(001 - Hoodie Memories)

First and Foremost, this chapter is dedicated to Riri Rihanna_Adedeji! Today is her birthday, that's why I actually picked this date to publish this book. Happy Birthday, Baby Girl. I love you so much ❤️❤️.

This Chapter also is dedicated to every single one of you that have been here from the BTS Family Series. Everyone that supported me, all my hyper-active readers (I love to call you guys my family members 😌❤️). You guys are the very best.

Chapter 1 will be the shortest of all the chapters so, I apologize in advance for this short chapter... and also because it will kinda end in suspense 🤣. But really, what is Temilade's book without a little suspense, am I right?!

Who is excited to start this journey with me and the characters?🌚

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𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐘
(Hilary Idara Eghosa)

My eyes shot open with a start, just about the exact second someone began to knock on my door.

For almost a month, it has been like this. Me waking up just when someone was about to knock on my door. It was like I had suddenly developed superhuman senses to know that someone was coming to knock on my door. Every single time, I would hold my breath, stand up from my bed and walk towards the door to open it...

Just like I was doing right now...

Hoping that he was the one standing behind it, ready to flash me his signature goofy grin and pass a teasing comment about me being a sleepy head.

Or call me a Monkey.

I took small steps towards my door, hoping, just like I have done for the past month, that he was the one standing behind it. As I turned the doorknob, I just knew, I felt it again. I was going to be disappointed, just like I have been disappointed the last month.

And when I opened the door, it wasn't him.

Just as I had thought.

"Hilary," She called softly to me and I looked at her, watching her worried gaze shift from my face to every one of my other features. She was Evelyn Eghosa.

My mum.

"Hilary!" I snapped out of my reverie, my eyes meeting my mum's worried ones. I had absolutely no idea how long I had zoned out. "Hilary, you are zoning out on me. Are you alright?" Her voice came out frantic and filled with anxiety. I stepped aside to allow her in and she walked in, the anxiousness still written all over her face.

She was worried about me.

Now more than ever

"Idara..." She called me by my middle name, obviously to get my attention when she saw that I wasn't saying anything. That did the trick because I finally looked at her.

"I'm fine mum," I told her and she looked at me skeptically, obviously not believing me. I sighed, running my palm over my face. "Really, I'm okay. Good morning, ma." I greeted her and her perturbed expression disappeared, replaced with a longing smile. A smile that didn't hide the sadness behind her eyes.

"Good morning dear. How was your night?" She asked but all I could do was shrug in return

I really didn't know how to answer that question and I didn't want to lie that it was fine. On a normal day, my silence would have made my mum prod further, to find out what was wrong. But today, she didn't ask me any further questions. She just smiled and took my hands in hers. She didn't say anything, she just held my hands.

"Your father and I are going to church soon." She said and I quirked my brows in confusion, wondering what she was talking about. "We just thought we should let you know before we leave." She added, increasing the confusion I already had.

"Church?" I asked, the confusion in my tone very evident. Mum chuckled slightly, shaking her head.

"Hilary, it's Sunday." She informed me. It was then her noticed her attire. Deep blue body A-shape short gown with lace sleeves, accompanied with bright red accessories. I looked over her shoulder to check the digital clock on my wall, which didn't only read the time but also told the date.

8:30 am
Sunday, 13th of September.

It really is Sunday.

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" I queried softly, moving away from the door to grab my towel that was hanging on one of my wardrobe doors. "I would have gotten ready sooner. Give me a few minutes."

"Hilary, you should stay at home," Mum said and I stopped what I was doing to look at her. With her eyes trained on me, she walked further into the room and stopped when she got in front of me. "You still need rest." She muttered and a short scoff escaped my lips.

"I've been resting for a month, mum." I countered, feeling all the emotions rise in my chest as much as I tried to keep it all at bay. "I'm fine. I feel okay. I just..." When she held my shoulder, I stopped talking. She wore a sad smile, shaking her head.

"You need rest, dear." She maintained, her other hand coming to my face, cleaning tears I didn't even know had started falling from my eyes. "Do you understand me?" I nodded, not having the strength to argue with her anymore.

"Yes ma," I whispered.

"Besides, you need to get everything prepared for resumption tomorrow. You are one week behind already." She stated matter-of-factly, turning around to walk out of the room with me following behind. She turned back to me when we both got to the door.

"I already cooked your breakfast." She told me. "Please, eat and take your drug, hmm?" I nodded. She sighed and pulled me to her, hugging me. I wrapped my hands around her middle, burying my face in the hollow of her neck.

"Everything is going to be okay." She whispered and I hummed in response. That statement sounded like she was trying to assure herself more than she was trying to assure me.

"Honey," Dad's deep voice came behind us.

I pulled away from my mum to look at him, watching him tower over us with his rather huge frame when he got to us. He was also dressed up for church like my mum, blazer and all. He smiled when his eyes met mine and I smiled back, even though I noticed the bags under his eyes caused by days, maybe weeks of sleepless nights.

"Sunshine." That was the pet name he has been calling me for as long as I can remember. He came closer to me, pulling me in for a hug before pressing a light kiss to my forehead.

"Good morning, Dad."

"How was your night?" He asked and again, all I could do was shrug. If he noticed the glumness on my face, he didn't mention it. And I was grateful. He turned to mum instead, informing her that it was time to leave. Mum turned to me and smiled.

"Don't forget to..."

"Eat and take my drug." I finished for her and a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Mum, I've got it," I told her and she nodded, hugging me again.

I followed them down the stairs, stood by the door, and watched as they got into the car. Waving them goodbye, I still stood, watching as the driver drove the car out of the compound. I turned back into the house, banging the door behind me involuntarily. It was when the bang resonated through the building, that was when I remembered, yet again, how empty the house was.

How lifeless everything was.

That's how it has been for almost a month now and still, I was yet to get used to it.

Taking a deep sigh, I made my way up the staircase again and back to my room, deciding within me that I'd just go back to sleep and probably wake up whenever I get hungry. But when I got to the end of the stairs, I found myself going in the opposite direction, towards his room.

Hilary, turn around. Turn around now! The small voice in my head tried to compel me, but I couldn't will myself to. I just couldn't.

I stopped when I got to the front of the closed door, my heart thumping in my chest as I took my hand to the knob. Low-key, I prayed that my mum had somehow locked the door so that I would just have a reason to turn around and go back to my room. But when I turned the knob, the door squeaked open and I came face to face with his room for the first time in weeks. I walked in like I was hypnotized.

The room was neat. Mum had organized and arranged everything just the way he would have loved it. His room has always been like this. Carefully and neatly laid bed at a corner of the large room, a reading table at another far corner, and a bookshelf filled with books. I knew for a fact that he has read every book on it.

Flashes began, of times we shared together in this room. I felt lips tug at the corner in a small smile as I reminisced every single moment we had in this room, everything we had done together, everything I had watched him do.

Times when I'd walk in and see his face buried in yet another book. He'd just tell me to sit down and wait for him but at the end of the day, that's all I'd do. Wait for him. But I never complained because watching him read was nothing short of fascinating.-

Or times he'd call me into his room, asking me to gist him about interesting things that happened in a school. Who and who got punished by the senior prefects or which teacher committed a grammatic blunder in the course of teaching.

We'd talk all night, without noticing till it's daybreak. Times he'd call me to advise me, to teach me things, to communicate with me. Times I'd steal his hoodie and never return them. He'd never mind, in fact, it was like he bought extra hoodies just for me.

"I need your yellow hoodie," I told him immediately I barged into his room, going straight for his wardrobe. He stopped reading the book in front of him and turned to face me, peering at me through his thick reading glasses, his bushy eyebrows raised in question.

"You collected my brown hoodie yesterday, Hilary. Where is that one?" He asked, folding his bulgy arms across his chest. I stopped rummaging his wardrobe and faced him, shrugging.

"You know I don't repeat clothes, especially hoodies. I want to wear the yellow one today. I'm going out with my friends." I explained, pouting and making a puppy dog look so that he'd reconsider just in case he didn't want to give me.

He sighed, massaging his temple.

"Open the middle wardrobe." He said and I squealed, rushing over to the middle wardrobe like he had said. "You'll see a bunch of new hoodies there, I just got them. Take all of it." With that, he turned back to keep reading while I stared at him in shock.

New hoodies?

"You got new hoodies?" I asked, incredulously and he chuckled, glancing at me.

"Yes, I got new ones just for you. So, you have to stop taking mine." He answered. I screamed and lunged at him. He saw me coming and widened his eyes in horror.

"Hilary, no..." But I jumped at him while he was still seated, knocking both of us off his chair and to the tiled ground. Thankfully, his body went down first, so he broke my fall. He burst into laughter, wrapping his hands around me to steady me against his body.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!" I chanted, my hands tightening around his neck and he chuckled, his laughter subsiding.

"You are such a Monkey..."

"I am your Monkey," I answered with a wide grin and he laughed again, shaking his head.

We were close like that.

He was the sweetest person on Earth. Easy going, hardly got angry about anything or at anyone and that's saying a lot coming from me because I pissed him off more times than I could count. Everyone loved him. I mean, what's there not to love?

He was Valedictorian of his set when he graduated high school three years ago, not to mention Head boy. Star athlete, robotics club president, a flawless school record and even a more flawless character. Drop-dead gorgeous.

He was my role model.

We were best friends.

Until...

Something caught my eyes on his bed and I froze, feeling my heart pick up a beat again. I swallowed, walking towards it, wanting to make sure I wasn't seeing things. I wasn't. It was actually there right in front of me, neatly folded at the foot of his bed. I thought mum had gotten rid of it. Guess I was wrong.

It was a hoodie.

His hoodie.

I stretched my hand and picked it from the bed, bringing it to my face and inhaling its scent.

It still smelt like him.

It felt like him.

That hoodie brought back a lot of memories.

Memories I wanted to bury so hard but seeing this hoodie, all of it came rushing back to me like a tidal wave. And I couldn't take it.

I can't take it.

I fell to my knees and bursted into tears. The house was empty. No one could hear me, not even the gate man. Which meant I could scream as loud as I wanted to. And that's what I did. I screamed in pure agony. All I could feel was pain. The memories were clear, I was reliving them again, and again, and again. I was seeing it all. Everything that happened that night.

Everything that went down that night.

He wore the hoodie that night.

He was my brother.

Henry Idahosa Eghosa.

He died exactly one month ago.

And it was all my fault.

𝐀/𝐍

And Action!

This is where it all begins. Gosh, I'm so happy to start this journey with you guys and we are starting with our first suspense yo!! 😌

You just met our female anchor, Hilary Idara Eghosa and her parents as well. You just met a family that lost someone. Hilary feels she's at fault for her brother's death. I know you guys have absolutely no idea what caused the death but I want to hear your theories in the comment session.

Don't worry, I'll publish the next chapter later in the day. I'm not saying whether it will give a bit of revelation or not. I just want you guys to fasten your seat belts because you are in for a hell of a ride.

I'll see you later in the day.