Isabelle's POV
The past weeks had gone by quickly. It didn't even feel like we had written the mid-term exams about four weeks ago. Presently, it was the week before the final exams of the term and I was at Bryan's house with Ashley. We were invited by Mrs. Adaugo, who sent a driver to our house to pick us up.
Over the past few weeks, Ashley and I had been visiting the Adegun house regularly, while Bryan and Flora paid visits to our house as well.
I looked at my watch, it was 11:41 a.m. I hadn't even had breakfast yet and it was almost afternoon. Sha, I was going to have breakfast made specially by Mrs. Adaugo so it was guaranteed that my late breakfast would be worth-while.
"Happy Saturday girls!" Mrs. Adaugo beamed as soon as she saw us in the living room. She had just come out of the kitchen holding a tray of refreshments, filling the living room with the amazing smell of home-made pastries.
She dropped the tray containing two cups of steaming hot cocoa and two ceramic plates filled with chocolate cookies and two slices of chocolate cake for each plate, on the stool in front of us. "I'll go and call Bryan and Flora. Just wait a moment!" After saying that, she sashayed upstairs to supposedly call her children.
"Isabelle. Between our house and this one, which of them is bigger?" Ashley asked ignoring the mouth-watering breakfast in front of her.
"How does that one take concern me now?" I asked.
"I was just wondering. They look like they are the same size sha oo." She looked around the living room, examining the almost empty space.
The living room was just as big as ours, its architectural design was quite similar to ours as well, in an unnoticeable way. The only difference was that our living room, and house in general, had a better interior, our house had more items around. Our house always had a lot of items around even before it was renovated.
Their living room, however, just contained a set of modern sofas, three marble stools beside each sofa, a television and speaker set, and of course a center table. There were no frames of any kind to adorn the boring ivory-colored walls, no artistic objects or sculptures. For people that were billion-naira rich, or at least, million-naira rich, their living room, and house, was pretty plain.
"Why didn't daddy sell our house and buy a smaller one those times when things were hard?" Ashley asked suddenly.
"Ashley, it is none of my business. All of that is in the past now. Don't bring it up!" I warned.
"'Don't bring it up' says the person that told me to never forget where I am coming from."
"That does not apply in this context."
"Hi Belle!" Bryan greeted as he descended from the staircase. He sat beside me on the sofa and wrapped his left arm around my shoulder. "How has your weekend been so far?"
"My weekend just begun?" I stated but it came out more like a question. "It's just Saturday Bryan and I'm at your house, and... I'm pretty much spending a good amount of my day here in your house. Therefore, the answer to your question depends on what happens here."
He gave me a confused look. "Okay? There was no need for the long explanation though. And the use of the word 'therefore'? Come on Belle, we've not yet started writing exams. No need for the exam spirit.
He chuckled and I smiled. I leaned towards him, resting the side of my head on his neck. Dating has actually been amazing. These few weeks of dating Bryan were definitely the best weeks of my life. I've been so much happier and... energetic. Our classmates have even found out about our relationship, the news of our relationship has reached the whole class, surprising some people who saw me as the holy-holy type who would be single till university or perhaps till after university.
The only problem I encountered throughout our relationship so far, was that my grades had dropped. In the mid-term exams, my average was eighty-six percent and I had three B's, four C's and ten A's. It is surprising that I even got first position considering my poor grades. When my parents saw my result, they didn't seem to care. Mum said that I didn't need studies anymore since I was getting married to a rich man. Dad said that he knew I was distracted with all the events that had happened so far and that I should try to do better in the final exams.
I wanted to do better, but it's hard when you have this handsome young lad to think about, I always end up daydreaming about him whenever I open a book to read. Praying and reading the Bible has also become difficult since I lose focus and go back to thinking about him.
Pushing my thoughts aside, I decided to let the warmth of his arms envelope me as I let myself relax into his embrace.
"Hhmmm! Wahala for us oo!" my sister teased.
"Says the girl I caught kissing a boy in that abandoned classroom yesterday." Her face went blank when I said that and then she blushed.
"You've had your first kiss already?" Bryan asked her.
"Of course na! I had it last year," she replied.
Bryan looked at me with no exact expression.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Haven't we?"
"I know we have, I was just thinking, you know, it's weird that your sister had hers before you." I glared at him. "I'm not comparing you two, I promise." I gave a satisfactory smile.
"Mom?!" Flora called, climbing down the staircase. She was all dressed up in a cute outfit that mere words of mine cannot simply explain.
"Mom!" Flora called out again. Still no answer.
"Mom!!" she shouted in a louder voice. Mrs. Adaugo, who I was sure was hearing her from the kitchen still did not reply for a reason best known to her.
Flora looked at the three of us. "Where is she, abeg?" We all pointed toward the kitchen. Flora hissed quietly. "I know she is hearing me," she said in a hush tone.
"My dad's wife!" she shouted. I should have been shocked, considering the way she addressed her mother, but due to my few visits to this house, I have gotten to know that Mrs. Adaugo mostly only ever answers her children if she is addressed like that.
She's creepy. Very creepy, actually.
Mrs. Adaugo came out from the kitchen. "What seems to be the matter, Flora?" She had an obviously fake sweet smile on her face.
"Well... I told you earlier this week that I'll be going to my friends house this Saturday, which is today and... I'm about going. I just want to tell you that I'm leaving the house and also gain your final permission." Flora seemed like she was yearning for a positive answer.
"Do whatever pleases you. But remember, if you come back by midnight, or come back drunk, or raped... I am not your mother and I do not know you."
"Sure thing!" A smile crept on her face.
"You can also tell the driver to drop you off."
"No, it's okay. Some of my friends are coming to pick me up. Thanks!" Mrs. Adaugo ignored Flora's gratitude and went back into the kitchen. Flora just shrugged at her mother's behavior and went upstairs.
"Wow! What a nice mother-in-law you have, Isabelle!" Ashley mocked making us laugh.
. . .
I had left Ashley in the living room and went to Bryan's room with him. Flora had left the house about two hours ago leaving us to deal with Mrs. Adaugo's craziness alone. She was, however, minding her business somewhere, not disturbing anyone.
"What other movie can we watch?" he asked. We had just finished watching 'Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania'.
"I don't know. I just want to sleep." I adjusted myself, lying down fully on the bed instead of sitting with my back rested on the main bed frame.
"You can sleep. I don't mind watching you sleep. It would be better than watching an action movie, even better than watching wrestling."
I laughed. "What do boys see in wrestling, abeg? It's pure violence. Why would you want to watch people fight?"
"It's interesting and fun!"
"Eww!!"
He laughed at my playful irritation.
After a few minutes of staring at the ceiling and thinking, I called him, "Bryan?!"
"Yes Belle?!"
"How can something feel so wrong yet feel so right?"
"You're still having doubt about the relationship?"
"Not really. I just have mixed feelings, that's all."
He adjusted himself so that he could be lying down fully, next to me.
"It's okay. You've done a great job, actually... for someone that doesn't believe in secondary school relationships."
"Yeah, I know. But I'm starting to believe in them, in a way," I told him.
"That's great!" he cheered.
"Bryan?"
"Yes, Belle."
"Have you thought of us being married?" I asked.
"Yes, of course. It's been a frequent thought of mine these days."
"Have you ever felt that we might not like each other till that time, that our feelings might not be strong enough for marriage, and that we might not be fit for each other, that we aren't the right partners for each other?"
"Hhmmm!" He sighed. "I actually haven't thought of those things. I don't normally enjoy thinking of things that are gonna happen in the future. I strongly believe in going with the flow, but now that I think of it, I can't imagine not liking you, or worse, liking someone else. And besides, we'll still have to get married anyway, regardless of our feelings or fitness for each other."
I smiled. How can someone not like thinking about the future? Who in the world operates life by 'going with the flow'? Okay, I know who - Bryan!
"Bryan?!
"Yes Belle!"
"Do you think your mom would mind me being in your room, all alone, with you?"
"Nope, she won't. She isn't one to care much anyways. She's always to busy either working at home, or going to the office, and acting so distant to us. She and dad don't even talk much. I think she has socialization issues or a disorder or something."
"Have you ever thought that it could be because of something bad that happened to her in the past that could be the cause of her behavior? Like maybe she is dealing with a traumatic experience or something?"
"Neh! I haven't thought of that! I highly doubt that too. She's just weird, straight-out weird. There's no psychological explanation for that."
"But you just said that you think that she has a disorder. That relates to psychology. Anyway, there are many psychological explanations for her behavior."
"Yeah, okay! Can we just watch a movie now?"
I closed my eyes. "No, I want to sleep."
He laughed at my behavior. "You are really something else Belle."
"I know, right."
I smiled and let myself think about Mrs. Adaugo. I was determined to find out what was wrong with her and what made her act the way she did. My thought were interrupted by the mild sensation I got from getting a sudden quick peck on my lips.
I opened my eyes and looked at Bryan who was pretending to sleep. I laughed and he also opened his eyes and joined in my laughter.
Laughter is a true remedy for pain, anxiety, stress and doubt. Being cheerful is a medium that should be adapted if survival in life should commence smoothly. Focusing on problems doesn't get them solved. I decided to add laughter and being cheerful to my daily routine. Maybe I should take Bryan's advice: 'Go with the flow'. Do what need to be done and leave the rest.
Who knows how that will go?
A/N:
Our 'Bryelle' ship is sailing slowly. In the last chapter, it seemed like it was sinking.
How was the chapter? Do you have any advice for Isabelle?
I know that this story shows very young individuals being in relationships and stuff, it is not to be an agent of bad influence, I couldn't just literalize reality in a better way than that/this.
Also, this story teaches moral lessons, it was created just for entertainment and fun, but I realize that an opportunity to learn or teach others should not be missed. Okay, I'm just babbling.
Thanks for reading, please vote and comment. I love you all!
Just a little apology on behalf of my dear female lead, Isabelle. She's a bit of a motivational speaker, just prepare yourself to receive more of her motivational speeches at the end of her chapters.
#bryelle
P.S: The wonderful chapter in the media box at the beginning of the chapter was made by PreshyO_
I just love it!