When I got to him, I stopped and bent, leaning on my knees as I breathed heavily. When I looked up to see him, he was smiling, smiling like he very much enjoyed how I was breathing.
"Are you smiling right now?" I asked him but it only made him laugh.
"When last did you ever run?" he teased me as I continued panting.
"Well, I wouldn't be running if you hadn't left me behind. Why didn't you wait for me?"
"Nick said you told him that you knew your way home now and that you weren't interested in going home with us."
"He made me say that without thinking, I was trying to have a good comeback." I had stopped my heavy breathing now, thank goodness.
"I actually wanted to wait but then I remembered what you said you wanted earlier, if I tried convincing Nick to wait too, you might get mad because that could probably let him know I like you and you don't want that."
"Good reason but you still left without me." I said with feigned anger and started to walk forward and he joined me.
"Come on, don't be mad." he begged.
"I'm not mad." I told him but he didn't believe, it's not his fault that it's hard to believe that I wasn't angry because I knew my face was totally saying something different.
"You are, I'm sorry." he came in front of me and stood, stopping me from moving frontwards.
"What are you doing?" I had to ask when he took my right hand."Nick is right there." I reminded him, forgetting that he didn't care.
"I know, I was walking with him just now."
"So let go then." I told him, trying to take back my hand but he didn't let me like earlier today at school.
"No." He said. Did I just hear him clearly? He really just said no.
Still thinking about what he just said, he put his arm around my neck, pulling me closer to him. I turned to him in surprise and he was smiling.
"What are you doing?!" I asked in a whispered scream even if I loved what he just did.
"I'm sorry." He said, still apologizing for leaving before me.
"Okay, I accept your apology." I tried to remove his arm but he pulled me closer, I could smell his perfume now.
"Why don't you want me to hold you?"
"Nick." I said the very obvious reason and heard him chuckle.
"Just that?"
"Yes, remember what I told you this morning?"
"Fine," he let go of me."when can I hold you, you tell me."
"When we are alone." I readjusted the strap of my bag.
"When is that exactly because we are alone right now and you are against it."
"Nick is in front of us, he could turn anytime."
"He won't, he's still mad about having to go to his mum's office and besides he saw me hold you in the morning."
"Well...." I didn't know what to say, he had a pretty good point.
"Casey, is she talking to you now?" He asked after I didn't say anything for a while.
"I guess." I shrugged.
"You guess?"
"I apologized to her, I think she accepted it because we hugged."
"You hugged her? I didn't know you like hugs."
"I don't."
"Oh."
"I only hugged her because she started crying and I didn't know what to do."
"She cried?"
"Yeah, so you get my point, I don't like hugs unless in situations like Casey's or unless the hug is coming from my mum or my aunt or you."
"Yay, I'm on the list." he said and I laughed.
"Of course you are." We were almost home then I remembered that I wanted to ask him why no one wanted to talk to Casey at school.
"Uche?"
"Yeah?" He answered.
"You said you were gonna tell me about Casey and why no one wants to talk to her at school."
"Oh yeah." He bit his lips. I knew why, I asked late, we were home already. Nick was standing in front of our yard waiting for me as I approached with Uche. "When Nick goes to his mum's office, remind me about it, okay?"
"Okay." I nodded.
I walked past Nick to the house door so I could open it, I was with the keys, that was why he was waiting for me. As I searched my bag for the keys, I could see them both talking.
Oh no. I put my hands into the part of my bag where I kept the key bunch and couldn't feel it. Where was it?!!! I decided to check other parts of my bag, maybe I didn't leave it where I thought I did.
After emptying my bag on the chair on the porch, I still couldn't see it. I saw them both heading towards where I was.
"What's up with you, you didn't open the door yet?" It was Nick.
"What's the matter?" Uche asked in a softer tone.
"I can't find the keys....."
"What?" I heard Nick.
"Chill," Uche told Nick before talking to me."It must be in your bag, did you check?"
"Yeah, I already did."
"And you didn't see it?"¹
"No." I shook my head and heard Nick hiss.
"Why did you take the keys with you to school? Why didn't you just leave it here like I usually do?!" Nick started to vent his anger on me.
"Heyy relax." Uche told him again."Julie." He called me.
"Yeah?"
"Did you put it in your locker at school?"
"No."
"Do you remember putting it in your bag?"
"Ye...." I almost said yes but stopped. I didn't remember putting it in my bag."No." I told him.
"So you didn't put it in your bag after I threw it to you?"
"I don't think so." I answered and he started to look on the ground. Did he think it fell from my hands here in the morning?
"I found it." He said to my uttermost surprise. How did he find it so quick?
He gave it to Nick who went on to open the front door. Gladly he didn't make any of his annoying remarks.
"How did see it there?" I whispered to Uche.
"It was just there, if probably fell from your hands this morning." he replied me.
****
Heyy, it's your author geni. Please note that everything written here is nothing but fiction.Please vote as you read, comment your thoughts and don't forget to leave a review, I am very open to constructive criticism. I'm on all socials as @genika3na.