This one is for all my constant active readers. You guys really have no idea how much your comments and engagement means to me and just how much it boost my energy. Y'all are the real MVPs ❤️❤️❤️

Semi-mature content ahead 🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️just kidding oo.

Last Days at Crescent High

ADAM

It was Variety Night.

Variety Night...

And I honestly couldn't hide my surprise or pretend that I wasn't completely awed by how the planners of the events had set up the area that we were to use for the programme.

For starters, it was an outdoor event and even though everyone had really been skeptical about doing the Variety Night outdoor, I must really just say that the planners have outdone themselves.

The open space beside the field have just... Let me say, transformed completely.

Totally.

There was a small flower walkway that led to the space because the whole space had been encircled with some sort of neon lights that kept flashing different shades of colorful light that took me so long to realise were colors of the rainbow.

The lights were not too bright to blind but they were not too dull to notice either.

So the flower walkway was like the only pathway leading to the space and the first thing that'd welcome us were two giant chocolate fountain at either side of the entrance.

I knew the chocolate wasn't even going to last two minute once the program starts properly.

We've gotten here way earlier, I and Kunle and we've been waiting for the girls ever since but then, it was taking them forever.

I was currently behind the stage, a stage only God knows how they manage to put up with some sort of tent covering the stage and a makeshift backstage.

How did they even manage to put all these together? With the chairs carefully arranged in twos and all sorts of neon and LED night shimmering from nearly all locations on the chairs, the stage and even the floor.

There were even ice cream dispensers, barbecue spot, shawarma, pizza and all sorts of snacks.

Oh wow.

"Pretty boy! Look at you looking all dope and hot and sexy. Are you planning on stealing other girl's heart tonight? After you have Kunmi wrapped around your fingers?"

I whirled around to turn to the direction of this voice and I actually did a double take when I saw him.

Ezekiel!

What's this?

What the fuck is wrong with this boy?

"Ezekiel," I called out, I just couldn't help it, "What... What on earth are you wearing?"

"Ohhh, you mean this?" He asked, pointing to the abomination he was wearing and I forced myself to close my mouth that had dropped open.

Let's imagine Ezekiel showed up in something like this 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣💔💔💔💔😭😭😭😂

"Why?" He asked again in a sort or seductive voice and he leaned against the nearest pole, struck a feminine and seductive pose by crossing his legs and casually crossing his two hands over his head.

I moved back.

"Am I already turning your head and heart?"

Ehn?

"Am I already doing things to your body?" He muttered, his voice really low and feminine and I had to resist the urge to gag.

This boy is mad!

"Ezekiel, what the fuck are you wearing? This is our variety Night, not a circus show."

One of the set's boys yelled as he walked past us and Ezekiel just waved him off.

"I'm still going to turn more heads than you will ."

"Definitely! People will have to wonder how we allowed a certified mad clown into the school."

"I'm the class clown, remember?"

And no one is ever going to take your spot. I thought to myself while still eyeing the plain taboo he was putting on.

"Anyway, pretty boy." He began again, moving closer to me, "You're really excited, ain't you? I can see it in your eyes. It's not even about the night, it's about Kunmi, isn't it? I can feel it. I can see it from you."

God. What's this boy going on about? But I still couldn't help it... Couldn't help my lips stretching into a smile, couldn't help to think about tonight, what it was holding in store for us.

And prom.

Especially prom.

"Ezekiel, just get lost, please."

"Oh, come on, tell me, just tell me. You're really excited, ain't you?" He probed, urged and I really couldn't help my lips stretching into a smile.

Into a full blown smile.

Till I was almost laughing.

"Yes!" He screamed into my ears, "That's more like it! Wear your happiness on your face. Don't think about any other thing. This is going to be one of the night of our lives, don't you think?"

He asked but did not even wait for my reply before he started walking off, probably to uplift someone else's mood, to put a smile on someone else's face.

I wondered how he was always doing that, spreading so much love and light and sunshine.

How did he even have that much sunshine to give to people?

How did he even notice that I was in some sort of terrible mood because tomorrow was dad's hearing and I was going to have to testify against him.

But right, I wasn't going to ponder on that.

Beside me, a group of girls burst into laughter and I looked at them to see Ezekiel laughing with them.

He must have made a joke just to crack them up.

That was Ezekiel for you.

But his clothe? How did he even think to come to Variety Night dressed like that?

How did he even get a dress like that?

How?

"Brother!"

Oh God! Another disaster.

"Oh, wow, brother, I love this cowboy's style." He announced, coming fully into view and he took my hat before I could even say whim and he put it on.

"Wow. This looks really nice on me. I feel like it looks better on me than you." He announced, hyping himself up and twirling around in that popular cowboy's style.

I wanted to slap him.

"Doesn't it really look good with my outfit?" He asked and I knew he was indirectly asking him to check out his outfit.

And well, he was looking so good.

That was one thing about Alex Chatta, he could look effortlessly good in basically anything. Just like he was looking so good in this pair of black shorts and patterned shirt that the first four buttons were left undone to show his dangling chains and he had black trainers on.

The simplest of looks but Alex still managed to look so good.

"You look good, if that's what you want to hear."

"I know I look good," He replied me, hyping himself up, "But thanks for the compliment anyway."

Just get lost, abeg.

"I think I'm going to have to use your hat for the rest of the day, don't worry, I'll return it tomorrow."

"Give it back now," I ordered sternly and he was quick to hand the hat over.

I didn't even know what I was doing with the hat. I should probably just give him.

"But then, Where's my chingu?" He asked me, looking around and leaving me hella confused.

Chingu?

What's up with this dude and calling people weird names?

"Who's chingu again?"

"Oh, here you're... I'm sorry I kept you waiting..." That was Kunle walking out of one of the makeshift backstage rooms, looking just as elegant and as simple and classy as possible. His hands were casually shoved into his sweats and he strolled ever so casually towards us.

Alex's face broke into a huge grin.

"Hey, Chingu! I've been looking all over for you."

Kunle was the person he was calling that weird, meaningless name?

He did not even allow Kunle to properly get to us before he lunged at him, hugging him by his neck and almost suffocating my best friend.

I did not even know what to make of that.

I've never seen them talk, never even seen them have any rapport except casual greeting, the longest I've even seen them talk was when Alex got so angry at Kunle for prioritizing Sophia over Aminah and that was during the Olympia but now, Alex was hugging him like that and Kunle not even doing anything to shrug him off but instead, laughing as if they were close friends and just trying to pry himself from the latter's hold.

What's going with these two?

"You should let go, if you don't want to kill your so called Chingu."

Alex did really let go of his Chingu.

"It's good to be finally in the midst of bros." He said again, hugging the both of us together.

Bros? Where are the bros?

"You're my hyung," He pointed to me, "And he is my Chingu."

God! What exactly is this boy?

"Will you stop calling me weird names?"

"It's not like you have an option. You're my brother for life." He replied and I scoffed while trying to pry myself from his hold but his arms only tightened around me.

When this all these familiarity even started?

I just had to think to myself because Alex wasn't even the one to talk and joke around with anybody like this. It has always been him, Aminah and Gab, then him and Gab alone so what's really up with all these familiarity?

"You might want your Chingu and Hyung to breath a little." Kunle told him and that made him let go of us.

I breathed out.

But then, Kunle was already talking to him, hyping him and complimenting him on his outfit and I really just had to wonder how and when did they become this close.

Kunle and Alex? Really?

"But guys, when will the girls get here? We have less than an hour to the program and they're still not here."

Kunle scoffed in reply to his question. "Of course, girls will always take so long and again, Sophia Williams is among them, they'll probably get here two hours after the program starts."

I detect no lies! Sophia would probably end up delaying them for that long.

"But it's just Variety Night, it's no big deal, it's literally just a night outing. How long will they now take tomorrow when it's prom? I'm sure Gab is planning on showing up in a turtleneck or something so..."

I blocked him out. If this was how he was going to keep talking for the night, then I'd probably have to gag him.

But the mention of prom made me turn to look at Kunle. I knew he still didn't have a prom date, wasn't even interested in having one but he had told me he was worried about Sophia not having one, about showing up to prom without a date so he wanted to ask her but wasn't even sure on how to go about it.

I mean, they've not even had any conversation since everything went down.

"Senors and Seniorita!!!"Ezekiel's loud voice screamed into the microphone and he momentarily deafened our ears.

He just had to scream into the microphone.

"Are you ready for one of the biggest nights of your life!?" He screamed again and I shook my head. I already knew picking Ezekiel to anchor the program was going to turn out to be a bad news and we've not even started and he was already proving me right.

"The program is about to start so if you're loitering around, just come in, make your way in, trust me, you don't want to miss our grand opening."

Which grand opening?

"But chill oo," He muttered that even his voice sounded so low through the microphone. That grabbed everyone's attention because we all thought he was going to say something sensible.

But then, we should have learnt, after spending six years with Ezekiel that he wasn't actually capable of saying anything sensible because what he said was:

"What if it now decides to rain today? And we're doing this thing outside when the school even allocated a hall for it oo."

I sighed and looked away from him, and my attention got distracted by a text from Sophia.

"Pretty boy, we're here."

Okayyy.

"They're here." I told the other boys and I just couldn't miss how Alex's eyes instantly lighted up and how a soft smile touched his lips.

Dude was totally and completely in love with Gabriella Williams.

"I guess that's them. They must be them." Kunle announced just as our attention was distracted by everyone turning to the direction of the car which could only be one of Sophia's expensive rides.

She doesn't even go around in those rides except extremely important occasions and I was guessing Variety Night and Prom are extremely important occasion.

"They're getting down," Alex announced, leading the way so we could go outside the enclosed space to get the girls.

We got outside immediately the first girl came into view.

Even my own mouth dropped open.

Because the girl walking towards us, the beaming girl waving and walking towards us couldn't be Gabriella Williams.

Beside me, Alex had stopped functioning.

Completely.

"Jesus Christ." He muttered, underneath his breath, so quietly that I almost didn't hear it.

"Baby boy," His girlfriend beamed when she got directly to his front, and she just stood there, right in front of me and smiling at him while he just kept gawking at her, eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

"Good God!" He muttered again, eyes roaming her entire body and I could see that it was an herculean task to keep his eyes on her face when she was standing in front of him dressed like that.

He had thought she was going to show up in a sweatshirt and pants but instead, she decided to show up in the exact opposite of that.

How the head girl decided to show up 👆🏽

"Jesus...Gab...you... I don't... God!" He trailed off, licked his lips nervously before his grabbed her by her waist. "Gab... I... Jesus! I can't..."

"You can't form a coherent sentence at the moment." His girlfriend completed for him with a smirk and I knew that she liked whatever she was doing to him.

"I can't... Geez... How did... Father Lord!" I turned away from them while concluding within me that he wasn't going to be able to form a coherent sentence for the rest of the evening.

"But why is Sophia and Kunmi taking so long to come down?" Kunle voiced out my thoughts at the same time the two girls came into view.

Okay. Okay. Okay.

Just calm down, dude.

I had to remind myself immediately my eyes met hers but I couldn't.

I couldn't calm down.

I did not know much about what they were wearing but they were dressed in almost similar looking short gowns that were way too short and too armless...

Good God...

Not with her dressed like that, not with her looking like that, not with her...

Oh Goodness me!

I couldn't even think, not to talk of knowing what to say.

I couldn't even...

How Adam's baby decided to show up 👆🏽😪

How...

"Hi," She said to me, almost in a whisper and that was when I realized that she had been standing in front of me for a while now and I had been doing nothing.

Except openly gawking at her.

Openly checking her out.

And looking like a total creep in the process.

I chuckled to myself, chuckled a little bit loudly as if to diffuse the total tension I was feeling.

It wasn't even working.

"Hi," I told her, my voice sounding nothing like mine. God. I had to massage my neck, grabbed the elm of my turtle neck as if that would calm me down.

"You look beautiful," I told her, then immediately wished I had said a better word, astonishing, ravishing, breathtaking.

Yeah. Definitely breathtaking.

"Thank you," She smiled warmly at me, then moved a tad bit closer so I could take a proper look at her face and good God.

Kunmi is so pretty.

"You look so good too," She told me, her eyes looking at me from toe to head before it finally settled on my head.

The cowboy hat.

"I love your hat." She continued, "I'll probably have to steal it before the night ends."

Was it my turn to blush? I thought to myself, reeling in the moment and then, realising that Kunmi would always come with surprises.

That there would always be things to discover from her.

About her.

"Okay! Okay oo. You people should come and have your seats oo."

Ezekiel announced, shattering our blooming bubble and our mates started walking towards the space. From the corners of my eyes, I could see Alex and Gab already walking in, with Gab practically latching onto Alex with the latter's eyes practically glued on her that he wasn't even looking at where he was going and I knew it was just a matter of time before he missed his footing and fall.

Sophia was clustered around a group of SS2 girls and boys and they were busy taking pictures with her and hyping her up and I knew for sure that they were going to flaunt the fact that they attend the same school as Sophia Williams and they even got to take pictures with her.

That was Sophia. She wasn't the one to fade into the background, no matter what.

And of course, this is how Sophia Williams will show up for a night like this 😪😩😩

Kunle was also standing by a corner, silently observing them and even though I wasn't exactly sure what was going to happen between them tonight or if anything was going between them, I was still going to have to leave them to sort themselves out.

"You people should come and have your seats oo. Let's do what we want to do before rain will start falling."

That idiot! Why was he so hell bent on this rain thing?

"I think we should just go." Kunmi told me and before I could even say anything, Kunmi latched her hands around my elbow so we could walk side by side to our seats.

Tonight...

KUNMI

My boyfriend is so handsome.

My boyfriend is so so handsome.

That was the thought that was on repeat in my head since we took our seats on the same row with with Kunle and Sophia, Alex and Gab who were still practically glued to each other.

Alex still hadn't taken his eyes off Gab since the program started, still haven't uttered a single coherent sentence.

But then, he wasn't the only one.

Adam wouldn't stop looking at me, wouldn't remove his hands from me, wouldn't stop peering at my face.

It was all too much that I wasn't getting an thinking done.

And that was how we missed the opening music performance by one of our set's boys.

"Okay okay. Guys! I think you'll have to take your eyes off each other if you really want go enjoy the night."

That was Sophia to us, her tone chiding and my lips stretched into a smile. Trust Sophia to always be our mother hen. She was sitting by our right with Kunle even though I was sure that they still haven't said a word to each other.

Those two...

I knew Sophia was still guilt ridden with how everything had happened so I going to have to tell her what Aminah had written about her and Kunle once I get the time.

I was still in awe of the setting, was still shocked at how they had changed the whole space and the stage.

And the stage.

How did they even set up the stage like that?

How? How did they manage to pull it off with that much lighting on the stage and that makeshift huge canopy covering the stage with the light simmering from it and from the floor of the stage.

Just perfect.

And I just couldn't even start to say how much the performances tonight were just blowing my mind.

Completely.

The current performance was a dance performance to Ariana's popular song, God is a Woman.

And it was all shade of powerful.

It was some sort of slow dance with five girls and the dance was basically how they were transforming from one profession to another, representing how women whatever we wanted to be.

A singer.

A dancer.

An actress.

A writer.

A lawyer.

A doctor.

A pilot.

Just anything.

It was really a very beautiful performance.

And an extremely powerful one at that.

The next performance was even much more appealing than the first.

It was a dance drama by the school's dance team and the performance started with just a silhouette of a girl with a hallo of a huge light on her head.

She started off by dancing, dancing with so much vigor and energy but we still couldn't see her face even though she was filled with that much vigor and energy, even though there was that huge hallo of light on her head.

She still remained invisible.

Then, I realized that she wasn't the only one on the stage. There were others too, dancing up to her and dancing with her but they were visible, we could see their faces even though they did not have any visible light on surrounding them.

I didn't get much of the message because I wasn't paying that much attention to it. I was just busy remembering how everything had happened during the past few months.

But the highlight of the mime that was surrounded with so much light and vigor and energy was actually a very lonely and damaged girl and that was why she had remained invisible.

And at the moment, the rays of light started to spread to her face, to illuminate her so we'd see her, she just disappeared into a fog.

Never to return again.

I knew the drama was about Aminah Abraham.

It made me want to tear up.

The whole hall erupted into applauses, standing ovation at how the team perfectly nailed the performance.

They had depicted Aminah so well.

"Oh Wow! Crescent High get talent pass talent itself. It's like I'm the only one that doesn't have a talent in this school oo."

That was Ezekiel and the whole crowd burst into laughter at his words. Funny how I've been thinking he was going to ruin the night with his stupid antics but was actually doing a very nice job.

The night by now, had started in full force. I could literally feel the excitement from everyone and I could see some people that have not left the snacks stand since the night started.

Don't even get me started on the chocolate stand. They already destroyed one of it and were all still clustered around the other.

I was sure that some have not even heard or seen a thing since the night started. They were only here because of the side attractions

"Okay guys! Guys oo! People that have been hugging and kissing the snacks since we got here." That was Ezekiel, screaming at the top of his voice into the microphone, making his already loud voice even louder that practically everyone had to cover their ears.

"Yes, that girl in black, yes, you." He continued, directing everyone's attention to the snacks' stand and yes, there was a girl in black there.

Not just a girl but like all the girls there and the girls were staring at each other, confused on who exactly he was referring to.

"Yes, all of you, ehn! Come and have your seats. The snacks are not going to run away, ehn?

Okay, okay... So the next item on our program is some sort of music performance by everyone here..."

Ehn?

"Well, almost everyone here sha since it probably won't go around but well, okay okay... So the thing is some sort of Karaoke performance. You know how karaoke works, the lyrics of the songs will be displayed here..." He pointed to the back of the stage and a very bright blank screen came on.

God... They really planned this thing to perfection.

"We've curated a playlist of the most popular songs that we know we all vibe with and contrary to how karaoke works, we won't be singing together at once, it's a line per person so after singing your own line, you pass the microphone to the next person. Let's not waste too much time so we won't mess the singing arrangements up. If you know you're not up to singing, you can just allow the microphone to be passed to the next person, iyyeh."

Oh wow. I totally loved the sound of that but I couldn't trust Crescent High's students not to mess it up.

I was sure someone would still sing out of turn. I knew a clique will still sing all together.

"We're starting from the right side." Ezekiel announced again and as if on cue, we all turned towards the direction to see a girl waving a microphone in mid air at the same time the only shimmering light at the moment was directed at her.

"So here we go, 1, 2, 3..."

And they just had to start with a BTS song.

I almost couldn't believe my ears but what I totally didn't believe was the fact that no one missed a single line, no one messed the song up.

They all just sang their parts well.

A Korean song at that.

Just how popular and extremely loved are the Bangtan boys?

The karaoke thing started in full force with everyone singing at the top of their voices, without giving two fuck's whether their voices sounded nice or not and the songs were a beautiful mix too, of Ed Sheeran, Ariana, Zia, Zayn...

I was surprised that we were still acting civilised and coordinated.

I was just really surprised.

Then, when the microphone got to the row directly behind us, the song surprisingly changed to Scars to your beautiful.

Surprisingly, because I never could have thought a song I've personally identified with, a song that have helped shaped was a song that I was a song I was going to have to sing a part.

How much I love that song.

I already started singing in the song in my head immediately it started playing.

She just wants to be, beautiful
She goes, unnoticed she knows, no limits
She craves, attention she praises, an image
She prays to be, sculpted by the sculptor
Oh, she don't see, the light that's shining
Deeper than the eyes can find it
Maybe we have made her blind
So she tries to cover up her pain
And cut her woes away
'Cause covergirls don't cry
After their face is made.

But there's a hope that's waiting for you in the dark
You should know you're beautiful just the way you're

She has dreams to be an envy,
so she's starving
You know, covergirls eat nothing

That was Gab's voice, always ethereal and divine and I saw Alex leaning back on the seat so the microphone was passed to me directly.

She says, beauty is pain and there's beauty in everything
What's a little bit of hunger?
I could go a little while longer, she fades away

I almost couldn't believe my own voice, couldn't believe how powerful and beautiful it sounded, couldn't believe the lines I sang were basically my reality for over 5 months.

I couldn't even contain my adrenaline rushes, the euphoric feeling, as if I was floating and merging with the stars.

I passed the microphone to the next person immediately and I expected Adam to dodge it but he actually collected and he voiced the next lines...

She don't see her perfect
She don't understand she's worth it
Or that beauty goes deeper than the surface

And boyyyy, who would have thought that my boyfriend could singggg or has an amazing voice like that.

So to all the girls that's hurting
Let me be your mirror
Help you see a little bit clearer
The light that shines within

That was Sophia and her voice couldn't even sound more beautiful. It was those lines. It was the fact that Sophia had to be the one to sing those lines.

I couldn't even explain how the song was making it feel, how singing it with my school mates on this kind of ethereal night was making me feel.

I couldn't. I just can't...

No scars to your beautiful
We're stars and we're beautiful.

The song ended and another one was quick to start but I couldn't even properly listen to the next song, I was still lost in the ecstasy of the song that just stopped playing.

To others, it was just a random song that had come up during the karaoke but to me, it wasn't just an random song and the fact that I also got to sing a part of it.

It was actually almost ethereal.

"You okay?" Adam asked, casting a worried glance at me and I nodded.

"You didn't tell me you could sing."

"There's nothing your boyfriend can't do." He boasted and I just scoffed.

This boy and pride.

"But well, your voice really sounded..." I moved closer to him so I could whisper to his ears. "Really sexy."

His mouth dropped open and he just kept staring at me, as if bewildered.

"Babe, you'll have to tell me this again when we are alone."

I couldn't help that laughter, "In your dreams, boo."

All of a sudden, party scatter by Fireboy started and just like the name, the party actually scattered.

Forget the microphone passing, forget the singing one after the other, everyone started singing together, started screaming at the top of our voices, started stomping our feet on the floor and clapping our hands as the song even changed to other Nigerian songs by Wizkid, Olamide, Teni, Nini, Yemi Alade, Rema, Ruger, Tems.

We all just keep getting madder.

Since the whole karaoke started, I had known that it was a matter of time before they upturned the whole thing and well, that took Nigerian songs.

*********

I never knew Ezekiel would be able to control the crowd after everyone went wild like that but surprisingly, he was able to and now, we were all fully relaxed and on our seats again.

Everyone had initially stood up to dance and shake their bodies to the beats of the Nigerian songs.

"So, the next is a musical performance by our very own head-girl, the scholarlistic scholar, the girl with the angelic face and a divine, please give it up for Gabriella Williams!!!"

And everyone erupted into cheers and loud applauses just as Gab smiled, smiled sweetly at Alex especially before standing up and making her way to the stage. She was going to sing whatever song she wanted to sing in the dress she was wearing.

She had told us that she was going to sing a song which I've concluded was a major improvement for her because I knew she had initially wanted to give up music, especially after what happened to Alex.

And I turned to look at him to see him staring at Gab as she climbed up to the stage.

I wondered how he was coping, knowing that he'd never get to live the childhood dream they've always shared together.

Gab grabbed the microphone just as the background sound of an awfully familiar song started playing.

It was familiar song but I still couldn't place it until Gab started singing.

I found a love for me
Darling just dive right in,
Follow my lead.

I was till trying to wrap my head around her voice, I mean, I knew she had one of the finest and clearest and deepest and most beautiful voices but she was even sounding more divine now.

I was still trying to... When the light suddenly shined on someone on our row and Alex was standing up and singing the next lines and walking up to her on the stage.

Well, I found a girl
Beautiful and sweet
I never knew you were the someone waiting for me.

Wait, what? Alex was singing?

Alex was singing?

Alex was singing?

How did... How is this even possible?

He lost his voice, so how was he singing?

And singing like this... Like a god.

He was singing like a god.

His voice sounded like gold.

Melted chocolate. So deep and husky and hot.

Yeah. That's the word.

Hot.

God! I found myself sitting up.

And I wasn't the only one totally surprised by the fact that he was singing.

Everyone thought he lost his lost his voice. He lost his voice so...

How did he even get it back?

Cause we were just kids when we fell in love
Not knowing what it was
I'll not give you up this time.

And the combination of their voices was just beyond perfect, beyond dope. It was perfect blend, a perfect mix and it was just powerful.

They were singing perfect even more perfectly, their own love story song, a song I was sure they could relate to and they were watching each other as they sang the song as if literally stars in each other eyes.

************

Sophia dragged me to one of the makeshift backstage rooms immediately Sophia and Alex stopped singing, after they stopped paralysing the crowd.

Not like they stopped, they just left us in a state of total shock.

We dragged the curtain that served as a door to one side to see Alex and Gab holding each other.

Not just hugging, but holding each other with Alex's head buried in the hollow on Gab's neck and Gab gently patting his back.

These two.

"We should leave them alone..." But Sophia was already marching forward and clearing her throat loudly.

They did not even jolt away from each other, they just let go of each other slowly and they both turned us slowly.

Alex shook his head when he saw us and he started walking out.

"Don't bother acknowledging me oo, you'll still have to prostate 7 times to me when you want to marry my cousin."

The guy only scoffed at her.

"Gab! You didn't tell me that Alex got his voice back"

Sophia exclaimed when we got to her and we all took our seats around one of the tables there with Gab siting across us.

"Well, he already did the first major surgery. He'll still have to do other ones and undergo vocal trainings too."

"Oh wow! That's interesting. I mean, I thought he was hell bent on not even trying to get his voice back so how did you convince him, convince him to even sing tonight."

"I promised to sleep with him." Her cousin announced casually, nonchalantly and my elbow that I had put on the table so I was cupping my chin just slid off the table.

I nearly fell down.

Wait, what?

"You want to sleep with him?"

"You've not slept with him?"

Sophia and I exclaimed at the same time and we both turned towards each other.

What?

I just decided I wasn't going to say anything again. I couldn't handle even listening to their conversation not to talk of contributing again.

Gab just laughed a little, "Of course not, what do you take me for? We're still underaged na."

"Well, you guys are already taking off each others shirts. We can't be so sure."

"It's just shirt na, not boxers."

Aaahhh. My mouth dropped opened and I really had to remind myself to close it again.

How can Gab, the girl whose head was always buried in books, who always spend her days in the library, whose glasses were always as huge as her face say things like this with a straight face, without batting her eyelids?

What happened to that girl?

Or had that girl always been a cover?

"Girls," That familiar voice cut my thoughts short and we all turned to see Adam standing by the doorway.

"Kunmi's boyfriend with the pretty face and cowboy hat." Sophia hyped and I saw a smile lit up Adam's face just as he walked over to where we sat.

"I'm sorry girls but I'll have to borrow Kunmi for a while."

"Just say you want to borrow her for the night." Sophia announced and she just stood up like that, signalling for Gab to do the same.

She wasn't even whining and saying she won't let him see me because she was going to miss me and all her stupid stuffs.

"Don't worry, we'll leave you guys to do whatever you want to do. We can keep watch on the door if you want us to."

I bit down on my lips. God! Sophia.

"Ehn ehn? Be sure to keep watch properly then." Adam replied her just as she and Gab linked hands and they walked out of the room together.

Leaving us alone.

Totally alone.

I subconsciously started twirling one of my two loose braids around one of my finger and I looked up to see him looking at me, almost uncertainly, almost warily.

I knew it was because of the trial and interview tomorrow.

His mom was going to come clean about her abusive marriage in an interview and he was going to testify against his dad on the day that happened to be our prom day.

"Are you worried about tomorrow?" I asked him and he just sighed before leaning against the table so he was almost facing me.

"No, I mean yes. I'm not really sure how tomorrow will turn out to be. I'm just really nervous."

One minute, I was sitting and the next, I was standing in front of him and holding his hands.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine, hmm?"

"Yeah, I know that. I'm just..." He trailed off as if he didn't know how to say whatever he wanted to say.

"Are you feeling bad that you'll have to testify against your dad?" I asked him and he just scoffed before looking away from my face for a split second.

"Nooo, it's just something that needs to be done."

I knew it was something that needs to be done, especially for his mom who had been at the receiving end for a lot of cyber bullying but then, he was going to testify against his own dad, the case was dependent on his testimony, it was going to determine whether his dad was going to end up in jail or not.

And he was most probably going to end up in jail.

He was probably feeling like he was sending his own father to jail.

"It's for the best," I told him and I moved closer to him so that there was practically no distance between us, "You and your mom will finally get to start over and live the lives you've always deserved."

I watched all the colors drain from his face the second I said 'Start over.'

What...

"Actually, there's..." He trailed off and I watched him touch his turtle neck, grabbed it as if he wanted to do something with it.

He's nervous.

"What's it?" I probed because I knew that he has absolutely no reason to be nervous with me.

"Actually, there's... There's something... Something I should have told you." He stuttered before trailing off and I instantly knew that whatever he should have told me wasn't something I'd like at all.

It was probably something that I'd hate completely.

"What's it?" I asked and even I could hear in the horror in my voice.

"Mom wants us to start all over..."

He started and I nodded. Of course, they were to start all over.

"In another country." He deadpanned and my heart just stopped for the briefest second.

What?

My eyes must have mirrored shock and disbelief because he was quick to explain further as if that'd make the news any less painful, "She wants us to start over in another country."

Oh wow.

I suddenly felt the need to sit down but I couldn't because he was holding on to my hands and he wasn't letting go.

I had to look away from his face to our intertwined hands because if I just kept staring at him, I was just going to lose my cool and tear up.

I never thought about this. Never thought about the fact that we were going to have to part ways so soon. I've always thought that we'd stay in Nigeria and attend universities...

What was I even thinking?

Less than 5% of Crescent High students were going to remain in Nigeria to further their education

I just... Oh God! How could I never have thought about this?

And how was I going to deal with this? Deal with the fact that Adam was travelling to another country? How?

"Nigeria holds a lot of bad memories for her. She has always put me first in everything. I just... I just have to do this for her."

What can I even say? What was I supposed to say? He was leaving?

How was I going to survive?

"It was initially supposed to be Canada but after my scholarship letter to Pratt Institute arrived..."

"You got a scholarship to Pratt Institute?" I exclaimed and my head jerked up to meet his started face.

"Yes but we'd have to..."

"Wow! That's huge! How could you even keep this kind of news from me? How? This is really huge!" I couldn't contain my excitement. Pratt Institute has one of the best school of Art in the world and he got a scholarship to the school.

He just kept staring at me, dumbfounded.

"You're not angry? I mean I'll be moving to another continent, we'd have to part ways, is that really fine?"

"Of course it's not fine." I replied him, "But I want the best for you and you deserve to live happily and live your dreams and..." I trailed off because I honestly wasn't sure.

We were just 17.

We still have a whole new life waiting for us outside the gates of Crescent High.

We were going to go to college and meet new people and... And who knows??

Who knows?

But I want going to dwell on that.

I was just going to dwell on this moment with Adam right here.

"But this one that you're travelling to the US, I hope you won't go there to start eyeing all those girls in skimpy gowns..."

He looked relieved because he smiled a little and he hugged me around my waist, pulling me closer to him, "Of course not, you're the only one I have eyes for."

"Better! Because if not, I'll just slap your head from here."

His smile deepened even more and I felt myself combust.

"I've forgotten that you're a preacher of war and violence."

"Only when you misbehave."

"Ayyiii, ayiiii, captain." He joked, smiling with a boyish excitement and my heart skipped beats.

Oh much I loved this boy.

Just how much...

"I love it when you look at me like that." He told me, cutting my thoughts short and the idiot in me just blushed.

I could not even say anything. I just kept staring at him since he said he loved it when I looked at him like that.

"And I..." I watched his gaze drop from my face to my neck, my exposed neck and he gulped, his Adam apple bubbling up and down.

But he still wouldn't stop staring.

Something in me sizzled.

"I love your neck.. Oh that came out wrong... I mean I love your necklace." He breathed and he lifted his hands to touch the necklace.

To trail his fingers on my necklace.

His fingers brushed my bare skin in the process, brushed my not so obvious collar bone.

I combust, with my whole body getting lighted up.

"Kunmi," He whispered my name, breathed it so quietly that I almost didn't hear it and suddenly, there was no distance between us again.

His face was just few inches from mine and...

I felt my necklace slid down my neck and he was quick to grab it before it'll fall to the ground.

"Did I..."

"Of course not!" I assured him. It was definitely Sophia. She was the one that had been fawning over the necklace, the one who said she was going to steal it after the night and she was the one that helped me put it on so she definitely didn't do it properly.

"But you can help me put it back," I told him, then I packed my hair and tilted my head to one side so he'd better access to my neck.

I don't understand why that sounded so terribly wrong.

"Ohhh. Okay..." He muttered underneath his breath before he moved closer and he placed the the necklace around my neck.

Cold shivers ran through my entire body with his fingers grazing my neck delicately as his hand worked fastidiously to pin the necklace.

I could feel his warm breath on my neck and it was sending a wave of tingling sensation all over my body.

I couldn't breath.

I couldn't even do anything.

If I should move even a muscle on my body, my face was going to brush his.

I held my breath. I had to hold my breath because I knew I'd faint if I didn't do that.

"There, I'm done..." He said, his hand still on my neck and he was even making any move to remove his hands from my neck, not making any move to move away from me.

I watched as his eyes dropped from my eyes to my lips and my mouth dried up in anticipation of what's to come.

He dipped his hand and he closed the distance between us completely with his lips meeting a sensitive spot on neck.

I gasped, feeling an onslaught of emotions so powerful that my eyes fluttered shut.

He was kissing my neck softly, gently and I lost all my senses of reasoning when his tongue dashed out to trace a sensitive spot of my neck.

My legs nearly gave way and I couldn't help the soft sigh that escaped my lips.

I just couldn't...

I couldn't... Not with the way he was kissing my neck like that.

Not with...

All too soon, he moved back to stare at me, my lips and I could see that he wanted to kiss him just as much as I wanted him to.

He started to tilt his head and my breathing hitched up.

"Are you about to kiss her?" That annoying, stupid, foolish and idiotic voice interrupted us and we both turned the direction of the voice.

It was Ezekiel.

I glared at him while the senseless boy just kept smiling sheepishly still in that abomination of a dress.

"Don't mind me, just continue what you were about to do. I've kuku been looking for practical lessons before."

He told us and he just proceeded to sit down as if he was actually serious about watching us while we make out.

What?

Was this boy actually senseless or he just pretends to be?

"Ezekiel," That was Adam and his voice sounded so gruff as if it was taking all his self restraint not throttle him.

"Yes, pretty boy."

"Get the..."

"Hope you guys have not made any babies sha?" Another annoying voice interrupted and Sophia stepped into the room.

I stepped away from Adam completely and he just groaned at Sophia.

"Oh, looks like you people have not made any babies yet. Well, you guys should come out, the scenario outside is perfect."

It was perfect here too before you and your fellow mad man decided make an appearance

And she did not even wait for us to say anything before she grabbed my hand and she pulled me outside.

Oh wow.

It was indeed perfect.

There were thousands of stars in the air, in the sky.

They were using a star illuminator but it never felt more perfect, more finer, more surreal.

"Isn't it really fine?" She asked me, excitedly and I could only hum in reply to her words.

It was actually really fine and so surreal with the stars and all.

I reached out and flickered one illusion of a star.

The programmes were long finished and by now, students were in various corners and doing all sorts of things.

Openly making out, screaming at the top of their voices and doing all sorts of things together.

Just what you were doing with the pretty boy in there.

My eyes caught a familiar looking couple sitting on a chair by the corner and from their position, the girl was grinding on the boy.

Without a care in the world.

Our own head girl oo.

I quickly looked away from them.

"Babe," Adam muttered beside me and before I could turn to look at him, he was wrapping his hand around my waist and pulling me closer to him.

"Hmm hmmm. Hmmm!" Sophia sighed and we both turned to look at her.

She was looking at the air dreamingly.

"I'm feeling so sorry for my single ass. I'm so extremely single to stupor." She whined and Adam shook his head, for her.

"Anyway, lemme go and get us snacks and drinks before you guys depress me to a point of no return." Then before we could say anything, she started to walk away with her back and while making silly faces at us only for her to tumble into someone. She jerked back immediately and would have tripped if the person she bumped into wasn't quick to hold her.

It was Kunle.

Those two...

I still didn't know what to make of them. If they were going to talk everything out and become best friends again or if they were could become something more.

Even Aminah had wanted that. She had written in her diary she'd love to break up with Kunle so he'll end up with the person he truly likes...

Sophia stilled when she saw that he was the one before she started to walk away.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

He actually grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

I felt Adam smile beside me and he pulled me even closer by my waist.

I knew he could feel my stomach folds with the way he was holding me by my waist but I didn't really care.

It didn't bother me as much as it used to.

It didn't even bother me at all.

"Okay, Sophia... I..." He stuttered, his hard guy exterior slipping away.

I could basically hear his breathing even though they weren't that close to us.

Baba is nervous.

"I know we have a lot to talk about but well, I just have to ask you if..." He trailed off again and I heard Adam mutter "Get it done, dude," beside me.

"I just have to ask you if you'd love to go to prom with me."

Okayyyyyyy.

Okay! You all can start coming up with ship names for Kunle and Sophia.

But wait, how do you think Sophia will answer? I mean she's the queen of unpredictability so don't be surprised if her answer isn't what you all are expecting.

Okay, so that Scars to your beautiful and the karaoke part of this chapter played a very huge role in this book and I can't even tell you how much. It actually inspired a very big plot of the book. It also inspired the initial title of this book. Who remember the title!???

And well, nobody guessed that Alex was going to sing. That's my surprise sha.

Kunmi and Adam 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I'm almost crying 😭😭😭😭😭 it's so sad they'll have to part ways.

Gab and Alex ooo 😂😂😂😭😭😭😭

And Ezekiel! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣💔💔💔💔💔

Anyway see you on their prom night and very soon, hopefully 🤞🤞🤞