Lit Up

Chapter 3

Fikayo smiled at her phone screen. Her sister had sent a picture of herself in a pink dress that stopped below her knees, her black braids pulled into a high bun. Her makeup was light, her neck and ears without jewellery but she still looked beautiful. She held her blue spiral bound project in her left hand with her signature grin on her face.

Fikayo replied with many heart eyes emojis and went off WhatsApp. Instagram was more fun. The first post on her feed was a picture of her friend, Sharon, bending low, her legs spread apart in a strapless play suit. Her head was tilted to the side and her mouth, slightly parted in a way she knew her friend thought was sexy. She shook her head as thoughts began flooding in.

They were not as close as they used to be. Sharon was now too busy visiting expensive hotels, restaurants and yachts Fikayo could only be on in her dreams. She knew what her friend was up to but couldn’t confront her. She was in no position to advise someone to stop having sugar daddies when she was a cigarette addict. She was as filthy as Sharon was; just that she hated men and would rather sweat for her money than sleep with them for it.

She double tapped the picture and even commented love and fire emojis before continuing scrolling. A video call from her sister came in and she answered it excitedly, sitting up from her lying position.

“Ayyyyyyyyyy! Latest graduate in the building!” She hailed, moving her head from side to side.

“Yes, put some respect on the name, baby girl!” Fire raised her other hand in the air, doing a little dance. She was still in the pink dress, her ID card hung around her neck.

“I can’t wait to come back home. April 15th, please do and come,” Fire added.

“It’s around the corner,” Fikayo replied. “Where are you?” she asked Fire, curious.

“Still in my faculty, taking pictures and savouring this moment with my classmates. We’re having a lot of fun.”

Someone called Fire’s name making her turn to the direction of the voice. She flashed a shy smile at whoever it was and Fikayo wondered who it was that made her sister jittery. She exchanged pleasantries with the guy- his deep voice revealed that and that heightened her curiosity. His face appeared beside her sister’s. He waved at her with a grin plastered on his face. Fikayo’s brows furrowed as she tried to think if she knew the face. His face finally registered and she waved back with an amused smile. She wanted to laugh but held it in, clearing her throat.

“Hi,” she greeted and he replied, asking how she was.

“Fikayo, this is...” Fire began but Fikayo cut in. “Tolu! Your bobo.”

She laughed and her sister shook her head at her. Tolu chuckled and she noticed his handsomeness. Maybe the long boring sermons he put up as his Instagram captions had distracted her from catching sight of it before now.

“You’re cute,” she blurted out and his lips spread into a smile.

His teeth are so white! Kilode!

“Thank you, dear. Firefunmi never tells me I’m cute even though I know she thinks I’m cute.”

He turned to look at Fire and she hit his shoulder lightly, feigning a frown.

“Fiks is lying to you. You’re not cute.”

He feigned hurt, a hand on his chest.

“I am and you know it, baby,” he cooed.

Fikayo noticed her sister suppressing a smile and shook her head utterly amused. Fire really liked this Tolu guy.

“Whatever,” Fire dismissed with a wave of her hand.