Gone Bad (Nigerian Novel) -Editing

Chapter 10: Fight Me

"You're still a minor." he refuses and I flutter my lashes like I didn't know what I was doing.

"That didn't stop you from qqasking me on a date." I counter.

"It was for you to get to know me, I said I'd wait we're still friends right now," he argues closing his eyes to fight his desires.

I pull away disappointed that I wouldn't be getting my first kiss today.

"Are you celibate?" I ask out of the blue and his eyelids fly wide open.

"No, are you?" he asks me.

"Why can't you just kiss me then?" I respond refusing to meet his eyes.

"You already know why," he says giving me that look.

I roll my eyes extending a hand to him. "Fine goodbye handshake?"

He cracks an award-winning smile and takes my hand. "Now that I can do."

................

When I get home Mummy is on a phone call and my Dad is absorbed in his world of NAN News.

"This country has spoiled. See Minister Hameed Lawal charged for stealing 100,000 million naira and storing it overseas," he exclaims with his hands flying in the air.

Mummy casts him a sideways glance and returns to her call. "It's your Daddy o! I don't know if he wants to bring the house down with his noise," she says and I shake my head.

Her voice rivaled the television speakers, yet everyone else was responsible for the noise pollution of the atmosphere.

"Good evening Mummy, good evening Daddy," I say and rise from my kneeling position.

Daddy nods and Mummy presses her phone to her chest. "It's your sister she's coming in two days for summer holiday."

"Okay, Mummy tell her I said hi," I respond and leave the room before she can rope me into a long conversation I was not ready for.

Don't get me wrong I and my sister were close but conversations in front of my mother was a no-no.

Both of us would receive several "igbatis" (slaps) before we knew what was happening, as we tended to tell each other secrets that wouldn't live to see the light of day.

In my room, I pack my bag for tomorrow and a piece of scrap paper rests on my little wooden table.

Don't forget rehearsals

Ah yes, I had agreed to take the place of the junior who had bailed on us and perform their poem with Demilade.

I would have to see that boy tomorrow and I didn't know how to face him after all I said today.

His words hadn't left me and now I wondered if I could truly be friends with him.

Funny how I could doubt his sincerity but believe every word from Isren.

I guess in a way Isren seemed more trustworthy, I had known him for a shorter period but in that time he had been direct and unchanging.

But Demilade never had any interest in my friendship from when we were 12-year-olds. His 360 change was harder to believe.

I scoff and lay down on my bed my mind once again drifting to my rejection.

It stung a little to hear 'no' but heightened my excitement for my eighteenth birthday.

Wait o. I didn't even know how to kiss apart from what I had seen in Romcoms.

Was it even that nice? I mean the idea of exchanging saliva did not sound very appealing.