'You really must be kidding me!'Jo said as she barged into her room with Ebiere trotting behind her trying to keep up the pace between them. Jo unstrapped the yellow coloured leather bag on her arm and flung it unto the bed roughly and immediately turned to glare at her mum.
Tori waited in the sitting room for her fate to be decided by mother and daughter. Knowing the outcome might not really be in her favour.
'Would you even listen to me?' Ebiere somewhat pleaded even though it was meant to sound like an authoritative statement.
'Why the hell do I have to listen to you when listening to you wouldn't change the fact that that girl is not staying here! You should tell her to leave irrespective of whatever agreement you guys had before it's too late.' Jo fumed.
'Johanna!' Ebiere yelled her name for the first time to assert her point.
'Mum!' Jo screamed back. She sat on her bed angrily removing the ribbon she used to pack her hair to leave it flowing.
'Johanna,' Ebiere sat beside Jo on the bed as she slowly let her hands rest on Jo's back. 'She has to stay here. I owe her grandmother who helped me a lot when I was in dire need of help. This is the only way I can pay her back.' Ebiere calmly said, her hand still resting on Jo's shoulder.
'Mum, I don't like that girl. You don't know her like I do. She is so very good at flirting that she can seduce the saintiest of men with her pitiful condition. You wouldn't believe she was staying with Tobi and his family just a couple of weeks ago. Why she no longer stays there, no one knows but the only likeable option is her intention was found out and she got chased out.' Jo said straight into her mum's face.When her mum still looked unconvinced she shrugged it off and just bent down to unhook her shoe flinging it off to a side of the room.
'Why do you bother about who stays with Tobi and who doesn't? Or....' Ebiere gave Jo a knowing look. Jo had no idea what the look meant at first but her brow had to furrow in disbelief when it eventually dawned on her.
'No!' Jo said firmly, the disbelief expression still hanging on her face. 'No mum! Gosh!' She stood up to face her mum, hands akimbo. 'And to answer your question, Tobi is my friend. My best and only friend to be precise. So, whatever danger I sense on his path is totally my problem.' She emphasized on every word.
'Since there is nothing going on between you and Tobi, what could you posdibly have against Tori? You can't really judge her by your own perception and thoughts. All I see here is you seeing her as a rival of some sort. You just admitted nothing is going on with you and Tobi, if that is just as you claim it is, then what possible reason do you have against her staying here?' Ebiere said.
'Are you really choosing her over me? Shouldn't you support me in this kind of situation or what is really happening here?' Jo asked hurt and disbelief in her eyes. Ebiere sensed that too and she realised she wasn't handling the situation as carefully as she planned to.
'Johanna.' She called sweetly trying to calm her nerves. 'Just let her stay. I am asking a favour from you for the first time, shouldn't you, please grant it?' Ebiere asked with pleading eyes.
'But does she really have to stay here? There are a thousand better ways of paying her grandmother for whatever help she did for you than this. I can't bear the thought of her staying here.' Jo argued stubbornly not ready to give into her mum's pleas.
'Is there really something else between you two that you think I should know? You are taking this issue rather too personal. It's not like she is kicking you out of this place or anything!' Ebiere almost yelled getting impatient at Jo's stubbornness.
You really have no idea she's sabotaging my relationship!
Jo thought, contemplating on telling her mum about Marcus or not after which she chose the latter.
Seeing her mum's firmness and determination in keeping the girl here suggested how much it means to her and how very likely she would win the argument they are having.
She was just trying to build a good relationship with her mum right from the ground and she wouldn't want to mess it up for personal reasons.
But what possible help could that girl's grandmother have rendered to her mum for her mum to have shown that much 'stick-to-itiveness'.
Did she save her life or something? Or what kind of a Mum chooses a total stranger over her own daughter?
Oh, it's FOSTER daughter.
Jo bit her lip at the reminder of her true identity. She walked to her closet and searched through it dejectedly for nothing in particular.
'Do as you wish. It's your house anyway.' She muttered under her breath but loudly enough for her mum to hear.
'Johanna, you shouldn't be like this. You should try and give her a chance and I'm positive you guys will get along just fine.' Ebiere said finally and waited for a comment or reaction on Jo's part in reply to her statement but when none came forth, she stood up and left the room.
Really? Who was her mum kidding by suggesting she'd get along with that girl.
That would only be in her nightmare.
*******************
'... He fell to his knees immediately while he asked for forgiveness and like the superhero I was and have always been, I saved the day by forgiving him...' Tobi's molodrama was interrupted by Tori's noisy cookie crunching. She gave Tobi a reproachful look from the corner of her eye as she placed another circular cookie on her tongue after snorting.
Tobi saw the look on her face alright and he doesn't really need a sage to tell him she doesn't believe a bit of the long, creative speech, he had taken so much time to conceive.
Who was he kidding anyway?
Nobody would believe is crappy tale.
'Okay, fine. It wasn't actually like that. It was something similar anyway like something so similar there was hardly any difference.' Tobi tried again. He personally made no sense to himself so he wasn't sure if he had succeeded in convincing or confusing Tori. (the latter ended up being the case actually).
In response to his unbelievable egoistic talks, Tori raised her brow inquisitively and unbelievably.
'Just say something. All these staring and glaring is becoming rather too creepy.' Tobi said as he also grabbed another cookie from the bowl before them. He doesn't like her doing less talks and more staring. It always suggests she has a lot on her mind bothering her and that's really bad news. She looks cuter when she's trying her lousy skills at being sarcastic and attacking him.
'Your story is rather too sensible!' She gave him a thumbs up as she washed down the cookie with a cup of milk. They were in the dinning room both sitting next to each other.
Okay, I'm not sure if you've noticed but once Tori starts thinking Tobi is smart, it's a good sign that he isn't. Tobi got the drift too, he knew she was just playing with him.
'I know you hate admitting I'm the greatest guy you know which is the truth anyway, but that doesn't mean I would fall for what you said. You have your own ways of saying I'm great which could be 'When are you growing up?' Or sometimes 'Were you dropped off a cliff when you were born?' and other stuffs like that. Tell me, what's wrong with you Today?' He asked directing his gaze to her face and even though he couldn't tell if it was consciously or unconsciously, his eyes had roved to other parts of her body and later stopping on her lips.
Okay.
He doesn't even know what had been going on these days. His uncle's death and funeral had kept him pretty occupied but the little time he has to think about anything had always been Tori creeping into his head. Now that everything concerning his uncle's death is over, everything he does is think about her. He always feel the urge to see or at least hear her voice every minute. But Tobi who has a poor way of showing his emotion, rather prefers pulling her legs and teasing her to rather coming out to her about his true emotion
There's only one probability and that is, he was scared of rejection.
There had been times when he had often wondered if Tori even liked him. He doesn't want her giving him the 'you are a good friend/brother. Let's remain like that' crap. One dose of that is enough.
'Number one, all you had been saying is just like one of your many creative tales. It clearly contradicts Tife's part of you being lost for words after your dad revealed his own part of the story to you and you eventually crying your heart out in your room because you couldn't forgive yourself for blaming him all your life not knowing what he had been through. The moral of which you already know yourself.' Tori said after clearing her throat.
'Secondly, when is your mum coming back? I want to see her before I go and it's getting late.' She added.
Tobi didnt know why his heart sank when she declared she'd be leaving soon. He just always wanted her around him.
'She went out with Dad and Tife. They should be back anytime soon.' Tobi answered trying not to sound devastated. 'Is anything bothering you? You haven't really been yourself since you got here. You had been kinda distance you know. Trouble at home?' Tobi asked.
Tori looked at him for a while then sighed.
'I'm just worried. Doctor Jo had been giving her mum the silent treatment ever since I got there. Although, I had been trying so hard to avoid her, spending as much time as I could here, yet it still bothers me being the reason why those two aren't talking . Her mum is super nice to me that it is getting scary she even begged me not to leave anytime soon. It's weird. I like her mum and I don't want Dr. Jo to be inconvenient in her own house because of me.' Tori said and Tobi wondered why she always say the same thing when asked why she is bothered.
Jo isn't even threatening or asking her to leave.
'You worry a lot. Jo is very nice and I don't know why she's like that towards you when you aren't even after her ex. Well, I'm damn sure she'll get over it soon and you won't really have to worry yourself unnecessarily.' Tobi said as he stared right into her eyes. Tori gave him one grateful smile and both locked gaze.
Tobi couldn't take his eyes of her lips. He felt the urge to lean closer to her and kiss her. Taking her by surprise and wait for her to criticize him. Punch him if possible. He was willing to take the risk. He leaned closer to her and he saw her eyes widened without her changing positition or resisting what could possibly happen. What was about to happen...
'So tired!' Tife's voice groaning and the click sound made by the closed living room door made both Tobi and Tori lean farther away from each other. Tori hurriedly grabbed a cup of milk, sipping from it while she looked at Tife as she came to join them in the dinning room from the corner of her eye.
Tife leaned accross the Table to pick a handful of cookie from the the bowl between Tori and Tobi, throwing two square ones inside her mouth.
'Where is mum?' Tobi asked Tife who now has her cheek stuffed with crumbs of cookie.
'She would be staying at dad's for the night.' Tife replied in between a stuffed mouth, making her words barely audible and comprehensible.
'Wait a minute, you guys have been alone and everything is normal here? No crumbs of cookie on the floor or on your faces? Something is suspicious here.' Tife said giving them both a suspicious frown.
Tori stood up, picking up the black bag on the table as she rose. She faked a smile at Tife in the process.
'I was about to leave when you came in anyway. I guess I should leave now.' She quickly said but Tife only gave her a more suspicious stare.
Guessing Tife was probably going to keep staring at her all day, she said a quick goodbye to Tobi without looking at him before exiting.
'You guys were about to kiss when I came in right?' Tife said, hurriedly sitting next to Tobi where Tife sat and leaning expectantly towards him immediately she heard the living room door close to signal Tori's final exit.
'What? No' Tobi said as he blew raspberry while rolling his eyes to show how ridiculous that sounds. Tife gave him a 'are-you-sureeee?' X-ray stare.
'Okay fine. I am asking her out tomorrow.' He confessed to the only small devil in his life.
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