chapter 7

"Don't you think you're overreacting? I mean he actually came to ask and you just brushed him off."

This came from Juliet, they were both on her bed with Janet in the corner of her room, she had her head down on her knees. She felt really bad, especially when she was leaving and bumped into him. He was talking with Dotun, which just made her shoulders tense up.

When he'd seen her, he just lazily waved and walked away, what bothered her was that Dotun laughed in her face as she skipped and practically jumped on Derek. It felt like she was mocking her, of course she was, she had ruined it...again.

"You know, I think she was lying. Call him and ask."

"Call him? Are you crazy?" Janet laughed out, getting to her feet as she plumped against her bed. Letting out a loud groan, how could she even muster up the guts to call him after ignoring him.

"Or I will." Juliet warned, but Janet didn't take her seriously, she just scoffed. "Go ahead." She sarcastically said, tugging at her bed sheet. It was quiet for a moment until she heard a grunt.

"Hello?" 

Janet practically shot up, her eyes wide as she stared at Juliet in shock, she had actually called him! What the heck! Janet mouthed to her as she practically went haywire, Juliet just laughed silently, falling on the bed as she kicked her legs watched Janet freak out.

Talk to him! Juliet mouthed over as Janet let out a silent scream, forgetting that he was still on the line. "Hello?" He grunted again, by his tone, she knew that he was getting impatient. 

Juliet gave the phone to her and ran out of the room cackling as she slammed the door. Leaving Janet alone with a slacked mouth. What would she even say? The line was quiet, she was quiet as well. With one hand, she tugged against her quivering lip.

A deep sigh came from the line then a shuffling, was he going to hang up on her? He wouldn't if you just speak! Janet scolded herself before clearing her throat.

"W-wait." She finally spoke out and then the shuffling stop, she could just hear his breathing, her toes curled as she tried to calm herself.

She didn't even know what to say.

"Why'd you call if you're not going to say anything?"

That's the thing, she didn't call! Juliet did. But it was too late to go back, it wasn't like she could hang up, that'd just ruin everything. The more she stayed quiet, the more the tension increased. What would she say?

She silently prayed for assistance from above.

"I, I heard something...that's why I got angry." 

She managed to utter out. He just sighed, it sounded like he was sitting up, then he muttered a silent "What's new?" Now she really thought that she was wrong to believe Dotun.

"What'd you hear?" He finally asked.

Janet didn't even know how to put it.

"That you were talking behind my back, saying that I'm a prude and everything..." Janet murmured quietly, hoping he'd heard her because she didn't want to repeat that.

"From who?" Was the only thing he asked, his voice was calm and collected, he didn't sound like someone they had just nabbed backstabbing. His voice held a tone of confusion in it.

"That's not important." Janet didn't know why but she didn't want to tell him that it was Dotun.

"I didn't talk behind your back." He confirmed, but she found it hard to believe. How would Dotun know about the number then! But it was embarrassing for her to ask that.

"How'd you get my number?"

She began.

"Your book." She cringed at the answer, she really didn't know that such an innocent flirty approach would be uncovered. 

"Did you tell someone about that?"

"Oh, oh...when we called, Jagun was calling me as well."

We. That sounded so nice coming from him. She frowned at the name he called, Jagun. "Then he called again later and asked. I said you and he asked how I got your number." Derek continued, she loved how he had nothing to hide when she asked him some questions, how he just explained freely without beating around the bush.

"I guess he told someone about it, I shouldn't have told him that." He sounded apologetic, Janet just held tightly unto her phone, nodding stupidly like he could see her.

"No problem." She said out loud, letting out a breath as she put her head down. Now she was starting to think Jagun had it in for her.

"Next time just ask me. Besides you shouldn't let things get to you, that's stupid."

Ouch?

She wanted to yell and tell him that she didn't care what people thought, when those people weren't him.  But she just let out a nervous laugh and nodded. "You've confirmed, abi?" Derek asked as she let out a laugh. 

"You're cool to hang with, if I didn't think so, I'd tell you." He said, before hanging up.

She took a deep breath and fell back to her bed with a smile. It felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, she felt almost lightweight. She really owed Juliet a big thank you. Before she knew it, she felt her eyelids getting heavier, she was about to fall into a deep sleep but then her phone vibrated. For a second she thought it was Derek calling her, but she saw that it was Shalom.

"Babe, what's up?"

"I'm outside." 

Say what? Why was she outside her house? Thankfully it was a Friday so if she asked to hang out with her, her mom wouldn't say no. But then again...

"Why though?" Janet asked confused as she sat up on her bed. "We haven't hung out in forever!" Shalom said in a singsong manner, over the phone she could hear her neighbors annoying dog barking. That made her get up on her feet.

"It's Friday nah, don't keep me waiting oh!" Shalom warned before hanging up, Janet groaned out, before walking over to her door.

Surprisingly, when she went in, her mom just agreed and got back on the phone with her dad who was on a trip doing evangelism. Janet almost cheesed at how her mother kept smiling when she spoke to him on the phone. 

Hurry up. She read on her phone when it vibrated, the text came from Shalom. Janet just sighed, skipping to her room as she began to pick out what she would wear. She decided on a denim shorts that reached her mid thigh, it hugged her body and gave her a nice figure. She accompanied it with a oversized yellow shirt with Bart Simpson on it; which she tucked in at the side.

In her opinion, she looked cute.

Putting on her chunky white shoes, she ran downstairs so her mom wouldn't see her going. With a last shout of goodbye to her mom, she left with her phone and wallet.

"Finally! Aw you look cute." Shalom exclaimed, pulling her into a hug. Shalom had on a black denim shorts and a tube top with a black kimono. She looked really good.

"See how you just showed up, you should have called before, nah." Janet whined, walking with her as she closed the gate. "So where are we even going to?" Janet asked, still confused.

"There's a park nearby, come." She said, holding her hands as she skipped down the estate. Janet stumbling right behind her, she just wondered why Shalom suddenly wanted to hang out. 

"Guy, Yinka has been disturbing me." Shalom groaned out once they reached the estate gate, walking towards wherever Shalom was leading her too. 

"How?" Janet just asked, the place they were going to was not too far ahead, it was a small area with huge trees and benches. The place was usually crowded on a Friday. Shalom didn't answer her question until they reached where they were going, slouching on one of the benches Janet stretched loudly.

She really loved the greens.

This, to her was a breath of fresh air, she saw how different people skipped around the park, some were couples, kissing against a tree, some sitting on the lap of their lover, whispering sweet nothings into their ear.

"Okay, so. First she was being so weird about you giving your note to that Derek guy." Janet's ear perked up at his name, her attention now fully on Shalom. Janet's eyebrows raised in confusion, so she wasn't just imagining it when she thought Yinka didn't like him.

"Yeah, then today she was complaining about how you guys were hanging out, which reminds me. You guys are hanging out?" Shalom didn't seem annoyed with the fact, instead she just grinned, playfully poking her shoulders.

"How does she even know that?" Janet asked, giggling as Shalom poked her sides. Shalom just smirked, her teeth showing, she had that don't play dumb look.

"Okay, yeah we are. But it's just normal stuff. No big deal." Janet shrugged, playing with her fingers, when Shalom noticed, she burst out laughing and hopped to her feet, her boobs bouncing as she did.

She had no bra on.

"That's so cute! Finally you'll get some action." 

Janet scoffed at this, "Well excuse you!" She too, got on her feet as they began to stroll around, Janet walked around the tree as she used her hands to trail on it. It wasn't dirty or infested with ants.

"I'm telling you! You should tell her to back off, I mean, it's getting kind of silly." Shalom explained seriously as she walked over to Janet, taking out her phone; she began to take pictures of herself. 

"I say we explore." Janet brought up, checking the time on her phone, only about twenty minutes had gone by and it was still bright outside. 

"Okay, come on."

Shalom said, not hesitating to cross the street, they began walking farther down, laughing at each others jokes and being silly. Janet needed this, just hanging out with her friend.

"I met someone." Shalom said.

"Ahan, I thought you already had one." Janet wasn't shocked about this, she expected nothing less from a goddess like Shalom. She knew that the people she went around with weren't school boys, they were older.

More to her taste, Shalom liked older guys.

"Yeah I did, but he's a cheat." She whined, sounding like a hypocrite. Janet giggled at this as they continued to go down, not even looking back so they'd know where to go when they turned back or decided to head home. She had a feeling they were getting lost, but just shrugged it off.

"Weird thing is that he's the guys roommate. I mean we haven't spoken much, but I really like him, he's...more of a man?" 

Shalom asked, more to herself than Janet. "He's really fine, but he doesn't look my way at all, but I love a challenge." Shalom shrugged with a sly smile, Janet just listened to her, twirling a plait of her hair between her hands as they continued walking to God knows where.

"How about you try to be friends first?" Janet offered making Shalom roll her eyes, "What's the fun in that? I just want to pounce him already." She moaned, Janet cringed at this, playfully hitting her shoulders as they crossed the road for the second time.

The began to approach a rather shady place, the guys around there had only singlets on, with boxers, chewing toothpick and literally ogling at them like predators.

"Mama." One said seductively, but didn't approach them, he just stared, licking his lips, his stare directed towards Shalom whose nipples were practically pressing against her tube.

"We should head back." Janet called out but Shalom just brushed off her comment, walking deeper into the lions den. "Calm down, I brought pepper spray." Shalom uttered, a smirk on her lips with one of her hands tapping against the silver fanny pack she brought with her.

Janet turned to face her.

"But-"

"Would you look at that, isn't that your man?"

Which man?

She didn't have no man.

"Ehn?" Janet laughed out and turned to look in the direction of Shalom, stopping in her tracks when she spotted Derek, not to far from where they were.

He was talking to a guy who seemed to look older than Derek was.

Speaking of Derek, he had on a black shirt and sweatpants, his hands shoved into his pocket, she couldn't help but stare at his bulge.

Dang sweatpants.

"Isn't that Sammy?" Shalom squealed, seeming rather excited, she was guessing that Sammy was the guy Derek was talking to.

"You know that one too?" 

The question was who didn't she know? Shalom knew a lot of guys. "Come on, let's go say hi." Shalom said, about to walk over to them but was pulled over by Janet.

"What?! Why?" Janet hissed at her, Shalom was definitely not thinking straight, she must have just been excited to see that Sammy of a person. "It's not like you don't want to anyways." Shalom smirked at her as she discreetly pointed to Derek.

"I know you'll follow me eventually, just come already!" Shalom said, grabbing her hands as they made it to were they were, Janet nervously stumbling back and trained her stare to the white sneakers she had on.

"Sammy!" Shalom giggled as she pulled him into a hug, her breasts pressing up against his chest, he looked shocked at first but then his hands snaked around her waist and pulled her deeper into the hug.

"Baby, long time." He greeted, before his eyes went to Janet, who still had her head down.

"And who's your friend?" 

Janet looked up as she heard his question, fiddling with the hem of her oversized shirt. She hadn't yet looked over at Derek, she was a bit nervous.

"Her name's Janet." Shalom introduced excitedly.

"Well, this is my guy, Derek." Sammy introduced as well, "And I'm Sammy." Janet simply nodded, slowly turning towards Derek who had a cute confused smile on his face. When their eyes met, she almost melted at how his brown orbs reflected in the sunlight.

Quite boldly, his eyes trailed down from hers, raking over her body, so slow that it set her body on fire, not literally, but she felt rather hot at the moment. As if approvingly, he arched his eyebrows and tilted his lips into a smirk.

Don't moan.

Don't moan.

"Hi." She practically squeaked out, looking over at him, her eyes almost bulging as it landed on a particular area.

"Janet."

He finally said her name, as if questioning why she was here. Shalom was too busy playing with Sammy that she didn't realize when she left her alone with him.

"Nice outfit."

He teased, making her feel more exposed than she thought she was, but she loved it. She had a feeling that he liked what he saw, because she definitely like what she saw.

"So..." He asked, nudging his head as they walked over to a tree that had a bench at the side.

"What brings you to a shady area like this?"

He asked, the way he sat down made her insides heat up, how could a guy look so attractive sitting in a particular way? He gave off that daddy aura.

She really needed to get her head out of the gutter.

This was going to be a long afternoon.

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