Song for the chapter: Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day.

                           ~Kunmi~

We decided to sleep not long after that. Aminah gave up her bed for Sophia and me and even though I insisted that she or someone else join us, she maintained her stance. I saw no reason, the bed was big enough to contain four people comfortably. Maybe she did that because of Sophia who doesn't like sharing her space with people.

Thinking about Sophia, I turned to look at her from looking at the wall, slowly, careful not to make too much sound because the other girls were already lying on mattresses on the floor, probably dozing off. Aunty Sophia was lying on her side, face to me and she was pressing her phone. She'd spent more than an hour doing what she called her skincare routine. In the end, I lost track of the names of the products she'd applied on her face. I've never seen someone spend that much time applying stuff on their face.

Even Mayowa doesn't spend this much time caring for her face.

Just like I've never seen someone that spend that much time on their phone. She looked up when she felt someone's eyes on her and she stared at me blankly before she returned her attention to her phone.

It was only when we turned the lights in the room off, leaving only a neon blue one and with the rest of the girls in their positions, ready to sleep that I excused myself to use the shower and to change into my nightgown. Sophia changed too, almost immediately after me and I wondered why she waited that long.

Only God understands what's going on in this girl's head.

How would a normal person indirectly ask the girl of the boy she plans on snatching for validation?

How? Who?

And the fact that she even muttered What a bunch of losers? to herself afterward!

Was she joking? Playing pranks? Just being bitchy or what?

I don't understand. At all.

And then, afterward, act as nothing had happened. Like she had done nothing.

God! How did I end up getting entangled with this girl?

And deep down, deep deep down, I kept getting the feeling that she isn't a bad person.

I don't even know what to think.

I was sure of the fact that if anything should happen, I'd take Aminah's side in less a heartbeat.

"Aminah, I thought you invited Ella."

Bola said in a low tone and I was initially startled because I thought they were all asleep. Aminah's reply was a very dragged and long hiss.

"That poor loser. I stopped talking to her. She's not worth my friendship, my attention, my energy, or anything like that. I can't even believe I was her friend in the first place."

"Shebi I told you in the first place. You're the one who goes around making friends with everyone and anyone. You don't need......"

"Guys, please, let's sleep. Continue your convo tomorrow morning."

The voice I recognized to be Christy interrupted, her voice drowsy with sleep and the two other girls whispered words of apology before they kept quiet. Everything was quiet for a while and I kept turning and tossing, trying to sleep but sleep seems to have a mind of its own. With the way my eyes were clear, the time could as well be 11 am.

Everywhere was quiet for a while and I knew the other girls must have fallen asleep until a strange sound filled the room. Sophia and I sat up with a start.

"What's that?"

She asked, her voice lower than usual and I could tell that she was scared. If not for the fact that I was scared too, I'd have laughed because the Almighty Sophia was scared of something.

Her right hand found my left one, gripping it as if it was her lifeline I was scared too so I welcomed the fact that she was holding my hand. The sound was the sound of the ignition of a car with a dying battery being turned on.

"The sound is coming from here."

It was more of a guttural sound now.

Sophia said again as she turned towards her left side where Bola slept. I holstered myself up so I'd see her face too.

She was sleeping face up, mouth slightly and there was a thin line running from the corner of her mouth downwards.

And wait, those sounds were coming from her mouth?

I thought I was the fat one. From the very first time I met her and this night, she'd made me feel disgusted with myself, and now this?

The sound continued and I immediately had to stifle my laughter. Sophia burst into laughter and she had to clamp her palm over her mouth to stop the sound from getting out. By now, my stomach was filled with too much-suppressed laughter that it was threatening to burst open at any minute.

The problem wasn't even in the fact that she was snoring or that she had an unhealthy sleeping posture, it was in the fact that she, who looked down on others and described herself as sexy had this side to her.

God! A sound erupted from my mouth and I clamped my hands over it.

"Shush," Sophia said, pressing one of her fingers against her lips, the light on her phone was on and it was only then I realized that she was about to start recording the sound.

God! I'm so dead. I pressed my palm firmly against my lips to stop the sounds from coming out because God knows that I wouldn't be able to stop laughing once I start.

Like 3 minutes later, she stopped the recorder and we both fell back on the bed, shoulders quaking with laughter.

"See the slut that wants Adam oo. Ode girl."

Sophia said once her laughter trailed off and I shook my head. Like

"But why ain't you sleeping by the way?"

She asked again, turning on the bed so she was lying face down.

"I can't sleep."

"Me neither."

We both fell silent, each busy with our thoughts.

"It's almost am Let's just watch a film."

She said minutes later and well, let me just pretend that I wasn't surprised.

We covered ourselves with the duvet and we shared an earpiece as we watched Girls Trip, a film that'd never get old on her phone.

                             **********

I sat up on the bed, stretching and yawning and my outstretched hand immediately hit something.

Someone.

A body.

I opened my eyes and I instantly closed them again because of the sunlight. Too much sunlight.

I opened them again and I shielded my eyes with my hand. I wasn't in my room obviously from the difference between my room to this room. The wall colors, the settings, the artworks were just totally different.

Oh. I was in Aminah's room. I came for a sleepover, remember? The person beside me sat up and stretched too and I turned to look at her, it was Sophia in her full morning glow. We had watched films till 8 am. The girls were still sleeping and we, wordlessly decided to rest for a few minutes but now, from the look of things, we must have dozed off, overslept even.

The door opened and Aminah walked in, holding a tray and I could instantly smell fries.

"You guys are finally awake."

She said as she walked further into the room and she dropped the tray on her table.

"You must have stayed awake throughout the night."

"Yes. We slept this morning."

Sophia replied casually, she got off the bed and she wore her flip flop, her black nightgown stopping just below her ass and showing off her long legs. Even in her sleep, this girl likes to show off her skin.

"The other girls left already but Bola is staying for the weekend."

I scanned the room briefly and Bola was really in the room with us. She was sitting in front of the dressing mirror and applying creams to her face. Our eyes met and she twitched the corners of her lips up, as in disgust.

Idiot.

I looked away from her to Sophia and we shared a glance that confirmed we were thinking the same thing and it took all my self-restraint not to burst into laughter.

"I should brush."

Sophia started plainly and she fumbled for her toothbrush inside her bag that was lying on the couch in the room. She brought it out, alongside her toothbrush.

I shook my head when she entered the bathroom and she closed the door behind her.

"You know what? Kunmi, we should go out one of these days. Just the both of us, no Sophia, no Kunle, no Adam. Just us. Hmm?"

Aminah said as she flopped down on the bed, right beside me. I looked at her face, full of childish excitement and enthusiasm and I found myself nodding when I wasn't even sure I wanted to go.

"Yes."

She squealed before she stood up and she started dancing a weird dance in the middle of the room.

You don't have to break a bone just to satisfy people.

Well, it's just a hangout and it's only with Aminah. It's nothing to worry about.

                               *********
                                ~Adam~

I was eating lunch with mom in the dining. We were the only ones at home yet again. Dad returned from a business trip just two days ago and just this morning, he had to travel to Abuja for one conference again.

He could as well be gone forever.

We were eating noodles. Funny how noodles would count as a normal lunch but mom wanted us to eat something light because we were going on a date later in the evening.

My phone started chiming repeatedly, signaling new WhatsApp messages. It could be either two things, either it was messages from group chats or Sophia was up at it again.

I dropped my fork, picked up my phone and when the screen came on, it was the latter. Sophia was up at it again.

She was fond of sending pictures to our group chat, just the three of us, any pictures. It could be her shoes, her fingers after getting her nails done, a new hairstyle, the food she was about to eat, her new clothes, her face, her toes, her forehead even.

She once sent a hundred pictures to the group chat at once.

God! I pity the boy that'd end updating her.

This time around, it wasn't the group chat that she sent the pictures to and I frowned, wondering what's up before I clicked on her name. It wasn't even that much, just six pictures and I could tell that it was a black background as the pictures started downloading.

They finished downloading.

The pictures weren't Sophia's.

They were Kunmi's.

My palms grew sweaty and I had to swallow an imaginary lump.

They were unaware of pictures and I could tell that it was from Aminah's sleepover. In most of the pictures, Kunmi was pressing her phone, her lips pursued in concentration. I found myself going over the pictures, staring intently at them as if there was a hidden message in them and I found myself smiling and grinning.

And to think, this girl doesn't even know how pretty she is.

God!

But wait, why did Sophia send these pictures to me?

I frowned and I typed a quick message to her.

Why did you send Kunmi's pictures to me?

Her reply was instant

     I thought you'd want them.

I frowned, wondering what she meant by that and yet, having an inclination of what exactly she was hinting towards. Sophia knew. How? When? Even I did not know.

Why would I want them?

She replied, almost instantly again.

And how would I know that?

God! This babe.

But you were the one that sent the pictures na.

Her reply was a thousand heart and wink emojis. I shook my head and I scrolled up to look at the pictures again, my lips automatically stretching into a smile.

"Korede, if you're done smiling at your phone, carry the dishes to the kitchen and wash them."

"Yes, mom."

I picked up my fork, still not looking up from my phone and I attempted to eat like that but my fork only met the hard surface of the dining table. That jerked my face to where my plate was supposed to be, only to be meet it empty. I looked up at mom and well, she'd even finished eating it. My mouth dropped open.

"Mom..."

She shrugged.

"Well, you can't blame me. You were smiling at your phone like I've never seen you smile before and you were just going to waste the very bad food. I only helped you."

Wow. This woman.

"So, is she the one?"

Mom asked again, leaning forward as if we're in some sort of conspiracy. I stood up pronto, grabbed the plates and I made for the kitchen.

"Don't forget our date oo."

She called out after me at the very minute I got to the kitchen.

"I'm only taking you out if you'll allow me to drive."

"Drive kinni? So that you'll drive us into a ditch like you did the last time."

She yelled back and I couldn't stop my lips from stretching into a smile.

"Mom, that was months ago and I was barely sixteen then. I can drive properly now."

I remembered that time, it was just a month after my 16th birthday and I'd decided to flaunt the Audi dad got for me, only for me to get both mom and me in an accident. It was a small accident and I got a stern warning from dad. I wasn't to drive again until I was 17 and the Audi, my Audi was just gathering dust in the garage. I only get mom to drive it once in a while.

"Emi ati e ko. I'm not ready to die."

Mom yelled again from the sitting room and I shook my head. This woman!!!

*********

Funny how holidays don't get dragged but school hours get dragged than usual. This mathematics class had been going on for 3 hours when in actuality, we've spent just 30 minutes.

God!

The teacher was explaining Pythagoras theorem and I already lost track of what he was saying. I looked away from the board feeling no need to continue to watch him solve the equation and I looked out of the window. Cresent High was built in the middle of nowhere so it's hard to see past the towering fence of the school. The most you can make from the outside world was the distant hooting of cars. I stared at the flowers adorning the driveway from the second gate to the administrative block, to the school's car park.

It's was better to stare at beautiful sceneries like this than to listen in mathematics class.

Giiiiiiiiiing.

All my classmates, except the few ones that loved Mathematics genuinely like Gabriella and Kunle, heaved a sigh of relief and I turned back to look at the class at the same minute the teacher rounded off the equation and explanation that he was doing.

"So that's that about that. We'll continue in the next class."

"Yes Sir."

Came the not so enthusiastic chorus. They were probably thinking of the next class which was just first period tomorrow morning.

He packed his book and then walked out of the class, at the same minute students started walking out the class. It was lunch break and everybody knew the earlier you get to the cafeteria, the better the food you'd get.

"Guys."

Came Sophia's animated voice and I turned to look at her, just as the same time Kunle turned to look at her too. She was walking towards us with a huge smile on her face and I fleetingly remembered what she said to me this morning.

I was in leaning against the railings overlooking a Reflection bench where Kunmi and Aminah sat, conversing and Kunmi occasionally bursting into laughter. Her hair was unplaited and she'd tied it into a tight bun and her left hand kept tucking stubborn strands behind her hair.

I found myself following the movement with my lips stretching into a smile.

"She's pretty, right?"

"Pretty doesn't come close."

I replied in less than a heartbeat before turning in the direction of the voice. It was Sophia and she was looking at me with a sly smile on her face. Then, she ruffled my hair my h her right hand.

She ruffled my hair!

"Awen. My baby boy is all grown."

I grabbed her hand to stop her assault on my hair and she frowned before she winked.

And she walked away before I could even say anything.

And now, she was walking towards me, or us with a huge smile on their face.

"Why are you guys not making any move to stand up or are you guys on a hunger strike?"

She said as she got to us and she sat down on the empty chair next to Kunle.

"Hunger strike ke? I can't do without eating and what, hunger strike? Nah Nah."

Kunle replied her while shaking his head and I shook mine too. Lounge Iya.

"The more reason why I can't become a model or something like that. I can't follow a strict diet oo. Anything goes ni."

Sophia was looking at him with her lips twitched in disgust.

"Uncle Anything goes. That's why your head is big."

"Eeeh. Don't you know his girlfriend would feel bad if you abuse him?"

I Came to Ato minah's voice behind Sophia and I looked up to see her walking towards us.

Alone.

Sophia rolled her eyes just as Aminah got to us and she took her seat right on Kunle's lap and the latter's arm went around her waist, drawing her closer to him.

Look at these kids and their PDA oo.

"Don't mind Sophia, she always sees the ugly things in me."

"You're a lost cause, Kunle."

The former replied again, her voice neutral but I knew Sophia better. Something had gotten to her. In the space of Aminah walking up to us and sitting on Kunle's laps, something had ticked her off.

I looked around the class for Kunmi but she was nowhere to be found. I'd seen her walk out of the classroom with Aminah but the latter returned and I wondered where she could be.

"Coz, a minute please."

We all turned towards the direction of the voice to see Gabriella standing at the entrance of the classroom. She nodded a greeting at us. Sophia's face palmed herself and she muttered something that sounded so much like this girl wants to teach me mathematics again before she stood up and she joined her cousin at the door.

It was my cue to leave and besides, I had nothing left to do here in the first place.

                             ***********
                               ~Kunmi~

I left a notebook behind in the music studio and the first thing I did after our mathematics teacher left was to hurry out of the class. Luckily for me, the music studio was still unlocked. That was why I hurried here in the first place. I did not want to go through the hassle of going to the Music teacher for the key.

I immediately picked my note when I entered and immediately I turned back to leave, I heard the sound of someone playing the piano. It sounded jumbled up at first and I couldn't tell which was which and I thought someone was playing with the piano and the person was pressing the chords without any aim. I was going to leave until the chords started flowing perfectly and I stood transfixed.

I still did not know who was playing or the music they were but I listened to the chords flowing effortlessly, careful not to make a sound so as not to break this moment.

Without meaning to, I started to walk fully into the music studio, to the corner where the grand piano was. It was a boy that was playing and he couldn't see me because his back was to me. He was playing with both hands and they were moving gracefully on the chords. The music had a familiar ring to it but I still couldn't tell...

Boulevard of broken dreams.

I watched him, almost transfixed by how gracefully he was playing, his hands moving perfectly on the keys, adding flawless riffs and I just had to stand and watch. He wasn't just playing the music. He was the music. The weight behind how he played, the lyrics in my mind as I sang along in my head almost made me tear up.

I walk a lonely road
The only one that I have ever known
Don't know where it goes
But it's home to me and I walk alone.

Mehn! Whoever this person has mad talent.

I should leave because listening to this person play and listening to this particular piece was bringing back so much of my repressed memories but my feet had a mind of their own, I just wanted to listen till he was done. 

Then almost as soon as the music started, it ended and I almost screamed. It was that moment when you just started feeling the vibe of a song at a party and the DJ changed it at that moment.

The person released a shaky breath, a finger lingering on one of the cords and filling the music studio with a shrill sound. He turned back almost immediately and I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Startled eyes met startled eyes and our eyes widened in recognition at the same moment. While my mouth dropped open that it was that weirdo that has that much talent, his lips only twitched upwards as if in a smile.

"If I knew I had an audience, I'd have played it better."

I don't think it can get better. I  haven't seen someone that plays the piano as effortlessly as him. Not me, not even Tara, nobody. This boy deserved to be celebrated. Who'd have thought someone as weird as Alex could have a heavenly side like this to him?

"You don't have to. That was superb."

He did an exaggerated Awwwwwnnn even though I could tell he probably gets comments like this every time.

"Why Boulevard of Broken Dreams? That's a very old song. "

I found myself asking, shifting my weight from one foot to another. I should sit down on one of the stools but sitting down meant I was ready for a conversation. I did not even know why I asked that question in the first place.

"It was the perfect song for the moment and besides, I love them."

Perfect song for which moment? He's starting his weird talks again.

"Yeah. I should go now. I only came to pick something."

He nodded slowly and he continued nodding as if in a trance even when I turned back. I took in calming breaths when I stepped outside, breathing in the fresh air. I turned in to the direction of the academic block, ready to go in search of Aminah so we'd buy something before the lunch break run out only for me to nearly bump into someone. I took two steps backward and I looked up at the person.

It was Adam.

I had an instant flashback.

I instantly remembered my first day at school when I nearly bumped into him and my lips stretched into a smile. From the look in his eyes and the smile on his lips, I could tell he was remembering that moment too. It seemed like years ago when in actuality, it was even a lesser than five months ago.

Five months was a long period too.

Enough for me to have gotten so used to people that I couldn't imagine my days without them.

Enough for my heart to pick up the race with just thinking about a particular person.

Enough for me not to be able to stop thinking about that particular person.

This boyyyyyy.

This pretty Boy 😎😎😎💓💓💓

It's to become official that remain like this.

If this chapter made you laugh, just drop an emoji for me 😂😂. You'd be surprised that people that make it their duty to make people feel bad and insecure about themselves, they're the ones that have the dirtiest habits behind closed doors. This is just a reminder that you shouldn't allow people's words to get to you. Most toxic people just feel the need to bring others down so they'd feel good about themselves.

So Sophia knew, all this while and she'll be acting like one possessed witch. I'm tired of that girl 😂.

We met Alex, the real Alex. Well, just like 40% of the real Alex sha and don't hate him, he's nothing but good news.

Who's your character so far and why? Who knows, you might have to switch sides someday soon.

See you on Monday or Tuesday.

Love you guys scatter.