OUR JOURNEY

CHAPTER ONE CHLOE’S POV I’m tired. Tired of school, tired of people, tired of everything. All I want right now is to get home, crash on my bed, and shut the world out. I reached into the hidden compartment in my bag, pulled out my phone, and plugged in my headphones. Music flooded my ears as I began the walk to the bus station. I was halfway there when someone tapped me on the shoulder. Startled, I turned around and was met with a face I didn’t recognize. I pulled out one earbud so I could hear him better. “Good afternoon, sir,” I said politely, trying not to let my irritation show. I hoped he’d get to the point quickly so I could be on my way. “I just wanted to say… you’re beautiful,” he said, flashing a smile that reminded me of a kid trying to charm his way out of trouble. I stared at him blankly, hoping that wasn’t the only reason he stopped me. “Thank you, sir,” I replied, forcing a smile. Still respectful. Still calm. But losing patience fast. “Please don’t call me sir,” he said. “My name is Anthony. I’d love to be your friend, if you don’t mind.” Of course he would say that. I’d met enough men like him to know his type—always looking for young, naive girls to play with. But fine. I’d play along for now. “I’m Chloe. I go to Evergreen High School. And I don’t need friends.” “Don’t say that,” he replied smoothly. “Everyone needs a friend. Why don’t I get your number, so we can talk later?” “I don’t have a number. Sorry.” “But you have a phone,” he said, clearly not buying it. “Just say you don’t want to give it to me.” “If I didn’t want to give it to you, I’d say that. But I don’t have a SIM card yet. Just a phone. You can give me your number, and I’ll call when I can.” I smiled sweetly. Innocently. He hesitated, then said, “Okay, wait here, let me write it down.” He scribbled it on a piece of paper and handed it to me. I took it, promised to call, and continued on my way. A few steps later, I spotted Ruth, my friend. I handed her the note. “Some guy down the road said he likes you,” I said, grinning. “Wants you to call.” She squealed like she won the lottery. That’s her type of thing—random attention from random guys. She promised to call him. We chatted until we got to the bus station, then went our separate ways. I hopped on the next bus, slid back into my music bubble, and didn’t come up for air until it was time to get off. My street was lined with old buildings and compounds, each one packed with rooms stacked on rooms. I lived in the fourth compound on the left. Four landlords shared our compound, and my dad was one of them. Unlike the other rooms, our house was built separately in the center of the compound, making it stand out a bit. As I stepped inside the compound, I noticed someone cleaning out the empty room next to ours. A new tenant must be moving in. I unlocked the door and walked straight to the fridge, grabbing a cold bottle of water. After chugging half of it, I headed to my room to change out of my uniform. I threw on dark shorts and a T-shirt, then collapsed on the bed. The second my head hit the pillow, I was out cold. --- DEREK’S POV Moving into a new apartment? Yeah, it was exactly what I needed right now. I’d asked my sister to help me clean up the place because I was busy organizing the move. I promised I’d meet her there, but of course, I got sidetracked when I ran into an old friend who insisted we catch up over drinks. He talked—I mostly listened—and after a while, I remembered I was supposed to be somewhere else. Thankfully, the apartment wasn’t far. Just a short walk away. As soon as I stepped into the compound, I started apologizing. “I’m so sorry—” “I knew you’d do this,” my sister cut in before I could finish. She wasn’t even mad. Honestly, the place looked amazing. Spotless. But that’s what I expected—she owns a cleaning agency, after all. I locked the door behind us. No way I was letting the neighborhood kids in to mess everything up. Then I walked her back to her place and took the chance to visit Mom too. She’s my first love, really. The type that nags you into being a better man. I try to visit her at least twice a week—or suffer the consequences. After saying my goodbyes, I headed over to a friend’s place to crash for the night. I’d be moving in tomorrow anyway, and everything was ready. My girl was even coming over to help out. By the time I arrived, I was dead tired. I ignored everyone talking and went straight to bed. It was barely 6:30 p.m., but I needed the rest. Still had work to do later tonight. Just as I was about to drift off, I heard the most annoying voice ever. “Hello, handsome,” Vanessa purred as she strolled in like she owned the place. I groaned and sat up. So much for sleep. “Hey, Vanessa. What’s up?” I said, making it clear I wasn’t in the mood. Not that she cared. She strutted over and sat on my bed—uninvited, obviously. “Are you free?” she asked, looking at me with that look. “That depends,” I said, watching her closely. Maybe she was here to finally apologize for lying about the baby. Vanessa was bad news. Drugs, prostitution, drama—you name it. Worst of all, she once tried to pin someone else’s baby on me. Thank God for DNA tests. “I’m just tired,” I said. “Can we talk later?” “I heard you’re moving into a new apartment,” she said casually. “Can I visit sometime?” I looked at her for a long moment, trying to figure out what she really wanted. “Sure,” I said. But I didn’t mean it. She left, and I finally had some peace. A few minutes later, my phone chimed. It was a message from my girl. "Hey babe. Just wanted to know what you'd like to eat tomorrow so I can get the foodstuff while coming." I smiled. She knew me too well. Food was the way to my heart. "Just get anything you can afford. Or do you need money for that?" I replied. "No, I got it. Don’t worry, I’ll handle it" she answered. I put the phone down and finally allowed myself to rest. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.