Ignorance is Bliss

"Really?" Deola asks with a light frown, watching Tunrayo buckle over with laughter.

The convertible by which she stands is parked close to the magnificent Assembly Hall which once was the center of their Prom Activities, two days back.

However, with the Prom events concluded, the hall is back to it's regular state, all of it's fanfare, glitter and sparkles gone with the events as well. The electric fence of wires that alienated the hall from the rest of the school is down as well, allowing unrestricted access to the rest of the school and it's various buildings and what not.

The once littered parking lot, infront of the hall too is free and the only car at the moment occupying it is the black convertible.

The convertible had come in from the main gates of the school and was allowed entry when they had mentioned they were living in the staff quarters, a white lie, they reasoned.

Only after the lie could they drive past the school buildings to arrive at the hall overlooking the lake, to be greeted by the occasional breeze and the feel of a lake nearby.

The evening wind is chilly to some extent, reminding the lady in black leggings and a white tank top about the course of events that had occurred at this same location.

The evening sky is darkened as well, a prominent orange hue hanging lazily on the sky.

Deola shakes her head a bit as several emotions rush through her head about what had happened here.

On this same shore, she had almost pooped on herself. And now that she thinks about it, it seems almost hilarious that she had undergo all of that distress.

At the same time, Deola frowns, pissed at the perpertrator of it all, Grace.

To think she would have gone as far as that even when she had come under the disguise of making peace?

The whole sense of it Appals Deola as her face can no longer mask the huge frown she has on.

At this, she takes her gaze down while carefully making her way, away from parking lot.

But then Again, Deola smiles, she had been lucky she had Tunrayo as a friend. Despite her suggestion being absurd, heck, till now her morality still pricked her but, that had been had been her saving grace and for that, she is grateful.

She laughs lightly, remembering the distress she had plunged into shortly after the evil toast Grace had presented as she looks down to the ground, carefully walking with her black fancy slippers.

The granite shore here seems to be a little wet, which during the day wouldn't be but was now due to the rising seiche.

That was what Tunrayo called it right?

'Lakes don't have tides but have seiches.' She muses to herself.

Taking her mind from there, although she still gazes at the ground, she walks towards the lake, diagonally from the hall.

'Prom eh.' She thinks out again.

She was lucky, truly.

There was Tunrayo by her side all along.

And also, there was a Tade to make things get better when it seemed so bleak.

Now. she was here to see him but he had not given her a precise location. He had said, no, she got to know from Tunrayo that he would be at the shore overlooking the hall.

'Even though, I don't really like his touchy factor but I can deny he saved me from the waves.' Deola sighs, taking her gaze from the granite sprinkled shore.

'"Speaking of the devil..." Deola smiled to herself noting the figure that simply stands akimbo, staring into the lake by the whitewashed picket fence.

"What is he doing?" Deola asks no one, halting her movements as she observes Tade who seems transfixed at the Lake.

Tade, wears a blue slim fit trousers with a white somewhat transparent longsleeved shirt which reveals his masculinity to her, tucked into his trousers.

The cuffs of the shirts are left unbuttoned while his feet are adorned with black and white trainers.

The words to describe him now, would be that he is so much at peace with himself.

Even the airs about him are calming and relaxing, his chest heaving in each breath, very visible to the onlooker.

However, this sparks a different sort of reaction in Deola as she frowns.

"Just what is he doing here? All by himself? It's strange." A chill wind blows and Deola hugs herself in response. It is getting very cold with each passing minute.

With that motion, she remembers the words Tunrayo had spoken to her earlier on.

"If you ask me, I think he was going to say Tade Submerged. And before you argue, remember that he said he was enjoying the lake airs, at that time if the day. Reason with me, babe, why do you think his body would vanish from a picture with all of these facts?

Doesn't it mean there's more to this guy than what we think?"

Those were Tunrayo's words to her before she left. Even though she refused to think any thing of it but then...

Why would he disappear from the pictures?

In so much as she wants to dismiss it, she knows Tunrayo knows nothing about photo editing.

And again, why would Tunrayo stress to edit Tade from the picture when she herself was the crazy one about their kiss?

'It just doesn't make any sense!' She sighs again. 'Probably he's a spirit? Spirits can't be captured by camera, right? But he can't captured initially.. He just vanished from the shots.'

Deola kicks some loose granite with a foot.

'If this was sand now, I would have better basis. Even though, I don't know if it's true but there's a Yoruba legend that Spirits don't have footprints. But there's granite here, not sand. So I can't even tell whether or not the legend is true. talkless of even seeing if he has footprints.' She heaves.

And it is at this moment, Tade turns to his left, smiling to the girl who is seemingly lost in thoughts.

"Is that your idea of an apology? If it is, you better get away this instant." Tade calls out, an inescapable smile lurking at the corner of his lips.

"Uh? Oh!" Deola is startled at first but she quickly regains herself, her eyes coming to focus on Tade. "Good evening, Tade." She says, walking towards him.

"Ah, Good evening too." Tade's curtseys a little. "I almost thought you wouldn't come."

"Yeah... Right! Like you gave me a precise description of where you'd be.". Deola rolls her eyes, just as Tade's chuckles.

"Is the lake not a precise location already? Haha... To think I have missed your tantrums." He teases.

"Me?" Deola points a shocked forefinger to her chest. "Tantrums? Really?"

Tade laughs, throwing his hands wide, in anticipation of a hug. "Oh, come on." Deola does not budge and so he moves to her, his hands clutching her slender frame in one unwilling hug on her part.

"Gee... You're so stiff! If anyone saw us, it will look as though I am forcing you into my bed." He chuckles as Deola pushes against his chest, her eyebrows knit again.

"Don't you get it... I don't like being touched by strangers. I don't even know you!" Deola blurts out.

"Right! It's soooo obvious!" Tade rubs the back of his head, returning his gaze to the Lake again.

"What are you doing?"

"Lake Gazing, since you don't know me!" He replies after some minutes, much to the frustration of Deola.

"Humpfh!" She huffs, hugging herself. " It's so cold here. Aren't you feeling the cold?"

"You are cold?" Tade raises her eyebrow towards her.

"Answering question with question. Just great!"

"Yes or No?"

"Fine! Yes!"

Tade laughs lightly while Deola tilts her pissed off face to him.

"What's funny?"

"You! How can the lake be making you cold? I thought you had a tough skin at Prom?"

Deola rolls her eyes.

"Come hug me. You'll feel warm!" Tade gestures his left arm outwards.

"No thanks!"

"I don't think you can refuse!" Tade says in a matter of fact as his right fist glows a faint ghostly green haze.

And just then, the wind doubles, howling mercilessly on them.

"Ahh.. So cold!" She grumbles and unconsciously takes a step back, hugging herself tightly.

As she does, her back makes contact with Tade's arm but she jumps forward in shock.

"Seriously, don't be stubborn. You want to freeze on our date?"

"What?" She turns to face him with anger, squarely, her breathing huffed and rapid. "Who said this is a date?"

Tade leans forward, a smug look lighting his face. As a result, their faces are just inches from each other. Seeing this, Deola feels the warm breath caressing her face and before she knows it, an arm wraps her from behind, curling to her waist.

She wriggles faintly, but the calming warmth Tade's body brings her is something she does not want to let go off.

"How is your body this warm? Tade? Are you not human?" She whispers, allowing Tade pull her against his left chest, snuggling her head on his shoulder with a frown.

Because as much as she desires the warmth emanating from him, Tade is but a stranger and she never liked strangers in close contact with her.

"You know, if this was a proper date, we'd be in Submerged Hotel and Restauranteur, it's a classic 5 star., in Atlantic Ocean. " Tade says, tilting his head backwards as he inhales the feminine scent of Deola with closed eyes. "And no matter how the Atlantic gets cold, Submerged hotel has several heating orbs that warm everywhere and..."

"Wait!.." Deola jolts her head. "Atlantic Ocean? Ocean? You live underwater?" She gasps, pulling away from him.

"What No?" Tade's eyes widen. " No no no... "

"So, you are a water Spirit?" She flings a pointer finger at him, still in shock.

"Wait..." Tade regains his calm demeanor. "Shouldn't you be apologising or something?"

"Don't you dare try to change the topic!" Deola warns, her body shaking visibly as she takes a step backwards, towards the picket fence.

"No wonder your image vanished from the pictures Tunrayo took, when you kissed me. No wonder... God, I've been so naive.

And Tee was telling me all along... No No..."

"What? Are you sure Tunrayo is not some sort of freak? Do you think you she couldn't have edited me from the picture?"

"What, what are you saying? She's my best friend and she doesn't know how to edit photos."

"Really? In this time and age?" Tade gave a short laugh. "What makes you think she can't pay someone to do that?" Tade questions, throwing his hands wide.

"No, you shut up!" Deola explodes. " You are the freak! You are demented. You a-are..." She shakes her head in horror, the only expression visible on it is dread.

With no more words to complete her sentence, Deola turns, her feet racing her away from Tade.

Tade sighs, a sad smile lighting his face as one tear rolls down from the edge of his face, watching the fleeting visage of Deola toward the black convertible.

"I'm actually not that scary, you know!" He whispers.

In the distance, Deola runs and runs, the cold wind that had pushed her to Tade no longer a deciding factor.

And just then, behind Tade, at his back, a shower of water sprays into the air, forming a body outline that slowly solidifies...

Solidifying into a persona of heavily bearded face and kinky full black hair, wearing simple blue black sports singlets and a green, scaly tight trousers.

"She knows. Our existence is a secret to humans. We are never meant to correlate. That girl, deserves to die."

At the word 'Die' Tade tenses up, turning slowly to face the speaker.

"Don't. You. Dare..." Tade says, his eyes glowing a faint green as bloodlust surrounds him.

"Ignorance is Bliss! She should have just obeyed that principle but now, it can't be helped, brother." The bearded figure places a hand on Tade's shoulder as they both erupt into a spray of water.

And off in a distance, in the lake, is yet another visage of two waves crashing violently, into each other.

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Author's Note:

Ignorance is Bliss, I wish Deola knew. Some things are not meant to be understood. If you do, there will be consequences!

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