"... Arthur, I dare you to kiss Munachi right now, right in front of us all. She is officially your girlfriend right? " Chiamaka words were loud and clear but it felt like I didn't hear her properly, the sparkles in her eyes were unmistakable, perfectly paired with a crook smirk, like she knew something we all didn't know.

Something she'd rather show us than tell us.

Arthur stood up with a smirk and then the chants began.

He walked towards me and my heart started pounding in my chest, something wasn't right somewhere.

I just feel it.

We've been dating now for over a month, so why was I feeling this anxious about him kissing me in public?

He bent his head low and the pounding in my chest doubled.

What was about to happen?

Was a teacher about to walk in on us? No, teachers were absent during night prep.

Then what could it be?

"Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her! ..." The chanting was deafening.

All around me.

But yet it felt like it was a distant noise. Like a sound I could grab with my hands and yank into two. It felt stiff.

Everything suddenly moved in slow motion and I tilted my neck a bit to stare hard at Chiamaka trying to figure out what she knew.

She didn't immediately make eye contact with me but few seconds later, her eyes caught mine. She stopped chanting along with them and turned to smirk at me before mouthing the word 'Bitch' to me.

Okay?

His lips slowly pressed down on mine, instantly silencing the chanting, instantly freezing my heart because the class was automatically filled with a thick indescribable tension which forced me to pull my head backwards and stare at the door.

The door's always the first guess.

You see it in movies, you see it in books. Always stare at the door first. 

My eyes immediately widened and I pushed Arthur away.

I practically almost had a heart attack, I could feel my chest heat up, my face heat up and it felt like there was no more air in this classroom. It felt suffocating to see him there.

He was leaning on the door frame, his perfect body frame resting against the door, he looked like he was posing for a brand photoshoot and the glare he was giving me was meant for the camera.

But he wasn't and the glare was solely meant for me.

His black jeans seemed to stretch up endlessly to his waist which wasn't as lean as I remembered, he'd filled out properly like the proper adult he now was.

His white shirt was fitted and hugged his almost muscular body shape, it didn't look like a gym body but like his nature build, he'd added more than a few inches to his formerly tall height and now he was certainly over 6ft, wearing a black long shirt over the white one with the first button being the only one he'd done.

Definitely looked like a photoshoot, even nature seemed to agree as the wind blew back his black shirt.

A strong gust of wind picked the right moment to blow in from the window directly in front of him.

Directly in front of Rooney...

He was back?

"Rooney baby! Finally you're back. How was your flight? " Chiamaka flew across the room as she wrapped her hands round my ex boyfriend.

So that was what she knew.

"No." his hands pushed her away, he looked and sounded enraged. His voice now had this deeper tone to it giving him this velvety sound and now you didn't even have to question if he could sing because he sounded like he was a natural singer.

Rooney was always so good at concealing emotions, so why his sudden outburst?

"I don't have time for that bullshit Chiamaka, You all are going to explain to me how on Earth I'd just traveled thousands of miles back to this shit hole called Nigeria to see my best friend about to kiss my girlfriend?! " his voice was loud and cold, dripping anger with every word and I flinched.

He sounded so different. His accent.

He already had an American accent before he'd left, but today he sounded more natural and unpolished unlike before when he only pulled out the accent to intimidate people.

"Ex. Ex girlfriend, you left her in this shit hole, don't forget that." Arthur smirked at him.

It felt like my heart was about to burst out of my chest with the intensity it was pumping blood right now.

What exactly was happening right now?!

How is he here and why is here?

"But now I'm back. Better than ever. " Rooney said ending his sentence with a smirk directed at me which made me gulp, I was forgetting how to breathe.

The AC in this class wasn't working today and it's why the windows were open but it still felt very stuffy in here right now. The fans didn't even feel like they were working anymore.

"I'll love to burst your bubbles. Well, she's mine now. " Arthur was now walking slowly to meet him.

Everyone around us were frozen, they were just staring at Rooney in pure silence as he moved closer to him. I looked back at Rooney and found him already staring at me.

He squinted his eyes at me as if challenging me to say Arthur's words were nothing but lies, to say he was just lying but he wasn't, so I looked away.

"And I'll love to burst your face up. " Rooney spat back.

Arthur chuckled dryly now finally beside him.

Rooney was definitely taller, maybe with an inch? Or he looked tall thanks to his shoes? Because I knew Arthur used to be taller.

"All in due time bro. But first. " Arthur looked around the class, taking in everyone's faces and reactions then he slowly smirked..

"You sick bastard! Why didn't you tell us you were coming? " Arthur suddenly laughed and smacked Rooney on the back a little too violently that he jerked forward.

"Surprise." Rooney smirked and chuckled in response after properly balancing on his feet.

What's happening?

"Actually, I told little miss 'baddie' last week Friday. Now I see why miss baddie didn't tell you. " Rooney said.

Last week Friday?

She'd sent her WhatsApp message on Thursday last week.

Oh, so he retained contact with Chiamaka and cut everyone else off?

He started walking slowly until he sat on the table beside me on my left.

Gasp, choke.. Freeze.

I mean breathe, breathe... Breathe.

"Yeah she was planning an explosion or something between us. We're supposed to be fighting right now. " Arthur started walking back towards me untill he sat on the seat next to me, besides Rooney.

"Funny she forgot we'll always be best bros. Isn't that right Ron? " Arthur said spreading out his right hand till he hit Rooney hard on his back.

"Yeah.. Fucking best bros. Thor." Rooney reached out his left hand and smacked Arthur's back.

"Will you two idiots stop hitting yourselves? " My bestie asked and her tiny voice gave me a ghost smile.

It was relieving to hear someone else talk other than both of them, it made me feel like I wasn't just imagining this.

"I wonder oh. " Silvana added.

Rooney stood up.

Then removed the button he'd tucked in.

Before he slipped his arms out of his black shirt letting the breeze from the fan above him give him a windy look.

"But first, I just gotta claim what's mine. "He walked back again to meet me.

Stopping this time not just to sit next to me.. But to place a kiss on my lips, a kiss I didn't resist.

A kiss that seemed to melt away the past year without him, a kiss that made me forget I had a new boyfriend- his ex befriend, a kiss that awoke all desires and secret thoughts, reminded my body of everything his kisses usually led to. And a kiss that made me want more.

His very special kiss that made me realize: Rooney comes first.

Now hell had me on speed dial.

Who gave them my number?

You.. Your lips.

St-

"-Stop." I placed my two hands on his chest and quickly felt my body warm up.

Munachi please stop... Stop refeeling things.

Our eyes met and I tried to communicate with him, I tried to beg him, make him understand, but I was met with dark blank eyes.

Different eyes. Eyes that instantly looked away.

Rooney pulled away and the slow motion haze I didn't even know I was still in suddenly dissolved, I started noticing the whispers and slowly over time I realized that they were actually yelling.

With Rooney out of the way I could now see Arthur.

He was glaring at me, his eyes were flashing thousands of emotions quickly in one second and before I could finally process what had just happened.

Rooney just kissed me.

I kissed him back.

I have a boyfriend.

A loud scream instantly broke out, much louder than every other people's yelling and I quickly traced it, Jasmine.

Of course, she'd be the only one with such a high pitch.

"No! Get off him! Arthur stop! " She shouted and my eyes widened slowly as I registered why she was yelling.

Two seconds were more than enough for me to realize that Arthur wasn't actually glaring at me then, he was glaring at Rooney because five seconds later their friends were separating them.

Ironically, I was in a slow motion haze and now everything was moving too quickly.

What was even going on?

"Are you fucking crazy! " Rooney yelled minutes after they'd both stopped panting, our door was crowded because everyone in prep and I meant every single person who was in prep was eager to see Rooney again.

It was so crowded in here and I could swear outside was worst.

This wasn't just a fight in night prep.

Rooney Edwin just fought in school.

Rooney of all people.

Rooney was back?

"No, but you're a fucking bastard. She's my girlfriend now. I fucking went through hell to make her mine! You can't just waltz in here and kiss her! Like, I fucking respected your relationship! Respect mine too you worthless dick!"Arthur shouted and Rooney's shoulder's slowly slumped.

He looked away from him and stepped back.

Arthur roughly pulled out from Segun and Nonso's grip and walked towards the door. Most people tried to scramble out of his way but majority of them were bound to be unfortunate enough to be victims of his anger because Arthur in 8th grade was back, back in full force.

"Get the fuck outta my way! Now!" He roared loudly and then another scramble started, they weren't quick enough though, Arthur shoved everyone out of his way and walked out.

This is my fault... All my fault,

I shouldn't had let him kiss me. I shouldn't have kissed him back.

I have to fix this.

But how? I still don't understand what's happening.

I stood up quickly and tried to run out the door but a soft palm tenderly dragged me back.

Let go of me.

"Let go of me. Rooney. "I said in a menacing tone and before he could reply...

I slapped him. In the short moment of shock he released my arm and I ran outside.

Did I just slap Rooney?

What's happening? I don't feel like this is my body anymore.

I didn't even need to shove anyone because they clearly understood my plight and they were nice enough to excuse me.

Outside the class, a strong gust of air went past my body and I shivered.

Why do I always have to chase you Arthur when it's cold?

Last section, I'd walked out the cafeteria trying to find you and now I was doing the same again.

But it felt like I'd be searching way longer than I had before.

"Arthur where are you?" I asked no one and looked round, most people outside the class were staring at me and murmuring but I really couldn't care less, even if I tried.

"Arthur! "I yelled out his name and got no reply. I walked down the stairs while loudly repeating his name.

"Arthur please! I'm sorry. " I yelled again and walked out the school building, but before I did, I turned to look up at the class I'd left and found this dark silhouette looking down at me.

This tall silhouette, his flowing long shirt was enough giveaway, but I ignored him. I ignored him and tried to find Arthur.

I ignored Rooney.

But why couldn't my heart do the same?

••

This chapter wasn't exactly how I saw it (Hell😂majority of this chapter just came into my head rn😂I swear, like most of my chapters sha) but fr 😩I put effort into this and Roooooney Edwin is backkk.