Rebel (SVU Fanfic)

16

"Um, yeah," Nicole said quietly.

The one who originally spoke got up, a bounce in her blonde ponytail. She then sat on the other side on her friend, facing Nicole.

"Well, you see, honey, this is our table. And, like, it's not yours."

"I'm sitting with Lizzie," was all Nicole said, not wanting to get into any sort of fight today.

"Lizzie? As in Lizzie Stabler? Yeah, I really doubt that."

"Well, I am, so..." Nicole looked back down at her food she wasn't eating.

"No, you're really not," the cheerleader said.

"Something going on here?"

They all looked up to see Lizzie with her lunch tray. Her head was cocked to the side in confusion.

"Nothin'. Just talkin'," said one of the girls.

Lizzie smiled. "Awesome!" She sat between Nicole and the other girls. "Lindsay, when's our competition, do you know?"

"Mikaela said it was the 24th."

Lizzie nodded. Playing nice, Mikaela and Lindsay turned their heads to Nicole. Lindsay decided to start up again. "So, Nicole, do you, like, do anything?"

"Do anything, what?" Nicole asked.

"Like...after school? I'm in cheer, going to be head cheerleader, I'm lead in the play, and-"

"No," Nicole interrupted. "My talents are pissing off my mom and...um, breathing."

Lizzie laughs but the others look at her weirdly. Breathing? Seriously?

The rest of the lunch was extremely awkward for Nicole. She didn't talk, didn't eat, and didn't even want to follow Lizzie when the bell rang. Their next class was English, and Nicole was ready for a class to nap in.

Of course she didn't, but everyone was tired and unresponsive through the class, so she could get away with it.

The end of the day could not come soon enough. Elliot picked the girls and Dickie up after school.

"How was school?" Elliot asked the kids.

"Fine."
"Boring."
"I still think Ms.Commers is out to get me."

"Dickie, she's not out to get you," Elliot told his son as they started driving. Dickie doesn't do well in science at all, and he blames the teacher. Elliot had heard his excuses all too any times before. He also knew not to push Nicole into saying anything past her, "Fine."

Nicole was dropped off, and as the Stablers drove away, Elliot then asked his daughter, "How was Nicole today?"

"Fine, until lunch. I don't think Mikaela and Lindsay like her. She can tell."

"How do you know?"

"They weren't talking at all at lunch. When I came back from buying my lunch, I could tell something was going on."

Lizzie looked down, visibly upset.
"Give it time, Liz," Elliot told his daughter. Nicole couldn't have formed any enemies yet.

In the Benson household, Nicole had been thinking the exact opposite. She needed out of Lizzie's classes and into ones without cheerleaders. They were all going to hate her sooner or later. Two of them already did.

Nobody was home, but that was soon to change. About an hour later, Nicole went and collected Zach down at his bus stop, then the two walked to the daycare little Paige was at. When Nicole saw her sister and picked her up, she instantly felt better.

"Nicki! I got to paint today!" the toddler announced excitedly.

"Wow!" Nicole replied excitedly. She genuinely was happy to see her siblings. They never annoyed her, much, when she lived in New Jersey. During her little rebellion phase, she never talked to them, or even was home to see them in general.

Nicole realized at that moment she was like her mom even more than she thought possible. She shut out her family once her father left just as much as her mother had. She had making up to do too.

They returned to their apartment building and Nicole grabbed the family mail.

As the kids raced down the hall to the apartment, Nicole walked at a slower pace behind. She flipped through the mail, seeing a letter - like a letter letter - addressed to her mother in scratchy handwriting.

"Nicole!! Unlock the door!" she heard her brother say.

"Oh, sorry," she muttered as she got the door open.

She knew it was a male's handwriting, since it wasn't all that readable. All she could get out was Olivia Benson and the address. The return address she'd really have to sit and look at.

After the youngest Bensons went to do whatever, Nicole took a seat on the stools at the kitchen island and studied the letter. If her mom had to read this - and she would - she couldn't risk opening it.

Where have I seen this handwriting before? Nicole asked herself as she made out the first couple of letters - P, e, t.

Giving up on the name, she went down to the other lines. She made out "New Jersey" then realized who it was.

Peter. Her father.

Throwing the letter on top of the bills and other mail, Nicole got up and went to her room. When she noticed her sister was in there, she realized she couldn't try there. But she needed her space.

"H-Hey, Paige?" Nicole said quietly.

"Yeah?" the girl replied, still paying attention to her My Little Pony set.

"Wanna..." She had to come up with something to distract her sister with. "Wanna...watch Snow White in Mommy's room?"

In hindsight, she could've just went in her mother's room, but it didn't make a difference now. Paige jumped up all excited and said, "Yeah, yeah!"

Nicole settled her sister on Olivia's bed and went back to her room to think. Gathering herself on her bed, she pulled her knees to her chest. The last time she heard from her father was the custody hearing. And the last time he was in their house? Oh how she chose to forget that day.

"'Just get out!' Olivia yelled, waking Nicole from her sleep with a jump.

'Why don't you, you little whore!' Peter yelled back at her.

Annoyed, Nicole got up and went to her almost-closed door. Quietly, she pushed it the rest of the way shut. It wouldn't help the loud noises, but she pretended it did.

'I'm the whore, I'M the whore?!' Olivia yelled, the walls not blocking out any sounds. 'You're the one fucking a hooker! You're the one-'

'Maybe if you were home every once in a while, I wouldn't have to!'

Nicole rolled her eyes. Sure, her mom was never home, but she wasn't out doing anyone while she was out. She was doing good for the city.

Nicole stood by the door, leaning against it so she could listen. When she heard a knock, she jumped, but opened the door. Zach stood there in tears.

Instantly, Nicole had him pulled into her hug as she then closed the door. Zach hugged her sister at her waist, crying.

Nicole bent over as best she could and held her brother, shushing him softly. 'It's okay,' she said. 'Everything is gonna be okay.'

'Why do they fight like this?' Zach asked Nicole, as if she had any clue.

'I don't know, Zachy,' Nice whispered. She always called him that. It was their thing. Just like how Paigey was Nicole's name for the toddler.

Thinking about this made Nicole remember the last member of this broken family. Pushing Zach away, she told him, 'I'm gonna go get our sister. Stay here.'

Zach nodded and sat down on his sister's bed.

Nicole then ventured out into the hallway. On the other side of the hall was the kitchen her parents were arguing in. The only thing now separating her from her parents rage was a 6 inch wall.