CHAPTER 23&24
🍒TIMI🍒
“Boy?” I asked, looking at Kelvin, whose eyes widened.
“Don’t act dumb, young lady. I know that boy isn’t Atlas, so what is he doing in your room?” My dad interrogated.
“We’re studying,” I quickly replied.
“Studying? In your room? The other day, I saw you kiss the boy through the CCTV cameras,” my dad revealed. Oh, Sh|t! How could I forget we had CCTV cameras?
“So you have a boyfriend now?” he asked, his tone serious.
“No, I don’t,” I insisted.
“And you’re kissing him? Did you forget what happened before? How you were dating someone and you didn’t tell us about him, and what did that get you?” He continued, but I remained silent.
“Get him out of the house, and the only boy allowed is Atlas because you tutor him and we know him. That other boy, we know nothing about him,” my dad declared before abruptly ending the call. My gaze turned to Kelvin, and I couldn’t help but feel a wave of sadness wash over me.
“Can we only see each other in school?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
“I understand,” he replied softly, pulling me into a hug.
“Thank you for understanding,” I said, lifting my head to give him a kiss.
“See you tomorrow,” he said before kissing me again and then walking out of my room.
I stared at my door for a while, contemplating the mess I had gotten myself into. How could I forget about the CCTV cameras? And now, I knew my dad would be furious.
Turning towards Atlas’s window, I saw him sitting on his bed, watching me. Wait! Had he been watching me and Kelvin?
“Hi,” he greeted as soon as our eyes met.
“Hey,” I replied plainly, feeling a mix of annoyance and curiosity.
“It’s 5 already,” he stated.
“And how does that concern me?” I asked, not in the mood for small talk.
“I get it. I was really mean at first about the tutoring stuff and all of that,” he began, his tone apologetic. “I’m sorry, and I really want you to be my tutor again.”
“I don’t think I can teach you anymore, Atlas. You were rude, and you told me you already knew all of that,” I reminded him.
“Yes, I know. I was just annoyed about what you were saying about my…” he trailed off.
“Girlfriend?” I finished for him, raising an eyebrow.
“The thing is, I’ve been having doubts about her. I don’t think I trust her anymore, and I’ve been reconsidering everything you said about her. It’s not like I don’t like Dera anymore, I still do, but I don’t really know anymore,” he confessed.
“So, what’s my role in all of this?” I asked, skeptical.
“Since you know about most of her schedules, can you help me out? She’s been acting weird lately, and most of the time, she doesn’t leave school early. Can you help me find out if she’s really cheating?” he requested.
“Why would I want to help you?” I questioned, folding my arms.
“I know I’ve been a jerk most of the time, and I’m really sorry about it,” he apologized sincerely. I hesitated, not sure if I wanted to get involved in his relationship drama. But then I thought about his mother; I liked her a lot, and she had always been kind to me. Maybe helping her son catch his cheating girlfriend was the least I could do to repay her kindness.
“After that, don’t disturb me again,” I warned him.
“Deal. But can you still help me out with just one math problem?” he asked, flashing a charming smile. Oh, God.
~~~~~
I smirked as I dropped his pen on the table. “Last and least,” I teased.
“You’re really good at teaching. You should be a teacher,” he complimented, which made me frown.
“So, out of everything in the world, I should be a teacher?” I retorted.
“Yes, it pays,” he replied, gathering his books from the table.
“Why don’t you become an Uber driver?” I suggested, making him burst into laughter.
“Uber?” he repeated, still chuckling, which made me laugh too.
“Yes,” I affirmed.
“Okay, if I become an Uber driver, you’ll be a maid,” he joked.
“No, not a maid. I thought I was already a teacher?” I countered.
“Okay, fine. But have you ever thought about a teacher and an Uber driver getting married?” he asked.
“Getting married? Who’s going to pay the bills?” I shot back.
“Well, we can still pay the bills though,” he reassured.
“We?” I echoed, feeling clueless.
“It’s just an example,” he quickly clarified.
“Okay, if we’re working in the US, but not in Nigeria, of course we can pay the bills,” I reasoned.
“What about the kids’ school fees?” he inquired, making me pause.
“Wait, I thought I was going to be asking you the questions because you were the one who brought this up,” I said, trying to regain control of the conversation.
“Oh, I forgot,” he admitted, and we both burst into laughter again. I couldn’t help but laugh, even though I should have been mad at him.
“Okay, I’ll go home now,” he said, standing up.
“Bye,” I said, waving him off as he walked away.
~~~~
The next day arrived, and I went to school as usual. Atlas had informed me of the time we were going to meet after school, and he seemed genuinely hopeful that our plan would work.
“I hope your dad didn’t scold you too much?” Kelvin asked, making me smile.
“No, he didn’t,” I reassured him, returning the smile.
“Come here,” he beckoned, and I leaned in to give him a kiss.
“So…” he began, his voice trailing off.
“So what?” I prompted, curious.
“What are we?” he asked, catching me off guard. What are we, indeed?
“What are we?” I echoed, turning to face him.
“I should be asking you, because I definitely want more from you,” he admitted, his smile infectious.
“I can’t just assume you’re the one making all the decisions,” I countered, resting my head on his shoulder.
“So… would you be my girlfriend?” he asked, his voice hopeful. I smiled and turned to look at him.
“If I say no, what would you do?” I teased, wanting to gauge his reaction.
“What would I do?” he repeated, pausing for a moment. “I know it would hurt, but I just have to understand you,” he replied, his smile unwavering.
“I won’t play with your feelings, I promise,” he added, making me smile.
“You know you’re not the only one here who can play, right?” I teased, enjoying the banter.
“Maybe,” he conceded, smiling before giving me a peck.
“Yes, I would be your girlfriend,” I finally answered, and his lips immediately found mine. It was a brief yet blissful moment, even though we were inside the classroom.
“I still can’t believe this,” he murmured, peppering kisses around my face.
“Why?” I asked, laughing along with him.
“You’re not supposed to ask me that question, you know yourself,” he replied, and we shared another laugh.
“Now I understand what they mean when they say you have to work hard to get something,” he remarked, and we laughed once more.
“Today is actually the best day of my life,” he declared, his arms enveloping me as I rested my head on his shoulder once again.
It was already the end of the school day, and I had to bid Kelvin goodbye before heading off to meet Atlas.
“So… where?” Kelvin asked, looking a bit uneasy.
“Where you guys normally hang out,” I replied casually, making him nod in understanding.
“Oh, wow,” he remarked, and we started walking towards the restroom.
“I hope all this isn’t true,” Kelvin said, his worry evident. Poor guy.
We reached the restroom, and I used my pass to open it, but there was nobody inside.
“You see,” I said, turning to Atlas with a smirk.
“Are you dumb or what? We just got here; what if she hasn’t arrived yet?” I chided, making him sigh in frustration.
“So… what will you do if we actually catch her cheating?” I asked, unable to hide my amusement.
“I will get angry, obviously, but I will get over it,” he replied calmly, earning my respect for his composure. If it were me, I’d probably lose my cool.
Suddenly, we heard a sound, prompting us to enter one of the toilets. It was a bit cramped for two people, and we found ourselves standing very close to each other, our breaths mingling.
“Jude,” we heard Dera call out.
“Your boyfriend?” Jude asked.
“Oh, him? He’s just one of my flings,” she replied casually, sending a pang of sympathy through me for Atlas.
“Your flings?” Jude questioned, but then we heard the unmistakable sounds of kissing. I wanted to tell Atlas that I had warned him about Dera’s cheating, but seeing his calm demeanor, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
“Sorry,” I murmured to him, but he remained silent, opting to open the door instead. Our unexpected presence startled Dera and Jude.
“A fling, huh?” Atlas remarked, his voice betraying his hurt.
“Wait What?” Dera asked.
“I’m just one of your flings. How exciting,” Atlas continued, his gaze then shifting to Jude.
“Him, huh?” Atlas questioned before walking out of the restroom. I glanced at Dera, offering a sympathetic smile.
“Sorry,” I said, my smile widening as I exited the restroom.
“You think you have the perfect relationship, right? This is funny,” Dera remarked sarcastically.
“You don’t even need to tell me; I know I do,” I replied confidently, flashing her another smile before walking out.
“Why don’t you ask Kelvin about our little ‘flings’ together?” she called after me, but I simply ignored her remark and continued on my way.
TBC
