Awakening emotions

~ ANGEL'S POV ~

I bit my lower lip in thought. Would mum find out that it was missing?

My heart was racing and my whole being was overwhelmed with guilt. I could hear the voice in my head calling out to my wrongdoings, but all I wanted to do was to blot it out. I wanted it to leave.

"Please go away..." I whispered to myself and shut my eyes for a moment.

Would she find out that a part of her savings had gone missing? Well, it wasn't my fault that she didn't own a bank account. Due to my mum's illiteracy, she didn't want to keep her money in the book with the belief that they were thieves dressed in suits.

"Na our olden days style I go dey use take keep my money," She would say.

She would keep the money inside her room and forget to keep it locked most of the time. Using that opportunity, I took 5000 naira from her savings.

As I walked to the cafeteria, I could hear the voice still calling out to my wrongdoings. I hardened my heart and ignored it this time.

I didn't order anything and simply headed straight for the table at which Bimbo and her girls were eating at.

I stood in front of their table, not daring to sit without their permission.

Bimbo's once cheerful expression as she conversed with her friends fell the moment she set eyes on me.

"What is it?" She asked, an eyebrow raised in disgust.

"I came here to give you something," I said with all the courage I could muster.

"Something?" She chuckled and so did her girls. "This your lesbianism rate don dey increase o."

I swallowed hard.

"I have 5,000 with me," I went on, trying hard not to mind their mockery.

"Of everything you owe me, 5,000?" Bimbo's eyes widened in mockery. "The kind of poverty that is doing your family ehn. I don't even know what to call it."

I swallowed hard again.

"Please accept it for now," I pleaded.

She eyed me up and down for a moment.

"Hand it over," She finally said.

I quickly reached inside my blazer and placed my fist into her open palm, leaving behind crumpled naira notes.

Without counting it, she quickly hid it away in her blazer.

"Next time," She continued. "I won't condone such nonsense from you. I won't accept anything less than 10,000 naira anytime you want to pay me back. Am I understood?"

I stared at her in disbelief.

"W-where do I get such money from?" I stuttered.

Her forehead creased in that moment.

"When you came to me for money, did you ask yourself that? I said what I said," She scoffed.

"Yes," I sighed in defeat.

Just then, Funke tipped her drink over and it spilled all over my skirt. Even though she made it seem like an accident to everyone else, I knew it was on purpose.

"Oh I'm very sorry," She tsked and proceeded to use the hand she had used in picking up stew filled meat from her plate to pat my skirt, staining it with oil in the process.

"I-it's fine," I stepped backwards and held my skirt to myself.

"Make sure to clean our seats before we come back to class," Bimbo sneered at me.

"Mm," I simply nodded and walked out of the cafeteria looking like someone who had just finished eating like a villager and had stained her skirt in the process.

Even though those three had always bullied me, the fact that I was owing Bimbo money was enough to make me indebted to them. Everything they said, I had to do because I had no choice.

Getting to class, it was empty. Thankfully, no one would stare at me like a lunatic for cleaning Bimbo and her friends' seat

I grabbed a napkin from my bag. It was a napkin that I brought specifically to clean things up for Bimbo. I made sure to wet it lightly with water from my bottle before taking it to lazily clean the seat.

Just as I was doing so, Daniel came in.

Oh how I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me. Our eyes met and I quickly looked away.

Why did he have to see me in "slave mode" of all things I was?

He said nothing to me and moved to his seat.

Oh yeah I forgot that he and Bimbo were still together. Why would he even like a girl like me?

I had been so lost in thoughts that I had been cleaning the seat for longer than planned. It was then I heard my name.

"Angel."

My eyes sharply turned to meet Daniel staring at me.

"Y-yes?" I asked nervously.

"Why are you doing that?" He raised an eyebrow in question.

"Um...uh...I-I felt like helping Bimbo and the rest out. You know we're all very good friends," I laughed unnecessarily.

"Oh I see," He slowly nodded and averted his gaze to the phone in his hand.

I soon went to my seat and my gaze had been on him for sometime when Bimbo, Funke, and Stella walked in.

I quickly looked elsewhere. I didn't want them to make me chew my feet this time around simply for staring at Bimbo's man.

Bimbo glanced in my direction with a scornful look on her face. She was probably angry that I had been alone in the same class as Daniel.

She then moved over to sit on his laps. From the corner of my eyes, I saw her actions and my heart sank greatly.

"Babe, how have you been?" She placed her forehead against his and pouted her lips in a way that showed she wanted all his attention.

And he did give it to her by setting his phone aside and cupping her face with his palms.

"I've been good," He replied but before he could even say anything more, Bimbo locked her lips onto his.

My gaze fell downwards and I didn't even bother to use the corner of my eyes to look at them.

The pain I was feeling from hearing the kiss sounds they were making was too much. Why did he have to like Bimbo of all people?

*.*.*.

~ TILDA'S POV ~

"Thank you for being a friend. Thank you for watching my back and being there for me in little ways," I smiled at him. This was me genuinely expressing my gratitude.

He stared at me speechlessly or maybe he was just waiting for me to finish speaking.

I reached for his hands. Why I did? I don't even have the slightest idea.

"Thank you Miles Wesley," I said, looking a lot more serious than the previous time.

"I-I," He chuckled. "I don't know what to say. I didn't really do anything to deserve all this."

Embarassment suddenly came over me. Was he making me waste my saliva to respond with something as that?

"You do," I gently squeezed his hands and that caused him to stare at me for a some time.

"Yes ma," He nodded with a half smile. I returned the smile and let go of his hands.

.

.

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~ MILES' POV ~

With the way she said every word, I felt each one and knew very well that she meant it all but it felt strange to me.

I was too dazed for words being that someone had actually said, "Thank you" to me. Why was this girl making me feel emotions I never felt before? Did she have hidden powers that she didn't want me to know about?

First, she made me feel pity and now, she made me feel happy and peaceful just from hearing a simple thank you that no one had ever said to me.

People had always seen a monster in me but Tilda had managed to not see that in me for some reason.

With all these going through my head, my unblinking gaze remained on her face. It felt as though she wanted to turn away but was somehow still holding my gaze as well.

"W-w-what?" She stuttered, her eyes refusing to leave my face.

"I... don't know," My voice trailed off and I looked elsewhere.

The air had suddenly grown awkward.

"I-I-I-I think I should leave now," She got on her feet and I lifted my gaze at her.

"Alright then," I nodded.

She then started walking away. My eyes lingered on her till she disappeared through the door that led back to other storeys from the roof. What power did she possess that could make me feel this way?