Beyoncé Giselle Knowles
I stared at her for a little more. She basically flung to Kelly the whole time. It reminded me of when my younger sister didn't want to leave our mom on her first day of kindergarten.
"Abel, how about you show Onika some of the aisles while you both stock some of the shelves?" Kelly asked and Abel nodded quickly.
Abel smiled, he could tell Onika looked nervous. "I'm Abel! That tall meanie over there who still wears batman pajamas goes by Beyonce." He whispered but not low enough because I definitely heard.
"Shut up dude." I said and he just laughed. I saw him pick up 2 boxes and Onika followed close behind him. I watched them go till I heard Kelly's voice—and a slap in the neck.
"Damn!" I turned around quickly to look at the culprit and she had her hands on her hips.
"What did you do?" She asked and I threw my hands up in defense. "Why are you automatically assuming I did something huh?" I asked. It wasn't fair for her to automatically assume.
"Because Nika looked super nervous around you particularly and she openly went with Abel. You did something." She determined looking me up and down and I groaned.
"I didn't even do anything..I may or may not have been rude to her on Syllabus day but that's just me! I can't think of anything else I did.." I thought and I didn't even get a good look at her face.
"Well you better apologize to her." She demanded and I scoffed. "Why should I? and who are you tell me what to do?" I walked passed her and went into my backpack to tie my apron behind my back.
"I'm your boss, and I know your moms phone number. and just apologize! You telling me you don't feel any ounce of guilt for being mean to her?" She asked and I would be lying if I said I didn't.
"Fine yeah, I feel kinda bad. I was extra annoyed that day." I mumbled and she nodded smiling. "Exactly. Make sure you apologize her. Genuinely, not reluctantly." She added and I nodded.
"Yeah. Yeah. I will. Fine." I mumbled and I heard a sound of approval. "And because you were mean to her, Im making you stock the individual paints." She declared and I groaned.
"Are you kidding me? Those always fall, and they take forever to deal with Kelly. You cant make me do that—this is work prejudice!" I claimed and she shook her head.
"Prejudice my ass nigga. Move it." She snapped and I got to work on one of the most annoying parts of my job.
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Onika moved quickly and swiftly. She avoided Beyoncé at any cost. She learned a few things while with Abel.
"Okay so do you get it? Always put them up like this so it's easier for customers to grab." He explained and she nodded quietly.
"Ya know, you don't talk much unless you're apologizing for something." He said out loud. slightly chuckling. Onika blushed in embarrassment. She preferred to keep quiet. "Sorry." She said quietly and Abel turned around quickly.
"Don't apologize! It's nothing to be sorry for—jeez you apologize a lot."He asked chuckling a little and Onika got quiet again.
He frowned a bit.He looked down at the box infront of them and crouched down to Onikas level. They began stocking the low shelves and Abel spoke up again.
"Ya know Beyoncé isn't that bad." He said as he arranged some of the brushes. Onika wasn't so sure—she wanted to say sorry for making her feel uncomfortable but now she's determined she can't even look her in the eye.
Onika kept listening.
"Don't get me wrong, she can be a total asshole. But if she were a genuine douche, I wouldn't be her friend—neither would Kelly or Michelle or even Robyn. I know you don't know half the people I named but theyre cool people too, I promise." He said and Onika listened.
She was somewhat surprised someone as chill as Abel could be friends with someone so terrifying.
"Beyoncé acts all big and bad but I promise you she has a heart. She's just—dealing with some stuff right now." Onika knew what that was like.
"I can't tell you detail because it's not really my business but, she's been through a lot—she's not a rich preppy asshole like some of the other people at our school." He said confidently.
"Just give her time I promise she's not all that bad." He promised and Onika nodded. She never thought anything bad of Beyoncé, but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't scared of her.
Onika just thought she was the issue.
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Beyoncé Giselle Knowles
My shifts almost over, and I sat in the room where all of our product gets imported. Putting paint on shelves gets tiring okay?
I heard the door open and I peered up to see Onika. She looked like she was scanning the room and asoon as her eyes set on me she immediately made a break for the door.
I stood up and tried catching her attention before she could leave but she dipped. I stood out side the room looking like an idiot till Abel passed by.
"Why do you look so stunned?" He asked and I shook my head. "Onika walked into the back room and asoon as she saw me she ran.." I mumbled and he laughed. "She's scared of you idiot." I groaned and rolled my eyes.
"Is not like I want her to fear me or something—I'm just tryna apologize." I said and he looked little surprised. "You? Apologize? That's new you're usually an asshole." He said and I knocked the box of brushes out of his hand.
"Thanks for proving my point." He said and I groaned in frustration again. He bent down to pick them up and I helped him. I handed him the brushes I picked up and he mumbled a thanks.
"I just wanna say sorry. I don't want the girl fearing me so much." I continue talking as we walk through the store. "This is why I say maybe try being more friendly as a first impression. You being mad on Friday isn't an excuse." He said and I rolled my eyes.
"Yeah, yeah whatever." I mumbled. I could feel Abel's eyes on me and I heard his chuckle. "Just start with a sorry. Onika seems nice, I doubt the girl holds grudges like someone else I know.." He trailed off shading me and I groaned.
"Shut up. I hold grudges for good reasons." I reasoned and she shook his head in disbelief and continued talking.
"You know the girl almost cried because she dropped a box of pens?" He asked and I was a little surprised.
"My guess is she may be a little sensitive but I don't know, it's my first day meeting her." He ranted on and I detached myself from him when I saw a glimpse.
I peeked into one of the aisles and saw Onika crouched down looking at something, asoon as I attempted to make my way to her I heard the slightly annoying flirtatious voice.
"Bey Bey!" I turned around and was met with a girl that I swear I didn't know. I stared at her for a few seconds trying to figure out who she was.
"Don't tell me you don't remember me." She pouted and I flat out admited I don't. "Remember at Chiris's party last before we had to pack up our dorms?" She asked.
"I'm never sober at his parties. That's the only way I can get through them." I said impatiently. This isn't the first time i've had a random girl walk up to me. I probably slept with her.
"We should get out of here when your shift is over, ya know you and me?" She smiled and I thought about it.
I didn't know her name, I'm almsot confident we had sex, and I'm sure I got tested the next the day.
She was still holding my hand I peered over to the same aisle and saw Onika looking at us. A-soon as she noticed I was looking at her she quickly walked away again. Damn, I'm supposed to be focusing on apologizing to her right now.
"Uh hello? Eyes on me." She snapped her fingers in my face and I looked down at her. "Don't snap your damn fingers at me." I barked back. She frowned again. "You can be so mean Bey." I rolled my eyes.
"I don't know your name and whatever we had was a doing alright? I don't do fuck buddies either so just leave me the hell alone and go buy whatever the hell that is." I said pointing to what I think is a ball of yarn .
She pouted and I tore my eyes away from her face. I scanned the parts of the store I could see and I groaned when I lost track of her. I pushed the girl off of me.
I peeked to my left and saw Kelly shaking her head and I threw my arms up in defense. We had a silent conversation with each other.Kelly never liked when she what she calls, "being a whore"
After that girl walked off Kelly passed by me whispering. "Whore activities." She said and I made a surprised face. "Oh come on I didn't even know her." I insist and I seriously didn't. I don't even give any of those girls my actual phone number.
"That makes it worse. Whatever, make sure you say sorry to Onika and your shift is over in a few minutes." She said as she walked off and I sighed.
I couldn't find Onika and I didn't wanna get stuck with a customer so I decided to clock out for the day.
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Beyoncé made her way to clock out and Abel told her he'll get Kelly to drop him off. She nodded and made her way to her car. She stopped to get some discount store cookies and headed towards her apartment.
This time Beyonce wasn't the one paying attention, when the elevator dinged, clearly indicating she was on her own floor she walked out looking down at her phone.
Not a lot of people were on Beyonces side of the building, either that or Beyoncé rarely saw alot of people on this side. Usually a random person walking past but nothing more. She never saw a reason to pay close attention and she never had to deal with a crowded elevator.
But when she kept walking she felt herself knock into a body. She felt herself land on her butt. "Fuck!" She let out, her cookies were in a secure box so none were let out.
"Seriously, I swear to god if you're the same girl who spilled her milkshake on me.." She mumbled.
She eyed the white graphic designer converse and looked up at the perpetrator. She was expecting some hippie kid or something but her eyes widened when she saw who it really was.
Onika.
A scared looking one at that.
She was shaking slightly when Beyoncé got back up. She didn't may eye contact with Beyoncé. She moved her eyes to the ground, and Beyoncé stared in slight confusion.
"What are you doing here?" Beyoncé asked and Onikas pointed to a door number that was right next to Beyoncé near the end of that specific hallway.
Beyoncés eyes widened and looked down at her again. She looked scared—Beyoncé let out a quiet groan knowing she's probably scared of her. She figured she'd apologize now, the more she waits the more it nags her.
Like a little voice in her head telling her she needs to do so, she blames Kelly, and her own conscious.
"Listen uh—for earlier—I'm sorry for being an asshole on Friday—I was just extra annoyed." Beyoncé explained. She wasn't used to actually trying to apologize. She's get in trouble all the time as a kid and was forced to apologize for a lot stuff, not that she was genuinely sorry.
But in this situation she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel like an asshole.
When she didn't hear anything she went on. "You can uh—stop being scared of me now." She let out a awkward chuckle. Onika still kept her eyes to her sneakers and Beyoncé got a little annoyed.
"Can you like—look at me?" She asked and Onika lifted her head up for the first time ever to look Beyonce directly in the eyes on purpose. Beyoncés regular sarcastic demeanor disappeared for a second.
Beyoncé got a good look at her, she was short, she had long straight black hair, glasses but the feature Beyoncé was stuck on were her eyes.
They were big and brown, and Beyoncé noticed how long her eyelashes were. Beyoncé notice they were shifting, Onika was looking into her eyes as well. She couldn't tell which one to look at.
Even though Beyoncé only stared for 3 seconds at most, Onika could feel her pulse raise and her anxiety was to a max high. She wanted to say something, anything but she backed down.
Onika looked away after a few seconds, she couldn't hold eye contact with Beyoncé for the life of her. She played with her fingers behind her back.
Beyoncé was knocked out of whatever trance she was in, slightly confused. She looked down at her box of un opened cookies and picked them up offering them to Onika. "Want one? It can be like—a truce. I promise I'm not a total asshole." Beyoncé tried.
Onika was still hesitant. She was scared she was gonna yell at her again.She was also nervous being this close to her again.
Beyoncé continued to hold the box out, this interaction reminded her of trying to get a cat or a puppy to come to you. "They're not poisoned or anything..they're sugar cookies." Beyoncé urged and that last detail got Onika to take one.
Beyoncé smiled in slight victory. She planned on bragging to Kelly that her and Onika are on good terms and she's not a total asshole.
Onika looked up and she wanted to say thank you but she couldn't find the will to look Beyoncé in the eyes. Whenever she did she became mute. Literally.
They were interrupted by a phone ringing and to Onikas surprise it was her own. She pulled it out and saw her aunt was calling. Beyoncé spoke for herself.
"You should uh—take that.I'll see you around." Beyoncé said before slipping past Onika.
Onika watched Beyoncé go before looking down at her phone, her aunt was face-timing her. When she picked up while going back to her original mission which was to get her book bag out or her car; the first thing she heard her aunt as was—
"Onika Tanya Maraj—- are you blushing?"