K.C Philips

Chapter Eleven

11 Years Earlier

K.C woke up with a throbbing pain in his neck.

After he woke up, it didn't take long for him to remember that he fell asleep in the car. He shifted in his bed and recoiled at the ray of sunlight that filtered through his window. Then he sat up, his neck clasped by his palms. Soon enough, the memories of the previous night began to reappear in his mind.

Fisayo.

Jessica.

Dotun.

He fell back to his bed, spread out his arms and stared at the ceiling. He remembered Jessica's kiss, Fisayo's rape and Dotun's mauling. He began to relive the memories one by one.

Jessica liked me?

He and Jessica had been very close since they shared the same class in JS2. She was always trying to get closer to him. The thing was, K.C saw her gestures as her treating him like a brother. That was all. The thought confounded him the more he thought of it. Then, the most shocking and unexpected.

Fisayo got raped. By that bastard.

That was the last thing K.C expected to experience on prom night.

How could he?

K.C seemed to hate Dotun the more with every passing second. K.C began to nurse a silent hope that the beating Dotun received was enough to send him to the great beyond.

He sat up again and picked up his mobile phone. He had messages from many set mates of his. He saw texts from Jessica and Chinedu. He scrolled through again. None from Dotun or Fisayo. He didn't want to hear from them. He opened his numerous texts.

Guy! WTF happened? Why did you mass Dotun like that? The guy was carted off by an ambulance.

K.C. Better start praying that Dotun doesn't die o.

Why can't you leave a happy couple alone!!! You practically ended the party with that!!

I'm never going to forgive you for ruining my last moment in Nova Gus. Tiri Gbosa for you.......

K.C felt a pang of guilt after reading the sarcasm in the last message he read. He couldn't blame himself. He had to stand up for a friend. Still, what amused him was the fact that he felt guilty when Fisayo witnessed him kissing Jessica. He thought Fisayo's arrival signified him having a shot at Fisayo. It did, really. He opened Jessica's text:

Letting off the burden in my heart to you would be much harder if I called. I'm sorry for kissing you. Maybe if I hadn't, you would have had a chance with Fisayo. The thing is, I have strong feelings for you. I always have. I constantly told myself those feelings were basically me being your sister and confidant. But deep down, it's was-and still is-more than that. But it's evident you don't feel the same. When you ran off, the fire in your eyes when you pummelled Dotun. It is evident that we would never be. And it breaks my heart even more as I type this. Goodbye, K.C. I hope you find your love.

K.C felt a huge pang of guilt and sadness. He was speechless. He rubbed through his face with his palms and closed his eyes. He had just lost a friend in Jessica. His phone rang; it was Chinedu.

"Bro. What's up? Didn't you see my text?" Chinedu began. His voice was laced with agitation and excitement.

K.C totally forgot that Chinedu texted. He managed to spill out "I'm sorry bro. I fell asleep in the car yesterday. Any news?"

"Yes. The news of Fisayo's rape has gone viral. Rumour has it that Fisayo's parents will press charges."

K.C jolted up. "What about Dotun?"

"Nobody knows. One of the chaperones called an ambulance. Nobody knows his fate beyond that."

K.C chuckled. "Where were the chaperones when I mauled Dotun?"

"Duke's dad was having a word with them. But guy, you have no reason to fear. Everyone understands why you did what you did. Dotun deserved it."

K.C sat down in front of his mirror. "Thanks a lot. I hope to see you around."

"Reno is having a party next week Friday. I'm coming. I reckon you'd be there. It's going to be mad."

"Alright. I'll think about it. Later."

"Yeah man. Later."

Chinedu hung up after that. Mr James walked in to meet K.C sitting in front of the mirror.

"Good morning, Mr James." K.C said, tiredly.

"K.C? You don wake? You know say na for car you come sleep yesterday. How you dey?"

"I'm good, thank you."

"I come here to tell you say Betty don prepare your breakfast. She say she cook omi...."Mr James was trying to recollect what Betty mentioned.

"Omelette." K.C said.

Mr James smiled and bowed his head slightly. "You don talk am. I dey downstairs."

"Alright sir. Thank you." K.C said, but Mr James had already stepped out. Gazing into the horizon beyond the window, K.C wondered if, ever again, he would meet Jessica, and if it turned out to be so, he wondered if he would ever be in a position to hurt her the way he did on prom night.

Or even worse than prom night.