You can't help but
turn them heads
Knockin' them dead...
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The smell of anticeptic and drugs.
That was what filled TJ's nostrils as he sat on the grey worn-out leather chair at the sick-bay's waiting room.
The choking smell brought back unpleasant memories. He looked around him, the rectangular room was filled with mostly, sick junior students who were either lying or half sitting on the worn-out chair. A nurse sat behind a round white desk, a fake smile in place as she assured them to exercise patience while the head nurse saw to their needs.
He didn't like it one bit, didn't like that he was at the sick bay, with the least person he wanted to be with at the moment.
He cussed inwardly, chastising himself for being careless. If he had been careful, he wouldn't be with Abike -- who was by the way, nursing her dislocated foot. The distant joyful noise coming from the hall had him sighing regretfully, as he thought of Chimdi.
If he wasn't in such a hurry, the silly accident wouldn't have taken place at first. Then there was the deathtrap the fatter girl was mounted on. The more than six inches strap heel Abike had on was to be blamed, he thought. If she had on a moderate sized heel, she wouldn't have sprained an ankle and he wouldn't have rushed her to the sick bay, had she not been writhing in pain.
He didn't even get the chance to explain things to Chimdi. Sighing out in regret again, the clinical card which belonged to Abike, weighing like a rock in his hand, a silent reminder that he wasn't getting out of the situation any time soon, he decided to give Chimdi a ring, thinking that she must be worried sick, or more greatly pissed off.
His hand searched for his cellphone but couldn't find it, he let out series of colourful curses. He must have left it at the hall.
The nurse aimed a glare his way, and he smiled apologetically in return. Abike giggled and he tried his best not to glare at her instead.
She'd been finding all his frustrating acts funny. Laughing or giggling much to his annoyance. If he hadn't bumped into her, making her to lose her balance - thus the sprained ankle, he wouldn't be sweating his ass off, searching for her clinical card in order for her to be attended to.
He checked the time piece on his wrist, cursing again, this time, internally at the time being displayed. A good sixty minutes had passed.
"What says the time?" Abike asked, hand, absent-mindedly massaging her swollen ankle.
Like Chimdi, she had on a red clothing. But he couldn't help himself from noticing their differing shades and styles. The red playsuit was moderately clinging to her body.
As she raised her head to look at him, the gold loops on her ears made clanging sounds.
He sighed, "Nine-thirty."
"I can't believe we are missing out on all the fun." She groaned, letting her head fall back on the plush chair.
Yeah right? If only you weren't mounted on that deathtrap!
He wanted to throw at her, but held back. His mama never taught him to raise his voice at a woman.
"Yeah," he replied instead, looking around the room. "Here sucks by the way."
She had no choice but to agree. "It smells like Izal, Dettol and drugs." She murmured, leaning forward to rest her head on his shoulder.
He felt himself stiffen for a good five seconds, his senses were on alert even as she let out an exaggerated sigh of relief.
Carefully, he raised her head up. "What are you doing Aby?" He whispered, looking around the narrow room.
She placed her head back. "I'm resting."
Her almost dreamy scent of rose and lavender danced around his nostrils, filling him with it as he kept his eyes shut, before opening them. He was a firm believer of the act of kindness and would see that he was in fact, kind when he needed to be.
But at the moment, she was taking things a little too far. Facing her in full, he firmly but carefully, raised her head. "You shouldn't be doing this Aby, not here."
She batted her long and straight natural lashes at him. "Why? Do you have other places in mind for us to get cuddly?"
"That's not what I meant." He cleared his throat.
"Then what do you mean?" Her arms were folded on her chest.
And that was when he really took in what she was wearing. The playsuit's dipping neckline revealed an ample amount of glistening caramel flesh.
He looked away, clearing his throat but not missing the sly smile on her face.
Fingers crept up his leather clad arms. "You like?" She asked in a whisper, breath fanning his ears. With just a little movement and her lips would be on his earlobe.
He gulped, her dreamy scent was too much, messing with his senses. But they weren't what he wanted, what he craved.
He wanted citrus and honey, his sunshine's therapeutic and calming scent. He wanted shy and confident and not all-out bold. He wanted Chimdi.
Not trying to seem unfair, he took her wrist into his, staring her straight in the eyes. His voice, calm, yet firm and final.
"Whatever you're up to Aby, stop it will you. We are in public."
She pouted. "And when we are alone?"
He willed himself to stay calm. "There is no 'we', and there is definitely no alone time."
Her features immediately took to sulking and he couldn't help but feel unfair. "Look Aby, you're a cool, beautiful, smart and great girl. You've been a great friend all along and I really appreciate it. But, I'd like for it to be that way. I don't want to string you along in a non-existent thing and neither do I want a situation where things get awkward or nasty. Okay?"
The slender girl ground her buccal chords together in anger. "It's because of her right? That manipulative bitch!" Her voice rose a notch and he suddenly became tired.
"Don't create a scene here Aby. Please."
"But she's allowed to get close, all handsy and shit? Tell me, what the hell do all of you see in her?" Her breathing was becoming fast.
Alarmed, TJ placed his hands on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. "You're hurt Aby, try not to get worked up. Please."
She took his hands off her, her glare capable of drilling holes through his thick skull. "I hurt my ankle TJ, not my tongue. You haven't answered me, what the hell does she have that I don't have?"
Everything.
He wanted to say, but held back.
The fatter girl continued. "She gets whatever she fucking wants, from humans to fucking materialistic things and we all just have to sit back and observe?"
TJ's digits made to his temple, trying to calm his pounding head. He didn't bargain for this when he set out to take her to the sick bay.
"Abike Marsai Jide?" The nurse called, and TJ stood up, feeling more than elated and free as he helped the fuming girl up.
She didn't say a word after that, didn't spare him a glance as he helped her to the nurse's desk, submitted her clinical card before she was taken from him by other nurses straight into another room.
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The hall was less rowdy when he entered.
The DJ had finally tuned down the vibe in the room, with Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande's STUCK WITH YOU. Few students hummed along, while the ones left at the dance floor were slow dancing in pairs.
Anyone could get spotted on and off the dance floor, but he couldn't spot Chimdi and neither could he spot the guys.
He was getting frustrated in minutes
This is all my fault.
He muttered, feeling the stress settle in. Still searching for Chimdi, he bumped into Nene. The look on her face told him she knew everything.
She glared at him. "What do you want?"
Oh shit.
The sheepish smile was on his face. "Have you seen su- Chimdi?"
She rolled her eyes, smacking her glossy lips together. "What makes you think I'll tell you where she is?"
TJ groaned. "C'mon Nens, I really need to see her. Just tell me where she is."
"Nuh uh," She shook her head. "You'll have to suffer too. I'm not telling you shit."
With that, she walked away.
Tucking his thumbs into his belt holder, he searched for the table they once occupied and found it empty. His cellphone was gone, the guys stuff too. He let out strings of colourful curses.
Was this how she felt too? The night was getting annoying and he was seriously suffering at the moment. It wasn't how he planned the night. He wanted to be engulfed in the warmth she had to offer, her calming presence.
He wanted to listen to her laugh at his silly jokes, snort when he get ahead of himself and roll those pretty eyes of hers. And there was the big question. He wanted the night to be beautiful -- enchanted. Just him and her, with the moonlight and heavenly bodies as witness.
He patted his jacket, the rectangular box was still in place.
Thank God!
"Hey man, where have you been? You left without your cell." He turned to see Jiki, eyes on his cellphone, the black jacket was nowhere in sight.
"Clinic," he answered, distracted. "Abike had a minor accident."
The fairer boy nodded, before looking up. "Will she be okay?"
TJ nodded. Thinking about the little incident that took place in the clinic. He didn't know if she'll be at the moment. The look on her face had him a little worried. "She will. Do you know where I can find Chimdi?"
Jiki made himself comfortable on a seat, still engrossed with whatever that was in his cellphone. "Been with her for a while. I think she's still around."
"Where?"
"Upstairs."
TJ exhaled in relief. "Thanks man!" He made for the stairs.
"Sure. Elo has your cellphone by the way!" The fairer boy shouted after him, but he was too eager to find her to make a good meaning out of what he said.
Turned out that the stairs which led up revealed a rooftop. A vast space just like the one at the examination block, but without the flowerpots and a rusting tank stand.
The cold night's air swept across his flace, refreshing, calming. He stood there, wondering what the school had with rooftops and vast spaces, before he spotted a flash of red, then long legs slipped into a transparent heel and mop of thick black curls.
Relief washed through him at the sight of her, like a cool night breeze. Her head was faced up, palm supporting her head on the metal railing placed for safety.
He took slow steps, watching the way moonlight scattered her skin like she had a milky bath, making her look like a mystic creature in red. The faint sound coming from the lower building sounded like a lullaby, making the whole scene look damn dreamy.
He suddenly tripped on a lone pebble, letting out an annoyed curse in the process and that got her attention.
She turned to face him, she'd known all the while when he arrived. Didn't know how, but she just felt his presence. She raised a brow while leaning against the railing, eying him up.
"You just have to trip over tiny things anyhow, Kodiri?"
He grinned. "It shows my soft side."
She shook her head, before backing him. Still angry at him for leaving her alone a while back. "It shows your clumsy side. How did you find me?"
"With a little help," he followed her gaze to the dark side, sprinkled with little bright stars. "What are you looking at?"
"Counting stars." And in demonstration, she pointed at one, it disappeared from her line of vision. "It doesn't stay at a place."
He imitated her action, hands pressed on the cold metal rail. "You don't count stars Sunshine."
"Right, I figured."
"You make patterns of them instead, it's more fun." He continued. "It reflects whatever thoughts we have in mind."
She turned to face him. "Like a wish or something?"
"Yeah, sort of. Milo and I did it for fun. We'd stare at the dark night's sky just out his terrace and we'd make patterns of whatever we wish for." The fond memory brought a smile to his face. "One time, we actually wished for our own power rangers zord."
A slow smile crept to her lips. "Did you ever get it?"
"Yeah, in our dreams." He laughed along with her, taking in a deep breath. "But what mattered was the fun that came with it."
She stayed silent, watching the stars morph into shapes and lines in her head. She didn't care if they were just figments of her imagination, it was fun.
"You seeing anything?" He asked, after watching her stare intently at the sky.
She nodded. "Yeah, a unicorn."
"Seriously?" Disbelief filled his face. "You think of unicorns?"
She shrugged, facing him. "What's wrong with it? They're like sweet dreams and they are cute."
"They don't exist!"
"The main reason why I think of them." She glanced at him. "What about you? What do you see, lemme guess, Zords?"
He grinned, shaking his head. "I see an angry girl, who wanted to slug me hours ago." He turned to face her, in time to see her roll her eyes.
She glared at him when his grin widened, before joining him to laugh. "God! You're so annoying."
He winked, "That's part of the charming package."
She snorted. "Who dash you package?"
"Aren't you going to ask me why I suddenly disappeared?" He asked, eyes holding hers.
She broke contact, directing her gaze elsewhere, before shrugging in a bid to look nonchalant. "You don't owe me any explanation."
"Yes I do."
"Suit yourself then."
He could feel her try to act nonchalant. "I was at the sick bay."
Her head whipped around to face him. "What the hell were you doing there? Were you hurt?"
He fought back a smile. She wasn't that good an actress. "No not me, Abike's ankle got sprained."
"Oh right," she scoffed loudly, her small nose twitching, a good indication that she wasn't hiding her detest. "You took her to the sick bay, that's good - for her."
"I kinda bumped into her on my way to the drink vendor," he continued. "Had to rush her to the sick bay, she was badly hurt."
"Did it get swollen?" She asked after a while. He could hear the suppressed sympathy. "I mean, her ankle."
"Yes, not that bad though. But it wasn't good either."
She nodded, waiting for him to say more. He decided to stop right there. The other info was useless and wouldn't do them any good.
When she got no more explanation, she went silent for a while, eyes trained on the shining Stars above them.
She spoke after a while. "Do you believe in reincarnation?"
He shook his no.
"How about galactic chemical evolution?"
"Come again?"
She shut her eyes. "Like, do you believe your mum and Milo are somewhere among these stars?
He mused on her words for a while. "I was never told such, I'd believed such belief was nothing but a myth." He stared at the dark sky for a while. "Dad said that they were at a better place where they won't have to die anymore. Growing up, the ideology got split into several images."
"Lara used to believe her grandmother stayed up above with the stars in junior class. She'd stay at the quadrangle at night, and would bare her soul to the dark sky, thinking she was listening."
"Did she ever stop?"
She nodded, taking in a deep breath. "She did. I guess that was what her infant mind could understand then." She paused, the cold nights air swept past them. "I've never lost someone dear before, but sometimes I'd wonder what I would have done if I were in her position. I had partly believed the philosophy though. It was a perfect fusion of want and need. Any child would have eaten it up."
He nodded. "Sure, I myself would have believed it too. Watching mum fade away everyday then, buried deep down after she assured that everything was going to be fine, really needed an explanation."
"Was it hard?"
"Excruciating, even." He turned to face her. "I had to adjust at some point."
She could see the pain that had long been nursed in his eyes, eyes that spoke volumes of how he'd made peace with his mind. Too hard a task if she was asked to do same.
"You remind me of her though."
She raised a perfectly carved brow. "Was she twig-like?"
He went all defensive. "Who said you look twig-like?"
She smirked, satisfied with the results she got. "Chill, I don't need a boost to my self esteem. I'm sure she doesn't look like me."
"Let's see," he hung his head to the side, narrowing his eyes in assessment. "You've got her eyes." She shook her head in disbelief, but he continued anyway. "Dad said they were ancient. You wouldn't know what she was feeling if she didn't want you to."
"You're crazy,"
"You've got small nose like hers."
Her lips twitched. "Let me guess, she also applies red lipstick too?"
He feigned thinking for a second. "Yeah that's right. Only when she's in the mood to kick asses though. Especially her boss's annoying ones."
That had them cracking out loud. She took her time creating several images of what his mother might look like. If she was a female version of the boy standing beside her, then she was definitely a beaut.
"And oh I forgot," he cut through her thoughts. "She had small ears, just like yours. How to do sounds pass through something so small?"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "My ears aren't even tiny. Your's are tinier."
"Lies..."
"I'm the one staring at them right now not you." He pouted, while she curved her neck to take a good look at his ears. "They're like infant snails."
His hand shot to his ear in panic. "What the fuck! Infant snails?"
She grinned. "Too hard to believe? I can take a picture if you want, tiny, small fried snails. They're tasty by the way."
He glared at her, hands securing his ears.
Her grin widened in victory at the look on his face, as she fixed her eyes on his ears, trying to make out a good retort, before finding out something that had her eyes widening in shock.
"What?" He asked, alarmed.
"You have an ear piercing?"
He shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "Forgotten that it does exist. Dad said they aren't accepted here."
She nodded, looking like a flash bulb went off in her head.
He narrowed his eyes. "What now?"
"You'll have to try out some of my earrings! I've got this black one..."
"Hell no. I think my ear is perfect without them ornaments."
She pouted. "C'mon TJ, it's not feminine. It's got masculinity written over it." She pleaded.
He shook his no.
"Not like you have a choice," she muttered slyly. "Can I touch it?"
He let her touch his ear, which weirded the shit out of him, but he didn't have a choice. Not when she shamelessly popped her carefully lined eyes and damn those lips. It was a hard task to refuse her anything.
Her slim fingers traced his small earlobe, feeling the coldness and softness of it. She didn't realize she'd edged closer till she felt his sharp intake of breath. He was in her line of vision that she could see every mark and line on his skin.
Having a mind of their own, her fingers skimmed his face like a warm breeze, moving smoothly over the softness of his youthful face, feeling the sharp angle and well carved edges of it. She heard him take in another sharp breath, watched him hold her gaze.
Her scent filled his nostrils -- the clash of the fresh night's air and the sailing breeze couldn't stop him from smelling her scent alone. The fresh scent of her -- of honey and citrus, not lavender and rose was all he could breath in. Her face was flushed under the moonlight -- her eyes, dark and wide, holding his.
His eyes trained on her parted lips and in an instant, he felt the warm and intense sweet longing, surging through him. Helpless he stared, her warm hands on his face not easing his feelings. In their own volition, his arms wrapped around her waist, bringing her against him, heat to heat, curves to angles. Her exploring hands dropped on his shoulder, as she stared at him, words unnecessary, eyes filled with the heated gaze he recognized as anticipation.
He hesitated, this wasn't how he wanted their first kiss to be. He'd decided asking her out first and there was the gift, weighing like lead in his pocket. Reminding him of his father's words.
A step at a time TJ.
He thought he heard her draw in a breath when he leaned in, hesitated again -- for permission. She didn't move, he could feel the vein on her neck throbe in quick beats, feel the uneven breath that left her parted lips. Same lips that pulled him in like a magnet. He lowered his mouth to within a whisper of hers, then he brushed them over hers, petal softness and smoothness received his, as he felt the loud rush of his own blood, urging him to dive in, take a gulp of what she had to offer and more. He nibbled on her bottom lips, heard the low moan that left her lips like a hearty sigh.
And when he was about to slide in -- to take, she jumped back, the loud rush of his blood that sounded like a heartbeat had him confused for a second. He was about to ask what went wrong before he heard the rush of feet coming up the stairs, to finish the final rite of the party.
He cursed inwardly, and he didn't know if it was at himself or the Intruders.
And when the firecrackers had rang out, with students screaming heartfelt wishes to each other. With a smile on her face, Chimdi found the answers between the warmth that came with being wrapped in his arm and the calm beating of her heart.
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