Taraji, whose marriage of four years ended in divorce, is facing a significant decline in her acting career. As a result, she suffers the loss of her home and seeks refuge by moving in with her best friend, Fantasia.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
♥︎
Last night when Fantasia asked me did I want to be her girlfriend, I told her no. I love her but I'm not ready to be in another relationship, I want to be with her but I just want to wait a while before saying yes. I think it upset her because she hasn't spoken to me since, she didn't even give me the opportunity to explain why.
"Fantasia", I knocked on her bedroom door. She didn't respond so I opened it, I saw her getting dressed.
"Yes, Taraji?", Fantasia said with a sigh. She turned around and looked at me.
"Are you mad at me?", I asked her.
"I have no reason to be angry with you, but I'm feeling a little hurt because despite everything we have done and shared with each other, you rejected me. It's okay, but I am struggling to understand your decision.. I thought you loved me in that way", she explained.
Fantasia continued putting her clothes on and walked past me to go to the kitchen. I followed behind her and grabbed her waist.
"I do love you", I told her. We had a brief moment and gazed into each other eyes.
Fantasia removed my hands from her waist. "As what?", she tilted her head.
"As a friend...a best friend", I said.
She nodded her head. "Okay"
She walked away from me and looked in the refrigerator. I went back to my room to get my phone, then walked back into the kitchen. "What are you about to cook?", I asked Fantasia.
"Pancakes. Want some?", she asked me with a smile.
"I'll just have one. I'm not very hungry," I replied, smiling at her before standing up to give her a hug. She returned the embrace before stepping back to mix the pancake batter in a plastic bowl.
"Do you have anything to do today?", Fantasia asked me.
"I don't", I said. "Do you?", I added as I watched her make the pancakes.
"I don't either", she said.
"Well, we can watch some horror movies together today", I suggested.
"Okay", she replied and continued on making pancakes. I went into the living room and found a few movies and added it to her Netflix list.
After some time, she finished cooking and brought me a plate of food that was beautifully presented. I was pleasantly surprised by her cooking skills, because I had never tasted her food before, but it was delicious.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Thank you, it was good", I thanked Fantasia for the food.
After smiling, she grabbed my plate and headed to the kitchen. Returning to the living room, she sat next to me on the couch and we began watching a movie. While we usually laugh and argue at the TV during movies together, this time it was eerily quiet, making me believe she might be upset with me, although she's not showing it. The vibe between us just doesn't feel the same anymore.
"Fantasia", I called her name and looked over at her. She looked at me and raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure you aren't upset with me?", I asked.
"Im sure", she answered.
"I feel like something's off. Like the vibe we had isn't there anymore..", I said.
"Didn't I tell you that would happen before we had sex the first time?", Fantasia said.
I scrunched my face. "I don't..", I said lowly.
"Of course", Fantasia sighed.
"I'm sorry... I love you and would be honored to be with you but I'm not ready. Don't treat me like I hurt you, because I didn't", I said to Fantasia as I looked into her eyes.
Fantasia stared at me and then looked down. "You're right... I just took it wrong", she said.
"Give me a hug", I embraced her tightly. "We will be together, one day really soon. I just need some time", I whispered as I hugged her.
She embraced me back and I got a tingle sensation in my body that caused me to jump a little. "Are you okay?", Fantasia asked me looking worried.
"Yes.. sometimes when you touch me I just get this feeling in my body I can't necessarily explain", I told her.
"I get the same feeling", she smiled and chuckled a little. "It's just our love for each other", she said.
I smiled at her.
After a while of sitting and watching tv, Fantasia had to run a quick errand for one of her friends. I didn't have anything to do so I just went to sleep.
A couple of hours later, there was a knock at the door. Getting off the couch, I walked towards the door and asked, "Who is it?" When no one answered, I peeked out the window and saw a tall man dressed in black standing at the door. Assuming he was someone known to Fantasia, I opened the door only to have him hold a gun to my head.
"Wh-What are you doing?!", I asked scared for my life.
"Shut up, bitch", the man said. I tried to look back at him to see his face cause his voice sounded a bit familiar but he grabbed my hair and made me face the wall.
"What did I do? You can take whatever you want, I don't care just please... I'm not ready to die", I cried out.
The only thought on my mind was God, and I was praying for his assistance. I felt such a strong need for him that I feared it was all coming to an end.
"Pull your pants off..", he demanded.
I shook my head and cried. "No.... Please stop", I said as tears flooded my eyes.
"NOW!", he shouted.
"Why?", I questioned him. "This is wrong... I don't do anything to anybody...", I cried.
"Bitch, I didn't ask. Do what I told you or I'll kill you right here and right fucking now", he said aggressively causing me to get even more scared.
After obediently following his instructions, I found myself standing in front of him, his cold gaze piercing through me. As he commanded me to lead him to the nearest room, a surge of fear and adrenaline coursed through my veins. Instead of complying, a primal instinct took over and I made a split-second decision to protect myself. Rushing to the kitchen, my shaky hands grasped a knife, the blade glinting in the harsh light.
In a moment of desperation, I lashed out and cut his arm, hoping to incapacitate him. But in a swift and unexpected move, he retaliated, seizing my arm and forcefully slamming it onto the kitchen counter. The impact caused me to drop the weapon.
Just as I thought the nightmare couldn't get any worse, the sound of a gunshot reverberated in the air. Darkness enveloped me, and all I could see were fragments of memories flashing before my eyes. Happy moments from years past mingled with the fear and chaos of the present, creating a surreal tapestry of emotions that I struggled to make sense of as I drifted into unconsciousness.
Am I dead? I wondered as I slowly lost consciousness.
