l♥️ve takes time

"Puuff..." I heaved out a deep sigh of relief when I saw that it was Nora. Then she quickly closed the door behind her as she entered.

"So, who was at the door?" I asked immediately in a low whisper as she walked up to stand in front of me. She hesitated for a minute without answering, just looking into my eyes with a worried look on her face. I felt this feeling grow in my throat, somehow I knew the answer without her telling me.

"My parents?" I guessed under my shaky voice.

"Actually, it was your mom" she answered, fidgeting her fingers nervously as she stood to give me a 'sorry' stare.

'No, no... God, am so doomed right now' I growled, turning around as I used both hands to my hair back in frustration. Then I staggered slowly towards her bed and sat on it with my head bowed in a pondering manner. I felt uneasy and out of breath.

Maybe Nora was right, maybe she's some sort of a bad influence to me because I've never in my whole life disobeyed my parents or gone against their will.

"Hey..." Nora consoled in a soft whisper as she came forward and lowered herself to sit beside me; slowly placing her right palm on my back.

"Has my mom gone back home?" I asked with my gaze still lowered on the floor.

"Not yet, she's still talking to my dad and mom" she answered, retreating her hand to sit erect. Then she added in a low voice, "your mom sounded pretty scared and worried about you"

I forcefully squeezed my eyes close in regrets with my lips pressed hard as I held my breath to suppress the pounding of my heart. I was feeling guilty -- so guilty I wasn't sure if I could still remain hiding. All I wanted now was to go out and comfort my mom who was probably thinking I've been kidnapped or something!

"This is not right --" I shook my head as I opened my eyes and stood up from the bed. "I -- I need to go see her, at least so she knows am fine"

"You can't!" Nora's nervous voice broke out sharply as she jumped up from the bed to halt my steps; standing so closely to my face me with her hands on my chest. "Please, don't...I lied to my parents in their faces when I told your mom that you weren't here. I did as you told me to"

"But she's probably freaking out!" I groaned to her face in an exasperated tone.

"I know, but... You just have to wait till my parents get back to their room before you go, I don't want any of us getting into trouble" she pleaded in a calm whisper.

"Pfff, it's already too late for me -- am definitely going to be in trouble with my parents" I scoffed in doubt and collapsed to sit back on the bed; followed by Nora who slowly sat down but didn't look at me. Instead, she kept her worried eyes fixed at the distance ahead with both hands rubbing unconsciously on each other. We were both tensed and worried, and at this point -- I felt less intoxicated as if the alcohol was gradually wearing off.

*****

"I think your mom has gone" Nora informed, turning her head sideways to face me when we heard the slamming of their parlour door.

I gave a faint nod of my head as I looked at her before standing up in readiness to leave. All I wanted now was to get back home and probably apologize to my mom for staying out late.

So Nora slowly stood up from the bed with a relieved smile breaking through her lips...

"I should get going" I managed to say.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" She replied softly.

'Tomorrow?' I found this word a joke as it echoed loudly in my head. She was thinking of tomorrow while I was even thinking of how to survive the night and face the wrath of my parents.

"Maybe" I just said, not wanting to kill her hopes. Then I leaned closer to give her a brief peck on the cheek and was about moving forward for her room door when I brought my steps to a quick stop.

"Nora!... Nora!" Her mom's voice called loudly for her, followed by the sounds of her hasty footsteps down the corridor as she approached.

'is she seriously coming here?' I found my heart racing with my chest heaving in fear at the thought of Nora's mom entering the room. How would she react see that her daughter lied to keep a boy hidden in her room?!

I swallowed hard and began retreating my steps away from the door as her mom's footsteps grew even closer and closer.

"I -- i, I think your mom is coming here..."

"Shhh" Nora shushed me with her right index finger pressed on her lips. Then in a frantic manner, she turned and paced in front of me before whispering in a very shaken voice, "there, you'll need to hide in there" pointing her left hand at her wardrobe.

I panicked and shook my head in refusal "I -- I don't think I should hide ins..."

"For fu*k sake, just do it!" She growled impatiently under her clenched jaw in annoyance and pushed me by the shoulder; edging me towards the wardrobe. At this point, I lacked the will to protest or complain but just obeyed and entered the wardrobe which was heavily densed with a lot of gowns, tops, jean trousers and some underwears -- all hanging on their separate hangers.

"Um, uh you--you're sure she wouldn't like to check here?" I stammered with my breathing a bit shaky as I spoke.

When I suggested for us to come to her place so we could spend some quality time together, at least before I retire to bed -- I wasn't talking about this kind of adventure. Nothing about this night was even quality to me, not with every passing second that brought it's own horror and panic, especially now that her Mom was coming to the room to check on her!

"Nora, open up"

We heard two hasty knocks on the door with her mom's voice resounded audibly into the room. She'd finally reached.

"Am -- am coming mom" Nora turned her head sideways to face the door as she answered her mom in a somewhat nervous tone. Then she returned her gaze at me and whispered in a low voice that I could barely even hear.

"No matter what, don't make a sound or move... Please" she begged.

I only nodded my head at her for I'd somehow lost my voice with my throat now unusually dry from all the drama of tonight. Then Nora quietly closed the wardrobe doors shut and rushed forward to open the room door for her mom who walked in and stopped in the centre of the room -- turning around slowly to inspect it before facing her daughter as she walked forward to stand in front of her. I could see them both from where I stood peeping through a slit on the wardrobe doors.

"Do you happen to know anything about our neighbour's son whereabout?" Her mom asked in a stern voice.

"No mom, I uh.. i only saw their son earlier today -- and that was when you sent me to the mall to get bread for breakfast." She lied. Her mom somehow bought into it and gave her a nod of believe.

The wardrobe was stuffy and hot with some of the clothes beginning to itch my sweaty face. I felt like sneezing or better still, adjusting some of the wooly clothes from touching me, especially my nose. But I couldn't-- I knew that would only cause a lot of noise and expose my hideout to Nora's mom which wasn't what I was hoping for. My only prayer now was for her to leave the room so I could come out of the heat of this wardrobe -- plus, I had a phobia for being in a small enclosed place.

"Look Nora..." I peeped as her mom started to say, placing her right hand on her shoulder before she continued. "You know we just moved in newly and I wouldn't want us to have problems with our opposite neighbours, so please, the next time you..."

Her mom instantly paused from talking the moment my phone suddenly vibrated behind my jean pocket with the buzzing sound filtering out into the room. I knew she heard the sound, infact -- they both heard the sound. And judging by Nora's countenance, she was terribly afraid.

'shit...shit, shit' I cursed continuously in my head as I hurriedly pulled out the phone to check who the caller was, and who else could it be if not my mom. I couldn't answer the call even though I desperately wanted to, neither could I allow it to keep on vibrating. So I switched off the phone and quickly peeped through the slit on the wardrobe doors to notice Nora's mom, turning around -- as if trying to trace where the sound came from.

Then, my heart skipped a beat with chills of fear slowly running down my spine as Nora's mom paused to face directly at the wardrobe with a questioning look on her face. I quickly retreated myself from peeping through the slit when my eyes met hers. It got me so scared that my legs wobbled and became light as though they could hardly carry my own weight.

What if she noticed my eyes, and what if she decides to check the wardrobe -- this very wardrobe I was hiding in?!

If you ask me, I was trying to make up my mind right now -- whether to remain silent; hiding inside this wardrobe, or to just come out of it and expose myself before she gets to me first.