I watch some of his reels. He’s okay, I guess. Probably better than they deserve.
“I was watching TV!” Dad insists next to me, still very much asleep.
“Dad—” I start, but I’m cut off by the doorbell ringing.
Mum yells from the kitchen, “Jabari, get that!”
I groan. “Why me?”
“Because you’re closest,” Dad answers, snatching the remote from me.
I’m not, but fine.
Apparently, rest and relaxation are forbidden in this country.
I drag myself off the couch, muttering my vexation under my breath. My legs still feel heavy from the flight, but I move anyway, because in this new house, I’m still the errand boy.
The bell rings again to my annoyance.
I swing the door open, half-ready to slap at whoever’s pressing like the world’s ending?—
But when my eyes met the person responsible, I couldn’t look away from the Kryptonite.
two
what’s different?
Jabari.
“Bari! You’re here!”
?Chinaza pullspast her friend and rushes into me like she didn’t see me last Christmas. I didn’t even look at my sister properly because I’m held captive by her friend’s eyes.
“Zaza,” I greet, still looking. “You got so thin.”
“Really?” Za pulls back and examines her stomach like it’s something new. “I’ve been dancing a lot, so maybe that’s it.”
I finally look at my little sister. “Yeah, maybe that’s it.”
“You’re still as big as ever,” she teases, now going over my arms and shoulders. “Woah, man. Do you ever stop growing?”
I look at her friend when I answer, “No. Never.”
Za rolls her eyes, brushing past me to get out of the chilly air and into the house like she owns the place.
Typical.
But I’m not paying her much attention anyway. Because behind her is the friend.
The first thing I notice is she’s short. I’m taller than the average person, but she was shorter than what’s considerednormal herself. It’s like she hasn’t grown an inch in all these years. Sure, she’s filled out, her body carrying the weight differently now. But it wasn’t her body that stopped me in my tracks.
It’s everything else.
Piercings everywhere. Ears stacked with metal, rings through her nose, a stud through her bottom lip. And tattoos inked down her arms, curling out from under the sleeves of her rolled-up jumper like smoke.
Baggy clothes that are baggy but somehow styled? Baggy like she knew what she’s doing, and not like she’s hiding her figure.
Her hair is no longer wild and all over her head. It’s in Microlocs, with some bright stripes peeking through, making those bright eyes stand out more.
