Chapter 17

"Irye"Blake calls. It is after school and he is rushing out after Irye. She turns, recalling the day Blake sees the dark side of Irye and runs down after her.

"Hey! Wait up!"he catches Irye by the arm and turns her around."Talk to me.That's why am here.You can tell me everything, anything you've been keeping inside. I will take them all."

"Why are you here in the first place Blake?"she yells."Go back".

After seeing the hurt expression on Irye's face, she regrets those words came out of her mouth. He just wants to help and all he does is push him away.

Blake quickly clears the expression on his face and speaks "Let me help you Irye."he walks closer holding both her arms and looking into her eyes."Mmm?"

Irye closes her eyes and let out a heavy breath. After calming down,she speaks.

"Am sorry okay?"her voice is low."I..I..I don't know what's wrong with me. I need to think. Can you please let me be this time? I want to be alone".

She looks away pursing her lips to stop bursting into tears.

"Irye...."Blake anxiously says.

"Please" she interrupts looking up at him in sorry way."Please"she whispers.

Blake nods and turn around,walking but stop midway.

"I will wait for you.Mmm? Let me be the first to know if you come around okay?"he says turning to her.

She nods and watches him walk to his car and drive away before letting out a breath she doesn't know she holding.

"Are you alright now?"Blake asks in the hallway.Amber and Derrick watch, confused on what he is saying.

"I am, thanks"she smiles.

"Wow"Blake mouths with his eyes wide.

"What?"Irye asks confusedly trying to trace the direction in which Blake is looking.

"Wipe that"he answers with an amused face.

"Wipe what?"Irye looks down at her nose and touches her face to see what he's blabbing about.

"Wipe what? What should I wipe?"she repeats with a smile beginning to feel embarrassed.

"That."Blake finally points at Irye's smiling lips.

After a second of seriousness, she chuckles and hears Blake say it is pulling him towards it. Irye blushes, keeping her head down and looking away. Amber and Derrick sneer at them totally catching on the colour of her cheeks now.

They go out to the parking lot and calls."Hey".

Blake who is already near his car turns his head with a hearty smile on his lips.

"Thanks"says Irye."A lot"she smiles to him and enters her car.

At home, she greets no one in particular and treks up the stairs. She stops in her steps looking down at two feet in front of her. She freezes, leveling her breath.

Anne stares at her for sometime before speaking."Am okay Irye. Don't worry about me."

Irye raises her head and stares at Anne smiling like nothing is wrong.After some seconds,Irye snaps back to reality and hurriedly walks to her room.

Meanwhile Bethel who's in the living room mistakingly sees what happened and wonders. Almighty Irye is uneasy around Anne and she seems to be avoiding her, something Irye normally does but different this time.

She walks to her little sister and hold her arm.

"What's going on"she asks suspiciously.

Anne shrugs and pushes her sister's hand off her arm before passing by her to the kitchen.

Bethel suspects something wrong and gives herself a mission to find out.

Next day at school and Irye and Blake seem like a couple with all their smiling and stealing glances at each other. Amber and Derrick become left out and feel uncomfortable around them. So far as Irye can smile without thinking of anything, he is okay.

Irye will ignore him anytime he tries to speak of what happened with Anne so he doesn't bother asking.He just wants everything to stay like this. Quiet, filled with laughter and not lonely.

The next day,the day after and after that. He swears to take care of her,to block any problems in her way and make her happy even though she is not ready to be his.

He stares at her all day and wonders how he came to love such a girl,how he wants to be around her everytime and can't keep memories of her locked away. He is going to love her no matter the circumstances. He will go all the way for her. He keeps that as a promise.

Days turn to weeks and weeks into months then into a year. He grows the more closer to her every passing second.

On the other hand,Irye sees him as a protector now. She learns to trust and rely on him over the year. She never knew life could be this good to her.Maybe she wasn't so open to the light in life and chose to stay in the dark,she thinks.

Blake especially helped her achieve that aside from her family. She will also learn to love even though she thinks she doesn't deserve to be loved.

She smiles at thoughts like those as she enters her class. Smiling at the one person next to her before sitting down.

Teachers enters and talk as she notes things down.Soon,they call it over and rush out of their classrooms.

Irye and Blake as usual walk together to their cars.

"Blake"Irye calls out.

"What?"he turns around not wanting to go.

"Well, I will be out of town on vacation. Thought to let you know beforehand"

Blake walks over to her."Why?"his tone serious.

"Hey chill"she chuckles."It's just for some family time. We will be back."

He sighs in relief and nods."okay but let me know the exact day, alright?"

"Okay"she smiles "Bye."

"Bye"he waves and begins walking to his car.