Children of the most high, I had a terrible headache throughout yesterday after a stressful journey ð«. Well I'm telling you guys cos y'all are my babies and my business is your business ðð. I declare this part OPENNNN
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Continued from chapter 20
"Amanda?"
"Jesus! I thought you didn't come"
I place my palm on my racing heart as I stay frozen in my spot behind the door
He has a black round neck and a silver cross pendant, a black varsity jacket worn over it with the buttons undone and black slacks with it's ends tucked into the high tops of his white Vans
"Why were you snooping around, did you get lost?" He folds his arms across his chest with his right eyebrow raised
"I wanted to use the bathroom then I came upstairs-
"It's the first door on your left downstairs" he interrupts
"Yeah I know, I've gone already"
"Then why are you here?"
"Why are you here?" I redirect the question back at him
"Excuse me?"
"I mean, there's a party downstairs, literally our whole class is down there, your best friend and cousin are down there playing games and having fun but somehow Erling Kingston is upstairs in a room, all alone" I circle his spot as I speak, observing him keenly "isn't that a little suspicious?"
"I don't have to explain anything to you, you have no business being here" he spits harshly
"Yeesh no need to be rude, I'm leaving already" I raise my hands in irritation as I make for the door handle
"Don't leave" he says with a sigh "I didn't mean to chase you away, I'm sorry"
"Forrr?" I lean against the door with my arms crossed, copying his position from earlier
"Sorry for being rude" I nod my head signalling for him to go on "I'm not apologizing for any other thing, you should be happy I even said sorry"
He hisses and walks further into the room
For the first time, I take a good look at the game room. It is a large space!
A large cream colored leather couch covers the centre of the room with a similar cream colored footstool that has apparently been turned to a snack stool. My eyes don't miss the Bluetooth speakers hanging from the ceiling and the huge home theatre, quality ear blasters if you ask me. The gaming screens are two huge curved TVs with cordless mouses and white gaming pads, probably a PS5. How do you invest this much on games?!
My eyes continue to roam the room till they land on familiar noodle hair strands, oh right
"You said you were sorry for wrongly accusing me in class, I accept your apology" he says calmly as he takes a seat on the couch and crosses his legs
"I accept your apology" I mimic him in my worst way possible "why are you so full of yourself?"
"Full of myself? Weren't you the one screaming like a banshee over a mere assumption?"
"You were the one who held my scripts what did you expect me to think?"
"Normal people ask questions not jump into conclusions"
"And I said I was sorry" I raise my voice
"And I said I accept your apology" he says with an even higher note
The argument has both of us panting and seething after the furious exchange of words. I scoff, breaking eye contact from the annoying brown irises of the poop face in front of me. We literally tried to resolve our issues by screaming just great
The sound of tapping of keys draws my gaze up the the monitor screen with an on going football game
"You're using PSG? that's my team" I say awkwardly
"You know football?" He scoffs "I expected you to be the kind obsessed with makeup"
I don't give him a reply, instead I sit on the other end of the couch
"Why aren't you downstairs at the party?" I ask out of curiosity
I mean he's at the party but not in the party
"I hate parties" he says without taking his eyes off the game
"Then why attend?"
"Idara is here, I have to be here to take her home when it's late" he taps more furiously on the buttons
So he's not a complete ass hat
"Why did you want to leave the party?" He questions as he dips his hand into the Pringles container beside him, holding the game controller with one hand
"It's not really my kind of crowd and they're playing Truth or Dare, I left before things got wild"
He gives a low chuckle
"It's a highschool hangout what game did you expect, scrabble?" He mocks
He laughs, causing me to laugh along mainly because of his laughter that is even funnier than the joke
"You laugh like you're having an asthma attack" I say in a fit of my own whizzing sounds
"And you laugh like you're convulsing" he adds choking on his laughter
Talking to Erling wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, turns out he's not so stuck up. Maybe a little, but not as much as I thought. He has an older brother Ethan who is currently studying in the UK, has a terrible fear of cats and can't sing to save his life. He's no longer playing the console after strings of losses back to back, he claims today might be a bad game day for him but I'm pretty sure he just sucks at playing video games, even I could take him head on
"I'm actually mixed" he chews the last chip in his hand "My dad's Nigerian but I've got Brazilian and Argentine blood from my Mum's side"
"Whoa same as Nana too?" I ask with my eyes bulging like a little child's
"Yes our mums-" he clears his throat "-are sisters"
Nancy has mentioned her mum before, she said she left them years ago, probably they are not on good terms?
"You all live together? Like one large family?" I prod further
"Yeah something like that"
I nod my head slowly as I digest all the information he just loaded
"What's wrong with your arm?" I've wanted to ask that question for a while
"I had an accident a couple months ago, the injury was pretty bad I've not been able to swim with the arm since" he folds his arms behind his head, facing the ceiling
"Is it permanent? Will you be able to swim again?" I ask a bit too hastily
"What? Can't wait to see me shirtless?" He laughs like he made the funniest joke in the world
I hiss at his stupid comment, I asked as a concerned classmate please, I definitely do not see you like that!
"Hopefully I'll be back by next term don't worry, I know y'all can't wait"
So cocky
"Shouldn't we like go downstairs or something? They might have started something fun" I suggest
"Who's we? You're talking like we're a team or something" he scoffs "just to be clear I still find you very annoying"
"And I still detest your presence" I retort immediately
He smiles then stretches his hand for me to shake, I stretch mine not totally understanding what's he's getting at
"I'm glad we understand each other" he shakes my hand firmly before releasing his grip
"Now you can get out, I'm tired of speaking" he wiggles his hand as if he's trying to shoo a cat
I bounce up from the couch
"I was leaving already" I turn around and walk towards the door
"Better shut the door before you carry head like bonga fish" he calls out
"Factory rejected fowl!" I yell out my lame comeback as I slam the door shut.
It's official, there is no one more annoying than that boy
Although today I met a different side, still annoying too but not repulsive at least. I haven't seen him laugh that genuinely before, you'd just assume he's an angel by seeing him in his happy moments but when he opens his mouth boom! Out comes the dung
That boy needs real mouth training sha, so rude! Again how is Nana related to that monkey?
My phone rings with a notification sound from my pocket. I dig through the slit of my shorts and pull out my device with 5 new message notifications;
Ice witch ð¥¶ð§ââï¸
Change of plans, not coming for the party ð
~6:30pm
Ice witch ð¥¶ð§ââï¸
Have a good time
~8:00pm
Shite! What kind of friend am I? I didn't even call to ask if she was okay, what if she got kidnapped?!
The other two messages are from my mum
Momzilla â¤ï¸
Are you having fun? Text me the address of the place
~7:00pm
Momzilla â¤ï¸
I expect you to be saying your good nights now, it's already dark"
~9:00pm
Ewo let me start going home now before she'll come here by herself and drag me home
I race down the stairs to meet a scattered group of drunk teenagers, some lying on the couch while the ones not yet knocked over are busy playing beer pong. I crane my head around in search of my party buddy but I find no sign of her. Where could she have gone? I see Aidan walking towards me and although he's not the best person to ask about Nana's whereabouts I grab his arm to ask
"Where's Nancy?"
"She just went home without informing anybody, nowadays she just vexes for nothing" he says as he walks away muttering some extra words under his breath
Aidan are you that clueless? Was it really for nothing?
I dial Nana's number because apparently my only ride home has gone home. I could easily call an Uber but an Uber this late at night? My mum would do backflips if she heard
"Hey bear, where are you?" I ask when she picks up
"I'm at home, are you?" She asks with a clear voice she wasn't sleeping
"How could I be at home, we were supposed to leave together!" I almost scream into the phone receiver
"I thought you went home without me you were gone to the bathroom for so long"
I mentally facepalm myself
"Maybe you can come with Erling when the driver comes to pick him, it'll be easy to just stop at your estate first"
A 30 minutes ride with Erling in the same car? God forbid
"Nah never mind, let me just call my mum she'll know what to do" I let out a frustrated sigh
"I'm really sorry, I thought you left" she says again
Why didn't you just call me if you thought I left?!
"Yeah no problem, it's okay"
Actually no it isn't, my mum will kill me
I hang up the call and move to dial my mum
"Mummy-
"Are you at the gate already, is Ubong not there to open?" She asks immediately
"I'm still at the party" I state
I narrate my whole ordeal to her, leaving out the nature of the party and the kind of games teenagers my age play these days, she'd probably be bathing me with anointing oil for a month if I told her
"Send me the address I'm coming" she says, I hear the jingle of keys I the background
My mum came to pick me from the party, I made sure I stayed outside when she was getting close, I wouldn't want her walking into this house, no thank you! She made me list the classmates that were present at the party and when I mentioned that Toks didn't attend, she became suspicious
"Why didn't she attend, was something wrong with the party?" She looked at me through her rearview mirror since I decided to take the back seat
"No actually she was supposed to come but plans changed"
"Ehen, what kind of things did you do at the party?" She bangs on her horn as she drives past a truck
"Nothing really, just loud music, not my kind of crowd" I say, telling her only a part of the story
"I was wondering too when you said you were going for a party" she shakes her head "you've never been a party person
I have never
"I don't think I'm honoring any party invitation again, I'm good" I tuck my hands under my big shirt and throw my head to the back against the head rest
********
'Sheffield International Highschool
Amanda A Akinde
First term results'
My heart rate increases as my mum and I read out from her phone. The school has sent our results to our parents emails for us to check
"Don't open it yet, let me go away I don't want to see it" I back away from the couch moving closer to the stairs slowly
"You don't have to go away just sit down here" she gestures to the couch opposite hers
I wobble slowly over to the couch and settle on it stealthily
My mum's eyes widen, my heart rate goes even higher. Her eyes scan the document from up to down, slowly cracking her knuckles
"Come, come and hug your mummy" she stretches her arms out
Her smile looks genuine, she's not tricking me right? That would be mean she wouldn't do something like that
Did I do that well in my exams? What about my math? Oh Jesus
I walk slowly to receive my mum's embrace, silently hoping she's not hugging me to tell me bad news
"No single red" she whispers
"What?" I couldn't have heard that right
"No single red my baby girl" she repeats louder this time, tapping my back I excitement
"What about my math?"
"That is your lowest grade, you had a C"
"Yesssss" I jump up from the chair and squeal so loud our neighbors probably heard
I snatch the phone from my mum to properly look at my scores
'Mathematics: 63 C5
English Language: 78 B2
Physics: 79 B2
Chemistry: 74 B3
Biology: 83 A1
Further Mathematics: 70 B3
Civic Education: 89 A1
Technical drawing: 78 B2
Data processing: 74 B3
Geography: 76 B2'
I can't believe my eyes, I got two darn A's, seven friggin B's and one C? I've never even gotten an A in my life and I got two? The results might not be worth celebrating for some but this result is not someone else's, THESE ARE MY GRADES
My eyes well up with tears as I go through my scores for the millionth time, is this me?
They said I'd never pass an exam, they said I couldn't graduate on merit. Chris and Muna said if not for my swimming talent I'd never see the four walls of a university!
"Come here" my mum says, stretching her arms once more
I didn't even notice the tears that have already streamed down my cheeks, I could feel the saltiness on my tongue now. I crash into my mum's arms and bury my sobs into the crook of her neck as I settle on her laps
"I am proud of you Aderin, your dad is proud of you, your brother is proud of you and we will always be, no matter the situation" she coos gently
The tears come so freely, partly because of how excited I'm feeling but mostly because it all feels too good to be true. How did 'I' a whole class permanent bottom feeder, get no red on her results?
I sob for about five minutes before I finally quiet down but don't change my position on my mum's laps. We stay like that for a couple more minutes
"Let me make us a congratulatory dinner, how about spaghetti and meatballs?" She hums waiting for my response
"That's literally what is on the food timetable" I wipe my nose with the sleeve of my shirt
"I'll give you extra meat for congratulations" she laughs and gets up to go to the kitchen "just relax and watch TV"
I let out a huge sigh of relief as I slouch to a more relaxed position to watch TV skipping through all the channels till I finally decide to watch recorded episodes of Grey's anatomy
"Aderin" I think I hear my mum call from the kitchen
I reduce the volume of the TV just to be sure
"Aderin oh" she calls again
"Yes mum" I yell in reply
"Come and help me cut these onions and unwrap these seasoning"
Cut onions ke? I thought it was supposed to be her giving me Princess treatment
"I thought you said I should 'relax and watch TV'?" I repeat her words from earlier
"Be relaxing oh, you will eat your food without onions and maggi" she retorts
Ugh! So much for congratulatory dinner
"I'm coming"
I drag my limbs and saunter towards the kitchen slowly
**
Unknown person's POV
'Dear diary,
A plus one joined our class this new year, she seems to be fitting in well. At first I thought she would stick out like a thorn in the midst of daises but I guess I was wrong, she seems to have created a clique
She's with Toke, how she managed to stick this long I don't know but she's still there, she has earned a little of my respect.
The senior prefect; that psycho, most people don't know what her past is like or the kind of things she does to herself but I do, I'm not 'The observer' for nothing
She's friends with Edmond too, they are quite close in fact. I see how she blushes when he talks to her or when he even looks at her. I've known him long enough to know he's just being friendly, I hope she doesn't read it as something else. Sigh, or is he slowly falling too?
Nothing gets past me in Sheffield, I know everything and everyone, even more than themselves. I watch friendships break, relationships dissolve but these people never learn! Guard your heart! Fall in love with your head not your heart!
Teenagers will be teenagers, why waste your time trying everything only to disrupt your mental health (ب_ب)
That'll be all, dear diary'
The Observer*
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End of chapter everyone ð©
The last two episodes have been majorly Trip's POV so I decided to add another one ð
Who do you think the observer is?
Clues- The person is a student of Sheffield, this is his or her first POV
You're free to drop your assumptions and guessesðI love wrong assumptions
Vote and comment guyssâ¤ï¸â¤ï¸â¤ï¸