Running with Scissors

Chapter 2

Nicky slammed down her pen as a sticky hand landed on her work.

“Adam, quit it,” she told him, pushing his hand away.  She looked up as Jayne appeared in the kitchen doorway.

“Why don’t you leave him alone?  You’re not happy unless you’re telling him off for something, are you?”

“I asked him three times to stop,” Nicky said, although she knew she was wasting her breath.  “He’s just ruined everything I’ve done today.”

“I don’t care what he’s done,” Jayne yelled.  “I’m his mother and I’ll decide when he needs telling off.”  She looked at the books on the table.  “I don’t know why you’re bothering anyway.  You don’t stand a hope in hell of passing any of this.  You only decided you wanted to bother with college so that you could carry on playing around with those bloody horses every weekend instead of getting a proper job.”  Nicky glared at her but said nothing.  She knew there was no point.  Jayne glared back.  After a moment Nicky turned back to the table and began to pick up her books.

“I’m going to Claire’s” she told Jayne when she had finished.

“I thought you had a lot of work to do.”  Nicky ignored the sarcastic tone in Jayne’s voice.  Grabbing her jacket she headed for the door.  “Don’t forget to be in early, you’re babysitting tonight.”

Suppressing the urge to scream at Jayne, Nicky pulled the door shut behind her.  Nobody had bothered to ask her to baby-sit; they just assume she has nothing better to do.  It’s so unfair!

Standing with her back against Claire’s front door Nicky looked up at the sky.  Just her luck, there was no one in and now it was starting to rain.  She felt the cold drops fall on her face and wondered what to do next.  She couldn’t face going home to Jayne just yet.

She pushed herself away from the door as the rain began to fall faster.  Paul’s was only around the corner, should she take him up on his offer of a cup of coffee?  She hesitated; it felt strange to even consider it.  She had only met him a week ago, she hardly knew him.  But the offer had seemed genuine and it wasn’t like he was a monster or anything, and he was a neighbour. It wasn’t exactly unheard of to visit a neighbour for a coffee.  What was the alternative?  Stand here and get soaked and then go back to Jayne?

As Nicky opened the garden gate to walk towards his front door she noticed that somebody was already standing there.  She was about to turn away again but the other visitor spotted her before she could move.

“Hi,” he called to Nicky with a grin.  “Maybe you can get him to open the door before we get pneumonia or some’ing.” 

Feeling her face beginning to redden she looked at him but didn’t reply.  He appeared to be about 20, fairly good looking with his dark hair slightly long over his eyes and swept to the side.

He rapped on the door sharply.  “I know you’re in there!”  He called out.