ORPHANS

Chapter 9

"Sorry."

"Hmm..?"

"I said s-sorry. I shouldn't have spoken to you the way I did that night and that was wrong of me and all.."

Onika didn't know her mouth had dropped open a little, in shock. She didn't expect Beyoncé to apologise for what she'd said before and not as unexpected as it was now.

I mean she had been ignoring her for the past few days now- today being a Saturday- but she sure as hell didn't even think Beyoncé was capable of apologizing to anyone.

"Umm.. it's okay I guess. But I still say you should smile more.. it won't kill you."

Beyoncé just ignores Onika's last words going to dress her bed.

It was currently 8am in the morning and a couple was visiting the orphanage to look for a kid. Beyoncé wasn't happy about the fact and so that alone made her a bit pissy but she'd try to relax and calm down today.

Onika didn't care too much about the people coming and so she had not really put her mind on it.

"Beyoncé! Onika come down!"

Beyoncé rolled her eyes so far back Onika actually thought it'd get stuck there.

"It's okay." She tries to assure her but Beyoncé didn't answer her and turns to leave holding in a little gasp when she feels Onika entwine their fingers to one another.

"You apologized now so you gotta play nice."

Beyoncé doesn't say anything but follows Onika down the small flight of stairs where their met with the sight of a middle aged interracial couple talking to Eleanor who was looking down shyly while answering their questions.

The man's eyes connected with them at the stairs and he greeted, "Hello."

"Hey." Onika replies back although absentmindedly while Beyoncé just does a half assed wave completely unbothered by the people in their living room.

Onika disconnects their fingers going off into the kitchen leaving Beyoncé to clench and unclench her hands missing the small amount of warmth Onika's provided.. But would she ever admit it? No.

The couple talked to all the kids in the orphanage and soon they'd come over to speak to Onika who barely replied any of their questions with direct answers.

"What's your name?"

"Onika."

She didn't give them a surname because she didn't feel the need to, she wasn't even sure they cared about it anyways.

"And how old are you sweetie?"

"Sixteen."

They looked a bit taken a back by that, Onika was a bit short for her age... although thicc in all the right places.

"So how'd you like the orphanage so far?"

Onika just shrugs. They waited for her to say something else but she doesn't.

The rest of the questions flow by and Onika only manages to answer a good three out of ten of them.

And finally almost two hours later, they make their decision to take Cody. Everyone in the orphanage is left depressed especially, Daniel and Ryan, although they were all happy for him as well.

He leaves the orphanage barely three hours later and it was like a part of it had left as well.

Onika tries cheering up the down cast kids but it seems all her efforts were futile, even with the crazy dances and funny jokes.

"Don't stress it." Mrs Eden assures tapping her on the shoulder before retiring into her little office.

All the other kids solemnly tread up the stairs and into their rooms leaving Onika there feeling like she could've done something to make them feel better.

She walks up the stairs after a good minute of just sitting there in soliloquy.

"You tried cheering them up but it didn't work?" Beyoncé asks looking away from her phone screen where she was helping someone with editing their book. A free lance work she did for a little income as Mrs Eden didn't allow them get jobs.

Onika nods sadly going over to her bed to take a seat on the edge of it, "Yeah.. it's just so dull now."

"This is life now Onika. People come, people go. We can't do nothing about it." Beyoncé shrugs but Onika just frowns.

"You'll leave?"

Beyoncé just chuckles at the question, "It's far too late for me now Onika. It's mainly the younger kids that get taken away, not oldies like us."

The term 'oldies' elicits a small chuckle from Onika which Beyoncé couldn't help but feel accomplished by... She could get Onika to laugh.

"I don't want them to go."

"Well they have to Onika. You want them to find good homes don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Then get used to it. Cause more are gonna come and more are gonna go."

"Did... D-did you lose someone you loved s-so dearly here at the orphanage?" Onika asks a bit quietly.

Beyoncé looks thoughtful for awhile, "I wouldn't really say 'loved' or 'dearly' but I did have to let go of a lot of roommates."

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Next update will be whenever I'm not too sure but I'll try to update soon enough 💚