79Β°/ Her Wall of Glass

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I am back, my babies!!!!! So, are we ready for this one? Because omoh, your eyes may born with tears, but hold yourself iyeh! We are on this ride together! One Love!Β 

And the song for the Chapter is Chainsmoker by Diamond White. I was listening to it while writing, so yeah, enjoy the song. It's up there in the Media!Β 

This chapter has a lot of Flashbacks sha, so stay tuned lmaoo. I seldom ever do this flashback thing. May God help me.

Without much talk, let's get into this one!















~DABI~



"Chika Stephanie Chioma, you have to be joking."

It was four of us staring at Chika in thorough disbelief, confusion marrying our faces as we heard what she had just said to us.Β 

Evidently, the shock was beyond what our words could elaborate and granted, we were short of it, mouths hanging open in complete speechlessness, as we moped at the light skinned girl before us who looked like she was not in the slightest, capping.Β 

She could not be serious.

Please, God, she just couldn't be.

We were done and over with those Dares and Pledges. Completely. Soma had insisted we cancelled them. We were through this those. We were so done with it that we had even forgotten for a moment that it existed.Β 

Painfully so, it was clear to all of us that a girl like Chika would have still gone along with it. But, that piece of info didn't stay with us enough to be cautious of that. So, we were completely taken off guard.

And it was not even funny.

I prayed Chika was joking.

Unfortunately, so far I observed, she did not seem to be. Her face mirrored the same look of confusion in it as she stared right back at us. The girl was just looking at us like she genuinely could not see or understand this 'shock' from our own point of view.

"I don't understand this," She said to us, "Why are we all acting like it never happened? Is there something I am missing?"

Jesus Christ. She was serious. Chika was actually dead serious about this.Β 

The classroom was hot.

It was boiling in temperature.

Ironically, it was the ending of November. The air was dry and the night was stack cold, and yet,Β  this classroom, for some reason, seemed hotter than Hell. And with each passing second, the temperature was rising and rising, heating up the growing tension in the room more and more.Β 

"Yes, Chika, we cancelled our Dares!" Soma exclaimed. She seemed to be on the verge of running mad, big eyes widened in horror at Chika.

"How many times have we cancelled Dares and Pledges and I still went through with them?" Chika retorted, asking Soma, "Why are you all being so surprised about this? I thought you all would be well aware that I was still going to go ahead with my dare?"

It was painful because Chika was not even wrong.

We should have been aware. It just did not click. We should have been aware, really.

"Look at this," The light skinned girl said, moving her weaves to the side to show to us something that we had long forgotten about.

The Tattoo at the back of her neck.

The very one that showed the moon and the Star.Β 

That took me like a lightening bolt because it had almost slipped my memory until I saw it again, and had it all come back to me. Way back in Ss2, Last year, Ebere had dared Chika to get that tattoo. Soma insisted the Moon and Star saying she was inspired off the old Disney Classic 'Twitches'.

All of a sudden, Soma had decided that she was not comfortable with the dare, having that Chika could get into trouble in School for it, so the dare was called off. Chika had gone ahead to get the Tattoo. We all knew about this.Β 

So, by right, we should have also known that Chika would have wanted to extend her dare from that night at Yure's party. Until she was satisfied that it was done.Β 

I was dreading the horror of all of this, dreading the implication of it all. I feared for what this meant. I was in absolute sheer terror.Β 

"We were mistaken about Aaron Godson," Chika said to us, "We thought that it would be easy to get him, but we thought so wrong....."

As Chika spoke, her voice subconsciously trailed off in my head and details of that very night started to replay in my head, bit by bit and I swallowed hard and painfully as I remembered it all: the set up, the arrangement of all of us as we sat in a circle, as we laughed, dared each other, and horrifyingly, every single detail of the conversation that even pushed Chika's dare.

I recalled it all. As Chika's voice trailed off in my head, muting in volume by the second, the laughter and high pitched screams of excitement from that night we all sat for the Dares and Pledges was loudening; I felt myself shifting from the focus of the present, felt my mind and body leaving this present as it went a walk back memory lane.Β 

I remembered that night, it was the Twins that were the most excited about my dare. I was supposed to kiss any guy in the set that they would pick and while I was dreading the entire thing, the Twins seemed more excited than ever. I remember Chika tried to protest on my behalf.

"I am not comfortable with that dare," Chika had said, "Since when did we start including boys in our Dares and Pledges?"

I was grateful that she had spoken up for me.Β 

"I mean, if Dabi doesn't want that, if she's uncomfortable, we could drop it though," Soma had said, remembering to put me in consideration after Chika had mentioned it. "Right, Dabi?"

I remember being very uncertain on how to react.

But Ebere Onuoha was already speaking before I had the chance to utter a word.Β 

"Is it Dabi that's uncomfortable with it, or is it you?" She had playfully jabbed at Chika.Β 

I was confused on hearing her say that. Of course, even Chika and Soma were.Β 

"Give Chika one night and she could literally make any guy in our set fall for her," Ebere had went on, "Inarguably, Chi Mama is in the top ten list of prettiest girls in SS3. She practically has half the boys in our set drooling over her. But, she's not ready for that shit. She's not ready for all the boy fun drama, yeah? Not for herself and not for any of us too. Abi, that's why you want to stop Dabi, ba?"

I was just sitting there as Ebere talked about me like I wasn't there.Β 

"Allow Dabi to have some fun," She said to Chika, "Is she saying she does not want to do it?"

I didn't say a word that night. I was just quietly watching everyone.Β 

"It's all up to Dabi," Soma had said, "And, don't talk like Chika likes to be a buzz kill, Ebere. You know she's naturally just not into all these stuff and that's fine."

"Oh, no, no, I understand that," The twin assured us, "Chika is not the kind of girl to be all seductress on a guy; I understand, really. That sort of shit terrifies her."

I had not still said anything in protest and with Ebere's tone of dismissal, I thought we were about to move on.

But, Chika suddenly spoke up, effectively halting that process.Β 

"'Terrifies'?" She raised a brow at Ebere, amusement lingering in her brown pupils, "It's the choice of words for me."

"Oh, come on, Chi, you literally cringe at anything romance and boys," The twin had said, "If I didn't know you the way I did, I would have concluded that you were androphobic or something."

That clearly took Chika off guard.

She backed up, a slight frown creased her forehead. "Excuse me?"Β 

Soma took the mic from there, innocently oblivious to the fact that Chika may have taken the slightest offence in what Ebere had said.Β 

"It means Fear of Men, Chi Mama," The tall girl informed Chika, "Ignore Ebere, biko. Let's continue with our Dares and Pledges."

"I know what it mean," Chika said to Soma, before turning to Ebere to ask, "You think I am afraid of Men?"

"Intimidated would be a better term," Ebere answered easily, "Fear is not a strong enough term for it. You are a fearless person, Chi. And, no, I am not saying you are intimidated by Men, pe se. I am only saying that if I didn't know you, I'd have probably thought that."

Chika's face, I remember, was straight as a mother fucker.

She didn't look angry. She didn't look happy either. She was just very neutral. Calm. Very, very 'normal'. Like she did not have much emotions in her in relation to what Ebere was saying.Β 

Albeit, with the slight narrowing of her eyes and the subtle movements of her mouth, accompanied with the slight, very slight twitching of her lids, I knew that she was dead on disturbed.Β 

I had confirmed it when she refused to move on, but stayed on the matter.Β 

"So," She looked dead at Ebere, "What energy do I give off would make someone who doesn't know me to think that I am intimidated by men?"

Ebere looked startled by the question. The shifting and movement of her pouted lips made it clear to me that she was amused too, but was not sure if it was safe enough to laugh.

"Ah, Chi!" A careless chuckle left her lips, "Are you really taking this seriously? Chill, babe. I was just joking, really."

"No, I genuinely want to know," Chika insisted.Β 

"Nothing, nothing," Ebere tried to assure her, her lips stretching into an embarrassed smile.

"Just talk, Ebere." Chika pressed on.Β 

"It's just," She started, "It's just how you're always doing so hard. It could come off like you are just trying to prove yourself all the time."

Chika raised a brow in disbelief of what she was hearing. "Prove myself?"

"Babe," Ebere actually laughed a little, "You have over six boxing bags and over ten different gloves in this your bedroom.Β  You are into male and female mixed fight clubs, and I have seen the kind of people you love to challenge - the ones that are always twice your size, look physically stronger too, possibly walk into the ring with knuckle rings and knives, and 98% of the time, they are Men. You work out for hours and hours in a day without proper rest, like hard-core workout with heavy weights that a girl your age shouldn't even dare to lift; you are constantly pushing yourself farther than what should be your limit. Someone will think that you are training for the fourth World War."

"And somehow, that interprets to being intimidated by men?" Chika questioned.

"Possibly, to an outsider," Ebere answered, "It could look like you are intimidated, but on a low-key. That could be why you want to prove yourself and everyone else otherwise."

The silence in the room was enough to kill.Β 

I remember how eerie it felt, how it seemed like Ebere had stopped time with her ideology.Β 

"Jesus Christ," Ebere was alarmed by the silence she had caused, looking around the circle hysterically, "This one you people are looking at me like this, it's not that deep o."Β 

Chika's silence begged to differ. Her silence was threatening.

"You really don't have to ponder on this if it's not true, Chi,-"

Ebere was trying to say to Chika when the latter cut her short in mid-sentence.

"Outsiders don't think that, Ebere," She said to the Twin, "You do."

Ebere backed up. Studied Chika carefully.

"Chi, are you angry about what I said?" She asked her.Β 

Chika chuckled humourlessly.

A laugh that I remembered raised the hair on my skin.

"Why would I be?" She asked Ebere back.

"Because, for one, that laugh was fake as fuck," Ebere answered, "And you sound a bit defensive."

"You just insinuated that I am intimidated by men, when it is clear that I am not. Of course, I will be on the defence." Chika had responded.Β 

"I didn't say you were intimidated or afraid or whatever, Chi. I am just saying that with the extreme levels you push yourself to go sometimes, one may think you are trying to prove a point. People only try to prove a point when they are challenged. People feel challenged when they are intimidated by something."

Once again, Ebere had stilled the air. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, she had thickened the tension on the room.Β 

Chika said nothing. With that neutral look on her face, she looked directly into Ebere's eyes, never breaking eye contact for a second. With each gaze, the air was hotter.

"Can we not fight, please?" Soma had come in, her voice soft and pleading.Β  Hesitant and careful.

"I am not fighting with Ebere." Chika had said calmly.Β 

"We still have our Dares and Pledges pending," Soma had told us, "So far, we have only given Dabi's dare."

"I want to propose one." Chika said, eyes on Ebere.

"For me?" Ebere touched a hand to her chest.

"No," Chika responded, quietly folded her arms, face straight and plain as she looked still at the twin, "For me."

"You can't dare yourself," Soma tried to protest, "It's against the rules of Dares and Pledges."

"I will seduce a guy in our set tonight at Yure's party," Chika carried on nonetheless, "And I will make out with him too."

"Are you sure, Chika?" Soma asked warily.

"Why? You think I am 'terrified' too?" She asked Soma back.

"No, I just don't feel you would be comfortable doing that," Soma had said.

"Nothing dey there." Chika said, scoffed humourlessly.Β 

I couldn't even lie that I was not stunned in the course of the entire conversation.

"I can't dare myself, ba?" Chika went on, "So, y'all can go ahead and pick whichever guy from the set that it should be. No wams."

Soma's eyes had sparked with excitement, interest piquing in them.

"Ebere should pick." Chika said to the twin, "Pick any guy you think will be so 'intimidating' for me. Do the honours, my gee."

Ebere seemed to be surprised by the offer. She didn't even waste time getting on it.

"Okay na," She laughed softly, looked around the circle to ask, "On what category do I pick?"

"I recommend someone who will have the decency to not kiss and tell," Soma suggested.

Only then did I hear Ebube put her mouth in the matter.

"There are only two guys in our set who we trust that much," She had said.

"So?" Chika asked, "Which one of the two is it going to be?"

We all had one person out of the two in mind.Β 

And so therefore, the dare was sealed with a pledge.Β 

We thought it was all fun and games. We thought that there was no big deal to it. It was just going to be one night. One night alone and we would be done with all of this shit.

But, look at us today. Tongue tied. Confused. Wary of the fact there was a guy out there who could literally die for Chika in vain.

"Chika, do you even understand how awful Aaron is going to feel?"

Soma's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, bringing me back to earth with the question that she asked Chika.

I saw something between the line of guilt and indignation in Chika's face, but it was ever so subtle.

"You guys are the ones that made me want to do this," She accused us, "I wouldn't have cared this much about doing this."

"We didn't ask you to string him along, Chika," Ebere said.

"I didn't expect it to drag on this long," She said.

For a moment, I saw a torn look on her face. That look of distress and guilt, it deepened on her face, reddening the lightness of her skin ever so slightly.

That was when I knew that this whole thing was tearing Chika apart more than she let out.

She was breaking by the thought of what this all could imply, yet she acted like she wasn't.Β 

"I didn't expect this to drag on this long." She said again, her voice firmer, as though she wanted to use the firmness of her tone to prove to contradict what her facial expression was trying to give off.Β 

Pity.

I felt pity.

It was pitiful to watch her this way.

Did she always have to pretend to be so tough skinned?

"Aaron is our friend..."Ebere said, her voice in audible whispers.

"Why are you trying to make me feel so terrible?" She asked Ebere, her voice had a hint of annoyance in it as she looked at all of us, one after the other.

I could see it all in her eyes, the fear in them that was all masked with anger as she berated us.

"Why are you guys trying to guilt trip me, like you did not have a hand in this too?" She asked us. We were silent, watching her quietly and tongue tied, "Did you think about the fact that Aaron was our friend when you all let me go ahead with the dare?"

The silence in the room was so toxic. The air was hard to breathe. How we were able to still stand in all of this, I did not even know. I just didn't know.Β 

Ebere broke that silence.

"Chika, we..." Her voice cracked slightly, ever so slightly. She had stopped talking for a few seconds, gathering enough time to find back her voice as she said, "Chika, we didn't expect Aaron Godson to fall in love with you."

That destabilized Chika.

She must have had the self control of a soldier because she hardly showed it, but I could see it. For some reason, I could see it, with every subtle movement of her body language that gave off the contrary of what she wanted to prove.Β 

She took in a deep breath. Like that was what she needed to gain back her composure. Slowly, with steps that I could count the space of three seconds in between, she walked towards the front desk, took the seat, sat, and stared quietly into space for what seemed like an eternity.

Her face told little to no emotion. Really. I could read almost nothing off the look on her face. She was so neutral. So calm. Almost seeming undisturbed. Too chill for this situation, to say the least. I wished I could know what was on her mind.Β 

She just sat there.

And watched space quietly, untriggered.Β 

"Chi?"

Someone had to call her.

I was happy when Ebube did. We needed to remind her that we were still all here.Β 

Chika looked up at the twin, eyes as undisturbed as ever, the most casual look on her face.Β 

"Hm?"

We stared at her.

She stood up, even more casually swiping off dust off her elbows, stuffed a hand in one of her pockets as she raised a brow at us and tilted her head as though she was looking at us in observation.

"Let's go," She said, "It's already almost 7pm, and soon, Casper is going to be calling us to leave."

Was she mad?

Chika started walking towards the door while we were stuck on our feet.

"We aren't done with our conversation, Chika."

Ebere made that clear behind the girl who was walking away like nothing happened.Β 

Chika stopped, looked at us over a shoulder. "What conversation?"

"The one about Aaron being in love with you," Ebere answered.Β 

"There is nothing to talk about there." She responded.

"Yes, there is," Ebere said behind her.

Chika turned around to us, her face impassive.

"Aaron is not in love with me," She said to us, "He can't be in love with me."

That was not true. It couldn't have been. I saw how he had looked at her back there. That guy was whipped for her. Completely wrapped around her like a motherfucker. He was gone!

But Chika declared otherwise, so assuredly.

It was the certainty in her voice for me.

How could someone talk so much nonsense but still sound so confident and sure. What superpower was this?

"Don't say something like that again," She said to us, her voice in a subtly warning tone, "Aaron can't be in love with me. It's just not possible. I don't know what is up with him, but it's not love. It can't be love, because that shit doesn't exist.

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