awkward.

seventy-eight

BGK

Onika called me screaming. I couldn't even say I was surprised.

I waited until she was done to ask, "Is everything okay?"

"Come over, we're celebrating!"

"Celebrating what?" At least she's screaming out of joy and not because I did something.

"Just come over!"

"Oka-" She screamed again and hung up. I don't know why she's always hanging up without letting me finish what I'm saying.

I was in the middle of writing an essay but I guess whatever this was had to be important so I got up and was on my way to her.

I was just in pajama pants and a t-shirt but no matter what, I'll always drop everything and go to her when she calls me. Even when we weren't talking, I picked her up when she was drunk in the middle of the night.

When I got to her house, I parked behind her car in the driveway and knocked on the door.

Onika opened the door and jumped into my arms, "Bey!"

"Why are we celebrating?"

"I got into UCLA!"

"Congratulations, I'm proud of you." But isn't that in California?

She wiggled her way down, "That's it?"

"What do mean is that it?"

"Why aren't you jumping for joy?"

I didn't want to ruin her happy moment by making it about me. "I'm happy for you, really. I'm not sure what you want me to say or do."

"Okay, fine. Do you want to go up to my room? My mom went out with Ming to get me some stuff."

She took my hand and pulled me upstairs. I sat down in her beanbag chair and she sat down in my lap.

She smiled, "We should celebrate this moment and make a baby."

"Or just pretend to make a baby and actually have a condom on?"

"I guess that works too, for now." She leaned in and kissed me. For whatever reason, she pulled back quickly. "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you kissing me like that?"

"Like what?" I was kissing her how I always kiss her.

"Like you don't want to kiss me."

"Of course I want to kiss you, I always want to kiss you."

She stood up and crossed her arms. "What the fuck is wrong? Just say it, this passive aggressive shit is so fucking lame."

"How am I being passive aggressive?"

"Say what you're mad about or leave."

"I thought you said you were looking at schools close by." Like TSU or at least someplace I wouldn't have to get on a plane just to see her.

"I applied to good schools everywhere, I'm actually really smart."

"I know you're smart but when you're however miles away, then what?"

"I don't know, but I'm not going to let some relationship I've been in for a couple months stop me from taking a good opportunity."

"Some relationship you've been in for a couple months? That's all it is to you?"

"You know that's not what I was saying. I meant I don't want to be stuck here-"

"Stuck here like me? Why are you acting like this is a bad place to live?" Houston is nice. And it has me.