ACROSS

21

"Hey."

Onika looked up from her tray to see Beyoncé standing before her with a tray of her own.

They hadn't spoken much to each other all day-even though they shared a lot of the same classes-due to the fact that most of their teachers took talking in class unnecessarily serious and Kelly kept on dragging Beyoncé places barely giving her the chance to start up a conversation with the younger girl.

"Umm.. can I sit here?" Beyoncé asks a bit shyly, it would still take a little while to get back comfortable around one another.

Onika nods rapidly. She was excited about the fact that Beyoncé was actually taking the first step to talk to her cause lord knows her anxiety would've never let her.

Beyoncé smiles gratefully taking a seat next to her.

It was quiet on their table for awhile until Onika had finally spoken up, "W-what about your... umm friends?"

"They're chill." Beyoncé shrugs. She knew they were most likely all looking over here by now but she didn't pay any mind to them.

"Oh..." Onika mutters not really knowing what else to say and so instead she'd opted to continue eating her food.

They eat in slightly uncomfortable silence for awhile more until Beyoncé couldn't bare the awkward air anymore and so had decided to speak.

"You want to uh.. hang out sometime? You know get to reconnect.. for old times sake?"

Onika knew her father would never let her hang out with a friend outside school but against her better judgement she'd nodded instead.

"Sure."

Beyoncé just nodded humming.. "So like.. what you been up to?" She asks a little awkwardly which causes Onika to giggle a little and although short and quiet it makes Beyoncé feel extremely giddy inside.

She'd missed hearing Onika laugh. It had always been one of her favorite things to listen to when they were kids and maybe even now.

"Homeschool. Nothing much." Onika shrugs playing with her food. She was still avoiding eye contact with Beyoncé which had the older girl feeling some type of way that Onika was still shy around her. "You?"

"School. Friends nothing much either." Beyoncé shrugs as well not failing to notice the distant look of Onika at the words.

"You good?"

"Y-yeah."

They converse for awhile, although most of it was about Beyoncé's life since Onika seemed to be avoiding any questions thrown her way.

The bell going off makes Beyoncé to stop mid sentence. "-Uhh.. let's go to classes together?" Beyoncé asks since they had the same class.

Onika just nods going to drop her tray feeling Beyoncé walking besides her. They walk in silence amongst the crowd of students until Onika soon felt a second presence besides her.

It was a boy, the one that'd spoken to her on the first day. Her anxiety levels increase by a hundred as she grips on tighter to her bag straps her eyes trained straight ahead.

She heard both he and Beyoncé talk behind her and from what she could hear they seemed to be pretty close.

"She gon' talk to me now?" She heard the boy whisper although he was doing a terrible job since she could hear him quite clearly.

"Leave her alone man. She don't want to talk to your boring ass."

"But that's not fair!" The boy whines out.