Nicole

Chapter: 01

October 22nd, 2021

The weather outside was harsh. It was raining heavily and thunder roared every minute or two. People were running on the sidewalks, some carrying umbrellas, others trying to cover their heads with their arms or coats.

While some found the rain a disaster, others seemed as if they had been waiting for it. Kids jumped in muddy puddles, ignoring the calls of their parents telling them to come into the shelter. Even teenagers, people Nicole's own age laughed as they ran in the rain. She watched them through the window of her room, wishing she had friends but at the same time glad she didn't.

"Nicole! It's time for school!" She heard her mother call from outside, possibly in front of the main door.

"Coming!" Nicole grabbed her bag from her bedside table and cast a look around her room. For once, it was perfectly clean. The gray bed cover was in place, her dressing table as empty as usual and not a thing on the floor. Her desk, however, was far from being tidy. Papers we're sprawled across, open school books, pens and pencils between the pages of the books, acting as bookmarks. Nicole never bothered with the desk because she knew that even if she did manage to clean it, she would mess it up again because of how seriously she took her studies.

Nicole rushed outside her room. She passed the open living room as she walked to her mother who stood looking at her with her hands on her hips.

"How long were you up last night?" She asked. Nicole furrowed her eyebrows, reaching for the door.

"Late," she muttered as she walked past her mother and out. She shivered from the cold as rainwater splashed in front of her.

"You forgot your jacket," she heard her mother say as she walked out with a black leather jacket in her hands. She handed it to Nicole who threw it on quickly, muttering a thanks.

Both of them got in the car which was parked in the driveway, Nicole in the passenger seat and her mother in the driving seat.

As her mother started driving, Nicole spoke, "Mom, why don't you let me drive?"

"You don't have your driver's license yet," her mother said.

"But I'm sixteen. I can get one if you just take me there. I swear I'm a good driver," Nicole pressed.

"I know you are. I have never doubted your skills and you know that. I just have a lot of things on my mind right now," her mother said and Nicole sighed.

"You've had a lot of things on your mind since I was born," Nicole said and her mother frowned.

"Not since... not since you were born," Nicole noticed how her mother's voice cracked at the mention of her birth.

"Mom," Nicole said, trying to grab her mother's attention whose eyes were focused on the road. "I know I've asked this a million times and you need to answer me. Who is my father?"

That certainly did grab her attention, though she kept her eyes focused on the road.

"I can't say, Nicole," her mother said. She seemed a million miles away.

"Why not?!" Nicole asked for what felt like the millionth time every time she got that answer.

Her mother didn't answer as she pulled over in the school parking lot, avoiding Nicole's gaze. When she still didn't say anything, Nicole set her jaw and got out of the car, slamming the door hard.

She didn't understand why her mother kept everything from her. Like she was the kind of girl who would scream at the sight of a cockroach, faint at the sight of blood, couldn't handle a bit of harsh truth, cry easily, and wait for someone to save her when in trouble.