High School. "Hello. My name is Riley Kwesi Wood, and I am excited to be here. I'm a little behind, so please do not be offended if I ask for help." That was the day Marget met Riley, a seemingly shy student joining the class in the middle of the school year. As he combed through the crowd, looking for a seat, Margret raised her hand. "Sir, there's an empty chair behind me," she said. "Okay. Riley, sit behind Miss Margret." The teacher gave way, beaming at the fresh fruit uniting with the 'good and rotten' bunch. "What are you doing, Marge?" Valery whispered to her friend as the new kid walked over. "Helping out the new student." "But we do not know him. He could be annoying." "You say that about everyone, Val. This one seems different. My spirit tells me he's a good person." "Yeah, right." Valery rolled her eyes. She shushed up when Riley took his place and hung his bag on the backrest of his seat. Margret, as bubbly as ever, turned to him with a smile. "Do you have a l
High School... Derrick ventured out of his cherished hideaway, ascending to the rooftop. Valery had altered his man cave to the point where it was difficult to enjoy some of his favourite activities, like having a relaxing smoke. Seated on the floor, away from the wall, he took out a cigarette, lit it, and inhaled deeply. He released it in circular rings, a trick that took a lot of practice to master. Watching the swirling smoke blend with the surrounding air was oddly calming to him. After the third drag, he paused, scratching his brow and gazing at the cloud-strewn sky. A faint sound interrupted his reverie. "My apologies, I thought it was unoccupied," the intruder said. "You're the kid who took on Ralph the other day, right? Riley?" Derrick's lips curled into a gentle smirk. "Would you mind a smoke?" He offered the pack of cigarettes.Riley, with his hands in his pockets, approached Derrick. He adjusted his school shorts and sat down beside him. "My mom would kill me if she fou
Ryan sat in the sterile hospital room, staring blankly at the wall. His mind was swirling in doubt and despair. He had all the time in the world to think, but none of it brought him any solace or clarity."Valery is one of the best doctors in this country. This could be your last chance at a cure, Ryan. Are you going to throw it away because of the past?" Margret's words echoed in his mind. Ryan was sure of his decision, yet he owed Margret his attention; she was the only one who stood by him through the bitterness and painful procedures.As he brooded, the door creaked open. In stepped a figure clad in a crisp lab coat and sensible shoes. It was Valery, the woman he despised. She dared to approach him with a smile as if they had something to discuss."I wasn't gurgling water in my mouth the last time," Ryan said, the drugs making his speech sluggish. He would have howled at her intensely if he could."Your mother and I agreed that having me on the team would be beneficial, Master W
"Lily, do not cling to the door. Aunty dislikes that." Valery steadied herself behind the steering wheel, occasionally stealing glances at her niece to ensure she was not playing with the locks. She smiled, seeing the six-year-old pick up the stuffed frog, which had been ignored a while back. They loved the Muppets. Although Miss Piggy was her favourite, Lily adored Kermit the Frog. It was only a short time until they reached the mall. Valery slowly followed the other cars through the entrance, quietly peering around for a good place to park. Once she found her spot, she reeled over, initiated the brakes and turned off the engine. "Come, little Kermit." She opened the door for Lily. A few steps forward, Valery recalls leaving the grocery list behind. "Lily, stay right here!" She said sharply and ran back to the car. "Where the hell did I put it." Valery combed hastily through the front seats. She hated handling pieces of paper, yet her elder sister refused to get a small notebo
Valery kept herself busy at work, moving from one patient to another and closely monitoring the hospital chart. Minimal time for lunch breaks, rest and certainly zero tolerance for distractions. And that's what some of the doctors at Klimov Hospital wanted to be, an unwanted distraction. Her shift ended at four in the afternoon. From there, she headed home to shower and fall on the couch. On most days, Valery did not have the strength to cook, so she ordered takeout from her favourite restaurant. There were days Jennifer came to her rescue, but she chose to burden her sister once in a blue moon. After the serenity came another beeping text from Derrick. Benson threw her neck at the armrest of the long couch, biting on her bottom lip as she read it. Nearly a week had passed, and she was still adamant about replying to Derrick's text. Years ago, she promised not to get too close to him or be trapped by his nature. It was an emotional affair, and sincerely, she was not ready to drown
Ten Years Ago... High School. Valery, just like most students with a social life, hated Mondays. Mondays meant math class, and math class meant pop quizzes. Most days, she hid in the school library when overwhelmed. It was on the third floor, and Valery's class sat on the fourth. It was only a matter of not getting caught, but then again, she was as innocent as they came based on looks, and using the washroom was always the go-to excuse. On one Monday, while trying to skip the class, she almost comes face to face with the teacher at the staircase. Valery turned around naturally and quickly ran right. She would have nowhere to go except her classroom if she took the other way. At the far end was an abandoned room nobody used. Although that was the first place she thought of, she had never been to the old classroom- not with the stories surrounding why it was never used. For the sake of her life, Valery convinced herself that they were fake tales to scare students. At the turn of
Present day... It was the smell of strong coffee that stirred her awake. When her brown orbs were half-lidded, a mug was hanging in the air... No, there was a hand holding onto it. It took a few more blinks to open her eyes, but she nearly bolted out of her skin when she realized that this was not her room. "Slow down; you're at my place." Derrick chuckled at how she took that hot mug, peering around as if she had been kidnapped. He sat on the bed and pushed the tray he brought along closer. "I didn't know what you would like, so I made your old favourite. Omelettes with two slices of bread, fried chicken franks and a chocolate bar in case you want dessert." "Thanks." Valery did not know what to say; the situation was weird. 'Hold on, am I naked?' Her thoughts went wild when she suddenly looked down at her chest. "Do you not remember what happened last night?" Derrick tilted his head to the side, searching for her lost gaze. Valery was not going to pretend that she did not re
Ten Years Back...High School. Valery was average regarding weight and did not hide her love for food. Plump cheeks and a sharp jawline. Although her head was well-rounded and small, her thick black hair made it look twice its size. She had small eyes and a cute nose that complimented her appearance. Valery had dark brown skin, soft and glossy. Her lips were full and tainted with a light shade of pink on the bottom. She went for the usual during lunch break; Jollof rice with fried chicken and potato salad. With much delight, she dug in, but an approaching presence made her lift her head after a few bites. "So, where were you during the fourth and fifth periods?" Margret was curious. As much as they told each other everything, Valery knew not to mention where she was. Margret loved being a matchmaker and had already shipped her with many of their mates. Being paired with Derrick was the last thing she needed. Margret sat down with her tray and dug into her food. Valery: "I was at t