I wish I could escape
I don't wanna fake it
Wish I could erase it...
--
Chimdi's eyes opened to the sunlit room, her body as stiff as a board.
The sunlight came through the window, bouncing around the big white space, making the reflexion so blinding.
Mornings in one of her Mother's numerous penthouses, made her feel as stale as a week old wheat bread.
Going to bed there had a routine. Sleeping with hopes of having no nightmare, which of course, never happened and waking up to a silent as hell, boring house.
Nightmare. Check.
Silent house. Not really.
She heard soft snores and fear gripped her. In a bid to turn, she figured out that she was being held back. Her right hand was held captive. She felt her heart beat, in an off tune thud, like a staccato applause.
Turning around, she came face to face with TJ, She let out a sigh.
He looked so calm, like a new born child with his mouth slightly open, frown lines, marring his face. Her hand securely wrapped in his.
Her heart warmed at the sight.
Events of last night came flooding back, she'd had a nightmare. The usual, except that Vladimir's face kept popping in.
She shuddered at the memory, halting herself from thinking further. But when she remembered the little act of kindness he showed her last night, shame took over her body.
She had been nothing but mean to him since they met, while he'd been nothing but caring. She felt herself tearing up.
How was she going to face him?
After he'd seen her without the fronting and the faux built up defence, she showed her friends. Her mind worked on its own, thinking of ways to fix the mess she'd put herself into.
Still lost in thought, her phone vibrated under the pillow.
"Hey Babe!" Nene's voice rang out once she received the call, she put the device out of her ear's reach immediately, wincing.
"Nice morning?" A calmer, sleep induced voice greeted too. She looked at her phone, it was a three way call.
"Lara bear! How you doing?" She exclaimed, excited. She was happy that she got to hear her friends. And at the same time, felt horrible for hiding so much from them.
"I'm good. You should be the one answering. How's your health?" Chimdi smiled, they were super caring to the core.
"Better now." She answered, which was partly the truth.
"I still can't believe the party got cancelled," Nene whined. "but that's okay. At least, you are better now."
"Hope you haven't killed TJ yet. Aww, the poor boy." Lara teased, making Chimdi to smile.
"Hey! I'm not that bad."
"Bitch, shut up! You are worse." The duo fired back, making her crack up.
"No jokes though, He's okay. We don't even have time to fight." Because he's been nothing but caring. She said, looking down at the boy as he slept peacefully.
"You mean, he's not coming back with a broken leg?" Nene teased, causing them to crack up again.
"Have you been talking to Elo. He's the only one with such thought!" Chimdi shot back, getting comfortable on a pillow.
Nene laughed "Seriously no. That reminds me, babes you won't believe who I bumped into!" She said, giggling.
They urged her to spill away.
"Jet Ike! He lives in the same building as Nonye. Can you guys believe?" Nene squealed.
Jet Ike, was youngadult who made his way to the top, through acting. He'd successfully captured the hearts of teen girls, without trying so hard. With his not-so-subtle good looks and fit body.
"Sooo, did you guys speak to each other?" Lara asked, getting more excited.
"Yesss! He got my number. Infact we spoke all night on the phone till Mummy came to warn me." Replied the darker girl, giggling.
A faint voice shouted Nene's name to go clear the table and she groaned. The girls giggled.
"Mummy is calling. She's ready to give me an earful if I'm not there in the next minute." She groaned, reluctant to leave her friends. While they continued laughing.
Nene being the daughter of one of the leading men in the country, didn't encourage her to get certain, silly privileges. Her Mother made sure she was groomed, as a princess and a hard worker.
"Monday?" Chimdi asked, while they reluctantly answered, before the line went dead.
She was still smiling when a voice cut her day dream short.
"Oh, you are awake?"
She looked up, to meet TJ's morning face and immediately stifled a giggle.
"What?" He asked, confusion marring his face.
"Your face looks bloated." She said, still giggling. He released her hand to cup his face.
That was when she realised that, she didn't release her hands earlier.
Heat flooded her cheeks.
"Is it that bad huh?" He asked, after rubbing his face.
She nodded.
They stayed silent, which had turned into a normalcy whenever they were alone.
"How are you feeling now?" TJ finally asked, after a while.
"How?"
"You had a nightmare last night."
Dread filled her body as she fumbled to give him a convincing lie.
"If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to talk." He assured.
Chimdi let out a breath. Her palms already sweaty.
She nodded, while the annoying silence lingered.
Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, she didn't know how to face him in school, when they get back. Things were sure going to be awkward, she was already anticipating a messy situation. TJ cleared his throat, suddenly not looking her in the face anymore.
"Umm, I'll go to my room now. Uhhh... dress up and we'll find brunch." He rambled, avoiding looking at her, before nearly sprinting away, not waiting for her response.
"That's strange." Chimdi muttered before looking up at the bear shaped wall clock, it was few minutes past eleven.
Her eyes widened in shock. Who knew she could sleep that long. She stretched her stiff muscles, before making way to her vanity.
The sight that greeted her made her scream.
The light blue, crop top she wore totally showed off every outline of her body, due to its flimsy material and tightness. Then to make matters worst, the tiny boxers she stole from Jiki, folded up to her inner thighs.
She let out a muffled scream.
Embarrassment washed her entire body.
So, that was why he ran?
She groaned again, covering her face with her hands.
He had not only seen her bare her soul, but also her body. She groaned again, screaming into her palm.
--
She came down, close to an hour later, after cleaning up and putting on decent clothes.
The room incident made her groan, as she walked into the kitchen. There he was, walking around, gathering things, like he also lived there.
She'd never seen him on too casual clothes, like he was wearing.
He had on a white and blue Lakers singlet which broadened his shoulders and black sweat pants.
He has broad shoulders?
Why won't he, he's a growing teenage boy. Her subconscious mind mocked.
She groaned, her thoughts were utterly irrelevant. He turned to face her, clearing his throat, obviously embarrassed about the room incident.
"Oh, you are down."
She couldn't look at his face, but couldn't help but notice.
It looked, freshly scrubbed...
That's because he just had his bath you dumbass!
"Umm... yeah."
She saw him place four eggs on the counter, close to the gas cooker.
"Eggs, no food in the freezer?" She asked suddenly alarmed. She couldn't cook to save her life but needed to stock her stomach.
"Not really. I found already cooked pastas in the fridge."
Uurgh, thank goodness. Spaghetti!
"Then, why are you whisking eggs?"
"Pasta and scrambled egg. You'll love it." He gave her a smile, before focusing on whisking the eggs.
Few minutes later, they served the meal and were consuming it in pure silence.
Chimdi kept twirling her food, after helping herself with half of it. She couldn't help with the thoughts lingering at the back of her mind. The previous day's incident begging to be unwrapped.
"You acted like you were going to die, if there wasn't any food. Why aren't you eating?" He asked, making her to stop twirling the pasta and cutting short the daunting thoughts.
"I've had enough. I guess,"
"You guess?"
"I'm hungry, but I do not have the strength to eat."
"Have you tried taking appetite boosting meds?" He asked, suddenly feeling worried.
"That won't be necessary, I'm just not that hungry. Here, you can finish mine." She said, smiling and remembering last night.
He reluctantly took her plate, emptied its content in his, and immediately dug in.
Chimdi watched him with sheer amusement, eat up his food. He ate calmly, yet fast.
"What? I'm a growing boy." He said, food in mouth and a playful smirk tugging at his lips, when he felt her eyes on him.
She smiled, raising her hands in mock surrender.
"I didn't say anything. Did I?"
She never knew she could actually be at ease in his presence while having a reasonable conversation. Who would have thought that day would come.
--