CHAPTER TWELVE

Enjoy!!!

Bianca's POV

The same Sunday*

I woke up in the evening when I heard my phone ringing again, I checked it and I saw Chioma on my screen, I picked the call and I heard Chioma yelling.

"I've been calling since forever now, where did you drop your phone?" She yelled

"Calm down, I was sleeping, I didn't hear it ring" I said in a sleeping voice

"Why didn't you come to church? You made me worried? I came to visit you, that witch sent me out like a dog calling us birds of a feather" she yelled angrily

"Chill Chi, she didn't let me come to church, I've being grounded, I'm only allowed to go to school and I must be back 30minutes after the closing period" I said as I sat up

"What? Why?" She shrieked

"So I won't see Ethan anymore" I answered

"That's ridiculous! We need to talk" she said firmly

"That will be on Monday, before or after our exam" I said and she sighed

"Have you eaten?"she asked calmly

"Yeah, she doesn't want me to faint in her house"

"We'll talk on Monday, I'll come to your house but I'll wait outside for you" she said

"Okay, bye" I said

"Bye!" She replied and hung up

I checked my phone and saw 15 missed calls from Ethan and a text message, I opened it and it read thus:

I'm sorry patty, I didn't mean to hurt you, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Layla, I just felt it's not necessary and now I'm regretting it, I should have told you.

I miss you patty, please talk to me, I'm restless, at least reply this text.

I read the text over and over again, contemplating if I should reply but what will I say? I dropped my phone and carried my book I read a little and read a novel until I slept off again.

I woke up early on Monday to revise my book, my exam is by 1:30pm but I'm leaving by 8:30am with chioma. Thank God my aunt only knows that today is my exam, she doesn't know the time cos she never asked. I stood up, I cleaned the house, did the laundries and washed the dishes, I dressed up after that, i knocked on my aunt's bedroom i heard "come in" and I went in, I saw my aunt and uncle covered in sheet, so my uncle shouted at me

"What do you want?" He asked in annoyance

"Today is my exam, I need transport fare to get to my center" I said

"Take 1000naira in the drawer and disappear" he yelled at me, I wonder why he's in a hurry and I wonder my aunt is quiet under the sheet.

"Should I give the change to aunt when I get back?" I asked since I know when he goes to work he comes back in the night and I might have slept.

"No, just take it and leave, do whatever you want with it" he said and I scurried out, I heard the door locked and I jumped up in joy, the transport fare I need is just 100naira, I have 900naira extra, the last time I had this much was before my dad died.

I rushed out of the house and i saw Chioma outside, I hugged her and pulled her away before aunt Theresa sees us. We stopped a cab and entered.

"You look excited" Chioma said

"I'm just excited I'll get to treat my best friend to lunch today" I said as I giggled.

"Did they give you money?"

"Yeah, my uncle did" I replied

"That weird, did you do something that made him extremely happy?"

I explained what happened when I went to meet my aunt in her room.

"Oh! You were disturbing them from mating?" She said and chuckled

"Chichi, they are not animals!" I rolled my eyes

"Whatever! I hope you read well for your exam?"

"Yeah, I did"

"Bianca" she said soothingly and I knew something was up, I faced her.

"Have you talked to Ethan?" She asked and I shook my head

"Why?" She asked

"I don't want to get hurt Chi, I'm scared, Ethan likes anything in skirt, I can't cope with a guy that feels nothing for me"

'You are wrong bee, I think Ethan loves you"

"Then why hasn't he said it to me!" I said in frustration "do you know how badly I've been waiting to hear him say it?"

"Your relationship with him is still fresh, maybe he doesn't want to scare you away"

"Why would I be scared?" I almost yelled as I hit my palm on the car seat and the driver turned to look at me, shooting me an angry look.

"That's not fair, you are thinking about only yourself here, think about what he might be going through too"

"So what should I do?" I asked in a whisper

"Talk to him, then you can decide if you want to move on or hang on!" She said and looked away, she's pissed I can see it on her face.

"Fine! I will" I said with a smile as I tickled her waist and she laughed hard.

The car stopped in front of our center, we paid him and we walked in, Chioma wrote her exam first and I wrote mine after, the exam was a bit difficult but I trust what I did. I tried to treat her to lunch and when I was about to pay, she didn't let me, I begged her to let me but she didn't listen to me, she wanted me to keep the money for myself in case I need anything urgently.

Chioma's parent are not wealthy but they are rich, at least they are able to send their daughter to one of the most expensive secondary school in Nigeria, if not for the house and two cars my dad left me, they would have made me transfer to public school after my dad's death.

When I got home, I went into my room I showered and I watched some movies I sent from Chioma's phone to keep me busy, I was about to sleep until I heard a slight knock only anyone in my room can hear from the back door.

Ethan's POV

When she entered a car and left, i felt my world shatter, I can't let her go, I said to myself many times. I drove home angrily, I felt like strangling Layla to death, this wouldn't have happened, I can't blame her, I blame myself, I should have told her I have history with her cousin, but this is what I'm scared of and it happened eventually.

I took off my cloth, I entered the bathroom and switch the shower on, the cold water hit my skin and i

Closed my eyes as I thought of Bianca, I hope she isn't crying herself out, I wonder what she thinks of me now. I stood in the shower for a long time before i went into my room, I laid naked and covered myself with duvet, I took my phone and tried calling her, I kept calling but she didn't pick, I couldn't sleep through out the night, i kept calling till dawn but still she didn't pick, she later switched off her phone and switched it on after few hours I sent her a text hoping she would reply but she didn't. I decided to see her in school Monday, on Monday morning, I got to school and I awaited her arrival, but she didn't show up, the alarm rang for assembly, she still didn't show up, I waited till after the first class and I went to Chioma's class and I realised she's absent too, I became restless.

"Is something wrong? They've never missed school since I got here" I thought.

I couldn't concentrate in class, I kept checking my phone hoping to get a text or call from her but I didn't get any, after school I rushed out of the class and Layla bumped into me.

"Any time you wanna talk to me, can you please stop bumping into me? It's getting on my nerves" I said sternly

"I'm sorry, it wasn't intentional" she said with fake remorse giving me a puppy face.

"What is it? If you are about to say you want me to hang out with you, I swear I'm gonna smack your pretty face!" I said in fury

"Ethan!" She exclaimed. "What have I done for you to despise me this much? I've only been nice and affectionate to you since you got here, why are you treating me this way Ethan?" She said with emotions but it didn't move me at all

"Layla, the only girl I've ever had feelings for, I can't reach her because of you, we had sex, yes! I took what you offered which is the worst mistake of my entire life, I'm sorry Layla I didn't take advantage of you, you did! You are trying to hook me down with that one night, Please stay away from me now" I begged and walked away fast, I entered my car, drove home to get changed, I called Chioma.

"Hey Chioma" I said

"Hey knight, OMG! the cutest guy in legends high called today, I'm astonished! you need any favour?" she said teasingly, I'm sure she knows why I called and I smiled.

"You know_ why I called... Chioma, you girls weren't... in school today" I stammered, I still don't know why I feel nervous when I talk to chioma, she has this strong authoritative tone that only I noticed, it made her sound like my dad.

"Oh, that? Why don't you ask her?"

"Didn't she tell you I've called one million times and I've texted but she ignored everything? I think we need to talk Chioma, I'm worried" I said with frustration

"Calm down, let's meet at hubmart, do you know the place?"she asked and I answered fast.

"Yes I do"

"No one keeps me waiting, meet me there in 20 minutes" she said sternly

"Okay, I'll be there" I hung up, took my keys and went to the garage, I drove to the place and waited for chioma, after five minutes she showed up, I embraced her happily because I know I'll get to see patty since I've seen her.

"Huh-huh" she cleared her throat "I can't breathe" she said in a choking voice and I released her. "Shouldn't you think of your big arms before hugging people firmly?" She teased me before sitting and I sat too.

"So pa..." I tried to say before I got cut off

"Yeah, patty, bianca? She's good, don't worry"

"I was worried sick, why didn't you girls show up in school?"

"Today is our jamb exam, remember?"

"Oh! I didn't even remember" I said as I hit my head with my palm

" I see, everything will be okay with you guys" she said as she ordered drinks for us.

" I'm sorry, I'm suppose to order the drinks it skipped my mind" I said with remorse

"I understand, Bianca has taken control of your mind" she teased as she chuckled.

" stop teasing me Chi, how was your exam?"

"It was fine, when is yours?"

"Mr Williams said Saturday, I don't even know a damn thing about how things are done here"

"Calm down, you are stressing yourself out, I know what you want but I want you to ask me, stop beating around the bush" she said and took a sip of her drink.

I sighed "how can I see her? I need to talk to her"

"I'll take you to her but I need you to know one thing, do what you need to do, never hurt my friend... ever again!" she said as she glared at me

"I won't, I promise" I said and she smiled.

"Let's go" I paid and we left, I parked where I do park anytime I drop Patty off

"Follow me, and don't get us in trouble, if we get caught, do you know dried fish?

"Yeah, I've seen it before" I answered

"Good! That's what we'll become" she said and I chukled

"What an adventure to see my girlfriend!" I said and she chuckled.

She managed to pass different corners until we got to the back door of Bianca's house.

"How did you know about this place?

"Bianca and I have sneaked out a lot of times" she knocked on the door slightly in a coded way.

"How will anyone hear that?"

"Anyone on the other side of this door will hear"

"Does she know we are coming that she'll wait there to hear a knock?"

I was about to bang the door when it opened slightly, birds flew in my body as I saw the girl that makes my heart flutter. The door opened to the right and she's standing by the left inside, she faced the right where Chioma stood so she didn't see me.

"We just went our separate ways miss" she said to Chioma

"Will you usher us in?" Chioma said

"Us? Who are the us?" She looked around and she saw me, her eyes widened.

"Why did you bring him here?" She peeped inside and drew us inside a weird looking room just beside the backdoor.

"Wait! Don't tell me this is your room? Even a maid does not deserve this kind of room, This is the worst room I've seen in my life" I said as I look around. Sacks everywhere, a tiny flat bed almost flat as a mat and a flat pillow, the room isn't painted and looks a lot like a store with abandoned things in a corner, her guitar is in a corner and books on a tiny stool. I felt like carrying her out of that house forever but my stubborn girlfriend won't even take a dime from me.

"Tell me why you are here and stop insulting my room" she said angrily as she glared at me.

"Come on, don't be cold towards me, i said I'm sorry, I had sex with your sister before I met you and I'm sorry I didn't tell you, this is what I'm scared of, this is why I didn't bother to tell you, I can't stand you being mad at me, I feel nothing for her, you know it, I feel nothing out of extraordinary for her, I've never felt what I feel for you for any other girl, and you know it, yet you went ahead and_"

"What do you feel for me?" She cuts in and I got dumbfounded, I know I feel something strong and real for her but I don't know what to call it.

"Chioma can you see? He can't say anything, because this thing we call relationship is just a facade, it means nothing to this guy in front of me, let me tell you Ethan, what you can't tell me, I love you, I love you a lot, I fell in love with you the first time I set my eyes on you, I've always thought and dreamt of you, my heart skip a beat when I see you, even though you've made me cry a lot in the past when I see you with other girls, my love for you still remain unshaken, but it's quite unfortunate for me that I can't be with a man that doesn't love me in return, I'm letting you go Ethan, it's hard for me but I have to" she said with a shaking voice as she fought the battle not to shed tears, I didn't know what to say, I slowly turned and left and I heard her burst into tears as Chioma tried to console. my pace was slower than that of tortoise as I realised that she just broke up with me just because I'm unable to admit my feelings her, I'm a real coward. I walked towards my car and I heard Chioma calling me as she ran after me. I turned to face her and i got a deafening slap.

"How dare you? Why did you do that? I told you never to hurt her, I know you love her, it's written all over your face, why didn't you say anything? I never knew you are such a Coward!" she said fiercely and turned to leave.

"How can I tell her I love her when I don't know what love is? If I had said that to her, I will carry the guilt forever cos I don't know the meaning of what i said to her" I said slowly almost in a whisper

"I feel a strong desire, strong emotion for David, when I see him i get butterflies in my tummy, I feel I'm in another world when I'm with him, i get jealous when other girls tries to Steal his attention from me, i share his pain and his happiness, i go to bed think about him, i wake up with him on my mind, i look into his eyes and wonder why i am so lucky to have him, when he calls me I get excited, when he captures me in his arm my heart flutters, what I feel for him is love, if that's what you feel for bianca, she deserves to know" she said calmly.

"finally someone told me what's going on! I've being wondering what's going on with you and David, he no longer talk about ebony girls, parties, drinking to stupor, he has really changed" I said as I chuckled and she gave me a shy smile.

"Just the way Bianca changed you" she said and I nodded in agreement

"Our plan on Friday is still the same right? Someone deserve to know how I feel for her" I said

"Yeah! High five!" She said and we hit our palms together and laughed hard. She entered the car with me and i drove to David's house.

I pressed the door bell and the door opened.

"Is someone tryna steal my girl?" David said in his strong American accent, I laughed as chioma clinched to me as she said

"No, I'm trying to snatch your best friend" David's eyes steal.