The Old House

NINTEEN

James

"What I'm about to tell you I want it to stay between me and you." I clarified looking at her intently.

"Come James, your secret is definitely safe with me because I'm not telling any single soul."

"Okay."

Then I pull her over to a park where there's just few people there minding their business.

"Remember my encounter with the old house."

"Yeah sure." Hannah gave me an expectant look, like she's expecting me to spill everything at once.

"Seems I'm not the only one that hear voices that comes from the old house." I paused and wait for her reaction.

She look shocked and horrified. "I don't understand what do you mean you are not the only one that hear voices from the old house?."

"You know Arike right?."

"Yeah, Aiyetoro High badass."

"She and four others narrate to me how they also encounter the same event I did on the night I heard the voice from the old house."

"Oooh, what voices do they hear?." Hannah ask curiously.

"Their loved ones voices, their loved one's that were killed just like I heard Becky's voice. Listen Hannah I believe this old house no matter how creepy it sounds is trying to tell us something and it won't stop till we get justice for our loved ones that were killed." I concluded and exhaled not realizing I was holding my breath all this while.

Hannah was quite for a while opening her mouth to speak but no word came out till she finally said. "This is really serious but I don't know if you can trust Arike and her friends."

"I don't trust anyone of them, I'm just trying to figure out what the old house is trying to tell me."

"And how would you do that?."

"I don't know but we will figure that out and I believe I will hear the voices again." I nodded in a reassuring way.

"Just be careful." Hannah said and held my hand making my skin crawl.
I stare at her hands on mine before looking at her face and we kept staring at each other for like forever till I cleared my throat.
"We better get going now."

"Yeah sure." She said looking anywhere but my face.

I can't do it not when I'm still mourning Becky, I need time to heal and process things.

We finally got to the grocery store and get all that we need before stepping out of the store just to see Arike walking towards the store, she saw Hannah and I before stopping looking at me suspiciously before walking towards us.

"Hi strangers."

"Wassup Arike." I greeted giving her a small smile.

"Hi." Hannah said giving her a bored look.

"Didn't know you two live together." She said her eyes glued on me.

"No we don't stay together but we are neighbors." Hannah said before I can say anything.

"Oh." Arike nodded. "Okay you two have fun need to run along." She said giving me one last look before disappearing into the store.

"We need to get home on time because mum would have been worried sick." Hannah said.

"Yeah."

"What took both of you soo long?." Josephine asked taking the groceries from us.

"Just showing James around." Hannah lied and wink at me.

"Oh yeah that's right." I said with a smirk.

"Okay then you two have fun." Josephine and walk to the kitchen.

Just then my phone started to ring and I saw it was none other than Arike.

"Gotta take this." I said to Hannah.

"Oh please." She waved me off and went to meet her mum in the kitchen.

I stepped to received the call. "Hello Arike."

"You told her, didn't you?." She said impatiently.

I was quite for a while before saying. "She knows before I met you guys."

"Oh fuck James, this was supposed to be between us and you had to spill everything to your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend, she's my friend and like I told you she knows before." I seeth clearly annoyed by Arike antics.

"Talking to you is a waste of time." She said and hung up.

I grunt in frustration and shove the phone into my pocket. Who the hell does she think she's, I know Hannah before I even met any of them and she thinks I'm going to keep anything from her, well they are wrong if that's what they think.

I turn to go back  into the house but saw Hannah standing at the entrance.

"Hey, how long have you been there?." I ask trying to read her expression but it was blank.

"Not quite long, she's angry you told me right?."

I rub my face with my palm and walk towards her. "I can't hide anything from you Hannah and I'm going to make that clear to Arike and others in school tomorrow, before I even met any of them I already know you and besides you were there when I first heard the voice from the old house."

"Yeah I know but I don't want to cause a rift between you guys."

"No of course not, listen Arike is just overreacting that's all." I said holding her hands.

"I guess she doesn't like me."

I smile. "She doesn't like anyone, remember you were the one that told me she is Aiyetoro High badass."

Hannah smile but then turn serious almost immediately. "Please be careful with that group."

"Yes Mum." I said and we both laughed as we went back inside.

Author's Note; Hello guys
Do you think Arike is just overacting??
Let me know what you think in the comment section and sorry I didn't update all this while been busy with school stuff.
I hope you understand and forgive me

#lesky