Beyonces Pov
It was the next day, I saw Onika with her friends this morning and I've also noticed Meeks been attached to her hip this whole time. I watched in annoyance as his hand snaked down to her ass and she immediately put distance between them.
"That nigga is desperate." Aubrey said watching the scene.
"He's starvin." Robyn agreed. She poked me in the cheek and I turned to her in annoyance.
"What?" I asked and she mocked my attitude before actually telling me what's up.
"You asked her yet?" It was Friday, the game was today and I only had so much time to ask. "Looks like Meek beat me to it." I mumbled and I heard her smack her lips.
"She doesn't even like physical contact with the nigga, I've seen so many dudes ask her out and she's said no to each one." She says. That made me slightly worried.
"She's not playing nice this year Bey. I think she wants a genuine good time and not some sweaty palmed idiot to take her this year." She said, I knew she was trying to hype me up but my anxiety sky rocketed.
"What if I'm that sweaty palmed idiot?" I fired back.
"Then put deodorant on your palms." Aubrey said I groaned, his ass was no help either.
I had to man up—well women up. I couldn't ask her right now, we were in the hallways and she was being dragged every which way today.
"I'll ask her in Bio today." I decided and heard the small cheers of my friends.
The bell was going to offically ring in about a minute so I rushed to my class saying bye to my friends. She was there before me, not surprised.
She looked up and saw me and immediately smiled, her dimples flashing at me and a little bit of my confidence was gained when I realized she smiled asoon as she saw me.
I sat down next to her, should I ask her right now? No—well maybe—
"Hey—" I was cut off by the teacher suddenly talking and I was so tired of my time being interrupted wuth her. She must've heard my "hey" because she turned her head towards me.
We shared a glance and she whispered, leaning close and I so desperately wanted to hug or have some kind or close contact. Her perfume or scented lotion smelled so good, "Tell me later." she whispered and all I could do was nod.
The teacher explained the lab we were going to be doing, I listened for my grade but my mind was really on the girl next to me.
"Your partner is who you sit next to." Our teacher finished saying and I heard some groans but I was happy. "Partners!" I said nudging her and she giggled a bit at my excitement.
"What's so funny?" I asked and she shook her head.
"Nothing, that was just cute ya know?" She said standing up getting ready to get our supplies and I was more focused on the fact she called me cute.
I watched her walk away to wear the safety goggles were. She came back with 2 pairs of them and I decided to get the beakers we'd need.
When I went up to get them I heard a few guys talking and I recognized Meeks voice. "Yeah I got that pussy on lock, she's totally into me." I knew he had to be talking about Onika and I was annoyed with the display he tried in the hallway and the way he's talking about her now.
Keep calm Bey, he's not worth your time nor is he even worth hers. Why does she even give this guy the time of day? Why is he even in AP bio?
I walked past him and towards her setting down the beakers. "You ready?" She asked putting on her safety goggles and I did aswell.
We got to work and I watched her carefully put what's supposed to be small amounts of alcohol in the dyed water. I stared in confusion when our solution began to bubble and rise higher and higher to the top of my beaker.
She stood there watching in amazement, I didn't know what was going on— this clearly wasn't water or alcohol and she was standing right in front of it.
I immediately went up to her with my back to our experiment and she immediately held onto me. I heard a fizzing sound and then it was silent.
"Holy shit!" I heard one of our class mates say, I turned around suddenly becoming very aware that there was a fluffy slime like substance on me and our experiment over flowing.
"What the hell.." Our teacher said, she had some of it on her shirt and I looked and saw some on the ceiling.
"It's my fault." I said immediately, I didn't want her to get in trouble and our teacher shook her head. "Nah- something was labeled wrong. I don't know how though.." She just shook her head and dismissed us.
"Go to the nurse—this is harmless when humans come into contact. If anything was immediately wrong you'd be burning right now. Go get washed up—both of you." She said and I quirked my eyebrow.
Both of us?
I looked behind me to see I obviously didn't do a good job at covering Onika because it somehow got in her hair, and on her shirt.
Her hands were on her ears like that was an automatic reaction for her and she slowly took them off.
I saw multiple pairs of eyes burning into me, they must be mad I got the "it" girl messed up and I already felt bad.
She looked around at everyone looking at us and she left, fuck. There goes my homecoming chance.
She was walking to the nurses office and I was silent the whole time, what do I say? Sorry? I really am—I knew our grade shouldn't be affected but I basically embarrassed her.
I watched the nurse shake her head and give us a once over, "I don't have any spare clothes." Onika said looking down at her ruined shirt and I immediately unzipped my bag handing her my hoodie.
She took it with hesitation before heading to the bathroom.
"Shouldn't you get changed?" She asked looking at me. A lot didn't get on my back really just on my arms and a little on the back of my pants.
"Nah. I'll be fine I leave school soon." I said and she nodded docking our names down. Shortly Onika came out with my hoodie on, it was oversized for me so I knew It was oversized for her.
We sat down in the nurses office in silence.
I heard her laugh and I was confused.
"Man that was—messy." She said with a small smile on her face and I just watched. She wasn't mad? "You aren't mad?" I asked and she shook her head.
"No—I was kinda in shock but I'm not mad. Plus I got a free hoodie!" She said nudging me. I knew she was trying to make me feel better. It was working.
"I'm sorry I probably embarrassed you." I said rubbing the back of my neck. "What? No—I mean sure people were staring but I wasn't embarrassed I honestly wanted to laugh a bit. I'm not mad. Don't worry, I'd choose you for my partner again." She said smiling up at me. I leaned in the nurses chair and smiled.
"You can keep the hoodie if you want." I said. "Really? Are you sure." I nodded and saw her look down at the numbers on it. "What do they mean?" She asked.
"I used to play for a basketball team in middle school and my mom was just so proud she got a hoodie with my numbers on it— and it came way bigger than expected." I said chuckling at the memory of 14 year old me staring at that oversized hoodie.
"Sounds like it means a lot, I don't wanna take it away." She said and I shook my head. "Just take care of it." Was all I said.
"I wanna go to homecoming with you." It was blunt, and it was fast but I knew Id fold real quick if I had to speak a lot.
"Really? Why?" She sounded so surprised and I didn't know why. Practically everyone wanted to go to homecoming with her.
"My friends are going—and I just want to hang out with you there. It's cool if you don't I know you'll probably be busy with your friends and Meek. I also don't want to embarrass you I know Im not as popular as your friends." I said looking down playing with my fingers.
"You're right— I am going to be busy." She says I let out a heavy sigh. I shouldn't be upset, she's not interested in me and she probably just seems me as a friend and nothing else—
"But we can hang out after the game today and I'll try to talk to hangout with you at homecoming. I just can't exclusively go with you I'm sorry. But don't worry—also get the idea out of your head that you're embarrassing. I enjoy being around you. Popularity doesn't matter to me. Sometimes I wish I wasn't even popular." She stated and I took in her words.
She doesn't find me embarrassing and actually enjoys enjoys being around me?
"You wish you weren't popular?" I asked and she nodded. "Sometimes." She said and I wanted to ask her more on that but I saw the way she was looking off into space and I decided to leave her alone.
"You feel better? I guess so—but I was being serious with not pushing yourself." I said and she turned to me. "I feel fine don't worry." She said.
"Do you usually get headaches because of your period?"I asked and she responded, but she sounded so unsure. "Uh—yeah. I'm fine." That didn't answer my question.
I wasn't going to grill her, it wasn't my place. I was still a little worried.
"Headaches are normal for some girls, don't worry about me." She said smiling up at me and I nodded. I pulled out my phone to check the time, class was definitely over by now and the only class we had french next.
"You wanna go to lunch?" I asked and she shook her head.
"Not hungry." She said looking up at me and I nodded. I wasn't that hungry either.
"Let's just stay till french, I want to be alone for five seconds without someone asking me to homecoming or Meek talking to me." Shw groaned and I chuckled.
"Alone? I'll go—"I said getting ready to go.
"No! You're fine—you're cool." She says immediately putting her hands up.
I sat down immediately, It's not like I wanted to go anyways. Meek..she was complains about meek. "You don't like Meek?" I asked her and she seemed to be thinking.
"He's just— clingy. We aren't even dating and he said he wanted to treat me like his girlfriend and that I'm his type but.." I listened to her.
"I don't know. It's nothing— I'm going homecoming with him as friends. And it's only because my friends are going with their boyfriends—Id feel left out I guess. They said I should just go with him. He's not even the person I wanted to go with." She sounded frustrated and I was more focused on the last part.
Who did she want to go with?
"Who'd you want to go with?" I asked and she froze up. She shook her head alot looking towards me. "No—Its no one." Her face was flushed and I knew this time It wasn't because she was sick.
"Who?" I asked with a smile trying to encourage her, a crush? Did she have a crush? I was praying for that small luck that I have to come into play and the crush is me.
"No one! I don't have a crush or anything—I actually just wanted to chill with you and your friends. You guys look nice and—close. Everytime I see you guys you're laughing. You look like a real friendgroup."
I watched her for a few seconds.
"You have abunch of friends." I said and she shook her head chuckling.
"I know but sometimes—never mind." She says and I want her to continue so badly. I feel like she's holding something in.
We sat in silence.
"You can hang out with my friends after. We're planning to go bowling or something after the game and before the actual dance. Even after the dance we plan on going to a restaurant." I said without much thought.
She never seemed interested in her friends, she never even talked about them.
She looked at me in pure shock. "D-Do you think they'd be okay with that? Just a new person showing up—I don't want to be awkward or make anything uncomfortable I feel like I would just disturb the flow." She said looking down. She has her hands in her hoodie—well my hoodie.
It looked really nice on her, even though I didn't play for a team anymore I had a sense of pride as she wore my numbers.
04
"You'll be fine, Aubrey, Robyn, Michelle, and Kelly are chill people. They wouldn't mind, plus we need a third player! Even teams." I tried reassuring her.
She smiled shyly.
"I'd like that." She said and I grinned shaking her and she laughed with me. "Okay okay! I'm not that good at bowling though!" She said and I shrugged.
"I suck at French and I'm still taking the class." I said trying to make a point.
"Yeah but you have me to help you. Even though I haven't been much help.." She sounded kinda sad and I wanted to cheer up immediately.
"And you have me to help you at bowling." I said and she looked up at me with much hope in her eyes.
"I don't know if you'd want to be on my team." She said nervously. "I'd be on your team any-day." I said immediately and she laid her head on my shoulder.
"I'd be on yours too." She said softly before taking a short nap on my shoulder through lunch.
She was always so tired.
I sat there drifting off myself until the nurse shook me and whispered. "It's 4th period now, I suggest you guys get going." She said and I nodded shaking Onika a bit. She woke up easier this time than last time.
"You ready to go?" She nodded and took my hand when I reached it out for her to take. We walked to French and she was pretty focused the whole class.
We can't go to homecoming together so that kinda bummed me out. But we can hang out after the game—and even after homecoming.
Im making progress, we're friends now.
I thought back to Wednesday when we were putting up the flyers.
Im going to have to gain her trust, and then eventually—maybe even her heart.
Onikas Pov
When the bell rang I was dragged by Kenzie as usual. I didn't even get to say bye to Beyoncé.
I understand why though, we do have the game in a few hours.
"Onika—you weren't at practice yesterday." She said and I already felt like I was being interrogated.
"I was having period cramps and headaches—I would've just been a nuisance." I said and she shook her head. I didn't know if she was just being herself or was mad because this game meant a lot to her.
I felt bad, I couldn't help it though. A mix of my period and throwing up my food? Didn't work out.
"It's fine—you know the routine so we'll be okay. Where were you at lunch? Bathroom?" She asked and I just nodded. If I said I was at the nurse she'd just ask me a bunch of questions.
"Alright, you're going to the dance with Meek right?" I sighed and nodded. "I don't want to though." I said and she groaned.
"He's popular, muscular, haven't fucked the guy but I heard he has good stroke game. I'm trying to help you out here." She said and I ignored her as we walked to the students parking lot.
"I don't want to have sex with him." I said peering over at her. She scoffed as if it was the most unbelievable thing.
"He got that girl pregnant last year—" I said trying to give her reasons.
"Just wear a condom. You've done it before." She saids surely.
"Sure I did but—maybe I just don't like Meek." I said. Maybe I just didn't like him. I think we worked better as friends—even that I don't think he understands the idea of being just friends with a girl.
"I don't see why. Just put up with it, we're all going with our boyfriends. You'll look weird as hell without someone else. You should hang out with us after the game, we're going to the party Safaree is throwing. " She said and she was right.
"I'll go with him to the dance." I don't want to go to Safarees party,I'll find a way to ditch them later.
We stood in silence as the wind blew.
"You can fit your dress now right?"
"Yeah."
........................
Onikas Pov (Month before)
"Why are we getting our homecoming dresses a month before homecoming?" I asked following my friend Kenzie into the store.
"Our parents are rich and you aren't taking the chance to get a dress made?" She said in disbelief and I shook my head.
"No, I have a test to take to get into Ap Bio to study for—"
"Chill nerd you'll get in." She said shutting me up.
"I already set up our appointment for them. I can size you!" She said grabbing the measuring tape as we stepped into the wide dressing room. It was almost as big as my room.
She hummer as she wrapped the measuring tape around me, I was looking in the mirror at us.
She stopped for a second and I turned to look at her. "Why are you stopping?" I asked and she looked up at me.
"I don't think you can fit any of the dresses I got picked out." She said and I looked at her in confusion. "Really? I mean—we can try some on.." I said looking down at myself.
She got a few dresses and we tried them on, all felt kinda tight and she shook her head.
"I guess you gained weight..you're bigger than I expected." She said I immediately wanted to crawl into a hole.
"Maybe we can just get different sizes?" I asked. I wanted to see the size of the dress but she wasn't showing me.
"No—I think you just need to loose weight. But don't worry! I have a pretty easy way." She said smiling up at me with a wicked grin.
"How?" I asked somewhat desperately and she looked in the mirror with me.
"It's pretty easy really.." She wasn't explaining and I was panicking somewhat. My mother always said I should watch my figure. She said beauty pageant judges don't go for the "big girls".
I thought the "big girls" were pretty, I even wanted to be some of the girls friends regardless of size. My mother always said I shouldn't be friends with the "enemy" she always degraded them in my company and then smiled in their face right after.
"Don't worry I'll explain more later just know it's gonna be hard. No matter how hard it gets you know what to do right?" She asked and I nodded.
"Keep pushing? And believe in myself?" She shrugged.
"Yeah I guess but there's an even more important step." She said I kept staring at myself in the mirror.
"Make sure to always smile and..." I finished it for her. I knew what she was going to say.
"Don't let anyone see me crack." I finished for her.
It was the same motto my mother lived by.