You finally rolled out to find trails of tears glistening on his cheeks. Your next move was impromptu. Even after you had assumed the position, you couldn't fantom why you did. Besides, after the kiss, it was meant to feel less awkward but it did not.

You moved to him and embraced him to your plumpy bosom and he remained like a child. It was rumoured that nobody had seen John cry. You adjusted and propped on the head of the bed. His head rested on your bosom and arms girded your waist. He obviously heard your heart thud thunderously but said nothing.

Maybe it was only awkward to you.

From that position, somehow, it adjusted to spooning. You did not mind that his hand cupped your breast. You wrapped your hands around his wrist and could feel his spiked heart reverberate behind you.

After almost an hour of silence, you weren't sure he was awake until something probed behind you. It was what you thought it was. At least, he had shed the bad energy and his hormones were able to work right. He removed one hand to tuck the budge away but the moment you noticed it was what he was doing, you stopped him.

"There is one more thing on my list that I want to try." It wasn't on your list, it was Manda's contribution.

"What is that?" His lips grazed your ear as he spoke and your hairs stood on ends.

Your voice hooked.

"Tell me."

"Will...will you have...you know... Have sex with me." If your heart could burst through your rib cage, it would. His grip on your breast tightened, but not too tight.

"Are you sure?"

"So, you will..."

"You asked, didn't you." ..

Silence.

"Don't you think it will score Manda's theory?"

"Fuck Manda." His lips still grazed your ear and it made your eyes roll back.

You wanted to say something but words did not form. He remained quiet and the silence hung noisily. You could hear thought echoing. What were you doing?

"Is Manda making you do these things?" He asked.

"What things?"

"Drink, smoke and..."

"No," You flipped on your side to face him. "Nobody is making me do anything."

"Have you done anything like this before?"

You didn't answer.

"Are you a virgin?"

You didn't answer.

"Anita!" In whispers.

You nodded. "Yes."

"Yes, you have done this before or yes you are a virgin."

"I have not done it before."

He locked those beautiful eyes with yours. You held it. He only looked away to place a kiss on your forehead and brought his gaze back to you. His eyes spoke, said something but the language was unknown. After the intense stare, he joined lips with you. This time, you felt the sparks, and electricity flowed from his veins into yours. His tongue went deep and you accommodated it. When he trailed his finger up your arm, it sparked like trailing mental on asphalt.

After enough fore play to break your defenses he said, "To at least prove Manda wrong, and more importantly, because it is your first time, I will have to pass. Because i feel sex is something deeper than just thrusting and moaning."

Your heart made that funny dance again. Did he intended parts of one was rubbed off? You were about to utter something but he placed a finger on your lips and you seized.

"I will make your first time something to remember. Tomorrow. Same time, the same place."

You were smiling. If you used to love him, you now adored him. It felt like a taboo to break the silence, to break the gaze. You felt his hand behind your head, guiding your head to lay on his chest. You heard his aching heart cry.

"There was this day your dad came out to pray with his sister. You know he prays with Mrs Onyi..."

"Yes. I do." You interjected, you knew he prayed with Manda's Mum every three o'clock. A quick fifteen minutes prayer, quiet enough to not disturb even themselves. Was he finally going to tell you a about Dad's scandal? You were not sure you wanted to hear.

"What about it?" you repeated.

"Oh nothing. That day, he saw me sitting on the pavement outside." He played with your hair as he spoke, "After the prayers, I was still sitting there. I noted the uncertainty in his steps, he didn't want to come to me; didn't want to interfere with my family issue. But, he came to me and asked what the problem was. When I didn't reply, he hugged me, gave me a handkerchief to clean my eyes and also gave me his personal number to call anytime I needed to talk."

"When did this happen?"

"Last year. Early last year. Can't remember the day."

Dad was that type of person. One to render help to the helpless. A lot of orphans received check monthly. And where he could not help financially, he helped morally, spiritually, and otherwise. Why would he bring it up?

"My dad is like that."

"My dad used to be like that."

And Mum too, but you remained quiet, not to add salt to the wound. The mood was sober already.

"Such Irony for your mum to call one of the smartest an Olodo?"

"She is not feeling fine."

Psycho, that is.

"I don't want to talk about her. I just want to sleep." He said.

"So, sleep."

He slept and through the night you stared at him. You weren't comfortable enough to close your eyes.

By four A.M, you absconded the house; saw Mrs Metuonu face deep in a plate of food, and met up with Manda in her room. She was awake and when you called, she picked at once. Her room was painted blue and was complemented with a pink bed sheet, vanity, chest drawer. A small box; its lid barely covered, sat on the desk beside the bed. Manda climbed back into the covers and fell asleep.

You didn't sleep. It was Saturday and when Manda woke up, you ran down the whole details.

"Animals. Men would always kiss."

You had not reached the part where he refused to pop the cherry.

"Manda, I asked him to..."

"I don't care. Fucking Animal."

"Is George an animal?"

A smile crossed her face. "If truly some are different, then he is. What a weekend."

"John is different." your tone wasn't confident but you meant it.

"Hey," she pushed your shoulder, "whatever works for babes."

To put the conversation on track, you continued "I asked him to disvirgin me."

Her smile gradually tightened up.

"Ehh?" Her face formed into confusion. "Why?"

"I wanted to just try it. I think my body is ready."

She nodded, apparently unable to judge, unable to speak but she said, "So how was it? Was it painful?"

"Not really. We didn't pull through with it."

Extra confusion. "Why?"

Another silence was shared in which she thought whatever.

"He said he wants to make my first time special."

"Special?" she iterated more to herself. "That is good? Right?"

You blushed.

"At least you can rule out kissing from the list."

"It was never on the list."

She chuckled and slipped down the bed and entered the toilet. You heard her morning urine jet into the bowl. You fell back on the bed-harder than your- arms spread, mind infiltrated with memories of the kiss. The second kiss.