Ungainly.

Dear Reader, It is my pleasure to present to you this book, which I hope will offer you an engaging and thought-provoking reading experience. Before you begin, there are a few things that I would like to mention. Firstly, this book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to actual people, events, or places is purely coincidental. The characters, settings, and plot are products of the author's imagination. Additionally, this book is protected by copyright laws, and no part of it may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the express written consent of the author. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this book is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action. Furthermore, I would like to express my gratitude to all those who have contributed to the creation of this book, from my family and friends who supported me throughout the writing process to the editors and designers who helped bring this work to life. Finally, I hope that this book will offer you a journey into a world of ideas and emotions, and that it will leave you with a deeper understanding of the human experience. Thank you for choosing to read this book, and I hope you enjoy it. Sincerely, Rojoruby86. Dear Reader, Welcome to my book, and thank you for choosing to read it. As a Nigerian author, I am excited to present to you a thrilling and mysterious story with a touch of romance that will take you on a journey through the sights, sounds, and cultures of Nigeria. Set against the backdrop of the bustling city of Lagos, this book will immerse you in a world of intrigue, suspense, and unexpected twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. With a cast of characters that reflect the diverse and dynamic society of Nigeria, this book offers a unique perspective on the complexities of life in this vibrant country. As you read, you will encounter elements of romance that will add a layer of depth and complexity to the story. So sit back, relax, and get ready to be transported to a world of mystery, suspense, and romance in this Nigerian thriller. I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Sincerely, Rojoruby86. 1. Babies, vehicles and guys. I sat on the leather sofa across from my mother and sister. I was glaring at them like a predator ready to pounce on its prey. The expression on their faces read remorsefulness but at the same time,their shoulders looked relaxed unlike the way they were two minutes ago, before they told me the news. It was a hot Saturday afternoon in January and my mother had just told me that she was seeing someone new and that she was pregnant for him.She also said that she was going to get married to him. My father died when I was two and it had always been just us girls;my mom,my sister, Genevieve- whom I liked to call Genie- and I. Mom had had past relationships but they were never serious and she had never gotten pregnant. My sister was happy about the news and she wanted me to take the news she same way she did but I couldn't. Everything about it screamed wrong, absurd, 'not it'. "But mom,why now? Why? After all these years,you just decided to get married and have another child",I said when I finally found my voice. Mom just stood and stared at me like what she didn't understand what I was saying. "She was doing it for us. Now we're all grown up. You'll go to the university soon and she'll be all alone. She needs a companion. And now, she's got two. There's nothing wrong in that. Camila , I understand it's hard to process", Genie said. Ridiculous. I thought. Genie was 22 . And I was sixteen. All she did was to take sides with my mom. They had both joined forces against me since Genie turned 18. It now started to feel like I had two parents. "I'm not doing this. Not right now", I said as I stood up and headed for the stairs towards my room. We lived in a duplex on the suburbs of Lagos. My room was a really large one with a queen sized bed ,a dresser, a large book shelf,a shoe rack and a walk-in closet. There was another door leading to an equally large toilet and bathroom. There were hardly a lot of things in my room. All my clothes were neatly arranged in my closet. I was OCD for orderliness. My make-up and hair treatment kits sat neatly on my dresser. My books were arranged neatly on the shelf,my shoes on the shoe racks and my laptop lay on the drawer close to my bed. There were a dozen pillows on my bed. I liked to be comfortable. I walked into the room, taking in the orange and white decor. The curtains were orange and my sheets were sparkling white underneath the orange duvet. Basically everything in my room had a combo of white and orange,even the tiles on the floor. I plopped down on my bed after opening the curtains to let the sunlight in. My Samsung phone was sitting on one of the pillows and I reached for it,using the camera app to check if anything was out of place on my face and hair. I started thinking about the babies and the new guy all over. I was going to have a Dad who wasn't my Dad and a sister or brother from another man. I dropped my phone onto the bed and sat with my legs crossed and put my arms out at my sides. And closing my eyes,I took a deep breath. I breathed in. Out. In again. Buzz. Out. My phone vibrated against my lap, the screen lighting up. I peeked at the screen half expecting it to be one of those usual messages from my service providers and I was getting ready to hiss and roll my eyes when I saw that it was a text from "Dammy", the guy I was dating. His name was Damilola and I saved his name as "Dammy" before we started dating and since then,I'd not had the chance to change it to something "boyfriend-ey". "Hey Cam. You there"? My face lit up and all my worries were instantly forgotten. Smiling widely,I composed a reply. "Hey baby. Missed you. What's up?" He didn't come to school yesterday. He said he had Cough. I thought there was more to it but I didn't think about it too much. People didn't miss school because of "Cough". My phone buzzed twice before I could snap of my reverie. I looked at the screen. "Missed you too". "You there??" Impatient much? I thought. Dammy was a very impatient person. He even valued time more than me. Again,I didn't think about it too much. "Call me". I replied. I waited for the phone to ring twice before hitting the "answer" button. "You were saying?" I said immediately I picked the call. "There's a costume party at my house at six tonight. My parents are not around. Get yourself a Barbie costume. I'm dressing like Ken. I already got my costume. We're going to look really cute ". There was a hint of excitement in his voice. I rolled my eyes. He was also very impulsive. Always springing into action. Always getting what he wanted, as quickly as he wanted. Example,me. I really had to start preparing for a costume party between now and 6pm. I looked at the top of my phone screen. It was 2:09. "Okay babe. That's really cool", I said. "Yeah. I've got to go now. See you at six. Love ya". "Me too". I threw the phone across the bed without hanging up and it landed close to a stray pillow. Dammy and I were not the best couple but we were really into each other. We rarely got into fights because the slightest things that were supposed to matter, didn't matter. I learned that the hard way. Grabbing my phone and keys,I headed out of the house ignoring Mom and Genie who were now sharing a bowl of popcorn while watching a family sitcom. You'd think they were sisters. They were eating and laughing so loudly. They didn't even notice me leaving the house. I headed down the road. There was a costume store just before the estate gate. Two houses down,I saw my arch enemy s***h neighbour outside her house talking to a boy I'd never seen before. Typical Pamela. I thought, rolling my eyes. "Hey Pam. Who's the guy?" I asked, giving her a three-finger wave. She rolled her eyes and continued talking to the boy. Ouch. That didn't hurt at all. We'd been enemies for as long as I remembered and anytime we came across each other,we always tried to find a way to diss the each other. So that was fair. We went to the same school. I was just tired of seeing her pinched face all the time. She hardly even ever smiled. One-zero. I thought. Lost In my thoughts, I didn't see the Mercedes speeding towards me early enough and the last thing I heard was screeching of tires,a scream, someone shouting my name, then the sound of my body hitting the ground. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Follow me on i********: @rojoruby86