CHAPTER 6

Josiah stood back as I walked to the door and inputted the entry code to the house. The doors hissed open automatically and I turned back to Josiah, signaling him to follow me.

From my peripheral vision, I could see Josiah gawking around with awe. I could only imagine what he was seeing; automatic metal doors, ceilings as high as the sky that also lit up, chandeliers in various rooms, clean white walls, polished mahogany furniture, marble tiles and glass center tables, beautiful African and European art hung on several walls, tall tinted windows amongst many others. I nudged him softly.

"Quit gawking like a peasant" I laughed softly, trying to make light of the situation. Of a truth, I felt uncomfortable with him knowing the full extent of the wealth I grew up in and I wondered whether it would change his view of me.

I didn't want anything to change his view of me.

"You do have a lovely house," he replied, his eyes finally finding mine "But some would consider mine better" he smirked.

Oh, brother. I rolled my eyes.

"Is that a challenge of some sort" I looked fiercely at him with a small smile.

"It is whatever you want it to be"

We were standing in the middle of the living room while we spoke, and suddenly, I heard a soft clearing of throat. I turned around to face Uncle David. He was a large man, and his bulk took up a large amount of the door frame. I looked over him; he was wearing a formal white shirt that swelled at his stomach region due to his big tummy. The shirt was rolled at the sleeves, and he had on simple tailored black suit trousers and on his wrist, he had his silver Rolex on and his hair was a brushed low-cut, revealing his sporting waves. I gazed up at him as I tried to read his dull black eyes.

"Joan, you have arrived," he said in his signature calm tone, and he looked over at Josiah "And you brought?" he raised a hairy eyebrow much to my fear.

"Josiah Okogie, sir" Josiah stepped forward "I am a classmate, if you are wondering why-"

"Joan will show you where to stay." Uncle David abruptly turned around and left.

Josiah stood there stunned into silence for a beat as I was and suddenly, he pulled me into a bear hug "Can you believe it, you were worried over nothing" he laughed, a burst of contagious laughter and I began to laugh too "We get to chill at your house together!"

"We do," I sighed with relief "This should be fun" I smiled.

"Now, come on," Josiah tugged at me, "show me where to stay." he smiled wide.

I took him on a little tour around the halls and different places in the house; I took him to our in-house swimming pool and our sports center, which included our basketball court, football field, and lawn tennis and table tennis courts. I showed him the library- which was probably the only place other than the dining I had left my room to be in after my parents' death. I was showing him my favorite book, 'Are You Afraid of the Dark' by Sidney Sheldon when suddenly, he held my hand firmly effectively lowering the book.

"You read novels?" he asked quietly.

I cleared my throat, not finding my voice "I- I do"

"Including romance?" he smirked annoyingly.

"Including but not exclusive to," I said "I read everything"

"Hmm," he mused.

"Let's go," I said turning around "Let me show you the-"

He pulled me back, still holding my hand "I kind of like this place, Joan," he said, "and since you are so hell-bent on running away, we shall talk here"

I looked up at him and found his eyes focused on me, his jaw set like he wasn't going to take no for an answer. "Fine" I cowered "what do you want to know?"

He looked down at me, his gaze piercing mine, but he wasn't saying anything. He was doing it on purpose, to unravel me so that when he finally spoke, I would answer him quickly to get it over with.

"If you have nothing to say, then release me," I said, "and this habit of you holding my hand to keep me in place is becoming tiresome"

"It's because you are so prone to running away," he said smoothly "so I have to keep you in place"

All of a sudden, I realized that Josiah was actually very smart, too smart for his age- sixteen. He read me so well and it seemed like he could understand my tells, the fact made me very uncomfortable.

"You are making me uncomfortable, Josiah" I ground out.

"Oh," he said "I don't mean to"

"Yes, you do," I said, "or you wouldn't let such a tense silence pass between us or look at me that way"

He suddenly stepped back "What way?"

"Like you want to penetrate my head and insert yourself into my brain"

"I'm sorry," he said, "it's only you won't talk to me until I kind of force it out of you. I worry about you, Joan, I just want to know that you are fine"

His words warmed me all over. How lucky I was to have a friend like him.

"Josiah, I- I am fine." I looked at him with shaky eyes "I've just been-" I stopped myself. I hadn't told anyone this before, so why now?

"Do you trust me, Joan" He looked at me with the most innocent, vulnerable expression I had ever seen on him and in that moment, I knew I trusted him.

"I trust you," I said softly and my words echoed around the room.

His lips curved in the most happy smile "Then, what is it?"

"I've just been thinking back to my parents' death" I blurted out.

He gave me a once over, his brown eyes darting all over me, and suddenly, he pulled me into a tight, comforting hug. God knows I needed the comfort. I didn't know when tears began to pour out of my eyes and onto his shirt.

I didn't know that I could let myself cry.

He gave me tender back rubs, and we stood there for what seemed like hours, with me clinging onto his shoulders, crying, and he, standing there, comforting me without complaining. When I had no more tears left in me, I pulled away from him with a light sniffle.

"You actually look cute when you cry, you should cry more often," Josiah joked, and a light-hearted giggle found its way out of me. He reached into his pocket and, getting a handkerchief, he cleaned my face and my eyes. "You haven't shown me your room yet, since your bags are still in the living room, we can take it to your room now," he said, pocketing the handkerchief.

I nodded, and we both left the library, heading to the living room. He pulled my wheeled bag, and I put on my backpack, and we both headed to my room.