The Lies We Breathe

6. It's a blackmail thingy

OLUWATOBI IVORY BAMILOYE

••• It's gonna be alright, right? •••

I stared at my phone screen again sighing in frustration. That video, my video. I had watched it a thousand times and still counting, no capping.
Someone had my video.
Someone recorded me.
At first, I expected everyone at school to have seen it already but it's been 2 weeks and counting and no other person had seen it.

It's been two weeks since I saw that video and after two weeks, my message still sat comfortably in his/her dm; unread.

How have I been living?

Horribly! The fear was eating me up. The thought of the fact that someone actually had that video drove me crazy. It deprived me of every possible thought of happiness.
The thought of the fact that my entire life Could be ruined with just one video. A video taken as a result of my carelessness.

Still staring at the screen, I instantly typed another message.

What do you want?
- 13:04.

To my utmost surprise, the two ticks turned blue in about 5 seconds. Fear crept into me almost immediately.

" Ivory are you alright?" Came Halima's voice reminding me I had company.

"Yeah, sure. I'm good," I said faking a smile.

" You don't look 'good' Tobi. You've been staring at your phone screen for the past 15 minutes. I could bet haven't even been paying attention to a word I've been saying. "

I looked at her and gave an assuring smile.
I didn't need anyone to tell me that she was speaking about Malcolm and Maro. Again!
It's the only thing she ever speaks about these days and seeing my friend that way, I couldn't help but be worried. But I also had my own problems and they were yet to be solved.

My phone buzzed in my hand and immediately my heart beat accelerated.
My message was replied.

+234902405****
What do you have to offer?
- 13:07

"Tobi you're staring at your phone and not listening to me!"

"Of course I am. You were talking about Maro and ..."

"No! I knew you weren't listening to me. I was talking about Louis. And my sister of course. Wait, you really didn't hear a word I said? "

"I did and everything you said is perfectly alright. "

"Yeah, if you say so, " she replied nervously.

I looked at my screen again. Another message.

+234902405****
Meet me at B-court on Friday, 2:00pm sharp. Don't be late😏
- 13:12

That message alone was more than enough to kill me and send me 12ft below.
This person was a student of our school. Even worse, there's a large probability that it's one of my classmates.
The idiot even had the audacity to add a smirk to it.
All I ever wanted was to go to Paramount and live a quiet life. I never planned on chasing fame or living a life to be noticed by anyone.
If only wishes were horses...