"We're leaving tonight."
Grace sprang up to her feet. "What? No! To where?"
"To my place at Ikeja," Efe answered. "My roommate has been out of town for like a week now but that's not an issue, I'll just call and let him know you would be staying with us."
"No!" Grace objected. " I don't want to leave. Why are we leaving?"
"Are you too blind to see all that is going on?" Efe queried. "Do you still see this as a game after all that has happened? You must be delusional and I'll be damned if I let you get killed or go to prison."
Grace turned to her friends for support but they all kept quiet. It wasn't their place to say anything. Grace had to speak up for herself.
"But what about school?"
"Aren't you done with your WAEC exams already? You girls just go there to play."
"But graduation is coming up very soon."
"And so what? Are you willing to risk your life for just one day? Come on Grace, be sensible!"
"B-but what about my friends? I can't just abandon them."
Efe threw a glance at Margret, Joana, and June.
"Look here, you better stop giving excuses. We are living and that is final... And you girls better do the same too." He said to them, "You can say your goodbyes while I go make some preparations, we will leave tonight." He said finally and walked into his room.
"I'm sorry guys," Grace said, turning to her friends.
"It's okay, we understand," Margret assured.
"Aw, dammit!" She cursed as she slumped to the floor. "I was looking forward to these past few weeks before graduation, it was supposed to be packed with memories that would be the most exciting of all our time in school, and yet somehow I messed everything up."
"Come on Grace, it's not your fault," June said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"I know you don't think that is true, you just want to make me feel better," Grace replied, sluggishly taking June's hand off her shoulder.
"Of course it is," Joanna said. "But what are we friends for if we don't forgive each other's faults?"
"How are you still calm at this point?" Grace said to her with a stare.
"Oh, I'm fucking shitting my mind over here!"
They all giggled.
"Hey, you guys remember when we used to ride bikes?" Margret asked.
"You mean when I taught the four of you how to ride bikes, why would I ever forget?" Grace gloated.
"Yeah, why did we stop?"
"We saw it as uncool I guess," June said.
"Fuck that, remember how happy we were riding those bikes at full speed? The wind blowing on our faces? It was like there was no worry in the world at all. I miss that."
"So what's stopping us from doing it again?" Joanna said.
All their faces brightened immediately.
"I know right, let's do it," Margret said finally before the girls all rushed to their feet.
"I'm heading out bros Efe," Grace called out to her brother.
"Be back by six."
"I probably won't, love you." She said then shut the door behind her.
** ** **
Saturdays were always a slow day in business for Mr. Kenneth especially when school was in session. He was a man in his early forties, tall and slightly built with a square chin. Most parents didn't like the idea of their kids riding bicycles in the middle of their exams and neither did he. Still, he went to his shop like he did every other morning, hoping that someone would come in to buy, rent or repair a bicycle.
Mid noon soon came and he brought out his mini radio, listening to football updates and wondering if he would have to close shop early or not. Just then, Grace and the girls walked in.
"Mr. Jenkins, good afternoon sir."
"Good afternoon," he replied, welcoming them with a warm smile. "It's been so long... you girls are big already. Where have you been? Did you travel?"
"No sir, we just thought we'd outgrown it," Margret answered.
"Nonsense! You don't have to be too quick to grow up, you know. When you end up being one, you would just be wondering why all the rush. Take your time and enjoy your life."
Grace smiled at his words knowing he was right. She was looking for something memorable hoping Veronica would be the spark when she already had it all before.
"Yes. Do you still rent?" She asked.
"Of course, the four of you?"
The girls nodded in response.
"Great! I've got the right ones for you girls, follow me."
Mr. Jenkins led them to a section with rows of sportlike bicycles.
"Nice," Joana said in admiration.
"You are still a sucker for speed, I presume?" He said to Grace.
"Always." She answered with a smirk.
"Then this would be perfect for you." He said handing her one with a blue design. "And the brake is very sharp so you don't have to worry about anything."
He moved on to pick out three others for the rest of the girls.
"They look amazing, thank you," June said.
"You're welcome. How long do you girls plan on renting it?"
They all threw glances at each other.
"We don't know really, but later this evening for sure," Joanna said.
He gave a slight nod in response.
"So how much?" Joanna asked.
"Just give me five hundred." Mr. Henry replied with a smile.
Joana dipped her hand into her pocket and brought out a thousand naira note and gave it to him.
"Alright, let me get your change--"
"Don't worry about that sir," Joana said, cutting him off.
Mr. Henry wasn't going to take the money but they were not going to give him the chance to refuse either as they dashed with their bikes towards the door.
"Thank you, sir, " They all said in unison as they headed out.
** ** **
The girls rode all around the neighborhood throughout the afternoon till evening and truly all the worry in the world seemed to fade away, neither did it look like Grace had slept in a prison cell the night before, or that Joana could be dead in a week time.
By sunset, they rode by a field and decided to stop and lay there for a while. They watched and admired the beautiful transition of day into night as the sky got darker and darker. Grace was the first to speak.
"This is amazing, guys."
"It's incredible." June agreed.
"You know I went to Veronica because I thought we needed to do some big girl thing to have fun but now I realize it doesn't matter what I do as long as I do it with you guys."
" You're damn right," Joana remarked which made them laugh. They all got silent soon enough until Joana spoke again.
"I don't want to die, guys," She said with her eyes staring deep into the sky. "I want to live long and get married to John with you girls as my bridesmaids, I want to have beautiful kids and get insecure as they grow older. I want to have a successful career as a doctor. Life is precious guys, and I don't want to lose it."
"I'm sorry Jo, we will figure something out," Grace said.
"There's no time. Friday is just five days away." Joanna replied. "Don't tell me you're hoping on Veronica."
"No, I'm not."
"Good, because I don't trust that girl."
"Me too." Margret agreed. "It has always been the five of us from the beginning, and yet somehow our killer is always ten steps ahead of us like he is watching us as we make our every move... I know none of you would be working with the killer and that leaves just her. Oh and remember when we're locked in that hotel room with Bright?" She asked June.
"Yeah?"
"It's someone on the inside that could have sabotaged us like that, and then she took so long to open the door. I know y'all might think I'm going all out on a conspiracy theory like this, but that girl is hiding something."
"I'm with you sister," Joanna said.
Grace kept quiet to reason what Margret had said. Just then, something flashed back to her memory. Something from two weeks ago.
Veronica's driver's license!
"Oh my God, you guys are right." She said, jolting up.
"That Veronica is the killer?" Joanna asked.
"No, not that. But Veronica is hiding her identity."
"How?" The other girls said getting up too.
"The afternoon we went to bury Sylvester's body when the policeman stopped us, I caught a glimpse of Veronica's license. It said Veronica Badmus, not Veronica Bello."
"Oh my God!" June exclaimed. "So should we confront her?"
"No," Joana answered. "If we do, she will know we are onto her and she might try to hide the truth."
"So?"
"So I leave with my brother, and I find out what she is hiding."