The Girl Next Door

~24~

"So you got school tomorrow or what?" Mel asks, searching through my drawers for something.

Onika starts to sit in the chair beside me, but I pull her into my lap. She tries to stand back up, but I pull her back down, wrapping my arms around her torso.

"Robyn," Onika whines, trying to move my arms.

"Shuddup baybeh," I mutter sleepily, laying my head on her back.

"So we gonna pretend I didn't ask you a question, Rob?"

"I'm sorry. Ya kinda woke meh up outta mah sleep," I say, not moving my head.

"Well, excuse me for trying to be a good friend. You got some chips?" Mel asks.

"Pantry," I inform,"why ya always come in hea and go to mah icebox?"

"I don't know. I just be hungry," Mel replies, her voice sounding muffled.

"Yet ya stick skinny," I say, laughing.

"Aye, you are too. Don' try to say anyt'ing about me," Mel says. No sooner after she says that, a playful slap is delivered to my head.

I slowly raise my head, seeing Mel starting to leave.

"Ya leavin' already?" I ask.

"Yea. I'm tired. I gotta go to work tomorrow. I'll call you later though."

I sigh, nodding as she leaves through the front door, locking it.

Onika gets out of my lap and walks over to clean the small mess that Mel made.

I take that chance to walk back to the room and flop on my side of the bed.

I snuggle into my pillow and try to find sleep. Soon, Onika joins me a white glow coming from her phone screen.

"Ya nah goin' ta bed?" I ask.

She shrugs,"I can't go back to sleep now."

I hum, turning my head the other way.

After a few minutes of struggling to go back to sleep, I realize I can't. I groan, rolling onto my back. Thanks, Mel. Now I can't go to sleep.

"What you groaning for?" Onika asks.

"Can't sleep," I mutter, feeling around in the darkness for the remote to turn on the T.V.

"So you gonna watch T.V.?" Onika asks.

"Yea," I say in a duh tone.

"Can we just talk or something? We never have time to actually talk," Onika asks, almost whining.

I lie back on my pillow, giving her a funny face. She can't see it because it's dark, but I do it anyways.

"Wha-" Onika starts, flashing her bright screen in my face. She sees the face I'm making and burst out laughing,"what you lookin' like that for?"

"Because. I don' wanna talk. It's in da middle of the night an' I'm tired but I can't go ta sleep." I explain, moving out of the screen's glare.

"Please?" Onika asks, sticking out her bottom lip.

I stare at her, contemplating whether or not I should give in to this trap.

"Why though?" I ask.

"Because I want to talk. I want to know more about you," Onika says in a duh tone, mocking me from earlier.

I suck my teeth,"fine. Wha' ya wanna know?"

Onika squeals, turning off her phone and lying her head on my chest,"everything."