"You can do this." Joni muttered under her breath before she walked in through the doors into the school. She clutched her books to her chest and walked quickly to her locker with her head down and her hoodie covering her face.
She'd opted to wear the sweatsuit since it was Wednesday and it did a better job of hiding her bruises than her uniform would have. She got to her locker without any problem and input her code opening her locker to drop her books.
Her father had taken the King's words to heart - any sane man would if he wanted to live and he'd not touched her but he'd told her that she would not eat any food in his house for two weeks. Even after the time has passed, he'd decide whether to let her eat or not.
Right now her stomach was crying out for help and food. Food and water.
"Did you really think that you can get away with what you did to my boyfriend?". Shania demanded from behind Joni.<
"Today feels wrong." Was Leon's only thought as he alighted from the car and closed the door.He'd woken up late, injured his foot on his way to the bathroom and he'd mistakenly poured his juice on his trousers during breakfast so he'd had no choice but to go back upstairs and change.On his way to school, there was the problem of a flat tire that the guard had to change and it kinda took a while and as if it was not enough, he had to sit in traffic for about thirty freaking minutes.He wished he'd stayed home instead but the thought of not seeing Joni even for one day made him anxious so here he was by ten fifteen am just walking into the school building. It wasn't as though anyone would punish him but still he didn't like how late he was to school.He took the stairs two at a time, turned the corner and hurried down to his class, slowed down outside the door and calmly stepped into the
Celestina let out a sigh of relief as she took out her purse to search for her keys to open the door. She was glad she'd successfully found a sales person to man her store for her so now she could stay at home if she wanted to and also drop by at the store anytime she wanted.She found the keys and inserted it into the lock and turned the key but she was surprised when the door opened immediately and her heart skipped a beat in her chest."We have been robbed." She gasped in horror. She pushed the door a little wider to peer inside the house and frowned when she saw that everything looked to be in order. The flat screen TV was still hanging on the wall and the home theater system was safe, the sitting room was as she left it so she walked into the house and closed the door.
Leonidas found Andrei sitting on a bench in the courtyard with his head down and his elbows resting on his knees.Leon couldn't really explain why that picture made him sad but he knew he was because he'd never seen his father look so... desolate."Are you okay dad?". He asked standing beside the bench.Andrei looked up at his son and smiled. "I'm fine.""Are you sure?". He looked skeptical."I'm sure." Andrei assured him."Can I join you?"."Sure." He nodded.Leonidas sat down. "So have you talked to grandma and grandpa? What did they say?"."They'd have loved for both of you to stay with them but they're going on a vacation. It's been long overdue." Andrei replied. "So she has to stay with us.""How long will they be gone?"."Six months.""What! W
The first thing Joni thought of before she woke up fully was how soft her makeshift bed was. The second was how clean the air in the storage room was. It wasn't stuffy or smelled like rat and lizard piss. The pillow was soft and so was her bed sheets.Maybe it was her imagination but she could swear on her mother's grave that she smelled roses.Was she dead then? Was she finally in heaven with the angels singing hallelujah or was she in a place that wasn't earth or heaven either?.One last thing, she could hear music playing somewhere in the room, it wasn't loud at all but the song was nice and her brows furrowed because she didn't own any sort of music player. Hell, she didn't even have a phone."Leon, you should go to bed." She heard a voice say. "Let the maids take care of her.""I'm not really sleepy mom." A voice that sounded very familiar replied. "I'm thinking she'll wake
Andreina was irritated all through breakfast as she watched her brothers stupidly focus their attention on Joni who was busy focusing on her food, focusing on not embarrassing herself since she didn't know how to use simple cutlery."Will you three stop staring at her as if she's some kind of celebrity?". Ina spat. "Especially you Leon, you're drooling." She pointed to the corner of her mouth."You're getting on my nerves Ina." He informed her. "Stay out of my business.""Don't start." Anna scolded. "We have a guest.""Whatever." Ina muttered."You're really better now Joni?". Andrei asked her."Yes Your Majesty. Um... Thank you for taking care of me. If there's anything I can do to...""Don't mention it. It was all Leon's idea." Andrei subtly winked at Leon.Joni glanced at him. "I'm forever in your debt then Your Hi
"Are you okay?". Leon knelt down beside Joni after they helped her out of the pool and she coughed out the water she'd swallowed. Jax removed the clip from her hair since it was hanging and used his fingers to straighten her hair but she pushed his hand away. "Don't touch me." She snarled glaring venomously at him. She removed her shoes and scrambled to her feet. "I want both of you to stay away from me." She walked away. "Are you happy now?". Jax demanded. "Don't talk like you're not the cause of it." Leon snapped. "Don't start acting like you care about her either." "And you do? You barely know her!". "I'm not having this conversation with you. Just stay away from her." Leon turned and walked away. Anna was talking to someone on the phone standing on the terrace when she saw Joni crossing the lawn holding her shoes in one
Two days laterJoni stopped in her tracks when she saw Leon standing by his locker or more like leaning against it and typing on his phone. Just as she'd seen him do on his iPad, his fingers flew over the screen of his phone with lightening speed that she wondered if he never got tired.She straightened her school skirt and jacket, cleared her throat silently and walked forward. She hoped he was going to ignore her like she planned to ignore him but she had no such luck as he looked up with the brightest smile on his gorgeous face."Good morning Joni." He greeted."Good morning Your Highness." She replied."You look better.""I
Joni let out a beleaguered sigh when she walked into the compound and found her stepmother sitting on a bench right in front of the door probably waiting for her. The woman never let an opportunity pass to torture her. It seemed that she lived for it. "Today was a good day." She thought and her subconscious seconded that. "It was, wasn't it? You got to spend so much time with sexy. You even skipped class." Her subconscious taunted her. "Stop it. Not now." She chided as she got closer to the house. "Good evening ma." She greeted Celestina. "And where are you coming from?". Tina eyed her disdainfully. "School." She replied. "Do you what time it is?". Tina demanded. "7:00 and your siblings have been back since three." Joni might have been shirking her responsibilities at home by staying so long in school. It was a day and board
Three weeks later Leon Ashes to ashes Dust to dust I'm listening to every other word the priest is saying as he stands in front of Joni's coffin at the cemetery. I finally accepted her wish the next day after she told me to let her go and the ventilator machine was turned off. A little boy of about ten needed a kidney transplant and Joni's kidney matched his so I gave them the go ahead to do the transplant but that was it. She didn't want anyone to have her heart and no one got it. The preparations for her funeral were made and here we are three weeks later... finally putting her to rest. I rise to my feet and move to the front when the priest calls on me to give my speech. I don't have a speech to eulogize her but a song so I sing that thanking her for her love and when I am done, there isn't a dry eye at the cemetery. The priest gives his final speech, prays for her to find a resting place and it's over. I am standing by her coffin staring down at it when I suddenly look up
LeonI feel something pull at my hair. Like someone trying to pick a strand of my hair from my head and without thinking too much about it, I swat at the hand over my head but then I hear someone giggling - a familiar giggle and I lift my head sharply.I'm hoping it's her but there's nothing. She doesn't move and my shoulders slump. It's just been twenty four hours and kinda too early for a miracle but I hope one will happen soon."Why do you look so downcast Your Highness?". Joni asks me.I look around the room in shock until I see her sitting on the sofa with a strawberry smoothie in one hand and sandwich in the other."Am I dreaming?". I croak out."Maybe." She laughs.I look her over and see that she's dressed in a white and red polka dot gown with white wedges to match. Her hair is packed up in a loose bun and she's wearing the diamond earrings I gave her for Christmas."You look beautiful." I say."Too bad it's not 14th yet." She pouts. "I wanted to go to that dance.""You can.
LeonI have just pulled on my jeans when I hear Liese's frantic voice calling my name as I stand in my closet still thinking of a shirt to wear but I abandon that thought and rush out to meet her."Leon." She breathes running over to me. Tears are running down her cheeks so fast, it's like a dam opened up in her tear ducts."What's wrong?". I ask her."I... Collins... Joni..." She stutters."Joni? What happened to her?". I demand."Accident... It was bad." She says. "She's been taken to the hospital."I run back to my closet, grab any shirt and shrug it on then my car keys are in my hand the next instant and I hurry out of my room not bothering about my shoes.I breeze past grandma who is shocked to see running barefoot but before she can call my attention, I am already halfway down the steps."Leon! Where are you rushing to without your shoes?". Mom calls as I pass her as well just as she comes out of the living room."Hospital!". I call over my shoulder."What!". I register her shoc
A month later Joni Life... A period between birth and death. "Life is short" is what people say and that's the truth. I never used to believe that until today. As usual, my gorgeous boyfriend thought it best to take me out on a date seeing as we're almost ticking the last of the boxes on my never have I ever list but a part of me knows he's very excited about number 99 and 100 and I am too but I'm just not as excited as he is. He's like a kid who's been given cartblanche to choose any candy he wants in the candy store. It's February 14 in a week's time and every student is buzzing with excitement concerning the upcoming dance for Valentine's day. I've been a student of IHHS for eleven years and counting and I've never been to a school dance before. Minus kindergarten and elementary school, say during my junior years, I'd never been asked by a boy to go to the dance with him so when Leon asked me today which took me by surprise, I said yes. It's the last dance for me before I
LeonIt's new year, also mom and dad's birthdays and I might have made an unconscious resolution to be a good boy this year. No getting into fights with my brother or anyone else but that didn't stop me from being the devil and just to taunt my brother, invited his flavor of the month; Gabriella Sysavane.The girl didn't want to come but I'd convinced her not to be scared and I might have created a scene in her head where my brother would end the day with two girls who were not her in his bed because I know he's capable of doing it and she'd said yes."Why are you smiling?". Joni asks me."He's coming." I say."Who?". She looks over her shoulder to see Jax marching towards us with a murderous glare. "What crawled up his ass?"."Gabriella." I chuckle."Did you invite her?!". Joni gasps looking shocked. "What happened to being a good boy this year and all that?".I shrug not saying anything as Jax gets to us. I grin at him and give him a side hug."Happy new year bro." I say."What are
Joni It's new year's eve in Mercia but it feels like it's already new year. Everywhere has been decorated in preparation for the King and Queen's birthday party tomorrow and the whole Kingdom's been invited to celebrate with them. We arrived in Mercia yesterday morning and while it was good to be back home, I couldn't wait to see the world again but preferably only with Leon next time. It's a nice day to go for a walk and I do exactly that even though I really don't have a destination. I wave at people and greet some I like on my way until I get to the Catholic Church and stop outside the gate. I've never been to church once. I didn't feel the need to do so before but now I feel like it's about time I let go of all the pain and heartache and possibly the hatred I feel for my dad and stepmom. I walk into the premises of the church then up the short steps leading into the church before I change my mind. There are several other people sitting on pews and praying while some are kneel
Leon I still can't believe what Andres had told us yesterday before we boarded the jet. My own self-absorbed twin brother going behind our backs to date a non royal while openly telling me not to date one. The motherfucker. He should be glad I didn't find out about this while I was still in Mercia or else I'd have given him the beating of his life. Gabriella Sysavane. I don't think I know her though but Collins would. I look around the beach in search of my best friend but can't find him or my sister anywhere which makes me frown wondering where they'd gone to. The beach isn't crowded today thankfully so I have no problem looking for them. We arrived in America very early this morning and my grandma's driver Ron came to pick us up at the airport and drove us to her penthouse. We all woke up feeling well rested and after a quick lunch, we came to the beach. Joni and Andres are playing volleyball with Raymond and some other kids and Collins was with them just a little while ago. I
Liese I jerk awake all of a sudden from a dream which turns out to be a bad idea because the action makes me feel dizzy and my head feels like ten elephants are sitting on it. I groan and clutch the sides of my head wondering how the hell I got back to my hotel room last night. We'd partied hard celebrating Joni's birthday for a week but we all decided to get drunk yesterday. I just don't remember the details after or how I'm in the hotel room right now. I turn my head to look at the alarm clock and see that it's ten am in the morning and I sigh. We're leaving France today but not going back to Nigeria because Leon has another surprise in mind for Joni. I think I'd be very jealous of Joni for snagging a thoughtful and wonderful boyfriend like Leon if he wasn't related to me. My older brother loves with all his heart, body, mind and soul and Joni is damn lucky to be the recipient of his affections. Unlike he who shall not be named. Y'all know who I'm talking about so no need to
GabriellaScrewed.I wish I had another word to qualify how screwed I am but no words come to mind. I stare at the stick in my hand again for the millionth time hoping that the pink line which looks like a cross that I'm seeing isn't actually true.I can't be pregnant.I bite my bottom lip to keep it from trembling as tears gather in my eyes but I don't want to jump to conclusions just yet because these things aren't accurate. I just got it to find out why I've been feeling so tired and dizzy lately.My mom must not find out though or I'm dead. She'll strangle me with her bare hands, squeeze me like cloth and spread my skin out to dry.I'd disappointed her and myself by getting pregnant. I should have learned from her experience not to fall into a situation like this but no! One crooked smile flashed my way and I'm putty in his hands.You can't blame me though. Any girl in my position would want to be recognized by someone like him in a crowd. He was after all every girl's dream guy a