Paris was down the dumps. He never fully understood the quote 'Absence Makes The Heart Beat Fonder' until the moment she left. But how could she? It was just a little quarrel between them and she left like the coward that she was.

He didn't know why he still though
t of her. Perhaps, the force that pulled their souls together was greater than gravity. It was supernal and surpassing.

Now he was wondering why he said those harsh words to her? Definitely, she never did deserve it. She never deserved those harsh mean words that he said to her in the Chemistry lab. How could she? when she wasn't the cause of her problems.

That was it.

Though he never really had a sane conversation with her, regarding the exposure of her nocturnal enuresis, he wondered if truly if he could keep up with that.

How could? Just how could he keep up with a girl with such a problem? She was never the kind of girl he ever wanted.

She was light skinned when he was normally into the dark skinned ladies. She was too complicated for his liking. He just wanted a normal relationship. The type where they would both be of same level. You know, beauties with brain, self and highly esteemed persons among their peers.

But his heart was falling really fast. Faster than he ever imagined.

He just wanted to do something now. To wrap her in a bear hug and feel her lips against his. But she just wasn't here. And he wished she was.

"Why do you look like some stupid love sick teenager? Aren't you aware that your dad is waiting for you in your guardian's office?" The lively voice of a female intruded his thoughts and brought him back to reality.

"You're just informing me." Paris stared at her, wondering what next she would say. He even wondered how Helen and Faith ended up as friends. They were literally contrasting in nature. Was it height, personality, weight or even in academics?

"And that's why you will remain standing like this as if you are an Iroko tree?" Helen shook her head before sauntering to the back of the class.

●●●●●●

"And what do you mean by that foolish statement that you just made?" Mr Paul stared back at his son.

Definitely, his son was not okay. Never had he been, due to the circumstances that he was faced with upon growing up. And now, he was still not up from the grave that had swallowed him.

Growing up was one word that always went together with pains, in the case of Paris. Though not yet divorced, his parents were having frictions in their marriage. His dad had always proved to be a nice man. But his mother was just not it.

She was a well known Nollywood actress that stared in so many blockbusters. Her fan base were pretty high and she was indeed obsessed with so much fame that she neglected the aspect of family relationships.

But Paris was willing to give his mother another try. To know whether she would ever retract and work things out.

"Won't you talk or are you suddenly dumb?" Mr Paul stared at his son who looked so much like him. They had the same caramel skin and hazel eyes. And they were both handsome to the very core.

Upon realizing that his son was unwilling to talk to him, he continued. "I will return back same time next week. You better think wisely, son." He stood up and patted his son ever so lightly on his shoulder, heaved a deep sigh and left.

But before his polished Italian shoes could cross the door, he turned back to his son. "Tell Fred that I am grateful for his help."

Paris eventually sighed as well. He was thankful that his father finally left. Really, did he need the time to think.

His thoughts were going spiral. A lot of things ran through his mind. What has his mother done again that made his father come to his recent conclusion that they were going to separate. When his father had used that word, his heart actually skipped a beat. He thought that they were going to divorce. And boy, did he fear of having a broken home.

But then the separation was just a three months break from themselves. They would remain married but they would live separately.

He ran his hand over his dark curly mass of hair, which was one of the features he inherited from his mother and then left the empty staffroom B which was previously occupied by fifteen teachers that left by minutes to their individual classes; until it was only Mr Fred that was left behind. He had forfeited the Jss2 class that he had just to stay behind for Mr Paul and his son to speak. But due to the intensity of the discussion, he expressed courtesy by excusing himself.

"I don't wanna breathe again."

●●●●●●

Self will.

That was something that broke and remoulded lots of unfortunate teenagers into the mess that they turned out to be.

And then along life's road, when they have journeyed so far into the pathway of time, they would loook back and behold the foolishness of their choices when they were young.

"I don't want to go to school again." Faith rolled her eyes heavenward and folded her arms.

Her mother that was drinking the last content in her teacup, nearly threw up. She coughed severally, all the while gluing her eyes on her daughter who didn't bother to get her a can water.

I have spoilt this child!, Mrs Daniels thought to herself as she rubbed gently on her chest. "I will not take it lightly with you if you fail to go inside your room and pack your things. Just look at your silly stupid mouth like I don't want to go to school again."

Faith was beyond infuriated. She didn't want to return to Stardom Academy again. The unexpected death of her dad plus her meaninglessness to those around her in school, was just enough to sap her of her undying love for education.

"Seriously mom, I'm meant to stay back at home till the arrangement of dad's burial is finalized." She stated and the frown on her mother's face deepened. It was just seconds, but her face seemed to age.

"Don't make this any more harder than it's for me, Faith! What you should be talking of is staying back home till the conclusion of your father's burial not dropping school. But then I don't want you whiling away your time at home. This should be the last time you bring up this topic."

With a loud spine chilling hiss, She rolled her eyes like a a clock being winded around its axis of rotation and then stomped off her to her room.

She couldn't bring herself to pack anything. Already, had she planned of not going back to school and now her older replicate has thwarted her plans.

Plopping down her butt on the bed that sank down, her heart clenched and unclenched as hot tears threatened to roll down her cheeks. Her fingers grazed the waistband of her polka dotted skirt that laid on top of all other clothings that were scattered on her bed.

They will pay.

Blood? Sweat?? Life???

Faith didn't think much about the way she would revenge the death of her father. But one thing was certain. And that was the paying of those murderous kidnappers in kind.

A knock intruded her thoughts and brought her back to reality. Quickly as she could ever be, the back of her palms brushed against her eyes as she wiped off the tears that almost streamed down her cheeks.

"Who is that?" She faked an intonation that made her look alright. But that was something she was far from being. "Come right in!"

The red mahogany door flew open at that instant and the gracious sight of Rita made her lips form a little smile.

She would miss Rita, real bad.

"Aren't you ready for school?" Rita switched at intervals, staring at the heap of clean clothes on Faith's bed, and then me. "What a lazy ass!"

"Not as if I ever wanted to return back to that stupid hopeless school." Faith muttered but Rita still managed to hear it.

A laugh escaped the latter's quavering lips as she stared comically at Faith. Then she shook her head and began folding the clothes on her sister's bed, placing them neatly and orderly into her lilac box.

"I guess that you are not being treated appropriately like how the Daniels should ever be treated." Rita said, chuckling to herself as her eyes glinted.

"Thanks but that's not funny...at all." Faith rolled her eyes. Rita was so used to getting on her nerves. But then, maybe that was what her existence centered on.

Faith watched as she carefully folded the polka dotted skirt she was earlier feeling against her hand, into the box. And then, her colourful undies came into view.

Rita ran her hand over one of them and remarked. "I don't think you should keep on with all this cotton undies. I'll buy you something more grown up. Silky or lacey ones, maybe."

Those were the types she too wore. The type that could give the eyes access to her bare skin even with the undies being on. She called it sexy. And that was what she loved looking like.

"No thanks." Faith replied dryly, not in the mood for having this conversation with her sister. But then, the latter wouldn't just shut up.

"So...." Rita narrowed her eyes as soon as she laid the undies at one section of the box, and zeroed it on Faith. "Any boyfriend? Crush??" She shrugged.

For a moment, Faith forgot to be thoughtful and heavy ladened as usual, as she laughed uproariously. "So this is why you volunteered to help me pack my stuffs? No wonder, the devil is black in colour."

"Hey, that was nothing near the reason. Can't I help my sister again?" Rita replied vaguely.

She mumbled unintelligible words as she soon joined Rita in packing her necessities back into her box. "Don't tell me you have joined the society of witches. How can you be mumbling and frowning to yourself like one mischievous witch?"

She glared at Rita and let out a light sigh that only a strained ear would hear.

"Flirt, Date and do whatever you like. Just make sure you don't come back to this house pregnant or with some STDs. I will personally drive you out of this house." Rita stated, all of a sudden.

She gulped down her saliva which formed a painful lump at the back of her throat. "Why are you telling me this?"

Somehow and somewhere deep in Faith's heart, she predicted that Rita's utterances would be used against her.

"Because life has taught me that ignorance has ruined so many precious lives." Rita said quietly as she closed and zipped up the box.