Wild West of the Heart
SIXTY EIGHT

"You should go" Ola whispered, pointing to his now moving line and Ab pulled away, moonwalking. He raised a finger to him before disappearing into the backs of crowding students. Ola turned around, trying to pin both Obi and Fiyin down again.

He could swear he had just seen the former less than five seconds ago, but somehow he was just gone. His eyes darted back to Bade as she took the seat right in front of the Johnsons' Board. And then there went back to the door, there he was- Obi.

Now he hadn't signed up for any institution, well because he was, Obi and he didn't have a definite plan for his next five years. So as he saw Collins walk out into the halls with Marissa, he saw the opportunity and trailed after them. One hand in his pocket and the other going through his hair, he then halted, hearing what seemed to be his yelling.

"I said get the fuck out of my sight"

Obi assumed that was directed to Marissa as the sound of her clinchy heels came to an abrupt halt and she whimpered near the stairs. The moment she turned back to see Obi, she looked away, briskly wiping her eyes with a tissue. What was she hiding exactly? Being the man Obi knew him as, he had a clue of just how abusive he was, so Marissa getting the short end of the stick wasn't exactly a surprise. They made eye contact again as he brushed past her shoulders. "Principal Collins" His voice echoed back at him as he heard him cuss out the second time. "What is it this time?" Collins turned to him, recognizing his voice or perhaps sensing he was being followed.

Obi halted, nervously threading his fingers as his eyes went to the ground. Maybe Collins had dual personalities, because he couldn't fathom just how different he was from the man that was on the stage barely five minutes earlier. Maybe he had a disorder, bipolar or one of dissociative identity.

Either way he needed help, that much he knew.

"It's about my results" Obi said softly and Collins rubbed his temples. "What happened to them, Obi?" He asked. "I already told you they were held and will be reviewed by the disciplinary committee in due time" He scoffed. "What?" Obi whispered.

He could swear he had no knowledge of a previously existing committee of that name but he just let it slide, perhaps because of the numerous things that went through his head in that moment. "But Ayo-"

"I assume he came to meet you on how false his accusations were. He was the one that s-" Collins hefted up a finger to cut him short. "Now, Ayo never had anything to do with this. And he seemed to have been coerced to give a false statement. And here at Hillway High, we take bullying seriously"

Obi scoffed, disbelief in his moist eyes.

"Bullying?" He echoed. "You think it's bullying. That i bullied Ayo?" He questioned. "Obi just let me do my thing. I'm the one that decides if it's false or not. I'm the committee and the board-" Collins smiled.

"I hope you know that. So be very careful. I have everything, including your future in the very palm of my hands. One squeeze, Obi" He inched closer to him and a tear slipped from his left eye.

"Why am i not surprised?" Obi muttered under his breath as Collins pulled away in the empty halls. "Be."

He measured his eyes. "You don't want to be against me, Obioma" He whispered, venom in his eyes as he turned away. And Obi was left standing there, opposite Marissa who heard the whole thing. She wasn't even shocked, something told him she knew just how much of a terrible man he was.

It was why-

He didn't understand why she was still there. Still walked for him when he touched her, wounded her. Screamed at her, threatened her. He understood why she always wore those long sleeved shirts with a scarf around her bruised neck. He gave her a glare that made her uncomfortable, as if telling her with his eyes that he knew. Marissa walked away from him and he heaved in deep sigh.

-

"How long has this been going on?" Mira asked Dare and he looked to her, taking his eyes off the documents Silva had presented to him.

"I had no idea" He mouthed, and she wasn't sure she believed him exactly. But then his interests piqued, going through all what Silva had learned in the past week. "Sure" He sarcastically remarked. "Look"

"The police isn't exactly the bad guy here. We're as clueless as everyone is, there's been more deaths than usual these days but he had no idea of this" He shook the papers in his hands as his radio went static. "We aren't sure what's killing this people"

"Except it's right in your hands. The Americans have gone through this and we have no idea what we're dealing with here. It's right in your hands" Silva said and he let it fall to the table. "It isn't that easy-"

"Except it is" Mira added. "Easy as a conference or a public statement, so everyone knows what's out there and how to keep themselves safe. Sex is killing people rapidly and i don't think everyone knows that" She added, and although Dare had a soft spot for Mira, he couldn't just bring himself to agree with her for some reason.

"I'm not disputing this" He whispered. "You can't. There's enough proof, even in the general hos-"

"Silva. I can't dispute this. But we have to approach this is common sense, issuing a public statement would only instill fear and panic in the panic. Times like these, the bad outweighs the good" He replied. "So you'd rather have them die"

"You'd rather have us die" Mira slammed her hands against his table and he looked to her. "Because it isn't the straight people that are dying. It isn't the normal people" She did the air quotes as she stood. "Mira" Dare stood as well. And Silva packed up his documents, ready to leave. She turned around him and he was even unsure of what he was to say next.

Now, it wasn't as if he didn't know Mira was once Michael or that she was trans, she'd just never said it. "The mainstream media isn't carrying this for a reason, it's too sensitive of a subject" He added. "Hundreds of people dying each day is too sensitive of a subject matter?” Her voice cracked as she turned to Silva. "Can he hear what he's saying?" She blurted out a scoff as DaSilva held her hands.

"Listen to me" Dare urged. "I'm not the bad guy. And i'm sorry i can't help you by giving a statement. However-" He paused, burying his hands into his drawer to heft out a card. "I know someone that might be able to" He looked to the stack of newspapers and magazines by the edge of his desk.

"Punch won't carry this, as well Vanguard. But i know someone, a friend who so happens to be journalist. He works on the exposés on these famous politicians and issues threatening our society. He owns a meagre publication to his name called Anonymous. You could give him a call and tell him you're from me" He stretched his hands out and Mira reached for the card.

"Rushell" She read off the card and he shrugged his shoulders. "Now, i don't know how many people a publication of his may reach, but if you really want the truth to be out there, this is your only shot-" He turned to Mira who pushed a lump down his throat. "Thank you, Dare" She whispered to him.

And he nodded, placing his knuckles to the table.

"You two- Youre brave, taking on something more than you. Just be careful" He added and Silva gave an assertive nod. "We will." "You?" He faced Mira.

"I will. Please call me, anything about Jazzlyn or this or just anything at all. Call me❞ She locked eyes with him as Silva pushed open the doors. His eyes lingered between them before Mira broke contact.

"I like him" Silva said as they walked down the station corridors, being around here more than the actual criminals. He twirled the card in his hands and Mira rolled her eyes. "He's a good man" Was all she could say because she wouldn't dare to hope.

She wouldn't dare imagine a life with a man like him. A conventional household, where she'd do the basic stupid things like laundry and sunday brunches. Game nights with Obi and his stepfather.

She would lie if she told you she never fantasized about it, the future, a life outside of the club. And the girls, a life outside of this.

But it was all she could do- fantasize.

-

"Do you think things would have turned out better if you waited" Titi looked over her shoulders at Mary. "I think about it all the time" She whispered.

"I think about it all the time. You know, became a nurse or a midwife, then settled down. Everything was just kind of fast you know" Mary scoffed. "It's not like i regret anything, maybe just a few things" "But i feel that every decision i took led me here. Led me closer to the woman i am today, i'm not perfect but i'm right where i'm supposed to be" Mary looked up at Titi who had a smile on her lips. Mary scoffed, a quote coming to her head- something she'd heard from a movie. About how a fire that burns the hottest, dies the fastest. It was her, it was the way it was with Olamide's father.

Maybe if she'd just waited, a little while longer. Everything would have changed, if she still had her very first son, everything would've changed. If she didn't do something as little as be in the right place at the wrong time, everything would've changed.

Everything was subject to change, with a different outcome for each scenario, it was the concept of the butterfly effect. Something she was inspired by.

"What about you?" She turned to Titi. And she chuckled slightly. "I wish i had a kid, who would've been a teenager by now and the house wouldn't be as empty. I always nagged about how much they would pester me or how loud a child would cry-But when you've spent so long in the silence, you'd realize the music in noise" Titi took her seat, and a scoff escaped from Mary's lips.

"I wish my husband was here and not miles away with a family of his own" She sobbed, for the first time, opening up to her sister. Mary held her in for a hug, whispering into her ears. "It's okay-"

"Ola is ours. I'm yours. And sometimes all we actually need is each other" She sniffled and Titi scoffed. "I thought-i thought you were about to say sometimes two mothers are better" She said.

Mary shrugged her shoulders. "Yes, that too" They both laughed in each other's arms. "That too."

-

She slipped the pill between her lips, downing it with a gulp of tap water. And she scoffed, looking to Nathaniel beside her. "How are you feeling?" He had a smirk across his lips and she smiled, looking at herself in the mirror. "Not as bad"

"I feel fucking great" She said to herself as he tossed the sachet to her, these two forging the most destructive symbiotic relationship.

"Keep it" He mouthed before pulling away from her. Now, she spent the next five minutes staring at her own reflection. She felt nothing, actually-

-just that she didn't think as much the last few days. besides Nathaniel was always around. Kinda.

She shook the pills in her hands before opening up the sachet again, pouring two more on her pale palms. And one more, and more. She tossed it in the back of her throat and then heaved a deep sigh.

She walked out of the storage closet, making her way into the auditorium of students. And her eyes fell on the design school which she'd applied for months ago. Clearing her throat and smoothering her dress, she crept forward to the empty seat.

Ola, as well.

They were meters apart but somehow they'd locked eyes being in front of their representatives. Now, Obi was in the halls, sighting Nate walk out from the storage closet and Fiyin not long after.

He let a breath escape his lips, knowing the only obvious answer. He hadn't spoken to him since Valentine's and only when he was sober did he realize just how destructive Nathaniel Davis was. And now, he'd moved on to his best friend, Fiyin.

She chuckled in front of the middle aged white man in front of her as her vision fazed suddenly. It began to hit her like a slap in the face, and all so abrupt.

"Are you okay?" He reached for her hands and in that moment, all she saw was Andrew. The same hair he had, the cigar between his lips and his sly smile.

"Andrew" She called the very first man that assaulted her. And then she giggled, rubbing her eyes. "I'm fine" She lied, as usual. Olamide looked to her direction again, hearing her laughter echoing. This was her future. And just like that-puff.

"Excuse me "The person in front of him finally called his attention and he looked to his front, at his own future. He was nervous, with cold palms.

"You must be "

"Olamide Bankole" He interrupted, clearing his throat as a spreadsheet of his results were opened in front of him. His gpa slacked the past few days, but it wasn't that bad. Who's didn't?

"I" He paused, heaving a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I can't do this" His heart sank in his chest as he rose from the seat, running out of the halls.

Obi stared at both of them, being the only one that hadn't signed up. But yet, his chances still being the biggest of them three. With Fiyin falling out of her chair and unto the floor, Ola sobbing in the halls- -overcome by everything he felt in that very moment and succumbing to that thought of his that constantly told him he wasn't better.

"Help" Obi zoned back as a crowd round Fi, and so did Deborah as well. "What happened? She asked, looking to Obi who was just frantic. "She just fell"

"She was behaving weird"

Alot of whispers pierced her ears just before she finally lost consciousness. And only when her eyes were completely shut, was she ever truly happy.

-

"Good afternoon Rushell" Mira said over the phone on the counter and Silva nervously chewed the insides of his cheeks. There was silence on the other end for a while before he spoke. "We're from Officer Dare."

"Good afternoon" He finally replied as Silver looked to what he'd written over the past hour in his hands. "We need your help-" He whispered.

"We need to let the whole world know the truth"

To be continued...