“No, that Capo guy got so spooked that not only did he become born-again, but his hair has gone gray! I was at Chukwu’s hostel yesterday,” Chichi said. “He said—” She froze, then her eyes cut to Sasha.

Orlu dropped his face in his hands and shook his head. “Oh God.”

“What?!” Sasha screeched, his voice cracking.

“Oh, come on,” Chichi said, her voice shaking. “It was just . . .”

“Just what? Girl, tell another lie! All you do is lie! You’re a pack of lies, and you think no one notices.” Sasha glared at her with pure disgust and rage. “Anuofia!”

“Kai!” Orlu screeched. “Sasha!”

“We’re sitting here asking Sunny who she is; we should be asking you, Chichi!” Sasha snapped, ignoring him. He stood up. Chichi stood up, too.

“Who do you think you are?” Chichi said, pointing in his face. “You don’t own me!” She turned and thrust her backside rudely at Sasha.

Sasha’s eyes grew wide, his nostrils flaring. He looked ready to explode.

“Come on,” Orlu said, pushing the fuming Sasha along. “Let’s take a walk.” Sunny was beyond relieved when Sasha allowed himself to be shoved along. “I’ll get him on an okada back home. Chichi, can you get Sunny home?”

“Yes, yes,” Chichi snapped.

“Sunny, we go to Bola’s on Saturday, okay?” he added. “I think it’s time.”

“I meet with Sugar Cream on Saturdays, and you meet with Taiwo.”

“Yeah. We’ll go in the morning,” Orlu said. “It’ll just be one long day.”

Sunny slowly nodded. Chichi kept her back turned as she muttered, “Nonsense.”

“You haven’t seen nonsense yet,” Sasha shouted over his shoulder.

“Biko, please, just stop, o!” Orlu said, pushing him along.

“What the hell did I do?” Sasha asked Orlu.

“Just be quiet until . . .”

Their voices lowered and faded as they left the restaurant. Only then could Sunny relax. She hated seeing Sasha and Chichi fighting, although it was more than inevitable. She’d seen Chichi getting into Chukwu’s Jeep at least twice in the last two days. If her father had any idea his son was visiting home without stopping by to say hello to them, he’d be appalled. Chukwu was supposed to be immersed in his studies. He was, but he was also falling in love with Chichi.

At the same time, Chichi treated Sasha with the same affinity. And though just about every teenage Leopard girl younger and older in the area was infatuated with Sasha and his American bad boy ways, it was only Chichi whom Sasha gave his real time to.

“So, Chichi, what are you going to do?”

“About what?” Chichi asked as she applied some fresh lip gloss. Even from where she stood, Sunny could smell its fruity aroma.

“You know what.” Sunny rolled her eyes and Chichi smirked.

“Maybe I’ll let them fight it out Zuma wrestling style,” she said. “To the death. I’ll be like you and have my own guardian angel.”

“You seem to keep forgetting that you are talking about my brother and my good friend,” Sunny snapped. “These aren’t just two random boys.”