New Friends

It was finally Friday. Nicki liked school but she felt like this was the longest 3 weeks of her life. Today she would go shopping with Cristina and Lauren. She met Cristina in Geometry class and Lauren started off as just Cristina's friend that she met at lunch one day. She then realized she had most of her classes with Lauren. They were both fairly short and had dimples just like Nicki. Cristina wore her black hair curly while Lauren preferred her black hair straight. Nicki fell into their clique quickly. There was Trey, Lauren's boyfriend. Sean, Cristina's boyfriend. And then there is Wayne and Michael. On the other hand SB didn't have a clique. Just this one friend Drake. Drake was a lot like SB. They didn't completely open up to each other but they didn't have to, they knew enough to call each other brothers. Drake came from Canada weeks after Nicki left back to Trinidad. Drake lived next door to SB ever since and their moms became close. SB's mother told his mom all about Nicki and her mom so when the Maraj family came back Mama Carol fit in perfectly. But it was different for the kids. Drake didn't know about Nicki, to him she was just the cute new girl to the block. Drake usually didn't like the people SB didn't like for the sake of 'boy code' but since SB didn't mention Nicki, Drake began to get to know her. (But this story isn't about Drakes sexy ass so back to Nicki). 

*shopping trip* 

The girls went to Nickis house after school and since it was mid December they figured they'd start shopping for Christmas gifts. Nicki loved to shop and was so happy that Lauren and Christina loved it too. 

"Mommmmmm I'm going shopping for gifts, I'll be back later" 

"Don't only shop for Safaree! Get me and your brothers something too" her mother said walking pass her while winking. 

"Ooooooooh who's Safaree?" Lauren and Cristina asked at the same time. 

"So you didn't tell them about him but you can talk my ear off about him all the time!?" 

"Bye mom" Nicki said walking towards the door. She didn't hear the girls behind her when she opened the door so she turned around. She shook her head when she saw them sitting on the couch listening to what ever her mother was saying. She sat on the side of the couch near Lauren and Cristina. 

"So we finally moved back and she acts as if she doesn't want anything to do with him" her mother continued. 

"That's not true, he wants nothing to do with me." Nicki defended herself and her friends just gave her a death glare so she threw her hands up and 'zipped' her lips. 

"I'm surprised you girls don't know him. He goes to your school." 

"WAIT ! This story just got better" Lauren said while fixing her bangs. 

"You are so nosy" Nic said shaking her head. "Now mom, if you're done with story time I'd like to go shopping. 

Ignoring her comment Cristina mumbled "Safaree" over and over because it sounded familiar. 

"Whoaaaaa he wouldn't go by SB now would he?" 

"That's the one!" Mama said smiling. "Such a stupid name! I prefer Safaree" 

Nicki got up because at the mention of his name she got butterflies. It was normal for a 16 year old girl but this always happened to her, SB was all she thought about when she was in Trinidad. Before she could leave the room Christina pulled her back and pushed her on the couch. 

"Soooo ONIKA ! Sb !? Sb !?" 

Nicki stayed quiet. Lauren walked over "don't pressure her to tell us! I mean she does talk to us every day and we tell her everything but WHATEVER" Nicki laughed "shut uppppppppp! Can we shop or should we go up to my room, change into ourPJ's and spend the night talking about SB?" "I mean we're spending the night so why not?" Cristina said before her and Lauren raced up the stairs. Nicki dropped her head. "This is going to be a long night". 

Nicki grabbed a water before she followed them upstairs. She sat on the bed in front of Lauren and gave an innocent smile. She figured Cristina was in the bathroom until she heard loud screaming from her closet. 

"NOOOOO WAYYYY!" They jumped up and ran toward the yelling. Nicki had a walk in closet that had a secret door alllllll the way in the back. That's where they found Cristina. Sitting on the floor holding a book with teary eyes.

 "Why are you here?" 

"Nicki shut up, Lauri! Look at this" she yelled passing the book. It had pictures of Nicki and SB playing in the park, walking hand in hand, smiling in each others faces and at the end of the book was a picture of Nicki crying. Then a picture not even Nicki saw before fell out. 

"Wait what's this?" Lauren asked picking up the picture. 

"It looks like Faree but why is he crying?" 

"Awwwwwww that was your nickname for him!?"

Nicki just grabbed the picture and went to her moms room followed by Cris and Ren. 

"Mom how'd this picture get in my book?" 

"What book?"

"YOU KNOW WHAT BOOK!"

"Oh the Onika-Faree book?" She asked with a smirk. 

"Aww Nicki that's what you named it? It would go better together tho. With out the dash, right Mama?" 

"Yes Lauren you're right." 

"Mom! The picture?" 

"Welllll..... his mother gave it to me the other day and I thought it would go well."

Nicki didn't believe her. "Why would she give you a picture of him crying?" All three girls sat down on the bed. 

"Fine Onika! She was saying how it's sad how you guys won't talk when he use to cry for you every night." 

"Awwwwwwww." Lauren and Cristina said while Nicki just sat there. 

"He would wake up saying your name, it was really cute. But after a few years she had to stop it. She brought out her camera and said if he didn't stop acting like a baby she'd take a picture and show you when you came back. That's why he's covering his face. He said you couldn't see him like that". 

Nicki didn't know what to say but she realized she hurt him. Although it wasn't her fault she left she felt bad. She felt tears escaping her eyes so she got up and walked out. She walked to her room and layed down. Followed by Lauren and Cristina minutes later. They didn't push the situation any further. They just laid on each side of her and snuggled to her to comfort her. In less than 5 minutes they were sound asleep.