I adjusted the clip on my head and for the first time in a while I smiled.

Today the sun left an ethereal glow on the old brown paint of my dingy room, and the air smelt like hope.

The same strange sensation pulsed through my veins.

Grabbing my phone from the floral comforter I send a final text to our friend groupchat before I would see the two in the Hall.

Nimisco: Who's ready to graduateeee!

Without waiting for a reply I slip my phone into my silver purse, and close the room door after me.

The bible was nothing new to me, but in my darkest moment I had found a surprising light.

One that didn't take away the problems, yet filled me with a love that assured it would be okay no matter what.

"Oya let's be going." my mum snaps, wasting no time to take her 1inch stilettos to the door.

Even at the meagre distance it looked like her feet were defying gravity, and I feared the worst for those heels.

"Ah Nimi you're ready, okay after you my dear." my dad says rising from the sofa when he sees me.

He smiled gently, a solemn reaction to the realization that the seed he once knew had become a flower in full bloom.

And despite the fractured relationship between I and my mother, her cheeks swelled with pride before she dissapeared out the door.

Eager to bridge the awkward silence I follow after my mum into the car and take in the sky around me.

Old pines whistled with the wind, as the sun warmed the breeze all around them.

For a brief moment I savoured the calm of the atmospehere before I plunged into the chaos of the car, and no doubt the rest of this day.

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

Victoria beamed from ear to ear in her timeless Hollywood glam, and understated diamond earrings that matched with her mother's.

Mrs. Nwaike wore a soft smile, her lips a baby pink contrast to her fair skin and hair donned to perfection in royal waves.

"Congratulations my daughter." she says, bringing me in for a motherly hug.

I drink in the floral scent of her perfume before I'm doused in another luxurious round by her younger copy.

"We're graduating!" Vic squeals, bouncing dangerously in her 4 inch platforms.

A tear of joy slips as I bask in the old enthusiasm that had only been making brief returns as Vic dealt with the aftermath of her abuse.

"Yes we are, finally." I say, sniffing when she pulls away.

"Where are your parent's?" Vic's mum says and I look behind me to where my parents are seated comfortably in the east wing of the hall.

My mum waves her over and Mrs Nwaike's eyes light up in recognition. Today was no doubt a day for the parents as well as the students.

"Have fun okay, let me go say hi to your parent's." Vic's mum says, the shared extrovertedness between the two evident.

I loop my arm with Victoria's as we steer our way through the hall.

More of our mates with their family member's trickle through room as the event begins to come alive.

The invitation sent had said 12:00pm sharp, but at 1:00pm the school only looked ready to start now.

My mind drifts to the two other people I wanted to see today -Fimi and Demilade.

Fimi had sent me all her love on our call last night, since she was quarantining after getting the new Covid Variant from her foreign waka waka boyfriend.

But Demilade, I expected him to be here yet he was nowhere in sight.

I had so much to tell him, of my recent decision to follow Christ and how I finally understood the faith he spoke so deeply about.

How could I not tell Him how words of eternal life washed over and set me free?

One it's almost too good to be true, two...well the second reason scared me more.

The kiss felt like a lifetime ago, but it had only solidified the care embedded within my soul for only one boy in particular.

"Madam, come back to earth Mrs Sotunde is calling us to arrange ourselves backstage before 1:20." Victoria says, reminding me of our impending entrance.

"What about Demilade?" I ask.

"He's probably already lined up somwhere." Victoria says, navigating us through the shortcut in the school's gardens.

The route is adjacent the main entrance and my heart trips in my chest as I see him come through the gates.

"Ahn ahn isn't that Demilade looking fresh like this?" Victoria says, a giggle already on her tongue.

True to her words he looked red carpet ready.

His usual waves had taken an edge with a smooth clippings on the sides, and his suit peeking under his graduation gown hugged every muscle on his athletic frame.

An oriental gold watch sat on the wrist of the same hand that held his graduation cap, and immediately my eyes fly to the faces of the people who could afford to gift him such a lavish accessory; that looked a lot like the Rolex many young rappers flashed during music videos.

An older man who still possessed the shadows of his no doubt handsome youth had his hand on the lower back of an elegant biracial woman, donning a red dress.

She looked a little too young to be Demilade's biological mother, but her kind eyes and warm smile when she looked at her stepson gave me a liking to her.

Time had slowed down, and I wasn't prepared for him to notice us when he turns around to take in the two girls a few metres from him.

"Nims, Victoria? Is that you?" he says, eyes lighting in approval at our glittery attire underneath.

The school had once again pulled all the stops, and students were in like manner expected to dress in gold, silver, and champagne to match the festivities.

His quick strides bring him over to us in seconds and I can see clearly the champagne undershirt most boys would have shied away from, opting for the white and cream companions to gold and silver instead.

"Ask me one more time." Victoria says jumping on him before he can properly dodge her painted face.

Some yellowish brown foundation kisses his cheeks and his face scrunches for a moment before he looks at me.

I can see mischief dance in his eyes as a kilowatt powered smile spreads across his face.

"Milady?" he says, skipping the hug I would cooly refuse, to bow instead.

His palm beckons for my hand and I reluctantly meet his, purposefully looking anywhere but his parents watching all three of us interact from afar.

"When will you outgrow these your antics?" I mutter when he rises to look me in the eyes once again.

"The day you stop acting like you don't love them."

Biting the embarrassment at his truthful declaration, with my cherry lips I skirt around the conversation.

"Whatever we're going to line up for the presentation, hurry up with your parents and join us backstage." I say bobbing my head at the couple as I grab the amused Victoria so we could escape.

I cared a little more than I would've liked what they and their son thought of me.

"No need come meet them, then we'll go together." Demilade says, looping both arms through ours as he steered I and Victoria in the opposite direction.

"Good afternoon sir and ma." the two of us chorus in tune.

"Good afternoon dears, it's so nice to meet Demilade's friends, I've heard so much about you." Demilade's stepmom gushes, her teeth shining brighter against her dark red lips.

"Hello young ladies. Good to put a name to the face." His Dad says, smiling tersely like the act wasn't something he did often.

The sentence would have not been so awkward if he had said it without boring holes into my head.

Apparently I was well discussed in his household?

His mum gives her husband a look and pats his arm as she saves me from further embarassment. "Both of you look beautiful, I'm sure you're excited for you big day!" she says, her sweetness so raw I was afraid to get cavities.

Victoria nods fervently as Demilade cracks another smile, and I'm the only one to speak up. "Yes ma'am we are. It's no nice to meet you again but we need to get going for a special presentation."

She nods reaching for Demilade's hand in a farewell. "Enjoy yourselves alright, we'll go in and find our seats so just look for us in the hall if you need anything. God bless you all." she says radiating brighter than the sunshine.

Normally I would have been annoyed at such a sickly sweet person, but nothing was fake about the gentleness and love this woman exuded.

I could see why even the reserved Mr.Phillips hadn't been able to resist a woman like her.

"Amen mum, now if you don't mind we have to run." Demilade says, hurrying us off in the same way he had brought us.

I see them head for the hall before the view is cut of my another high bush in the school garden.

The exhilirating of running mixed with the anticipation of finally hearing my name on stage as I got my Diploma and I laughed along with the two people I had come to call best friends, as we rushed against time.

Mrs Sotunde had no chill, and she would have a fit if we didn't get there before her.

******************

The stumble out of the hallway, tired of the stereo that had been playing Afro beats all afternoon.

In the distance I can hear my classmates yelling "2k22" as they danced around the room.

For the day, the staffs and parents would allow the chaos the hall had become -we were now graduates after all.

Happy tears stung behind my eyes and I force myself not to cry just yet. The farewell to 6 years could wait till the long ride home.

Victoria was half awake and stuffing her face with the banquet meals inside, but I had one more mission before we all hugged and my parents hauled me back home.

And that involved locating the once again absent boy Demilade.

I round the building to where the old playground stood beside the school gardens and I see him, perched on one swing eyes looking upwards, almost like he was praying.

I pause for a moment, admiring how the departing sun cast a somber glow on his dark skin, and the fancy jackets that now lay crumpled on his laps save for the shirt he had rolled near his elbows.

Slowly his lips stop moving and his head wheels in my direction. "Hey you."

"Am I in the middle of something?" I ask digging my heel into the soft grass.

"No, you can come swing with me if you'd like." he says, and within an instant I'm sitting next to him on the old contraption.

"So this is it." I mumble, kicking my feet forward as the wind pushes me in return.

"Yeah, what a crazy year it has been." Demilade says.

"Agreed, but I'm glad it all led to this very moment we're in." I say, looking closely at him.

He slows his pace till the metal chains only rock him back and forth, then opens his mouth to speak. "You mean about us graduating?" he asks.

"Yes but also no. A lot has happened, and of all the things I never imagined highschool ending in coming to God is one of them."

"I thought you were done with Christianity." he asks, happiness bubbling under the confusion written on his face.

"I'm definitely done with the fake Christianity I used to have. It's like the puzzle finally fit one night, sure I knew a lot about God back then, but now I actually know Christ."

He nods understanding just what I mean, no other words could describe it except I had been reborn.

And life wasn't the same after that.

"You know I'm happy for you." he mumbles, taking another swing.

I match his actions, a small smile still on my face. "Me too," I say hesitating slightly.

After tonight there would be no more chances; we would go into the world as high school friends, the best of friends, but nothing more.

I didn't want that.

"Do you think we'll still be friends after tonight." I ask, feeling the wind whip against my skin as I hung in the air for a second and went down once more.

He turns to me with so much certainty in his eyes that I forget to push along with the swing. "Till eternity there's no getting rid of me." he says, teasing me like he always did.

I fake an eye roll and say, "Even Cambridge won't keep me safe from your pestering."

Laughing he slows his tempo on the swing to match mine.

"What is a thousand miles for you and me?" he says switching his left arm from his swing to mine.

I blush as his hands rests above mine, and the resistance makes our swing come to a stand still.

Knowing he was expecting an affirmative response I turn to look at him, but echo a different answer.

It was now or never.

"Demilade I like you, a lot, and as much as that kiss may have been a mistake I want to be more than you best friend..." I say watching as amusement drained from his face and he blinked rapidly.

My stomach drops and I rise quickly, trying to repair the broken atmosphere between us. "...it's okay if you don't feel the same, I just wanted to be honest with you."

His wide eyed coma ends and he leaves his position on the swing as well. "No, I'm sorry I just didn't expect it-"

I cut in, self rejecting on his behalf. "-it's fine we can still be friends." I say, swallowing back tears when he holds my hands.

"Nims look at me." Demilade pleads softly, and I force my eyes to not look so glassy when I stare back at him.

"Done." I whisper, smiling through invisible tears.

"I don't want to be friends. And as unsure as what happens after highschool is you should know I don't like you, I love you." he says, the warmth of his brown gaze melting my heart.

"Love?"

"The only thing I'm more sure of is Jesus Christ." he answers, the hand he used to hold me intertwining with mine.

My heart explodes in time with the sun, and bright flashes of orange purple and hold paint the sky as I jump into his arms.

Despite my height his 6'1 frame catches me effortlessly and pulls me close.

I smile at the sound of his heartbeat as his arms wrap around me.

I hear the music in the distance, and he sways me to the soft tunes wafting down the hallways.

I will follow you

Anywhere you want to go

I will let the whole world know that I'm in love with you

That I'm in love with you

(Oh, oh)

I lift my head to find him already staring, and half expect him to kiss me as he pulls me in from a spin.

To my surprise his lips press softly against the skin of my forehead, like a gentle flower he had all the time in the world to cherish.

And as we danced under the canvas God had given us, I knew come what may there would be no saving me, not that I wanted it anyways.

Love had found me from Heaven and on earth.