Chapter 9: Work

Onika is now 19 years old. Fresh out of high school. Her mother couldn’t afford to send her off to college, so Onika had to work. She didn’t mind it though; it made her feel more independent. She currently works at Red Lobster in the Bronx and earns well over $500 dollars a week. She had her eyes on this white BMW that she wanted so she was saving up for it. Sadly Onika attitude problem which led to her discourteousness to customers. She kept losing her job because of that.

Onika’s P.O.V.

This is my 3rd week working at this Red Lobster joint in the Bronx. Everything is just the usual, but there was something about today that made me feel abit uncomfortable.

Towards our closing hour which was 11.00 p.m., there were only 3 tables left. The first had a family of 4, the second was a couple and the third was a party of 8. Moral of the situation, I was in for a big tip. I was extra friendly towards them, even though the family table was getting on my last nerve.

As I was waiting on their food, they kept calling me over and over just to refill their basket with garlic bread. It irritated me but I kept a fake smile on. Once I was back in the kitchen I rolled my eyes and opened my notebook which was filled with raps. My glasses were getting foggy due to the heat in here. I took them off and began to read one of the raps I’ve recently written. I was about to fix one of the lines, when I received a tap on the shoulder. I looked up irritated to come face to face with another waitress.

“Your tables are waiting.” She said with a smirk. I returned that same smirk and took up the plates and took them to the tables.

About 45 minutes all the tables were finished eating.  I cleared them and asked if they wanted dessert. Only the table of 8 wanted. The others just paid and left. I earned $10 from one and $20 from the other. I put the $30 along with the $50 I already earned today.

I got the dessert for the table of 8 from the kitchen. My glasses fogged once more and I couldn’t really see where the table was. Luckily I made it and was able to give them the dessert. I then took off the glasses and one of the guys’s winked at me while biting his lip. I can’t lie, he was kind of cute but not for me.

When they left, I was literally skipping to the table to see how big of a tip they left me. I saw none. But I did find 2 notes written on a paper towel. They said.

“You’re cute.” “Lose the glasses tho.” Ouch. That stung abit. Then it upset me. I worked extra hard, and was extra nice for this. Heck no. I angrily cleaned up the table before checking out and going home.

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sorry that it's so short.. It was basically a filler, but i'm still writing so yahh .. you'll be satisfied .. i'm srry it took so long *runs from you and hides behind a wall* '

~Chelle-M

Chapter 8: I Adhear To The Nonesense

Onika's P.O.V.

I'm here at home, well my new home now. We moved again because dad was getting abit rowdy again and mom didn't want that around her. Jelani isn't speaking o me still and it has been 2 weeks sinds the 'thing'. My mother supports we and tries to convince me that I asn't ready to have a baby yet. I adhear to all that nonsense but never let it sink in. I wanted the baby, it as mine. It was mines to take care of, to love, to feed, and to have. I didn't really care what Andrew did. Speaking of him, a flashback hit's me right then.

I walked up to him while he was talking down this Asian whore-looking chick. She was blushing at whatever it was he was saying to her. He was working his charms on her. I smirked on inside remembering how I used to fall as a block for all of that. I tapped his shoulder, and he turned smiling before looking abit shocked at me.

"Uh.. H-hey"

"Hi Andrew"

"What's up, haven't seen you in a while."

"Oh funny, I’ve been seeing tons of you." I said with anger dripping from my voice.

"Look Onika, I feel that what we had was special. But I’m too young to have kids."

"Yeah I know, me too. But I would've loved to keep it." I say with a single tear running down my cheek. I was holding my now flat, empty stomach. He looked at it, and I see a wash of relief washing over him. "Your f-cking happy about this aren't you?!? I said with my voice rising.

"No, no. Not at all." he said quickly.

"Babe, I’m hungry. Can we leave?" his, I assume, new girlfriend, says to him, disrupting our 
conversation.

"Nah, just hall your a**, don't you see us talking." I spat at her. She just watched me shocked before huffing off. Andrew sighed and put his hands on top his head.

"Listen Onika, we are over. I don't want to see you no more." He says to me. That cut me.

“Yeah I know nigguh. I just wanted to tell you that your a punk. Your always running from your problems. I hope that all your future girls have a womb that produces twins or more!" i yelled at him before walking off. He jus stood there baffled.

I sighed. I was so stupid to believe him. I was stupid to kiss and hug him. I was stupid to be seen with him. And most of all, I was stupid for letting him have all of me, when he didn't even deserve it at all. I lost my virginity to a dirt bag. What a waste.

I cried silently once again, I couldn't do this. I rub my stomach thinking that there is still something in there.

"I'm so sorry... Mommy loves you very much and hope that you are fine." I whisper to my stomach while rubbing it. My eyes stared to water once again. This was going to be difficult.

Jelani’s P.O.V.

I’m so disappointed in my baby sister. I thought she was better than this. Getting pregnant by one of the biggest players of our area. I could tell she was out of it lately, but what is a 14-year-old to do with a baby? I shook my head. She should’ve told me at least. I cried that night after dad said it at dinner. I could tell she was scared when she realized what he was talking about. I want to comfort her, but I still want to just ring her one for doing it in the first place.

I walked into a quiet house. Mother is at work. She’s a nurse. School’s supposed to start soon. Nika’s going to LaGuardia. I’m happy for her. My little sister, an actress. That made me smile. As I’m walking up the stairs, I could hear my sister crying once again. She’s been in this depressed state for the past 2 weeks. It always broke my heart to see her sad, so imagine how I felt about her crying. I sighed. “Why lord?” I ask myself. I walk up to her door and knock. She doesn’t answer but I still go in.

“Hey…” I say. She just stays in the same position, which is with her face in her pillow and sitting in a corner in her room.

“’Nika, I’m so sorry.” I say and my voice cracked. I could feel the tears form in my eyes. She just cried harder. I walk up to her and pick her up, hugging her as we cried together. She just continued sobbing into my shirt. She wasn’t herself that was clear to see. Her room was filled with tissues and her clothes. Her bed was not made, and she just looked like a hot mess. Her hair was all over the place. Her eyes were almost swollen shut. She looked paler and even abit skinnier. I was shocked; I didn’t know it was this bad for her.

“N-nika, please… let’s go eat something.” I said to her while slowly letting her go. She just flopped down on her bed with tiny sniffles still sounding. She felt around for something then just stopped moving. “C’mon, Nika please… for me?”

“N-no…no I have nothing else to live for. If I can’t have my baby, then I don’t deserve to live!” she
screamed at me and pulled out a small pocket knife from under her pillow.

“Nika, don’t do this please.” I said with my hands up in surrender. I didn’t want her to do this.

“No Lani, I let everyone down. I killed my baby. I have nothing.” She sobbed with the knife pointed to herself.

“Nika, I know. I really do. But look, I’m not angry with you. I know how you feel. I love you Nika, I don’t want you to do this. I know your hurting, but please just put the knife down.” I said while I inched towards her. She just sobbed. I doubt she was even stable. She was shaking. I slowly took the knife out of her hand. She gave it up without a fight.

“L-lani, what am I gonna do ?” she says to me. I sighed and looked her deep in her eyes. I took a moment to formulate my sentence.

“Move on Nika.” I say to her while cupping her face in my hands. Her eyes widened. Her tears stopped. “Besides, you look like the wife of frankenstein.” I said grinning. She cracked a small smile while moving the hair out her face.

“Whatever, you doof.” She said then threw a pillow at me. It missed me by a meter. I laughed and she did too. We wrestled for a while before cleaning up her room and getting her to eat. I think she’ll be just fine.

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Author's Note

If you guys know anything that happened to Nicki between the ages of 15-18 please inbox me it. I dnt want to go to a next chapter knowing that i missed something.

~'Chelle-M

Chapter 7: Mixed Situation

Onika is now 14 years old. School’s out for the summer and she super happy that it indeed is. Her mom’s been trying to get her to go to a performing arts school and she just might do it. She loves to act and sing so why not? She’s about to run into a terrible problem right before school begins. What will she do?

Onika’s P.O.V.

I’m here infront of this massive school building once again. This time to go to High School. Mom says it’s a performing arts school and so I guess that’s what we both want me to do later in life. I take a deep breath. Wait, I have no voice… how am I going to sing?

“Mom!” I croaked loudly. She looked at me startled then smiled.

“Yes honey.”

“How am I going to perform with no voice?!?”  I  tried yelling. The tears were prickling my eyes.  My throat hurt. I really didn’t want to go anymore.

“Mommy, I don’t want to go any more.” I say to her with tears in my eyes. “ I don’t want to embarrass myself.” She just held me in a tight hug.

“Baby, remember you have 2 auditions. 1 for singing and 1 for acting. Your great at both so don’t worry about 1. Okay?” she says looking me in the eyes.

I sighed. “Okay, let’s go.”

End P.O.V.

Onika did her first audition which was singing. She failed miserably. It really did hurt her. She just wanted to leave right then, but her mother wouldn’t let her. She then went in to do her acting audition.  When she was about 2 minutes into the audition, she relaxed and let her acting skills do the job. The judges really liked her performance. It seemed so realistic in their eyes. They gave her a standing ovation.

“Lovely, dahh-ling” said the 1^st judge. It was a british male.

“I’d really love to see you again little one.” Said the 2^nd while the 3^rd just continued clapping.

Onika was beaming. She thanked them and ran out of the the room. She ran straight into her mother’s arms.

“I did it.” She croaked.

“Yes baby, I saw you.”

“You think I got in?”

“Hmmm.. I think so you know.” Her mother tells her. Onika just beamed. She just might be going to a performing arts school

That afternoon, she went into the ice cream parlor.  She was gonna meet her boyfriend Andrew and tell him about today.

Onika’s P.O.V.

I’m here at the ice-cream parlor waiting on Andrew. That’s my boyfriend. Yes, I know what is a 14 year old doing with a boyfriend? Well, there’s not much to come home to. Mom’s always letting me be and dad is just another case by himself. I can’t really tell Jelani anything because it’ll just upset him. How can he get upset if he isn’t even isn’t really being himself and acting all moody? Anyways, back to Andrew.

He’s 16 years old. He’s really cute and very humorous. He promised me that we’ll stay together forever and that we were meant to be. He always says that 1 day; he’d want to have kids with me. He’s just so dreamy. Pretty eyes that were a mixture of green and hazel. And very plump lips. Almost every girl on the block wants him but he always turns them down. I was so surprised when he asked me to go out with him. 

Ofcourse I said yes, I mean who would turn down a guy like him. Nique tells me he’s a player and breaks up with girls and even got some pregnant. I didn’t really listen to her because he told me those relationships were like up 2 3 weeks and we’re already by 3 months.

I think I see Andrew walk in. He looks around for abit and then notices me. He had a maroon beanie on over his clean cut that he must’ve gotten that morning. He kisses my cheek and sits down.

“So, how was it babe?” he asks me.

“It was great… well one of them.” I croaked. He looked at me funny.

“Babe, what’s up with your voice?”

“I lost it sinds last night.” I said sadly. He got up and sat next to me. He put his arm around me and I inhaled 

his cologne. He smells so good.

“Don’t worry babygirl, it’ll be back soon.” He says while he kisses my forehead. “So tell me about the auditions.”

I told him everything. He looked me straight in the eyes when I told him. He smiled at the end.

“So babygirl’s gonna be an actress then?” he said while smirking and cocking up one eyebrow. I swear to God, he’s so handsome. I giggled and kissed him. We were kissing for a good 10 minutes before he just stopped.

“Let’s go back to my place. I have a gift for you.” He says with a look in his eyes that I’ve never seen before. It was lust. He wanted me. I could tell. I want him too, but I don’t know. Ah well, let’s go. I nodded at him and we left the parlor.

His house is about 20 minutes from mines. His parents weren’t home so we had the house to ourselves. He was putting music on the stereo while I looked around. He looked like neither of his parents. I wondered about that.

End P.O.V.

While she was looking around, he looked at her from the corner of his eyes. If only she knew what he was planning. He was happy that he finally got her and now he might be lucky.

 Andrew walked up behind her and started kissing her neck. Onika started to feel a way. A feeling she never felt before. She felt like laughing and screaming at the same time. It tickled and felt really good. She turned her head to him and they kissed some more. It grew heated very fast and Andrew moved them to him bed.

As she lay under him, all Onika could think about was how good he is with her. So she basically let her have her. Andrew pulled away from her to get a condom and got right to work. Onika screamed out in pain. There was a little bit of blood on the bed. She had lost her virginity. As they were getting busy she was moaning out his name and scratching up his back.  It hurt so much, so he stopped and tried again later. They were going so fast that the condom ripped and he busted inside her. She didn’t know what would happen but he did. He looked at her abit shocked before kissing her and getting up to go shower.

Onika just laid there, her legs were really weak from it all. She really wasn’t expecting it to be so much pain yet it felt so good at the same time. She stumbled across the room looking for her clothes and put them on. She looked at the time. It read 8 p.m.

“Shit!” she said with eyes wide. She swiftly moved around the house, ignoring the pain between her legs. She made herself look presentable before looking around for Andrew. He was still in the shower. She shrugged and left.

Carol’s P.O.V.

I’m here waiting for Onika. I haven’t seen her sinds the auditions. I wanted to take her out and have a nice dinner to show her how happy I am for her.

She walked in around 8:30 p.m. She saw me and tried walking away but I called her back. She had this funny limp while walking. I shook my head and wiped my face with my palms.

“Where were you?”

“At a friend’s.” she said to me. I knew she was lying. I didn’t want to pressure her. I already knew that my little girl was no longer a virgin. I just wanted her to tell me.

“Okay, sinds you’re just coming from by a friend, why are you walking like that?” I said with one eyebrow cocked up. Her eyes widened as if she was caught.

“I-I hit my knee on t-the coffee table while we were playing hide and seek.”

“Onika… When you’re ready to tell me what really happened let me know, but for now, you’re on punishment. Goodnight.” I say to her with a stern voice. She hung her head low and pouted. I saw a tear escape her beautiful eyes. I just wanted her to tell me and stop hiding things like this away from me.

“G’night ma.” She whispered.

-Three months after-

I heard Onika throwing up once again. She keeps telling me that it’s nothing. Sometimes I want to hold her and shake her and scream at her. I already knew what had happened. She’s pregnant. My little baby, pregnant by the lord knows who.  

I wanted to take her to the doctor but she refuses. Lord, what have I done wrong?

 End P.O.V.

Onika went over to Nique’s house that morning after trying to eat breakfast. Nique opened the door and frowned when she saw how her friend was looking. Nique knew what her friend was here for. Onika had asked her to get a pregnancy test for her. Onika didn’t get her period for the last 3 months and she was worried. Andrew stopped picking up her calls and she didn’t know what to think.

 They went straight into Nique’s bathroom and Onika took the test… As they waited, they played with Nique’s recording stuff. They rapped a little but you clearly tell that both of them were scared.

Onika went back into the bathroom and read the test slowly. She screamed out which caused Nique to go in the bathroom. She read the test as well and then went and hugged Onika, who was on her bathroom floor crying. The test read pregnant. They were both shocked. What is a 14 year old to do with a baby?

-That Night-

Onika’s P.O.V.

I tried eating dinner, but my stomach wouldn’t let me. I rested my hand on my stomach and just sighed. Jelani and mom where watching me the entire time. I had put the pregnancy test in one of my pants upstairs. I was still in shock. There was a little life growing inside of me.

While we were eating, somebody was knocking on the door. Mom got up and went to answer it. You could hear her yelling at someone and that person yelling back. It was the face of someone I swore that I’d never want to see again in my life. It was my dad.

“Where that little girl at?!?” he yelled at her while trying to move past my mother. I was scared. He was here for me. Oh God.

“Who’s is it?” he yelled at me. I just fiddled with my hands. “Onika I am speaking to you!”  I began sobbing. “Fine don’t tell me, but one thing for sure, you are going down to the clinic to schedule an abortion. I am not having no child of mines raise a baby in this household.”

“No!” I yelled at him while holding my stomach. “I’m not aborting my baby!”  I said with tears running down my cheeks. Jelani looked at me shocked before angrily going up to his room. Mother just stood there with tears in her eyes.  I couldn’t believe it.  How did my father know? Who could’ve told him?

I was thinking so much that at a certain point everything became blurry. I blacked out.

End P.O.V.

Onika’s father scheduled the abortion for her while she was in the hospital. She had absolutely no say in this situation. She had given up her baby. She wasn’t happy. Andrew was cheating on her. Her brother wasn’t speaking to her and her father was again nowhere to be seen. Even her mother seemed to be abit different around her. The thing that sat heavily on her mind was her baby, she actually wanted to keep it. This wasn’t fair at all.