I miss you, I'm sorry

Part 34

Niko's mum dipped when he was around 7 years old. The woman was never around much to begin with and the second she found the chance to escape with some rich man from Barcelona (which didn't last very long) she took it and left Niko and his dad behind. 

Amelia and Amal were best friends, so when Amelia came with her five year old son to Amal's door, Amal took the chance to rekindle the friendship, and ensure they pursued their lifelong dream of their children being best friends too. AJ and Niko remember the day their parents re-met, the start of their own twisted friendship blossoming from that day. 

Amelia had left the town when she had married Nikos dad, claiming she deserved more than what this 'shithole' had to offer. At the time, Niko's dad was so in love with her he swooped her away to central London, finding a big house for them to hopefully raise their daughters. However, when Amelia found out she was pregnant with a boy, everything began to go downhill. All Niko's baby clothes, that weren't supplied by his dad or paternal grandparents, where from those bags outside peoples homes, the ones they put outside for people to take for free. His 'cot' was a laundry basket with an old memory foam pillow stuffed inside, until his grandparents scrounged up some money to by him a bed. Amelia spent all her husbands money on  trips, outings, and baby girl clothing, claiming she was preparing for when her 'angel' finally came. 

After 5 and a half years, Amelia was still not pregnant with her second child, and had spent so much money, they were forced to move back to the small town. Amelia decided to take this opportunity to have a free babysitter for her son, knowing her best friend, Amal, had 2 sons around his age. 

When Amelia realised that Amal was blessed with a daughter as well as her sons, the raging jealousy began. She only spoke to Amal when she had to, to ensure she could dump her son at their place, and not spend a single penny on him. 

Niko remembers the day his mum left. As much as she neglected him, at the time he could only think she was still his mum, so it didn't matter. He blamed himself for many years, which psychologists may say is the reason he acts 'annoying'. In Niko's mind, his mum left because he was irritating, and so, he acts in that way to see who will in fact stay by his side, and who will leave him behind. 

Niko remembers crying into Aj's shoulder, sobbing as he told the boy what happened. AJ had threatened to stalk her down and make her pay, but Niko stopped him. He knew the boy couldn't actually do anything, fucks sakes he was 9 years old, but if Niko knew Aj, he knew he would sure as hell try. 

Niko got used to the absence of his mother, having is god-sent dad thankfully still in the picture, Aj's mum who treated Niko like her own son, maybe to fill the void of her lost child but Niko didn't care, he had someone to fulfil that role, and he didn't mind under any circumstance. And lets not forget AJ, his beautiful sweet AJ, the boy who had fought away all his bullies, not even giving them a chance to touch a hair on his head, the boy who would have shifted the moon and stars if Niko had asked him to. Niko swears  if it wasn't for AJ, he would be a completely different person, and not in a good way. 

Fast forwards many years later, the day Niko and Aj's secret got exposed. He was sitting on the sofa, curled into his fathers arms, when his mother called. Somehow, one of the mums in the village had told her everything that had happened, and Amelia wasn't going to have a fag for a son, not on her watch. It ended up being perfect timing too as Niko's half-sisters were begging their mum for an older brother after watching some Disney show. 

"Mum you can't make me!"

"Oh yes I can Nikolas, I am still your mother, and I know damn well if I went to court I  would get primary custody. So I am going to save us the trouble of that, and you are going to go live at your grandparents until further notice. Maybe they can rid the fag out of you." She tells the boy over the phone, "Be here in no more than 4 days, or you don't want to know what I'd do."