It hurt.

And yet it didn't.

She felt nothing and yet she felt everything.

How did she end up like this?

Munachi crossed her feet's together and pushed her self backwards on the swing.

Did she deserve to live?

Why was life this mean?

Why were people this mean?

She sighed and moved again.

Today was a horrible day for her, it started horribly and seemed like it was ending horribly.

She woke up with this deep almost painful feeling in her chest -A first hint that her day was going to be terrible and it was.

She'd forgotten to do her English assignment and had gotten flogged for it, something she didn't feel... She did feel something, but it was just this light sting, almost as similar as the bee sting she'd experienced weeks back.

And then came her encounter with that.. That murderer.

He'd made her smile but now she couldn't remember why or how it'd happened.

All she knew was.. She wished she could cry, wished she could get rid of this damp pain in her chest, get rid of her new suicidal thoughts..

But she couldn't.

She'd wasted her tears already and now had none.

She's been a coward right from day one, an unwanted error.

She didn't deserve to live.. But deep down she also knew she didn't deserve to end her life.

She didn't have that right.

This was Nigeria, if she did survive the suicide attempt she'd been immediately arrested or bundled up to a Mountain of Fire ministry church to cast out that demonic spirit in her.

Munachi Odumba chuckled, she could imagine her mother jerking her body violently above her while shouting "Fire! Catch on fire you devil! Die by fire! Fire! " She laughed.

That'll be funny to watch.

"Didn't know Numb laughs. " That voice startled her.

Or did she wish it startled her? She turned her head while the swing swung, the sight of Rooney's face brought a frown on her face.

It was his fault she'd forgotten to do her assignment.

She turned back again as plainly as she could and ignored him.

"You're angry? Look, I'm sorry. I heard what happened in your class. "He walked to stand in front of her.

How did he already know what happened?

"So, Nachi can now shine(Be unaffected by) cane? I remember, how you use to cry once uncle Tim's cane touches your palm. " Rooney smirked at her, she found her feet amusing now.

The way it was dangling back and front intrigued her... It was suddenly more intriguing than Rooney's face.

"Say something. "

She looked up.

"What? " She asked, he shrugged and sat on the swing besides her.

"I dunno, say you've forgiven me."

"I haven't. "He nodded.

And moved his swing.

"Well, I can live with that. But please stop being so monotonous. " She turned her neck to stare at him.

"Eh? "

He snickered.

"Keep telling you to read ahead of your class. Monotonous is like giving one word kinda answers. " He wasn't sure if he was accurate but well he wasn't here to teach her grammar.

At least now she had an idea of what it meant.

Arthur had told him in the auditorium about how he'd walked past Eight grade A and saw Numb receiving strokes of cane on her hand with a boring blink.

Arthur naturally had a strong phobia against canes, long sticks or rods coming in contact with his skin so he couldn't understand how she'd received five strokes without shaking.

Rooney would've received such and acted like she did-Like it didn't affect him, other people could've and even the Arthur would've done same.

So Rooney didn't understand his interest. It wasn't a big deal, most people could shine cane.... But then most people weren't her.

But since it was her, it was a big deal.

To him but not to Arthur, so why his interest?

Arthur had also told him about how he'd offered to massage her palms jokingly and how that had made Ms Ojeche, their English HOD laugh and a few girls giggle.

Although she actually did take him up on the offer and then Arthur ended up rubbing in some penicillin on Munachi's palm gently while she blinked at him.

He'd kissed her palm almost subconsciously and that'd made her giggle almost subconsciously, it was the way his lips tickled against her skin that she surprisingly found amusing and smiled at him. It warmed his heart to know he'd brought a smile on her face.

Rooney concluded that his friend was far beyond being confused as he listened to him narrate what'd happened. One day he hated her and dissed her body and then another, he was describing her 'beautiful smile'.

Then a couple of seconds later the dude was saying things about how touching her had made him a bit numb, made him ashamed a bit... Everyone had seen him get emotional with Numb and according to Arthur, it was a bit disgraceful.

And Arthur ended up confirming how very confused he was by vowing never to do that shit again with her, which Rooney didn't just understand.

Well, his friend had gotten a lot more confusing after his father's kidnap especially with the Chiamaka shit he was doing

"I'm not. " Rooney's attention got snapped back with that voice he was getting fond of hearing.

"I'm not monotonous. I say more than a word. " Her lips told him and he nodded.

No way was he getting into an argument with her.

She looked down again and watched the ground.

She wasn't monotonous, she just didn't feel the need of saying more.. She wasn't inspired to continue speeches anymore.

Rooney looked at her and looked away, he wanted to see her smile, he craved her happiness... Why was Arthur the only one permitted to see that rare sight?

Why were his former classmates in primary school permitted to see it and he wasn't?

"Don't you want to know how I found you? " He asked her and she shook her head.

She was in the school's courtyard, it was lunch time and she was the only one here, it would had been easy to sight her.

Instead she wondered why he wasn't in the auditorium practicing his dance moves or whatever they called it.

"No rehearsals? " She quietly asked.

"There is. I'm not just there. "

"Why? "

"Monotonous."

She rolled her eyes and almost cracked a smile...

Rooney had hope now.

He could do it.. He could make her smile.

"Because I'm here. Durh! " He smirked, she shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Why?"

"I'll rather learn you instead than a few dance steps." He told her honestly and she turned to face him.

"Why? " he rolled his own eyes.

"Because why has two branches and a long tail. " She cracked a smile.

He watched her lip tug upwards.

A bit.

"Grow up. " She muttered and looked away.

"How did you find out about the flogging? How did you link yourself to it? How did you know that it was because of you-" She paused in between every question before Rooney interrupted her.

"-And Silvana" He didn't get why she was leaving Silvana out.

And did Munachi just say all those words to him?

"She offered to help me do mine when aunty requested for the assignment. She's innocent, you're not."

"Why did she now flog you? " Rooney scowled, Ojeche was really stupid... She did the homework so why cain her?

Maybe if he'd bribed her with a pen she'd left Munachi alone.

Smirk.

"I refused. I don't like people helping or doing my things for me, I would rather receive strokes than cheat. " She paused and smiled.

Rooney missed that high upward tug of her lips. He'd stared at the ground two seconds too early.

"Besides, the cain didn't hurt like that." She turned to look at him with a geeky smile on her face.

He smiled and then laughed.

He'd achieved his short term goal.

"You're now a big girl. Munachi the cane shiner. Omo baddest(Bad child)"She giggled.

It pierced his heart and heated his body up... Her laugh was pure music to his ears.

"I'm serious. It was the stupid massage that that murderer gave me, that hurt. "

Murderer?

Arthur? Was a killer?

"Arthur Dike. He's a new student. "She gave her own form of explanation.

"Who did he kill? "

"What. What did he kill. " She corrected him sharply.

"Okay. What. What did he kill?"He mimicked her and she giggled.

"My bee." Rooney smiled and remembered Arthur explaining something like this.

"Don't mind him, he's stupid-"

"-I heard that." They both turned at Arthur's voice.

"See Numb, if you're going to tell everyone my crime why don't you say the full story? Guy, they dey find you for auditorium(They need you in the auditorium.)" Arthur said and stood in front of them.

Munachi starred at his fitted shorts and his untucked shirt.

"What full story?" Rooney asked and hoped Arthur would catch his drift.

He already knew the full story... He didn't just want her to know he knew, he was acting like they didn't spend time gossiping about her...

She didn't need to know that.

Arthur unfortunately didn't catch his drift.

"Guy, I've told you bef-"

"-How you find us(How'd you find us?)" Rooney jumped in quickly, chuckled nervously and hoped Arthur would take the hint this time.

"You're in the courtyard, once you walk into the building you two are the first sight to behold." Arthur understood the unspoken hint Rooney had passed.

Later he'll explain.

Rooney smiled, "So... We're a sight to behold?" Arthur rolled his eyes at Rooney, removed his shirt and hung it in between Rooney and Munachi, his school shirt dangled besides Rooney and Munachi.

Another act done almost subconsciously.

"Yeah, a stupid sight." Arthur whispered, Rooney didn't hear him but Munachi read his lips.

Arthur's scrunched up eyebrows were signs that he didn't like what he was seeing.

When did they meet that they're suddenly this close?

"Guy, we're rehearsing and you're here. How do you even know her?" Arthur asked.

Rooney looked away and glared at his friend's shirt that was hindering him from seeing Munachi's face.

"I just met her, she's not as Numb as you all think." Rooney half-lied and Arthur nodded.

Munachi reflected on his words...

Just met? She'd known him since she was seven or six...

She'd had a crush on him from the moment he'd used his drumstick to tap her head.

He definitely did not remember that day since we just met.

"But she still is. She's numb, see she's not even talking. " Arthur rolled his eyes at her and scowled.

She blinked.

"She's just looking. Like one idi-"

"-Guy! Una mama! We dey find una and una dey here with babe, which babe be that wan self(Dude, your moms! We're looking for you two and you're both here with a girl. Which girl is that?)" Kenelum's loud voice stopped Arthur from completing his sentence and stopped Rooney's mood from changing.

Rooney turned and counted his friends with his eyes. They were all complete, even Chidinma was present.

"Guy, una dey share one babe? Share reach me oh, which girl be this(Are you two sharing one girl? Include me! Who's the girl?)" Kenneth asked and walked closer.

He stood next to Arthur and scrunched his eyebrows at Munachi.

Why was Numb here? It definitely can't be her.

"Where the babe now(Where's the girl?)" Kenneth genuinely asked, turning his head to hit home.

"Eye don dey fail you(Your eye's now failing you?) See my babe here." Rooney smirked and yanked down Arthur's subconscious means of separating them, he hurled it at him and spread his arm over Munachi's shoulder.

"Ahh, since when?" Dominique was beside Kenneth now.

"Since today. " Rooney pulled her closer and she inhaled his scent.

"Guy, no mind am, person he meet for courtyard today(Don't believe him. They just met today.)" Arthur wrapped his shirt round his neck.

Rooney smiled.

He wasn't hiding Munachi or denying her. He was just removing a fact that they didn't need to know.

He knew her before he knew them.

Before he was Darrel and Darren's brother, she knew him even before he became the Rooney they knew.

"Guy, but she's Numb. What's wrong with you?" Kenelum eyed her but Rooney watched Chidinma, they were all lined horizontally in front of them.

"Yeah, what's up with you guy?" Segun frowned.

"It's all your fault guy, if you didn't push Rooney, he wouldn't had clashed with Numb and this shit won't be happening. " Dominique stated.

"Guy forget that thing jor! They for don meet another day.(They would have met another day.)" Nonso's words sounded wise to Rooney and that was a rare occurrence.

We would have met another day, because even before then we'd met when I bumped into her.

We've revolved around each other for years, like a moth to flame, I was always close by.

"No mind am, mouth dey scratch am(Don't mind him, he's just looking for words to say.) Bastard." Kenelum hissed at Dominique, agreeing with Nonso.

Rooney rubbed Munachi's back and she stared at his groin area.

She was still inquisitive. The emptiness in her chest was slowly fading away.

"Hey." Chidinma's husky voice snapped Munachi back from her half-trance-full-gaze fixed on Rooney's crotch.

She looked up to make sure she was talking to her and she was.

Munachi's eyes widened and she nodded at her.

Rooney's male friends all groaned... Including Nonso.

"See snubbing! " Segun yelled and rubbed his head

Chidinma eyed him, shoved him and yelled. "She didn't!" and continued, "She nodded her head, blind bats."

Rooney noted how her breasts jiggled when she pushed Segun.

He was still very much attracted to her... She still was a walking temptation.

"Abeg e. You talked, she nodded. If that's not stupid, sue me." Kenneth

"As in eh. " Arthur sided with them and Rooney frowned.

Munachi dropped her gaze back to his crotch region.

Arthur saw that.

Did she gawk at every guy's prick?

No one else did.

"See guy, we were rehearsing and those seniors dey find you(Are looking for you.)" Chidinma told him, Rooney frowned.

"Arthur guy self, you said you go go find am you too come loss, we con dey find you join."Segun.

"Abeg guy, I don't even want to go to that place again... Ninth graders dey vex me."

"I swear...! " Nonso exclaimed.

Munachi looked at him, he gave her a small smile.

Nonso.

He was in her class. The attractive class clown.

"Sha, na true jor. Their own don dey too much. " Dominique.

"Me I no get problem with any girl. Their set guys no just get chance of getting sense." Kenelum joined in the conversation.

"How you go get problem with girl ? Omo baddest!"Rooney hailed and Kenelum smirked.

"Guy, forget that thing... I'm still a virgin. "

"Then me I don have sex." The way Chidinma had said it had Munachi pulling away from Rooney.

Why couldn't they be alone?
Who were these people? She needed to practice something on Rooney... In private.

Rooney glanced down at her, he met her eyes and got the non verbal signal she'd passed...

He also wanted them to have some privacy.

"See Chidinma, what I heard now was 'Then me, I don't have sense.' Thank God you don accept am(You've accepted it)" Nonso teased.

"As in eh. Always pronouncing your sex as sense... Senx, senxy."Dominique smirked at her.

She looked down and played with her feet, all the signs ignorantly missed by the boys.. But Munachi noted that.

"But its cute." Rooney stared at curvy Chidinma and smiled, she smiled back.

Munachi looked up at Rooney then at Chidinma and left her gaze on Dominique...

Didn't he know?

"Minick why she dey look you?"Kenneth directed Dominique's attention at Munachi.

He shrugged and smirked

"Maybe she's in love." Kenelum teased Munachi playfully, she gave him a weak smile and looked away.

"Guy shut up. Don't be stupid, act like you have sense." Rooney harshly told him, his anger being based off the deep heavy feeling that was resting on his chest at the thought of Munachi liking Dominique ...

Liking anyone else.

But Kenelum didn't know that, his blood began to boil.

Second time he was doing this shit... Because of her.

Nonso and Segun both erupted into loud mocking laughter's and Kenelum's anger doubled.

Nonso's hyena themed laughter was annoying on it's own.

"Guy, both of you should gan(go and)die." Kenelum snarled and walked away.

Rooney watched his close friend and made a mental note to apologize later.

He could go now.. But, he loved the way Munachi's body felt against his... He loved the feeling more than he cared about Kenelum.

He could wait.

"Guy! Go apologize now! The guy dey joke you con take am seriously (Go and apologize now, he was joking and you took it so seriously) " Kenneth narrowed his eyes at him.

"As in eh. You no try." Segun

"Because of this babe oh." Dominique added... He frowned at Munachi since he couldn't bring him self to glare at her.

Her now wide eyes were pitiable. He felt the urge to hide her under his school jacket, a very overwhelming urge to protect her.

Nonso was still laughing as he choked out his words;

"Guy, how many times you wan insult the guy for her matter?! The guy no even con get chill at all o! Go meet am na! Waitin you dey wait for?!(How many times would you insult him because of her, you don't even chill a bit! Go and meet him, what are you waiting for?)"

Rooney glared at Nonso as he wheezed-laughed-spoke and wished he'd just wheeze and die...

How dare him talk to him like that?

Was he giving him an order?

Why the fuck did he think I'd obey him?

See this Warri fool.

He looked down at Munachi and she met his eyes.

Just go. Her eyes screamed at him, he raised an eyebrow and she nodded.

Fine! He groaned and pulled away from Munachi so he could stand up from the swing.

Chidinma quickly replaced him.

"Fine! Oya na! I dey go! But if I no see the guy ... Sharp sharp return things be that. (Alright then, I'm going but if I don't see him I'm immediately returning)" Rooney's voice took up a different accent ... Took up Nonso's Warri accent.

I also could be local...

"Hi... Again." Chidinma's feet nudged Munachi's.

She turned.

"Don't just nod, please biko (please). I swear, it's annoying. Forget." Chidinma's low voice scolded Munachi, she looked down and nodded.

"Hi."Chidinma smiled, the guys were gone. They'd all thought it wise to make sure Rooney really apologized.

"Ehen. Better, I'm Chidinma... You're Munachi right?" Chidinma smiled widely at her.

Munachi admired her beauty with one thought fixed in her head- She'd never be this beautiful or have half the shape she did.

She was stuck at figure one while, she was a figure eight.

"Answer me now!" Chidinma snapped her back.

"How old are you?" Munachi's question unbalanced her for a minute.

"Sixteen. You?"

"Fourteen." her reply amused Chidinma and she grunted.

Very young.

The guys were returning, Dominique's voice being the deepest of them all.

"Fourteen. I remember when I was fourteen." Chidinma muttered.

Dominique's loud laughter bounced off the windows nearby and caused it to vibrate.

They were closer now.

"He likes you. "

"Who?" Chidinma had a hint of who she was talking about after all, the younger girl had seen his smirk and her feet play but, still she asked...

Wouldn't hurt her to be specific.

"The big one. Minick?"

"Dominique?"

Munachi nodded.

"I know, he told me." Munachi nodded again at her reply and looked away.

"But we're not dating. I don't like him." Chidinma continued.

"How do people date?" Second time her question unbalanced her.

Why didn't she ask 'Why don't you like him?' and mention an attribute she liked about him?

Like most girls would've?

"A guy asks a girl to be his girlfriend and they date, they do exclusive things together that's not supposed to be repeated with another, eg Fucking."

The process in reproduction.

"Cuddling, touching each other's private parts."

She'd poked his... Was she dating Rooney?

"Kissin-"

"-Kissing is disgusting. "

Chidinma sighed.

"Kissing guys is disgusting." Munachi stared at her.

"That's why I don't like him. I don't like boys, I like girls. I expected you to have asked why I don't like him, that he's fine big and tall, he's this he's that. You didn't, so I'll tell you." She paused.

"I'm gay-"

"-What's gay?" Munachi asked and Chidinma expected that... Or at least expected a weird follow up question and she did

"Gay's when you're attracted to the same sex. Instead of the opposite -"

"-I'm not gay." Munachi interrupted with a wide smile.

Chidinma smiled at her teeth.

She really is cute.

"I know... You're dating Rooney right?" Chidinma smugly smirked at her and wiggled her brows. Munachi shrugged.

"I don't know. But I've touched him.. His dick. Are we dating?" Her reply surprised Chidinma.

The way she said amu suprised her the more... Ah-moo.

Why'd Rooney be spoiling this girl?

She knew they weren't dating, she just wanted to rouse a reaction out of her.

Teasing her was fun... She was unpredictable.

How would she answer her bounced back question now?

"Well-"

"Waitin una dey talk for dia?!" Kenelum's voice shocked Chidinma and she jerked.

She'd felt like she was committing a crime and she'd been caught red handed.

Discussing Rooney wasn't a crime.

Him scaring her was.

"Guy four and Q! FourQ See how my heart just flew now!" She stood up and shouted at him.

"Oya guy, where the heart?" Segun smirked.

Rooney was still a feet away from the swing, he was discussing subtly, talking to Arthur while he nodded.

And Munachi watched them... Watched him and seconds later their eyes met.

He smiled at her and mouthed 'Hostel' to Arthur who nodded, before he broke into a jog to meet Munachi.

He sat on the swing besides her and wondered if he should ask her to lean on him, do it him self again or just wait for her to do it naturally...

Have you met her?

He draped his hand round her shoulder again and she snuggled close to him this time. Taking off the thinking stress of how to pull her closer this time, off his shoulder.

He appreciated that.

"Come oh. Una two dey date? Which kain touchy-body be this?!" Dominique smirked.

"No..." He muttered. Munachi looked up.

He looked away. She pulled away.

She suddenly wanted to be alone.. That empty feeling in her chest was back in full force.

He hadn't said anything wrong or mean to her... But she felt attacked.

Rooney smacked his forehead with his hand ...

How could he be so stupid? Why'd he even answer that?

He'd hurt her.

But they weren't dating! He said the truth!

He didn't want them to date... He wasn't sure he liked her yet.

He enjoyed her company and her inquisitiveness but that didn't mean he liked her, right?

She was still the same Munachi from Primary school ... He never had a crush on her then, she was annoying then and always looked for ways to make fun of him... No guy liked being insulted.

She changed.

But not for the better.

You liked her then.

You like her now.

I didn't.

I don't.

She pissed me off a lot, but still I enjoyed pissing her off first.

Randomly drumming on her head and just her head.

Did I like her back then?

I.. I did?

Rooney argued with his self as he watched her blank face stare at the ground.

Her full lashes beautified her face.

He shifted his gaze to Chidinma who was arguing with Nonso now as his friends all watched her. Arthur's hands akimbo on his hips..

Did he like Chidinma?

Had he ever tried to make her smile?

No.

Had he ever imagined her naked under him?

Heck yea!

He smiled and looked at Munachi.

Had he ever tried to make her smile?

Yes.

Had he ever imagined her naked under him?

No... Not like there was anything to imagine.. She was flatter than cardboard.

But you like her like that.

Shut up.

Had her smile ever frozen him up?

Yes, even her laughter warms my heart.

How consistently did he think of her?

Every hour... Even the wall reminds me of her.

Would she dating another guy affect him?

She's too young to date. So yes, it would.

If he found out she was doing things he did with her.. How would he feel?

Gun dey... The guy has lost his reason to live.

Why would he care?

Because he liked her.

Because I like her.

I like her.

He likes her.

A smile formed on his lips and her eyes looked up to stare at his.

They'd both decided the same thing, the same time.

They liked each other.

The reducing sadness in her chest as she watched his lips tug up proved that to her...

She liked him... No words needed as they said unspoken words with their eyes... It was already their thing.

Arthur's interest in Chidinma's arguing words died out and he turned to look at Rooney... Turned to watch them both smile stupidly at each other.

And for the first time since he got the call from home that his father had been kidnapped... His heart broke, tears were accumulating very slowly in his eyes and his chest felt very heavy... He wanted to punch something and yell out nothing as he watched them, his hand was now again over her shoulder and she was leaning closer. It'd been decided.

She was his now.

There was no way he could fight his best friend over her.

No way he could win the race for her heart.. He'd already had a bad start...

So why bother fighting when he couldn't win?

He didn't understand their chemistry, didn't they just meet?

Why didn't she act this way with him?

Was that bee that important?

Did he kill his shot with her by killing a bee?

But I hadn't even seen it!

Munachi gripped Rooney's shirt and sniffed it. Arthur's nose flared up.

Why was he still watching this?

He turned and walked away, thankful to God no one noticed him, Chidinma had turned back to talk to Segun.

He didn't want to talk to anyone..

He needed to get this feeling off his chest.

And the only way he now knew how to... The only way he'd been taught how to... Only way he was learning how to, was through sex.

He needed the girl who'd brought up her body and the idea to him, he needed...

Chiamaka... His personal slut-on her offer.

(･ิ･ิ)
<3

🌟!
This chapter is very important, it covers a whole lot of things... Just read deeper meaning to every section in here. 🌠

Bye!