Easier said than done.

By the time it was safe for the forensic officers to come along, the flesh had already rotted beyond salvation.

Officer twisted tongue had blamed us for being careless, pointed to a certain chemical in the lab and gabbled something that translated to; 'you should have used that chemical to preserve it'. Needless to say, we were unable to get the equation.

What math problem was I seated by my desk and solving by 1am?

It was the one I got from my latest nightmare.

I know. It sounded very foolish and inefficient, but there wasn't any other way to tell how much time we had left and I had a feeling that it was the correct equation, all I had to do was to get the correct answer.

I'd failed miserably in doing that so far.

So much for being 'smarter than I let on'

Sigh.

This was one of those times in which I felt the burning need to smoke, but my stash had been ruined by that gift, everything in my locker had been ruined by the gift.

I had no money left either, the money mother left me had vanished along the lines of stocking up on necessities and delivering the week's due to 'healing hearts foundation'.

I needed that stuff or I'd go bat shit crazy with all the numbers swimming in my head right now. So I did the next best thing to do, I snuck out through the window to meet with my supplier. Hopefully, he would let me have some without asking to pay in kind.

Sigh.

It was easy to get away from the dorm. The room I stayed in was on the ground floor and there was next to no security considering that the girls were all refined breeds from well to do parents, none of them will have the heart to be rebellious. Scoff.

If only they knew.

Climbing up to the third floor of the staff quarters without encountering the blinding lights of aging security men was a herculean task though. It didn't matter that I wore the right camouflage or was as agile as a monkey, nothing ever got past the eagle-like vision of those babas, except from me, though it was just once when I got lucky.

I almost got lucky this time as well. Almost.

"Isabella Adeoti," someone called from below when I had just climbed past the second floor. Although it was just a level higher than a whisper, it was enough to make me lose my grip of the only solid thing my right hand was holding on to and I started sliding down the fat pole my other hand was tethered unto for stability.

Second floor was still far away from the concrete ground and there was just about enough speed to make the impact nasty. Nobody needed to inform me, I knew my end was near.

That was until I slid past a window and strong, warm hands grabbed mine. I didn't know how the savior was able to do that, but I was grateful. My hope soared.

"Hold on tight, I'll try to draw you in. Don't look below you," due to the whispering, I couldn't tell who he was until after I had successfully landed on my ass twenty long minutes later.

"Balogun." I didn't try to hide my disappointment.

"Yes. Me," he grunted and stretched his had to help me up, "expected someone less of an eyesore?"

That's putting it lightly.

"You shouldn't have bothered saving me," I grumbled and stood up on my own.

Of course I was grateful, but he didn't have to know that.

"Why thank you. It's a pleasure," he replied and walked away from me.

"I didn't thank you," pointed out.

"You don't say." I loathed the amusement that laced his tone.

"Okay, I'm outta here," scoffed and made towards the door.

"Take your leave through the channel you came from. I won't appreciate queries for doing minors." I tried to say something in return but found no suitable comeback. I gave up in the end and redirected my steps towards the window.

"However, if you fall again, you might not be so lucky." His back was to me, his frame shielding whatever thing his hands were busy with, yet he was aware of my movements. I would have been impressed if it was anyone else but him.

"What should I na do? Pass the ceiling?" I snapped in irritation and sat on a cane chair.

"The place is decked. There's no ceiling," came his sombre reply.

"I know right? Didn't you like study sarcasm in literature class?"

"I'm a graduate of applied physics Isabella." He said in a matter-of-fact tone.

I huffed in embarrassment and decided to stay silent. Who knew Badoo could win a battle of wits?

Silence reigned for a few moments and I habitually looked out of the window, wondering how I was going to escape the trap I'd landed in all because of my foolish cravings. Now all my efforts resulted to nothing, I still would't be getting my blunt.

"Want some?" Badoo's voice sounded incredibly close that it startled me but when my eyes landed on what he was offering, my lips curled up in a smile.

Who knew Badoo also liked to party?

I snatched all three perfectly wrapped blunts and a lighter in excitement, much to the amusement of the long man. I was past caring.

He dragged a chair and stool closer after he finished wrapping more blunts. The stool held on it; two ash trays, a bowl of peppermint flavoured sweets, more and more blunts and bottles of spirit. I had to admit, I was impressed.

"Seems to me like you were expecting company," I commented with a raised brow and he snorted his reply.

"Who wants someone like me as company? These are the best company one can get." I nodded grimly in agreement and took a deep drag.

"But you know this can land you in hell right?," I questioned tentatively. That was the first time ever Badoo had said more than four sentences without adding the 'H' word. I wondered why.

"Aren't we all living in one?," he questioned in reply, his words loaded with meaning. I kept mum.

Silence reigned once more, each to their own thoughts. After a few minutes, I decided to break the tension.

"What you said that day before assembly. What were you trying to say?" It was the question that had been on my mind for days, the question that I'd snuck into his room to seek answers to but found none.

His heavy sigh reduced my hope of ever getting any answer.

"I know a kindred heart when I see one," he said silently, after several other sighs. My curiosity was piqued of course.

"What does that mean? What do you mean?" He shrugged and tore open a peppermint.

"You're smart. Decode it." No. Not this again.

"I'm not smart."

"Keep telling that to yourself."

"I'm nothing like you either." A low rumble sounded from his direction. It was a chuckle.

"You're not smart at all. Yet you decoded it under two seconds." I wonder what it was with people suddenly thinking I was smart, I was tired of convincing them otherwise. I decided to ignore him and busied myself with lighting a fresh blunt instead.

"I wish I can assure you that at some point, it'll get better but this level of hell we're in. The only thing that will ever get better is our strength to withstand the anguish." He said suddenly and I looked up to see his bloodshot eyes glowing with an emotion I knew and understood loud and clear. The fear began creeping up like goosebumps and I couldn't stop it, no matter how much I tried.

"What do you mean?," I snapped and stood up abruptly, "what do you want from me?!"

His eyes monitored my movements as I hurried towards my escape but the made no move to react.

His next words stopped me right in my tracks.

"I want a friend, a companion. Perhaps, a listening ear." His tired voice pleaded.

I understood without him saying it that he was pleading to be listened to and understood. He was pleading to be treated like a normal human being with feelings and needs. I understood because I felt it too, I felt it more often than not and that was the reason I turned around and made it back to the stiff back chair I'd recently vacated to settle my ass.

I had just two words on my mind and I didn't have trouble voicing it out, "why me?"

His voice held gratitude when he gave his reply, "like I said before, I know a kindred heart when I see one."

"Like I said before; were nothing alike."

"You said 'I'm nothing like you' earlier."

"Such close attention to the words of my mouth?" I scoffed bitterly.

"You have no idea how much attention I pay." I stiffened.

"What was that supposed to mean?"

"That I know you're as heart broken as I am because I was attentive enough?" I calmed slightly, he might carry the sage aura around him but he had no idea what he was saying.
Me? Broken heart?

"I'm not heart broken, I've never dated before," I murmured in reply.

"And how your mother treats you?, what happened with you and your father didn't leave you heartbroken?" I doubled over in shock, that was a blow below the belt.

"He's not my father."

"That's not the point," he sighed.

"I don't care," I shot back.

"You do care."

"It's none of your business!" I growled and fumbled with the lighter and my fifth blunt.

"Slow down on the smoke. It's a school day today," he tried to snatch away the lighter from my shaky hands, I slapped his away.

"I can handle it." There was another sigh.

"Trust me, you can't."

I barked out a humourless laugh,"trust you?" I knew that wasn't the point and that he was right. I was beginning to have happier thoughts.

"See, I won't beg you to trust me... I won't... yada yada yada... bla... crap...yada yada... bla bla bla... tell you a story." I smiled happily.

"You want to tell me a story?"

"Not one story ...bla...bla...yada make you my human diary."

"Human diary," I giggled, "I like the sound of that. What to I get in return?"

The voice was far away when it replied, "what do you want?"

"How about helping me solve a math equation?, and giving me free stashes of smoke?" I mumbled after pretending to think about it. I knew I process a single thought in my head at the moment and I was definitely going to regret this action come morning.

"Deal or no deal?," I giggled and stood to my feet to shake hands with my new partner in crime. I heard a faint agreement as his warm hands grabbed mine and pulled me to him in a fierce embrace. He was beginning to smell and feel like hot cop.

I giggled at my stupidity.

The night started to blur out gradually and it was a matter of time before darkness settled in and oblivion took over.

😑😑😑
A new chapter for the morning.

Sorry about the long wait.

This chapter is for TheSADRiter, thank you for the votes and comments on the first chapter.

Please be kind to vote comment and share if you enjoyed the chapter.

Till we meet again,
Stay safe.
✌illusionistic.