In Between.

#17

I watched from a distance because an attempt to drop my bucket and watch the drama was followed with a shout by the ragaraga man assigned to supervise us.

Jennifer started her sluggish annoying way of talking that could make you go nuts in minutes and feel like smashing her head into the nearest wall.

Turning to the flower and emptying the contents of the bucket on it, I let my mind leave Jennifer and Nkechi 's drama display and turn to Ituah.

He was surprisingly quiet. " What." He blurted out immediately I turned to him. "Nothing." I replied with a frown.

As he walked past me, he slightly bumped shoulders with me. "You know you're the one that caused that mumu fight that is happening there."

I hissed falling into step beside him. "And you it's because of you I'm fetching water right?"

We reached the tap and once more I placed the bucket under it as Ituah occupied the next tap. I was shocked to see that our little drama time which would have sold out an entire theatre was over.

It made me smile just realizing Nkechi was getting more mature each day. The thought of her made me recall what she told me earlier.

I'm going to help you write your test.

What if she got caught trying to help me, and what if she wasn't even smart enough to make me get the 15 I wished for.

My line of "what-if" thoughts were broken as ituah snapped his fingers in my face directing his eyes to ground level.

I looked down to see my bucket already full and overflowing and the naval personnel no where to be found.

"Where is the man?" I bent my bucket letting water flow out of it until it reached the middle. Better. I cannot come and kill myself.

Watering the flowers, we both silently went back to the tap as probably half of the whole school were heading to the kiosk to get what they wanted to eat.

My stomach growled and I wiped off sweat that was beginning to form on my forehead.

"Where is even the naval personnel sef? Abeg me I will leave oo." Ituah looked round as he lifted an almost empty bucket and started towards the flowers.

"Ituah." I called as he stopped and turned, "What?" "Is there water inside that bucket?" I lifted my middle filled one and walked towards him.

"Were you sent to school to water plants?" He shot back as I eyed him and poured the water on the flower.

After the 10th bucket and a throbbing palm, I adopted Ituah's ways and stopped being the good girl.

Just then, the bell for break over went and like an ambush, naval personnel from all around the different corners came to chase students away to their classes.

I waited patiently, counting the time. SS2 students would be out very soon and I'll know if I was getting a 15 in the test if she helped me or if I was stepping into another realm of trouble.

If she got caught, it was obvious that I would be dead meat. I had already even decided to go back to explain to my maths teacher after the punishment so she could give me my iwn special test.

But what if she had helped me? Then, I would be left hanging not knowing what to do. I sighted my cousin from afar off. I knew her anywhere and everywhere.

She had grown so part of my life that I considered her a blood sister instead of my blood cousin.

"Lois...why?" She reached me yanking down her sweater to cover her palms. Nawa o in this heat again she was still wearing sweater.

"Ituah." I said making Ituah turn to me and give me a 'shey-your-ok' look. "What is it not because of you. " I carried my bucket as Anna just sighed and shook her head.

When I reached the tap she was still there. She looked sick and tired. "How was the test?" I placed my hand on her shoulder pulling her from her thoughts.

"Abeg(please) I don't want to talk about it." She folded her hands under her sweater. "Wait... it was bad?" Ituah asked and she just shrugged not looking at him.

"Ehen ok o." Ituah said releasing a small laugh. Anna's head shot up and locked eyes with Ituah. I resisted the urge to hiss and roll my eyes. Why did he laugh now? Mtchew.

I stood there utterly confused when my cousin and Ituah engaged in some sort of staring battle. Okay just kidding it was a brief eye locking.

A brief eye locking. If I wasn't sharp enough, I would have shrugged it all off and said the feeling was mutual. I disliked Ituah and my cousin was always in support of my opinions.

She disliked the boy and so there was no big deal.

But when I looked at her, and saw what her eyes read, I knew it was much bigger than that.

I didn't need to study her to know something was wrong, we had been together since childhood so I could read her like a book.

Shutting her eyes, she breathed out and Ituah went to the flowers leaving the both of us. I waited patiently for her to open her eyes.

And when she pulled them open, all I saw there was fear.

Thanks for the reads, votes and comments. Please remember to stay safe.

❤ praise.