We Did It

The door swings open, and Kendrick steps in, engrossed in his phone.

I watch as he approaches me, then takes a seat next to me on the bed.

"Uhm..."

He raises his head, and a smile forms on his lips.

"You must be feeling well now, right?" He asks.

"Uhm, yeah, I am."

"Good, so..."

My brows furrow in confusion as he hands me his phone.

I glance down at it, then back up at him.

"Uhm, what should I do with it?"

"Your phone number, let me have it."

My heart skips a bit, and my eyes widen as I exclaim, "My phone number?"

"Hmm," his twists bounces and swings in different directions as he nods.

"Uhm, but..."

"Don't keep me waiting."

His gaze suddenly turns intense, piercing into my mind and soul.

I tentatively reach for his phone and raise it up closer to me.

This must be an iPhone with an extremely thick and dark screen.

Wow!

I begin dialing in my number with my sweaty and trembling fingers.

"Here," I say, handing him back his phone with a nervous smile.

He takes his phone from me, his eyes fixed on the screen as he taps away.

I lean back against the bed headboard, folding my arms and taking a deep breath to calm my nerves.

My gaze drifts to the door, and I can't help but wonder if he's genuinely interested in me or just being friendly.

I hope he's not like my high school crush, who ended up preferring my friend - the pretty and popular head girl with a physique that turned heads.

What if he does like me, but another brave girl comes along and takes him away, leaving me all alone, just like I've been since high school?

The emotions swirl in my mind, sending pangs to my heart.

I wish I wasn't so awkward back then; maybe I wouldn't feel so much pain now.

But, as my sister always says, "we move."

Suddenly, my mom's image pops into my head, and my eyes snap open.

I turn to Kendrick, who's still engrossed in his phone.

"Uhm, Ken—"

"Ikem," he corrects, not looking up.

"Uhm, Ikem."

He still doesn't look up, but responds, "Yeah?"

"Can I call my mom using your phone?"

"Sure," he says, finally looking up with a smile.

I nod, smiling back, "Thanks."

He hands me his phone, and I take it with gentle hands.

I dial my mom's number from memory and wait for her to answer.

My heart skips a beat when she responds with a worried, "Hello?"

I can tell she's been worried sick about me.

"H-hello, Mom."

"Hello, Amanda? Is that you?" I can hear the sound of vehicles and people in the background; she must be in a public place.

"Amanda, is that you?"

"Hello, Mom, it's me."

"Amanda, where are you? Where did you go?"

I glance at Kendrick, who gives me a reassuring nod.

"Uhm, Mom, I'm at the hospital."

"Hospital?"

Her reaction is exactly what I expected.

"Uhm, yeah, I got into an accident."

"Accident?"

"Amanda, what happened to you? How did you get into an accident?"

"Uhm, I got run over by a car."

"Isi..." (You say?)

"You got run over by a car, how?"

Oh no, how do I explain this?

"Uhm..."

Ikem suddenly takes his phone from me and answers, "Good evening, Ma'am, I'm Kendrick, remember me?"

"Kendrick?" my mom exclaims.

"Is Amanda with you? Is she safe?"

"She's safe, don't worry. We're at the hospital."

"Hospital?"

"Yeah... she kinda got into an accident, a pretty bad one."

"Accident? How?"

"Well, it wasn't intentional, but my friend and I... uh... ran her over."

"Jesus Christ!"

"Amanda, how is she?"

"Is she fine?"

"She's fine now. I'll send you the address."

"Please do!"

He hangs up and smiles at me,

"Your mom is worried about you."

"Yeah," I respond.

"Reminds me of my mom," he says.

"Oh, she must be really caring."

He gently nods, "she is."

"If I may ask, why doesn't she let you attend school in the United States?"

He sighs, "You really wanna know?"

I nod, "Hmm."

"Okay then."

"Well, I did a lot of messed-up stuff back in high school, and it really affected my grades. So, my mom convinced my dad that I should finish my education in Nigeria."

My eyes innocently widen at the revelation, "What kind of messed-up stuff?"

He simply chuckles, "You don't wanna know."

"Uhm, you can tell me."

He rubs the back of his neck as he bends his head.

"I was a freaking sex addict."

His words hit me like a bullet, making my eyes widen in shock.

"What?"

"That's it, I did a lot of bad things back home."

What the hell?

"Really?"

He nods, "Yeah."

"Whoa!"

He was a sex addict, he has had sex with a lot of girls?

Jesus Christ!

He snaps his fingers in my face, "What's up?"

I shake my head, "Oh, um, it's nothing."

"It's just really surprising, you know?"

"I thought you were a good boy."

He suddenly bursts out laughing, then straightens up.

"I am a good person, I just love that kind of stuff."

"Oh uhm, really?"

"Yeah."

Does this mean he might not like me like I thought he did, or he does, but just wants to hook up?

I'm still young!

"Um, have you ever dated anybody?" I ask, my gaze expectant.

"Nah, I haven't. Those girls back there are just thirsty, looking for guys to smash."

My heart leaps with joy.

"So does this mean you're open to having a girlfriend?"

"Well, yeah, only if she ain't a sex freak like the rest."

"Oh, um."

My gaze shifts to my lap.

I'm not one of them, does that mean I'm up to his standards?

"You don't look like a hoe, you're different."

My heart begins pounding heavily as I raise my gaze to meet his intense one.

Our gazes lock instantly, and it feels like he's leaning in closer, or maybe he actually is.

This must be it; we're finally alone, with no one to interrupt us.

A smile forms on my lips as he draws nearer, his head slightly tilted.

His eyes are half-open, and his lips part as our faces inch closer together.

My heart races as his lips press against mine in a warm, pleasant kiss.

He starts slow, taking my lips into his mouth, then picks up the pace.

My eyes are slightly open, and I'm lost in the moment.

I've never kissed anyone before, but this feels amazing.

He gently lays me on the bed, continuing to kiss me with passion.

He holds my waist, tilting my head upwards as he deepens the kiss.

His tongue slips into my mouth, exploring mine, and my heart pounds heavily.

Suddenly, we both hear the sound of the door handle bending open.

"Amanda, we've prescribed some medicines for you that you should take daily," a voice says.

Kendrick instantly pulls away from me and sits on the bed, and I mirror his action, watching as the door fully opens.

It's the doctor!

"Oh, you're here too. I was looking forward to seeing you," he says, stepping closer to us.

"You should come with me to my office; let's discuss her medication."

I shift my gaze to Kendrick, noticing his lips are red and slightly parted as he nods.

I hope the doctor didn't notice anything.

He stands from the bed and gives a smile, sending butterflies to my stomach.

"I'll send the address to your mom," he says.

"Uhm, okay."

He turns around and begins following the doctor out of the room, and the door closes behind them with a gentle click.

I raise my hand to touch my lips, feeling the wetness from the kiss.

I can't believe it happened!

We kissed!

Was I dreaming?

I pinch my hand, and the slight pain confirms it wasn't a dream - it was reality.

We actually kissed!

I'm bursting with excitement, but I manage to contain my squeal.

Screaming would be crazy, but inside, I'm freaking out.

I adjust my position in bed, covering myself with the sheet and holding it tightly above my head.

Eeeeeehhhhh!!!!

Moments pass, and I start to feel sleepy.

I pull the blanket down to my chest, ready to drift off.

But the door suddenly swings open, startling me, and I turn to see my mom rushing in, Kendrick behind her.

"Mom!" I exclaim, sitting up straight.

She rushes over and wraps her arms around me, and I hug her back, my head on her shoulder, inhaling the sweet fragrance of her perfume.

"Thank God you're fine," she says, pulling away, her hands on my shoulders.

I watch with a smile as her worried eyes scan my face.

"I'm fine now," I say, meeting her gaze.

"Why did you leave the house? Was it because of that girl?" she asks, sounding concerned.

"Uhm..."

"You should have just left her, why did you have to chase her?"

"Mom, I'm fine."

"You're not fine!"

"You have a bandage on your head, and you say you're fine? Do you want to kill yourself?"

"Huh?"

I freeze, taken aback by her outburst.

My gaze shifts from her face to her handbag, and I mutter, "I'm sorry."

She pulls me into another warm embrace, "Don't do that ever again."

"Hmm."

My gaze falls on Kendrick and my grandma, standing beside him, both wearing warm smiles as they watch us.

She pulls away then stands up.

"Let's go now," she says.

I nod, slowly getting off the bed, but my legs wobble, and I fall back onto the bed.

"Whoa, steady there!" my mom exclaims, rushing to my side.

"What's wrong?" she asks.

"I've been in bed for too long, that's all," I reply, feeling a bit embarrassed.

She offers her hand, and I take it, letting her help me up.

Her hands wrap around my shoulders, stabilizing me.

We turn to face my grandma and Kendrick, who are watching us with different expressions - my grandma has a warm smile, while Kendrick's eyes are fixed on my legs, his smile gone.

Could he be worried?

Oh my!

We continue walking until we reach them.

"I'll help her out," Kendrick says, his gaze on my mom.

"It's fine, dear, don't worry yourself," my mom replies.

"No, it's fine, I don't mind helping," Kendrick insists.

"It's okay, dear, I can manage," my mom says.

But my grandma interrupts, "make him help her na," (Let him help her)

My mom hesitates, "no, has helped us a lot."

"Osi ochuri help, bie ya kor buya" (he says he wants to help, give her to him, let him take her).

"Ngwanu, okay," (okay then) my mom finally agrees.

She gently hands me over to Kendrick, my heart pounding.

He wraps his arm around my waist and holds me stable in his arms.

Oh Lord!

"Let's go then," my mom says, and we turn to head out the door.

We walk along the corridor, with few people passing by, and my heart still racing from his touch.

He doesn't seem bothered at all, keeping his eyes fixed on the path ahead until we reach the exit door.

We step outside, and the cloud cover is a dark grey, like it's about to rain.

The cool breeze hits me, and I shiver, but not just from the cold.

Kendrick's arm is still around me, and I can feel his warmth and strength.

We walk towards a car parked nearby, and he opens the door for me.

"Get in," he says gently.

"Uhm, dear, it's fine, we'll just look for a taxi," my mom says.

"It's fine, it's already late, I'll drop you guys home."

"Uhm, no son, it's fine, we'll find a—"

But my grandma interrupts, "Osi ayi banie, ine kwuokwu taxi, banie jor" (he said we should go in, you are talking about taxi, get in let's go).

"Mmmaaa," my mom calls.

My grandma doesn't listen and opens the door, getting in.

My mom simply shakes her head and shifts her gaze to Kendrick.

"You've done a lot for us, and I'm really grateful. May the Lord bless you," she says.

Kendrick nods with a smile, "Thanks."

My mom then places her hand on his cheek, "You're a very good boy."

"I am?" Kendrick asks with a grin.

"Of course."

She pulls her hand away and adds, "We really appreciate your help."

Just then, my grandma shouts from inside the car, "Banie ooo, mmirin chori zu!" (come in already, it's about to rain!).

My mom gives Kendrick a smile before entering the car and shutting the door after her.

Kendrick then turns to me with a smile, "get in."

I obey, my heart racing.

He gets in from the other side and slams the door shut.

"So, you give me directions, and I'll drop you home," Kendrick says, his eyes on the rearview mirror.

"Okay dear," my mom responds.

With that, he starts the engine and begins moving.

My mom and grandma start conversing, while I rest my head against the headrest.

The journey continues with my mom giving directions, and me stealing glances at Kendrick.

We're already on the street where my grandma's house is, and soon, we'll be home.

"Wait, so you guys live here?" Kendrick asks, diverting my gaze entirely to him.

"What's wrong?" My mom asks from behind.

His eyes remain on the road as he responds, "I happen to live on the same street too."

My eyes widen in shock, "Really?"

He gives a quick glance at me before nodding.

"Wow, that's nice, dear," my mom says.

"It is," he says, his eyes crinkling from his smile.

He looks happy for some reason, and I think I know why.

"This is it, stop here, dear," my mom says.

I peer outside, noticing we've already arrived.

"You guys live here?" Kendrick asks, his gaze out of the window.

The car is parked right in front of our gate, I wonder why he's so surprised.

He opens the door and steps out. My mom and grandma do the same, and I also step out, walking around to know the cause of his reaction.

"What's wrong?" My mom asks.

"It's nothing, it's just that I happen to live next door."

My eyes widen as my gaze shifts to the big grey house next to ours.

"Really?" I ask.

"Yeah, it's surprising, isn't it?"

"Ehen, so na your aunty dey live here shabi?" My grandma asks.

"Uhm, I don't quite get that," he says.

"She means that it's your aunt who lives here, right?" My mom explains.

"Oh yeah, just me, my aunt, and cousins," he responds.

So he lives next door!

Oh my God!!!