Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Joanna's POV

I wandered straight to my locker where I met a very energetic Harmony.

"Hey, bestie!" He grinned.

"Hy dearie," I greeted and hugged him.

"Guess what! Guess what!" He squealed.

My smile immediately dropped as I knew what he was about to tell me. "Let me guess, Tenda's dating Tony." I sighed.

He stilled when he noticed the sadness in my eyes. "Babe, what's the problem."

"I--," I stopped short when I noticed Tenda and Tony as they shuffled towards us with Ifeanyi and Blake in tow.

"You know what? meet me after school at the gate let's go and talk somewhere." I blurted before they reached us.

"Okay bestie, you know I gat you right?" He said with a smile.

"I know boo," I replied, followed with a sad smile.

"Now give me your teeth," He spoke and tickled me which had me breaking into a laugh.

As they came closer, I braced myself for the pain of heartbreak or jealousy and plopped a fake smile on my face.

"Hey," Tenda greeted with a grin as Tony kissed her forehead.

I stood still and waited for the pain, I waited_ I waited, but surprisingly I felt nothing. No pain, no jealousy, nothing.

"Weird," I muttered lowly while I stared at Harmony to see if he noticed my confusion.

"Hey, guys." I waved with an unknowingly bright smile on my face.

"So," Tony said while he rocked on his feet. "Did you notice anything different?"

"That you are dating Tenda?" I scoffed. "Ptttff, I found out on Saturday night."

"And I found out yesterday," Harmony blurted.

"What?" Tony questioned, a bit shocked.

"Damn!" Blake laughed.

"Babe!" Tenda chuckled, as Tony offered her a look that said 'so soon?' "She's my bestfriend, so I had to tell her everything, but I swear I didn't let Harmony in on  anything."

"Ifeanyi did," Harmony shrugged.

"Dude!" Tony yelled. "Wait, why couldn't y'all give me the honors of saying it myself?"

Tenda and I just laughed at his outburst, while Ifeanyi and Harmony shrugged as Blake shook his head.

"You guys go ahead, I want to talk to Jo," Tony spoke and shifted to stand beside me.

"Okay," They all replied and turned to head for classes except Harmony who to which questioned me through his eyes in which I shrugged.

"Don't be late, you know how Mrs. Phillips is," He nodded as he said this before joining the others.

"No need to worry, we wouldn't be long," Tony reassured as I wished we wouldn't hence I wasn't ready to exchange words with any teacher today.

After they were out of sight I twisted to Tony with a raised eyebrow. "What's so serious that you didn't want the others to hear."

"See Jo." He sighed, "I know you had a crush on me."

"Wh---" I began but he cut me off.

"Let me finish," He pleaded and I nodded for him to continue. "I tried to like you that way, trust me I really tried, I flirted with you, I texted you regularly, but I couldn't just see you that way."

"Then all of a sudden I started feeling different towards Tenda, I was confused at first but soon enough I started craving her smile, yearning to hear her voice and see her all the time. When I kissed her at the party on Friday,  I knew I had to ask her out before I lose her to someone else."

I beamed at him and positioned my hand on his shoulder. "I'm not mad at you, or jealous, or even heartbroken. I was shocked when she told me, yes I was. It hurt me, I even cried but a wise person told me that crushes are meant to be crushed." I laughed.

"Today when I saw you two together being all "kissy" I didn't feel any pain, not even a pang, nothing, I guess I'm over you already." I winked.

"So I'm that easy to forget." He fake gasped making me giggle in response.

"My brother advised me that what happened is for the best because it wouldn't have worked out between us, so trust me I'm not jealous," I smirked.

He sighed and lent me a happy smile. "Thank GOD! So we good?"

"Yeah, we good." I smiled back, "You ain't getting rid of me any time soon, but," I spoke with a serious smile. "If you dare hurt my best friend or even make her sad I_ would_ hunt_ you down_ and castrate you_ got it?"

He nodded his head shakily, fear in his eyes, and spoke, "I promise I won't, cross my heart."

"Good," I affirmed before I left him standing and sauntered to class.

***

School flew by with nothing eventful except for Tenda and Tony who were having a makeout session every chance they got. This always made me avert my eyes as harmony and Ifeanyi groaned at them.

School had just ended for the day so I waved goodbye to all four of them and met up with Harmony who stood beside his car and waited for me.

"Where to?" He inquired followed by the sound of the ignition after I had hopped in.

"Mr. Biggs," I answered with a grin.

"You are in a much better mood,"  He voiced out as he parked the car.

I shrugged in response, got out of the vehicle, and followed him into Mr. Biggs where I searched for an empty table. I spotted one close to the spiral staircase that leads upstairs.

"What would you like?" He questioned as he stood above me while I got seated.

"A burger with coke, and no I'm paying for my food," I blurted before he could offer to pay.

"Alright!" He grumbled and strode to get the food.

Left on my own, I glanced around and noted some new faces. Well, that was what happened when you live in a fast-growing city, new faces each day, it was kind of refreshing.

"Here!" Harmony gleamed as he placed the tray of sugary and greasy goodness in front of me.

I grinned and quickly dived into my food, shutting out the world.

"Now spill," He uttered, a serious expression overtaking his features.

I sighed and peered at him as I awaited his reaction due to what I was about to tell him.

"I_ had_ a_ crush_ on Tony."

"Holy shit!" Harmony exclaimed and choked on the pie he ordered.

I slowly patted his back and urged him to take some water before I continued.

"So I felt kind of heartbroken or some shit like that when Tenda told me, heck, I even cried, but today when I saw them together I felt no pain or jealousy as I expected which was weird especially after I felt slightly down this morning." I blurted all in one breath while I munched on my food.

"Okay, let me get this straight, you had a crush on Tony?" He interrogated, shock plastered on his face. "As in butt face Tony and instead of feeling heartbroken or jealous you feel nothing at all?"

"Yup," I confirmed, downing my coke.

"So any other guy you talking to?" He polled.

"Lol, I talk to you guys all the time." I rolled my eyes.

"Idiot." He chuckled, "You know what I mean Jo."

"Well there is this guy I'm texting whom I haven't met before but he seems to know me," I mumbled.

"OMG,  Jo! wow!" He cried out, shaking his head.

I laughed and continued. "And at the party on Friday there was this guy, he was tall, chocolate and so hot, damn!" I sighed dreamily. "I've never seen someone like him."

"Wow! You got it bad." He snickered.

"Shut up," I muttered and told him the rest of the story.

"Oh my GOD!" He inhaled, "Who are you and what have you done with my bestfriend."

I giggled with a roll of my eyes. "I'm still here, but damn I could really do him any day any time, the dude was freaking hot."

He gagged and sent me the fuck you sign. "I've heard enough."

I cracked up at the expression on his face after which his phone dinged, indicating he had a text.

He glanced at it and stood up. "I gotta go," He spoke, and kissed my cheek before he walked off.

"See ya!" I called at his back, getting lost in my thoughts. It always strayed back to him, the little memory I had of him were glimpses from our childhood.

There's was this aching void deep within me as a result of the piece he took with him, that void which tore me apart and yearned to be filled.

I was so lost in my head that I didn't notice someone take the seat opposite me.