Chapter 1: Chapter 1

: Jail

→Narrator: Asa

"Kosi, chill," I whispered softly, trying to calm her down. "What happened?"

She was sobbing uncontrollably. "J...Jemi... At my place. The police... They found drugs in his car, Asa. Cocaine, of all things. They arrested him. He's in jail. They even tested him and found out he had cocaine in his system."

I started trembling, my body, quaking in fearful disbelief as my throat clogged up.

"Asa! What is it?" Kam cried out in alarm, coming to grip my arms, shaking me slightly when I stared at him blankly.

I was choking on air. On her words. The confusion of everything.

I pressed a finger to my throbbing temple.

"They took him away, Asa." She was sobbing loudly. "He's in jail. Everyone is here at the police station but the police is refusing bail."

"Where are you guys?"

She told me the address.

"Okay. I'm on my way."

Kam was already pulling a shirt over his shoulders, car keys in his hands and he was the one that guided me downstairs as I seemed to float in a dreamy haze.

I was in the car, in a state of static, incredulous shock as I wondered what I had been doing while my best friend was taking cocaine.

"Asa, reach into the backseat, my sports bag is there. Put on the hoodie, you're going to catch a cold."

I blinked at him, still shocked out of my mind.

Jemi? Cocaine?

He's only ever handled weed and he doesn't even do that all the time... Only when he's completely stressed out and needed to chill. I couldn't wrap my mind around the whole thing but I knew I had to appear strong for Kosi.

If I'm feeling like this, she must be losing her mind.

Nonetheless, I did what Kam told me to do. He was here with me but he was still faraway and I felt like, the more time passed, the farther the distance stretched between us.

I took a deep breath, calming the inner storm raging inside me as he drove us all the way to the police station.

*

We walked into the dark, dank station and found the rest of the gang pacing about, worriedly.

Kosi was yelling at one of the policemen who was idly reading a newspaper, barely paying any attention to her, while Jordan and Lola were trying to get her to calm down.

"Jemi is not even eighteen yet!" She was screaming. "He has a right to have a lawyer in there with him! You have no right to question him!"

" I no get right but he fit do drugs, abi?" (I don't have the right to question him but he's allowed to do drugs, right?")

Kosi started talking in rapid fire Igbo, the way she usually does when she gets mad and she called the man an array of colourful cusses that the man would have found offensive if he understood Igbo.

One of the older officers walked out and the man at the counter stood at attention immediately.

The older officer narrowed his eyes at Kosi and asked, "What is the problem?"

"Oga, this pikin no get respect oo!" (Boss, this child doesn't have respect.)

But the officer glared at him, effectively shutting him up. He turned to Kosi again. "What is the problem?"

Kosi bristled. "My problem is that you're not following due process. My friend got arrested without any evidence and he's being questioned without a lawyer, or at least, a proper adult, in there with him. I bet someone paid you to arrest him. You planted those drugs in his car and you arrested my best friend because you were bribed and the government doesn't pay you enough!" She was drilling her finger into the officer's chest and he looked about ready to snap her wrist in two.

I walked up to her, putting an arm around her shoulders and smiling at the officer politely. "I'm so sorry, my best friend is a little demented."

"Demented?!" She shrieked and I kicked her shin. Twice for good measure, earning me a furious glare from her.

"It's all a huge misunderstanding. We'll get out of your hair, now."

And I pulled Kosi away from the glowering officer.

"What are you doing?" She seethed.

"Saving your ass."

The others gathered around us as we formed a little circle. My heart was bursting with love and gratitude when I saw the equally worried look on each of their faces. They were all worried for Jemi.

"So," I said to Kosi. "Start from the top. What happened?"

She hugged herself, shivering in only a tanktop and short shorts. "We were in Dave's place."

"The DaveCave!" He quipped.

We all rolled our eyes as Kosi continued. "He had showed up at my place earlier with bruises on his face. I knew he picked a fight with Trev because of me. I..." She hesitated, a tiny blush on her Hershey cheeks. "I cleaned him up a bit and we went to meet the others at Dave's place-"

"The DaveCave!" He corrected again.

This time, we all face palmed ourselves.

"Fine," Kosi rolled her eyes, "the DaveCave," she shuddered a little.

She continued. "Jemi was recounting what happened to us. Trev was with..." She took a shaky breath. "He was with another girl and he was taken by surprise when Jemi barged into his apartment and kicked the living shit out of him. Some of his friends came to help out but by then, security was already breaking up the fight. He drove to my place and we drove to Dave's pla-"

"The DaveCa-"

"If you say that one more time, you'll lose your ability to reproduce." She threatened, shooting him a death glare, emphasizing the fact she meant what she said.

"Oh... Um... Okay."

"Good." She huffed and continued. "Anyway, we were having a good time, then the police shows up. Said they had a warrant to search Jemi's car, that they had evidence he uses cocaine. Jemi was cool about everything until they found coke in his car."

She choked back a sob. "Jemi doesn't do coke, Asa. He would never! He was framed."

"You think Trev did it? Out of spite?"

"Well, no shit, Sherlock." She rolled her eyes at Amir. "Of course he did it. I can bet my first born child on that, the little piece of shit! He planted drugs in Jemi's car and paid the fucking police to arrest Jemi!"

"What do we do?" I pondered.

"First of all, he needs a lawyer." Kam spoke up.

"I'm on it. I can get my dad. He'll help."

I had forgotten Jordan's parents were badass lawyers and their law firm was the best in the country. If there's anyone that could get Jemi out of this shit, it's Jordan's dad.

"Well, call your dad, Dan." I told him. "Kosi, you should call Jemi's mum, just to be on the safe side. She'll take this seriously if it's coming from you and the police will rather listen to her than to a bunch of teenagers."

Jemi's mother was richer than God and I knew she had a lot of influence in the country. Money talks more fluently in Nigeria than in any part of the world.

She nodded at what I was saying.

"So, what do the rest of us do?" Osahon asked.

"We hope to God we have enough luck on our side. Jemi can't spend the night here."

"And then, we get back Trev for what he did." Kosi muttered.

"Patience, Grasshopper. You don't want to seem too eager." Jordan chuckled, ruffling her hair as they walked together to make their phonecalls.

"We'll try again. See if they'll accept our bail request this time around." Osahon said, his hand around Lola's waist as they walked back to the police counter with Dave.

That left me with Amir... And Kam.

I looked at Kam, longing to walk into his arms and just hold him... I miss him.

Amir seemed to notice a change in the atmosphere and decided to stalk off, leaving me alone with Kam.

"Erm..." I licked my lip, nervously. "You think they'll release Jemi?"

He nods, positive as always but there's a guarded look on his face. "Yeah. They will. He didn't do it, Asa."

"I know." I whispered. "Are we... Are we okay?"

"Honestly, I don't know, Asa." He sighs. "Part of me wants to kiss you right now."

My heart skipped a painful beat. Squeezing in my chest cavity as I hiccupped.

"And, the other part just feels betrayed. Frustrated. Confused." He continues and I can hear the pain and confusion in his whisper. "I love you, Asa."

"I know, Kam." My palms itched to hold him. To feel his familiar skin against mine.

He shook his head. "I don't think you do, Asa. You don't understand that I'd do anything for you. You don't understand how much power you have over me. Fuck, you control me, even in my sleep. I'm choking on you. I want you. I think I'm obsessed and you don't understand."

I knew he was trying hard to rein in the frustration and confusion.

And I wanted to tell him that I loved him too...

But I couldn't.

I was staring into his honey wells that were now frozen in blame and accusation and I saw what he had been seeing all along.

Me.

"Jemi's mum is on her way!" Kosi announced, skipping over to us happily with Jordan beside her.

"I've got good news and bad news," Jordan said grimly as we huddled into a circle again.

Lola scowled. "What's the bad news?"

"My parents are out of the country. I forgot they had an important case in Tanzania to attend to and they left early this week."

"How do you forget something like that, Dan?" Amir drawled.

"I have a lot on my mind, okay? A lot of things stress me out. I've got enough on my plate already."

"You only have to think of school and tests and parties."

Jordan gave him a 'duh' look. "Like I said, enough on my plate."

Amir shrugged, paying him no further attention.

"So, what do we do now?" Lola asked, her pretty face, twisting into a scowl.

"That's where I tell y'all the good news. Mr Olawole is on his way."

"Who's that?" Osahon's forehead wrinkled adorably.

"My dad's best friend. The guy who's going to burst Jemi out of jail."

"Just to be sure, he's a lawyer, not a jailbreaker right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. The 'bursting out of jail' thing got me, like we were about to do something illegal." Lola sighed, relieved. "So, what now?"

"We wait." I answered her.

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