Short Story: What Do I Do Now? {Part 2}

“We should invite your mother over and have a welcome back dinner! I’ll call Carol now,” Sandi hopped to her feet. Silence filled the room as Nicki and Drake kept staring at each other.

“So are y’all gonna stare at each other all day?” Abel looked between them. Nicki snapped out of it and hopped to her feet.

“I need to go,” she tried to rush out but Drake grabbed her arm.

“We need to talk Nic,” he looked at her.

“We have nothing to talk about,” she shook her head before leaving. Lauren and Cassie rushed after her as Drake sat down next to Abel.

“I think that went well,” he smiled and Drake just groaned.

“She’ll never talk to me now,” he couldn’t believe that this just went down.

“Your mom is planning a dinner for tonight so she’ll have to come unless she has a good excuse,” he pointed out.

Nicki paced around in her room as Cassie and Lauren sat on her bed. “Nic, it’s not that big of a deal,” Cassie tried to convince her but Nicki turned and glared at her.

“I slept with Aubrey! I can’t believe that I slept with him. I’m like a damn rapist!” She plopped down on the bed.

“He’s twenty one so it’s not rape,” Lauren looked at Nicki weirdly.

“It’s like rape in my head. He’s Aubrey, that little fourteen year old boy. I just feel disgusted with myself,” she shook her head.

“Nic,” Lauren rubbed her back.

“I don’t wanna talk about this anymore,” she sighed. She stayed up in her room for most of the day until her mom told her that they were having dinner at Sandi's house. “I don’t feel well,” she lied and her mom shot her a look.

“I’m not taking that as an excuse. You can try to get out of this for whatever reason you have but you’re not going to. You haven’t been home in seven years and I think it’ll be nice to do dinner at Sandi’s so get your ass up,” she snapped before leaving the room. Nicki reluctantly got up and walked downstairs. They walked to her house and Sandi welcomed them in with a wide smile. Somehow she got stuck in front of Aubrey as they ate. She wasn’t hungry so she kept pushing her food around.

“Is something wrong Onika?” Her mom looked over at her.

“I’m just not feeling too well,” she shrugged then a thought popped into her head. “Actually can I go to the bathroom?” She wanted to take a break from this little reunion.

“Of course, Aubrey go show her where the bathroom is. Our toilet in the hallway is broken so you can just use the one in Aubrey’s room,” Sandi shot her a smile.

“Um I’m good,” she did not need to be alone with him.

“Don’t be silly Onika,” her mom narrowed her eyes on her. Nicki knew that her mom could sense that something happened between them. She stood and walked out of the dining room with Aubrey following her.

“It’s down here,” he led her to the basement.

“I know where your room is Aubrey,” she walked down the stairs and looked around. It still looked like his room but not as childish.

“Can we talk?” He begged knowing that she was trying to avoid this conversation.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she shook her head.

“Why are you acting like you did something so horrible? We slept together, it’s not that big of a deal,” he couldn’t understand her.

“It is a big deal. If I would’ve known that it was you, god I’m so stupid. You had that grin on your face the whole night. I knew that I’ve seen it before,” she ran her hand through her hair in frustration.

“Look Onika, I’m not the same little boy that you remember, I’m a grown ass man,” she snapped her head over to him.

“Don’t you think I know that? It’s not about your age, it’s just who you are to me. I’ve known you for years and watched you grow up. The fact that we slept together just changes all of my memories of you,” she huffed.

“We can just make new memories,” he let out a grin.

“Can we just forget that we slept together?” She pleaded.

“I can’t do that Nic. You know that I’ve always had a thing for you and now that I know that you’re you, I can’t act like it didn’t happen,” he moved closer to her.

“Aubrey,” she warned him and he just moved closer. She backed away but her back hit the wall and he caged her in.

“You can’t tell me that you don’t feel something. Forget who I am for a minute and tell me that you don’t feel what I feel right now,” he looked down at her.

“I can’t feel something Aubrey, it’s wrong,” she looked down. He lifted her chin and made her look at him.

“It’s not wrong at all. You felt something that night and you feel something now,” he leaned close to her face. “Do you feel something?” He moved so his lips hovered hers.

Yes,” she whispered before he connected their lips. She kissed him back while wrapping her arms around his neck. He deepened the kiss and gripped her waist.

“Lauren, can you see if everything is okay down there?” Sandi asked her. She nodded before walking downstairs.

“Nika,” she called out and stepped into the room. “Oh my god!” Nicki pushed Drake off of her and buttoned her shirt back up. He sighed before picking his shirt off of the floor. “What the hell was that?” Lauren was mortified. Nicki shook her head and walked up the stairs. Lauren eyed Drake once he put his shirt back on. “So is someone gonna explain that?” She questioned him.

“I don’t even know what that was,” he sighed.

“Well then,” she turned and went upstairs with Drake. They went back to the table and everyone could feel the tension. Lauren noticed Mama Carol looking at Nicki a little too hard. Her eyes widen when she followed her eyes. “Nic,” Lauren kicked her. Nicki looked up and Lauren pointed to her neck. She quickly moved her hair to cover her neck but it was too late.

“Is that a hickey Onika?” Mama Carol eyed her. Everyone went silent while eyeing Nicki’s neck. She had more than one so it was obvious.

“Now that I’m looking at you, is that lipstick on your lips Aubrey?” Mama Sandi looked at his lips. He quickly picked up a napkin and wiped her lipstick off of him. Nicki groaned and held her head in her hands.

“Okay, one of you better start talking,” both moms looked at their children.

“It’s not what it looks like,” Nicki spoke.

“Really? Then what is it?” Abel cut in and Drake glared at him.

“You two have been acting weird ever since you’ve seen each other and now you hooked up with each other?” Mama Carol still couldn’t believe her daughter. She didn’t mind that she might be with Aubrey but still questioned if she was truly done with Zamir. She knew how messy that could get. Nicki used to tell her all about him on the phone.

“We did not hook up,” she defended herself.

“I mean you have more than one hickey and he had your lipstick all over his lips. I think I even see some of you lipstick leading down his neck. I don’t even wanna know how far down you went,” Cassie scrunched up her face.

“May I be excused?” Nicki hopped to her feet.

“No you may not; we haven’t even gotten to desert. You’ll have to suck it up missy,” her mom denied.

“I’m a grown woman Mom. I don’t have to deal with all of these questions,” she sat back down.

“Yes you are and you don’t have to answer any questions. You can just leave us to assume the worst,” she shrugged.

“What are you assuming?” Nicki didn’t want her to think more of the situation than what it was.

“You live out in LA and so does Aubrey. You came home after seeing him again and it looked like you saw a ghost. You were avoiding looking at Aubrey all night while he couldn’t keep his eyes off of you. You two just came back up here with all these marks. I’m assuming that this isn’t the first time you’ve seen each other in seven years. Matter of fact, I’m gonna go as far as assuming that this isn’t the first time you’ve hooked up with him,” she sat back with her arms crossed as everyone’s mouth dropped except for Sandi who was thinking the same thing.

“Wow she’s good,” Abel nodded at her.

“Can you shut up idiot?” Drake shoved him.

“So she’s right?” Sandi eyed them.

“I can't deal with this,” Nicki got up and left. All eyes were on Drake and he just stayed quiet.

“She’s not just some girl that you can hook up with Aubrey,” Sandi knew how her son went through girls.

“I know that Ma, it ain’t even like that. Everyone knows I love that girl,” he sighed. He’s been in love with her ever since he turned thirteen.

“Then why aren’t you going after her?” Carol looked at Aubrey.

“She needs some space and I’ll give that to her,” he knew that she needed to run everything through her mind.

Nicki took a shower and just sat on her bed. She couldn’t believe that she let him kiss her and go a little further. Everything was so complicated with Zamir and she didn’t want Aubrey in the middle of that. It would kill her if she hurt him. A knock disturbed her out of her thoughts and she saw her mom standing in the doorway.

“Can we talk now?” She looked at her daughter. Nicki nodded and Carol sat next to her. “What happened Onika?” She didn’t fully understand everything.

“I slept with him Mom,” Nicki cried. “I slept with him and I didn’t even know that it was him,” Carol pulled her daughter into her arms.

“Onika,” she sighed. “Did you do it to get Zamir back for sleeping with that girl?”

“I didn’t know it was him Mom. I swear I didn’t know or I wouldn’t have used him like that,” she broke down.

“Do you have feelings for him?”

“I don’t even wanna think about that. I can’t think about that while I’m going through all of this with Zamir,” she sighed.

“I’m not gonna tell you what to do but you should at least explain this situation to Aubrey instead of leading him on,” she eyed her daughter’s neck again.

“I didn’t mean to lead him on but when I look into his eyes, it’s hard to say no to him. He means a lot to me and he always has,” she admitted.

“Talk to Aubrey tomorrow but get some rest tonight,” she kissed her head before leaving out. Nicki was about to lay down but she heard her phone ringing. She knew that it was Zamir by the ringtone and reached over to grab it.

“Hey,” she said lowly.

“Hey,” he never knew how to fully apologize to her. “Look Nic, I’m sorry,” he apologized.

“I don’t get how you could sleep with her. We might have been on a break but since when was it okay to sleep with someone else?” She was more hurt than angry.

“I was drunk and jealous. You were doing that extra bullshit with that guy from the game and I wanted to make you jealous. I didn’t know that I would go that far,” he sighed.

“I’m not completely innocent either,” she knew that it was now or never.

“You slept with someone else?”

“Yeah and I did it out of spite,” she said.

“I guess I deserve that huh? Can we just start over with a clean slate?” He pleaded.

“Zamir, we’ve been going back and forth for seven years. Don’t you think that our hearts have suffered enough? Maybe this is a sign,” she didn’t want to do this but she knew that it was best.

“You want to break up? I can’t do that baby. I love you and we can’t just throw away seven years,” Nicki was torn between her heart and mind.

“I just need some space, is that too much to ask for?” She needed a rest for today. Between Aubrey and Zamir, she was confused.

“Nah, I should give that to you. I love you Onika, don’t forget that,” he spoke sincerely.

“I love you too Zamir,” she replied before they hung up.

~~~

Nicki took a deep breath before knocking on Mama Sandi’s door. She knew what she had to do but she was scared to do it. Aubrey answered it and looked at her in shock. “Um hey, what are you doing here?” He questioned.

“We need to talk,” she said simply. He nodded and he suggested going for a walk and she agreed. They walked down the sidewalk in silence at first. “Aubrey, you know how much you mean to me,” she started off. He nodded and knew that this wasn’t gonna go the way he wanted. “You mean a lot to mean which is why we can’t do whatever this is. I can’t hurt you like that, I refuse to hurt you,” she shook her head.

“I’m not some little boy Onika,” he wanted her to get that through her head.

“I know you aren’t but there’s someone else. I’ve been with him since I started college. We’re on and off a lot but I love him. He was my first everything but he also caused me a lot of pain. That night at the club, I wanted to get him back for sleeping with someone else. If I would’ve known that it was you then I wouldn’t have used you like that,” she sighed.

“So that night meant nothing to you?” He wasn’t mad but he was hurt.

“That’s where everything went left. I wasn’t supposed to catch feelings for you. It just makes things so much more complicated,” she couldn’t believe that she caught feelings for him.

“It does but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t give me a chance. Give me a chance to show you how I would treat you if you were mine. I promise that I can love you better than him,” he stopped walking and turned to face her. She looked up him debating if she wanted to take this chance with him.

“Aubrey,” she started but he cut her off.

“Drop all of the I don’t wanna hurt you bullshit. I’m old enough to be able to handle this. Stop imaging me as some little boy with a crush on you. I’m a grown man and I’m in love with you,” he locked his eyes with hers. She stood frozen at his confession.

“You can’t be in love with me Aubrey. I haven’t even been back in your life for that long,” she thought that he was just caught in his feelings.

“I’ve been in love with you since I was thirteen. I never forgot about you Onika, I never could. You’re the only girl that I have ever loved,” he confessed.

“See, when you say stuff like that it makes me not wanna hurt you even more. I can’t handle seeing you hurt Aubrey. I know that you’re old enough to handle it but I won’t be able to handle it. You’re an amazing guy and you can make any woman happy,” she reached out and rubbed his cheek.

“And I want you to be that woman. All I’m asking for is a chance Nic. If you choose him then there won’t be any hard feelings. I’ll still treat you the same and I won’t be hurt,” he grabbed her hand off of his cheek and kissed it.

“You really wanna do this?” She was still hesitant.

“I just want a chance and I can promise that you won’t regret it,” he promised her.

“Please don’t make me regret this. I can’t handle losing you this way,” she was slowly giving in.

“You’ll never lose me. I’ll always be here for you even if it’s as just a friend,” he loved her too much to ever push her away.

“Alright, I’ll give this a chance,” she agreed.

“You’re serious?” Those words were what he was waiting to hear for years. She nodded with a smile and he returned it. He pulled her close by her waist and kissed her.

~~~

“So you’re giving him a chance?” Lauren asked as she sat on Nicki’s bed with Cassie.

“Yeah, I kind of owe that to him. It’s not like I don’t have feelings for him so I’ll take a risk and try this out,” she shrugged.

“What about Zamir?” Cassie looked at her.

“I told him that I needed space. I think taking this risk with Aubrey will show me if I’m truly willing to give up seven years. We’ve been together for seven years yet we’re back at square one,” she sighed. Zamir wasn’t the type to fully commit to one girl but Nicki changed him. She knew that he was scared because he hadn’t felt this way about someone but she couldn’t take anymore of his games. If he couldn’t get over that fear for seven years then maybe he isn’t worth it.

“You know that Aubrey’s in love with you,” Lauren pointed out.

“Deep down, I’ve always known that. I remember one day when I was babysitting him, he suddenly changed. He started to spend more time with me than outside. He would ask questions about my life and try to get to know me. I thought that it was just a silly crush but when I kissed him, I knew that look in his eyes,” she said.

“Wait, you kissed him!?” Cassie snapped her head towards Nicki.

“He told me that he was saving his first kiss for me. It was just a harmless peck,” she spoke her defense.

“That’s so adorable. Now I want to know something. You had sex with Zamir and Aubrey so who’s better?” Lauren smirked.

“I don’t think that matters,” she shook her head.

“Just answer it Nic,” Cassie encouraged her.

“With Zamir, I know that he loves me and it’s beyond sex when I’m with him. Then there’s Aubrey, his touch felt familiar and I just felt comfortable with him. I knew that I could fully let go and he definitely knew how to please me. He found all of my weak spots and Zamir hasn’t even found all of them. Plus it does help that he’s blessed down there,” Nicki blushed.

“So you’re saying Aubrey,” Lauren eyed her and Nicki nodded.

“I don’t it will be that hard for you to pick between them,” Cassie grinned.

“It will be because it’s my heart vs. my mind. I know that I should let Zamir go but he still has this hold on my heart. I keep thinking that I shouldn’t go there with Aubrey but he means so much to me. I don’t wanna hurt either one of them,” she huffed out of frustration.

“Give Aubrey a true chance and give him your all. Don’t hold back just because you’re scared. I think you’re scared because you know that he can love you better. You won’t believe it until he proves it and in order for him to do that, you have to try,” Lauren gave her a look.

“You’re right, he deserves a fair shot,” Nicki nodded.

“Are you sure that you’re ready to try this with him?”

“Positive,” she let out a smile.

Short Story: Pure of Heart {Part 2}

“Nicki you really need to see a doctor. There is something wrong with you and I don’t know what it’ll take for you to admit it. Will it take you being on your death bed?” Elena had been trying to get Nicki to go to a doctor for the last hour.

“I already told you that I can’t afford it and I can’t miss work. I’ll be fine,” she brushed it off.

“Drake would give you the money in a heartbeat,” she mumbled.

“I don’t want his money, his sympathy, or anything else he wants to give me. The only thing he needs to do is take care of Kari,” she snapped. Elena knew better than to bring up Drake.

“It was thirteen years ago Nic. He was young and so were you. Obviously he changed because he’s taking care of Kari. Why don’t you just give him a second chance? Doesn’t everyone deserve a second chance?” Elena’s words threw Nicki into a flashback.

“Just give me a second chance and I’ll prove it to you,” Drake pleaded with Nicki. They’ve been going back and forth for hours.

“What’s the point of a second chance when nothing will change?” She sat on the bed and closed her eyes out of frustration.

“It can start by this,” Nicki opened her eyes to find him down on one knee.

“Aubrey,” her eyes went wide.

“I don’t care about our age and that we’re young. I don’t care what anyone else thinks. Fuck what our parents want for us. I just want you to be happy and I’ll do anything for you. I wanna be able to call you my wife. Will you marry me?” He looked up at her.

Nicki snapped out of it and looked back at Elena. “I’d rather see him burn in hell than give him a second chance,” Nicki ended the conversation and got ready for work.

It’s been four days and Kari hadn’t uttered another word to him. He’s been trying to figure out how to help Nicki but came up short. He just wanted to take care of them but he knew that Nicki held a huge grudge against him. It’s not like he didn’t deserve it but he’s changed and he only wanted to prove it. He got up and walked to Kari’s room.

“Kari?” He knocked before entering. He didn’t see her but he heard the toilet flush and connected the dots. He walked over to her bed and saw a notebook opened. He picked up the notebook and there were drawings. They weren’t regular drawings; they were drawings of monsters and demons.

“Don’t touch my stuff,” Kari snatched it out of his hands.

“Why would you draw stuff like that?” He saw some pretty disturbing stuff in that notebook.

“It’s all I see in my head,” she sighed.

“Why would you see monsters and demons in your head?” He walked closer to her. Flashbacks ran through her mind as she tried to fight them off.

“Stay here,” Nicki told Kari as shots fired off.

“Mommy I’m scared,” she cried. Kari was only six at the time but she was used to this.

“I know baby but just stay in the closet. I’ll go make sure everything is safe,” she kissed her head before walking out. Kari opened the door slightly and saw through the window in her room. People were getting shot on the spot and they were setting some houses on fire. She moved closer and placed her hand on the window. A guy looked up and spotted her by the window. He smirked before aiming his gun at the window and pulling the trigger. Kari screamed and ran out of the way but window shattered. She touched her hand against the back of her neck and felt blood.

She touched the back of her neck and remembered the feeling of glass going through her skin. She looked at him and just shook her head. “Because I do,” she dismissed it. Drake sighed because he knew that was all he would get out of her for right now. “Can I talk to my mom?” She asked. He nodded while grabbing his phone and calling her. Kari took the phone and waited for her to pick up.

“What do you want now?” Nicki rolled her eyes. She really couldn’t stand hearing his voice.

“It’s me,” Kari said.

“Hey baby, how are you?” Nicki sat up quickly. She was worried how Kari felt over there. It’s a different lifestyle than what she’s used to.

“I could be better, how are you?” She knew that there was something wrong with her mom. Her mom just couldn’t afford to go to a doctor.

“I’m fine baby. I don’t want you worrying about me,” Nicki said before groaning. She felt a strong discomfort in her chest.

“You sound worse mom,” Kari sighed. Drake became interested in the conversation when he heard that. Is Nicki sick or something?

“I’ll be fine Kari, it’s just a stupid strain,” she promised.

“You don’t know that for sure. You really need to see a doctor or something. It could be something more serious than that,” Kari couldn’t imagine losing her mom. Her mom was all she had in life.

“I promise that I’ll be fine. I need to get ready for work but I’ll call you later okay?”

“Okay, I love you,” she said.

“I love you too,” Nicki responded before they hung up. Drake looked at his daughter in curiosity.

“Is something wrong with Nicki?” He asked. Kari looked up at him in shock. She completely forgot that he was in the room because she was so focused on her mother.

“Why does it matter? It’s not like she’ll let you help in any kind of way,” she shrugged. Her mom was stubborn but so was she. She felt like they could make it without him in their lives.

“When it comes to her health, no is not an option. Nicki will just have to suck it up because I’m not taking no for an answer,” he refused to let something bad happen to her.

“She’s fine, it’s just some stupid cold,” Kari brushed it off and Drake let it go for now.

“I want to take you somewhere,” he said and she grew nervous. She didn’t want to go anywhere.

“Is it back home?” She raised a brow.

“I want to take you to meet my parents,” he let out a small smile.

“Thanks but no thanks. I don’t do meetings,” she shook her head.

“You’ll love them,” he assured her.

“My mom absolutely hates them so why would I like them?” She scrunched up her eyebrows. She didn’t know much but she knew that her mom hated his parents, her parents, and him.

“They aren’t the same they used to be. I promise that it won’t be that bad,” he tried to convince her.

“Fine,” she agreed. She wanted answers so she thought that this might be a good idea. She got dressed and Drake was about to have his driver take them. “Can you not? Is it that hard for you to drive?” Kari didn’t like being around random people hence why she didn’t want to be around Drake.

“Sure,” he got in one of his cars and they pulled off. Drake moved his parents out to LA a few years ago. Kari stayed silent the entire ride and she grew nervous. She was bad at meeting people and she had anger towards these people. “Here we are,” Drake pulled into the driveway and they got out.

“Do they know about me?” She questioned as they walked onto the porch.

“They’re about to,” he used his key and walked in. “Mom,” he called out. Kari heard footsteps and then a white lady appeared in front of them. She pulled Drake into a hug while Kari stood there confused. He’s half white? Does that mean I’m like one fourth white? She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t notice that his father came down and now everyone was staring at her. She looked up but stayed quiet.

“Who is this Aubrey?” His mom eyed Kari. She had an idea of who she was but didn’t want to believe it.

“Mom, Dad, this is my daughter Kari,” he moved a little so Kari could be fully seen. It seemed like she was trying to hide behind him.

“She kept the baby,” his dad said slowly while Drake nodded.

“Oh Aubrey, she looks just like you,” his mom wiped her tears.

“Can I go to the bathroom?” Kari looked up at Drake.

“Yeah just go straight and then make a right,” he directed her. She nodded and walked down the hallway. There were many pictures of Drake but she just ignored them before going into the bathroom. She locked the door and leaned against the sink.

“Just breathe Kari,” she told herself. She had anxiety and it was worse when she was put in situations like this. “You don’t know these people and you don’t need to know them. Just get answers and get out,” she looked at herself in the mirror. She took one more deep breath before exiting the bathroom and following the voices. It led her to the living room and everyone looked at her once again.

“Come here,” Drake waved her over. She walked to the couch and sat on the end far away from everyone.

“It’s nice to meet you Kari,” his mom smiled at her. She just stayed silent as she tried to form words.

“You gonna say anything?” Drake looked at her concerned.

“What did you do to my mom?” She blurted out. The room went silent as Kari waited.

“Kari,” Drake warned her.

“It’s okay Aubrey, she’s just curious. It’s a lot more than you think,” his dad said.

“So why don’t you tell me?” She sat back and crossed her arms.

“We were different people back then,” his mom sighed before they went into the story.

“You’re telling me that this girl is pregnant?” Sandi looked at Nicki horrified. She couldn’t believe that she would trap him like this.

“She’s more than just some girl,” he defended her.

“You’re using him aren’t you? You know that he’s gonna blow up and you just wanna be along for the ride huh? How do you even know that it’s his?” She eyed her.

“I am not a slut. Don’t try to come over here and act like you know me,” Nicki stood up straight.

“Make the baby disappear,” Dennis locked his eyes with Drake.

“How about I make us disappear? If you’re not gonna accept Nicki and this baby then you’re not accepting me,” he shook his head then grabbed Nicki’s hand and left.

“What changed between then and when you wanted her to have an abortion?” Kari looked at Drake.

“I believed what I heard. I had it set in my head that she was using me. My parents were telling me to get rid of the baby and her parents were saying the same thing. She refused and that’s when I thought that she was trapping me. I was young and dumb,” he wasn’t proud of his actions but Kari deserved the truth.

“Wow, so you all wanted me dead? It’s fine because y’all were dead in my head anyway. I don’t have grandparents and I sure as hell don’t have a father,” she stood up and walked out of the house. Drake sighed before following her.

“Where do you think you’re going? You don’t know your way around here,” Drake told her as she kept walking.

“I’ll figure something out,” she said before he turned her around. “Don’t touch me! Don’t you dare put your hands on me,” she pulled away quickly.

“I don’t know why you’re holding me against my actions as a young and dumb boy. I’ve changed and I’m trying to prove that to you and Nicki,” he knew this would be hard but he didn’t know that it would be like this.

“I don’t need you to prove anything. You might have changed but my memories haven’t. Do you have any idea what your actions caused? My mom was on the streets pregnant because of you. It took her months until she met Auntie Elena. She took my mom in when she had no one,” she cut her eyes at him.

“She was on the streets?” He couldn’t imagine Nicki being on the streets. Did he really cause her to run and end up on the streets?

“You thought that she would have someone there for her? No one wanted me to live. Our bills are piling up and I think my mom might be severely sick but she can’t afford to go to a doctor. Do you see this scar?” She moved her hair and showed her neck.

“A guy shot at our window and glass went through my skin. This scar on my arm was when we were robbed. And this,” she lifted her shirt slightly and showed her back. There was a huge scar and she hardly showed it to anyone.

“This was when our building burned down. My mom has worse scars than me,” she pulled her shirt back down.

“All of that happened to you guys?” Drake was mortified. He didn’t understand why Nicki wouldn’t just call him. He made some mistakes but she could’ve tried to talk to him.

“Welcome to my life,” she shrugged.

“Kari,” he started but she cut him off.

“You know what Drake? I’ve had enough for today. Can we just go back to your house?” She sighed. He nodded and they walked back to his car.

Nicki sighed as she saw another bill. “Nicki, you need his help. I can deal with you being stubborn about the bills but when it comes to your health, it’s not okay,” Elena refused to let her ignore her health.

“I’m scared,” she finally admitted. She doesn’t want to go to the doctor because she was scared.

“Scared of what?” Elena scrunched up her face.

“I’m scared that I’m really sick. Call me dumb but if I am, I’d rather not know. I just want to act like everything is normal,” she moved to put on her shoes.

“You are dumb if you think that’s a good idea. Think about Kari and how she would feel when something bad happens to you?” She crossed her arms.

“Just drop it Elena!” She snapped before walking towards the door.

“Nic,” Elena noticed her wobbling back and forth a little. She rushed to her feet just in time to catch Nicki from falling. Nicki groaned while holding her chest. “Will you listen to me now? You’re going to the hospital and I’ll cover it,” she helped Nicki get out of her house. Elena was struggling with bills too but her friend was more important.

Kari sighed in relief when they reached his house. “Kari,” Drake called out to her before she could go up the stairs.

“What do you want Drake? I’m so done with all of this drama,” she huffed.

“Alright,” he let her run up the stairs. He knew that he screwed up thinking that Nicki was after him for his money. When Nicki told him that she was pregnant, he proposed to her. When she left, she left the ring on his bed. He remembered when he last saw her.

He just came home from a long talk with his parents. He heard shuffling in his room so he knew that she was in there. “We need to talk,” he told her as he walked in.

“What is it?” She turned to look at him and scrunched up her face at his demeanor.

“Why are you holding onto this baby?” He questioned as she stood in shock. He never talked about not wanting this baby before.

“Did you just come back from your parents house?” She crossed her arms.

“Yeah and they made a lot of sense. I don’t see why you won’t just get an abortion. We can have babies further on in our lives,” he didn’t see what the big deal was about keeping this baby.

“So you want me to kill our baby because your parents told you so?” She knew that he was gullible but she didn’t think that he would be this stupid. His parents have been controlling his life for as long as he could remember and so have Nicki’s parents. They decided to disown her after she told them that she wasn’t getting an abortion.

“You’re making this more than what it needs to be. Just get an abortion Nic,” he sighed.

“I’m making it more than what it needs to be when you’re telling me to get an abortion? You want to kill our baby. Our baby Aubrey! I don’t know what the hell your parents told you but wake up. This isn’t you, why would you be siding with them on this?” She asked while trying to control her emotions.

“You’re just trying to trap me. I’m not gonna be a rapper with a kid. That will ruin my image and I damn sure ain’t gon have a baby mama. Just kill the baby,” he snapped.

“No,” she shook her head.

“Either you get rid of the baby or I’ll do it for you!” He yelled to her. Nicki couldn’t believe that he would say something like that to her.

“You can’t be serious Aubrey,” she had tears rolling down her face. No one wanted to support her but she wouldn’t give up.

“I’m dead serious,” his voice sent chills down her body. She has never seen him act like this and she was fearful for her life.

“Fine,” she agreed before walking away. She wasn’t gonna abort her baby so she knew that the best thing to do was to leave. She’ll go somewhere no one would think she would go and not leave a trace of her behind.

He got snapped out of his flashback when his phone rang. “Hello?” He answered once he saw that it was Nicki.

“Look, I’m Nicki’s friend and I need you to get Kari here as soon as you can,” she told him.

“Why? Is something wrong with Nicki?” His heart started racing at the thought of something happening to her.

“I just need you to get Kari here,” she hung up. Drake sighed before going up the stairs to Kari’s room. He walked in and she was just staring out of the window.

“I told you that I’m done,” she refused to look at him.

“It’s beyond that Kari; you need to get your things. Your mom’s friend called and she needs you back in New York as soon as possible,” he said and she immediately popped up.

“Is something wrong with my mom!?” Her eyes started to water.

“I don’t know,” he sighed as they rushed to his car.

Short Story: What Do I Do Now? {Part 1}

"Aubrey Drake Graham you better get back here," Nicki crossed her arms. She had absolutely no tolerance for this right now.

"Not till my girlfriend kisses me," he puckered his lips. Aubrey is fourteen years old and he had it set in his mind that Nicki was his girlfriend. Nicki had been babysitting him since she was twelve so they’re pretty close.

“Boy stop playing,” she walked right past him and plopped down on the couch. She grabbed the remote before flipping through the channels. Aubrey walked over and sat right next to her. He looked like he had something deep on his mind so Nicki scrunched up her face. “What are you thinking about?”

“I’m just gonna miss you Nic,” he shrugged. He never thought about how far away she was gonna be. She wouldn’t be across the street from him anymore. It was finally sinking in for him.

“You act like I’m dying or something. I’m just going to college Aubrey. You know that I’ll still visit so stop making that face,” she looked at him.

“Promise?” He gave her a hopeful look.

“Promise,” she assured him. She couldn’t stay away from home for too long.

“Kiss on it?” He grinned. He never missed the chance to flirt with her and Nicki found it amusing. She gave him some credit because he got rejected over and over yet he still tried.

“Boy if you don’t stop,” she shook her head with a laugh.

“I’ve been saving my first kiss for you. Do you know how hard that was being this fine?” He motioned to himself. Aubrey wasn’t overly cocky but he knew what he was working with. All the girls at his school wanted him. He’s about to head into his freshman year in high school and Nicki’s going to be a freshman in college.

“You haven’t had your first kiss?” Nicki was shocked because she’s seen the way those girls in his grade looked at him. He’s only fourteen and already had hoes. He shook his head no and Nicki smiled small. “Aw that’s too cute Aubrey,” she leaned over and pecked his lips softly. “Now you have,” she smiled at him but it seemed like he couldn’t move an inch. He finally snapped out of his shock and turned to her.

“Thank you Nika,” he touched his lips. He couldn’t believe that his dream girl actually kissed him. He’ll forever remember this moment. Nicki heard the garage and stood up.

“Sounds like your mom’s home. Come give me a hug,” she opened her arms. Aubrey stood up and hugged her. “I’ll see you soon okay?” She saw him nod as she let him go.

7 Years Later

 “I need some dick!” Lauren announced to her friends. Nicki looked at her and laughed because she was drunk off her ass.

“I think you’ve had enough,” Cassie grabbed the drink out of her hand. Nicki looked over and spotted a guy by the bar in the club. She could only see his side profile but he was gorgeous.

“Look over there by the bar,” she told Cassie and Lauren. They looked very confused on what they were looking for. “The guy in the white shirt with the black jacket,” she said. Cassie’s eyes went wide at the sight of how sexy he was.

“He is so fine,” Lauren voiced her opinion.

“I know,” Cassie couldn’t stop looking at him.

“I saw him first,” Nicki smirked. Lauren and Cassie shared a look before looking back at Nicki. Nicki already knew what they were about to say but she didn’t wanna hear it.

“What about Zamir?” Cassie asked.

“We’re not together anymore,” she left it at that. She wanted to forget about him and move on.

“Y’all say that every week. You’ll be back with him by Monday,” Lauren shook her head.

“Well I don’t care. I don’t want him back anyway,” she cut the conversation off. They went to the dance floor and started dancing. She kept glancing at the guy and she noticed that he glanced at her too. He said something to one of his friends before walking over to her.

“Wassup beautiful, I’m Drake,” he told her.

“I’m Nicki,” she smiled and he couldn’t believe how gorgeous this girl was. He’s seen some sexy women but Nicki by far stuck out to him. Nicki looked into his eyes and could sense something familiar about him but couldn’t think of anything. “You look really familiar,” she eyed him again but came up with nothing.

“I would remember if I met someone as gorgeous as you,” he complimented her.

“You look young also. Are you even legal?” Nicki joked as they swayed to the beat.

“I just turned twenty one baby girl, I’m far past legal,” he grinned. Nicki could’ve sworn that she’s seen that grin before.

“You’re still a baby,” she laughed.

“How old are you? If you’re talking about how I’m a baby then you gotta be a senior citizen,” he chuckled when he saw her face.

“I’m twenty five,” she liked his personality. It was like she’s known him for years and he was sweet.

“I love me an older woman,” he smirked.

“You just want some,” Nicki knew that was on his mind and it was on hers too.

“And if I do?” Drake pulled her closer as she looked up at him.

“Would you be able to keep up with a girl like me? I mean, you’re kind of young,” she spoke in his ear.

“The better question is would you be able to handle me?” he turned her around and pressed her backside against him.  Nicki could feel him through his pants and he was huge. He felt bigger than Zamir and that made her not even care about getting Zamir back. All she cared about at this moment was getting some.

“Let’s go,” she whispered before walking through the crowd and out of the club. Drake drove her to his house and they talked along the way. “You really remind me of someone but I can’t think of who,” she just felt like she knew this man.

“You remind me of someone too,” he won’t deny that she didn’t remind him a lot of a certain someone but he knew that she could never be the same girl. At least he could pretend she was for tonight. He pulled up to his house and shut the car off. As they got out of the car, he grabbed her, pressed her back against the car, and kissed her; a kiss that left her breathless and weak-kneed. "Sorry, I've wanted to do that all night," he said.

“Oh it’s fine,” she smirked before he took her hand and walked into his house.

Drake led her by the hand towards the bedroom then pulled her inside the bedroom and began kissing her overpoweringly again. It had been so long since she was kissed so intensely. Nicki pulled off her dress and panties together and stepped out of them swiftly. As she was doing so, Drake pulled off his shirt and they sunk onto the bed. In no time Drake buried his face between her legs.

“Drake!” She moaned as she came down from her third orgasm. He pulled down his jeans and then his boxers. She sat up and looked at him. Lord he was beautiful. He was tall, but everything was in proportion. He rolled on a condom before sliding into her. He had never felt someone so tight and she has never felt someone so big. Zamir couldn’t even give her half the pleasure her could. He flipped over and let her ride for a bit. Zamir didn’t care about giving her pleasure in the bedroom unlike Drake who’s focusing on pleasing her. She couldn’t hold it any longer and came hard.

“Drake!” He lowered her back onto the bed and they lay beside each other exhausted but not finished. “Damn,” she sighed as they caught their breath for a second.

“You ready?” He eyed her. She nodded as he climbed back on top of her. As the hours passed, the sex seemed to never stop. They came for a final time together and Nicki couldn’t feel between her legs. They both were out of breath and his strong hands were rubbing her tired back upwards and downwards. When Nicki woke up, it took her a minute before she figured out where she was. She got up with a hiss before grabbing her clothes and started redressing.

“Morning,” Drake’s voice rung out and Nicki jumped slightly.

“You scared me,” she sighed of relief. They just looked at each other not sure what to really say. “Thanks for last night, I really needed that,” she chuckled slightly.

“Glad I was able to help with sexual frustration,” he grinned. Nicki eyed him a little longer trying to figure out who he was. That stupid grin was way too familiar. She gave up and figured it was probably best that she didn’t remember.

“Well I’m gonna go,” she smiled small before walking out. Drake sat up and looked around his room. He spotted a phone by his nightstand and walked over to grab it. I guess she left her phone. Nicki on the other hand was too busy packing. She threw her clothes in her suitcase quickly trying to hurry. She knew that she might miss her flight if she’s late.

“Your mom is gonna kill you,” Lauren held off her laugh as Cassie stood by her side.

“Can y’all just grab my bags and put them in the car?” She pleaded while pulling her hair up in a messy bun.

“She was too busy getting some dick from that sexy lil thing,” Cassie smirked at her.

“Shut up,” she grabbed her purse before they pulled off.

“I called you this morning but you didn’t answer so you can’t blame me for not warning you,” Lauren informed her. She was supposed to make sure that Nicki got up on time but she hadn’t answered her phone.

“Let me see,” she dug through her purse and pulled out her phone. “You called my other one?” She looked at Lauren as she nodded. She searched through her stuff but couldn’t find it. “Damn I think I left it at Drake’s house,” she sighed.

“Just call him and tell him that you’ll pick it up once we get back from New York,” Lauren shrugged. She called her number and waited for him to pick up. Drake looked at her phone and saw that the contact said me. He was very confused but answered.

“Hello?”

“So you’re just gonna answer my phone now?” Nicki smirked as she heard his laugh.

“I saw the contact saying me so I figured that it might have been your second phone or something,” he shrugged while pouring himself some cereal.

“I’m gonna need that back boy,” she spoke and he shook his head with a grin.

“I thought I proved to you last night that I was a man,” he knew that he tired her ass out.

“Whatever,” she sucked her teeth. “I’m going out of town for a week so I can drop by and pick it up next week,” she said.

“Alright,” he agreed before they hung up. He noticed that she didn’t have a password on her phone so he opened her pictures. He was just curious of what pictures he may find. She had a few sexy ones but it was a classy kind of sexy. He thought that she was adorable but he almost dropped her phone when he saw one picture. He guessed it was a picture of her younger but he knew that face anywhere. It was a picture of her next to him at his house seven years ago. Onika?

~~~

Nicki stood in front of her house but she didn’t move an inch. “He’s gone Nic,” Lauren rubbed her back before they walked towards the door. That’s why Nicki hasn’t been back home for seven years, him. Her mother was dating this man who was abusive and she told her mother time and time again to break up with him but she refused. One day he hit Nicki and she was done. She held her breath before knocking on the door. It swung open quickly and her brother, Caiah, tackled her into a hug.

“Nic,” he pulled her close. He hasn’t seen her in person for seven long years. She left when he was seven and now he’s fourteen.

“Hey Caiah,” she smiled as he let them in. She smelled her mother’s cooking and automatically  missed being home. “Mom?” She called out as she walked into the kitchen. Her mother turned around and smiled widely.

“Onika,” she pulled her into her arms and tried to contain her tears. She knew why Nicki stayed away but it hurt her that she was so blinded by love.

“Hey Mom,” Nicki smiled as she looked around the kitchen.

“Go unpack with your friends and then we can eat,” her mother shooed her out of the kitchen before turning the stove off.

Drake sat still in his seat as he stared at the picture. This couldn’t be Nicki, not his Nicki. How did he not realize this? It’s because she hadn’t been home in seven years. He was crushed when she didn’t come home but he grew up and shook it off. She probably had her reasons but he took it personal because he was a stupid kid in love with a girl that he knew he’d never get. The girl he knew that he’d never get but he actually got.

“I had sex with Nicki,” he said slowly.

“I had sex with Nicki,” he couldn’t believe what he was saying.

“I had sex with Nicki!”

“I get it damn, you had sex with a chick named Nicki,” Abel walked into the kitchen. Abel was living with Drake while his home gets fixed. He spent the night out with his girl and Drake was grateful for that.

“Nah, I had sex with my Nicki,” Drake handed Abel her phone with the picture. Abel’s eyes widen as he saw a younger Nicki and Drake.

“You had sex with your babysitter Nicki?” He couldn’t believe with this guy was saying.

“I didn’t know it was her until she left her phone. She’s supposed to come pick her phone up when she’s back in Cali. She’s going somewhere for a week. I don’t know if I act like I don’t know it’s her or if I should say something,” he ran his hand down his face.

“Bro, you’re dumb as hell right now. You know her mom’s birthday is two days from now. Her mom left that ass so where else would she would be going?” Abel knew Nicki when he was younger because she was all Drake would talk about.

“So you think that she’s in New York?” He perked up. He was gonna visit his mom soon so why not now?

“Let’s pack,” Abel nodded.

“So when are you gonna settle down Onika?” Her mom asked her as they all ate dinner. Nicki hated that question because she hadn’t been in a serious relationship with anyone besides Zamir. She loved him but they go back and forth. One day they’re together and the next day they aren’t. Then he gets mad at her for screwing other guys when he’s screwing other girls. Zamir gave her a headache and she was considering being done with him once and for all.

“Yeah Nic, when are you gonna settle down?” Lauren smirked while eyeing her. Nicki rolled her eyes before letting out a huff.

“When I’m ready to settle down, I will. I’m only twenty five and I have more than enough time to settle down.

“I swear you and Aubrey are just the same,” her mom shook her head.

“Aww how is my little Aubrey?” Nicki smiled. That little boy held a special place in her heart.

“He’s good and he’s not so little anymore Nicki. He’s a grown man and he doesn’t even go by Aubrey anymore. I forgot what he goes by but I still call him Aubrey,” her mom told her.

“Well I’ll have to go and visit Mama Sandi and if I’m lucky, Aubrey might be there,” she smiled.

“Who’s Aubrey? Is he an old boyfriend or something?” Cassie eyed her. Lauren was the only one to grow up with her so she knew who Aubrey was.

“He’s a guy I used to babysit. He was so adorable and I was his first crush,” she flipped her hair. It flattered her but he was way too young.

“You say that with so much pride,” Lauren laughed.

Drake unpacked in his old room while Abel took over the guest room. His mom was ecstatic when he showed up at her front steps. She went off at him for not visiting more often but she still was happy to see him. “You know Onika is back in town,” she told him as they sat around in the living room.

“Oh trust me, he knows,” Abel mumbled.

“Oh really? That’s cool,” he nodded.

“Stop acting like you didn’t have the biggest crush on her. You bugged me every day when she left. Poor Aubrey cried in his room,” she told Abel.

“What?” He laughed while Drake groaned.

“Mom can you stop making me look like some wimp?” He pleaded.

“You were a wimp when it came to her,” Abel reminded him.

“I still am,” he said lowly as the flashbacks from that night hit him. “I gotta go to the bathroom real quick,” he got up and went to his bedroom downstairs before walking in the bathroom.

“I can just visit her today and find out if Aubrey will be coming home any time soon,” Nicki told her mother as she walked across the street. Lauren and Cassie were right behind her. Lauren wanted to see Mama Sandi and Cassie wanted to meet her. Nicki knocked on the door and waited. She looked around at the yard and smiled at all of the memories. She doesn’t care how much older Aubrey has gotten; he’ll forever be that little boy in her head. Mama Sandi opened the door and immediately wrapped her arms around Nicki.

“You’ve gotten so big,” she said before letting her go and hugging Lauren.

“Mama, this is my friend Cassie,” she introduced the two. Mama Sandi just pulled her into a hug before letting them all in.

“First Aubrey came over and now you,” she was truly happy as she led them to the living room. Abel looked up and already knew that they were in for it. He wanted to record the look on Nicki’s face once she realized it was him but decided against it. He’ll wait until Drake gets up here.

“Abel?” Nicki rushed over and hugged him.

“Wassup Nic,” he hugged her back before Lauren hugged him.

“Wassup sexy,” he licked his lips and Lauren just rolled her eyes with a laugh.

“Same old Abel,” she joked before they all caught up. They heard footsteps leading to the living room and Nicki smiled.

“That must be Aubrey,” Mama Sandi told her. Drake walked into the living room and was shocked to see Nicki sitting in his seat. Nicki’s face drained of color as Cassie’s and Lauren’s mouths dropped. “Aubrey, Onika finally came to see you,” Mama Sandi didn’t notice the obvious tension.

“Hey Nic,” he rubbed the back of his neck.

“U-um hi A-Aubrey,” she stuttered and she couldn’t believe who stood in front of her.

“Quite a reunion isn’t it?” Abel smirked as Nicki and Drake continued to stare at each other.

Another story I decided to fix up and then repost