MORE THAN FRIENDS

Chapter Two

MORE THAN FRIENDS

CHAPTER TWO

ANGELINA'S POINT OF VIEW

Love is a beautiful thing, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve felt that way about Peter. Ever since I first met him, my heart has been drawn to him—but the problem is, I’ve never been able to confess my feelings. And I wonder... does he feel the same way about me?

Many guys have tried to get my attention, but I’ve ignored them all. The only one I have eyes for is Peter. Let’s face it—he’s not rich, he’s not popular, but I don’t care about any of that. To me, he’s perfect just the way he is. Unlike the arrogant guys I usually hang around, Peter is different. He’s honest, kind, humble, and, despite his nervous nature, he has a quiet strength that I admire. Maybe that’s why our parents always encouraged our friendship.

Peter isn’t the talkative type, but when we’re together, we can talk for hours about anything and everything. And every time, I catch myself staring at him, completely lost in admiration. I’ve tried so many times to tell him how I feel, but I always lose my courage. Sometimes, I wish I could just communicate telepathically—just send my feelings straight into his heart.

I’ve given him signs, subtle hints, but he never seems to notice. Nothing crushes a woman’s pride more than being invisible to the man she desires. I’ve never struggled to get a guy’s attention before—until Peter. With other men, it’s effortless. But with him? It’s like I’m just a background decoration, a wallpaper hanging on the wall.

At times, I wonder if I’m wasting my time. I’ve tried to ignore him, to push my feelings aside, but no matter what, I just can’t. I once decided to confess to him directly, but fear held me back. What if he doesn’t see my worth? What if I ruin everything? After all, isn’t it the man who’s supposed to make the first move, not the woman?

One afternoon on campus, I finally shared my dilemma with my friends. Their advice? Forget Peter. Move on. Find someone better. Someone more "worthy" of my time

Angelina: So that’s my problem, ladies… What should I do, honestly?

Jane: Babe, why are you wasting your time on that bookworm of a loser? Seriously, what do you even see in that nobody?

Cindy: Help me ask her o! I wouldn’t be caught dead talking to him. God forbid!

Angelina: Look, I asked for advice, not for you to insult Peter. And speaking of losers, don’t you copy his assignments every time he helps me?

Aisha: That’s not the point, Angelina. What’s wrong with you? You’re one of the hottest girls on campus, the best dancer, and the queen of trends. You shouldn’t be chasing after a guy like Peter. What does he even have to offer you? Look at me, for example—I hang out with men who bring benefits, men of worth, not guys with no future.

Cindy: Exactly! Take David, for instance. He’s from a rich family, and guess what? We’re in our final year. This is your golden ticket to a life of enjoyment and luxury. David can take care of you.

Angelina: Look, ladies, I know all that, but there’s something Peter has that the others don’t. Do you know what it is?

Aisha/Jane/Cindy: No, what?

Angelina: Devotion. These guys you talk about don’t have that. Take David, for example—he only cares about himself. Whatever he does, he expects something in return.

Jane: And what’s wrong with that? Ange, love in this generation doesn’t exist. Relationships are just for benefits—it’s more like a business deal.

Aisha: Exactly! A barter system. We get cash, and in return…

Cindy: We give them a little booty! (Smacks her backside.) It’s give and take, babe.

Angelina: I can’t believe you girls… Well, I’m not like you. I want love. Real love.

Aisha: (Laughs.) This girl is dreaming, wallahi!

Cindy: Tell her o! My dear, what do you think this is? A fairy tale where you meet your prince charming and live happily ever after? Those days are long gone! Women back then were clueless. This is the modern era—you need to be greedy.

Angelina: You’re the ones being foolish. True love still exists, and I believe in it. You talk about money like it can buy happiness—it can’t.

Jane: Let me ask you—don’t you like money?

Angelina: Of course, I do. But love and money are two different things. Each has its own value.

Cindy: Na wa for you o. Better rethink this before you lose out.

Angelina: Don’t worry about me. Just mind your own business..

As we continued talking, we noticed David approaching with his usual crew. Just as they got closer, they bumped into one of our coursemates—Happiness.

Every academic level has its own cliques. The rich students stick together, the unserious ones form their own circle, and then there are those who prefer solitude—Happiness belongs in to the last category. She was a loner, always keeping to herself, rarely speaking to anyone. She had this habit of staring at people, almost like she was observing them, which only made her an easy target for bullies.

And at the top of the list of those who enjoyed tormenting her was David. It was like his daily routine.

David: Happiness, Happiness… just look at your outfit. Can't your parents afford proper clothes for you?

Laughter erupted from the gathered students as Happiness, unfazed, turned to leave. But, of course, David and his minions wouldn’t let her go that easily.

Aisha: (laughing) That David is such a riot.

Jane: I must admit, he really knows how to lighten the mood.

Angelina: (frowning) I can't believe you two… This isn't funny. He's humiliating her.

Cindy: Come on, Ange, where’s your sense of humor?

Angelina: This nonsense has gone on long enough. I’m putting a stop to this.

Just as I was about to step in, Peter appeared out of nowhere, standing between Happiness and David.

Peter: Why don’t you leave her alone, jerk?

David’s smirk faltered.

David: What did you just say, bookworm?

Peter: You heard me.

David: (laughs mockingly) And who do you think you are? Some hero? You’re nothing but a loser.

Peter: Maybe I am. But at least I have the sense to know bullying a helpless girl doesn’t make you strong—it just makes you pathetic.

David: Watch your mouth, church rat.

Peter: (smirks) Oh? Did I strike a nerve? You should be ashamed, David. You pick on Happiness because you think it makes you look powerful, but it just proves how weak you really are. And the only reason no one tells you the truth is because you’re rich.

The crowd fell silent. I could see it in their eyes—they agreed with Peter, but no one dared to voice it.

I couldn’t help but laugh. Peter had completely dismantled David with just words. Without another word, he helped Happiness up and walked away, leaving David standing there, speechless.

That night, as I lay in bed, I couldn't stop thinking about what Peter did today. The way he stood up for Happiness—it was so courageous, so rare. I wished there were more men like him in the world.

I reached for my diary, the only place I could freely pour out my feelings about him. After scribbling down my thoughts, I sighed, feeling a mix of admiration and frustration. If only he knew how much I cared.

Deciding it was time for bed, I stood up and began undressing. That’s when I felt it—that eerie sensation of being watched. Instinctively, I turned toward my window, and there he was.

Peter stood frozen in his own room, his gaze locked on me, his mouth slightly open as if caught in a trance. His dazed expression made it clear he hadn’t meant to stare—but he had. And the evidence was… obvious.

The moment realization hit him, he jerked back out of sight, disappearing behind his curtains. But it was too late. I had seen everything.

I covered my mouth to suppress a laugh. The look on his face was priceless. But more than that, I couldn’t ignore the thrill that rushed through me. So, he was affected by me after all.

Glancing at the clock, I saw it was just 7:30 p.m.—still early. The night was young, and our parents wouldn’t mind if we hung out.

Smirking to myself, I walked over to my wardrobe. Time to find something casual but cute to wear. Tonight was going to be fun..

PETER'S POINT OF VIEW

God… what have I done?

Peeking at a lady while she was undressing—that’s completely undignified. What will Angelina think of me now? She’ll probably hate me, see me as some pervert. She’ll never respect me again.

But it’s not like I did it on purpose!

I had just come into my room after eating my mom’s delicious jollof rice and beans. The air was stuffy, so I went to open my window—and the moment I pulled back the curtains... there she was.

Angelina.

Standing in her room, undressing.

My first instinct was to look away. I should have looked away. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. My body froze, my breath hitched, and I just… stared.

She was perfect. The way her body curved, the smoothness of her skin—it was hypnotic. Her waist, her hips, everything about her made my heart race. I swallowed hard, feeling heat rush through me.

I knew it was wrong. I knew I should stop. But the moment I snapped out of my trance—she turned. And our eyes met.

Panic shot through me.

I ducked out of sight instantly, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest. Oh God, she saw me!

I slammed my curtains shut and collapsed onto my bed, sweat dampening my forehead. The shame was unbearable. What if she tells someone? What if she tells her parents?

I shouldn’t be overreacting. After all, Angelina and I had been best friends since childhood. This wasn’t even the first time I had seen her naked—back when we were kids, it was normal. But now… now it is different.

I buried my face in my pillow, frustration boiling inside me.

Why couldn’t I just tell her how I felt?

Why was this so hard?

A sudden, loud knock on the door made my heart jump.

Oh no.

I rushed to the window, peeking out to see who it was. The moment my eyes landed on Angelina, standing there with her arms akimbo, my stomach dropped—and, embarrassingly, I let out a nervous fart.

This chick… What is she doing here?

Was she about to report me to my mom? My parents wouldn’t beat me, but the scolding alone—especially from my mother—would be enough to crush my ego.

I started pacing, unsure of what to do. Quickly, I grabbed a pair of shorts and pulled them on, waiting anxiously for whatever was about to happen.

Jessica: "Peter! Can you open the door?"

Me: "I… uh… I'm in the toilet!"

Jessica: "Already? When did the food digest? You young men of nowadays, I don’t know why you've fallen in love with the toilet."

Me: "Come on, Mama… Not cool. Not cool."

Jessica: "Whatever… Let me go and open the door."

I sat frozen on my bed, my ears sharp, listening as my mom greeted Angelina. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, there was silence. Too much silence.

Then—

"PETER!"

My mom’s voice boomed from downstairs.

Crap.

Her footsteps thudded against the floor as she made her way toward my room, and the next thing I knew, she was banging on my door as if she planned to break it down.

Jessica: "Peter! Are you still in the toilet? Angelina is here o!"

Me: "Really, Mom? You’re embarrassing me!"

Jessica: "Come out already. She's waiting for you."

Mothers…

I exhaled in relief. At least my mom didn’t seem mad—meaning Angelina hadn’t told her anything. Yet.

Pulling myself together, I left my room and headed downstairs. And there she was.

My God.

Angelina stood there in a black woolly skirt that hugged her waist and hips just right, paired with a cropped shirt layered over a white singlet. She looked effortlessly gorgeous. And the way she was staring at me—intense, unblinking—sent a shiver down my spine.

Me: "Hey."

Angelina: "Hey."

Jessica: "What took you so long?"

Me: "Mom, please, let me be."

Jessica: "Quiet, my friend. Alright, I'll leave you two alone."

She hurried off, leaving us standing there in silence. I stole a few glances at Angelina, but she just kept staring at me without a single blink.

Me: "So… uh… what now?"

Angelina: "..."

Me: "Angelina?"

She tapped her chin, pretending to think.

Angelina: "Hmm… Okay! I know what we can do. Let’s go out."

Me: "Now?"

Angelina: "Yes. Is there a problem?"

Me: "No… not at all."

Angelina: "Good. Let’s go."

And just like that, I had no choice but to follow her.

—.

Angelina and I left the house and went on our night adventure. We didn't board any taxi, we just kept walking silently side by side close to each other. Angelina was getting too close to me and was trying to hold my hands but I jammed them short.. It's not like I don't want to hold her hands, it's just that I wasn't bold enough to walk in the streets of Abuja hand in hand with her..

A while later we arrived at one building, it was finished but not yet operational, Angelina gave me a sly look and I knew what she was thinking.

.

Peter ➡ Ange.. No! This is private property! We can't trespass.

.

Angelina ➡ Oh please what's wrong in exploring the place? Besides, we won't take long.

.

Peter ➡ No! I can't.... You can go on if you like.

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Angelina ➡ Fine.... But just know your mother will hear about what you did this evening.. I'm sure she'll be very displeased with your unusual behavior.

.

I knew she was bluffing but I decided to follow in anyways, After we got into the building, the craziness started..

From the designs of the rooms, I could tell that these were like offices like the ones in that bank, there was chairs, tables and other stuff, Angelina and I sat on the chairs rolling around and around, we climbed on the tables jumping from one table to another, Angelina went that far to spoil the well painted walls by using nails to write her initials and mine, she even imprinted her lips on the white painted wall. I loved moments like this with Angelina, it never gets old, despite being in adolescent age, we loved to act like kids. After making a mess of things we decided to rest and relax, Angelina and I sat on the same chair 💺, While I sat on the chair, she sat on my lap, any guy would think that I've hit the jackpot but this is nothing.

.

Peter ➡ What we did was...

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Angelina ➡ Fun?

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Peter ➡ Fun? It was crazy.. I'm just imagining how the building owner would react if he saw the mess we did..

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Angelina ➡ Who cares... Besides it's not big deal, he can cover all this with a pain.

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Peter ➡ Yeah.

.

After that, we both kept quiet.. I wanted to talk to Angelina and apologize to her about what happened earlier, I know she didn't mind but at least, she should know I didn't do it on purpose, it's small things like this that can ruin friendships.

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Peter ➡ Uh buddy!?

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Angelina ➡ Yes buddy.

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Peter ➡ What happened earlier back at the house.. I didn't mean it.. I never meant to..

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Angelina ➡ Don't apologize.. You couldn't help it. Besides I'm not mad.. I know you didn't mean to peek at me while I was in my birthday suit. But enough of that. Let's dance.

.

Peter ➡ Here?.

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Angelina ➡ Yes.. Besides there's nobody here.. Where's your phone?

.

Peter ➡ Here.

.

I gave her the phone and she unlocked the password! Like I said we both knew each other's personal stuff including password, after that she tapped into my music app and searched for a suitable music, after a while she began to look displeased.

.

Angelina ➡ Buddy! Don't you have any naija songs? You know I don't dig this your American songs.

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Peter ➡ Oh for God's sake.. Here bring that phone...

.

I snatched the phone away from her hands and selected Ed-sheran's *perfect* and played it.. I kept the phone on the table and went close to Angelina, I held her waist firmly and she wrapped her hands around my neck and we danced in a slow motion, The music was sure the best for moments like this, as we danced quietly with each other, we began to look at each other in the eyes, Usually I wasn't this bold but tonight was different, Angelina's eyes was fixed on mine, she was looking at me as if she had finally found what she was looking for, she then placed her head on my chest and we kept dancing like that until the music came to an end.

After the music ended we both looked at each other again, there was some kind of arousing tension rising between us, I tightened my hold on Angelina's waist, and did she, then suddenly gradually and slowly, we both began to reach out to each other, I couldn't believe that tonight is the night that I finally get to kiss 💋 her, mouth to mouth.. I felt so excited but I maintained my cool, just as we were inches from locking lips together, Disaster struck.

In that beautiful moment, we got interrupted by one security guard whom we didn't take notice off, he must have been attracted by the music we played.

.

Security guard ➡ Hey! Wetin una dey do?.. Wetin bring una come here??? Jesus.. Wetin una do for this place? Jesus! Chai... See the wall o.. Oga go vex... Oya.. Hey where una dey go... Stop! I say stop!

.

Before he could even get a look on our faces, Angelina and I hightailed out of there and got out of the building, we ran home laughing 😂 as we joked about the sudden appearance of the security guard, but honestly, I wasn't happy about the interference and I'm sure Angelina wasn't too.

About some minutes later, we finally reached home, Angelina and I stood outside before we went our separate houses.

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Angelina ➡ Tonight was fun..

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Peter ➡ Yeah. But it would have been more fun if the guard didn't interrupt.

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Angelina ➡ Yeah..

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Peter ➡ Uhm. Okay... Good night then..

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Angelina ➡ Yeah.. Good night..

.

We both stood staring at each other, then afterwards we slowly turned around and went our separate ways.. I was hoping she'd make the first move.. I wanted to take the leap first but I was too nervous to make a move, You know some people easily lose the person they're meant to be with because of this and they end up regretting in their later life.. and I don't want that.. In that moment I turned around to meet Angelina but then instead I got a surprise of my life, as soon as I turned around Angelina wrapped her hands around me and kissed me passionately, I didn't hesitate to wrap my hands around her waist tightly.. Though it was my first time i managed to keep it professional, her mouth tasted like vanilla.

Nothing fell more good than that moment I having with her,