Wild West of the Heart
FIFTY NINE

"Thank

you"

Mira said as she paced to match his steps. They walked in a single aisle in between the jam-packed cells. Her eyes scanned him from the crown of his head to the back of his shiny brogues.

"Dare" She called him this time, without the officer behind it. Somehow she felt after weeks, they were finally on first name basis. He turned back at her, but not halting his steps. "You still haven't told me what happened" She said.

"She was arrested under sections 223, 224, and 225 of the Nigerian Criminal Code" He replied and Mira dragged her jacket over her chest. "What?" She arched her brows as they came to a halt before a particular cell and there she was, head against the corner of the white washed walls asleep.

He hefted out a bunch of million keys, somehow picking the right one within seconds and he slid it into the padlock. "Pimping" He turned back to Mira.

"Prostitution is a crime in Nigeria. So is hanging out in the lobbies of popular hotels where she was found-" Mira opened the cell, before hitting against the metal. "Dee. Tamara" He yelled and they shut their eyes open. He stood with his hands on his hips and Mira heaved an i told you so sigh.

Because she did tell them before they left that night. "I'm sorry it was j—"

"You're free to go" He turned to them as they muttered a prayer beneath their lips. "Thank you" They worshipped him, fleeing out of there for their dear lives. "Thank you, Mira" They nodded, taking the fastest route they recalled that led them out of here. Mira just stood there, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It's not my job to judge you or have a moral code" He pushed her shoulders lightly.

"That's way above my pay grade"

He brought out the keys, shaking the doors to ensure they were properly locked and then he locked eyes with Mira. "Just stay out of trouble"

From the way it seemed, he was always on his feet. Unto something, and you could tell by how swiftly he moved, always giving Mira a hard time catching up to him. He was in khaki trousers, with badges on his breast pockets that seemed to be ranks.

Asides his dressing, he was simple. With short brown hair and almost an invisible tribal mark on his left cheek. It was already fading so it could easily go unnoticed, unless you stared harder-

or for more than a minute, which Mira did.

"Uh-Dare" She stuttered. "Thank you"

He halted on getting to the front of his office. But before he opened the doors, he turned to look back at her. Mira paused, diverting her eyes to her toes that peeped from her slippers.

Her fingers trailed the edge of her purple jacket as Dare himself eyed her scottish themed skirt. I'm pretty sure by now, he'd have given up on ever understanding her without an actual conversation. "It's no problem"

He cleared his throat, maintaining an intense eye contact with Mira before he pushed open his doors. "Actually-" He whispered. "There's something i should tell you" He continued, and a curve struck between Mira's brows. "It's "

"It's about Jazzlyn" He interrupted.

-

"What's the plan?" Abdul whispered under his breath, stealing a glance at Obi who pretended to be under a disguise of a mask. They peeked sneakily from the empty halls as they narrowed their eyes at Collins' office. "We're going to get in there "

"No, i am. You just stay here and be my watch. I'm going to try to see what i can get off his computer regarding my result" Obi said to him, resting his back against the walls as they waited for him to come out. "He has a meeting by two today i think"

"I think i prefer the other plan where we just had to ask his assistant Marissa" Abdul replied, concern in his eyes and Obi just slouched his neck. "You know she's not going to spill anything. Everyone's fucking scared of that bastard" He sat up. Abdul heaved a deep sigh before Obi's palms held up his chin. "When did you become such a prude?" He asked and Ab rolled his eyes.

"When did you become su-" He halted his reply, and Obi pulled away from him. Not because of that, but because he heard the sound of a door. His eyes went to his watch before he looked out at Collins as he walked down the hall with Marissa beside him. He just closed the door, handing his files to her which could only mean she wouldn't take long to get back. It was why his door was left unlocked.

"Shh" He placed his fingers against his lips as he pounced out from behind the door. "You just stay here" Obi threw his head over his shoulders as he approached the door. He hastily pushed it open as he crept inside. Abdul pinched the bridge of his nose as he stood akimbo. He knew Obi was hellbent on doing this and whenever that happened— there was really nothing he could do.

So while he ravaged through the files on hi table and tried the many sequences of letters he had in his head for a password, Abdul stood right in front of the door, eyes at each corner. His heart stumped with each sound he heard. Be it the sound of the clocks or even a mosquito buzzing past his ears.

Obi's eyes darted to the door each millisecond as his fingers trailed the edges of the papers, across which had the workings. Mock Examinations.

His eyes scanned down the hundred names in alphabetical order till he got to the letter O. Unfortunately, there was another piece of paper in the files which he struggled to open. His heart rate skyrocketed, knowing he didn't have much time to get all of this even in order.

"Obi" He immediately heard Abdul's voice and his head shot up. "Shit" He cussed, realizing it could be Marissa on her way back, the boardroom wasn't that afar off. He struggled, trying his best to insert all of the documents in the one single file

-but alas, they came crumbling to the floor. He was a mess. Bending forward, he cussed repeatedly amidst his ongoing panic attack. And it didn't take him to realize this was a bad idea. A very bad one.

Once he got the documents in his hands, he hefted it up, only for the door to be opened. And across his desk, his eyes locked with Principal Collins. He froze in that very moment, hot-headed. "Shit-" He had one job. Abdul had one fucking job.

"What the fuck are you looking for in my office?" It might have been the first time ever he'd heard a cuss word from Collins' lips. And there was a chuckle that came from behind him. Collins stepped forward, giving room for Obi to see Nate. And Marissa, all queuing behind him like lost puppies. Nathaniel kept on chuckling, maybe at the very ridiculous position Obi was caught in. Or maybe for whatever reason he was here for.

Obi on the other hand, still froze. "I'm sorry" Came a default apology as he dropped the documents to the table, following the other end to come out from behind the desk. Collins was infuriated, eying Marissa from the corner of his eyes. It was as if fumes were about to gas out of his ears in the next second, and he could very much end up as a meme.

He shot his hands in the air, pointing with authority.

"Detention for the rest of the week. Both of you" Obi scrambled out of the office as quick as he could but when Nathaniel was about to leave, Mr Collins stopped him. "You wait-" He whispered.

Somehow it seemed that he was more mad at him than Obi, and it was why he was let off easy. But Obi didn't care. He leaped into the halls, placing his hands to his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

"Fuck" He cussed before raising his head. He heard footsteps behind him which he assumed were the janitor's. But then a hand groped him before he could even turn. He jumped, startled as he turned around. "Abdul" He clenched his chest, realizing it was only his boyfriend. "What the fuck, man?"

"What did he say?" Worry washed over his face as he reached for Obi's hands. In response, he pushed it away, somewhat mad at him.

"You had one job" He gritted through his teeth as he brushed past his shoulders. "I did call you, but he was too close" He tried to reach for his arms. Obi threw his head back at him.

"So you just ran?" Came the obvious question and Ab just stared, palms facing the ceiling. "What was i to do? You think it's better if both of us got into trouble?" He asked and a scoff escaped Obi's lips.

"Oh" He exclaimed.

"Come on, Obi. I'm a prefect"

His eyes fell halfway. "And i guess i'm not" Obi shrugged his shoulders before walking off, leaving him standing in the very middle of the hallways.

To be continued...