Don't Say a Word

One

With a silent gasp Nicolette sat up in her bed. Eyes wide as she tried to remember where she was. It was dark still, only 4:38 a.m. and she wasn't alone. There were six bunk beds in the room, each full. She instinctively brushed her hand over her backpack next to her remembering. She wasn't home, she was safe. She was in a house for runaway teens, or troubled teens that the fostering system had given up on. She's been here two years, but she wakes up confused 3-4 days a week. Might as well get up, everyone else will be up soon anyway.

The rest of the girls went to school, but Nicolette convinced them to let her do her schooling at home. It was easier to agree to it, than keep finding her, when she wouldn't go to school. School was hard, and Nicolette wasn't exactly the social type. Having not spoken a word in over five years, lets just say making friends isn't easy, or in her case even wanted. Friends ask questions, and she had no answers. She grabbed her bag and headed to the bathroom down the hall.

The house was a two story, but her room was on the first floor. She didn't have to worry about creaking floors, but it wouldn't be long into her shower before others would know she was up. The pipes in this dump rattle and whine like the life is being sucked out of them. She stepped into the bathroom and locked the door behind her flipping on the light at the same time. Avoiding her reflection in the mirror she opened her bag and pulled out a pair of grey yoga pants and a simple blue tank, shaking them to let out the wrinkles.

Unlike the other girls, all that Nicolette owned fit in her bag and she never left her bag. After a quick shower, she pulled her Red hair into a pony tail and got dressed. Two things Nicolette hated about her looks, but everyone else just loved, were her "Ronald McDonald" red hair and fair skin. She wasn't freckled, no actually she had a perfectly alabaster complexion, because she didn't spend a lot of time in the sun. I mean really, what's the point she wouldn't tan anyway. Just as the house began to stir. She folded her pj's and put them neatly into her bag and was off to find food.

"Good morning Nic, you're up earlier than usual, the coffee isn't ready yet." Jasmine is what we call a house Mother. She's here most of the time and helps run the place, but she's not a live in. Nic simply nodded as she passed her grabbing an apple and heading to the front door. Not really in the mood for coffee today, what she wanted was to run. She headed to the entrance and grabbed her shoes.

The main rule of the house she hated, all shoes had to be left at the door. She slipped on a pair of socks, stepped into her shoes and was out the door before Jasmine had a chance to stop her. "Nic, you have to do your school work before you get free time! Nic..." Jasmine signed and went back to getting breakfast ready for the rest of the girls.

No point in chasing Nicolette, there were rules, and sure punishment for not following the rules, but as far as behavior goes Nicolette was pretty good. She never got in fights, she was generally home when she had to be, and she was about to graduate high school. She'd graduate 2 weeks after her 18th birthday. Besides, they were pushing her to be more independent anyway. It wouldn't be long before she was no longer their problem. So they pretty much let her do her own thing.

She pulled out her ear buds and started her workout music on her iPod before she started running. It was two miles to her favorite place in the world, Planet Fitness. $10 membership and it was never overly busy before 5 p.m., but most importantly the regulars knew to just leave her alone. And being left alone is exactly what she needed most right now, well that and to blow off some steam and try to forget what woke her up in the first place. Nightmares. No, nightmares are what people have who imagine bad things that could happen. She had memories, and memories were worse.

She checked in, all ready sweating from her run. Heading to the back of the gym she sat her bag on the ground next to her feet and started stretching. Her muscles were warm from her run and were begging to be stretched before she began abusing them again. But it wasn't leg day this morning, well not yet. There was a kickboxing class at 10:30 a.m. that she was looking forward to, but right now she needed to build up her upper body. Resistant training till 7:30 and then yoga before she'd leave to get something to eat.