I gotta tell this story. We’re just gonna name her Nikki to keep the character privacy…

So Nikki decides to go home after spending some time away from the house. She was preparing for the fight as she walked up to the door. Her boyfriend, lets name him Elijah, Elijah was good for thinking that they were in a boxing ring when he didn’t get his way. She finally found enough courage to step away from the situation. This was the first time she had been home in a week AND she didn’t have their daughter with her. 

Upon entering the house everything was quiet except the shower running. Nikki appreciated the noise because that meant Elijah was busy and she would know when he was done. She was on a mission to get a few things and get out of there. She heads toward the baby room to grab some needed things but as she clears the living room Elijah appears behind her. Her heart is beating rapidly at this point because she thought he was in the shower. I know what you’re thinking because I asked the same thing. Why would she go home alone? Well her friend, lets name her Tammy, Tammy had something to do, it just came up and she told her not to go but Nikki planned on skipping town. Anyway, she turns and face him to prepare herself for the first blow but instead he asked her why she was there without his daughter. Nikki ignored his question and said she was just there to get some more things. Which implied that she wasn’t coming back any time soon. She turned to walk into the baby’s bedroom and he was on her heels yelling “I told you not to come back in this house without my daughter. Calling her out her name and making threats. Nikki just let him talk. At least it was words and not his fist this time.

Nikki proceeded to their bedroom but he grabbed her arm pulling her in the opposite direction now forcing her out the house. Elijah started yelling “You’re not taking nothing from this house! You didn’t want to be here so get out now! Blah blah blah. Nikki realize he doing a lot if yelling and he’s not as physically aggressive as he usually is. Someone else was in the house with them. She could feel it. He must’ve been trying to save face for his new hoochie… The shower shut off.

Nikki, not even caring about who is in the bathroom but she is curious… None of their fights was ever about another female. He was just very jealous and possessive. Her hands are shaking. She was there to get her things and go. She finally made it out of his grip and headed towards the bedroom when the bathroom door flew open. 

There I was wrapped in a towel looking at this girl looking at me. Lol jk. There stood Tammy… Completely confused Nikki dropped all her things and turned back to look at Elijah who had a smirk on his face. Chile….

Tammy started with the movie line “ I wanted to tell you.” As if there was ever going to be an ok time to tell her something like that after she cried to the girl, sat up in the emergency room with her, and told her countless times to leave and how she deserve better. Still Nikki wasn’t moved by that. Nikki knew that her friend was pregnant and she just sat with her in a clinic less than a month ago. 

Nikki calmly reached into her bag that was on the floor and pulled out a gun. While Tammy was screaming and running into the bedroom Nikki fired 2 shots in Elijah’s direction. She could tell he was hit from the sound of things falling before his body hit the floor. Nikki proceed to the bedroom where she beat Tammy until she was unconscious 

What happened next? Forget that. We know what come next. Cops, CPS, lawyer fees and regrets. Let’s talk about how this started.

Nikki was trying to figure her life out. She had more issues than Vogue. So, when she met Elijah, she was not trying to add him to her plate. She wanted to be on the plate and walk away when he was done eating. They met while she was in a beauty supply store buying some hair. She had watched a YouTube video 8 times and felt that she was ready to try this style. She had just gotten off work and ready to play in her hair for the rest of the night. 

“You should get that blond and brown mix. That would look nice on you.” He said and smiled. “I’m Elijah.” 

 “Thanks. I’m Nikki.”

“ What’s that short for?”

 “That’s short for if you have a girl, I said thank you already, so just walk away.”

“I don’t have a girl. So now you have to take my number so you can apologize later for being rude.”

Bagged her.

 Nikki appreciated the help because she was standing there for 5 minutes going to war with what color to choose but who asked him? She rolled her eyes and pulled a few packs of the blond and brown off the shelf and gave him her phone to lock his number in. Of course he called his phone before passing hers back. Nikki walked away to pay for her things. 

When she walked outside she shielded her eyes from the sun to check if the bus was coming. Elijah suddenly exit the store and made his was to the driver seat of a silver Honda with a girl in the passenger seat. 

“That’s my best friend.” He said laughing like he could read her mind. “Yo, tell her I don’t have a girl.” He bent down into the car to talk to the girl in the passenger seat.

She looked at Nikki and smiled. He ain’t got no girl and I don’t have no friend to hook him up with so please. Call his annoying ass.” She went back to looking at her phone.

“I’ll give you a ride.” He said to Nikki 

Nikki saw the bus in the distance but she wanted to get home. When Nikki got into car Elijah introduced her to his friend. Her name was Tammy.

Nikki and Tammy hit it off immediately. That day changed everything for Nikki. Elijah was the man of her fantasies and her friendship with Tammy evolved quickly. Nikki was content with the way things were turning out. 

Tammy had Nikki wearing less and going out more. This would soon bring Elijah to a frenzy. He knew how Tammy was giving it up and all though she was his best friend he just didn’t trust that she would keep his girlfriend out of trouble. He would never admit it but Nikki was the best thing that happened to him. 

Just in 6 short months of their relationship, Nikki encouraged Elijah to get a stable job which soon gave him the funds to get off his grandmother couch and get his own car. This would be an apartment they shared together. Nikki was not ok with Elijah borrowing Tammy’s car when he wanted too. However, his new found freedom bought another side out of Elijah.

Elijah started to tell Nikki when she could go out, when she needed to be back in the house, what she could and couldn’t wear. Granted Nikki was changing in appearance but she was always about her man. She felt he had no need to worry. 

Learning that Nikki accompanied Tammy to a friend house was the first time Elijah was physical with Nikki. He claimed to have seen someone’s live on IG and she looked “ real friendly” in the background then accusing her of having a type. Nikki cried to Tammy begging her to explain to Elijah that it wasn’t what it seemed like. After things cooled down every time he had a problem, furniture was rearranged. 

Nikki finally had enough as she sat in the emergency room all beat up. She was ready to leave their 8 month relationship but she found out she was pregnant. There was no way she could leave now. What would she do? She reconsidered leaving. That was the only flaw he had. He paid the bills and took care of her otherwise. Tammy encouraged her to leave but Nikki was pregnant. Things will get better she thought.

Once Nikki started to show, her and Tammy stopped going out as much. Nikki had to prepare to be a mother. Nikki did whatever she needed to do to keep Elijah around. She even push the uncomfortable thoughts she had aside now that him a Tammy were out living their best life without her. They were friends already, of course they knew the same people and turned up together this summer. She figured she was just jealous because they could come back drunk and pass out on her living room and she couldn’t participate. 

Nikki finally gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Things were perfect. Nikki and Elijah were arguing less and Tammy was off and on with a guy she met while her and Nikki were out, which was fine for Nikki being that Elijah didn’t want them to be together so much these days after Nikki accompanied Tammy to the clinic for an abortion. He was oddly upset with the decision. 

Nikki was finally able to bring her baby outside. After getting some air with her baby girl, Nikki decided to head home. Her phone had been dead for hours. Nikki walked into the lions den when she arrived home. Elijah was outraged. In his twisted mind not only was she cheating but she dropped her baby off somewhere and turned her phone off, according to Elijah. He hit her before she could put her baby down. This was enough to force Nikki to finally leave. She had to protect her baby now. 

The week she stayed somewhere else, she stayed with, let’s name him Tiger, (Sky came up with that name) the guy that she was in the live video with. She did have a type. She took a test as soon as her baby was born. Tiger was the father. She walked into the house to get the rest of her things when she found Tammy in the shower.

So that was how we met. Let’s get back into Nikki walking into her house to find her best friend in the shower, after claiming she was busy. Nikki has already put the numbers together and know that, Tammy is sleeping with Nikki’s man Elijah which supposed to be Tammy’s best friend. 

One of the shots fired in Elijah’s direction went through his thigh. The other on was so close to his head the ringing temporarily paralyzed him. It was just what she needed to go jump on Tammy. Tammy had ran into bedroom where she thought she could hide but this had been where Nikki lived for months. She was used to running and hiding from Elijah. Of course she knew the ins and outs of this room. Nikki put the gun on the dresser because she didn’t plan on killing anyone by mistake.

Tammy saw that the gun was down and ran toward Nikki connecting two punches with her face. 

“I just want to talk!” Nikki yelled protecting her face. She was not trying to reenact the dressing room scene from Players Club. She pushed Tammy away hard enough to grab the gun, and pointed it which calmed Tammy down. 

“ When did you start sleeping with him? Or was this best friend relationship and act all along?” 

“Please?” Tammy muttered and had the nerve to be crying. 

“Please what? Don’t be mad? Don’t ask you questions? Forgive you? Please what?” Nikki calmed herself down and forced Tammy into the Living room where Elijah was trying to gain balance. 

“What is this? How long has this been going on?” Nikki asked. 

Tammy cried. “ We were drunk. I’m sorry. I said we should stop but after I got pregnant he told me ya were breaking up anyway. And you had been with that guy. I thought it was over.” She said convincingly and trying to throw me under the bus in the mix. 

“What guy?” Elijah asked. 

Cause men don’t care about anything they did when there is a mention of another guy. 

Nikki ignored him for now. 

“Tammy, even if that was the case. You violated” Nikki lifted her gun and shot Tammy in the chest.

“Nikki, I can help you get this cleaned up and we can get out of here. We can forget this happened.” Elijah pleaded Looking all too fearful of his life. 

“Because it’s that easy for you right? I loved you. Well now I know why you were so upset with her abortion. And you had me go sit with her? Were we supposed to be sister wives or something?” Nikki said through tears. Pointing the gun at Elijah. “This isn’t me. I was a good person and you made me THIS way.”

“What about our daughter?” 

“While you were beating me and accusing me I figured. If I’m going to be beaten for it I mind as well do it. But nothing compares to what you did. My daughter is not yours. She’s with her father.” Nikki smirked just as Elijah did when Tammy was revealed. 

Elijah used all his strength to charge toward Nikki but she squeezed the trigger sending him back to the floor. 

Nikki looked around. Two dead bodies and the cop sirens in the distance. Nikki thought about running but a naked female in the living room with her boyfriend was a sure ride in the patty wag. She thought about never seeing her daughter again and dropped to her knees crying just as the cops burst into the house. She thought about all her choices. The first on being when she got into the car. 

“So, you coming or nah” Elijah said looking at Nikki.

Nikki blinked and squinted from the sun as those thoughts flashes before her eyes. She looked down the street and noticed the bus approaching was her bus. She was free and still standing in front of the hair store. 

“Nah, I have things to do before I get home. I’ll take the bus.”  

“Iight then.” 

Elijah got into the car with his best friend and drove off. 

Nikki hated his best friend already. 

Nikki arrived home and prepared to do her hair as planned. When she checked her purse for her phone it wasn’t there. She had left it on the bus...

Nikki would be without her phone for a few days but she took a deep breath and appreciated being free from distractions and the constant demand of the world. 

Nikki struggles with scenario hallucinations. She took this time to come talk to me. Her therapist. #freenikki