August 31st
The Maraj Family Home
ONIKA
I stood at my desk, glaring at the neatly folded outfit I'd prepared for tomorrow. The first day of school. My stomach twisted at the thought. I had no idea what to expect from public school.
For as long as I could remember, it had just been me, my books, and my mom hovering over me, pushing me to be perfect. School had been a quiet, private affair—home, a desk, lesson plans. The walls of our house were my classroom, and the only people I had to interact with were my family. In a way, it was comforting. Predictable. As nervous as I was about starting, I also couldn't wait. After all, I practically begged my mom to let me go to public school.
Everything had to be just right—clothes, books, supplies. The last thing I needed was to start off on the wrong foot. If only I could control the chaos I knew was coming.
Voices from the living room echoed down the hallway. Beyoncé was over for the fourth time this week, and Dumber and Dumbest were at it again, no doubt yelling at each other over whatever game they were playing. Landon and Beyoncé never failed to disrupt the quiet in this house.
I sighed and grabbed my backpack from the corner, packing it as neatly as possible, aligning my notebooks and pens with precision. I didn't have time for distractions right now, but of course, the universe had other plans.
Kissing my teeth, I walked out of my room and headed downstairs. As I turned the corner into the living room, there they were—Landon gripping his controller like his life depended on it, and Beyoncé, sprawled out on the couch beside him, giving play-by-play commentary on how terrible he was doing.
"Are you two serious right now?" I said, crossing my arms.
Beyoncé flinched, looking up at me with wide eyes, her controller nearly slipping from her hand. She always got weirdly quiet around me, which I could never quite understand.
"Onika!" Landon exclaimed, not taking his eyes off the screen. "Don't start. This is serious."
"Yeah, seriously annoying," I shot back, glancing between him and Beyoncé. "I'm trying to get ready for my first day tomorrow."
"Sounds like a you problem," Landon laughed.
Does this boy need a slap?
Beyoncé's gaze flicked between me and the floor. "Sorry... we'll, uh... keep it down." Her voice was softer than usual, and her hands fidgeted nervously with her controller. This could not possibly be the same girl who was screaming down the house five minutes ago.
Landon scoffed, oblivious to her shift in mood. "Damn, you're no fun, Nika."
"And your two brain cells are fighting for third place," I countered, shaking my head as I watched him try to process what I had just said. "Seriously, tomorrow's a big deal for me. Can you guys just—"
"Yeah, yeah, fine. We'll quiet down," he muttered, eyes still glued to the screen as his game character died for the umpteenth time. Beyoncé glanced at me again, her lips twitching like she wanted to say something, but nothing came out.
"Good," I replied, lingering in the doorway for a second longer than necessary. As much as they annoyed me, part of me didn't mind their chaos. It made the house feel... alive. But there was no way I'd admit that out loud.
I was about to head back upstairs when Mom's voice called from the kitchen. "Dinner's ready!"
Beyoncé jumped up from the couch almost immediately, tossing her controller aside. Goodness, you would think they don't feed her at home.
I shook my head with a small smile and turned toward the dining room, where Lauren was already seated, engrossed in her phone. She barely glanced up as I entered.
"You look ready for tomorrow," she remarked in that calm, always-knows-best tone of hers.
"I am," I said, though the pit in my stomach suggested otherwise.
As Landon and Beyoncé filed into the room, Mom finished setting the table. "You're going to do great, Onika," she said, her warm eyes filled with encouragement.
"Thanks, Mom," I murmured, taking my seat across from Beyoncé, who quickly averted her gaze and busied herself with her fork.
"You know, Nika, you could loosen up a little. It's just high school," Landon said, rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, maybe for you," I replied, resisting the urge to correct him. School was serious. It wasn't something to just coast through like Landon and Beyoncé did.
Beyoncé, still shy, managed a small smile. "You'll be fine. Your the smartest girl I know, if that makes any difference "
"Thanks," I mumbled, noticing the awkwardness in her voice but deciding to let it go. As annoying as she could be, Beyoncé wasn't the worst company. She made things less... tense. Not that I'd ever tell her that.
The conversation around the table continued, but my mind drifted to tomorrow and all the unknowns, until I was brought out of my thoughts by the sound of a loud burp—only to see Beyoncé with a guilty look on her face.
"Ew, Beyoncé!" we all exclaimed.
"My bad," Beyoncé shrugged with that cheeky smile I had grown to know and... love?
🩷🖤
Comment and Vote
What do you guys think? Should I keep it going or nah ?
Also I'm not no writer I barely passed English 😭😭. So we shall see where this goes.
