"I don't need your help." Timi spat, hiding his book behind him, his brown eyes glaring holes at his older sister.
       
                  Tokunbo rolled her eyes, pushed past him and sat on his bed, patting a spot.
       
                 "I'm not exactly willing to help you. Mom asked me to."
     
                 "I. Don't. Need. Your. Help." he gritted.
       
                  "Fine!" She hissed, standing up. "If mom asks any questions about this, better be ready to tell her what you said because I am not taking the blame."
             He stuck his tongue out at her in reply.
So freaking childish, Tokunbo thought and rose to her feet.
       
                 "Idiot." She muttered, leaving his room.
       
                   He was still mad that she threw his girlfriend's ring into the bushes.
    
                    Girlfriend my foot.
     
                 Anger, jealousy and hate bubbled up in her veins. She hated that feeling. It reminded her constantly that no matter what she did, people's actions bothered her.
        
                     I wish it didn't. I wish I could just get lost like Emrys and stay that way.
       
                     She laid on her bed, relishing in its comfort, and like a magnet, her eyes landed on the only window in her room. The window she had vowed to never open. Not after seeing it was directly facing Elijah's window. She couldn't understand why her face burned at the memory. It had to be hormones or something along the lines. She groaned and buried her face in her pillow, recalling the event.
   
             "She had finished arranging her room. The books are in their boxes. The trophies and medals are on their shelves. The clothes in their closet. And the bed by the window. The window that faced Betty's house since her room was the one near the stairs that separated their apartment from Betty's. She had opened it, excited to feel the breeze blowing in. But the breeze was all forgotten when her eyes landed on the window opposite.
          Elijah's room.
         He stood by his window too. In Obama printed shorts, playing with a yo-yo. She had stared for a while. More than she should've. Then he looked up and with a burning face she slammed the window shut and never opened it again."
 
           That had been a week ago. She had avoided their group ever since. There was no way she could face Elijah without turning into a tomato.
       .  "What are you doing?" Her mother stood in the doorway. She looked like she had tied a calabash to her stomach.
             "I wanted to sleep," Tokunbo stated sitting up, eyes wide in expectation.
             "Sleep ke? In the afternoon? Stand up jor! Mama Elizabeth told me that her daughter is at home. Very nice girl. She even knelt to greet me one day."
              She resisted the urge to groan. She knew where this was going.
            
              "So go and play with her na. Since you're not busy. Maybe she'll even teach you something sef." her Mother sneered, lips curled in distaste.
            It was no news that her mother didn't like her much. Their relationship became strained when she was five and wouldn't let her mother doll her up like she wanted to, anymore. Her Father had supported her then. All the more reason for her mother to be vexed.
            "Yes, mother. I'll go meet Betty."  Tokunbo sighed in resignation. There goes precious hours of sleep.
******************************
             The knock was short and curt, with her hoping against hope that Elijah would not be the one to answer the door. She heard shuffling, the rapid movement of feet around the room. Something fell and someone hissed loudly, probably in pain. Then for a while, there was silence.
             "Who's there?"
             "Uhm, it's me. Tokunbo."
        The whole house was in ruckus again.
       
        Almost like they're trying to hide something.
       
           When the door finally opened, a rather sweaty Betty stood before her in some purple flower dress, eyes wide in either fear or wonder. Or maybe both.
            "Hi" She greeted meekly. How else was she supposed to greet someone she'd avoided for three weeks. "My mom, she asked me to come over. Your mom's with her."
             "Oh.... Oh."
            "Yeah," Tokunbo mumbled. They stood awkwardly for a minute and she felt like she had worn a red dress to a blue and white themed party. "Uhh, I have no problem if you want us to hang out all day in front of your door."
            
       The sarcasm seemed to wake her then.
       
            "Oh my God." Betty gasped, covering her face in embarrassment. "Sorry. It's really surprising to see you, that's all. I mean you literally ran away from me the last time I tried to... call you. Come in. Come in." she grinned grabbing Tokunbo's hand and the latter winced at how sweaty her hands were.
           "Please sit down" Betty gestured to a plush brown sofa.
             "Thanks."
              "Can I get you anything? Water? Tea? Coffee?"
                 
       Uh.... What?
      
              Tokunbo stared incredulously at her before tearing up in laughter. 
           "What is this? A visit to the Royal Palace?"
            Betty giggled too, and then her eyes widened.
           "Keep it down, my dad's asleep."
            "Oh. Sorry." She apologized covering her mouth.
        It was quiet again. Betty had taken a seat on a chair a few meters away.
           
          Something was off.
         
            "You okay?" She asked.
            "Uh? What? Yeah... I mean I am."
             "You don't seem relaxed."
             "Pssh, I'm completely fine," she said grinning widely it almost looked genuine. But her hands trembled. Tokunbo knew she was nervous.
            "Betty, you're sitting on the edge of the chair." She stated giving her a pointed look.
              Betty let out spurts of air from her mouth in response, before sinking into the chair.
              "See? I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm perfect. I'm just shocked that you're here, that's all."
              
            Lies.
        
          She hadn't needed to assure her three times in a sentence if she were truly fine. She would've ranted her head off or probably dragged Tokunbo around the house for a while if she were truly okay.
  
           You shouldn't care. You know what will happen.
             Tokunbo shrugged in response, forcing herself to focus on other things.
          And then she saw it.