In few days, I got to realize that I had become a little replica of an Olive Valley Superstar, Nicole Martin; I got to live under her constrain.
During Saturday morning, I did nothing but watch movies and chat on my million dollar phone. My Dad had made matters worse by employing a maid to cook and handle all of the house chores.
I was filled with tantrum that I would sometimes yell at the maid, clamour, and as well throw sassy comebacks to those who were much older. I practiced all I learnt from Nicole.
Unlike before, I found zero interest in studying, reading novels, and reaching out to the word of God—those stuff just began to bore me.
We spent so much time together that I almost became a reflection of her.
While I kept watching my Saturday sitcom, I heard the grumbling sound of a car parking outside. I stretched out my neck to look out the window, then I said, "Nancy, would you please check who it is?"
"Sure," Nancy, the made replied. She looked through the window and screamed in stupor, "Oh my God! It's Nicole Martin! What in the world is she doing here?"
"Nicole? I thought the party was not till later tonight," I said and arose from the sofa, keeping aside the pillow I had in hand. I went to meet her outside and gave her a warm hug as soon as she got down from her car.
"Hey Lucas," I waved at the driver. "Nicky, what are you here for? I thought the party is not till evening."
"It is. I just came over to chill out with my bestie and also have fun. You in the mood for shopping?"
"I'm always in the mood for shopping..."
"Oh my God! It is you, the daughter of Marz O'Neil," Nancy came in between.
"First of all, shut up. Second of all, who even are you? You see two young ladies talking and you just barge in. That ain't a good manner of approach," Nicole shot.
Nancy being a mild and responsible woman was rather stunned, and a grimace appeared on her face as she turned to look at me and I looked away. Nancy gave Nicole a really stern look.
"I just need you to sign this book, it's a birthday gift for my daughter. She's turning ten and she loves you so much. In fact, she knows your lines in all your movies. I just need your autograph on it."
"Give it to me," Nicole replied and Nancy handed the book over to her. Nicole went through the book and fumbled her purse only to get a pair of scissors out of it, and she cut the pages of the book terribly and tossed it away.
"I'll give you some cash to buy a better gift for your daughter, such thing is too... Low class, and a ten-year-old shouldn't be reading such fairytale. Instead, she needs to read books about using people, getting fame, and being on top of the world" Nicole giggled. She took out some cash from her bag and handed it over to Nancy. Nancy received the money then she tore the dollar notes into pieces.
"You must be really sick in the head! Do you think I need your stupid money? How crazy are you!"
"And you must be a disease shaped in the form of a human being. Come on Steph, let's go inside."
As usual, I was dumbstruck and at loss of words to say. I left the scene and tried talking to Nicole, telling her how wrong she was but she refused to listen.
"Well you saw how she scolded me with her face in the first place. I mean who walks in on people that way?"
"That's still no reason to..."
"it's such a shocker that she's got a kid. She has the look and shape of a barren woman"
"Nicole!"
"Fact girl, just a fact. Hey I've got a bottle of red wine in the car."
"Gnarly."
Later on, we went out for shopping then moved to the arcade to play games with Jerome and Bella, whom she invited.
As soon as night fell, I got prepared for the party and left for Nicole's house.
The house was even more fabulous! The decorations were super duper on fleek. The chandeliers were sparkling and every single furniture in the house as well.
Each time I stepped my foot into any rooms in the house or stared at the perfection of the decorations, I felt so intimidated and marvelled. I had never imagined I would find myself in such a place. Wealth was written all over every single material in the house.
I felt like I was just seeing it for the first time.
Just as soon as I reached out to pick a set of meatballs on a stick, I received a text message from Jasmine, it went thus: "I don't know where you are right now but you sure are missing a lot."
She also sent pictures of she and Arthur and Arthur seemed really cheerful in all; they hugged, made funny identical faces, played, and laughed-all in the pictures Jasmine sent me.
"What the..." I was astounded. I was supposed to be the one in Jasmine's place but Arthur chose her instead. He hadn't even mentioned anything to me. It was evident that he was only being that way because of my friendship with the celebrity's kid.
"Two can play that game." I stared into my phone.
His party was a celebration of how much he had accomplished over the years, a party we had both once planned. I sighed.
I struggled to fling aside my sad thoughts of Jasmine and Arthur and have an enjoyable time at the awesome party.
I had a silly plan; during every enthusiastic part of the shindig, I took cool pictures of I and Nicole having so much fun, then I sent them to Jasmine.
"You think you're having fun? Check this out."
Jasmine replied with so many emojis displaying amusement. She had probably showed them to Arthur and then he would realize that two could actually play the stupid game.
Nicole's party was a gazillion times better than Arthur's—that should have really hit him in the spot.
"I want every single member of the Superstars Rock It All Club to see themselves inside ASAP," Nicole clamoured.
Everyone obeyed her as soon as possible and gathered around to take their seats and the only people who were moving around were the bouncers, bodyguards, chefs and servants.
As everyone peacefully sat with their food and drinks, Nicole grabbed a microphone and stood on the stage of the room.
"Attention people!"
"Why are you using a mic? We can hear you loud and clear," a boy pointed out and since Nicole could give no answer, she got upset and asked the bouncers to "throw the scum out," and they obeyed.
The boy didn't argue but saw himself out.
"Now I need y'all to start throwing not stupid ideas about our presentation for the school show day."
"I've gotta point things out a little Nicky," a blonde boy arose. " Every club that's gonna make presentations that day have one thing in common-they are organized. We barely even do anything educational and not everyone in this club is really into this entrepreneurship thing."
"Well-done Brandon. Boys! Throw this one out also."
"Oh come on Nicole, I was just..."
"Go smart your ass somewhere else."
The bouncers jerked the boy and led him out.
She kept asking for opinions for the school concert but not one soul said a word. "Anyone? Grace, Amber, Michelle, Robert, Anna, Sal, Ollie, anyone?" Nicole sighed out of frustration.
"I've got something," I arose
Nicole folded her arms and I proceeded, "I was thinking... Everyone here is wealthy and... Um, some people have got business ideas but don't know how to manage or go about it and some people need business ideas. How about we give out essential tips on how to manage resources, how to manage your business and make profit within a society, maybe through the internet. We can do this in a creative style using a little demo, add some musical effect and stuff."
"That's brilliant!" Nicole exclaimed and a smile appeared on my face.
Everyone began to cheer for me.
Nicole had hosted the slumber party without consulting anyone about it and no one knew about it except the club's members who lied to their parents—some of which were carefree, just to get to hang out. 𝙏𝙚𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙖𝙢 𝙄 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩?
✮☆✮☆✮☆✮☆✮☆✮☆✮☆✮☆✮☆✮☆✮☆✮☆✮☆✮☆✮☆✮☆✮☆✮☆✮☆✮☆
𝘿𝙞𝙙 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙮?
A woman wearing a red robe with her hair roughly packed into a bun then walked in on us.
She looked so pretty and had a very good figure.
"Hello Mirabel," I heard some boys and girls say.
Nicole went to the woman and she acted motherly around Nicole then she finally went back into a locked room.
"Your Mom?" I asked Nicole.
"Yeah. Dad didn't want me to stay home alone and so he took me to her place but I wanted the party to hold here so she came over to supervise."
Later on, we moved to a game called, 'whack the pinata'
Everyone gathered around in different zones and we all began to whack huge pinatas. 𝘿𝙞𝙙 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙮 "𝙬𝙚"?
Nicole asked me not to join them because the pinatas were 'only' filled with cash and that was something something I got from her all the time.
When the pinatas exploded, tons of cash flew out and everyone reached in to grab theirs, even as they were rich. I took pictures and sent them to Jasmine.
"Cash from a pinata? Gobsmacked!" Jasmine responded.
While they played with the pinata, I and Nicole moved around the gigantic paradise. We took an elevator and went up to Nicole room.
Her room was like a different house entirely.
Every single thing in her room was white and the room itself was painted white. I found a studio, theatre, library, kitchen, and an award room.
Nicole introduced all the prizes and awards she had won for some of her movies. At such tender age?
She also claimed to have her own house at the end of the city and it wasn't finished yet.
"Somebody shoot me," I said in great astonishment and left my mouth wide opened with less concern that there could be an insect around.
Nicole's room and her standard of living in a whole was virtually my dream. Nicole was living my dream!
"Woah," my mouth still hung open. "Oh my world... This place in fact is out of my world."
"Wait till you see the mind blowing part."
"There's more? Nicky, I didn't inform my Dad about any trip to oblivion. I can't faint now."
Nicole laughed and held my hand.
We went to the elevator and went somewhere else. I saw a whole new planet. That part of the house was empty but it had a wonderful view of Olive Valley. It was an enchanting view.
It was the last storey of the building so I could see almost everything. It was so relaxing. I had a flush of joy.
"This is where I come when I'm upset."
"Wow... This... This is the best place I've ever been to in all my life," I said quietly like my breath was slowly ceasing. "Like I keep thinking, how did you ever amount to this? This is all I've ever dreamt of. This is awesome," I said and she smiled.
That summoned up memories of when I constantly sat in my room back in Nigeria and made a list of things I wanted to achieve and the list of things I need to make it possible.
"Um, Nicky, how about your Dad? When is he coming back? When do I get to talk to him about my career?" I remembered and told her. She spoke evasive words and I became confused.
"You must be hungry. Pizza coming right up!" She scurried and left.
Usually, she would clamour or jingle a bell which was at every corner of the house, to get the attention of the servants but this time, she went by herself which seemed kind of berserk.
I sat on a furry, black chair and placed my hands on the fence of the place which was perfectly designed with ribbons and glitter and little pieces of precious stones; I smiled.
I kept staring at the incredible Olive Valley buildings, huge advertisement boards, sky scrapers, streets, seas, houses... Olive Valley was indeed the exact footstool for God as they said.
Within some minutes, a boy bounced in and my attention dropped; I turned to look and there he was, waving.
"Hey there beautiful," he waved. He was a black.
"Hi. Nicole isn't here, she went down to get something"
"I actually wasn't looking."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
There was an awkward moment of silence and he let out his hand, "I'm Leonard."
"Stephanie," I shook him and we both smiled.
"Pretty name for a smart girl. Your idea is booming all over the place."
"Awww, thanks."
"Wanna hang out a little?" He asked and I replied, "sure."
We moved around the place and began to chat.
"We attend the same school and I never even realized that there's such perfect beauty around," he said and I became so flattered. Feelings and emotions started to build themselves up inside of me.
𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙪𝙥...It sounded like an obvious lie because whoever knew Nicole was bound to know me. Everyone knew Nicole! She as well made me negatively famous during my first week at school.
"I know we just met but I was wondering-do you have a boyfriend?"
"No," my heart throbbed.
"As pretty as you are."
"Well I don't think I'm ready for any love drama."
"And what if I asked you to be my girlfriend?"
"I'd give no response."
"Why Steph?"
"I told you I'm not ready. Plus, my heart belongs to someone else."
"Oh bummer! I'll leave you to it then."
We moved downstairs and got to the party hall. I and Leonard kept 𝒈𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 and he asked to be excused. He went over to meet Nicole and she whispered something in his ears after he talked to her.
I kept staring at them and finally took my eyes off to sit alone at a balcony.
In some minutes, Leonard walked up to me.
"I thought you said you weren't looking for Nicole."
"I wasn't. What? You jealous?" He smiled.
"Of course not."
"Then why were you spying on us?"
"I actually..."
Suddenly, the lights interrupted our conversation, it went off and the whole place was covered in darkness.
Just as soon as the power went off, Leonard smooched me and somehow, I couldn't let go or reject him. In few minutes, the lights came back on and I slapped Leonard and walked away.
"After not refusing it? Girls be crazy," he laughed and I gave him the middle finger.
Nicole came to me afterwards and I figured things out through her smile.
"There's that shit-eating grin. What did you and Leonard plan?" I frowned.
"Well... He said he likes you and I kinda..."
"Why did you do that?! You didn't even ask me about it."
"Relax. Why are you refusing him? He's tall, dark, and handsome afterall-ain't that the Nigerian slogan?" She chuckled but I remained cross. "Why are you making this such a big deal? Girl, Leonard's Father is a multi millionaire."
"So? That's his business."
"No, there's more to it, why did you refuse him?"
"Fine. I like Emlyn instead."
Nicole paused and laughed out loud. "Holy smokes! Emlyn? Emlyn Sanders? Do you even know if he feels the same way about you? Don't waste this opportunity Steph, think wisely. Emlyn hasn't made a move or acted like he does love you. Go think about it"
"But.... But I don't even have feelings for Leonard."
"Girl, who dates for love here? You date because you wanna fit in and just so you can flaunt your partner and anything else... But love should be like the least thing."