Love Me Long Time

Chapter 2: No Worries

"Morning son," Mama Carol, Onika's mom, said to him as he walked into Onika's house.

"Good morning mama." Derek replied with a gentle smile and hugged Carol after she locked the door. And yes, Derek called her mama. Simply because she was like a second mother to him. Same goes for Onika and Derek's mom.

"Having a good morning so far?" Mama Carol asked as she walked to the kitchen to finish making Onika and Derek's breakfast. It wasn't a full meal just a little something to warm their stomachs while they walked.

"Yeah, how about you?" Derek asked, sitting on the bar stool. 

"Its been great. Thank you for asking."

"Your welcome mama." Derek looked around, "Uh... mama, where's Onika?" 

"DEREK!" Onika screamed, running down the stairs to him. Derek leaped down from the bar stool and caught Onika in a hug. He picked her up and span her around twice. He put her down and they laughed at each other. 

"Onika and Derek, is there anything between you guys I should know about?" Mama Carol asked putting there pig in a blanket on a plate for them to grab. 

"No ma'am." They said together, grabbing their pig in a blanket.

"Mhm..." Mama Carol squinted.

"What?" Onika laughed out.

"Oh nothing.... I just hope whatever it is has nothing to do with that hickey on your neck Onika." 

"No mom, Its a bruise. I got in a fight and this girl-"

"YOU GOT IN A WHAT?" Robert, Onika's dad, came out of the blue.

"In a fight..."

"WITH WHO?" Robert yelled, "TURN AROUND AND LOOK AT ME!'

"Daddy can you not yell at me? Please, I have company..." Onika begged while looking at him. She was about to breakdown.

"WHAT COMPANY?" Robert looked around and ironically missed Derek on the first head turn. But once Robert made eyes with Derek it wasn't pretty. "WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HERE DEREK?"

"Really Robert?" Mama Carol put her hand on her hip.

"ANSWER ME BOY!"

Derek replied unbothered of Onika's dad, "The same reason I'm here every day. To get your daughter out of the house and to school safely."

"IS THAT AN ATTITUDE?" Robert yelled walking a little closer Derek. And yes, Derek put his guard up. Onika sat in fear. She knew if she got involved she'd lose her bestfriend and probably her life. Her dad wasn't the nicest.

"No sir, its just odd how I come here everyday and you ask the exact same question whenever you see me. I don't know what your problem is Robert but you need help. No disrespect, but honestly you do." Derek bit the rest of his corndog after that. 

Onika then started crying. It was her or her mother who was about to get slapped. To make matters worse, probably Derek.

"Are you just gonna let him disrespect me Carol?" Robert side eyed her.

"It wasn't disrespect. It was facts." Mama Carol walked over to Derek and rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Your going to agree with this idiot over your husband." Robert said sternly, but with a little pain in his voice. As if he was hurt she didn't side with him. Derek took offense to being called an idiot and got off the barstool, grabbed his bookbag, and went to the couch to get Onika's bookbag. 

"Mama can me and Onika leave?" Derek asked as Onika leaped down from the barstool but was pulled back by her dad.

"YOU CAN LEAVE! My daughter isn't going anywhere with you." Robert replied and Carol snatched Onika away and walked her to the door.

"Have a good day, babies." Mama Carol kissed Onika's cheek and rubbed Derek's head.

"Same to you." Derek and Onika said in unison.

- Walking To School -

Derek and Onika were silent while walking in the temperate weather. They hadn't spoke since they left the house. But that all changed when Onika stopped walking and sat on the nearby steps.

"Nika come on, what are you doing?" Derek asked.

"I'm not going to school."

"Why," Derek turned around and walked over to her.

"I don't wanna cry during class. I hate it when my dad hurts my feelings in the morning. He doesn't know that I hurt because I can't say what I feel when it needs to be said. Holding in what I want to say, hurts Derek... It hurts a lot." Onika wiped a tear and put her face in her palms.

Derek felt where she was coming from because he was holding back also. But it was usually out of respect. Derek put his bookbag down and sat behind Onika. He opened his legs so she was sitting between them. Derek pulled Onika back by her shoulders so her back would touch his chest; He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. Onika started crying harder.

"Just let it out..." Derek coaxed.

"I just wish he was dead.... He always says something to you every morning and I go into instant fear he'll hurt you. Its so frightening..." Onika sobbed.

"Don't worry about me being hurt. I'm not afraid of your dad, so you can stop being scared for me."

"I guess but he's just too much. When we first came to America he wasn't like this Derek...." Onika cried harder and Derek gave her a tighter hug.

"I know Nika..."

"He didn't get like this until he started drinking and crack." Onika rubbed her eyes.

"I know and its alright. With your mom's help he'll be fine in the future. I know it." Derek kissed Onika's wet cheek and massaged her shoulders.

"I guess...." Onika wiped her face with her hands and pulled away from Derek. She picked up his book bag and put it on her back. "We can go..."

Derek shook his head. "No, no, no... You're a girl. Give me my bookbag."

"But you're carrying mine..."

"Because yours is heavier and I don't want you holding all that weight." Derek tried taking his bookbag off Onika but she ran off into an alley.

Derek chased her down, "NIKA!"

Onika kept running, she was running toward the school.

"Onika stop!" Derek chased her down further.

"Catch me if you can!"

Just then, Derek picked up sudden speed as Onika began to reach the playground entrance. Just as Onika ran through the gate, Derek had caught up and tackled her. His tackle knocked his book bag off of Onika's back. Onika landed on her butt on the ground covered in wood chips and Derek landed on top of her. Their eyes met.

"Owe.... My booty hurts! Get off of me doofus!" Onika pushed, but Derek let his weight sink.

"No," Derek pinned her down by her wrists.

"Move!" Onika whined.

"No, you listen here." Derek pointed his finger at her face. "You do NOT run away from me. You do NOT be scared for me, either. You got no worries Nika. I got your back even when you don't got mines. Now get up." Derek stood up holding her hand, and pulling her up.

"Thanks and..." Onika started while stretching, "do you mean that?"

Derek scooped up his book bag, "With everything in my young body. Now let's go bighead, we're going to be late."

Derek then walked his way through the playground to the school. Onika followed him, and thought deeply about what he had just told her. Could she trust his words? Could she rely on that? Could he always be there when she needs comforting?