"Can you accompany me to Lekan's place?" Aminat, my childhood friend asked and I froze for some seconds.
I didn't know what response to give her because I didn't know she was in a serious relationship. She once told me about Lekan, but I thought he was just a crush.
We were just in SS2, and relationship was the last thing on my mind, so I wasn't expecting such from Aminat.
"Ehn, what did you say?" I asked, and Aminat repeated herself.
"Are you out of your mind?" I yelled at her.
"What? It's just a visit, and I don't want to go alone," she yelled back at me.
"Okay, I am not part of this. I want to leave now," I replied, and she held me back.
"Sorry now, his mom wants to attend a party on Saturday, and she won't be back until night. Going together will guarantee my safety," Aminat said softly.
"Really? You know it's not safe and still want to go," I asked.
"We won't stay long," she replied, and after much persuasion, I agreed to follow her.
"But we have to be fast," I reminded her after reaching an agreement about the meeting.
On Saturday morning, I went to Aminat's place after completing everything I needed to do at my place. She lived a few streets away from my place, and since our parents know each other, visiting at any time of the day wasn't a problem.
Aminat was done with her chores, and I waited in the living room while she freshened up.
"How is your mother?" Aminat Mom asked me while I was waiting.
"She's fine with me. She left for work while I was coming here," I replied.
"Okay. My regards to her when she returns," she replied, leaving the living room.
"That reminds me; your friend said you have a practical in school. Please face your studies," Aminat Mom said to me as she returned.
"Okay, ma," I replied, and I started wondering what practical Aminat told her mom.
She finished dressing up and joined me in the living room.
"You lied to your mom," I whispered, immediately she sat beside me.
"Shsss, that's the only thing that would make me leave this house. Let's go," she replied.
We left the house, and I wasn't happy about Aminat lying because I told my mom that I was going to just play with Aminat.
"What if our mothers meet and talk about us?" I thought about it several times, but Aminat was convincing enough that such wouldn't happen.
We arrived at Lekan's place, which was not far from Aminat Place, and he welcomed us very well.
Lekan is from an average family, and his parents didn't let him lack anything. He was every girl's crush in school, but not me.
We sat in the living room and started talking about school. The discussion went further, and before we knew it, it was already noon.
I told Aminat it was better if we leave but she insisted that we stayed because she had told her mom that we wouldn't be back until the evening.
I was restless, but going alone wasn't an option for me. Lekan prepared noodles and egg which is my favourite food then so I felt relaxed.
About two hours later, we heard a woman's voice outside Lekan's house, and the expression on his face wasn't good.
"My mummy," Lekan stuttered and we all stood at once.
"But you said she wouldn't be back until evening," Aminat stuttered.
"Yes, she said so."
We were still contemplating what to do when Lekan's mom opened the door. She froze as if we were ghosts, and I knew it wasn't a good sign.
"Lekan you brought girls to my house, don't you girls have parents?" Lekan's mom asked while remaining her head gear.
"Good afternoon, ma," we chorused, and she pounced on Lekan immediately.
I and Aminat wanted to run outside, but she caught Aminat and beat the two of them.
I ran as fast as I could to my house and was praying that the issue didn't extend beyond Lekan's house, but I was wrong.
About an hour later, Aminat mom dragged her daughter to our house, and she was screaming at the top of her voice.
Fortunately for me, my parents weren't home, and while she was warning me to stay away from her daughter because she thought I was a bad influence, my dad arrived.
Aminat mom explained everything that happened, and to make matters worse, she said it wasn't the first time we visited Lekan's house.
My dad put a call across to my mom, who arrived shortly, and I got into big trouble. Everything I said didn't matter because Aminat already claimed that she only followed me to my friend's place.
I felt terrible, and I didn't expect her to lie. I wish I hadn't followed her that day, but she told me never to trade my values, even for friendship.
We met in school on Monday, and she tried explaining why she had to lie, but I wasn't interested anymore. I begged her to find other friends she could implicate, not me.
