3. Starting anew

Gabriella Richardson

Home, Dawn Beach, St. Maarten

5:00 P.M., Sunday

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I’m here lying on my bed with my iphone in my hands. I was going through my twitter account and listening to Fire Burns from Nicki Minaj. I saw the some of my friends were trying to console me sinds they hadn’t seen me in a while. They wanted to visit me, but knew my parents would say no. I sighed.

“I hope you lay down in your sleep and you choke on every lie you’ve told.” That line meant so much right now. I could feel the anger weld up inside me. I took a deep breath before looking up Nick’s Twitter to see what she was up to.            

That’s another thing, Nicki Minaj is e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g to me. She always manages to bring my mood up when I’m down. She strong and independent. I want to be just like her some day. She has this beautiful smile that could lite up a room. Her flow is super tight and she doesn’t let the critics get to her. My parents don’t like her. They say she’s a bad influence and an idiot. I keep my mouth shut and obey them, in fear that they would hurt me again. But once they’re gone out, I blast her music like I’m having a party.

I see that Nicki’s posted a new tweet.

“St. Maarten, I see you. #Vacation #Myx #GetInTheMyx.” I dropped my phone onto my bed. I couldn’t believe it. Nicki was coming to my island.

“Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!” I screamed while jumping up and down on my bed. I even cried alittle. I had to call up Zaire. That’s my best friend. She understands me and I get her. I dialed her number and let the phone ring. It rung 3 times before she answered.

“Yas bitch?”

“NICKI’S COMING TO ST. MAARTEN HOEEEEE !!”

“Gahd gyal, you nah have tah yell in mah ear suh, and for real?!?”

“Yes hoe.”

“Well, we have to go see her. Good thing my dad works at the airport.”

“But Zaire, I can’t go.” I said. My eyes began to water. I couldn’t believe this.

“Well..uhmmm… I’ll try to find out which hotel she’s’s in staying in. Hopefully it’s Westin. That’s in Dawn Beach right?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Ahh well, babessss I have to go. Mom’s calling.”

“Ait ma, see you.” I hung up. I secretly loved when Zaire calls me babes because well… I like her. Like a lot. She doesn’t know that but I really do.

I hear my parents walk inside the house downstairs. I quickly make my bed and sit at my desk and do as if I’m doing homework. My mother walks in, and I turn around. I greet her but she stays silent and walks out. I was already finished with the homework from the next 2 weeks. I’m kind of a geek. I read a lot and I love to write and so on.

"Gabriella, come eat.” My dad says to me. I didn’t even hear him walk in. It scared me alittle. This was the first time after 2 weeks that I’m going to eat at the same time with them.

“Okay.” I quickly clean up my desk and walk behind him down the stairs. My mother was already there.

While we were eating, my parent’s look occasional glances at me. My mom’s began to water. I got up to console her because that’s just me; I’m always the nice one. I didn’t even think for a moment that she could just turn around and slap me.

“Ik ben een slechte moeder. ( I’m a bad mother.)” she sobbed into my shirt. My dad just watches her. Then at me, our eyes meet. It made my eyes water.

“Gabby, I think we owe you an apology.” He says to me. It was then that my eyes finally let the tear fall with all the hurt and pain I’ve felt over the last 2 weeks.

“I understand, but it will never be the same. I would prefer if you guys don’t touch me for the time being.” I said with abit of nervousness.

“We understand. We’re extremely sorry for our actions and we love you.”

“Okay. Uhmm, where’s my special pillow and shoes?”

“I’ll bring them up to your room later on.” He says to me with a small smile.

Okay let me explain why those 2 things are so important to me. I have spina bifida which literally means ‘open back’. My skin made like a cover over that particular spot on my back so it looks like I have a lump on my back. The pillow is for me to sit on so I sit more straight and the shoes for me to walk straighter. It helps tons because then I don’t have much back pain.

I went to sleep that night with a smile on my face.



Nicki Minaj

Home, Malibu, California

5:00 P.M., Sunday

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So, I’m at home here with Safaree. Well, I’m in the kitchen while he’s in the home theater. I’m busy getting our snacks. As I walk back into the home theater, I slip and fall on my butt.

“Ahh.”

Safaree comes running in and helps me up. He then proceeds to check me over to see if I had any bruises. Once that is done, he picks up our snacks and walks back into the theater room, leaving me behind. I always found that odd, he looks at me then just disappears. I’m about the question his *ss about this.

I walk up to him and plop down on his lap. He just continues to look at the movie.

“Faree?”

“Yes Nic.”

“What’s up?”

“Well, the roof.”

“Don’t play with me playboy, what’s good?”

“Nothing Nic, what makes you ask me that?”

“Your strange attitude towards me.”

“Oh, so the kid getting all soft on a coon?”

“Nigguh, stop playing with me and answer my question.”

“I did.”

I sat and thought for a moment then a random question hits me.

“Faree, do you love me?”

“Ofcourse I do, you’re my best friend Nic.” He says without looking at me. I turn his head.

“Tell me the dead truth now, Faree are you in love with me.”

He just stares into my eyes. I could already see the answer. I spent like 1 minute looking into his eyes before swiftly getting up and walking to my room. I couldn’t believe it. Safaree loves me. Like he really does. But, do I love him like that? I mean we’re best friends and stuff but is it really gonna be different? I needed to stop thinking. I decided I was going to pack. I was leaving tomorrow.

Safaree knocks on my door then opens it.

“Uh, I was coming to tell you to start packing, but seeing that you’re already doing that, I’ll leave now.”

“Faree wait.” I say without thinking. He turns and watches me.

“Come pack with me please.” I say in a childish voice. He laughs and comes and helps me.

“I’m sorry about earlier.” I say to him with my back turned to him.

“I understand.” He says and continues to sort through my clothes. We spend a few minutes in silence.

“You excited about tomorrow?” We both ask at the same time. We stopped then we laughed.

“Well Fareeeee, I’m very happy that I’m taking a small break.” I say to him with a smile.

Just then my phone rings. It’s Manny.

“Yes?” I say

“I got you booked to stay in The Westin Resort and Spa. That’s near Dawn Beach Estates. Like rich Americans live there along with wealthy locals. So basically, it’s very quiet and so on. I think you’ll like it.”

“Okay, that sounds nice.”

“Yeah, that’s all for now I think. Hmmmm . Oh and be on the airport by 10 am tomorrow. You’ll be flying to New York first before flying to St. Maarten.”

“Okayyyyy Manny. Are you done?”

“Yes”

“Okay bye.”

“Yup” I said then hung up. Safaree was looking at me questionally.

“We’re staying at the Westin. It’s really quiet over there and we have to be on the airport tomorrow at 10. So wake me up around 7 alright?”

“Ait Nic, I got you.”