faded.

ONE

ONIKA

Fuck calculus.

I didn't know who I hated more, the guy that created it or whoever convinced me to take this class.

This AP class on top of the four other ones I'm taking was enough to push me to death. I'm a known overachiever, I have a 4.28 GPA.

Most of the time I'm in class, I'm listening to music with my head down but I still manage to have the grades I do. I do most of my work at home or during study hall.

Hearing my name mad me pick my head up from my desk. I took my left Airpod out and looked at my teacher, who I'm assuming is the one that said my name.

Mrs.Bassett cleared her throat, "Please take your headphones out. I said to move to the table in front of you, we're doing group work."

I looked at the table of three girls in front of me then back at her with sad puppy dog eyes. "Can I work alone please?"

I just started going to this school this year, so I didn't really know that many people here. I had friends but I didn't know those girls personally and I wasn't good with strangers.

She shook her head no with a sympathetic look on her face, at least she felt bad. "No, sorry. This project is way too much work, even for you. Please move to the table so I can finish giving instructions."

I subtly rolled my eyes not to be disrespectful and went with my backpack to their table. The darkskin girl waved at me and I waved back at her with my lips folded in.

I was in no way a mean girl, just extremely shy. The closer I am to someone, the more friendly I am.  My friends even think I over do it with the friendliness sometimes.

We didn't say anything because Ms.Bassett started talking again. "So like I was saying, you'll be working with a group of four people. You're going to be making a board game using what you learned this far in the unit and make it fun, it'll also help you study for our big test coming up. There's examples on Canvas and poster paper and markers will be available in class tomorrow but I suggest just planning things out for the next day or two. Ask me if you have any questions and introduce yourself to your groups. You have the rest of this week in class to work on this but I suggest getting some work done at home also."

As soon as she sat down, everyone in the class started talking. This project seems easy enough.

The same girl that waved at me turned in her seat. "Hi, I'm Kelly and that's Robyn." She pointed to the girl sitting across from her who also waved at me.

"I'm Onika." I smiled, they seemed really friendly. "I can do all the work if you guys want and you can decorate the poster and make the actual game."

Kelly scoffed and waved me off. "No way. We can all do this together as a group effort, we're not those people. I'll do all her work, this is Bey." She put her hand on the sleeping girls shoulder and she groaned, I think.

"Is she... okay?" I hadn't seen her move this whole class period.

"She's fine, just a little tired." Her smile changed, it was weird.

Robyn chuckled, "That's what we're calling it now?"

"Can you shut up?" Kelly kicked her under the table but I noticed it. "So why haven't we seen you around here yet, Onika?"

"I just moved here this year." I've seen them all around school, even the blonde one once or twice.

Kelly leaned forward like she was interested now. "Oh really? Why?"

"Kelly, that's so invasive. What if she moved here because her whole family died?"

"Well my whole family didn't die, they're very much alive." I laughed, I don't know if I should find that funny or offense. "But no, I moved here because of my dads work."

"What does your dad do?"

"He's a judge." He's a little bit more than a judge but I didn't want to say that.

"Oh wait." Now Robyn leaned forward. "Do you think he could get a possession charge off my record?"

"Umm maybe?" I didn't know how to answer that.

They were funny though. We ended up talking the whole period and not even getting started on our project.

At the end of class we exchanged numbers so we could work on it at home, so at least we weren't completely unproductive.

After calculus was lunch so I went to the library to meet up with my friends. I like to get started on my work from the first half of my day and it's quiet in there.

I only had two assignments and I finished the first one in class while my teacher was talking so all I had to do was a quick multiple choice quiz on a book we were reading. That would take no time at all.

I was opening up the assignment when I felt myself being hugged from behind. I turned my head a little bit and saw the side of Solanas face.

"Hey Sos. What do you have for me today?" Solana is pretty much my best friend. I don't think I'm hers but I don't care, I still love her.

But sometimes I can't tell if she's secretive or just doesn't fuck with me. Niceness and friendship creep her out so I try not to take some stuff to heart.

"I brought goldfish, fruit snacks, and green grapes. Oh, and sweet tea."

She has a little sister so she always brings snacks her mom buys to pack for her sisters lunch. I never ate lunch because I was always too busy to bring something and I don't eat lunch so she started making sure I eat, even if it's just some snacks.

That's her love language, getting me things and making sure I'm always good.

"Sweet tea? That's new, she must've just went to the store."

"Yup, she spent half the day at Costco yesterday. We're going to be set for a while." She put her backpack in her lap and started to pull the stuff out of her backpack.

Seeing our friend Symere spy roll their way over to us didn't phase either one of us. Thats regular Symere activities.

Symere is our other friend. We're a very odd trio.

They walked over to the table and sat down on the other side of me. "Not going to lie, I just got to school."

The day is already halfway over. "Really? Where were you?"

"I woke up but the spirit Gods told me to close my eyes so I did and ended up sleeping for a couple more hours. I drive so who cares."

Solana laughed, "Me! Once you start driving, you don't give a fuck what time you get to school."

"I do." I drive to school and still here on time, they're just delinquents.

"Yeah but you're Onika."

I shrugged, "I guess. I have work to do, but it'll only take five minutes."

"Take your time." Solana opened the ziplock bag and Goldfish and put it between us.

Symere and Solana talked between themselves while I did the little work I needed to do then we hung out for the rest of the library.

When I got home, I worked out in my basement then decided to get started on my calculus project.

——

First impressions?

Onika?

Bey?

Kelly and Robyn?

Solana and Symere?

The calculus project? How do you think that's going to go?

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