Chapter One

After taking her bath, Zara put on a simple black joggers, a white sport shirt, a white baseball cap and a black sneakers. Walking down the stairs she met her mom sitting in the living room. "Good morning ma," she greeted her mom.

"Good morning , how was your night?"

"Not comforting but I'm okay," she replies.

"And where are you going all dressed up this morning?" her mom asks after analysing and checking her out.

"Jade and I made an appointment at the gym and she will be coming to pick me..." Vroom! Came the sound of a powerful bike that cuts off Zara's speech.

"And who is that savage disturbing the peace and quiet of my home this morning?" Mrs. Coker asks no one in particular as she walks to the window to have a look.

"Here comes that little witch you call a friend and what's she doing with a bike?" she asks Zara who shrugs and replied, "Dunno."

"You sit here while I go check what she is up to," Mrs. Coker said as she walked outside with her head up high like the beauty queen she was. Zara sighs exasperatedly as she sat on the sofa frustratedly times like this were the reason she loves her dad so much and always prefers him to her mum. Even as a child, while growing up, her mother has always been haughty and want things her way and being an only child did not help her situation. Her mom had always wanted a male child but after Zara and several miscarriages, she decided to settle for Zara and put all her hopes and desires on Zara. She wanted Zara to go into modelling like her and be a beauty queen but Zara vehemently refused and when she wanted Zara to follow her father's footsteps and learn business, Zara decided she wanted a degree in computer science. To Zara, her mother prefers to spend all her time ,traveling and shopping which is not something she sees herself doing and couple with the fact that she was not always with her while growing up and meeting the wild Jade was the button Zara needs unravel the real her. Her father, on the other hand is a lucrative business man who owns a potential cocoa company in the country and also exports cocoa products to other countries in Africa. He was always busy but when he is less busy, he prefers to spend his time with Zara.

Waiting long enough for her mom to come back in with Jade and not swing her, Zara picked up her bag and decided to check on her friend and mother. On getting outside, she saw her mom and Jade arguing.

"Oh my God, how could you bring this death-trap to my house and expect my Zara to out with you." Mrs Coker asks.

"Ma, this is a bike and not a death-trap and moreover, I got my riding license. I'm safe to be on the road."

"You are just a had influence to my daughter all the bad ideas coming into her head were all because of, you!"

"Ma, Zara is a consenting adult and I don't think I have any influence on her."

"You..."

"Mom! That should be enough, I'm and adult and I know what is write and wrong moreover, Jade already have her law cert and will soon be called to bar soon. She know the law," Zara explains as she walked to them.

"This one? Are you sure she is even qualified to be called to bar if her mom do not throw her weight around!"

"Mom! Jade is my best friend and her mother as you know is an honourable lawyer that is well known in the country for never loosing her cases in court. And there is no reason for her to cheat her daughter's way to Bar."

"Whatever, but that will not fact that I neither like her nor her mother." Mrs Coker said and Jade quickly gave her a reply.

"I think that's mutual ma but don't worry about my future in the bar, I'm competent," Jade said as she winked at Mrs Coker who felt like hitting her.

"You better bring back my daughter safe, Jade or you won't like the other me." Mrs Coker threatened.

"Yes, ma!" Jade answers with a mock salute.

Both climbing the bike, Jade handed a helmet to Zara who strapped it on as Jade did the same. "Are you sure we will be safe on this bike of yours?" Zara asks unsure as Jade powered on the bike.

"No worries princess I'll get you to the gym and back, you're in safe hands," replied Jade and the zoom off.