"All boys cheat Karma, I'm telling you"
"Yeah I agree, all boys cheat but men are loyal."
I looked at Xeno and rolled my eyes , he never took anything seriously.
"Na onna real , I know I have the strength to be loyal but I chose not to, I'm too young for that."
Me and karma both looked at each other furious.
"So you decide to play around then? Breaking the hearts of good girls?" Karma nodded in agreement.
"Yeah so ?" Xeno frowned, confused.
Wow.
"This is why I don't get involved with boys to be honest, they all play games what's the point ?" I looked at karma and reached for a spud.
Zion walked in with a subway sandwich in his hand. He had clear aviators on and had evidently got a trim, his curly hair at the top of his head. He sat down on the carpet crossing his legs covered in an Nike tracksuit and huaraches. He was one mainstream lightskin you know.
"All boys cheat, it's inevitable ." We all looked at him chewing on his sandwich.
"What man ?" He had his arms out , a small screw on his face as he continued to finesse his sandwich.
"So you couldn't bother to ask if we wanted any?"
"Nah that's long "
Xeno chuckled, while me and Karma kissed our teeth dismissing him.
"Boys only cheat if he don't truly love the girl init."
I sighed and shook my head.
"Then why be with her if you don't love her ?!"
"Why not be in a relationship and f^ck whoever you want? Best of both worlds init." Both me and karma gasped at wonder at how someone could be so , so cold.
I shook my head. All boys are dogs to be honest. I stood up and headed over to the kitchen to prepare everyone a meal. I brought out the tomato purée, rice, onions and peppers to start making some jollof .
I put on some music in the kitchen stereo and started blending some tomatoes,peppers and onions. I've been living here for about a month now, and everyone had gotten used to my constant cooking . I had went to Jericho's house the other day, and we had lots of fun, he taught me how to play cod. Well attempted to anyway, we both got a bit competitive and aggressive so we turned to monopoly with his older sister Zia. She was just as old as Demi, and I really enjoyed her company.
I carried on blending the ingredients and then sieved it, into a pot of already half boiled rice.
I put a lid on the pot and went back to the heated discussion in Karmas room.
"Girls cheat for attention, when a girl cheats it's because she isn't getting the attention or love she wants" I nodded and added my two piece .
"When a boy cheats it's because of greed and sexual temptation."
Karma nodded in agreement and we spudded each other as Xeno and Zion shook their heads.
I was about to question them when my phone rang.
Jericho.
I answered the phone.
"hello?" I grinned and replied asking of his day. Since I visited me and Jericho have been very close, speaking to him on the phone everyday close and I think I was falling for him.
"Hey j"
"You alright yeah?"
"Good good, I'm cooking well I was."
"LOL, cooking? You cook?!"
"Erm, yeah.. Rate me please."
I swear Jericho was the rudest person ever. Apparently because of my Nigerian roots the only think I could cook was organs and spells. I rolled my eyes and chuckled at the banter of last week.
"All right let me not get onto your bad side before I turn into a goat. Na, but for real why do you arrest goats ?"
"It was a woman! Not a goat, she just used bl- , you know what never mind."
I rolled my eyes at Jericho's deep chuckle on the phone as I turned off the hob and set me a bowl of rice.
"What you making ?"
"Some jollof."
"Rah save me som-" I turned to see Zion and Lox staring burning holes into me. I shrugged my shoulders signalling them the leave me the hell alone look.
They both kissed their teeth and went into the kitchen. I left confused at the sudden change in attitude.
I sat in the room and saw Karma on her laptop.
"You wanna eat Karms?"
She shook her head but took a spoon of my rice not forgetting the coleslaw. I laughed and shook my head.
"Hello ? Hannah ?"
I forgot Jericho was on the phone and took him off speaker.
"Who's that Han?" I mouthed to karma telling her it was just a friend. She kept off the bed and snatched the phone.
"Hi, Hannah's boyfriend right?"
"Really ?"
She looked at me intently.
"Well I'm her big sis Karms"
"Mmm, yeah yeah. That's Hannah for you."
She laughed.
"Well hurry up then."
She shook her head chuckling and gave me back the phone.
"What did she say?"
"Mind your business , you nosey midget." I rolled my eyes and gave Karma the finger. She threw a pillow at me in response. I chuckled and carried on talking to Jericho.
"I want to revise, come over Han."
"Erm, sure see you in twenty ?"
I went to my room and told them I was going out. I picked out my suede brown jacket and put it over a oversized white t-shirt and ripped jeans picking out my brown timberlands. I put my oyster , keys and phone in my pocket. Walking down the stairs I reminded myself to start looking for jobs, I needed money, my lifestyle was not cheap. I was walking as I saw Lox walk towards the door.
"Where you going ?"
"A friends house .. Why?"
"Want a lift ?"
I stopped and looked at him, looking for any hidden emotion to show where this was going. This boy hated me and now he wanted to be my personal chauffeur ?
"Erm yeah, I guess."
We both walked and stepped inside his matte black BMW. Don't ask me where he got the money from because I had no idea, this boy should be in university.
" What's the postcode?"
I quickly texted Jericho for his postcode, in which he quickly responded.
" se9 1tz"
He nodded and typed it into his installed satnav in the car. I widened my eyes shocked as his guider began to speak. Wow, he was living life.
We drove in silence and was confused when we were slowing down.
"Erm we aren't at our final destination."
I knew it , he was going to chop my body up and put me in the trunk of his car. I began to panic and try to open the car, finding it was locked. I looked at an amused Lox.
"Calm down, I was going to buy you McDonald's, as you can see we are opposite the drive-thru."
I looked out the window and sighed a big sigh of relief. I was so embarrassed I whispered an apology and put the window down. It was so stuffy in here.
"Hello , what would you like to order?"
"Erm, can I have a Big Mac meal with coke please and ..." Lox looked to me , to order my meal.
"-erm I would like a mayo chicken and chips please with a fanta."
"Is that all?"
"Erm yeah?"
I laughed at an all of a sudden aggravated Lox. Why was he annoyed ? His thick shapely eyebrows were knotted together and his lips in a small scowl.
"I hate when they ask that question, if I wanted something else I would say in my order." I chuckled and shook my head.
"Get your purse ready." I choked on air , as I had no money on me. What was I thinking ? Why would Lox pay for my meal. I regretted not bringing my purse and cursed in my breath.
We drove to the next station and Lox payed, he didn't let me pay and thank God as I had no money on me. I think he knew this because as he gave the women his card he kept laughing and looking at me.
As he passed me my meal , I said a thank you and ate my meal, while taking sips of my chilled fanta. As I finished I looked at Lox, his dreads hung low in a neat ponytail, he had got his beard and shape up recently done. His thick eyebrows sitting neat un top of his big chocolate brown eyes. As he rode his muscles bulged out of his top. Lox was attractive but too old for me, I hope all this wining and dining wasn't a search for my attention, I didn't want to be on his bad side again.
We finally reached Jericho's estate. I gave Lox a brief hug and a thank you. I took his wrappers and put it in a nearby bin. I walked to the buzz and waited for Jericho to buzz me in. I waved at Lox and walked in. Walking up the stairs , I quickly tamed my messy bun putting tendrils that had spilled out behind my ears. I knocked on the door and was met by a tall , wide grinned Jericho. His golden skin shining , how was his skin even reflecting when it was November weather? His grey eyes glistening with excitement , I smiled as his lips widened. I noticed he cut his hair down, I smiled in appreciation his waves were deep.
"Wagwan b"
"Is my name Betty , Berlin? Bo-"
"Swear Berlin is a city ?" I stopped and laughed at my mistake and pushed past him into the house.
I sat down in his living room and saw he had paused a recent game of call of duty. I pressed play and started to play the game, Jericho taught me the basics of the game and I was beginning to be a pro.
"Hannah wanna eat summ'n?" I remembered the McDonald's I ate and shook my head. He shrugged his shoulders and went in the kitchen.
I sat in his living room and looked at the wine coloured leather sofas and the black and red theme. He had a beautiful mosaic rug under his table with photos of little Jericho on the walls. I coo'd and took pictures on my phone. I then sat down and continued to play the game. I laughed when I remember the first time I tried to play with Jabari. I did miss him, but it was better that we went our own ways. I carried on playing, then paused wondering what was taking Jericho so long.
I walked into the kitchen to see Jericho stirring a sauce in a frying pan. I raised my eyebrows in surprise and nodded. I helped him to boil the pasta, draining it and let it cook. We cooked to his playlist which was full of real chill songs. After finishing up I walked into the dining room and sat on one of the dining chairs.
"Thanks Jeribaby" Jericho gave me a side eye and shook his head.
"I don't know why you're saying thank you, like I didn't ask you if you wanted to eat and you said no."
I gaped at him eating and sulked when he didn't even offer me a bite. He stood up and loaded his empty plate into the dishwasher . I stood there amazed. He dusted his hands and sat down , opening his revision folders. Rolling my eyes I brought out my stationery and books . We started biology revision going over the respiratory system, and answering past papers. I watched in awe as Jericho taught me the difference in the lungs between exhalation and inhalation. He was actually intelligent. His grey eyes reading the book and his pink lips adding his own little details and anecdotes on how to remember each feature of the lung.
"So yeah , that's how I remember it." I just nodded in agreement .
"I talk too much init?" He laughed embarrassed . It was cute .
I chuckled and stared, enjoying his embarrassed look. He rolled his lips on his mouth and raised his eyebrows.
"Bare staring at man uno."
I laughed and flipped to the next page making notes. We carried on doing revision until like 7.30, when Lox called telling me to come home.
"Is he your brother or something?"
"Yeah." I didn't want him to know my situation, so I shrugged my shoulders packing my bags. He nodded helping my arrange my pencil case. I stood up and walked in front as Jericho walked me to the door. I was about to walk when he gave me a container of spaghetti and sauce . I hugged him and he softly slapped the back of my head. I kissed my teeth and walked out waving. I walked down the stairs and called Lox.
"Yeah , I'm outside already."
I walked towards his BMW, it was already dark as it was November. I shivered and opened the front door and got inside.
"You cool?" He nodded to me.
"Yeah, I'm good." I gave him a small smile.
"Erm why did you call me to come home?"
"Home emergency." I gulped and slid in my seat. What was so bad that I had to come home? I went on my phone and went through my Instagram feed liking a few pics. I saw a picture of me, shoulder length hair in a messy bun. I had a pen in my mouth and a highlighter behind each ear. I was in mid laughter my small eyes slants to the camera.
Jericho.
"Brown skin ting looking Chinese ." -26mins ago.
I laughed to myself, this was the most cringiest caption ever. I commented a love heart and a laughing emoji and exited Instagram. I started scrolling through Twitter and replying to my whatsapp messages .
"We're here Han." I nodded and undid my seat belt . We both walked out and entered the house. I put my bags in the corridor and shivered at the cold silence . I walked into the living room and gasped. I saw karma, Zion and Xeno sitting there red splattered on their all black attire.
Karma stood up calm, she still looked picture perfect with the scarlet mess all over her dress and speckles on her face and hair . She walked up to me stroking my arm. The boys say down looking angry and stressed.
"Hannah, it's about time ." All three boys looked up in panic.