The Other Side Of Paradise

XIV

When Ming was done Onikas hair the girl crawled back into bed, as if it was what she'd been waiting for.

Ming sat on her bed as she caressed the girls head, "Was it Lauren?" Ming asked and Onika nodded slighty.

"Was it just Lauren?" Ming asked and Onika shook her head.

"Did it have to do with..the video?" Ming asked and Onika nodded again. She knew that was all she was going to get out of the girl. She knew interrogating her wasn't going to be any kind of use.

"I love you Oni. I'm making dinner in a few hours..I'm going out in a few for the ingredients. I can make one of your favorites." Ming tried to get Onika to verbally respond but the girl stayed silent.

Ming sighed before getting up and heading toward Onikas door, not before turning around and looking back at her little sister.

The girl she watched grow up—the girl she attempted to shield from harm.

"I love you Oni." Ming said quietly before shutting the door behind her.

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles

Beyoncé was in a similar state—just not to the same degree as Onika.

She stayed in bed these past days—she couldn't do anything she really enjoyed because a lot of those activities involved Onika.

"She was..raped?" Beyoncé repeated. She still couldn't believe it—she thought the guy at that party was just talking trash—but from Onikas reaction it was true.

"And some asshole recorded it?" Beyoncé asked herself. She groaned as she sat up in her bed.

She'd texted Onika nonstop.

Tall Dummy

july 4th 11:46 pm

hey are you okay?

i'm sorry—i'm sorry that happened to you and i'm sorry if I made it worse

please let me know you atleast made it home okay

i'm sorry onika

July 5th 3:15 am

hey, i'm just checking in on you
i don't think you're a whore or anything like that
i know it's late
well technically it's early
just text me back when you can okay?
i miss you

July 6th 12:07 am

hey are you awake?
if you aren't sleep well

July 7th 1:34 pm
you haven't been at work lately—my breaks are kinda lonely without you
I really miss watching the sunset together
i miss you as a whole—please just let me know you're okay.

Now it was July 8th, and Beyoncé was starting at her last messages. She wanted a response, she didn't care if it said read she just wanted to know if the girl was atleast there.

She hadn't seen her at night like she usually does—granted—Beyoncé hasn't been in the mood to ride her bike since 4th of July.

She was tempted to knock on her door—but she didn't want to annoy or upset the girl any more. She couldn't contain it anymore though.

She got up and laced her sneakers up, before heading downstairs and straight for her front door.

She admired Onikas house for a second before looking both ways and jogging over there. She was now on her porch and she was nervous to knock. She saw that her car was in the driveway—so that had to be a sign that she hadn't gone anywhere right?