Nicole

Chapter: 12

Like every other morning, the sun shone brightly outside when Nicole woke up. November had started although it was invisible in California. She was sure that if she were in New York, she would be freezing.

Last night, she had fallen asleep thinking about what her father said in the car. She knew she had to start school again to move on but whenever she thought about telling her father, her veins would prickle and her heart would protest against the decision as if it was telling her that she wasn't ready for anything new yet.

Maybe it was because she would be doing something she used to do, now without her mother. A knot tightened in her stomach whenever she thought of her mother. All those thoughts she worked so hard on pushing away kept returning to her.

Nicole closed her eyes to shield them against the sunlight that was coming through the window. She had to try to move on. Things with her family were amazing now and she had to take another step forward. She had to keep her mother in mind and push her mother's death out of it.

Sighing, she got up and threw her legs off the bed. Her heart ached. It ached for her mother again. It had been five days since her death now but her heart still ached as bad as before. She looked out the window, wondering how things would've been different if her mother had come along with her to California, back to her hometown. Nicole knew she would've been happy. She felt it although she didn't know how.

Nicole shook her head and got up, stretching her arms out in front of her. She stood in a determined posture. She had to start school. She didn't care how it felt. She had to do it.

From the clothes she bought with Izzy, Nicole took out a black T-shirt and jeans. After she took a shower, she changed into those clothes and dried her hair. Tying it up in a ponytail, she went downstairs.

Breakfast was at the table. Christopher and Nathan were already there while Axel and Isabelle weren't in sight. Nicole sat down at her usual spot.

"Where are Axel and Isabelle?" She asked, looking around.

"Probably trying to get as much sleep as they can before the next semester starts," Nathan said, cutting his omelet. Nicole nodded. "Speaking of which," Nathan looked at her. "Aren't you going to start school here?"

"I actually thought about that," Nicole said, turning to her father. "I'm ready to start school again." Her father smiled and nodded while Nathan's eyes lit up.

Behind her, Nicole heard faint footsteps. She turned to see Isabelle coming toward them. She wore a red floral top with white shorts. Her hair was down reflecting the brown in it through the sunlight. Behind her, Axel came rubbing his eyes. He was still in his night attire - a wrinkled, long-sleeved black shirt and trousers - and his hair was tousled, falling over his forehead.

"Did the sun come up late for you?" Nicole asked him, putting a pancake on her plate. He merely shot her a glare before sitting next to Nathan.

"The sun always comes up late for him," Izzy said, reaching past Nicole to get her toasts.

Axel ignored her, "How many days till my worst nightmare comes to life?" He asked his father who knitted his eyebrows in confusion before realizing what he meant. He shot him a glare.

"Three," he answered and Axel groaned. "Isabelle, did you go through your books?"

Isabelle furrowed her eyebrows, "The next semester hasn't started yet." Christopher raised an eyebrow. "Oh, come on! How come I'm the only one you tell to do that?"

"Because Axel is a straight-A student," Nicole's eyes widened as her head snapped to Axel.

"You?" She asked incredulously.