Through Her Eyes: A Dricki Story

Chapter 6

Drake was sitting in his office, going over a new proposal when there was a knock at his door. "Come in," he called without looking up from his paperwork. He had a meeting in ten minutes and he wanted to make sure he had everything.

"Hey," Nicki peeked her head in the door frame, "I just wanted to say thanks again, for everything you've done, you really didn't have to."

"What do you mean I didn't have to? At one point, we did everything for one another. We drifted apart and honestly, I've never had a better friend than you. I want to get back to that." Again, Drake was talking without looking at her. "Besides, I can't live with Darcie calling me Mr. Drake when I should be like an uncle to her."

More like a father. Nicki thought to herself as she watched him for a few silent seconds. "I couldn't agree more, it's just that with work and everything, I'm sure you wouldn't have time—"

"I'll make time." He finally looked at her. "I mean of course I have Christina, we're getting married," he started to explain. "But I miss you, I miss our friendship. You were the most important person in my life at one point." He said to her and Nicki could barely look at him. Why he was speaking so freely about the past, she didn't know but she was glad because she'd missed him too. "It's like you just dropped off the map Nic and I had no way to contact you. You left me."

Nicki looked guilty but didn't know where to start, what to say without giving too much away. To her relief, his assistant came barging in his office, telling him the meeting was about to start. "We'll finish this later." He said and with that, he was gone. Nicki turned around to leave his office, only to run into Beyoncé who was giving her a dirty look.

"Caught with your hand in the cookie jar?" Beyoncé asked her and Nicki sighed before looking down at her manicured hands. "I'm not going to push you, it's not my place to make you tell him. But, as your best friend, it's my job to make sure you're happy babe and you're not." Bey gently squeezed Nicki's shoulder.

"I wasn't prepared to deal with this...ever." Nicki admitted as they slowly walked down the hall.

"So you never planned on contacting Drake and telling him that he had a child? You never intended on Darcie knowing her father? She's gonna call him Mr.drake instead of daddy?" Beyoncé asked and Nicki kissed her teeth. "When you say it like that, it sounds as bad as it really is." Nicki groaned.

Neither of them noticed that Drake had come back to his office for a file he'd left and he'd caught the tail end of their conversation "...she's gonna call him Mr. Drake instead of daddy?"

Drake froze in his tracks, unsure if he'd just heard her correctly, "Nah, they're talking about some other Drake...Nicki wouldn't do that to me," he muttered to himself and continued on to his office, however, now, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

Walking over to his desk, he sifted through the many papers to look for the one he wanted however the screensaver on his computer screen caught his eye, it was a photo of him and his mother, but instead of him, all he could see was Darcie. The papers fell out of his hands and suddenly everything made sense.

She was nearly the spitting image of him as a child with her mother's dimples and his curly hair. How could I have been so stupid?! That's why she avoided me for all those years. She was raising our daughter.

When Nicki finally made it back to her own office after another lengthy lecture from her best friend, she removed her pumps and put her feet up for a much needed rest and began rubbing her temples. She could feel a tension headache coming on and she didn't like it. She hated not being in control and everything was perfect before Drake walked back into her life. It's not his fault, it's yours all on your own. Nicki scolded herself.

Sighing to herself, Nicki was just about to close her eyes for a few minutes by her phone rang. She quickly answered it after noticing it was Darcie's school. "Miss. Maraj, there's been an incident at the school and we need you here immediately."

"What kind of incident?" She shouldered the phone while slipping her shoes back on. Thankfully her phone cord stretched far enough for her to walk across the office to grab her purse and keys.

"Darcie took a student's crayons and broke them because the student said something she didn't like." The principal informed her and Nicki sighed. "Quoting Darcie, "I broke all of the pretty colors because she said my mommy isn't pretty and that I still only have one mommy." Do you know anything about that?"

"Yes, that little girl has been bullying my baby for days now. Kids can be really observant and just as cruel," Nicki frowned.

"Well retaliation and destruction of property isn't tolerated here at Preston Academy. You're going to have to come get her for the rest of the day."

"And will there be any consequences for the other child?" Nicki asked defensively. "This is an ongoing issue."

"We have no record of it being an ongoing issue," the principal informed her and she sounded annoyed while doing so. "However, the other child has been given a warning."

"A war—" Nicki found herself nearly yelling at the top of her lungs. "I'll be there, gather her work for the day and I'll be there and don't let that child anywhere near my daughter." Nicki didn't give her a chance to say anything else before hanging up the phone.

"Everything alright in here?" Drake was standing in her doorway.

"I have to go get Darcie, there was an incident at the school. She's being bullied."

"About what?! She's a beautiful little girl, what could anybody possibly bully her for?"

"Try having one mother and no father," Nicki cut her eyes at him as she brushed past him and walked with purpose towards the elevators. She quickly swiped at the tears falling onto her cheeks because deep down, she knew she was responsible for this. "Do you need any company? You know, as your best friend I can't let you go alone."

"Best friend huh?" Nicki looked at him with a teary smile. "I won't ask you to leave work, it's nothing."

"Darcie's what, five? She shouldn't be being bullied for not having her father in her life. What kind of child even observes that kind of thing and knows to bully someone about it?" He stepped on the elevator with her.

"I don't know, but I do know that it's going to stop today." Nicki shook her head and took a deep breath. "She doesn't deserve that."

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Thoughts? So drake knows... how's that going to play out? Let us know what you think in the comments

Much Appreciated

_PaintedPyramids & FYesDrizzy X