Chapter 35: Our Record Store

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Sunday, July 20, 1986

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Sunday, July 20, 1986

I woke up to the sound of strumming on a guitar. I looked around and noticed that I was still at Nikki's house but in his room. I looked at the time and it read 3:33 pm. Is that how long I slept? I got off the bed and grabbed my backpack to get my toothbrush. I walked out of his room and headed to the washroom. My eyes went wide when I saw my neck and face. I started to remember what happened last night between me and Nikki. I sighed and started to brush my teeth. I was about to head back to Nikki's room when I heard him singing lowly. I walked towards the living room and leaned on the wall listening to him.

"Nona, Nona, I'm outta my head without you, Nona." He sang. 

I wanted to turn and head back to the room, but I bumped into a table behind me making a noise.

"Mani?" He called to me. 

I ran back to the room. I wanted to get ready as fast as I could and get out of his house. I grabbed my backpack and turned to run out of the room but he was already at the door. I froze when I saw him, I didn't know what to say to him.

"Hey princess, Jess called a couple of times I told her I'll have you back by 6." He whispered and moved towards me. "I was hoping we could-" he stopped talking as I backed away from him.

"Don't call me that. And I want to leave Nikki. Right now!" I demanded.

He sighed. "I just want to talk about yesterday. And then I promise you can leave." He pleaded.

"Talk," I said as I folded my arms over my chest.

"I was coked out and...and it doesn't excuse what I did. I just." He started pacing the room back and forth. "I just couldn't handle going back home and having to see my mom and family. She abandoned me when I was a kid and it scared me having to go there. I knew the only way for me to feel a bit better was by getting high. It helps get rid of the pain."

"What pain?" I said with agitation in my voice.

"The pain of loneliness." He said as his voice started to shake. "You were right I am lonely. And the only person who I was able to talk to is gone. If I saw her it would mean that it was real. It would mean that I would never get to see her again."

Oh, Nikki.

"Nikki that's why I came down here when you asked me to. I came for you. I came because you needed me. I would've flown to Japan if your Nona was being buried there because I knew you wouldn't want to go alone."

"But you came in yelling at me as if you knew how I was feeling. And it angered me. Because you had no clue how I was feeling." He started raising his voice.

I sighed. "You're right... I don't know how you feel because I've never lost anyone." I spoke softly. "But you were not alone, you had me. I was here and I wanted to go with you. And I was upset because I flew down here to attend her funeral with you. When I could have been doing other stuff." I started to raise my voice. "So, I had every right to be pissed at you. You made me look like a fool. I begged and pleaded with Jess to let me attend the funeral with you for you to just.... just sit on your couch coked out and be watching Gilligan's Island." I sneered.

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