Searching for him

"Look at you back there!" Miles smirked. "You were giving it to them back to back."

He proceeded to improvise a few of my dance moves in the funniest way I had ever seen.

Obviously, he wasn't a dancer.

"Abeg leave me alone," I pouted and folded my arms across my chest as we made it back to the car.

"So you can dance very well" The smirk remained on his face. "And you were shaming shy."

Now, my mind returned to the fact that this boy had been watching me while I danced and my unstoppable timidness resurfaced.

To show how bad it was, even my steps grew awkward.

"It's ok," I smiled nervously. "I had a good time though."

"You should," He moved to pat my head and that earned him a glare. "You deserve it."

"Thank you for everything even though you have your own problems. I hope I will be able to do much more for you," I said while staring down at my entwined fingers.

"You don't have to do anything. You can't anyways," He replied with a glint of sorrow in his blue eyes.

Silence soon came in between us before we finally reached his car.

I quickly glanced at my phone.

"9:20," I muttered as soon as we settled in the car.

"Curfew?" He raised an eyebrow as he started the car.

"No. My mum doesn't even care. She'll only care when it's around midnight so she can fabricate some kind of story on my head," I simply answered.

"You don't have to let her make you feel bad in anyway," He glanced at me with a concerned look.

I nodded in response.

"So...I was actually wondering if you're free on Saturday?" He asked with his eyebrows raised as usual.

Somehow, that question gave me butterflies.

"I-I-I am," I replied without thinking twice about what my weekend schedule was going to be like.

"Great!" He half smiled. "We should go watch the new movie that came out yesterday."

"Lilies on Bridges?" I asked with my eyes popping out as I they were going to fall out of their sockets.

"Yes," He snapped his fingers with his other hand on the steering wheel.

"I never knew you watched sci-fi movies!!" I exploded from excitement. "I saw the trailer last week. Seems like a great movie."

"We are definitely watching it," He nodded.

*.*.*.

"Tilda, aren't you going home?" Kiki asked from over a short distance where her driver parked the car.

It was a Friday and school was closed for the day. We both were outside the school gate and Kiki's driver had come to pick her up but mine hadn't arrived - Well, I was the mastermind behind that.

"No- I mean, yes. I'll walk home," I quickly said, my interest obviously in something else than the words that spilled out from Kiki's mouth.

"Ah ah, when did you start walking home to this point? Have you decided to leave your lazy life behind you?" Kiki placed her hands on her waist and sent me the "bombastic side eye".

"No," I waved my hand with a laugh. "I just want to exercise today."

The fact that I was lying was boldly written all over me and I wonder if Kiki could see it

"Ok o. See you on Sunday," She blew me a kiss which I playfully caught, before she got into her car.

I nodded and started making my way home.

I walked quite slowly and allowed my eyes to skim through the streets.

There was one thing on my mind.

"Isn't he going to show up today?" I muttered to myself, hoping to see Miles.

Sometimes, I even delayed my walk by pretending to tie my already tied sneakers.

But h didn't show up.

When I finally arrived at home, I scoffed at my incessant worries.

"Why am I even bothered about him appearing before me or not?"

Maybe I contradicted myself by opening my phone to see if I received any messages from him but there was nothing.

Hopelessly, I left my room for the kitchen. I was craving noodles and bread and do not ask me why.

As I made my way up the stairs that led to the kitchen and other parts of the mansion, I heard low voices coming from the kitchen as though there were an argument or something of that sort.

Averting my footsteps to more silent steppings, I walked into the kitchen.

"What's going on here?" I firmly asked on seeing Miriam and Richard arguing over something.

"Small Madam!" Miriam looked startled upon hearing my loud voice.

"Matilda," Richard smiled at me for whatever reason it was. This man refused to leave our house after his usual one week stay. He had been in our house for three weeks.

I ignored him and questioned Miriam once again.

"Small Madam na oga o," She began with a confused look on her face. "He say na him go cook for Madam today. I dey tell am no worry o but he say nor dey hear word again."

"Ehen, is that so?" I squinted my eyes at how Richard was trying to make my more love him even more.

"Tilda dear, your mum will be arriving early from work today and I have decided to cook som..."

Before he could even finish his sentence, I went to get a pot to cook with and intentionally used it to make noise in order to drown his voice in a sea of clanging sounds.

"Please Miriam, help me with the noodles," I said. Miriam preferred it when I called her by her name.

"Yes small Madam."

With that, Miriam took out some noodles from one of the kitchen cupboards.

All the while, Richard stared at me in surprise.

After spending a short time in the kitchen, I took my meal to my room.

After eating my mind reverted back to the lingering question.

"Where is Miles?"

I did all I could wade that thought but each time it came back, it was with full force.

All of a sudden, a stupid thought birthed from the voice of my inner man crossed my mind.

"You miss him jor. Stop deceiving yourself."