Petals

ꕥ

Onika Tanya Maraj

The very next morning, Onika found herself staring at her bedsheets—and laying on her side.

Her head was killing her, and her stomach was betraying her. She slowly sat up in her bed and looked around, her room looked normal.

"It was just a nightmare." Onika mumbled. That's what she decided on, last night was a nightmare. That's all it was. She let out a low sigh remembering she did have school today, she didn't remember much of last night. She looked over to where her phone usually would be, on her nightstand.

But it wasn't there.

She looked over to her desk, her messy desk with her laptop and papers. She prayed that she had completed her homework before falling asleep—she knew she had to. Onika didn't allow herself to rest when it came to her academic anxiety.

She heard a low groan next to her and froze, she slowly looked to the left side of her.

She was surely surprised when she found her sister sleeping there. Onika was wondering what happened last night—it was mostly brain fog to her. She looked down to her lap to see Ming's arm around her, it was a comforting presence to say the least.

She stood up with wobbly legs to see if her phone was over there, before she could her mind was interrupted by a knock. Not before carefully removing Ming's arm.

She looked to her door for a moment before stumbling over to reach for the doorknob. She turned and pulled it and was met with her mothers face, she hoped she could fill the gaps for her. Because all Onika remembers is her nightmare.

Her mother looked a bit surprised to see Onika awake, and a bit nervous. She couldn't meet her daughter's eyes after last night, and Onika found herself to be more confused than ever.

"Good morning. Do you know why Mings in my bed?" Onika asked quietly, and Carol let out a low sigh.

Onika could tell something was wrong, her mother was shaking slightly and she didn't have her normal smile plastered on her face. She seemed tired, and distant. Onika could feel tension between them—she wasn't used to feeling that with her own mother.

"We—need to talk Onika." She said just as quietly, Onika was a bit nervous when it came to her mothers tone of voice. But she nodded, and let out a very dry "Okay."

As they walked through their home Onikas anxiety was at an all time high. She had so many questions, why was her mother acting so weird? Why did her headache increase so much—where did it even come from? Shouldn't she be making her way to school?

She saw the hazy sun from their windows, she assumed it was rising as she sat down with her mother in her study. She sat on the chaise and her mother sat on a chair right infront of her, Onika nervously played with her fingers.

She felt like she was in trouble for something—as if she was a little kid again.

Onika has never felt this intimidated by her mother of all people, but the sad look in her eye did make Onika nervous.

"Onika I.. I'm sorry."

Well, Onika wasn't expecting that.

Onika stared at her mother with a face of pure confusion. She let out a chuckle to try and ease her own nerves, "About what?" She asked and Carol lifted her head and examined her youngest daughter.