Chapter 13: CHAPTER TWELVE

Back at Folarin's apartment where Lisa and Seyi had been waiting for them, all four anticipated the call from Nina that would tell them she had unfollowed Annie from the real JLB account and followed the fake one they controlled. They had the post with the pictures lined up and ready to go, soon as she called.

A couple hours later she did. "It's done."

And Lucy clicked "Post" with a vengeance.

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"I knew it! I fucking knew it!" Annie squealed in delight. "Let me sharply post before all these other wannabes jump on it." She quickly downloaded all the photos and started typing.

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Folarin's apartment erupted in high fives and squeals of victorious delight as soon as the post alerts they had all set for Annie Uchendu rang out and it turned out to be exactly what they had hoped. "Oya Lucy, delete delete."

"On it." Lucy immediately deleted the post, and the entire fake account, and then opened the bottle of champagne she had brought out of Folarin's kitchen for the occasion.

As she filled everyone's glasses, she read the post aloud again in a comical impression of Annie's annoying voice.

"I Just Knew It! This One Is For All The Doubters. The Ones That Were Accusing Me Of Being A Hater, A Clout-Chaser, This And That. Can You See It Now? Pure Evidence. At Least Pictures Don't Lie. You Can See It For Yourselves. It Even Looks Like Folarin Is Sick In The Hospital Now And His Darling Boyfriend Is There By His Side, Nursing Him To Health. Eeyah! 🤣 I Wish The Couple A Happy Life. At Least They Can Come Out Of The Shadows Now. Women, Check O! The Homewrecker In Your Marriage Might Be Another Man. When Annie Talks Fucking Listen Because I Don't Say What I Don't Know For A FACT! And That's On Period!"

The group broke out in laughter as Lucy read out the last sentence with extra flourish.

"And just like I expected, she didn't publicly credit JLB for the discovery. Perfect.", Seyi said, dancing around the living room, glass in hand.

"Guys, don't get too excited o. It's going to get ugly before it gets good." Chuka said.

And as if on cue, the notifications started pouring in on both men's phones.

"Fuck! When are we coming out with this clarification?", Folarin said, as he looked at his phone.

"Tomorrow morning." Chuka said, wincing, as he glanced at his screen too. "Let's give it a little time so she doesn't delete it immediately. We need enough people to see it."

"Yeah, true. But in a few hours sha, you both can tweet or post something about it. Just something short and indirect but obvious enough.", Lucy suggested.

"Exactly. Ehen, you know that one we cropped," Seyi chimed in. She turned to Chuka. "The part where you were trying to help him into the wheelchair. You know we cropped the wheelchair out in the one we sent her, so it looks like you're just hugging him from behind. Ehen, you'll now post that one along with it. The full pic."

"Perfect." Lucy said as she high-fived Seyi.

Both men put their phones on silent and looked at each other, their phones still buzzing non-stop.

Over an hour passed with all four seated around the living room, drinking wine and gisting idly about everything and nothing.

"Let's play spin the bottle.", Lucy said suddenly, as she sat on the floor with the empty champagne bottle in her hand.

Chuka raised an eyebrow.

"What? It'll kill time.", she said, motioning for the rest of them to move to the floor. "Oya oya."

"Aren't we a little old for shit like this?", Folarin grumbled, as he searched for a comfortable position to sit in.

Lucy paused and looked at Folarin "You and who is old?"

Seyi laughed.

They sat in a circle; or as much of one as four people could form. Lucy with Folarin to her right then Seyi to his right and facing Lucy and finally Chuka, who was across from Folarin.

"Oya, who is going first?" Lucy asked, pointing the bottle outward.

"Na you bring game." Folarin retorted.

"Fine." Lucy said and put the bottle back on the ground. She gave it a good spin and they waited. It landed on Folarin.

Lucy grinned, rubbing her palms together. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth." Folarin answered with a blank stare.

Lucy paused for dramatic effect, then smirked at Folarin. "Are you and Seyi fucking?"

"What?!" Seyi exclaimed, startled by the question.

"Of course not!"

Lucy laughed. "What do you mean 'of course not', like it's the most ridiculous, most unthinkable thing?"

"It is. He's my client, for God's sake. We work together."

Lucy and Chuka scoffed in unison. "Like that has ever stopped Folarin.", Lucy said, looking at Chuka.

"All the more reason to do it sef." Chuka quipped back at her. "The fucker likes a challenge."

"You people see me sitting here, yes?" Folarin said dryly.

"Well, I'm a professional." Seyi said, effusively. "I don't do the nasty with my clients. So, the answer is 'absolutely not!"

"Uh...okay but he's the one who's playing." Lucy pointed her thumb at Folarin.

Folarin hesitated, contemplating messing with Seyi a little. "It's true.", he said finally, rolling his eyes. "And I tried, trust me."

"Yeah, I think even people who have never met you know you tried." Lucy said.

Chuka laughed through his nose. Seyi shook her head and casually took a sip of her drink.

Lucy stuck her tongue out and handed the bottle to Folarin. "Your turn."

Folarin spun the bottle and it landed on Seyi. He immediately asked. "But you were tempted, sometimes, right? Like at that Christmas Party?"

"You're supposed to ask "Truth or Dare". Seyi said. "I want 'Dare'.?

"I dare you to tell the truth.", Folarin said.

"Folarin is cheating!", she whined, looking to the others for help.

"Standard practice." Chuka responded.

"Fine. Fine." Folarin paused to think. Then a mischievous smirk formed slowly on his face. "Kiss Lucy."

"What?"

"You heard me.", he said. "With tongue."

"That's - I -.." Seyi sputtered nervously. "Where I come from, straight women don't kiss other straight women on the mouth."

From the corner of her eye, Seyi saw Lucy get up on her knees and crawl forward and her head turned to look at her.

"Yeah?", Lucy said, when she was just inches away from Seyi's face. "And aren't you glad you left such a hellish place?" And then she reached out and took the side of Seyi's face and joined their lips together.

"Shiiiit!" Chuka hissed out with a cheeky grin, changing positions so he could get a better view.

Folarin took out his phone and started a video.

Lucy and Seyi kissed for more than a few seconds, licking lightly at each other's tongues. The kiss ended and Seyi's eyes stayed shut for a few seconds longer while Lucy smirked at her.

"Damn", Seyi said softly, as she opened her eyes. "A girl kissed me and I...didn't hate it."

Lucy laughed, as she returned to her spot. "Of course, you didn't.", she said smugly. "I'm the girl that kissed you."

"Oshey!" Chuka exclaimed, raising his arms at Lucy in salute.

Seyi looked at Folarin. "Happy?"

"The wank bank thanks you for your deposit." Folarin replied, ending the video. "It will be invested wisely."

Lucy punched his arm and Seyi shook her head with a smile, as she took the bottle from Folarin. She gave it a spin and it landed on her. So, she spun again. This time, it pointed at Chuka.

"Truth or dare, gorgeous." Seyi asked.

Chuka hesitated. "Truth.", he said.

Seyi paused to think. "Okay real talk? Since it's just us here and it never leaves this room?"

"Okay?" Chuka said, warily.

"Do you or have you ever had feelings for Folarin?"

"The fuck?" Folarin bit out.

"Be quiet." Lucy snapped at him, obviously amused and eager to hear more.

Chuka cocked an eyebrow. "Feelings as in..."

"You know what I mean. Feelings feelings. Romantic ones."

Chuka shook his head. "No. My straight self has never had gay 'feelings feelings' for my straight best friend."

He rolled his eyes.

"But if either of you were gay, would you be together?", Lucy chimed in.

"Are follow up questions part of – " Folarin started to protest.

"100%". Chuka said.

Seyi and Lucy looked at each other, smiling with their mouths wide open in shock.

Folarin looked at Chuka, his face unsure what reaction to display. "What?"

"If we were gay, I would be with you." Chuka said casually. "Wetin happen? E shock you?"

"Which time alcohol begin dey quick turn you like this?" Folarin asked, as he picked up the bottle and made a show of checking the percentage of alcohol the champagne had in it.

Chuka laughed. "I'm lucid as fuck."

"So, wait, you've actually given this some thought?" Lucy asked, touching Chuka's shoulder. "Because you answered pretty quickly."

"Does it require that much thought? It's a no-brainer for me." Chuka said, evenly.

Seyi and Lucy turned to look at each other again then back at Chuka. "How so?" Seyi said, leaning in,

"Yes." Folarin said, glaring at Chuka. "How the fuck so?"

"It's simple." Chuka shrugged and then looked Folarin dead in the eye. "You love me."

Folarin looked at Chuka and blinked twice. "Come again?"

"You love me." Chuka repeated, like he was telling Folarin what time it was.

"O tu tun so!" ("And you said it again!"), Folarin exclaimed, bewildered.

"Because it's the truth." Chuka laughed. "You fucking love me, Folarin. I said what I said."

The girls made cat-calling sounds at them as they watched the exchange.

"Yeah, I'm going to need you fucking elaborate on that, bruh." Folarin said, eyes narrowing.

"I don't know what's not clear here. You care about me. You're protective of me. Y–"

Folarin interrupted. "Urgh! Don't say it like that.", he said, making a face. "Besides, you're...the same way with me, so h..."

"That's not the point." Chuka said, cutting him off too. "You always have my back. You worry about me. You've never once betrayed me and I can confidently say you never will." he continued." You dey carry my matter for head like Gala. Sometimes, I have to stop you from physically fighting for me.

Folarin rolled his eyes.

"And you take care of me. Guy, you've been taking care of me from the moment you met me."

"This is true." Lucy said, Seyi nodding wordlessly in agreement beside her. They both knew the rice and beans story.

Folarin groaned. Chuka was just giving Lucy food without knowing it. He almost didn't want to look her way. When he did, he found both girls looking at them with puppy-dog eyes, Lucy adding an I-told-you-so smirk when her eyes met his.

Jesus Christ.

He looked back at Chuka with a blank stare. "Are you done?"

Chuka grinned, a part of him enjoying how uneasy this was making Folarin. "Yeah, I've pretty much answered her question. In an alternate universe where we're both gay, na me and you – no fucking cap." Chuka's laugh at Folarin's facial reaction, faded slowly into a serious look. "Nah but for real, everything I keep trying to find with these girls, if you reason am... I don already get am for here.", he said, waving his hand back and forth between him and Folarin.

Folarin's eyes widened slightly as he recognized a version of those words. He turned sharply and looked at Lucy, questioning her with a piercing glare.

Lucy threw her hands up immediately and responded with a look that said, 'I swear on my life, we've never spoken about this.'

"What?" Chuka asked, curious about the exchange.

"Nothing." Folarin replied.

"Oh wow!" Seyi said softly, breaking the silence that followed. "That was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in real life."

"On God." Lucy said, dabbing fake tears from her eyes.

Chuka shook his head lightly. "So,", he said, pointing the bottle outward. "Who is spinning next?"

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A few hours later, Chuka posted on his story:

"So desperate for clout, you'll edit pictures from a set to suit your idiotic narrative. You need to seek professional help." Then he posted the agreed photo on the very next slide.

On Folarin's story, it was another of the full photos with one word: "Pathetic."

The next morning, the studio released the trailer video for the movie with all the scenes the photos were taken from, in proper context.

And all hell broke loose for Annabel Uchendu.