Young hearts

"Why?" I replied his question with another.

"..." He went silent and just stirred the eggs.

"Yeah, I went with him," I answered. If I wanted him and Uche to start talking again, maybe I have to do this.

"Yours," Nick gave me a plate of the eggs he just made. I took a fork and ate while standing with him in the kitchen."Julie go eat somewhere else." He turned to me after a while.

"Why?" I asked with my mouth full.

"Why did you think I handed you your plate? So you could go eat in the dining. I don't wanna see you."

"Oh." I swallowed and made a sad face, but unfortunately, that didn't work on Nick as much as it worked on Uche.

"Nick, is breakfast ready?" My aunt came back. Nick didn't answer, instead, he took a plate for her and kept it on the dining table.

"Why are you standing and eating?" My aunt asked, concerned.

"Yeah, Julie. Why are you eating in the kitchen while standing?" Nick didn't miss the opportunity to ridicule me.

I cursed in my mind and went and joined my aunt at the table. "How does your head feel now?" She asked after a while.

"Better," I smiled and checked my phone, Uche still hadn't come online.

"Nick, where are you going?" My aunt's attention turned away from me to Nick when she saw him about to go up with his plate in his hand.

"I'm just gonna eat in my room," he answered and went up the stairs before my aunt could say anything else. We both heard his room door get shut.

I finished my eggs and had some water before returning to my room. I went and checked my window. Uche's curtains were still shut.

I got distressed and decided to call him. I sat and listened as the phone dialed him four times without him picking up. It made me angry so I stormed out of my room and headed to his house.

"Where are you off to?" My aunt heard me open the front door.

"I'm around," I just said and left.

When I got to Uche's front door and was about to knock, his dad opened it."Hi," I said, shocked to meet him unprepared."Good...good morning, sir." I greeted the way Nick usually did.

"Yeah, how are you?" He asked in the kindest voice I've ever heard from him.

"Good." I nodded nervously and smiled. He smiled back.

"I was about to drop by at your place. Is your aunt around?" He asked and I nodded again."Okay." He said and started to lock his doors. I began to wonder if he was locking Uche in.

Oh shit! Did he find out that Uche went for the party last night?"Sir..." I walked behind him as he left his yard to ours.

"Yes?" He stopped to listen to me.

"I wanted to check on Uche, it's why I was at your door," I informed him since he didn't bother to ask.

He smiled,"Uche's not home now. It's why I'm going to see your aunt. He left with the cops early this morning. They found the person responsible so they have to clear him." 

"What?!" I screamed in excitement.

"Julie?" My aunt ran out and I could easily tell she was watching from the window what direction I had went when I left."What's the matter?" She asked when she joined us.

"Uche didn't do it!" I shared with her, still excited.

"Really?" She asked and looked at Uche's dad for confirmation, he nodded so she hugged me."Thank goodness."

"Are you going to see him?" I asked Uche's dad, hoping I could come along.

"Yes. I have to pick him up."

"Can I come?"

"Julie..." My aunt stopped me.

"I wanna see him." I told my aunt in a pleading voice.

"Okay," She agreed."But I'll come too. Let me get a jacket." She said and hurried back in the house.

Few minutes after, she came back with a jacket for us both. I went to our front door to take it from her. Nick was standing at the doorway.

"You coming?" His mum asked but he shook his head.

"We're going to pick Uche up." I thought I should let him know; maybe he didn't know.

"So?" I heard him say. His mum got confused because she has no idea of his anger towards Uche for dating me.

"You sure?" She asked, a little worried about his reply. I had to say something.

"Aunt, we're keeping Uche's dad waiting. We should go."

***

Outside the police station. I stood next to my aunt and watched Uche's dad talk to a cop. While that was going on, Uche came out through the glass door.

I smiled and ran to him. He rushed down the steps and opened his arms for the hug he knew I was coming to give him.

"I'm so glad they know you didn't do it now," I told him after I stopped hugging him.

"Yeah, me too." He had one of his biggest smiles."Did your aunt find out you went to the party?" He leaned in and whispered in my ear.

"No." I answered and looked over at my aunt. She was watching us.

"She might soon. My dad knows I went to the party. They had checked my room for me before I came back. I would have lied about being elsewhere but they knew about the party, somehow." He explained.

"They?" I asked for more explanation.

"My and the cop left at our place." He bit his lips and smiled again."My dad's not mad though, and I won't lie, I'm surprised. I guess his happiness that I'm off the case is greater than his anger."

"Well, my aunt is gonna kill me if she finds out." I joked and laughed. He didn't. 

"Don't worry, I'll tell her I urged you to go with me."

"Nah, it's fine. Do you know who did it?" I asked, ignoring my problem. I was too curious.

"No. Not yet. No one's saying anything. I guess we have to wait till my dad's doe talking to...oh, here he comes..." He trailed off.

"Did they say who did it?" Uche asked his dad when he got to where we were.

"No. They can't disclose his name till it's officially a case. They have to bring him to the station first and do some other paperworks." His father answered before walking to where my aunt stood.

They both talked for a while till it was time to go. We got into Uche's father's car which had come in.