Nicki&thePips

Prologue

Nicki was lonely. Maybe lonely wasn't the right word. Her life just didn't seem to mean much ever since she and Safari broke up. It was almost like she was bored with herself. No, actually lonely was the right word. Her huge Los Angeles mansion just seemed too big and too quiet now. It didn't help that she was home a lot these days either. She was taking her time working on her third album; The Pinkprint.

Nicki sighed as she looked out the window of the limo she was sitting in. The driver had decided to take a new route through a rundown mean looking neighbourhood to avoid the dense LA traffic. She just wanted to get home and take a nap before she continued writing.

A sign on a house outside on the end of the street caught her eye. It read: Last day to adopt an adorable bundle of joy, before this foster home is closed down.

"Stop the car." Nicki suddenly yelled on a whim. She was not sure why she yelled, or why she started getting out of the limo. She just had this strange feeling. It was like something was calling her to the house. It could have been the fact that it just seemed so odd to have kids living in what on appearance looked like a pretty dangerous neighbourhood. Like who the heck is gonna come here to adopt a child, she thought as she rang the doorbell.

The door was answered by a bored looking lady who had to be around forty "Good Afternoon ma'am. Are you interested in starting a family?" The woman sounded like she was forcing the politeness in her voice.

"Uh . . . maybe." Nicki stammered as a reply. She wasn't sure what she wanted. She didn't even know why she was here.

"Feel free to roam about but I've got to warn you that this foster home will be shut down as of tomorrow and these kids will be transferred to somewhere else if no one wants them." The woman walked away from Nicki and headed to a room that must have been the kitchen.

The rap mogul stood in the doorway of the house which was bigger than most houses in the neighbourhood but probably one of the most rundown and unkempt. Did kids actually live in here? The inside had an almost creepy feel to it. It was only as the lady left the room that Nicki realized the children who were scattered about the living area.

"Hi I'm Jade. Jade Thirlwall." A little girl with big brown eyes and pigtails with bows tied at the end of them smiled brightly while looking up at Nicki. "I'm seven years old, I like to read, dance and sing and if you adopt me I promise that you won't regret it." The girl had a strange English accent that Nicki didn't expect. Nicki had always loved anything to do with British accents. The kid was tiny. She looked younger than seven. She could probably pass for five maybe even four.

She smiled at the girl, "Hi I'm Nicki and it's nice to meet you."

"Erm haven't I seen you before?" Jade asked, her eyes shining with what could only be intelligence. Nicki had never seen a kid that small look that smart. Her eyes gave the impression that she was aware of many things -some of those things not pretty.

Nicki smiled, "Maybe you have, maybe you haven't." The thought of this kid somehow watching her music videos made her feel just the slightest bit uncomfortable. "Hey who is this?" She changed the subject and turned her attention to the little blonde girl who stood slightly behind Jade. They were exactly the same size and height but something in this one's eyes made her seem younger. Maybe it was because she seemed a bit lost.

Jade turned to the other girl and did a gesture that clearly meant 'introduce yourself.'

"Em, hiya, I'm Perrie . . . Edwards . . . and I'm six years old.   And I . . . uh . . . also like to sing and . . . play?" The little blonde girl ended her sentence like it was a question and she had an accent that sounded like Jade's.