? I pondered, silently willing a text to manifest on my cellphone. Was she pulling my legs this time? I didn't know. The green bar glowing beside her contact name showed that she was very much online.
Maybe, she was wrapped up in whoever she was on a date with. Or she's intentionally ignoring me. Because of her date.
The mere thought of the word date had my stomach twisting unpleasantly. On my tongue, the word tasted sour, spurring an eye roll from me.
Letting out an annoyed huff, I let my phone slide through my finger and watched it land with a soft thud on my bed, before going further to pick it up with the speed of a lightening when I heard the familiar sound of a notification popping in.
For no reason at all, my heart beat fast and loud as I pressed the power button. While I tried so hard not to let my imagination entertain itself with whatever it was conjuring that she'd sent.
However, my already annoyed mood dampened as I saw unfortunately, that the notification was none other than some Airtel Network notification.
"Fucking idiots!" I grumbled, dropping my cellphone beside me as I laid face down on my pillow.
I was slowly losing my mind over...I didn't even know what to call whatever the hell was wrong with me at the moment.
"...dude?" Lade's voice dragged my attention to him.
His boulder of a body was almost blocking sunlight from filtering into my room. A loose black sweat pants and a large tank top covered his body.
"What?" I snapped, his presence not for once, easing my shitty mood.
He rolled his eyes at my tone. "I'm heading to the gym, wanna come along?"
I blinked at him in disbelief. "Aren't you like, trying to make sure no one finds you for the main time?"
He sighed, sitting himself down on a stool. "Yeah, I am. No offense though, your workout stuffs aren't doing it for me and I need to create content."
"Hmmn," I hummed, surprising myself by even caring about him and his boatload of issues at the moment. "What about the influencer house? Have they reached out yet?"
Another defeated sigh left him, leaving his shoulders sagging. "Unfortunately, not yet. Look, I'm sorry I'm overstaying my welcome..."
I rolled my eyes, sitting up. "Dude, nobody cares about you staying here." I affirmed. Lade was a lot of things, that doesn't mean I was going to kick him out, from a house that wasn't even mine. "This is just the second day, trust, I'm not at my wits end with you yet."
A snort left his lips as he suppressed a smile. "Thanks brother."
I could tell whatever it is that was going on was pretty big. Lade has never been one to let down his ego and let go of the fact that he came from wealth. I mean, he made sure everyone knew by his clothes, his cars and hell, even the way he spoke simply hinted on his wealth.
However, he was letting it all go. For what?
"Is this about Uni?" I couldn't help but pry. I wasn't one to pry, but I was merely human. Curiosity was one of our too many flaws. Also, I vaguely remembered the conversation about his admission that had somehow, ticked him off.
Lade's nose scrunched up as if I was an object of amusement. "Is this you feeling concern Somzy?"
Rolling my eyes and totally regretting my question, I stood up from the bed with the intention of leaving his presence. "You know what? Fuck off."
His loud laughter trailed behind me as I walked. The idiot was following me.
"You know, it wouldn't hurt if you freely show that you care."
I rolled my eyes again, bounding down the steps to hide my embarrassment. "Who says I care?" Reaching the last of the marble steps, I made for the sitting room. Lade, hot on my heels.
"Everyone knows you're a good person and you do a shitty job at pretending you're not." Lade's voice wasn't teasing this time.
When I turned to face him, a solemn look hung like a veil on his face.
I blinked, taken aback before letting out a scoff. "Keep telling yourself that." I made myself comfortable on my favorite loveseat. "If you're done, you better get the fuck out before Mrs Mary returns."
It was soon nearing the time for her to return and the fucker was here being sappy.
With a light chuckle at my words, Lade shook his head in amusement before heading towards the door.
"I'll be coming in through the window later, leave it open." He told me. I hummed more to myself, focus back on my cellphone. "Oh and I'm not going to the local gym, I've got some place better in case you're worried."
I rolled my eyes. "Keep telling yourself that."
His laughter bounced around the large space, at my words, before he saw himself out of the door.
Again, I was left to wonder what indeed was going on. But was grateful that Mum hadn't caught on yet, seeing how perceptive she could be. I knew it was a matter of time though. Nothing slid past Venita Ibiam without being noticed.
My thoughts were cut short by the sound of a notification dropping.
You'd think I'd learnt my lesson after last time, but no. I quickly rushed to unlock my cellphone, clicking straight on the notification bar.
My breath got caught in my throat at the sight that greeted me. My eyes roamed over the picture before me. Yes, you read right. Picture. Didi sent me one.
The blurry mirror didn't dull the sight before me, even if it tried. Maybe it was the lighting of the room or the camera, but her melanin pigmented skin was glowing like it had been rubbed down with oil, leaving it dark and rich like refined cocoa. I felt this burning urge to replicate everything on an untainted canvas. Everything, from the dimples charmingly dipping into her cheeks to the teasing curve of her lips and the mysterious glint in her eyes.
I gulped, as my eyes went down.
She wore it. The one cloth among the numerous ones she'd tried on that had made me stop and stare...for long.
The blue number wasn't anything provocative. It wasn't extravagant either. It was simply made for her. I watched as the little blue piece hugged her upper body, not once revealing anything indecent. Rather it stuck decently to her body, its strapless hands highlighting the shape of her arms.
The problem was that, to an untrained eyes it was a harmless outfit. But to me, it made her stand out like a rare artifact. A vision that would have everyone marvel. It made her stick out like a splash of color on an untainted canvas. It made me stop and stare while I tried to figure out why I did so in the first place.
I didn't want her wearing it to her date.
There were things I didn't have an explanation for, the picture before me was one of them.
I zoomed in close, making her face splatter over half of my phone screen. Her blemish free skin, the slight curve of her eyes that made her look like a feline... the glossiness that coated her lips... It had my heart beating loudly for no reason at all.
Or maybe I knew. Maybe because I knew the softness the still picture portrayed didn't do justice to how they actually felt. Or maybe, I was actually losing my mind and my admittance into a psychiatric ward was long overdue.
I let out a frustrated curse, pressing the power button to get myself together.
I had never felt like this before. And for a mere what, picture?
Suddenly sensing that sitting now felt uncomfortable, I sat up, dreading looking down, while I picked up my cellphone again.
I was in so much trouble.
By the time I went back to the message box, over twenty minutes had passed and I had no idea on what to type back. Honestly, I lacked the right words to type in, but rather stared at the picture some more like the creep that I was.
The absence of the green sign showed that Didi wasn't online. Probably back to her date. A scowl settled on my face at the thought.
Yeah, she should have fun. My scowl deepened.
•••
I went the whole day without hearing from Didi again and didn't reply to the picture she'd sent.
The next day, I woke up feeling hopeful, not minding that Lade had left the bathroom door open or that his towel was laying on the cushion, beside his topless form, while he flicked through a fitting channel.
I ignored him. I refused to be peeved, today would be a good day.
I heard the click clack of Mum's heels before she neared my door, that was why I picked my cellphone and raced to the door, shooting a distracted Lade an annoyed glare before exiting the room.
"Morning Mum," I greeted cheerfully, as I padded downstairs.
"Morning baby," She narrowed her eyes at me, a knowing smile on her lips. "What's got you in a cheerful mood this morning?"
I shrugged, making my way to the dinning table. It was a new day and it would be a matter of time before Didi called or texted for us to hang out. I knew that because, she always called me, not the corny boy, she went to see yesterday.
Woah, someone sounds bitter.
I shook off the thought. Like I said, it was a new day. One that would be better than the previous day. "Do I need a reason to feel cheerful Mum?" I answered, sitting myself down.
Mum didn't sit, rather she picked a toast and her coffee mug, which meant she wasn't staying for breakfast. "Why don't you answer that."
As I ate, she typed distractedly on her cellphone, nibbling on her toast, still standing.
"Is that Duke?" I couldn't help but ask. He was one of the few who could capture her attention that much.
She hummed, "No. Work."
I figured what she was doing was pretty much important and let her be, focusing on my food. Not long after, Mrs Mary came in, two large ceramics bowls were balanced on her palm as she greeted me with a smile.
"Good morning ma," I greeted, watching as she set them down. "Jesus! Are we expecting a guest this morning?"
The older woman shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "Morning Soma,"
The plates revealed freshly made pancakes, bacon strips and eggs. I blinked again.
"Vee thinks you're growing so fast," the older woman teased. "You need to feed well."
Her words weren't making sense as I continued staring, befuddled to the bone.
"Eat up," Mrs Mary urged, leaving the dining.
I looked at Mum, who took a bacon strip before picking up her bag. "You're not staying for breakfast?" I asked, while she still had her eyes on her cellphone.
"No baby, I have an impromptu flight to catch in an hour and have to be at the gallery first. So no," she let out a tired sigh.
"I won't be staying for breakfast."
I looked at Mum's already tired physique. I wouldn't be surprised if she worked all through the night too. "Will you be back today?"
She nodded, picking another bacon strip, just as Mrs Mary came in with a paper bag, probably containing Mum's breakfast. "Maybe, if all goes well," she smiled at Mrs Mary. "Thank you ma."
Letting another sigh, she came to drop a peck on my forehead. "I'll see you later."
I stood up and followed her out, leaving my food behind me.
"Be safe," I said firmly as she unlocked her car.
The first real smile appeared on her face. "That should be my line silly," I fought the urge to roll my eyes as I gave her a hug.
"You know I'm always safe." I grumbled.
"Yes, and that's sometimes concerning," she quipped. "Have you heard from Didi?"
She asked out of the blues and I had to fight hard to school my expression as I replied. "No. Why?"
Her brows furrowed momentarily. "Nothing much. She has an assignment and might be feeling overwhelmed at the moment. Be a darling and reach out to her."
I sure hoped it wasn't too obvious that the said girl had invaded my thoughts for the past twenty something hours and counting. But I wasn't going to tell Mum that. That was why I frowned.
"Why should I do that? She has her friends to do that."
Mum rolled her eyes. "Because you want to. Now bye, I'll see you later." She shut the car door close and made to drive away while I was left standing there.
What the hell is she talking about?
I went back into the house to continue breakfast, same time Mrs Mary was making her way out of the house. She was ready to leave--more like, on her way out.
"Soma, lock up. I'll see you at noon." She said, a knowing smile on her face before going away.
Another bolt of confusion shot through me. But I let it pass, at least, it was a win for Lade and I. We had the house to ourselves and lots of food at our disposal.
•••
It was noon.
Lade had gone out to God knows where again, but that wasn't even my problem. Didi still hadn't sent me a message. She hadn't called and, although it should be a blessing to me, it looked more like a curse because I was a restless mess.
The cherry on the top of my frustration was the glaring fact that the annoying girl was online.
She had even updated her story. A gif of some sort, showing a blurry clip of her and some guy in an enclosed space.
She captioned it. Meet his best fan.
I'd tried all I could to zoom closer, just to get a glimpse of whoever the fuck was in the short clip, but to no avail. That aside, there were selfies of her. Selfies that had me acting like a creep as I admired the sun doing wonders to her skin, making her look like an ethereal creation.
I sighed, I'd totally lost it.
She was online and hadn't even bothered to send her usual annoying messages. Or one of her disturbing memes.
Why?
Not helping myself, I went to her contact, my thumb hovering over her name. I was just a click away to get to her.
What will you even tell her. My thumb paused its hovering.
That was a good question. I didn't even know what to say if I called. However, not calling or getting a text was getting on my nerves. Man, I was caught in a sticky situation. Ever since Didi got my number, she has never not called or texted. If it wasn't to get on my nerves, it would be to hang out. The one time she hadn't contacted me on time, it had been because she was busy braiding her hair. This time, what was keeping her?
Maybe she's on another date? I glared at the device on my hand, pushing aside such thought.
Maybe she was busy with the pictures she was meant to take. That must be the assignment Mum was talking about. However, at the mention of the pictures, I felt that sour feeling in my stomach again. She'd called me the last time she wanted to take pictures. And also, way back when I'd been reluctantly dragged to the Tourists Market. Why hadn't she called this time around?
Feeling frustrated, I let out a scream into my pillow, grateful that no one was around to witness my colossal embarrassment. I was slowly losing my mind... slowly being an understatement.
Didi was messing with my head and I doubt she was even aware of what she was doing.
Sitting up, I dropped my cellphone. I needed to get my head straight. A workout, a movie or even laundry. Anything to keep myself busy and my mind from wandering.
I stood up. That was definitely what I was going to do. My eyes took in my room, I had managed to get it in order, after it looked like a hurricane had happened. Lade being the hurricane.
Still contemplating on what to do, my cellphone began ringing. I told myself that I'd learnt my lesson and wasn't going to hope. However, I was a bloody liar. I still hoped, still clung to some loose thread that it was Didi who was calling.
Pathetic, I knew. But I couldn't help myself.
When I picked up my cellphone, the contact name staring back had me lost for words.
"What?" I snapped, not having the patience for pleasantries.
"Jesus dude," Khalid's amused voice purred through the speakers of my cellphone. Effortlessly doing a good job at getting on my nerves. "What crawled up your ass and died."
"The same thing that left your mouth. What do you want?"
Instead of being offended, Khalid settled for having a good laugh, no doubt glorying in my despair. He was the male and annoying version of Didi.
Damnit, I was thinking about her again.
"You know Somzy," the amused boy began. "Transfer of aggression is low on the petty list. Like, real low."
I hissed. "What do you want Khalid." I was running low on patience.
He let out a yawn. Whether he was tired or hungry, I couldn't tell. "Jeez, bro chill. Anyway," he let out another yawn. "I know your hermit ass hasn't been out and about, have you seen Lade?"
That had my attention in seconds.
"Why?" I asked, trying to sound as uninterested as possible.
"Man... he's been MIA for days now. He wasn't picking his calls and replying to his texts so I prolly thought he was off somewhere in one of his vacation homes playing house with some girl. But guess what? Mrs Bademosi came around this morning, she was real distressed asking if Lade was staying over with us. She said she hadn't seen him for two days now and his line isn't reachable."
I felt guilty just hearing Khalid talk. However, I couldn't risk breaking Lade's trust, whatever his reasons were for staying away from his family.
"Do you, uh... know if anything happened with them?" I settled for instead. Trying to fish for whatever information I could get.
Shuffling commenced at the other end for a few seconds. "Look," Khalid began with a whisper. "I'm not really sure what's happening. But, I heard Mrs Bademosi telling Mum that Lade and his father have been having beef for a while now. They sort of clashed and Lade up and left."
My brows shot up. Lade wasn't lying after all. "For real?" I was real interested right now. "Nothing specific about what the problem is?"
Khalid groaned in utter disappointment. "Bro... that's the problem. Before she could divulge more, she began crying and Mum had to call me in for info." He ended with a sigh.
I didn't know when a sigh left me too. I didn't like being in other people's business, however, Lade had made it mine somehow, by coming to me.
"Do you think he's safe?" Khalid's worried voice came through again. "I know he's a fool, but really. He's fighting his father. Like... thee Femi Bademosi? That's like going to a war that's already been lost."
I didn't even have words for that.
Lade's Father was basically an all encompassing figure. An all round giant. One Lade couldn't measure up to, at least not at the moment. But like I said, whatever the problem was, wasn't trivial.
"I think he's safe." I know. But I wasn't going to let the boy know. "He might be a fool most times, he has his wise moments."
Khalid let out another sigh before letting go.
"I hope so. I really do."
Humming, I didn't know when I sat back on my bed. Previous thought totally gone.
"So..." The boy began again. "You coming for the party?"
Confused, my brows scrunched together with interest. "What party?"
"You know Didi and I sort of struck a deal that she'd hook me up to parties and shit? Well she called earlier with deets for a party this evening and you know...since Lade isn't around to drive me, I was thinking we'd go together."
"Didi called you?" The words left my mouth before I could stop myself. And the worst part was that I didn't even care.
Seriously though, she'd called Khalid, it wasn't like they were close or something. Are they? I couldn't help but wonder.
The thought alone had me feeling every shade of frustrated.
I didn't realize Khalid was laughing, till the sound reached my ears, getting on my nerves. "Really Soma. Out of all the things I said, that was all you heard? Dude, you have it bad."
I scoffed, but then chose to remain silent. While feeling this fervent urge to swing at Khalid's head. Just to make sure he shuts up.
"To answer your question, yes, Didi called me. We spoke for quite a long time. You know... sharing secrets and trading advises." Khalid taunted.
I knew he aimed to tease, but that didn't stop the annoyance brewing within me as I listened to the fool talk. "Just fuck off."
Khalid laughed instead, no doubt having a good time at me expense. "Damn, I never knew this day would come," he continued to tease, while I chose to ignore him. "Anyway, Their crazy rich friend Brian. You know the dude who bought the beach house, he's throwing a party tonight. If you're game, which I know you so desperately are, be my plus one."
I hissed. "Fuck off."
Before he could throw some witty retort back at me, I ended the call.
One thing was certain though, I wasn't going to be found missing at that party.
•••
A/n: I don't know about you, but I'm having fun writing this.
Are you having fun reading this?