One

"You couldn't have forgotten me..." he stared blankly. "right, Ayo" I silently hoped that my forever and ever best friend would not forget me. I left for just 5 years, actually 4 years 8 months and 25 days, not like anyone was counting. 

Or was I really as fat as ugly as I was told by the girls back in Abuja? Ayo had always told me that I was like tea, the sweetest thing ever, the fairest of all and literally the most beautiful thing to exist and I would blush, as far as my dark skin could, and we were just friends. 

Ayo was sitting there in all his glory, Aloha shirt that wasn't buttoned, white Nike sweatshorts and sunshades on his hairline. His hair was in waves that reached his neck and the black colour glistened in what looked like oil. Oh, to run my hands through that.

"...Feyi," I snapped as I heard my name being called. Ayo's gaze was on mine as mine were on his. I blushed again, he definitely noticed me gawking at him. I shouldn't be blamed.

"Erm..." I cleared my throat. "yeah?" I stood straighter.

"I'd never forget you. Like ever." He smiled and I was suddenly more nervous than I was a minute ago. Why would Ayo of all people make me nervous...

"Yea, of course you wouldn't." I moved and punched his shoulder. Or well, tried to. 

He didn't even budge, my fists met with his arms that were well built and firm to the touch.I hurriedly put my hands away into the pocket of my dress.

"Nice try Feyi, but maybe try holding your fist tighter, like this." He grinned lazily and held out a fist, with his thumb tucked in.

I swooned, I mean I glared at him and blushed, turning my lips into a pout.

"You shouldn't even be this built." I threw my hands into the air and brought them down to my face when I realised that I actually did say and act that out loud. "I'm going to my room." 

"Wait," he exclaimed as I turned around. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to tease you."

I turned to him and raised a brow. "Okay maybe I did. But no harm intended." He smiled and stood up. My gaze immediately dropped to the flipflops on his feet. Some things just never change.

"Yea, that's..." My next words came out muffled as my face met with Ayo's chest. I was pressed against him in what was supposed to be a hug. He linked his arms around my waist and I awkwardly placed mine on his arm.

He breathed softly into my hair and then pressed my head against his chest and murmured something along the lines of 'i missed you'.

I moved my arms around his midriff and pulled tighter. It was like we were transported back to the day I was leaving for Abuja. We hugged like we wouldn't see each other again, and my parents had to pull us apart.

"I really missed you." I whispered and was sure he heard me because he kissed my hair.

"I missed you more Fey."

There was that nickname, my name without the last letter, and it always made me so happy. Now it makes my heart beat an extra pulse.

That hug lasted for about 5 minutes and I was certain I'd fall asleep any second with the smell of Ayo's perfume filtering through my nostrils. My heart was now beating in a steady state and I realized just how much I missed this, Ayo and I.

It didn't matter that people always frowned upon a girl and a guy in a platonic relationship of friendship. Our parents never said anything about it considering both our parents had met since secondary school and Ayo and I were born days apart, intentionally. 

We had our morning and evening baths in the same tub, literally wore each other's clothes, eaten from the same dish, there's literally nothing we didn't do together, till you know we hit puberty and there had to be restrictions, we laid those out to each other ourselves.

And then, our lovely parents decided to give us the birds and bees talk together, like in the same room and at the same time. We knew a bit about it but then the awkwardness was something that drifted Ayo and I for a week because we also had the period talk and I had started my period just the day before.

The horror on Ayo's face when he learnt that blood literally drips down your uterus on its own. And that I could get pregnant anytime, he wouldn't even touch me because the parents said, "if a boy touches Feyi, she will become pregnant." I kind of think they just wanted us to not be so knit. We never slept in the same bed ever again.

Till this evening of course, we weren't sleeping together, we were just hugging while laying down. That 5 minutes hug moved to my bed after I noticed that Ayo started snoring softly above me. I raised his head off mine and dragged him into bed behind me.

He immediately wrapped his arms around me and laid my head on his chest. Firm chest. 

"Goodnight tea." He kissed my cheek, and my heart continued to flutter till I shut my eyes. 

~~~~~~>>>>>

Voices pulled me out of my sweet dreams and I was about to raise my body when Ayo pulled me back down and pulled us tightly together. 

Someone cooed and my eyes flung open. Our parents sat on the sofa in my room facing my bed allowing them to get a full view of us. 

I turned back to Ayo and tapped his nose. He wrinkled it and groaned quickly before flipping over and facing the wall. I pulled at his hair lightly and scratched it softly hoping that would work, but instead he moaned and a small smile stretched his face.

"Interesting." My dad's voice boomed out loud and Ayo jumped up.

He took his arms off me and raised himself to rest on my headboard. His hair was tied in a rubber band above his head and he rubbed lazily at his chest.

"Morning Uncle Jo, there wasn't a course for alarm." He pulled out his adorable smile to my dad, and then turned to me. "Sleep well princess?" He yawned and pat my head.

"It surely didn't look like you were going to leave my daughter alone anytime soon." My dad said pointedly to Ayo and our moms laughed, giggled. 

"You know we were just sleeping right?" He got off the bed and stretched. 

"Obviously," my dad grumbled and the women giggled again.

"Aren't you gonna talk at all Feyi or are you still on about brushing your teeth first thing in the morning?" My mum asked.

I huffed and untangled my legs from the blankets and headed into the bathroom slamming the door behind me.

I took a hair tie from my bathroom cabinet and packed my braids into a bun on top of my head. I squeezed toothpaste on my brush and cleaned my teeth. I then used my black soap to wash my face.

Conversation was still going on but I couldn't hear it because of the thick walls. I bet they were talking about me though.

I quickly peed and was out of the bathroom before they embarrassed me for staying too long in there. But when I came out, it was just Ayo that was laying in my bed tapping away at his phone.

He patted the spot next to him without looking at me and I headed to the bed and sat down.

"Parentals went to the office." He pulled me into his side. "We've got the whole day to ourselves, but I plan on sleeping all day if I could." I peeked at his phone screen and saw that he was watching Tiktok videos.

"I guess we're doing the same thing then, sleeping." I took the hair tie off my hair and slipped under the covers. Ayo raised my head and placed it on a pillow before dropping his hand into my hair and massaging my scalp. I sighed in contentment and drifted off to sleep with the low volume of dance videos.