Behind the rhymes

Chapter 28

*Beyoncé*

I'd tried to reach out to Nicki all day, but she didn't answer any of my texts. I couldn't go to her house during the afternoon because of rehearsals, but now that I was done I was definitely going over there.

Because what did she mean by looking for Kenneth's number ???

Plus, I felt like we needed to talk about the Keri situation. I genuinely didn't think I was doing anything wrong. I wasn't planning on kissing Keri or hooking up with her or anything like that. I liked Onika and I would never do something as disrespectful as this. I respected her way too much. Besides, I knew how betrayal felt, so I'd never put her through that. Never.

When my driver pulled up at my house, I quickly got out, not forgetting to thank him, and headed inside. I needed a good shower right away, my body was tired and I smelled like sweat from all that dancing. I immediately made my way upstairs and went straight to the bathroom.

I spent a good thirty minutes in there, letting the warm water run over my skin, taking my time to carefully wash my hair. The shower felt amazing, and I was in a much better mood by the end of it. Once I stepped out, I dried my hair and body, then headed to my closet to find something to wear. I figured I'd go to Onika's place first so we can talk, then head straight to the restaurant where Keli and I were supposed to meet.

I decided on a black graphic t-shirt tied at the front to show a bit of my belly, paired with light-wash, high-waisted, wide-leg jeans with the 'Vetements' logo printed in black on the waistband. After dressing, I applied a leave-in conditioner to my damp hair so it would curl naturally as it dried. I thought I looked pretty good, even though I hadn't done my makeup yet.

Just as I was heading towards the bathroom, my phone started ringing. I turned back to my room and checked the screen, it was Blue calling me from her iPad. Smiling, I answered the call.

She appeared on the screen with a little smile on her face. "Hey, Blueberry!"

"Hey, mama."

"How are you, baby? And how was your first day in 1st grade ?" I asked her, heading to the bathroom to start a quick, light makeup routine.

"It was great. I have a few friends in my class, and they said they liked my hair."

I propped my phone against the mirror so she could still see me. "That's really good, baby. And is your teacher nice ?"

She nodded. "Yes. What are you doing, mama ?"

I held up the mascara in front of the screen. "I'm doing my makeup. And you? Did you eat already ?"

"I'm just in my bedroom. And yes, I ate."

"What did you eat ?" I asked her absentmindedly, focusing on applying my mascara carefully m.

"I-um..I ate pasta."

I frowned slightly and looked at the screen. Her tone completely changed when she mentioned the pasta, and it didn't sit right with me. "Is everything okay, baby?"

"Yes, mama." She replied.

"You sure ? You know you can tell me anything, right ?"

She nodded. "Yes."

I was still a bit skeptical but I decided to let it go for now.

"So, tell me about your day. What did you do ?"

For the next twenty minutes, she excitedly told me all about her day and the things she did with her friends. I listened intently, asking questions here and there to keep her talking. I could tell she was really happy to talk to me, and I felt the same way.