Chapter one~ The bitch, the violent and the pickpocket

the earth is vast and so is our own personal little world _Ujuritaellianna

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The presiding sound of the organ crescendo, emitted its way from the section in which the parish choristers were positioned at one side of the large church. 

A slim built lady led the singing which was congregational and inspiring except for the bored, disinterested look etched on the face of a girl clad in an all black outfit, seated beside a lady who had a huge pink gele proudly resting on her head as she sang in a loud and strident voice.

The girl winced, feeling totally edged about her atmosphere yet she dared not to leave the church. Not except she wanted a handful of ear splitting yells accompanying her home.

Not like she cared anyway, she just didn't want ugly voices settling around her. So she fixated her interest in the piles of people who queued up to the altar, holding their clamped hands firmly on their chest while pulling an agonized look on their faces as they pitched their way warily to the altar,  kneeling in front of the priest who muttered inaudibles to them before placing the rounded 'host' on their strechted out tongues.

Every one of them had sorrowful looks embodied on their faces as though they had just lost a mother and they were in deep mourning. She scoffed, it was all a facade. Once outside, they would drop the mournful look on their faces and resume being the judgemental and hateful hypocrites that they were.

Besides, she didn't understand how people did pray to someone who they never saw before. It was a total waste of time to her and so far as she was concerned, there was no supernatural being, not even a God.

It was a just a deep fallacy.

Amazing grace, how sweet thou sound, that saved a wretch like meeee...

The lead singer at this point, seemed to have topped her notch abit higher causing the speakers to break into a shrill cry. She scowled, placing her index finger into one side of her ears to prevent the noise from splitting her eardrums.

This was it.

She couldn't take it anymore, come what the consequences were, she was leaving this building. It was bad enough that she had to come here, this wasn't her scene. talk more of listening to shrill cries of speakers, loud singers and terribly voiced individuals not forgetting the faux sullen looks on the faces of the congregation, taking the 'communion'.

Drawing her feets backwards, she stretched her spine to a full length before standing on her feet, making vague signs at people, signalling them to shift so she could pass. A firm hand gripped her wrist to catch her attention, she stopped. Turning to face the person who happened to be the woman with the huge gele

"Where are you going?"the woman asked In an irritated whisper tone

"To the rest room" she replied nonchalantly, not waiting for the approval of the woman, she sauntered out of the building to a more secluded area of the church building.

•••

The church compound wasn't vast but at least, it could serve as a parking lot for parishioners who had cars.The floors of the compound was cemented thereby, making the environment devoid of trees asides the single oak tree which stood tall near the pastoral house.

She picked her way past the fleet of cars, parked in the compound, making her way towards her usual getaway spot. It was kind of a secluded area where she and her best friend, Tola,  usually hung out whenever they came to the church. And for some reason today, she was getting excited to catch up with Tola.

In her excitement, she had bumped her legs into a small stony rock. Letting out a groan, she rubbed her toes with a sour expression, muttering profanities and glaring hard at the lifeless stone obstructing her movement.

How she wished it were 'human' she would have given it a nice pat for causing her pain.

With one last glare at the rock, she straightened herself up to continue her movement when she came in contact with the figure typing furiously on his phone with furrowed eyebrows.

He seemed too concentrated on his device and that was okay 'cause it spared her some minutes to run her gaze over him. His head was bent abit over his phone but she could see his eyebrows knitted together with slight worry. His eyelashes looked long, it made her wonder for a split second if she wasn't mistaking the figure to be a female.

She let her gaze fall on his pursed lips which she noticed at some point, he breathed out inaudibles, still fixated at his phone screen. He looked beautiful although she hadn't gotten a full view of his look, his profile view was good looking.

A small tug seemed to pull her out of her distraction. She didn't even realize how long she had been scrutinizing him until he raised his face to look at hers.

If she had called his profile beautiful before, then guess what? She wasn't wrong. The strange guy standing in front of her was a perfect blend of perfection. From his deep coffee black eyes to his aquiline nose down to his chiselled jaws and his shaded pink lips.

He was perfect.

His dark coloured hazel eyes bored into hers, holding her gaze intently as though they found something treasurable and weren't ready to let go. They stared at each other, holding their gazes like they were trying to read into each others soul.

A small cough broke the stare-down. She didn't know if the sound came from her or the guy with the dark hazel eyes, so she quickly looked away. 

Wondering if they both had just shared a moment. She scowled at the thought, shook her head alittle and resumed walking.

"Hey!" he called with a smug smile, his voice was toneless, expressionless yet it made her feel strange emotions welling up within her. She stopped on impulse. Oblivious to why her legs acted on their own accord, unfortunately, not only her legs. But her lips, they made to let out a reply but there were no sounds. probably, she had gone mentally blank.

This wasn't her! her subconscious grunted in disapproval. She never felt flustered in front of any guy neither did she feel speechless. 

She exhaled, gathering her thoughts and replacing her flustered expression with a deep disdainful look gracing her face, casting one more glance at him before walking past. 

•••

"Hey babes!" A chubby fair skinned girl, sitting on a stony pavement with a black hoodie clad over her, called out excitedly through puffs of smoke emitting from the cigarette which she dangled in between her index fingers.

" Hey Tola, wassup? "She replied, walking closer to the fair skinned girl. Her disdainful expression now replaced with a neutral one.

"Been blowing my lungs out. Inside is all shades of stuffy. How come they kill this much time fooling around?" Tola asked with an irritable snort.

Like her, Tola never believed in God. All was a bluff to the both girls and if not for any other thing which they had in common, it was their strong disbelief in the nature of God.

She let out a small chortle. "Why did you come then?"

Tola shrugged nonchalantly "to earn some cash"

She titled her head to one side, narrowing her eyes at tola who continued to puff smoke into the air.

"You plan to pickpocket huh?" It was no suprise as to how she knew Tola's way of earning 'cash'. Tola practically fended for herself through whatever means she found.

Her parents were crazy rich yet they never wanted to have anything to do with her. Tola never told her why, but whatever it was, she knew it was terrible.

" I'm outta options... my fucking boss keeps saying she's not going to pay me cause she thinks i'm stealing her money.” she mumbled bitterly.

Tola worked during the day in a shopping mall and at night she had other 'alternatives' as to how to make her money.

"You still work for her?" She asked with raised eyebrow

Letting out a bitter, triumphant laugh. She replied, "work?! Nah..I quit."

The later flew her eyes wide-open at this new revelation. It was bad enough that she didn't have much and now she's quitting her job.

"What are you going to do now? How would you survive?" she asked all in one breath.

Tola laughed again, this time a satisfied glint hung in her gaze as she stretched out the cigarette towards her friend who wholly collected it, taking a drag.

"Chill..I'll survive."

" how?"

"Do you possibly think i'll let the oldie try that shit with me without getting a fair share?" She asked rhetorically.

"What did you do?" The other girl asked, curiosity welling up within her.

"I stole a bunch from her..she's looking for me with some fucked up police,”  she chuckled at the last sentence. Obviously, she knew that the police would end up giving up her search for her after a week of the incident. This was Port Harcourt police quarters anyway, they had better criminals to catch other than mini thieves.

"The money I stole from my boss wasn't enough,”  tola added quietly. Her voice wavering alittle. Doubts and fear slowly creeping in as she low-keyed battled inwardly with her plans.

The other girl nodded in understanding, if there was one thing about their friendship, it was the fact that they neither judged each other.

"Just be careful." was all she said in reply, the fair skinned girl grinned. This was all she needed to gain back her courage. Her bestfriend's support. She strechted out the cigarettes to her friend who took a long drag before handing it back again.

Click

Click

The sound of a camera flashed towards their direction, zapping their attention to the intruder.

" World's best news!!!" A shrill voice announced like someone who had gotten a trophy.

"Two losers smoking in the church premises."

Tola and her friend glared at the owner of the stupid voice.

It was Zaria.

•••

Zaria Omah was technically a bitch to the both girls and not surprisingly, a bitch as well to everyone who came across her. She was flawlessly beautiful, had filthy rich parents and she walked with pride. Intimidating everyone who came across her, with her annoying aura.

Except that she never intimidated the duo. that fact made her insides churn with anger at the both girls.

"Did you just take pictures of us?"Tola asked apprehensively, making sure to mask her tone with a stern one.

"Durh! They look beautiful." Zaria shrugged, a conniving smirk playing at her lips as she dangled the phone in her hands.

"And you look ugly. NOW delete those pictures!" Tola's bestfriend ordered.

Zaria broke into a mockery laugh. Did they really think she would do that just because she commanded? She tsked. Crazy ass bitch.

"This would make a good headline for everyone at church to see. You are at my mercy, so if I were you, I would watch my tone." she scorned, fixing the girls a pointed stare.

"Zaria, if those pictures aren't out of your phone in two seconds, I'll—" Tola warned with an icy tone.

"You will what?" Zaria cut in, the later gritting her teeth angrily at the excuse of a human being.

"I'm going to show it to everyone and honey, there's nothing you'll do about it.”  she continued, shashaying her way out in triumph, leaving the both girls to glare at her behind.

"Leave her...there's always a way to deal with an idiotic bitch.”  Tola gritted out, digging her nails into her friend's wrist to stop her from lurching at the aforementioned bitch. 

Indeed there was a way to deal with Zaria.

•••

Zaria had just finished using the restroom to redo her makeover and seeming satisfied at her perfect looks, she strutted out with her chin in the air and a perpetual scowl resting on her face.  She was dangling the phone carefreely, twirling it between her fingers when the duo had ganged up against her in a flash, crashing her back to the wall in a bid to pin her down.

"What the hell..." Zaria made to shout, frantically struggling against the girl who had her trapped, using one of her hands to pull at her hair.

She yelped in pain when the darker girl pressed her heels upon her feet, using one hand to hold up her hands in a twisted form while she worked her other hands on poor Zaria's throat.

"Tola get the phone! " The girl ordered to a smirking Tola who hurriedly snatched the phone, unlocking it and finding her way to the photo app.

"Don't.." she struggled to speak through strangled breath as cold dark, emotioneless gaze pierced her shut. Tightening her grip on her neck who helplessly quivered in fear.

"What?!" The darker girl smirked, "aren't you motivated to continue speaking?" She mocked, tightening her grip on Zaria's neck as the girl let out strangled helpless cough, giving the latter a pleading stare. Her perfect makeup now smeared with lone streaks of tears trodding her cheeks. She gripped the hands of the girl who held her neck weakly.

"Yunno, we could easily get rid of everything in this phone.." Tola said in a suggestive tone. 

The strangled girl widened her eyes in terror, trying to let out pleas through her choked breathing. Tola's friend smirked widely at this, obviously enjoying every bit of terror written on the girls expression.

"Go ahead!" she ordered.  Tola grinned, cheerfully swiping out all info on the phone before handing it over to her partner who had loosened her grip on Zaria's neck, smiling with grim intrest as Zaria rubbed her hurting neck, breaking into fits of cough.

"You know Zaria..." Tola's friend had cooed like she didn't just strangle her.

"I could have done worse things to you, like beating your brains out,”  she said nonchalantly like it was nothing extra.

"But, i'll save that act for next time you try stepping on my toes. So If I were you, I would watch my actions, carefully. " she finished off, glaring darkly at the girl.  Her deep cold stares spelled dangerous at the girl who hadn't even recovered fully from her state.

" You...you're sick!" Zaria spat out angrily and surprisingly, causing the darker girl to break out into a loud cackle.

She laughed humorlessly, darkly and in a flash, much to Tola's shock, she had crumbled the girls iPhone 12 pro max under her heels.

"You should be grateful i'm letting you live." she growled at a a wide-eyed Zaria who stared at her in shock and disbelief. Her eyes turning moist with tears, her breathing heaving heavily in anger, hurt and hate as she stared at the girl who had just crumbled her phone to pieces, smiling smugly at her mixed expression. 

"I'll deal with you.." she swore, breathing heavily, “i hate you!" she yelled, venom dripping in every word as tears fell like torrents, down her cheeks. Picking the remaining piece of her phone as she stomped her way off.

"Why did you destroy that?" Tola asked, still shocked at her friend's action.

"It was a warning." she replied flatly, the fair girl shrugged. Church was over and soon, people would begin to troop out. It meant, it was time for business.

"You know what? You warning Zaria...gist me about it later, for now bye and wish me luck." she said all in one breath, not even waiting for her friend to wish her the so called luck, she pulled her black hoodie over her head, shouldering her way through the crowd until she was no more in sight

Nevertheless, her friend had muttered the words 'luck' to her before lumbering her way to meet with her guardian.