Closed Minded

[6 Years Earlier]

Nicki ran towards her apartment door, glancing back every few seconds to make sure he wasn’t behind her. She giggled as she unlocked the door and disappeared behind the door and across the living room. She dropped her bags to the floor and hurried to her room as she heard his familiar thud against the last stair before entering her home. She slammed the door closed and sat on the other side of her bed as he yelled out her name chuckling. She leaned against the side of the bed and silently giggled to herself. He began knocking on the door hard as he called out to her through his laughs.

“Yo are you serious?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Man, Nic, stop playing.. Gimme my shit.”

“Why? You don’t even use it.”

“You just trying to give it to your next nigga.”

“No. I’m not! It’s mine!”

He slammed his fist against the door then sat on the floor against it.

“I’m not leaving until you give me, my shit back.”

“It’s just a watch! Why can’t I have it?”

“Cause it’s mine. Go ask your man to get you a watch.”

He replied with a hint of annoyance in his voice. She sensed his mood change and stood up walking towards the door. She snatched it open and howled at him falling to the door. He dead faced her before standing to his feet, reaching out for his watch. She snatched it back and frowned up at him. He looked away from her, knowing that she was trying to read him, but he was in no mood to talk to her. He just wanted to drop her stuff off at her new apartment then go, but of course he ended up staying an hour or so while she unpacked.

“Safaree, seriously? This is how you treat your best friend?”

“I treat you great compared to other niggas and their best friends.”

He replied with an attitude. She rolled her eyes and slapped his watch against his chest before walking out of her room now in her feelings. She knew he was upset about the pass few weeks, but she's grown and allowed to make her own decisions. He shrugged catching it before it fell and walked hurriedly passed her. He turned in the doorway and looked back at her, who was staring him down with a hurt look on her face as if he did something wrong.

"Uh, I'll see you around."

"Sure."

She replied with a small voice. She slowly walked to her door and closed then locked it. She grabbed her phone that was on the floor where she dropped it earlier. She quickly texted TT before she called her to make sure she wasn't busy. TT answered on the first ring and frowned to her Nic's sad voice.

"He just doesn't understand does he?"

"Who? Wayne?"

"No, Safaree."

"Huh? What's going on now?"

"He's still mad about us moving together."

"So, you're grown and that's your man, not Safaree."

"He's my best friend and I want him to be accepting of the man in my life."

"He's just jealous. You can't keep worrying about him."

"Jealous of what?"

"That he isn't the only man in your life anymore."

"But he'll always be important and first."

"Nicki, stop. Don't baby him. He'll come around and get over it."

"Well... Hold on TT, he's calling."

Nicki clicked over then clicked TT in as he began talking and apologizing. Nicki texted TT and told her to put herself on mute.

“Look, Nic, I’m sorry about my attitude earlier. You know how I feel about the move and stuff.”

“Safaree are you jealous of Wayne?”

“No…” He answered hesitantly. “Why would I be?”

“I don’t know, that’s why I am asking?”

“Well, then no. I just don’t want you to go through the same thing you did with Webb.”

He sighed sadly before he spoke up before she could.

“I know it’s none of my business, but you’re my best friend and I just want the best for you and if thats Wayne then.. I’ll mind my business.”

She frowned hearing the utter sadness in his voice and wanted to hug him. She pondered quickly before she disconnected with him and clicked back on with TT.

“TT?”

“Nicki? Where he go?”

“I’ll call you back.”

“Don’t go babying him!”

“Bye!”

“Nic..”

She hung up and walked out the door of her apartment with her keys and phone in hand. but smiled seeing him standing outside against his car. She ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him. She looked over his face and could tell he had something else on his mind. He looked down at her and smiled small. She knew it was a fake smile and questioned him.

“What’s up?”

“What you mean?”

“The face? Your attitude? Faree, you’ve never been like this before.”

“Nothing, I should be…”

‘Safaree, stop shutting me out and tell me what’s on your mind! You’ve been so stand offish with me since I got engaged!”

“Nothing, Nic.”

He replied becoming visibly upset after the mention of her engagement. Her eyes grew wide and she pushed him back towards the car and looked him in his now covered eyes. She pulled the shades off and read him like a book. He diverted his eyes to the ground and shrugged knowing that she had already figured out what his probably was.

“You’re jealous!”

“No..”

He half way lied. He wasn’t jealous of Wayne, but of the status of their relationship. He didn’t want her to be getting married to Wayne, but to him. She had pushed him in the friend zone even more after Webb and it killed him. He tried everything to make himself out to be what she wanted, but it wasn’t enough and instead she was getting married to another man in less than a month.

“You are! Why?”

“I’m not!”

“Safaree stop lying!” she shouted before stomping off. “You keep lying! That’s all you’ve been doing lately!”

“Lying? Me lie? I’m just trying to do whatever to save our friendship…”

“What’s wrong with our friendship?”

“Nothing.. Nothing at all.”

“NO WHAT?”

“Look, I’ll just go.. Have a nice life Nic.. I wish you the best.”

“What do you mean by that?”

She walked back over to him and snatched his arm back and looked up into his hurt eyes then stepped back seeing the anger come over him and his jerked of the arm. He stepped to the side and paced a little before looking over at her.

“What friendship? You haven’t been here for me since you started dating him seven months ago. I needed you after  Becca left me and you just brushed me off.. Wayne this.. Wayne that, but I was always there for you when Webb fucked you over. I’m always here for Nicki.”

“Faree.. I..”

“I been your friend for 5 years and you’re getting married to a nigga you only known for eight months. To think I could have you more than just this “friendship”, I played myself like always.”

He put his fingers down then placed his sunglasses on his face. He was done trying for Onika’s heart. She had moved on and now it was time for him to do the same. She didn’t have anything to say. She just stood against the small tree that was on the walkway of her apartment building. She watched as he got into his car and ride off without another word. She felt bad for not being there for him when Becca left him, but that wasn’t her fault entirely. He blocked everyone out and when he finally came around he was the same old Safaree, or so she thought.