She squints at the sunlight and uses her hand to block the harsh rays so she can see us clearly.

"Hi guys!" she says in her usual energetic tone as she rushes down the last steps.

I smile knowing it was her way of coping with the annual grief eating its way down her soul.

"The door..." I say pointing at the empty doorway but another voice cuts in.

"Don't worry, I got it." Demilade says rushing to close it.

I shrug and turn back to Victoria looking back sheepishly. "Oops." she says.

I rub her shoulder lightly. "It's okay, let's go." I say motioning to the Jeep parked a few metres from us.

"So your Dad just let you take one of his cars like that?" I ask Demilade, astonished at the nonchalance of the rich towards their precious possessions.

"More like forced. Always complaining that I use Uber more than my driver's license." he replies with an eyeroll.

"Wait o, what is that supposed to mean, you think I'm irresponsible." Demilade adds, looking far from insulted.

"Ahem!" Victoria calls out, pulling the car handle twice to get our attention.

"Duh." I say, sticking out my tongue before I run to meet the short lady impatiently tapping her heels.

Ordinary outing to Eko Hotel to chill.

Well not really -my mom had let me go on the impression that Funmi would chaperone us for the night stay.

He unlocks the car and we all inter the vehicle.

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I check my notification.

Immediately I see the name Issie I smile and begin typing out a reply.

"Texting your lover boy again I see." Demilade remarks with a mixture of teasing and another emotion I wasn't quite sure of.

"Keep your eyes on the road, o boy." I say eyeing him with nonchalance. Of all the things that embarassed me teasing about a relationship topped the list.

Victoria snickers in the backseat.

"You guys bicker like an old married couple." she says after.

I fake a gag while he shakes his head.

"Don't mind her o, this girl owes me gist. I'm sure you even know about it too." Demilade says in an accusing tone.

"It's not my place to be talking around about other people's business." Victoria says waving away the accusation.

I turn my head to look at her and smile. "Hmm Victoria..." I say, dragging out her name.

She eyes me with the corner of her eyes. "Yes, what happened?"

"No no leave her, yet when it is to tell us unsolicited info about her juniors affairs she is a newscaster." Demilade adds, momentarily looking at her through the mirror.

To spite him she starts singing. "I know something you don't know. I know something you can never know..."

"May God help you and your gossiping." Demilade answers back.

I nod my head in agreement but shoots me a quick glare before the traffic light turns green.

"You think I'm done with you? Today I have your time." he says.

I turn off my phone when I see no sign of a response from Isren, and reply Demilade. "I thought you said gossiping was not good?"

"You call question my friend about a suspicious older man gossip?" he says.

I narrow my eyes at him and e rephrases his wording. "about her mysterious boyfriend gossip?"

I avert my gaze knowing he had got me there.

"Sha hurry up so we can get there on time. You still have a birthday party to attend." I say.

Instead he he switches to driving with one arm so the other can rest on his side of the door.

"Didn't I beg the two of you to come?" Demilade answers.

I and Victoria scrunch our noses simultaneously. "You know I don't like that girl and she's never liked me."

"Make that two." Victoria adds and I nod in agreement.

"Let bygones be bygones. " he says with a sigh.

"Even then, I don't know anyone there. Your friends are not my friends."

"I wouldn't call them friends, but we used hang and they're decent company."

"Yeah, if you're rich gorgeous or popular." I argue and to this I'm met with silence.

"Fine have it your way. But what will y'all be doing when I'm gone?" he says speeding slightly, as he coasts along third mainland bridge.

"My sister is coming to stay with us so we can sleep over at the hotel."

He smirks and I purse my lips. "What?" I ask.

"Aren't you guys old enough to stay alone." Demilade says.

"True that." Victoria echoes from the back.

"My parents are too protective. They almost didn't let me go when they heard that you were going with us.

He laughs makes a condescending pout at me. "Oh you poor baby."

"Say that one more time and I'll throw you into the water."

"Ahn ahn easy, what kind of rough play is that." Victoria says and I turn to look at her, surprised to hear those words come from her lips.

"Ehen, abi(or) you think I can drive?" she continues.

I smile breaks onto my face and I chuckle as I return to my former position.

"Nawa o Demilade did I crack a joke that she's laughing?" Vic asks.

"She's a weird one." is all he says, and I can see a ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Yeah shes just different, because she's quiorky." Vic says in mockery of a popular sterotype.

"Whatever, at least y'all picked me." I say resting further into my seat as I close my eyes.

................................................

My legs are dangling in the pool a few metres from my friends.

"Aren't you tired of the chlorine." Demilade yells from our table.

"Leave the girl would ya." Victoria says not looking up from her phone.

"Thank you Vic. Don't you have someone else to bother?" I say to him.

"No but how can we go out and spend half the time pressing our phones? You know I'm leaving soon." he complains.

"You guys should keep it down you're embarassing me." Funmi says, waalking to us in a bikini top and shorts.

I roll my eyes at the girl who had spent the afternoon 'sunbathing', when really she was just snoozing on a pool chair and periodically sipping coktails.

"Fine." I mumble, sliding my butt off the tiles, while she went back to her siesta.

"Let's bond." I say overenthusiastically to Demilade.

His pupils enlarge slightly and he moves further into his seat as I had taken over the left arm of his chair.

Shrugging I recline into mine as well.

"Victoria?" he says clearing his throat.

"Okay." she drones out as she slips her phone into her jean pocket.

"So any after graduation plans?" I ask to kickstart the conversation.

My legs cross over Demilades laps so I can stretch and he sends me a warning glance. To this I wiggle a tongue at him.

"I heard there's supposed to be an after party." Vic says

"Pretty sure she meant life plans, you know what's next?" Demilade says.

"Oh." is all she says so I take the lead.

"I may end up somewhere like Canada. Nah I most definitely will." I say glancing at my sister.

Demilade nods. "That's great."

"What about you?" Victoria asks.

"Oh, my Dad's hung up on the idea of Cambridge." he says quietly.

"Ah the big guns." I say to hail him and he chuckles staring at me a little longer than a second.

"Did you get accepted?" I ask eagerly for him, if anyone was Cambridge material at our school, it was him.

"Yep, I start this fall." he answers with a dim smile.

Not knowing whether to overstep in public or not I fix my attention on Vic after sending him a final glance. To this he only shrugs.

"Vickster, where are you headed." I say only noticing the slight bobbing of my legs.

Demilade who had been bouncing his knees doesn't seem to notice as he stares at Vic for her answer.

"Rehab." she says dryly. A few seconds pass before she looks at the two of us, still stunned for words, and starts laughing.

"Is there-" Demilade begins but she cuts him off.

"Relax I was kidding. Probably some private university in Nigeria, there's really nothing abroad." she says.

"Are you su-" I also try but she stares at me incredulously.

"It's like somebody cannot joke again. You guys I'm totally fine!" she says, hiding the shakiness in her voice with a louder tone.

Demilade is quietly observing her expressions and even I know she wasn't getting out of this easily.

She stares back at us with hardened pupils when a call comes to her rescue.

Demilade begrudginly pulls his device out of his pocket, and leaves so he can receive the call.

I take the opportunity and lean over the table to speak to her. "Is this about your Dad?" I say softly.

The hint of red clearly as quickly from her eyes as it had came and she responds just as Demilade comes back. "No."

"Looks like I'll have to go for the party now. Take care of yourselves alright?" Demilade says, ruffling Victorias hair to lighten the mood and sending me a meaningful look.

"We will." I say as he hugs me from the side, knowing fully well that Victoria was the one he wanted extra watching over for.