𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬

|9|CHRIS|

In a way, he reminded me of Jason. They only reserved their smiles for their immediate circle. Any other person could perish for all they care. Although, I felt… I knew that Jason's case with me was beyond lack of familiarity.

 It was rivalry, maybe even hatred.

❦︎

~[VICTORIA]~

“Give me your phone.” Tracy made a come-hither motion with her hands.

I eyed her, wondering what on earth she needed my phone for. “Why?”

“I don’t have your number.” She deadpanned and smacked my forehead, causing me to sneer. “I really wanted to speak with you this weekend.”

Without protesting, I unlocked the phone and handed it to her, watched her grin maliciously as she typed in her contact and received my phone from her.

“Tracy Omotolani Adenuga.” A baritone voice made us snap our heads up, a dark-skinned was boy staring down at us with a lopsided grin on his face. He was picking at his short dreadlocks as he smirked at Tracy.

“Jeez! Chris, don’t go around calling my name like that!” Tracy exhaled dramatically, wiping imaginary sweat from her forehead. She even went ahead to begin panting. “You scared me shitless.”

“Yeah, I’ll write a memo when next I want to say your name.” sarcasm stained his voice. He chuckled when Tracy glared at him, telling her that she looked cuter when she was angry.

And then he looked at me. Time froze. Cold, brown orbs burned straight into mine and goosebumps rose on my skin. He looked at me like he could see my past, present, future and even the afterlife. I stopped breathing; I had forgotten how to. I swear I saw flames in his eyes for a second there, I feared they could consume me.

Lord…

“Who’s this one?” he asked nonchalantly, although his eyes were intensely scanning my face.

Jesus. How could someone do this to someone with just their eyes?

“You can’t tell me you don’t know her.” Tracy said and he finally took his gaze off me.

I breathed, internally praising my Creator for saving me. I would have died if I had spent on more second not being able to breath.

“You don’t know the Victoria Kanayo?” Tracy continued, looking at the guy like he had grown third brow above his nose.

“Why?” he folded his arms, his muscles flexing through his pink dress shirt. “Did she find the cure to cancer or what?”

Tracy rolled her eyes and clacked her tongue. “FYI, she’s the number one science student in the nation. Number one in the national rankings.”

He gave me a once over, impassively observing me. “Good morning.”

I blinked. Twice. Thrice. Multiple times.

Was he greeting me? or was I now hallucinating?

“It’s rude to not respond to greetings, you know?” he raised a brow at me, stuffing his pockets with his hands. “Good morning.” He repeated, looked at me dead in the eyes, as if daring me not to respond.

“G—” gulp. “Good morning.”

I could not still register why I was that scared of him. His demeanor commanded reverence. You look at him and you just know not to mess with him.