The Girl Next Door

~18~

"Cuz Ima ride, I'm with you still the night is young...."

2 days later...

Onika Maraj

As soon as I walk into school, I can sense something was off.

"Uh, am I the only one that felt that vibe change?" Roman asks beside me as we shuffle through the hallways of the school.

"Yea, I felt it..." I say, looking around. Nothing seemed out of place to me. It seems like regular old Panorama High School.

I walk to my locker and twist the combination lock on it. As I do, my phone dings in my hands, signaling a text.

I look at the message and see it's from Robyn.

Robyn 😇👅🌊: Call me. I wanna hear ya voice.

I shake my head, smiling, and do as she says.

She answers on the first ring,"aye, baybeh gal."

I can feel my body reacting to her accent as it always does. I shake my head and ignore the sensation that ignited in me.

"Hey, wassup? Are you feeling better?" I ask, searching for my chemistry book.

"Nah, but it'll 'appen soon," she says, a dry chuckle coming from her.

I smile, finding my book and tucking it under my arm,"do you not know how to pronounce your h's?"

"Wha' ya mean?" She asks.

"Say hey," I order, closing my locker.

"Aye," she replies.

"H-ey. Push you breath out, like you huffing," I instruct, making my way through the hallways once again.

"Huh-aye," she says, struggling.

I burst out laughing at her struggles. She makes the simplest things cute.

"Tha's nah funny," she says, a pout evident in her voice.

"Yes it- tr-try it again," I say, smiling.

"No, I call to tell ya some important, but ya makin' fun of meh."

"Awe, did I huwt the babwy fwewwings?" I ask in a baby voice, walking into my chemistry class.

"Shut up, Nika," Robyn grumbles.

"Okay, I'm done. What'd you want to say?" I ask, sitting in my seat towards the back of the room.

"Ya gon' come when ya finish school?"

"After dance practice, yea. What you need?" I ask, checking the time. 3 minutes until the bell rings...

"Can ya bring meh suh real food?"

"This one time. But you can't make it a habit, because all you doing is laying down in that bed. And if I keep bringing you food, you gone sit there and get fat."

"Meh? Fat? Psh. I still pull gals though if I do," Robyn comments, laughing.

I watch as the teacher walks into the room, a smile on her face as always.

"Hey, I gotta go. I'll call you later," I tell Robyn.

"Okay, mama. Make sure ya bring food."

"Alright. Bye," I say, ending the call